Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement

What Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement does

Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI) is a Duluth, Georgia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 and incorporated as an independent entity in 2012. The organization provides leadership development, coaching, and technical assistance to K-12 school districts and educational organizations, with a mission to build "excellent and equitable schools" regardless of race, geography, or family income. GLISI's reach includes 166 districts and organizations and 5,221 leaders and community members directly served in 2023, with its work affecting more than 1.29 million students in 2024 and over 16,000 teachers and leaders cumulatively since founding.

The service portfolio is anchored by the Base Camp and Leadership Summit (BCLS), a residential team-based cohort experience held at venues such as Crowne Plaza Peachtree Center and Jekyll Island Convention Center. Adjacent offerings include the year-long Aspiring Leaders Program, the Leadership Intensive for Transformation (LIT) for literacy-focused teams, ACTIONS for strategy implementation, Central Office Coaching, Portrait of a Leader/Graduate co-construction, and Strategic Improvement Planning. GLISI also operates the Georgia Deeper Learning Network (GaDLN), Women in Network (WIN), and the annual Hidden Heroes campaign, and partners with Learn4Life on the RETAIN teacher-retention program in metro Atlanta. In 2024, it added a credit-bearing partnership with Kennesaw State University's Bagwell College of Education that allows Aspiring Leaders participants to earn up to 9 credit hours toward a Master of Education.

The business model combines program and consulting fees from school districts, paid corporate and foundation sponsorships (Microsoft, Georgia Power, Parker Poe, Corebridge Financial, Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation, Fitzgerald Foundation, KSU Bagwell, QuickBooks, 4imprint, Zeist, Parrish Construction, ExQ), individual donations processed through gagives.org, and event registration fees. GLISI is not a technology company; services are delivered through human coaches, on-site consulting, residential convenings, and virtual sessions. The organization is led by CEO/Executive Director Leslie Hazle Bussey, Ph.D., with a C-suite including Chief Strategy & Growth Officer Jennie Welch, Ph.D. and Chief People & Culture Officer Meca Mohammed, Ph.D., and is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by retired Fulton County trial judge Gail Tusan-Washington.

Name

Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement

Legal name

Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement, Inc.

Website

https://glisi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that provides leadership development, coaching, and technical assistance to K-12 school districts and educational organizations, primarily in Georgia and the Southeastern United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Function & Learning Coaching (Organization/ADHD Coaching) (EDAJALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Study Skills, Executive Function & Academic Coaching (Small-Group) (EDANAHAC)

Keywords

• K-12 leadership development
• School improvement consulting
• Teacher retention programs
• Educational leadership coaching
• District strategic planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program and Consulting Fees: GLISI generates revenue through fees charged to school districts and organizations for its leadership development programs, coaching, strategic planning, and technical assistance services. Fees are customized based on scope and engagement level.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate and foundation sponsors provide financial support in exchange for recognition and association with GLISI's mission. Sponsors include companies such as Microsoft, Parker Poe, Corebridge Financial, GA Power Foundation, Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation, and others.
3. Donations: GLISI accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations to support its mission of building excellent and equitable schools. Donations are processed through gagives.org and by check.
4. Event Registration Fees: The Base Camp and Leadership Summit (BCLS) residential cohort program charges registration fees that include lodging, meals, coaching, and learning materials for participating teams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GLISI sells leadership development, coaching, and strategic improvement planning services to K-12 school districts and educational organizations. Core paid offerings include the residential Base Camp and Leadership Summit (BCLS) cohort experience, the year-long Aspiring Leaders Program, LIT (Leadership Intensive for Transformation), Strategic Improvement Planning, Central Office Coaching, and Technical Assistance. Network convenings and the Hidden Heroes campaign extend engagement and community reach.

Product overview

GLISI offers a portfolio of leadership development programs and services focused on building excellent and equitable schools. The core offerings include Base Camp and Leadership Summit (BCLS), a residential team-based experience; the Aspiring Leaders Program for developing educators; LIT for literacy-focused teams; and Strategic Improvement Planning services. Additional offerings include Classified Staff Development, Principal and Assistant Principal Growth programs, Central Office Coaching, and Technical Assistance. GLISI also operates three networks: the Georgia Deeper Learning Network (GaDLN), Women in Network (WIN), and the Hidden Heroes campaign. The RETAIN program addresses teacher retention through social-emotional leadership development. These products function as both standalone offerings and integrated services, with BCLS serving as the flagship residential experience and Aspiring Leaders and Strategic Planning providing longer-term partnership pathways.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Base Camp and Leadership Summit (BCLS): A residential leadership development experience designed to grow teams of practicing educators.
• Aspiring Leaders Program
• Georgia Deeper Learning Network (GaDLN)
• Women in Network (WIN)
• Hidden Heroes
• RETAIN (Restoring Teacher Aspiration and Innovation)

Products and services

• Base Camp and Leadership Summit (BCLS) Residential team-based leadership development experience consisting of two three-day convenings (Base Camp and Leadership Summit) with an assigned Performance Coach, designed for K-12 school and district teams of 4-10 educators to develop collective effectiveness and test solutions to performance problems. Lodging, meals, and learning materials are included.
• Aspiring Leaders Program Year-long customized leadership development experience for educators aspiring to leadership roles, aligned to a co-constructed portrait of leadership for each partner organization, featuring a capstone project and public exhibition.
• LIT (Leadership Intensive for Transformation) Team-based experience for K-12 school and district teams of 8-12 developing and refining plans for implementing effective literacy practices, with off-site work three times yearly and routine Coach Connects throughout the school year.
• ACTIONS Strategy implementation support combining plan review and team capacity building to help district teams get unstuck and execute improvement strategies with actionable plans.
• Central Office Coaching & Custom Team Retreats Consultative sessions and full-scale leadership retreats for K-12 central office teams to build collective efficacy and lead large-scale change initiatives.
• Classified Staff Development Customized leadership development experience for classified K-12 personnel emphasizing self-efficacy, leadership agency, and customer service skills.
• Principal and Assistant Principal Growth Research-based professional learning to develop adaptive leadership competencies such as cultivating trustworthiness and thinking systemically for K-12 principals and assistant principals.
• Portrait of a Leader/Graduate Co-construction of a shared vision defining K-12 leadership excellence and student success qualities, competencies, and dispositions to drive district strategic choices and investments.
• Strategic Improvement Planning Inclusive strategic planning with K-12 district and school stakeholders, based on four core principles of inclusive design aligned with Georgia School Boards Association standards.
• Technical Assistance Coaching and consultation for K-12 district leaders to develop tools, protocols, processes, meeting structures, balanced scorecards, and team cohesion assets.
• Georgia Deeper Learning Network (GaDLN) Network of K-12 policy, practice, and public will leaders across Georgia committed to leading learning that emphasizes skill development for future success; hosted and facilitated by GLISI.
• Women in Network (WIN) Convening of women K-12 superintendents and aspiring superintendents across Georgia providing organic mentorship, learning, and connection opportunities.
• RETAIN (Restoring Teacher Aspiration and Innovation) Partnership with Learn4Life developing leaders' social-emotional competencies to improve school climates and teacher retention in metro Atlanta K-12 districts; includes face-to-face learning convenings, virtual connections, and 1-on-1 coaching.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of district/organization leaders agreed that GLISI's partnership increased the capacity of their leaders to help their district achieve its goals.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Kennesaw State University (KSU) Bagwell College of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024A partnership between KSU's Bagwell College of Education and GLISI expedites degree completion for educators in GLISI's Aspiring Leaders cohorts. Participants are eligible to enter the 30-hour Master of Education in Teacher Leadership and Educational Leadership program with up to 9 credit hours. The program is fully online and leads to both teacher leadership certification and Tier I educational leadership certification required for leadership positions in Georgia schools. The partnership is designed to accelerate educators into leadership roles faster while allowing GLISI to better tailor its support to district needs.
• Kennesaw State University Bagwell College of Education (Hidden Heroes Sponsor)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Hidden Heroes is a crowdsourced statewide campaign that GLISI hosts annually to honor education difference makers. KSU Bagwell College of Education is a sponsor of the campaign, which received over 165,000 page views of nominees' stories in 2024.
• Learn4LifecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023GLISI partners with Learn4Life on RETAIN (Restoring Teacher Aspiration and Innovation), a program that develops leaders' social-emotional competencies to improve teacher retention. The first cohort had 24 middle school leaders from Fulton, Gwinnett, Marietta City, DeKalb, and Atlanta Public Schools. The program includes face-to-face learning convenings, virtual connections, and 1-on-1 coaching. Learn4Life provides funding and programmatic collaboration to support metro Atlanta districts.
• Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGLISI maintains a long-standing partnership with the Georgia School Boards Association to develop strategic improvement plan measures and Year 1 Action Plans aligned with change theory and best practice in leading central office transformation. GSBA board portal access is shared via GLISI's website, indicating a deep operational partnership.
• Georgia School Superintendents Association (GSSA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGSSA co-hosts the Women in Network (WIN) convenings with GLISI, holding events ahead of GSSA's Fall and Spring Bootstrap conferences. WIN provides organic mentorship and connection opportunities for women superintendents and aspiring superintendents across Georgia.
• Georgia Deeper Learning Network (GaDLN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGaDLN is a network of policy, practice, and public will leaders across Georgia who share a commitment to leading learning that emphasizes skill development for future success. GLISI hosts and facilitates the network, connecting 20+ school districts and communities statewide.
• Georgia Power (Hidden Heroes Sponsor)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerGeorgia Power is a paid sponsor of GLISI's Hidden Heroes campaign. Per the website, any display of Georgia Power's logo is not an endorsement of their products or services but an acknowledgement of sponsorship support.
• Parker Poe (Hidden Heroes Sponsor)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerParker Poe is a paid sponsor of GLISI's Hidden Heroes campaign. Per the website, any display of Parker Poe's logo is not an endorsement of their products or services.
• Microsoft (Sponsor)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMicrosoft is listed as a paid sponsor of GLISI on the homepage. The display of Microsoft logos is not an endorsement of products or services.
• Corebridge Financial (Sponsor)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorebridge Financial is listed as a paid sponsor of GLISI on the homepage. The website notes this is not an endorsement of Corebridge Financial products or services.
• ExQ (Sponsor)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerExQ is a paid sponsor of GLISI. ExQ appears to be an education-related product company sponsoring GLISI's mission and programs.
• 4imprint (Sponsor)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner4imprint is a paid sponsor of GLISI. 4imprint is a promotional products company.
• QuickBooks (Sponsor)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerQuickBooks (Intuit) is a paid sponsor of GLISI.
• Zeist (Sponsor)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerZeist is listed as a paid sponsor of GLISI.
• Parrish Construction (Sponsor)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerParrish Construction is a paid sponsor of GLISI's Hidden Heroes campaign.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Learning Forward: Learning Forward is the national professional association for professional learning, providing standards, consulting, and networks for K-12 educator development — a direct functional peer to GLISI's leadership development services and Georgia Deeper Learning Network.
• TNTP: TNTP (formerly The New Teacher Project) is a national nonprofit focused on teacher and school leader development, district support, and policy — overlapping directly with GLISI's leadership development, strategic improvement planning, and teacher retention offerings, though at much larger national scale.
• New Leaders: New Leaders operates principal and school leader preparation programs across the U.S., closely analogous to GLISI's Aspiring Leaders Program and BCLS — both build pipelines of effective K-12 leaders through cohort-based development.
• District Management Group (DMGroup): DMGroup partners with K-12 districts on strategic improvement, central office effectiveness, and leadership development — directly overlapping with GLISI's strategic improvement planning, central office coaching, and technical assistance services.
• Center for Educational Leadership (University of Washington): UW CEL provides principal leadership development, district coaching, and instructional leadership programs for K-12 systems — closely comparable to GLISI's Principal/Assistant Principal Growth and BCLS cohort models.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: KIPP operates one of the largest national K-12 leadership development pipelines (Fisher Fellowship, KIPP Leadership Academy), overlapping conceptually with GLISI's Aspiring Leaders program and BCLS but at much larger network scale.
• ASCD: ASCD is a broad, established education association delivering professional learning, leadership resources, and conferences to educators and districts — overlapping with GLISI's leadership development offerings but serving a much larger, less targeted audience.

Regional players

• Battelle for Kids: Battelle for Kids focuses on K-12 leadership development, portrait of a graduate frameworks, and district partnerships — directly comparable to GLISI's Portrait of a Leader/Graduate and Strategic Improvement Planning services, primarily serving Midwest and select state markets.

Emerging players

• Chiefs for Change: Chiefs for Change is a network of state and district education leaders focused on system improvement — analogous in spirit to GLISI's Georgia Deeper Learning Network and Women in Network convenings, though operating nationally with a policy advocacy lens.
• EdFuel: EdFuel is a nonprofit consultancy that builds leadership and operational capacity for education organizations — comparable in GTM (consulting engagement, capacity building) and target buyer (education leadership teams) to GLISI's central office coaching and technical assistance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/glisi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement