Modus Institute
Modus Institute is a privately held online education platform founded in 2014 by the creators of Personal Kanban, offering self-paced courses, the LAVM certification, and live workshops on visual management and Lean-Agile practices for individuals, team leads, and enterprise clients worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Modus Institute does
Modus Institute is a Seattle-headquartered, privately held online educational platform founded in 2014 by Jim Benson and Tonianne DeMaria, the co-creators of the Personal Kanban and Lean Coffee methodologies. The company delivers self-paced courses, cohort-based certifications, and live workshops focused on visual management, Lean-Agile practices, and team productivity, targeting individuals, team leads, change agents, and enterprise leaders. Its core curriculum is anchored by the Personal Kanban Course and the Lean Agile Visual Management (LAVM) Certification, with the LAVM Accreditation serving as a higher-touch cohort upgrade that includes bi-weekly sessions with the founders.
The platform is built on the LearnWorlds learning management system, with Vimeo for video hosting, Stripe for payments, and a multi-vendor customer support stack (Olark, TawkTo, Freshchat, Zendesk, Intercom). Revenue is generated through a mix of one-time course purchases (including the eight-course Full Meal Deal bundle), recurring Platinum Annual Subscriptions, the LAVM Certification and Accreditation program, and bespoke professional coaching and consulting engagements sold via Calendly scoping calls. Distribution is multi-channel: self-serve enrollment through the LMS, event-driven live workshops, an affiliate program with $19-$600 commissions, and direct sales of consulting services. Named clients referenced for consulting work include Spotify, Meta, the World Bank, and the United Nations.
Modus Institute operates through the legal entity Modus Cooperandi and reports cumulative reach of 10,000+ participants across 500+ companies in 50+ countries, with a 1-10 employee headcount. The company's competitive positioning rests on the founders' authorship of the Shingo Award-winning book 'Personal Kanban: Mapping Work | Navigating Life' and their recognized expertise in applying neuropsychology and systems thinking to organizational design. No external funding rounds, M&A activity, or public financial disclosures are evidenced in the available materials.
Modus Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Modus Institute
- Legal name
- Modus Institute
- Website
- https://modusinstitute.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Modus Institute is a privately held online education platform founded in 2014 by the creators of Personal Kanban, offering self-paced courses, the LAVM certification, and live workshops on visual management and Lean-Agile practices for individuals, team leads, and enterprise clients worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Modus Institute industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Development Training
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Quality, Process Improvement & Lean/Six Sigma Certifications (EDAAANAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses (MPACALAD), Certification & Credentialed Creator Programs (MPACALAI), Project, Quality & Operations (PMP PDUs, Six Sigma, Quality CE) (EDAAALAM)
Keywords
Where Modus Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Modus Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Self-paced Online Courses: Individual courses sold on a one-time purchase basis (e.g., Personal Kanban class). Students receive lifetime access upon purchase with a certificate of completion. No recurring commitment required.
- Platinum Annual Subscription: Annual subscription providing access to a curated selection of self-study courses. New classes are added as they become available. Does not include LAVM or Change Questions. Billed annually.
- Full Meal Deal Bundle: One-time purchase bundle of all 8 available MI courses with 8 certificates of completion. Offered at a heavy discount compared to individual purchase. Own forever, with discounts on future classes and events.
- LAVM Certification and Accreditation: Tiered certification program: LAVM Certification and LAVM Accreditation upgrade. The accreditation involves cohort-based work with bi-weekly sessions with Jim and Toni, and higher commission payouts for affiliates ($200-$600 per sale).
- Affiliate Referrals: Affiliate program pays commissions on all product sales: approximately $19 per class referral, $40/year for subscription referrals, and $200-$600 per LAVM sale. Commissions apply to initial and all recurring payments.
- Coaching and Consulting Services: Direct professional services engagement for organizational clients, including Kanban Fundamentals, Value Stream Mapping, and Right Environment Design. Delivered on-site or remotely. Sold via a scoping call booking flow.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Individual class referral commission |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Subscription referral commission |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | LAVM referral commission |
| Subscription | Annual | Platinum Annual Subscription |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Full Meal Deal Bundle |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Modus Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Modus Institute is an online educational platform that sells self-paced video courses, certifications, and live workshops teaching the Personal Kanban and Lean Agile Visual Management (LAVM) methodologies for individuals and organizations. In parallel, the company delivers bespoke professional coaching and consulting engagements covering Kanban Fundamentals, Value Stream Mapping, and organizational visual management design for enterprise clients. Course delivery is powered by the LearnWorlds LMS, supplemented by a free community membership, a subscription bundle (Platinum), an all-courses bundle (Full Meal Deal), and a tiered LAVM Certification/Accreditation track.
Product overview
Modus Institute is an online educational platform offering courses, certifications, and professional services focused on visual management and work improvement methodologies. The core offerings include the Personal Kanban Course and the Lean Agile Visual Management (LAVM) Certification. Additional products include the LAVM Accreditation upgrade for cohort-based learning, the Platinum Subscription for ongoing course access, and the Full Meal Deal bundle. The platform also provides Professional and Coaching Services, a Collaborwocky podcast, and Live Events/Workshops. All courses are delivered through the LearnWorlds LMS platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Personal Kanban Course
Quantifiable outcome
- 35% improvement in delivery speed with visual management
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Modus Institute
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Modus Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Modus Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Affiliate PartnersminorIndependent affiliate marketers who promote Modus Institute courses through unique tracking links. Affiliates earn 10% commission on all referred sales, with 120-day cookie windows. No fee to join. Commission structure: ~$19 per class, $40/year per subscription, $200-$600 per LAVM sale. Commissions apply to initial and all recurring payments.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Modus Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kanban University: Kanban University offers accredited Kanban certifications (Team Kanban Practitioner, Kanban Management Professional) and trains Kanban coaches globally. It is the most direct peer to Modus Institute's LAVM Certification and Personal Kanban courses, competing for the same cohort of Lean/Agile practitioners.
- ProKanban.org: ProKanban.org provides Kanban training and the PK1, PK2, and PK3 certifications taught by instructors including David J. Anderson alumni. It competes head-to-head with Modus Institute's Personal Kanban and LAVM courses for individual and team-level Kanban certification buyers.
- David J. Anderson Kanban Training: David J. Anderson is widely credited as the originator of enterprise Kanban and offers training, certification, and consulting through David J. Anderson & Associates. He is a direct methodology peer to Modus Institute's Personal Kanban creators and competes for the same senior Lean/Agile transformation audience.
Broad incumbents
- Scaled Agile (SAFe): Scaled Agile offers the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) certifications and is the dominant enterprise Agile certification body. It is a broad incumbent in the same Lean/Agile training space as Modus Institute, with a much larger catalog, global partner network, and enterprise sales motion.
- Skillsoft: Skillsoft is a large corporate digital learning platform offering thousands of business, leadership, and technology courses including Agile/Lean content. It competes with Modus Institute's self-paced course catalog and subscription (Platinum Annual Subscription) at the enterprise buyer level.
- Scrum Alliance: Scrum Alliance is one of the largest Agile certification bodies (CSM, CSPO, advanced certifications) and trains millions of practitioners. It operates in the same Lean/Agile training market as Modus Institute, with a much broader curriculum and corporate training channel.
- ICAgile: ICAgile accredits Agile and Lean training providers and certifies individual practitioners across multiple tracks. It operates upstream of training providers like Modus Institute, setting certification standards in the same Lean/Agile/visual management domain.
- Corporate Education Group: Corporate Education Group is an enterprise training provider delivering Agile, Lean, and project management courses to corporate clients. It overlaps with Modus Institute's coaching/consulting and LAVM offerings for organizational transformation buyers.
- Disciplined Agile (PMI): Disciplined Agile, owned by the Project Management Institute, offers DA certifications and training across Lean, Agile, and hybrid approaches. It competes with Modus Institute for enterprise Lean/Agile training budgets, with the added credibility of being backed by PMI.
- LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn Learning offers a massive subscription-based library of Agile, project management, and productivity courses from third-party instructors. It overlaps with Modus Institute's self-paced course business and competes for individual professionals paying for self-paced development.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Modus Institute social profiles
Digital presenceModus Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Modus Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Modus Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Modus Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Modus Institute
What does Modus Institute do?
Modus Institute is an online educational platform that sells self-paced video courses, certifications, and live workshops teaching the Personal Kanban and Lean Agile Visual Management (LAVM) methodologies for individuals and organizations. In parallel, the company delivers bespoke professional coaching and consulting engagements covering Kanban Fundamentals, Value Stream Mapping, and organizational visual management design for enterprise clients. Course delivery is powered by the LearnWorlds LMS, supplemented by a free community membership, a subscription bundle (Platinum), an all-courses bundle (Full Meal Deal), and a tiered LAVM Certification/Accreditation track.
Is Modus Institute a public or private company?
Modus Institute is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Modus Institute founded?
Modus Institute was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Modus Institute based?
Modus Institute is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Modus Institute make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Self-paced Online Courses are the primary driver. The others are platinum Annual Subscription, full Meal Deal Bundle, LAVM Certification and Accreditation, affiliate Referrals and coaching and Consulting Services.
Who are Modus Institute's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kanban University, ProKanban.org and David J. Anderson Kanban Training. Broad incumbents are Scaled Agile (SAFe), Skillsoft, Scrum Alliance, ICAgile, Corporate Education Group, Disciplined Agile (PMI) and LinkedIn Learning.
Does Modus Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for Modus Institute.
What industry is Modus Institute in?
Modus Institute's product category is Professional Development Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAANAC, Quality, Process Improvement & Lean/Six Sigma Certifications, with a secondary code of MPACALAD, Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.