LEAD Center

What LEAD Center does

LEAD Center (legally the National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities) is a private, federally-funded non-profit technical assistance center that supports the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for people with disabilities across the United States. Operated under the leadership of the National Disability Institute, it delivers a tiered technical assistance model — Universal TA (free online resources including toolkits, guides, webinars, and the WIOA Data Visualization Tool), Targeted TA (2–4 month collaborative engagements under signed agreements), and Intensive TA (long-term systems-change engagements with leadership commitment). The organization's core platform is a web-based resource hub at leadcenter.org that hosts a state-specific policy database covering all 50 states, DC, and territories; specialized tools such as the Direct Support Professional Career Exploration Infographic and the Secure Your Financial Future Toolkit; and content libraries covering financial empowerment, customized employment, apprenticeship, accessibility, and benefits navigation.

Name

LEAD Center

Legal name

National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities

Website

https://leadcenter.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LEAD Center is a federally-funded, non-profit national technical assistance center that helps state workforce systems, American Job Centers, and vocational rehabilitation agencies implement WIOA to advance employment and economic self-sufficiency for Americans with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Technical Assistance

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA)

Keywords

• Workforce technical assistance
• Disability employment services
• WIOA implementation support
• Vocational rehabilitation services
• Financial empowerment resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Grant: The LEAD Center is fully funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy under Grant Number OD-38977-22-75-4-11. This is a fixed-term grant providing $8 million in funding. The organization operates as a non-profit technical assistance center with no commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The LEAD Center is a federally-funded technical assistance center that helps state and local workforce development boards, American Job Centers, and vocational rehabilitation agencies implement the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for people with disabilities. It delivers tiered technical assistance (Universal, Targeted, and Intensive TA) along with toolkits, data tools, briefs, webinars, and training resources focused on employment and economic self-sufficiency for Americans with disabilities.

Product overview

The LEAD Center is a unified workforce development resource platform offering tiered Technical Assistance (Universal TA - free online resources; Targeted TA - collaborative projects; Intensive TA - systems change support), complemented by an extensive library of specialized tools, reports, newsletters, and webinars focused on advancing employment and economic self-sufficiency for Americans with disabilities. Key products include the WIOA Data Visualization Tool, Secure Your Financial Future Toolkit, Direct Support Professional Career Exploration Infographic, Memorandums of Understanding resources, Cross-System Collaboration briefs, Mental Health workforce resources, Veterans resources, ABLE accounts resources, apprenticeship guides, Building Partnerships toolkit, Individual Placement and Support (IPS) program resources, State-Specific Policies and Data hub, and various guides covering housing options, career alignment, and accessibility for Deaf/hard of hearing populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Technical Assistance (TA) - Tiered Approach
• WIOA Data Visualization Tool
• Secure Your Financial Future Toolkit
• Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for People with Mental Health Conditions

Quantifiable outcome

• Georgia DSP pilot programs achieved 100% organizational satisfaction and 98-100% DSP satisfaction across all three programs, with 82% of DSPs indicating intent to stay in the field for at least six years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• National Disability Institute (NDI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LEAD Center is led by National Disability Institute, which serves as the primary organizational host and project manager. NDI provides executive leadership including Co-Project Directors Laura Gleneck and Yvonne Wright, and Strategic Advisor Elizabeth Jennings. The partnership leverages NDI's expertise in disability employment, financial empowerment, and workforce development.
• Knowledge Translation (KT) Consortium MembersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe KT Consortium brings together federally funded training and technical assistance centers focused on employment, career readiness, transition, and accessibility for youth and adults with disabilities. Consortium members share information, resources, and training opportunities to collectively improve employment outcomes.
• State Workforce Development BoardsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with all 50 state workforce development boards to implement WIOA provisions for people with disabilities, provide technical assistance on policy development, and improve career pathway programs.
• American Job Centers (AJCs)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with American Job Centers nationwide to improve accessibility, service delivery, and employment outcomes for job seekers with disabilities through training, resources, and technical assistance.
• Vocational Rehabilitation AgenciesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with state vocational rehabilitation agencies to improve service coordination, career pathway development, and disability data reporting under WIOA.
• ABLE National Resource CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on financial empowerment resources for people with disabilities, including ABLE account education and the Building Financial Independence webinar series.
• U.S. Department of Labor, Civil Rights CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on digital accessibility standards and WIOA compliance, featured in webinars on accessible digital services for the workforce system.
• Direct Care Workforce Strategies Center (National Council on Aging)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on addressing the Direct Support Professional workforce crisis through cross-agency collaboration webinars and peer learning initiatives.
• Social Policy Research AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSubject matter experts Leah Cadena-Igdalsky and Kris Palmer from Social Policy Research Associates provide technical assistance expertise on DSP workforce issues and career pathways.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• National Disability Institute (NDI): Parent organization that leads and hosts the LEAD Center; NDI itself operates disability-focused financial empowerment and employment programs and shares the same leadership and funding partners.
• Social Policy Research Associates: Research and consulting firm whose staff serve as subject matter experts supporting LEAD's DSP workforce technical assistance, comparable as a federally-engaged disability employment consulting partner.

Broad incumbents

• Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI): University-based research and TA center supporting employment outcomes for people with disabilities, comparable as a long-standing disability employment TA and research organization operating in a similar policy environment.
• National Council on Aging (NCOA): National nonprofit operating the Direct Care Workforce Strategies Center, which is a partner of LEAD on DSP workforce issues; comparable as a large disability/aging workforce advocacy organization with overlapping DSP agenda.

Direct peers

• Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN): ODEP-funded national TA center that supports employer efforts to recruit, hire, retain, and advance people with disabilities, comparable in funding model, mission, and TA delivery structure to LEAD Center.
• ABLE National Resource Center: National collaborative that provides objective ABLE account information to individuals with disabilities and their families, directly comparable as a federally-supported disability financial empowerment resource.
• Job Accommodation Network (JAN): Federally-funded ODEP national TA center providing free consulting on workplace accommodations and disability employment, directly comparable as a parallel ODEP-funded disability employment TA organization.
• Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP): DOL/ODEP program connecting federal employers with college students and recent graduates with disabilities, comparable as a federal disability employment initiative operating in the same policy ecosystem.

Regional players

• National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA): Association representing state workforce agencies that implement WIOA, directly comparable as a policy and convening body operating alongside LEAD Center's state and territorial workforce partners.

Emerging players

• Center for Independent Living (CIL) Network: Federally-funded grassroots disability service organizations that LEAD Center supports through its Building Partnerships Toolkit, comparable as community-based disability employment and independent living service providers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LEADCtr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/leadcenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/LEADCtr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/odep-lead-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 LEAD Center