Gillespie Associates

What Gillespie Associates does

Gillespie Associates is a privately held, for-profit training and learning design consultancy founded in 1989 and headquartered in Rochester, NY. The firm designs and delivers custom training solutions, learning programs, and performance-improvement outsourcing for enterprise clients, primarily in the Northeast United States. Its service portfolio spans custom training design, performance improvement outsourcing, anti-harassment training, and the productized Gillespie Nimble New Manager Jump Series.

The company's underlying methodology combines Action Mapping (a needs-based, outcome-driven design approach) with the ADDIE instructional design model. Gillespie Nimble, launched in 2016, packages curriculum into modular, on-demand video content aimed at first-time managers, with cohort-based learning sprints that broaden the addressable use cases. The firm's creator and principal facilitator, Michelle L. Wescott, holds an MEd in Instructional Design and the CPLP credential, and is supported by a partnership with Leadership Logic (Sarah Marché) for anti-harassment compliance training.

Gillespie Associates operates as a boutique professional-services firm with 1–10 employees, generating revenue through project-based custom training engagements, outsourced performance improvement programs, and productized content sales. Its named clients include AcuFocus, Bausch + Lomb, Wegmans, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, M&T Bank, and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics. The company reports strong client outcome metrics, including 93% participation rates, 96% completion rates, and a 40% customer retention increase case study, with one cited client relationship spanning 15 years. No external funding, acquisitions, or revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

Gillespie Associates

Legal name

Gillespie Associates

Website

https://gillespieassociates.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gillespie Associates is a Rochester, NY-based boutique training consultancy that designs and delivers custom learning programs, performance improvement outsourcing, and anti-harassment training for enterprise clients, primarily in the Northeast US, with a productized manager training line called Gillespie Nimble.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Training and Employee Development Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Management Consulting Services (54161), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Learning & Development (L&D) & Training Management (EDABAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performance Management & Coaching Training (EDABAIAB), Learning, Training & Corporate Education Consulting (BPAHAGAE), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC), Sales Leadership & Revenue Executive Coaching (EDABANAL)

Keywords

• Leadership development training
• Custom training solutions
• New manager training
• Instructional design services
• Corporate training outsourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Training Programs: Award-winning custom training solutions developed for specific client needs including new hire, sales rep, customer service, and supervisory training
2. Off-the-shelf Training (Gillespie Nimble): Pre-packaged new manager training programs including the New Manager Jump Series with JumpStart, JumpIn, and JumpUp levels
3. Training Outsourcing: Full training team services where Gillespie serves as an extension of client organizations, providing designers, writers, facilitators and consultants
4. Compliance Training: NYS Anti-harassment training and other mandated compliance programs available online or in-person

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gillespie Associates designs, develops, and delivers corporate training and employee development programs. Its core offerings include custom-built training solutions (for new hires, sales reps, customer service, and supervisors), the Gillespie Nimble off-the-shelf new manager leadership development program with spaced-learning Nibbles, full training-team outsourcing, and NYS-compliant anti-harassment training. Programs are delivered through blended formats including cohort-based virtual classes, eLearning, one-on-one coaching, and in-person facilitation.

Product overview

Gillespie Associates offers a comprehensive suite of training and employee development solutions built around three core offerings: Gillespie Nimble New Manager Jump Series (an off-the-shelf leadership development program with three progressive sessions), Custom Training (award-winning tailored programs), and Performance Improvement/Outsourcing services. The company also provides Anti-Harassment Training as a compliance module. The product portfolio emphasizes adult learning principles, blended learning approaches, and ongoing support rather than one-time training events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gillespie Nimble: A comprehensive training program for new managers offering the New Manager Jump Series with e-learning modules, coaching, spaced learning, and cohort-based virtual classes. Focuses on soft skills development including communication, conflict resolution, delegation, and coaching.

Products and services

• Gillespie Nimble New Manager Jump Series Off-the-shelf leadership development program for new and first-time managers, delivered through cohort-based virtual classes (10-20 participants), spaced-learning Nibbles (twice-weekly problem scenarios), one-on-one coaching, scenario-based eLearning, performance support tools, and an online community forum. Targets organizations that need to build foundational management skills at scale.
• New Manager Training Professional skills training solution for new managers covering communication, conflict resolution, problem-solving, delegation, running meetings, coaching, and emotional intelligence. Emphasizes a process-based, ongoing learning approach rather than one-off training events.
• Custom Training Award-winning bespoke training programs designed around client-specific needs, including new-hire training, sales-rep training, customer-service training, and supervisory training. Emphasizes learner performance, engagement, and measurable business outcomes.
• Performance Improvement / Training Outsourcing Outsourced training function in which Gillespie serves as an extension of the client's organization, providing a full team of instructional designers, writers, facilitators, and consultants for the cost of a single hire. Used when an organization needs a complete training department across any department or format.
• NYS Anti-Harassment Training New York State-compliant anti-sexual-harassment training that can be completed in approximately one hour, available online or in-person. Designed to satisfy annual NYS mandates and provide employers with documentation that supports an affirmative defense in harassment lawsuits.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% course participation rate achieved with Gillespie Nimble redesign
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Leadership LogiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Leadership Logic for anti-harassment training, specifically for NYS mandated training. Sarah Marché, MBA, Vice-President of Leadership Logic serves as guest author on anti-harassment content.
• Association for Talent Development (ATD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference to ATD Employee Learning Week as an opportunity for organizations to highlight connection between learning and organizational results

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DDI (Development Dimensions International): A global leadership training and development firm specializing in new manager, supervisory, and leadership development programs for enterprise clients — directly comparable to Gillespie's new manager and custom training offerings.
• SkillPath Seminars: Provider of professional development, supervisory, and management training seminars for business professionals, directly comparable to Gillespie's training programs targeted at mid-market and enterprise customers.
• The Ken Blanchard Companies: Long-established provider of leadership development, management training, and consulting programs (e.g., Situational Leadership), overlapping directly with Gillespie's new manager and supervisory training focus.
• Dale Carnegie Training: Global training organization offering courses in leadership, management, sales, and interpersonal skills — directly comparable to Gillespie's custom training, new manager, and sales training offerings.
• Langevin Learning Services: Canadian corporate training company offering workshops and courses in leadership, supervision, communication, and management skills — a directly comparable professional training peer to Gillespie's offerings.
• BLS (Bureau of Leadership & Sales): Mid-sized training provider focused on sales leadership, management, and customer service training for enterprise and mid-market buyers — directly comparable to Gillespie's sales and supervisory training custom work.

Emerging players

• Cathy Moore (Action Mapping): Independent training methodology consultancy behind the Action Mapping framework that Gillespie explicitly references in its instructional design approach — closely aligned on methodology if not on scale.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera for Business: Enterprise-focused arm of a major online education platform providing leadership, management, and professional development content at scale — competes with Gillespie's off-the-shelf and custom offerings on breadth and price.
• LinkedIn Learning: Mass-market online learning platform offering extensive leadership and management courses; a broad incumbent that competes with Gillespie Nimble at the lower-cost, self-serve end of the market.
• FranklinCovey: Large-scale provider of leadership, productivity, and organizational performance training (e.g., The 7 Habits), competing with Gillespie's new manager and leadership development offerings as a broader, more established incumbent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwK0R5sWKvLrTS5dJrY6w6g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gillespie-associates
• Xx.com/gillespieassoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/gillespieassociatesroc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Gillespie Associates