The Culture MRI
The Culture MRI is a SaaS platform that measures and transforms organizational culture via its proprietary Motivational Response Index® assessment and Culture Operations® dashboard, serving mid-market and enterprise clients through 12-month subscription engagements with monthly expert touchpoint calls.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersCumming, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What The Culture MRI does
The Culture MRI is a SaaS platform that measures and transforms organizational culture through a proprietary assessment framework rooted in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Founded by organizational psychologist Benjamin Ortlip after three decades of culture-shaping work for organizations including UPS, Delta, Salesforce, and Chick-fil-A, the company delivers a 61-question, six-minute anonymous survey called the Motivational Response Index® that scores fifteen psychological needs underlying job satisfaction and motivation. Results are surfaced through the Culture Operations® Dashboard, which converts engagement data into dollar-value metrics and remediation steps, supplemented by a Culture Growth Plan® blueprint and monthly expert touchpoint calls under a twelve-month subscription.
The platform is built entirely on commercial off-the-shelf SaaS infrastructure—Google Workspace, Google Data Studio, Make, and PointerPro—with no proprietary AI or machine-learning components disclosed. The company sells via an enterprise field sales motion targeting HR leaders and senior executives, with demo scheduling funneled through Calendly and pricing held as quote-based; ancillary revenue comes from the Amazon bestseller 'Culture Is The New Leadership' published through Ivy League Press in 2024. The Culture MRI is privately held, bootstrapped with no institutional funding rounds disclosed, and headquartered in the Atlanta, Georgia area under a small named leadership team of Founder Benjamin Ortlip, President Bob Keator, Director of Technology David Watters, and Lead Psychologist Dr. Kelsey George.
Customer segments skew toward mid-market and enterprise organizations across multiple verticals, with named engagements including Pegasus Residential and SeaWorld; broader Fortune 500 logos (UPS, Delta, Salesforce, Chick-fil-A) reflect the founder's prior consulting relationships rather than confirmed current SaaS subscribers. Marketing is driven by content (blog, podcast appearances, email lead capture) anchored on the book and Ortlip's thought leadership, while product credibility is supported by a 2023 Duquesne University research study and a registered portfolio of trademarks including Culture MRI®, Motivational Response Index®, Culture Operations®, Culture Growth Plan®, and Craft, Cause, Community™.
The Culture MRI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Culture MRI
- Legal name
- The Culture MRI
- Website
- https://theculturemri.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- The Culture MRI is a SaaS platform that measures and transforms organizational culture via its proprietary Motivational Response Index® assessment and Culture Operations® dashboard, serving mid-market and enterprise clients through 12-month subscription engagements with monthly expert touchpoint calls.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Culture MRI industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Employee Engagement Software
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Personality & Behavioral Assessments (BPACAMAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Emotional Intelligence, Motivation & Culture-Fit Assessments (BPACAMAI)
Keywords
Where The Culture MRI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cumming
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Culture MRI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Culture MRI® Software Subscription: 12-month subscription to the Culture MRI® system including access to the assessment platform, dashboard monitoring, and monthly touchpoint calls with experts to guide organizational transformation.
- Book Sales - Culture Is The New Leadership: Sale of the bestselling book 'Culture Is The New Leadership: How Great Companies Inspire Millennials, Ignite Performance, and Win the War for Talent' published by Ivy League Press in 2024.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | 12-month subscription with monthly touchpoint support |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Culture MRI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Culture MRI® is a SaaS platform that measures and transforms organizational culture through a proprietary 61-question, 6-minute anonymous survey (Motivational Response Index®) that identifies 15 critical psychological needs driving job satisfaction and motivation. Results are delivered through the Culture Operations® Dashboard with dollar-value metrics on engagement, accompanied by a 12-month subscription including monthly expert touchpoint calls and a dynamic Culture Growth Plan® for remediation.
Product overview
The Culture MRI is a SaaS platform providing a comprehensive system for measuring and transforming workplace culture. The core offering consists of The Culture MRI® Assessment (61-question survey measuring 15 psychological needs), The Motivational Response Index® framework, the Culture Operations® Dashboard for monitoring and analytics, and the Culture Growth Plan® for remediation guidance. The company also publishes the book 'Culture Is The New Leadership'. The system is delivered via a 12-month subscription with monthly touchpoint calls.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Motivational Response Index®: Identifies the 15 critical needs that determine job satisfaction and motivation. A proprietary assessment tool measuring employee psychological needs.
- Culture Operations® Dashboard
- Culture Growth Plan®
- World-Class Culture Operations®
- Craft, Cause, Community™
Products and services
- The Culture MRI® Assessment A 61-question confidential survey taking approximately 6 minutes to complete, measuring the 15 critical psychological needs that determine job satisfaction and motivation. Designed for enterprise HR leaders and executives seeking a more comprehensive and less burdensome alternative to traditional engagement surveys.
- Motivational Response Index® (MRI) Proprietary assessment methodology identifying 15 critical needs that determine job satisfaction and motivation, serving as the scientific framework underlying the Culture MRI® Assessment. Built on Maslow's needs-based theory expressed as Craft, Cause, and Community™ motivators.
- Culture Operations® Dashboard A monitoring and business intelligence dashboard that tracks retention and engagement, displays an overall engagement score with granular filters, provides customized remediation steps, and places dollar values on culture investments to enable ROI evaluation. Used by enterprise HR and people leaders to monitor and improve culture.
- Culture Growth Plan®
Quantifiable outcome
- 46% of employee performance determined by engagement level (UCLA study)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Culture MRI
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Culture MRI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature8 records
The Culture MRI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core infrastructure and research validation.
- Google Workspacecore infrastructureGoogle Workspace is utilized for database and application logic in The Culture MRI® platform. Multi-factor authentication is implemented for secure access. Access is provided to employees on an as-needed basis for support and maintenance.
- Google Data Studiocore infrastructureGoogle Data Studio is used for Business Intelligence Reporting. All data uploaded is stored in Google Cloud Storage. Platform provides visualization and reporting capabilities for culture metrics.
- Make (formerly Integromat)core infrastructureMake platform handles platform integration and workflow automation for The Culture MRI® service delivery. Supports connection between various system components.
- PointerPro (formerly Survey Anyplace)core infrastructurePointerPro is used for data collection and analysis. The survey platform collects employee responses for the Culture MRI® assessment methodology.
- Duquesne Universityresearch validationResearch study conducted by Duquesne University in 2023 validated Ortlip's Culture MRI® process. Academic validation of the methodology provides credibility and research backing.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Culture MRI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Energage / Top Workplaces: Employee engagement surveys and culture benchmarking provider behind the Top Workplaces program; directly comparable culture-measurement methodology and survey-driven offering.
- Culture Amp: Employee engagement and culture survey SaaS serving mid-market and enterprise; the most direct modern competitor to The Culture MRI's assessment-and-dashboard offering.
- 15Five: Continuous employee performance and engagement platform with pulse surveys and manager dashboards; competes with The Culture MRI for HR leader budgets in culture measurement.
- Quantum Workplace: Employee engagement surveys, pulse surveys, and culture benchmarking SaaS for mid-market and enterprise; closely mirrors The Culture MRI's assessment-plus-actionable-insights positioning.
- Great Place to Work: Culture assessment, certification, and benchmarking organization (Best Companies to Work For); competes with The Culture MRI in certifying and benchmarking workplace culture for enterprises.
- Peakon (Workday): Employee engagement and listening platform (acquired by Workday); a direct SaaS competitor offering pulse surveys and analytics similar to The Culture MRI's dashboard.
- Limeade (TinyPulse / Officevibe): Employee well-being and engagement SaaS built around TinyPulse and Officevibe pulse-survey products; comparable culture and engagement measurement offering for mid-market.
- Gallup: Long-standing leader in employee engagement surveys via the Q12 methodology and CliftonStrengths; directly comparable as a culture and engagement assessment provider to enterprises.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft Viva Glint: Enterprise engagement survey platform (originally Glint, now part of Microsoft Viva); broad incumbent offering overlapping employee listening functionality with The Culture MRI's assessment platform.
- Qualtrics (Employee Experience): Experience management platform with a dedicated employee-experience and engagement module; competes with The Culture MRI for enterprise HR budgets across surveys and dashboards.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Culture MRI social profiles
Digital presenceThe Culture MRI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Culture MRI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Culture MRI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Culture MRI 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 The Culture MRI
What does The Culture MRI do?
The Culture MRI® is a SaaS platform that measures and transforms organizational culture through a proprietary 61-question, 6-minute anonymous survey (Motivational Response Index®) that identifies 15 critical psychological needs driving job satisfaction and motivation. Results are delivered through the Culture Operations® Dashboard with dollar-value metrics on engagement, accompanied by a 12-month subscription including monthly expert touchpoint calls and a dynamic Culture Growth Plan® for remediation.
Is The Culture MRI a public or private company?
The Culture MRI is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Culture MRI founded?
The Culture MRI was founded in 2024. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is The Culture MRI based?
The Culture MRI is headquartered in Cumming, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Culture MRI make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Culture MRI® Software Subscription is the primary driver. The others are book Sales - Culture Is The New Leadership.
Who are The Culture MRI's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Energage / Top Workplaces, Culture Amp, 15Five, Quantum Workplace, Great Place to Work, Peakon (Workday), Limeade (TinyPulse / Officevibe) and Gallup. Broad incumbents are Microsoft Viva Glint and Qualtrics (Employee Experience).
Does The Culture MRI have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Culture MRI.
What industry is The Culture MRI in?
The Culture MRI's product category is Employee Engagement Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAMAC, Personality & Behavioral Assessments, with a secondary code of BPACAMAI, Emotional Intelligence, Motivation & Culture-Fit Assessments. Its NAICS code is 54172 and its SIC code is 7370.