3ethos

What 3ethos does

3ethos is a privately held behavioral governance firm, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, that commercializes a proprietary research framework called Behavioral Governance® — a body of research examining the interrelationships between Leadership, Stewardship, and Governance, grounded in Neuro-leadership and Neuro-fiduciary constructs. The firm was co-founded by Don Trone (an industry figure widely referred to as the 'Father of Fiduciary' and former founding CEO of fi360), Sean Hannah PhD (retired U.S. Army Colonel, co-creator of Behavioral Governance, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies), John Sumanth PhD (Associate Professor at Wake Forest University), Mary Lou Wattman (CEO of 1920West), and Steve Branham (retired U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral).

Its product surface is concentrated around three assets: (1) proprietary psychometric assessment instruments, offered in self-assessment and group versions, designed to evaluate leadership, stewardship, and governance capabilities of individuals, teams, boards, and committees; (2) the GFS™ (Global Financial Stewardship) Designation — a 15-hour instructional course with a proctored exam, continuing-education requirement, and a Leader's Intent document covering fiduciary, best-interests, governance, and professional-standards-of-care frameworks; and (3) an optional Wake Forest University Executive Education Certificate in Global Financial Stewardship for qualified designation candidates. Supplementary offerings include LeaderMetrics® and 30 Days of Coaching, both written by co-founder Mary Lou Wattman.

The business model is direct, quote-based enterprise and individual training sales with no publicly disclosed pricing; distribution is handled through the firm's website and email ([email protected]). Target customers are senior executives, board members, committee members, and other key decision-makers serving in fiduciary and stewardship roles, with explicit emphasis on financial services professionals such as investment advisors and portfolio managers. The firm operates with a 1–10 person headcount and is founder-owned, with no institutional investors, parent entities, or public listing identified.

Name

3ethos

Legal name

3ethos

Website

https://3ethos.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

3ethos is a privately held behavioral governance firm offering proprietary psychometric assessments and the GFS™ designation to train senior executives, board members, and financial services professionals serving in critical leadership and fiduciary roles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stonington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

3ethos provides professional training, behavioral governance research, and psychometric assessment services for senior executives, board members, and financial services professionals. Its core commercial offerings are the GFS™ (Global Financial Stewardship) designation training program — a 15-hour course with proctored exam — and proprietary psychometric assessment instruments that evaluate Leadership, Stewardship, and Governance capabilities of individuals, teams, boards, and committees. The firm also publishes leadership books and partners with Wake Forest University to offer an Executive Education Certificate.

Product overview

3ethos offers a unified platform centered on Behavioral Governance®, a research framework examining the interrelationships between Leadership, Stewardship, and Governance. The core offerings include proprietary psychometric assessment instruments (available in self-assessment and group versions), the GFS™ (Global Financial Stewardship) Designation training program (a 15-hour course with an optional Wake Forest University Executive Education Certificate), and supplementary publications such as LeaderMetrics® and 30 Days of Coaching. These products work together to develop decision-makers' capabilities in critical leadership and fiduciary roles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GFS™ (Global Financial Stewardship): A designation for key decision-makers serving in critical leadership and stewardship roles. Includes a 15-hour course based on Behavioral Governance, proctored exam, and Wake Forest University Executive Education Certificate.
• Behavioral Governance®
• Neuro-fiduciary®

Products and services

• Behavioral Governance® Framework A research framework examining the interrelationships between Leadership, Stewardship, and Governance, based on Neuro-leadership and Neuro-fiduciary constructs, used to accelerate the development of key decision-makers and improve decision quality and trust in outcomes.
• GFS™ (Global Financial Stewardship) Designation Training Program A 15-hour instructional course for key decision-makers serving in critical leadership and stewardship roles, utilizing a uniform decision-making framework to substantiate regulatory and professional standards of care including fiduciary, best interests, and governance standards. Candidates must pass a proctored written exam and prepare a Leader's Intent document.
• Psychometric Assessment Instruments Proprietary psychometric instruments designed to assess Leadership, Stewardship, and Governance capabilities, available in self-assessment and group versions for assessing individuals, teams, staff, boards, and committees.
• Wake Forest University Executive Education Certificate in Global Financial Stewardship An executive education certificate program offered in partnership with Wake Forest University for qualified GFS designation candidates who request it.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15-hour GFS course plus proctored exam and continuing education requirements ensure rigorous professional development standards

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 3ethos