Workplace Bullying Institute

What Workplace Bullying Institute does

Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) is a private Social Purpose Corporation founded in June 1997 in Bellingham, Washington, by Drs. Ruth and Gary Namie, and is the first U.S. organization dedicated exclusively to the eradication of workplace bullying. The organization operates as an advocacy, research, and education body, offering the Workplace Bullying University® training program (a 22-hour, evidence-based curriculum of 600+ slides, 14 narrated modules, and a curated research library of 900+ academic articles, delivered via USB at $2,500), coaching by licensed mental health professionals, expert witness services provided by Dr. Gary Namie, free tutorials, the SafeHarbor community, the Workplace Bullying Podcast, and the annual Freedom From Workplace Bullies Week awareness campaign. Its research arm has produced six nationally representative scientific surveys conducted with Zogby Analytics (2007, 2010, 2014, 2017, 2021, 2024), with the 2024 survey reporting 32.3% of adult Americans (52.2 million workers) directly bullied at work.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time perpetual licenses of the $2,500 University program to individuals and unions, a $2,500 minimum for live remote presentations, per-session coaching fees, and lower-priced educational add-ons such as the $14.99 Targets' Action Plan package; survey work is funded by donors and major sponsors including NAGE-SEIU. Distribution is via the workplacebullying.org website, phone sales, USB delivery, and direct engagement, with the United States as the primary market and limited international reach through the Freedom Week partnership with the Canadian Institute of Workplace Bullying Resources. The organization is founder-owned with no disclosed external investment, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no funding rounds; it is currently operating under a transition announced in August 2026, in which Drs. Ruth and Gary Namie stepped aside from active operations, including live training, expert witness services, and personal consultations, due to aging-related health challenges.

Name

Workplace Bullying Institute

Legal name

Workplace Bullying Institute

Website

https://workplacebullying.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Workplace Bullying Institute is a private, founder-led advocacy and education organization that, since 1997, has sold training programs, coaching, and research on workplace bullying to individuals, unions, healthcare organizations, legal professionals, and lawmakers in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training Program Sales: Sale of Workplace Bullying University education programs - recorded version on USB drive for individuals at $2,500; specialized union package at $2,500; live remote presentations at $2,500 minimum
2. Coaching Services: Sessions with WBI-affiliated licensed Mental Health Professionals for bullied individuals
3. Educational Products: Targets' Action Plan video and study guide sold for $14.99
4. Research Sponsorship: Survey funding from donors and major sponsors such as NAGE-SEIU

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WBI sells the Workplace Bullying University® training program, a comprehensive 22-hour evidence-based certification delivered to mental health practitioners, coaches, HR/DEI specialists, union stewards, and legal professionals, alongside expert witness and coaching offerings. Revenue comes from one-time sales of training packages priced at $2,500, plus consulting services for individual bullied workers and organizations, with content delivered via USB drives, online video, and direct professional services.

Product overview

Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) operates as an advocacy and education organization offering a suite of products and services centered on workplace bullying awareness, prevention, and recovery. The core educational offerings include free Tutorials on Workplace Bullying (an extensive tutorial series for bullied individuals and families) and the fee-based Workplace Bullying University® ($2,500 recorded USB program), a comprehensive 22-hour evidence-based training with certification — the only program of its kind in the world. Related offerings include a specialized Workplace Bullying University® for Unions (also USB-delivered, $2,500), coaching by WBI-affiliated licensed mental health professionals, and expert witness services by Dr. Gary Namie. WBI further supports targets through the SafeHarbor online community, the Targets As Teachers video project, the Workplace Bullying Podcast, a YouTube channel with hundreds of videos, and published books (The Bully at Work, The Bully-Free Workplace). Research products include the biennial WBI National Workplace Bullying Surveys (2007–2024, conducted by Zogby Analytics). WBI's advocacy arm drives the Workplace Bullying Accountability Act legislative campaign in U.S. states, and WBI also organizes the annual Freedom From Workplace Bullies Week. The organization does not operate as a software/SaaS platform — all products are delivered via USB drives, physical materials, online video/audio, or direct professional services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Workplace Bullying University®: The only research-driven, comprehensive education program on abusive conduct at work in the world. Created in 2008, it offers 22-hours of evidence-based training for professionals including mental health professionals, healthcare professionals, coaches, HR/DEI professionals, legal professionals, and unions. Currently available as recorded program for $2,500.
• Workplace Bullying University® for Unions
• Freedom From Workplace Bullies Week
• Workplace Bullying Accountability Act (WBAA)
• WBI Research Library
• Workplace Bullying Podcast

Products and services

• Workplace Bullying University® A comprehensive, evidence-based 22-hour education and training program on abusive conduct at work, available as a recorded USB package ($2,500) with over 600 slides, a WBI Research Library of 977 academic articles, audio/video support materials, and WBI Certification for graduates. The only program of its kind in the world, designed for mental health professionals, HR/DEI professionals, coaches, union representatives, legal professionals, and career-transitioning targets.
• Workplace Bullying University® for Unions A specialized 94 GB USB-delivered training package for unions, including the full Workplace Bullying University® program, an 8-step union action plan module, union-only supplementary training, team training operations, mentorship by Dr. Gary Namie, and over 900 academic articles for use in grievances and arbitrations. Union-made product priced at $2,500 (USD).
• Coaching by WBI-Affiliated Professionals Personalized coaching sessions with WBI-affiliated licensed mental health professionals (Jessi Eden Brown MS, LMHC, LPC, NCC in Seattle; Dr. Beth Plachetka, EdD, LCSW in Illinois) available by remote session, phone, or in-person psychotherapy, plus documentation and letter-writing assistance for employers, healthcare providers, unions, and attorneys.
• Expert Witness Services Expert witness services provided by Dr. Gary Namie for plaintiffs' and defense counsel in bullying-related lawsuits and arbitrations, based on empirical peer-reviewed research.
• The Bully at Work Book by Gary Namie, PhD and Ruth Namie, PhD published by Sourcebooks in 2009 (2nd edition), targeted at bullied individuals and their families, providing guidance on stopping the hurt and reclaiming dignity on the job.
• The Bully-Free Workplace Book by Gary and Ruth Namie published by Wiley in 2011, serving as an employer and organizational guide to implementing anti-bullying initiatives, with foreword by Robert Sutton, PhD.
• Targets' Action Plan Video Package A two-part resource for bullied targets including a 54-minute video addressing fallacies about HR and management, plus a study guide (approximately one hour) to help targets navigate their situation and avoid landmines, priced at $14.99.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% public support for workplace anti-bullying law across ideological lines
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• David C. YamadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor of Law at Suffolk University Law School collaborated with WBI to author the Workplace Bullying Accountability Act (WBAA) model bill. Co-authored Healthy Workplace Bill introduced in 32 states since 2003. Testified before Massachusetts Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
• Linda CrockettcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSW, RSW, SEP, CCPA, founder of Canadian Institute of Workplace Bullying Resources. Catalyst of International Workplace Bullying Awareness Week. Special guest presenter in Workplace Bullying University on trauma-informed counseling.
• Canadian Institute of Workplace Bullying ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization led by Linda Crockett that extends Freedom Week internationally to Canada and other countries.
• Zogby AnalyticscoreTechnology or IntegrationProfessional polling firm that conducts WBI's nationally representative scientific surveys on workplace bullying prevalence.
• Dr. Ståle EinarsenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector of Bergen Bullying Research Group and Professor at University of Bergen. Discussed his 32 years of bullying research on WBI podcast; 43,571 Google Scholar citations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Canadian Institute of Workplace Bullying Resources: Founded by Linda Crockett (a WBI strategic partner and special guest presenter in Workplace Bullying University), this organization extends workplace bullying awareness internationally, including the catalyst role for International Workplace Bullying Awareness Week. It is the most direct international peer to WBI's mission and is explicitly partnered with WBI.
• The Work Doctor: Founded by Dr. Gary Namie, the Thriving Workplace Toolkit and employer-side consulting offer an organizational counterpart to WBI's individual-focused training. It is the closest commercial extension of WBI's training and certification platform.
• Anderson Workplace Associates: Workplace trauma and organizational psychology consultancy offering workplace trauma assessment, leadership coaching, and training services. Operates in the same niche of workplace psychological harm consulting and competes for related professional services engagements.

Emerging players

• The Bully Project: Anti-bullying organization inspired by the documentary "Bully," focused on K-12 and community anti-bullying awareness and education. While primarily youth-focused rather than workplace-focused, it operates in the same broader anti-bullying movement and competes for donor and mindshare attention.
• Psych Hub: Mental health education and training platform providing video-based learning for mental health professionals, employers, and individuals. Overlaps with WBI's coaching, mental-health-professional training, and consumer education missions with a more modern digital delivery format.

Broad incumbents

• NAVEX Global: Large ethics-and-compliance software and training vendor (whistleblower hotlines, code of conduct, anti-harassment training). It addresses overlapping employee-misconduct risk topics at enterprise scale, positioning it as a broader incumbent that could expand into workplace bullying content.
• Traliant: Modern, subscription-based HR compliance training vendor covering harassment, discrimination, DEI, and ethics with an LMS-native delivery model. Traliant competes for the same HR/DEI training budgets that WBI's University program targets, but with a scalable SaaS approach.
• LRN Corporation: Ethics, compliance, and culture advisory and training provider serving global enterprises. LRN overlaps with WBI in organizational culture, leadership behavior, and conduct-risk training, with a much larger enterprise footprint.
• ELB Learning: Custom corporate eLearning and organizational development provider serving enterprise L&D buyers. ELB competes in the same training-procurement conversations where WBI's University program is sold.
• BizLibrary: Subscription-based employee training library focused on HR, compliance, and soft-skills video content. BizLibrary's catalog and pricing model represent the modern, scalable alternative to WBI's USB-delivered curriculum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/BullyingInstitute
• Xx.com/garynamie
• Facebookfacebook.com/workplacebullyinginstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/workplace-bullying-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Workplace Bullying Institute