Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University

What Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University does

The Doerr Institute for New Leaders is an academic institute within Rice University, established in 2015 through the philanthropy of Ann and John Doerr, that operates a large-scale leader development enterprise serving three distinct audiences. For Rice University undergraduate and graduate students across all eight schools, it delivers free programs including Activation one-on-one coaching, Catalyst workshops, Synthesis group coaching, year-long Leadership Cohorts, Excursions, and a Student Ambassadors program, plus the Leading Owls podcast. For professionals, the institute runs CoachRICE, a portfolio of ICF-accredited coach training programs (Level 1, Mentor Coaching, and a new Team Coaching program launching January 2027), delivered in hybrid in-person/virtual format at the Rice campus. For other higher education institutions, it offers turn-key workshop kits and program bundles through the HigherLed community marketplace, custom consulting, the Demystifying Measurement online course, and co-administration of the Carnegie Elective Classification for Leadership for Public Purpose with the Carnegie Foundation and ACE.

The institute's underlying methodology is built on International Coaching Federation (ICF) coaching standards combined with proprietary, peer-reviewed psychometric instruments developed by its full-time research and assessment team — including the Authentic Leader Identity Scale, the Aspirational Self-Clarity Scale (published in the Journal of Personality Assessment), and the Self-Concept Clarity Assessment. Every program component, including individual coaching sessions, is assessed for outcomes, generating a continuous improvement feedback loop. Distribution is multimodal: direct-to-student at Rice, hybrid on-campus/virtual for CoachRICE, fully online cohort-based for Demystifying Measurement, self-serve marketplace (HigherLed) for turn-key kits, and direct consulting engagement for institutional clients. The business model is hybrid: freemium for internal Rice students (funded by Doerr philanthropy and Rice University), fee-based for CoachRICE professional training and Demystifying Measurement, transactional for turn-key kits, and project-based for consulting and Carnegie Classification support. A book, 'Measuring the Mist' by Ryan Brown, Ph.D., extends the institute's published research authority into a commercial reference work.

Name

Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University

Legal name

Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University

Website

https://doerr.rice.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development and Executive Coaching Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Student Government & Leadership Programs (EDALAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Educational Leadership & Administration Programs (EDAHAFAD), Study Skills, Executive Function & Academic Coaching (Small-Group) (EDANAHAC), Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Executive leadership coaching
• Professional coach training
• Leadership development programs
• Higher education consulting
• Leadership measurement research

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Student Programs (Free to Rice Students): All student-facing programs — Activation, Synthesis, Catalyst, Cohorts, Excursions, and Ambassadors — are provided at no cost to Rice University undergraduate and graduate students, funded through the philanthropy of Ann and John Doerr.
2. Turn-key Program Sales (Higher Education): The institute sells ready-to-launch workshop kits (e.g., Resilience, LISTEN, Create Psychological Safety, Breath, Quality Decision Making) and 1:1 Leadership Coaching Program Kits to other colleges, universities, and institutions through the HigherLed community marketplace. Orders placed via higherled.community platform.
3. Professional Coach Training (CoachRICE): ICF-accredited coach training programs (CoachRICE Level 1, Mentor Coaching, Team Coaching) offered to professionals for a fee, providing professional certification pathways. Programs combine on-campus and virtual components.
4. Demystifying Measurement Online Course: A 6-week online course on impact assessment for higher education and leader development professionals, offered for a fee with an application process. Includes a custom impact assessment plan as a capstone deliverable.
5. Leader Development Consulting: Custom consulting engagements where Doerr Institute specialists work directly with institutions to design and implement leader development programs and impact assessment systems. Institutions express interest via online form.
6. Measuring the Mist Book Sales: The institute publishes and sells the book 'Measuring the Mist: A Practical Guide for Discovering What Really Works in Leader Development' by Ryan Brown, Ph.D., available for purchase on Amazon.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University provides evidence-based leadership development programs, ICF-accredited professional coach training, and higher education solutions including turn-key student programs, consulting, and the Carnegie Elective Classification for Leadership for Public Purpose. Student-facing programs (Activation, Catalyst, Synthesis, Cohorts, Ambassadors, Podcast) are offered free to Rice University students, while professionals and other institutions purchase coaching training, measurement courses, and turn-key workshop kits.

Product overview

The Doerr Institute for New Leaders is a large-scale leader development enterprise at Rice University offering a comprehensive suite of programs designed to develop leadership capacity in students and elevate the practice of leadership development in higher education. The core student programs include Activation One-on-One Coaching (personalized individual coaching), Catalyst Leadership Workshops (focused skill-building workshops), Synthesis Group Coaching (peer group coaching), and year-long Leadership Cohorts. For professionals, the CoachRICE program offers ICF-accredited coach training at multiple levels including Level 1, Mentor Coaching, and Team Coaching. For higher education institutions, the Institute provides turn-key student programs, the Demystifying Measurement course, Leader Development Consulting, and the Carnegie Elective Classification for Leadership for Public Purpose partnership. The Institute also maintains an active research presence through its Leadership Lab blog and published works including the book 'Measuring the Mist.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Activation: One-on-one personalized coaching program that helps students uncover their strengths and build a roadmap for their leadership journey, including emotional intelligence assessment and custom leader development plan.
• Catalyst
• Synthesis
• Leadership Cohorts
• CoachRICE
• Turn-key Student Programs
• Demystifying Measurement in Leader Development
• Carnegie Elective Classification for Leadership for Public Purpose
• Doerr Leadership Lab

Products and services

• Activation One-on-One Coaching

Quantifiable outcome

• Measurable increase in leader identity, leader self-efficacy, confidence, life satisfaction, and purpose across all programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.

• Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of TeachingflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Doerr Institute is a founding partner with the Carnegie Foundation in establishing the Carnegie Elective Classification for Leadership for Public Purpose (LPP), a prestigious classification recognizing colleges and universities that make leadership education and development a core part of their mission. The Doerr Institute co-developed the framework, application process, and classification criteria alongside the Carnegie Foundation.
• American Council on Education (ACE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerACE is a co-partner with the Doerr Institute and Carnegie Foundation in establishing and administering the Carnegie Elective Classification for Leadership for Public Purpose. ACE supports the classification's adoption across higher education institutions and provides institutional credibility and network reach.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• CoachHub: Global digital coaching platform focused on enterprise leadership coaching programs. Comparable as a scaled competitor in the professional coaching space where CoachRICE Level 1 and Team Coaching operate.
• BetterUp: Tech-enabled coaching platform offering 1:1 and team coaching with measurement, serving enterprise buyers. Comparable as a modern coach-training and coaching-delivery competitor targeting the same professional coaching market as CoachRICE.

Broad incumbents

• Gallup: Global analytics and consulting firm with influential leadership and employee engagement research (e.g., CliftonStrengths). Comparable as a leader-assessment and research-driven incumbent, though far broader in scope than Doerr.
• FranklinCovey: Large incumbent offering leadership and execution training content (e.g., The 7 Habits) to enterprises and education segments. Comparable in delivering scaled leadership development curricula, though broader and more commercially distributed than Doerr's niche.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a major leadership development practice, including assessment and executive coaching. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping leader development consulting services.
• Stanford GSB Executive Education: Premier university-based executive education program offering leadership and management certificates. Comparable as a high-end university executive education competitor in the same professional development market as CoachRICE.
• Harvard Professional Development: Harvard's professional and executive education arm offering leadership programs. Comparable as a top-tier university-based leadership training competitor for the same professional cohort Doerr targets with CoachRICE.

Direct peers

• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): A leading nonprofit specializing in evidence-based leadership development research, assessment, and training. CCL is directly comparable in mission (rigorous, research-validated leader development) and in offering professional/executive leadership programs globally.
• DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership development and assessment firm with research-validated tools and enterprise training programs. Directly comparable in delivering evidence-based leadership programs with measurement frameworks to professional and institutional buyers.
• Weatherhead School of Management (Case Western Reserve University): University-based leadership development program with a strong evidence-based coaching and leadership identity research tradition. Comparable as a peer university institute combining research, executive education, and leadership coaching.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doerrinstitute

Compliance1 record

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 Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University