The Modern People Leader

What The Modern People Leader does

The Modern People Leader is a privately held, bootstrapped media and education platform founded in 2020 in Austin, Texas, and operated by Modern People Leader LLC. The company produces The MLP Podcast, a weekly interview series featuring CHROs, Chief People Officers, and HR executives from companies such as HubSpot, Dropbox, Atlassian, Zapier, Zillow, Sprout Social, Ancestry, and Tyson Foods; it has published more than 233 episodes with over 236K cumulative downloads and a community of approximately 15K podcast subscribers, 13.8K newsletter subscribers, and 23K LinkedIn followers. The audience is concentrated in senior HR practitioners — 85% director level or above and 77% at companies with 500+ employees — with a primarily US-based (75%) and female (70%) readership.

The product portfolio extends beyond audio into a weekly newsletter, the MPL Build newsletter (focused on running people teams like product teams), the MPL Academy (live workshops), the MPL Insights blog, and MPL Live, a quarterly in-person event series that has rotated through San Francisco, New York, Austin, Toronto, Boston, and London. There is no proprietary technology platform; the business runs entirely on third-party infrastructure including Spotify for Podcasters, Apple Podcasts, Kit for email distribution, and Luma for event ticketing. The co-hosts are Stephen Huerta (former HR practitioner at Goldman Sachs and co-founder of acquired Workify) and Daniel Huerta.

Revenue is generated entirely through B2B sponsorship: sponsored episodes, vendor episodes, quarterly and annual podcast sponsorships, newsletter advertising, and MPL Live event sponsorship add-ons. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is community-led, with content and events functioning as both audience-building and sponsor-acquisition mechanisms; there is no self-serve or product-led consumer offering.

Name

The Modern People Leader

Legal name

Modern People Leader LLC

Website

https://modernpeopleleader.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Modern People Leader is a bootstrapped Austin-based media and education platform that produces a weekly HR leadership podcast, newsletters, live events, and workshops, monetized through B2B sponsorship from HR tech vendors targeting senior HR practitioners at mid-size and large companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Media and Education

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Other Sound Recording Industries (51229)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Podcast Networks & Studio Platforms (MPAIADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE), Podcast Hosting, Distribution & Listening Platforms (BPAMAJAD)

Keywords

• HR leadership podcast
• People management content
• HR professional development
• Workplace culture media
• HR education platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Podcast Sponsorship: Sponsored episodes and advertising within the podcast content targeting HR professionals. Sponsorship packages include single episode, vendor episodes, quarterly, and annual sponsorship tiers with varying levels of ad placement, collaboration, and strategic alignment.
2. Newsletter Sponsorship: Sponsored content and advertising within the weekly newsletter distributed to 13.8K+ subscribers.
3. Event Sponsorship (MPL Live): Live event sponsorship opportunities including logo placement, event access, contact lists, and participation in the event experience. Sold as an add-on to podcast sponsorship packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Modern People Leader produces and distributes original HR-focused media content, anchored by The MLP Podcast featuring interviews with CHROs and Chief People Officers (233+ episodes, 236K+ downloads). It supplements the podcast with a weekly newsletter (13.8K+ subscribers), the MPL Academy educational platform with live workshops, the MPL Build newsletter on product-led HR practices, MPL Live in-person events in rotating cities, and an HR insights blog, monetized through corporate sponsorship packages sold to HR technology vendors.

Product overview

The Modern People Leader is a media and education platform for HR leaders consisting of a core podcast (The MLP Podcast) with 233+ episodes and 236K+ downloads, supplemented by the MPL Academy offering live workshops and talks, a Weekly Newsletter with 13.8K+ subscribers, the MPL Build Newsletter focused on product-management approaches to HR, quarterly MPL Live Events in rotating cities, an Insights Blog with HR leadership articles, and corporate sponsorship packages. The platform positions itself as a resource for HR professionals to learn from CHROs and Chief People Officers about the future of work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MPL Live: Quarterly live podcast recording events held in rotating cities worldwide
• MPL Academy
• MPL Build

Products and services

• The MLP Podcast A weekly podcast featuring interviews with CHROs, Chief People Officers, and work experts on modern HR leadership, future of work, and people management; 233+ episodes published with 236K+ total downloads, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
• MPL Academy An educational platform for HR leaders offering live workshops, talks, and learning resources from HR leaders transforming their organizations.
• MPL Weekly Newsletter A weekly newsletter delivering key learnings, career advice, and insights from top HR leaders, with 13.8K+ subscribers.
• MPL Build Newsletter A weekly DIY resource newsletter focused on running people teams like a product team, providing guides, templates, and resources for HR professionals.
• MPL Live Events Quarterly in-person live podcast recordings held in rotating cities (San Francisco, London, Austin, Toronto, NYC, Boston), featuring panel discussions and networking for HR leaders.
• Sponsorship Packages

Quantifiable outcome

• 236K+ total podcast downloads demonstrating content reach
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• KunikminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHR tech company that has sponsored The Modern People Leader podcast and events.
• CandoriqminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHR tech company that has sponsored The Modern People Leader podcast and events.
• TransformminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHR tech company that has sponsored The Modern People Leader podcast and events.
• MetaviewminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHR tech company that has sponsored The Modern People Leader podcast and events.
• Marco (Marco Experiences)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHR tech company that has sponsored The Modern People Leader podcast and events.
• WorkleapminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHR tech company that has sponsored The Modern People Leader podcast and events.
• ChartHopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHR tech company that has sponsored The Modern People Leader podcast and events.
• PynminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHR tech company that has sponsored The Modern People Leader podcast and events.
• LeapsomeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHR tech company that has sponsored The Modern People Leader podcast and events.
• AtlassianminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology company featured as podcast guest and sponsor of The Modern People Leader podcast and events.
• Spotify for PodcasterscoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary podcast hosting and distribution platform used for publishing and distributing The Modern People Leader podcast to listeners.
• Kit (email platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationEmail marketing platform used for newsletter distribution and subscriber management for The Modern People Leader weekly newsletter.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Chad & Cheese Podcast: HR tech-focused podcast covering recruiting, talent acquisition, and HR technology vendors. Comparable to MPL as an independently produced HR podcast monetized via sponsorships from HR tech vendors like Jobvite, Lever, and others, though with stronger focus on the HR tech buyer rather than practitioner CHRO audience.
• DriveThruHR: Long-running weekly HR podcast with a casual panel format covering workplace, HR tech, and people leadership. Most directly comparable to The Modern People Leader as a flagship HR practitioner podcast monetized via sponsorship and live events, though with a different format and broader HR generalist audience.
• HR Brew: Daily HR newsletter and podcast media brand from the Brew Media Group, covering HR news and people-leader insights for a similar director+ audience. Directly comparable in monetization (B2B sponsorship) and audience targeting (HR decision-makers), with primary channel in newsletter rather than long-form podcast.

Broad incumbents

• Worklife with Adam Grant: TED-produced podcast on work and organizational behavior covering leadership, productivity, and people topics with research-driven guests. Comparable in targeting the same HR and people-leader audience with long-form interview format, though with celebrity host and TED platform backing.
• Bersin (Deloitte): Industry research and media platform for HR leaders featuring research reports, live events, and content targeted at large-enterprise HR functions. Comparable in audience and sponsorship model, but operates as a research-led content brand under Deloitte rather than an independent practitioner-led podcast.
• Harvard Business Review (HBR) IdeaCast: Flagship business podcast featuring interviews with C-suite executives and thought leaders, often covering HR, leadership, and management topics. Comparable as a long-form interview podcast monetized via sponsorship targeting professional decision-makers, though with much broader topical scope and incumbent brand recognition.
• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management): Largest HR professional membership organization with its own podcasts, content platforms, events, and HR tech media arm. Comparable in audience (HR leaders) and monetization mix (membership, sponsorship, events), though operating at much larger scale and with significantly broader scope.
• HR Executive Magazine / HR Executive Online: Established B2B media brand for senior HR leaders, spanning digital content, newsletters, and live events. Broadly comparable because it competes for the same HR-leader audience and sponsorship dollars, but it operates as a multi-author enterprise media brand rather than a personality-driven podcast network.

Emerging players

• Lenny's Podcast: Product management-focused podcast and newsletter by Lenny Rachitsky with interviews covering product, growth, and AI in product management. Comparable as an independently produced B2B-focused long-form podcast with multi-channel monetization (podcast, newsletter, events) targeting senior practitioners, though focused on product management rather than HR.
• Recruiting Future Podcast: Independent TA/HR tech podcast focused on talent acquisition and HR technology trends with sponsorships from HR tech vendors. Comparable as an independently produced HR-focused podcast monetized via HR tech sponsorships, with narrower TA focus versus MPL's broader CHRO audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@themodernpeopleleader
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-modern-people-leader

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 The Modern People Leader