What The Freeman Institute does

The Freeman Institute is a Maryland-based, privately-held training and consulting firm founded by Dr. Joel A. Freeman that provides diversity training, executive coaching, conflict resolution, organizational culture change, and Black History education services. The company serves federal government agencies (FBI, NASA, NIH, CDC, Department of Justice, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission), large corporations, educational institutions, and high-profile individuals including professional athletes and senior executives. It is a solo-practitioner model with 1-10 employees and no disclosed external funding.

The product portfolio includes flagship seminar programs (Dealing With People Who Drive You Crazy!®, Diversity: The Value of Mutual Respect, A White Man's Journey Into Black History™), the proprietary KnowMe™ game based on the Johari Window model, the T.H.T.M. (Ten Hour Three Month) critical incident debriefing coaching process, the Power of Agreement five-phase organizational culture change methodology, SCORM-compliant online diversity courses co-developed with HR Train, six published books distributed in 28 foreign translation editions, and a Black History artifact collection. The underlying technology is behavioral-psychology-based, combining personality assessment inventories, the Johari Window framework, and proprietary facilitation methodologies rather than software or AI.

Revenue is generated through professional services fees for on-site seminars, keynote addresses, multi-day culture change engagements, premium executive coaching, book and resource sales, and online course licensing. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales, event-driven demand generation through speaking engagements, and community-led referrals from government, corporate, and professional athlete networks. An affiliated nonprofit (TFI Foundation) supports educational programming with a notable advisory board.

Name

The Freeman Institute

Legal name

The Freeman Institute

Website

https://freemaninstitute.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Freeman Institute is a Maryland-based, founder-led training and consulting firm providing diversity training, executive coaching, conflict resolution, and Black History education to U.S. federal agencies, corporations, and educational institutions, built on Dr. Joel Freeman's proprietary behavioral psychology methodologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Training and Coaching Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Operations, Quality & Process Improvement (Lean/Six Sigma) (EDAGANAH)

Keywords

• Diversity training services
• Executive coaching
• Organizational development
• Conflict resolution seminars
• Interpersonal skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

Gambrills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Organizational Culture Change Consulting: Long-term culture change projects through The Power of Agreement Process. Five-phase comprehensive system involving assessment, leadership training, interpersonal relationships workshops, problem-solving training, and executive coaching. Revenue derived from multi-day engagements and ongoing consulting relationships.
2. Seminars and Workshops: On-site seminar programs covering diversity, conflict resolution, anger management, stress management, customer service, and leadership training. Revenue generated through per-engagement fees for keynote addresses, half-day, and full-day programs.
3. Executive and Critical Incident Coaching: Confidential coaching services for senior executives and key employees. The T.H.T.M. process involves initial face-to-face consultation plus eight hours of phone coaching over three months. Premium pricing for high-profile individuals including professional athletes, CEOs, and politicians.
4. Books, DVDs, and Educational Resources: Sale of books including 'Return To Glory', 'If Nobody Loves You, Create The Demand!', and related workbooks. Also includes DVDs, audio books, and the KnowMe game. Revenue from retail sales through online ordering.
5. Online Diversity Courses: SCORM-compliant online diversity training courses developed with HR Train. Can be private-labeled for organizations with custom branding and presidential messages. Revenue from course licensing and enterprise deployments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Freeman Institute delivers on-site seminars, workshops, executive coaching, and organizational culture change programs focused on diversity training, conflict resolution, interpersonal skills, stress/anger management, leadership, and Black History education. The firm also sells books, DVDs, audio books, the proprietary KnowMe™ game, and a SCORM-compliant online diversity course co-developed with HR Train. Services are sold to federal agencies, corporations, and educational institutions, while books and the KnowMe game are sold through the firm's own e-commerce storefront.

Product overview

The Freeman Institute is a Maryland-based training and development organization offering a portfolio of seminar programs, coaching services, and educational resources. Core offerings include interpersonal skills seminars (Dealing With People Who Drive You Crazy!®), diversity training (Diversity: The Value of Mutual Respect), Black History presentations (A White Man's Journey Into Black History™), and organizational culture change programs (The Power of Agreement™). Services include executive coaching and Critical Incident Debriefing (CID) coaching for executives. The portfolio also includes digital products (SCORM-compliant online diversity course), published books (Return To Glory, If Nobody Loves You, Create The Demand!®), the KnowMe™ game based on the Johari Window model, and The Freeman Institute Black History Collection featuring historical artifacts. The organization operates through its commercial arm (The Freeman Institute) and nonprofit foundation, serving government agencies, corporations, and educational institutions globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dealing With People Who Drive You Crazy!® Flagship seminar addressing interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, and workplace relationship management through personality-based frameworks, designed for corporate and government audiences.
• Diversity: The Value of Mutual Respect Comprehensive diversity training seminar focusing on cultural competency, unconscious bias mitigation, and workforce harmony, delivered using the 'anti-egg-shell' experiential approach for government, corporate, and education audiences.
• A White Man's Journey Into Black History™ Truth-centric Black History presentation exploring ancient African achievements, the transatlantic slave trade, and cross-cultural understanding, available as a DVD (approximately 3 hours) or live seminar for corporate, government, and educational audiences.
• Critical Incident Debriefing (CID) Coaching Confidential coaching program for senior executives and key employees experiencing workplace behavioral issues, using the proprietary T.H.T.M. (Ten Hour Three Month) process including anger, personality, conflict resolution, and stress management inventories.
• The Power of Agreement™ Organizational Culture Change Process Five-phase organizational development system comprising assessment, leadership training, interpersonal relationships, problem-solving, and executive coaching for long-term culture transformation engagements.
• Executive Coaching Success coaching for executives providing leadership development, organizational effectiveness tools, and personal accountability through 16-week or ongoing telephone-based programs.
• Online Diversity Course (SCORM Compliant) Web-based diversity training course co-developed with HR Train, featuring personality assessment tools and hybrid implementation options for organizations, available for private-label deployment.
• If Nobody Loves You, Create The Demand!® Entrepreneurship book and seminar program providing practical guidance for starting, growing, and marketing businesses, available in soft cover, Limited Collector's Edition, and 4-CD audio book formats.
• Return To Glory: The Powerful Stirring of the Black Man Book co-authored by Dr. Joel Freeman and Don Griffin exploring African American history and achievements, endorsed by notable figures including Bill Cosby, Ben Carson, and Joe Frazier, with translations into 28 foreign editions.
• Full-Size 3D Rosetta Stone Replica World's first full-size 3D replica of the Rosetta Stone developed by applying entrepreneurial principles, available for sale to museums and educational institutions.
• The Freeman Institute Black History Collection Historical artifacts and documents collection including slave trade items, signed letters from African American entertainers, and rare publications, with plans for permanent galleries in major cities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15% technical competence vs 85% interpersonal skills success ratio cited in training materials
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HR TraincoreTechnology or IntegrationCo-development partnership for online diversity training courses. HR Train hosts the SCORM-compliant online courses developed by Dr. Freeman. Courses feature admin tools for tracking employee progress and can be private-labeled with client branding.
• The Power of Agreement NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic alliance for long-term organizational culture change projects. The Power of Agreement Network provides access to an international pool of trained facilitators for culture change engagements of any size.
• Capital Exhibits of VirginiaminorOthersPartnership for trade show and exhibition needs, including display materials for the Black History Collection gallery project.
• Authentic PublishingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher partnership for the 'If Nobody Loves You, Create The Demand!' book. Handles soft cover distribution through standard retail channels while Limited Collector's Editions are sold directly.
• TFI FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Freeman Institute Foundation supports educational and inspirational projects including Black History galleries, entrepreneur clubs, and anonymous donor programs. Advisory board includes notable figures like Dr. Ben Carson, Cathy Hughes, and George Fraser.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Berlitz Cross-Cultural Training: Global provider of cross-cultural and intercultural training for corporate and government clients. Comparable to Freeman Institute's diversity and cross-cultural communication offerings and similar government/federal buyer base.
• Management Training International (MTI): Specialty provider of corporate sales, customer service, leadership, and interpersonal skills workshops delivered on-site to enterprise clients. Closely comparable workshop/seminar delivery model to The Freeman Institute.
• VitalSmarts (now part of PeopleFirst): Provider of corporate training programs on difficult conversations, influence, and culture change with similar workshop-based delivery to enterprise and government clients. Comparable to Freeman Institute's interpersonal skills and conflict resolution seminars.
• Cook Ross (now part of Inclusivity Works): Specialty D&I consulting and training firm acquired into Inclusivity Works, focused on culture change, inclusive leadership, and bias mitigation. Highly comparable to The Freeman Institute's diversity training and culture change practice.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a dedicated D&I advisory practice serving executive leadership teams. Comparable buyer overlap (large corporate and government clients seeking executive coaching and culture change) though at much larger scale.
• Right Management (ManpowerGroup): Global talent and career transition firm within ManpowerGroup offering executive coaching, leadership development, and organizational consulting. Comparable to Freeman Institute's executive coaching and leadership training services.
• FranklinCovey: Large-scale leadership and organizational development training provider with established enterprise content, including offerings on trust, communication, and culture change. Overlaps with Freeman Institute's interpersonal skills and organizational change themes but at much larger scale.
• Deloitte (D&I / Human Capital Practice): Big Four advisory firm with a dedicated inclusion and diversity practice serving Fortune 500 and federal clients. Competes for the same institutional buyer budgets around culture change, leadership development, and DEI training.
• Sodexo (Diversity & Inclusion Services): Global services company with a D&I advisory and training practice serving large enterprises and government agencies. Comparable buyer base and culture change themes as The Freeman Institute.

Regional players

• Bev Taylor (Bev Taylor Consulting): Independent D&I consulting firm offering workshops, training, and executive coaching for corporate and government clients. Directly comparable to The Freeman Institute's scope and small-firm delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/freemaninstitute
• YouTubeyoutube.com/freemaninstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/freemaninstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-freeman-institute_808223

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Freeman Institute