The Pathway Project

What The Pathway Project does

The Pathway Project (TPP) is a Dubai-based executive coaching and leadership development practice founded in 2013 by Salma El-Shurafa, a Palestinian-Canadian coach with over two decades of experience working with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. TPP serves C-suite executives, senior leaders, business owners, organizations, government entities, and individual professionals through a portfolio of services that includes one-on-one executive and life coaching, organizational leadership and team development programs, off-site well-being retreats, and a suite of leadership assessments (Leadership Circle Profile, Hogan, MBTI, Cultural Intelligence). Its go-to-market is sales-led, combining enterprise field sales, event-driven workshops and retreats, and inside-sales via a website consultation funnel with a 48-hour response commitment.

The company's core differentiator is its position as the official Middle East provider of two internationally recognized somatic methodologies, Strozzi Somatics (created by Richard Strozzi-Heckler) and Somatic Experiencing (developed by Dr. Peter Levine), delivered through multi-year professional training and certification programs. All TPP coaches are accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) at PCC/MCC levels, and select courses carry Dubai Health Authority (DHA) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation. TPP operates as a bootstrapped, founder-owned private limited liability company headquartered in Dubai with a 1-10 employee footprint and no disclosed external funding.

Revenue is generated entirely through professional services: individual coaching engagements (typically bi-weekly or monthly 60-minute sessions), customized organizational programs, off-site retreats, and tiered training programs priced from 1,750 AED (introductory 2-day workshops) to 16,000 AED per level (multi-year certification training), with early-bird discounts and Tabby-based instalment plans. Marquee clients include Emirates Islamic, Air Arabia, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, Bosch, Majid Al Futtaim, Nextcare, ENGIE, IFF, and BIPA (government).

Name

The Pathway Project

Legal name

The Pathway Project LLC

Website

https://pathwayproject.ae

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Pathway Project is a Dubai-based executive coaching and leadership development boutique founded in 2013, serving C-suite leaders, organizations, and government entities across the Middle East through one-on-one coaching, team programs, assessments, and exclusive regional certification training in Strozzi Somatics and Somatic Experiencing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Coaching and Leadership Development

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Leadership Assessment, 360 Feedback & Development Planning (EDABAAAK)

Keywords

• Executive coaching services
• Leadership development programs
• Team development workshops
• Somatic transformation training
• Organizational effectiveness consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. One-on-One Executive Coaching: Personalized, structured coaching engagements for individual leaders and entrepreneurs. Includes 360-degree assessments, stakeholder interviews, and personalized development plans. Session-based with regular ongoing engagement.
2. Team & Leadership Development Programs: Workshops and transformative experiences for organizations and teams including Leadership Agility Team Stretch Workshops, team coaching, and culture transformation programs
3. Training & Certification Programs: Curated training programs including Somatic Experiencing Professional Training (3-year), Somatic Coach Certification Program (8-month), Introduction to Somatic Experiencing, and Embodied Transformation. Priced per level/program with early bird and regular pricing options.
4. Assessment Tools & Services: Comprehensive suite of assessment tools for leadership effectiveness, team dynamics, and organizational culture including Leadership Circle Profile, Hogan Assessment, MBTI, and Cultural Intelligence assessments
5. Off-Site Retreats: Transformative well-being retreats for organizations including guided meditation, team building exercises, wellness workshops, and nature activities at locations in UAE and internationally

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Pathway Project is an executive coaching and leadership development practice that delivers one-on-one coaching, organizational leadership and team development programs, off-site retreats, leadership assessments, and certified somatic training curricula (Strozzi Somatics and Somatic Experiencing) to individuals, enterprises, and government entities across the Middle East. Services combine ICF-accredited coaching methodologies with body-based and neuroscience-informed approaches to support leadership transformation at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

Product overview

The Pathway Project (TPP) is a leadership development and executive coaching practice that offers a holistic portfolio of services centered on conscious and authentic leadership. The core offering consists of one-on-one coaching programs (Executive & Leadership Coaching and Life and Transformation Coaching), organizational services (Leadership Development Journeys, Team Development Journeys, and Off-site Well-being Retreats), and a suite of Leadership Assessments. TPP also serves as the official Middle East provider for two prestigious certification programs: the Strozzi Somatics methodology (including Embodied Transformation as prerequisite and the Somatic Coach Certification Program) and Somatic Experiencing® (including Introduction to Somatic Experiencing® and the three-year Professional Training Program). All services are grounded in experiential, personalized, integrative, and transformative approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive and Leadership Coaching One-on-one personalized coaching for senior leaders to enhance self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and leadership effectiveness through 360-degree assessments, stakeholder interviews, and tailored development plans. Delivered via secure video calls or in-person sessions.
• Life and Transformation Coaching Personal coaching for individuals and entrepreneurs to gain clarity on goals, overcome obstacles, manage stress, and achieve fulfillment across personal and professional life dimensions.
• Leadership Development Journeys Customized leadership development programs for organizations combining evidence-based practices with immersive workshops to develop authentic and visionary leadership capabilities at scale.
• Team Development Journeys Meticulously crafted team experiences that enhance team dynamics, promote seamless integration between individual perspectives and collaborative efforts, and foster high-performing teams.
• Off-site Well-being Retreats Transformative off-site retreats incorporating guided meditation, team building exercises, wellness workshops, and nature activities held at serene locations in the UAE and worldwide.
• Leadership Assessments Comprehensive suite of assessment tools including Leadership Circle, Agiloa, MBTI, and Cultural Intelligence assessments providing insights into leadership effectiveness, team dynamics, and organizational culture.
• Embodied Transformation 4-day immersive somatic program preparing participants for the Somatic Coach Certification, focusing on building resilience, deepening presence, and living with greater authenticity and intention. Awarded 25.25 ICF CCE credits. Priced at Early Bird 9,350 AED or Regular 9,850 AED plus VAT.
• Somatic Coach Certification Program 8-month cohort-based training integrating Strozzi Somatic methodology with in-person intensives, mentorship, and real-world practice to develop certified somatic coaching practitioners. Requires Embodied Transformation as a prerequisite; delivers 150+ contact hours across four 4-day workshops.
• Introduction to Somatic Experiencing 2-day introductory course providing foundational context in Somatic Experiencing, a body-based approach to understanding trauma and nervous system regulation. Required prerequisite for the Somatic Experiencing Professional Training Program. DHA approved for 12 CPD Credits. Priced at Early Bird 1,750 AED or Regular 1,900 AED plus VAT.
• Somatic Experiencing Professional Training Program Three-year sequential professional training program developed by Dr. Peter Levine providing in-depth understanding of trauma as a nervous system response through six-day modules combining theory and experiential learning. Early Bird 14,500 AED plus VAT; Regular 16,000 AED plus VAT per level.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% improved work performance, 80% improved self-confidence, 73% improved relationships - ICF reported outcomes for workplace coaching
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Strozzi InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Middle East provider of Strozzi Somatics methodology. Offers Somatic Coach Certification Program and Embodied Transformation training using Strozzi's 50+ year somatic approach. Faculty includes Richard Strozzi-Heckler, PhD (creator of methodology) and other Strozzi-certified trainers.
• Somatic Experiencing International (SEI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Middle East provider of Somatic Experiencing professional training developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine. Offers Introduction to Somatic Experiencing, Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Level training. Faculty includes SEI-trained instructors.
• International Coaching Federation (ICF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal coaching governing body providing accreditation standards. TPP coaches are ICF certified at PCC/MCC levels. Programs provide ICF CCE credits (25.25 CCE for Embodied Transformation). Curriculum aligns with ICF core competencies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Global leadership development research and education nonprofit offering executive leadership programs, assessments, and coaching. Comparable as a methodology-anchored leadership development provider, though serving a much broader global market.
• Gallup: Global analytics and advisory firm offering leadership and employee engagement assessments (CliftonStrengths) plus executive coaching. Comparable to TPP's assessment + coaching offerings, though from a much larger analytics-first platform.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm offering leadership coaching and assessment services. Comparable as a leadership development provider to enterprise C-suite, though as part of broader talent advisory services.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering executive coaching, leadership development, and talent management services to Fortune 500 enterprises. Overlaps significantly with TPP's enterprise leadership development offerings but as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong leadership coaching and assessment practices. Comparable to TPP in serving enterprise and government clients on leadership development, though from a much larger global footprint.

Emerging players

• CoachHub: Enterprise coaching platform offering one-on-one leadership coaching to global corporations. Competes in the same enterprise executive coaching category as TPP, with similar ICF-accredited coach network, but with a tech-enabled delivery model.
• BetterUp: Digital executive and leadership coaching platform serving enterprise clients globally. Comparable to TPP as both target C-suite and senior leader development, though BetterUp delivers at scale via technology-enabled coach matching while TPP is boutique and human-delivered.

Direct peers

• EZRA (by LHH): Digital coaching provider within LHH (part of Adecco Group) focused on leadership development for enterprise clients. Directly comparable to TPP's executive coaching offering, with broader geographic reach and corporate parent backing.
• Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching: Iconic executive coaching methodology and practice by Marshall Goldsmith, one of the most recognized leadership coaches globally. Directly comparable as a premium, methodology-anchored executive coaching brand serving C-suite leaders.

Others

• Strozzi Institute: Originator of the Strozzi Somatics methodology and TPP's exclusive regional partner for the Middle East. Comparable as the methodology creator and global provider of the same embodied transformation trainings TPP offers regionally.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ThePathwayProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-pathway-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/salma.elshurafa
• Xx.com/tppcoach

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Pathway Project