Coaches of Colour

What Coaches of Colour does

Coaches of Colour is a UK-based professional coaching services firm specialising in coaching for Black and Brown employees, founded by Gary Rayneau and Elaine dela Cruz and operated as a brand under Project 23 Works Ltd, a private limited company registered in England and Wales (Company No: 11424296) with its registered office in Bromley. The company delivers three core services: (i) one-to-one career navigation coaching for individuals from apprentice to C-suite; (ii) group coaching programmes and workshops (including 'Future Leaders' and 'Taking Authentic Action') for cohorts with shared interests; and (iii) coaching supervision for other Black and Brown coaches, offered in small-group and one-to-one formats. Underlying technology is minimal — no proprietary software platform is disclosed; the business runs on a Squarespace website with quote-based, customised engagements delivered virtually.

The firm makes money through bespoke professional-services engagements sold directly to UK organisations' HR, D&I, and L&D functions under a sales-led, consultative B2B motion (with a self-serve enquiry channel on the website). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; programmes are 'never off the shelf' and bend around client requirements. A 'growing collective' of trained and accredited freelance coaches of colour delivers the work, and the firm commits 5–10% of revenue to the Equitable Coaching Foundation. Through its parent, Project 23 Works Ltd, the company cross-sells into DEI strategy, guidance, and education, allowing wraparound DEI engagements rather than standalone coaching. Operations are UK-only, founder-led, and bootstrapped, with no external funding disclosed. The website was actively maintained as of the most recent scrape (2023 copyright), and the named management team comprises the two co-founders plus a Head of Experience & Neurodiversity Coach and a DEI Consultant.

Name

Coaches of Colour

Legal name

Project 23 Works Ltd

Website

https://coachesofcolour.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Coaches of Colour is a UK-based professional coaching firm offering one-to-one, group, and supervision coaching specifically for people of colour, sold to organisational HR and D&I buyers and delivered virtually by a growing collective of accredited coaches of colour.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Coaching Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

akta.pro primary industry

Career, Purpose & Executive Wellbeing Coaching (EDABANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organizational Change & Transformation Coaching (EDABANAG), Team & Group Executive Coaching (Leadership Teams) (EDABANAF), Coach Education, Certification & Clinics (HSADAEAO)

Keywords

• Diversity coaching services
• Executive coaching
• DEI consulting
• Professional coaching
• Leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Bromley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. One-to-One Coaching: Individual career navigation coaching sessions for employees of colour, working with all levels from apprentice to C-suite, with or without line manager involvement.
2. Group Coaching: Coaching for groups of individuals sharing common interests, with individual goals and collective learning. Includes workshops and multi-session development programmes such as Future Leaders.
3. Coaching Supervision: Supervision services for coaches of colour to explore ethical practice, reduce isolation, and increase sense of belonging. Offered in small group or 1-to-1 format.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Coaches of Colour is a professional coaching services firm that delivers one-to-one coaching, group coaching, and coaching supervision specifically for Black and Brown employees and coaches. The firm operates under parent company Project 23 Works Ltd and provides tailored, 'never off the shelf' coaching programmes for UK organisations pursuing diversity and inclusion strategies, alongside DEI strategy support.

Product overview

Coaches of Colour is a coaching services company that offers a portfolio of three core coaching services — One-to-One Coaching, Group Coaching, and Coaching Supervision — specifically designed for people of colour. The company also provides DEI Strategy & Support services through its parent company, Project 23 Works Ltd, integrating coaching into broader diversity and inclusion strategies for organisations. All coaching is tailored to client needs, operating on a 'never off the shelf' approach that bends and flexes around requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One-to-One Coaching Personalised coaching support tailored to individual goals, providing a safe and creative space for career development. Includes 60-minute drop-in sessions focused on current issues and multi-session programmes for deeper transformational work, working with employees from apprentice to C-suite level.
• Group Coaching Coaching for groups of individuals sharing common experiences while working on individual goals. Includes topic-focused workshops such as 'Authentic Personal Brand' or 'Building Professional Networks' and multi-session development programmes like 'Future Leaders' or 'Taking Authentic Action'.
• Coaching Supervision Supervision services for coaches of colour offering affordable, safe and supportive spaces to explore ethical practice, enhance reflective practice, and reduce feelings of isolation. Available as small group supervision (online) and one-to-one sessions.
• DEI Strategy & Support Diversity, Equity & Inclusion consulting services provided through the parent company Project 23 Works. Includes guidance, support and education to organisations wanting to create more inclusive workplaces, integrating coaching services into broader DEI strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• £24bn boost to economy if Black, Asian and Minority ethnic talent is fully utilised (McGregor-Smith Review)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Project 23 Works LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company that owns and operates Coaches of Colour. Project 23 Works Ltd is a DEI consultancy delivering guidance, support and education to organisations. Coaches of Colour is positioned as part of the Project 23 ecosystem, with cross-referrals between coaching services and broader DEI strategy work.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• The Colour Network: The Colour Network is a UK-based career community and events platform for Black professional women. Comparable to Coaches of Colour in targeting Black professionals for career development, though operating via events/community rather than structured coaching engagements.
• Rare Recruitment: Rare Recruitment is a UK recruitment firm specialising in diverse and inclusive hiring for organisations. Comparable to Coaches of Colour in serving the same enterprise D&I buyer and addressing progression outcomes for underrepresented talent, but focused on entry-level hiring rather than in-career coaching.

Direct peers

• BYP Network: BYP Network is a UK-based career and professional development platform for Black professionals, connecting members with employers, mentors and development resources. Directly comparable to Coaches of Colour in mission and target audience — Black professionals seeking career navigation support — but with a community/platform model rather than 1:1 coaching.
• enei (Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion): enei is a UK membership body supporting employers on equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, training and consulting. Directly comparable to the Project 23 DEI consultancy arm of Coaches of Colour, serving HR and D&I leaders with DEI guidance and education.
• Diversifying Group: Diversifying Group is a UK-based diversity and inclusion training and recruitment firm focused on increasing representation of Black and ethnic minority talent in tech. Comparable to Coaches of Colour in mission (improving outcomes for Black and Brown professionals) and in selling training/development to employers with D&I mandates.
• Torch Partnership: Torch delivers executive coaching and leadership development programmes to enterprise clients globally. Comparable to Coaches of Colour as a structured coaching provider selling to HR/L&D buyers, though Torch serves a broader, non-niche audience.
• MindGym: MindGym is a B2B performance and coaching provider delivering structured behaviour-change programmes to enterprises globally. Comparable to Coaches of Colour as a UK-rooted corporate coaching firm selling customised development programmes into HR and L&D buyers.
• Paradigm Strategy: Paradigm Strategy is a UK DEI consultancy delivering strategy, training and coaching to organisations. Directly comparable to Coaches of Colour as a boutique UK D&I advisory selling customised coaching and D&I programmes into enterprise HR functions.
• More Human: More Human is a UK-based executive coaching and leadership development firm serving individuals and organisations. Comparable to Coaches of Colour as a UK-rooted professional coaching business selling into enterprise and executive buyers with customised programmes, though not specialising in a single demographic segment.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global organisational consulting firm with executive coaching, leadership development and DEI advisory practices. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering coaching and D&I services to enterprise buyers, but operating across all industries and client segments rather than specialising in POC coaching.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coachesofcolour

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Coaches of Colour