Pell Center at Salve Regina University

What Pell Center at Salve Regina University does

The Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy is a multidisciplinary research center housed within Salve Regina University, a private nonprofit institution in Newport, Rhode Island. Founded to honor the legacy of Senator Claiborne Pell, it operates at the intersection of politics, policy, and ideas, with a portfolio spanning broadcast media, applied research, surveys, and student leadership programs. Its flagship initiative is Story in the Public Square, a public television series and podcast now entering its 17th national season that has won 13 Telly Awards. Complementary projects include the Nationhood Lab (research on authoritarian threats to U.S. democracy), the Active Measures Newsletter and Podcast (tracking global disinformation campaigns), Unpacking Political Polarization, Voices of Value (survey work on perceptions of polarization and media consumption), Issues in International Relations, and Ocean State Stories (long-form regional journalism).

The Center serves three primary audiences: Salve Regina University students (via the Nuala Pell Leadership Program, the Civic LEAD Program, and a Public Policy Minor), the Rhode Island and broader New England community, and national general-public consumers of public-affairs media. It is led by Dr. Mary Anderson, who holds the Brodsky Chair and Pell Center Faculty Fellow designation. The Center does not develop commercial technology products; its outputs are research publications, editorial content, broadcast programming, podcasts, newsletters, and student curricular offerings.

The business model is that of a university-affiliated, non-profit research and public-affairs center. It is funded through Salve Regina University's institutional budget, with supplemental revenue from external donations channeled through the university's giving platform and from research grants. There is no commercial product pricing; educational programs and media content are offered free of charge to audiences, and there is no venture capital or private equity involvement. Distribution occurs through university academic channels, public television broadcast affiliates, major podcast platforms, and social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube).

Name

Pell Center at Salve Regina University

Legal name

Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy

Website

https://pellcenter.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy is a non-profit research center within Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, producing public-affairs research, broadcast media, and student leadership programs for national audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA), Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit) (BPAGADAN)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• International relations
• Storytelling and media
• National security studies
• Civic education

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. University Funding and Grants: As a university-affiliated research center, the Pell Center operates primarily through institutional funding from Salve Regina University and research grants. The center also accepts donations through the university's giving platform to support its programs and initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Pell Center at Salve Regina University is a research and policy center focused on international relations, national security, and public policy. It produces original research, hosts public events, and operates media programs such as Story in the Public Square, the Nationhood Lab, and the Active Measures Newsletter and Podcast to inform civic discourse and policy understanding.

Product overview

The Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy is a multidisciplinary university research center focused on the intersection of politics, policies, and ideas. The Center operates a portfolio of research initiatives and programs including Story in the Public Square (TV show/podcast), Nationhood Lab, Active Measures Newsletter and Podcast, Unpacking Political Polarization, Voices of Value, Issues in International Relations, and Ocean State Stories. These are complemented by leadership programs (Nuala Pell Leadership Program, Civic LEAD Program) and an academic Public Policy Minor. The Center is dedicated to honoring Sen. Claiborne Pell's legacy by promoting American engagement in the world, effective government at home, and civic participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nationhood Lab: An interdisciplinary research, testing and dissemination project focused on counteracting the authoritarian threat to American democracy.
• Story in the Public Square
• Active Measures Newsletter and Podcast
• Voices of Value
• Nuala Pell Leadership Program
• Civic LEAD Program

Products and services

• Story in the Public Square

Quantifiable outcome

• 13-time Telly Award-winning TV show and podcast reaching public television stations nationwide

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Public Television StationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Pell Center partners with public television stations nationwide to broadcast Story in the Public Square, reaching audiences across the United States through this distribution network.
• Ocean State StoriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOcean State Stories is a media outlet focused on long-form journalism serving all of Rhode Island, nearby Massachusetts and the diverse communities that comprise the region. This appears to be a related initiative or collaborative media effort.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: A large, established policy research institution producing research across a wide range of policy domains; a broader incumbent in the same policy research space the Pell Center occupies.

Direct peers

• Atlantic Council: A foreign policy think tank producing research, commentary, and media on international relations and democratic resilience, overlapping with the Pell Center's international affairs and democracy-focused research.
• New America: A nonpartisan public policy institute that combines research with media, events, and public engagement, mirroring the Pell Center's blend of policy research, public programming, and civic engagement.
• Brookings Institution: A major nonpartisan public policy research organization producing research, events, and media content on domestic and international policy, closely comparable to the Pell Center's policy research and public-affairs programming.
• Aspen Institute: A nonpartisan policy studies organization with leadership programs and civic engagement initiatives, closely aligned with the Pell Center's leadership development and civic participation programming.
• Council on Foreign Relations: A think tank focused on U.S. foreign policy and international relations that produces research, publications, and media programming, overlapping with the Pell Center's international relations and public policy mission.
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): A bipartisan policy research organization focused on defense, security, and international affairs, comparable to the Pell Center's international relations and public policy research.
• Bipartisan Policy Center: A Washington-based think tank focused on bipartisan policy solutions and public engagement, comparable to the Pell Center's polarization research and civic participation mission.
• Wilson Center (Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars): A nonpartisan policy research center focused on international affairs and policy scholarship, directly comparable to the Pell Center's international relations and public policy research focus.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: A global think tank producing research and analysis on international affairs and foreign policy, comparable to the Pell Center's Issues in International Relations and broader policy work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ThePellCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/PellCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pell-center-for-international-relations-and-public-policy-at-salve-regina-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/pellcenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pell Center at Salve Regina University