Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute (PLEI)

What Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute (PLEI) does

Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute (PLEI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation (EIN 58-2296988) founded in 1996 in South Lyon, Michigan, that develops leadership capabilities among student pharmacists, practicing pharmacists, and pharmacy stakeholders across the United States. Originally established to advance the leadership and educational missions of the Phi Delta Chi Fraternity, PLEI now operates as a profession-wide organization that has delivered leader development programming since 1989, reaching what it characterizes as "many thousands of leaders" through in-person workshops, virtual cohorts, and multi-day immersion programs. PLEI's core programmatic asset is the Star Framework curriculum (Vision, Response-ability, Integrity, Grit, Results Through Others), supplemented by the 370-page Lead←Grow→Shape workbook containing 35 modules aligned to ACPE and CAPE self-awareness, leadership, innovation, and professionalism competencies. The organization administers three named awards — the Albert B. Prescott Pharmacy Leadership Award (since 1987), the John F. (Jack) Schlegel Leadership Development Award (since 2024), and the Delbert D. Konnor Award of Excellence in Pharmaceutical Administration (since 2025) — and runs the Project LEARN officer-training certificate program in partnership with Phi Delta Chi. Technology delivery is anchored on the Thinkific learning management system for the Academy for Leader Development; program delivery is hybrid through self-paced online cohorts (three Star Framework cohorts per year), partner-organization workshops (4-hour kickoff plus 3–4 months of coaching), and Amazon Kindle/print distribution for workbook products. PLEI employs approximately 11 staff and is led by Executive Director Ron Corey, PhD, MBA, with Chairman John D. Grabenstein, PhD (National Academy of Medicine) chairing a 12-person Board of Directors. Revenue is generated through three streams: charitable donations and a $1M+ endowment (over 525 individual donors plus corporate matching from major pharma employers including AstraZeneca, Pfizer, J&J, Merck, CVS, and Walgreens), workbook sales ($9.99–$49.99 across Student and Facilitator editions), and quote-based leadership program fees for residency programs, corporate partners, and state/national pharmacy associations. PLEI does not publicly disclose revenue or financial statements.

Name

Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute (PLEI)

Legal name

Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute

Website

https://plei.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PLEI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that develops leadership among pharmacists and pharmacy students through its Star Framework curriculum, Lead←Grow→Shape workbook, and Academy for Leader Development platform, while administering the Prescott, Schlegel, and Konnor awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmacy Leadership Development Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Certification & Exam Prep Course Marketplaces (EDAFAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

DEI, Culture & Employee Engagement Training (BPACANAE), Project, Process & Quality Certification Prep (PMP, PRINCE2, Lean Six Sigma, ITIL) (EDANAIAE)

Keywords

• Pharmacy leadership training
• Leadership development programs
• Professional pharmacy education
• Pharmacy scholarships grants
• Continuing pharmacy education

Headquarters

HQ city

South Lyon

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: PLEI operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit receiving donations from individuals and corporate matching programs. The endowment started in 2005 with Ralph L. Saroyan's $10,000 gift. Over 445 people have pledged over $685,000 and donated over $640,000. Endowment exceeded $1 million in 2020. PLEI has over 525 individual donors.
2. Workbook Sales: Sales of Lead<-Grow->Shape leadership workbook in Student and Facilitator editions, available in Kindle and print formats through Amazon.
3. Leadership Program Fees: Fees for leader development training programs delivered through Academy for Leader Development for pharmacy residency programs, corporate partners, and associations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PLEI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that develops and delivers leadership development training programs for pharmacists and pharmacy students. Core offerings include the Star Framework leadership curriculum, the Lead←Grow→Shape workbook (Student and Facilitator editions), the Academy for Leader Development online learning platform, and several endowed award and grant programs for emerging pharmacy leaders. Programs are delivered in-person, online, and in hybrid formats through organizational partnerships and direct individual enrollment.

Product overview

PLEI operates as a leadership development organization for pharmacy professionals, offering a platform of programs and awards. Core offerings include The Star Framework (flagship curriculum delivered through the Academy for Leader Development) and the Lead←Grow→Shape workbook. PLEI administers three major awards: the Albert B. Prescott Pharmacy Leadership Award, the John F. Schlegel Leadership Development Award, and the Delbert D. Konnor Award. Additional offerings include the Travel Grant Endowment Program for Phi Delta Chi chapters, Project LEARN for officer training, and the Leader Legacy Fund and PLEI Leadership Endowment Fund for financial support. Programs are delivered in-person, online, and hybrid formats via the Thinkific learning management system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Star Framework PLEI's flagship leadership curriculum covering five domains of being and doing: Vision, Response-ability, Integrity, Grit, and Results Through Others. Delivered online, in-person, or hybrid formats through cohorts three times yearly or via organizational partnerships for pharmacy residency programs, corporate partners, and pharmacy associations.
• Lead←Grow→Shape Workbook 370-page leadership development workbook with 35 modules meeting ACPE and CAPE self-awareness, leadership, innovation, and professionalism competencies. Available in Student Edition ($9.99 Kindle/$14.99 print) and Facilitator Edition ($39.99 Kindle/$49.99 print) through Amazon in Kindle and print formats.
• Academy for Leader Development (ALD) PLEI's organizational learning platform hosted on Thinkific that delivers self-paced certificate programs and structured leadership courses, including The Star Framework, to individuals enrolling online three times per year.
• Project LEARN (Leader Education And Resource Network) Online self-paced certificate program for Phi Delta Chi collegiate chapter officers providing organizational skills training through four modules: Setting Chapter Goals, Running a Productive Meeting, Chapter Financial Affairs, and How to Communicate Effectively.
• Custom Leader Development Programs Customized in-person and virtual leader development programs ranging from a few hours to 5-day immersion programs, delivered to pharmacy residency programs, corporate partners, state and national associations through workshops and hybrid formats.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95,000 prescriptions filled valued at $17.2 million for 1,800 underserved patients
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS) - Pharmacy Leadership SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtended five-year partnership (as of 2020) for co-sponsorship and administration of Albert B. Prescott Pharmacy Leadership Award. PLS partnered with PLEI in 2015 to sponsor the award. Financial honorarium was doubled from $1,000 to $2,000 as part of partnership expansion. The Prescott Award recognizes pharmacist less than 10 years past graduation for exemplary leadership qualities.
• Phi Delta Chi FraternitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLEI formed as not-for-profit foundation in 1996 to advance leadership, educational, and benevolent missions of Phi Delta Chi. Partnership includes Project LEARN for organizational skills training, Travel Grant Endowment Program management, and coordination of Prescott Award originally established by PDC in 1987. PLEI facilitates Phi Delta Chi's vision to empower Brothers to lead across all stages of life.
• American Pharmacists Association (APhA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrescott Award recipient presents scholarly lecture at annual APhA meeting which is later published in Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. Partnership for Michael Murphy as first shared faculty member between APhA and The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy.
• The Ohio State University College of PharmacycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with APhA for shared faculty position held by Michael Murphy, advancing legislative engagement, grassroots advocacy nationwide, and mentoring future leaders to shape healthcare policy.
• Phi Delta Chi Collegiate ChaptersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Phi Delta Chi chapters to establish Travel Grant Endowments. Goal of $25,000 minimum endowment per active collegiate chapter to provide annual awards supporting chapter members' attendance at Grand Council and Leader Development Seminars.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP): National association for hospital and health-system pharmacists that runs leadership academies, residency programming, and awards. ASHP's leadership development portfolio directly overlaps with PLEI's residency-focused programming and is a broader incumbent in the same pharmacy leadership space.
• National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA): Trade association for independent community pharmacies that offers leadership programming for pharmacy owners and managers. NCPA's leadership development and award programs target a subset of PLEI's practicing pharmacist audience.
• American Pharmacists Association (APhA): The largest U.S. pharmacy professional association, with which PLEI has a strategic partnership (shared faculty with Ohio State; Prescott Award lecture published in JAPhA). APhA offers its own leadership and professional development programming, making it a broad incumbent overlapping with PLEI's training mission.
• National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP): Association of U.S. pharmacy boards that supports pharmacist licensing and professional standards. NABP engages with pharmacy leadership development adjacent to PLEI's mission and serves a similar pharmacist stakeholder base.
• Center for Creative Leadership: Established global leadership development organization delivering programs across industries. CCL's general leadership training is comparable to PLEI's Star Framework in pedagogy (cohort-based, multi-format) but operates across sectors rather than specializing in pharmacy.
• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP): National association representing pharmacy schools and faculty, with leadership development programming tied to ACPE/CAPE competencies. AACP's curriculum and faculty development offerings sit in the same competency standards framework PLEI's workbook is mapped to.

Regional players

• International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP): Global pharmacy federation representing national associations and pharmacists worldwide. FIP operates in a similar pharmacy leadership and education space as PLEI but with global rather than U.S.-only geographic scope.

Others

• Healthcare Leadership Council: Coalition of healthcare CEOs and executives focused on health policy and leadership. While focused on policy advocacy rather than training delivery, it represents a leadership community that intersects with PLEI's pharmacy executive audience.
• Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE): National accreditation body for pharmacy education whose standards (CAPE competencies) shape PLEI's curriculum alignment. ACPE is not a direct competitor but sets the competency framework that drives institutional demand for PLEI's programs.

Direct peers

• Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS) — Pharmacy Leadership Society: The national pharmacy leadership honor society that co-sponsors the Prescott Award with PLEI. PLS shares PLEI's mission of developing pharmacy leaders and its member base overlaps, making it the closest mission-aligned peer despite the partnership relationship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PLEI.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plei-org
• Instagraminstagram.com/pharmacyleadershipeducation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute (PLEI)