Rhetorikforum UZH

What Rhetorikforum UZH does

Rhetorikforum UZH is a student-run nonprofit association (Verein) founded in 2010, operating as the only rhetoric and presentation skills organization at both the University of Zurich (UZH) and ETH Zurich. The association provides workshop-based training in three core areas: body language (Körpersprache), voice and speech delivery (Stimme & Sprechen), and speech structure and content (Struktur & Inhalt). Its primary customers are Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD students from UZH and ETH, with a secondary segment of external organizations commissioning custom workshops. The organization is governed by a volunteer Co-Presidium (currently Linn Hille-Dahl and Thierry Alain Moser) and departmental heads managing courses, marketing, finance, education, IT, and social functions.

The organization runs on a volunteer-driven model with 40+ coaches who are current students or alumni of UZH and ETH, supplemented by external professional coaches for advanced training. Course pricing is highly subsidized at CHF 60 for students and doctoral candidates and CHF 120 for working professionals, with each course capped at a maximum of 18 participants and a coach-to-participant ratio of approximately 1:3. The core product is a three-evening German-language workshop, and the organization launched its first English-language one-day workshop in 2025 to broaden reach. Revenue is generated through course fees and custom B2B workshops; no revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

The technology stack is minimal: a WordPress-based website serves as the primary digital platform for course information and enrollment via a contact form, with Mailgun powering newsletter distribution. The organization holds institutional affiliations with VSETH and VSUZH student associations, which provide access to university communication channels and legitimacy. Marketing is conducted primarily through organic social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook), a newsletter, and word-of-mouth within the Swiss university community. Operating entirely from Zürich with no disclosed geographic expansion, the organization is fundamentally a community-led, in-person service rather than a technology-driven business.

Name

Rhetorikforum UZH

Legal name

Rhetorikforum Universität Zürich (UZH)

Website

https://rhetorikforum.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rhetorikforum UZH is a volunteer-run nonprofit student association at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich that provides rhetoric and presentation skills workshops to university students and external organizations, operating on subsidized course fees and a peer-coaching model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Public Speaking & Debate Programs (Live/Recorded) (EDAMAOAD)

Keywords

• Rhetoric training
• Presentation skills
• Public speaking workshops
• Communication coaching
• Student association

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Course fees - standard workshop: Revenue is generated through course fees charged for participation in rhetoric and presentation skills workshops. The standard 3-evening workshop is priced at CHF 60 for students and doctoral candidates, and CHF 120 for working professionals. As a student volunteer organization, the fees are kept low and are the primary source of revenue.
2. Custom workshops for organizations: The organization conducts custom, tailor-made workshops for external organizations and companies (B2B), generating additional revenue from corporate clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rhetorikforum UZH is a student-run non-profit association that delivers hands-on rhetoric and presentation skills workshops to university students and professionals. The core offering is a three-evening standard workshop (3×3 hours) covering body language, voice and speech, and structure/content, taught in small groups by trained peer coaches. The organization also offers customized workshops for external organizations and companies.

Product overview

Rhetorikforum UZH is a student-run association offering public rhetoric and presentation skills workshops. The core offering consists of the regular German Rhetorik-Workshop (three themed evenings covering body language, voice/speaking, and structure/content) and a newly launched Presentation Skills in English workshop. Both follow the same hands-on, small-group coaching methodology. Additionally, the organization offers customized workshops for teams and organizations with tailored content. The organization is the only such student association at UZH and ETH, operating on an honorary basis with student prices (CHF 60 for students/PhD, CHF 120 for professionals).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• VSETH (Verband der Studierenden an der ETH)minorOthersVSETH is the student association at ETH Zurich. Rhetorikforum UZH is affiliated with VSETH, as evidenced by the VSETH logo in the website footer. The affiliation provides institutional legitimacy and access to the ETH student network.
• VSUZH (Verband der Studierenden an der UZH)minorOthersVSUZH is the student association at the University of Zurich. Rhetorikforum UZH is affiliated with VSUZH, as shown by the VSUZH logo in the website footer. The affiliation provides institutional legitimacy and access to the UZH student network.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Crucial Learning: Provider of communication, influence, and presentation-skills training (formed from the merger of VitalSmarts and The Other 80). Addresses the same broad skill family as Rhetorikforum (high-stakes conversations, presenting with impact) but sells primarily to enterprise and government clients.
• Dale Carnegie Training: Global incumbent in corporate presentation, communication, and leadership training with a well-known curriculum around confidence and effective speaking. Overlaps with Rhetorikforum's body language, voice, and structured-delivery focus but at commercial price points, serving corporate rather than student buyers.
• Learning Tree International: Global corporate training provider covering IT, management, and business skills including communication and presentation. Overlaps with Rhetorikforum in the professional-development segment, but at enterprise scale and across many topics rather than focused rhetoric coaching.
• SkillPath Seminars: Long-standing US-based professional development and corporate training provider offering workshops on communication, presentation, and management skills. Comparable category — supplemental communication skills workshops for professionals — though broader in scope and US-centric in delivery.

Direct peers

• Toastmasters International: Global peer-led public-speaking and leadership club network offering structured, cohort-based speaking practice to adults. Closely comparable to Rhetorikforum's mission of building presentation skills through rehearsed, peer-coached practice, though it serves a broader demographic rather than university students specifically.

Emerging players

• Mind Tools: Online business-skills content and training platform with strong offerings in communication, presentation, and leadership. Comparable to Rhetorikforum on skill theme but delivers digital/self-paced learning rather than in-person small-group coaching, illustrating a different go-to-market model for the same audience need.
• TED Masterclass: Premium online course featuring TED-curated public-speaking instruction. Targets similar learner outcomes (overcoming stage fright, structuring talks, vocal delivery) via a different medium (self-paced video vs. live coaching), and represents the kind of digital substitute Rhetorikforum's audience could adopt.

Regional players

• The Speakers Academy: European-focused presentation and speaker coaching firm with locations in Switzerland (Zürich) and the Netherlands. Directly comparable in geography and curriculum (presentational impact, storytelling, voice), competing for the same Swiss corporate-client segment as Rhetorikforum's B2B workshops.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rhetorikUZH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhetorikforum-uzh
• Instagraminstagram.com/rhetorikforum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Rhetorikforum UZH