Working IDEAL
Working IDEAL is a Washington, DC-based boutique consulting firm providing evidence-based diversity, equity, and inclusion advisory services — including pay equity audits, racial equity assessments, Rooney Rule policy development, and independent workplace investigations — to large corporations, universities, nonprofits, unions, and government agencies nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Working IDEAL does
Working IDEAL is a Washington, DC-based boutique professional services consulting firm specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) advisory. Founded in 2016/2017 by Pamela Coukos (CEO) and Cyrus Mehri, the firm provides evidence-based consulting services including pay equity audits, racial equity assessments, Rooney Rule and diverse slate policy development, independent workplace investigations, campus climate reviews, harassment prevention, and strategic human capital advisory. Its portfolio is built around a four-phase strategic diversity assessment methodology, a dedicated Equity Analytics team applying quantitative and qualitative analysis, and research-driven toolkits such as the Campaign Equity Toolkit and the Reel Equity gender pay study for film and television production.
The firm serves a national client base spanning large corporations (BlackRock, Nike, Coca-Cola, NFL), universities and colleges (John Jay College, major East Coast universities, City of Cambridge), nonprofit and civil rights organizations (National Women's Law Center, Human Rights Campaign, Humane Society, Humane League, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Supermajority, Black Orchestral Network), labor unions (AFGE, IATSE Local 871), government agencies, and political campaigns. Its credibility is rooted in the principals' prior roles at federal civil rights enforcement agencies, including the EEOC, the Department of Labor's OFCCP, and the White House.
Working IDEAL operates on a professional services, project-based revenue model with quote-based pricing tailored to each engagement. The firm delivers work through its principals, senior research fellows, and a network of collaborating partners including law firm Mehri & Skalet, PLLC and other specialized advisory firms. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales driven by thought leadership, earned media in major national outlets (Fortune, Reuters, Bloomberg, NBC News, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, CNN, Washington Post), a podcast and newsletter, and referrals from a deep professional network. The firm does not sell software or technology products; its "IP" is methodology, published toolkits, and the reputation of its principals.
Working IDEAL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Working IDEAL
- Legal name
- Working IDEAL
- Website
- https://workingideal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Working IDEAL is a Washington, DC-based boutique consulting firm providing evidence-based diversity, equity, and inclusion advisory services — including pay equity audits, racial equity assessments, Rooney Rule policy development, and independent workplace investigations — to large corporations, universities, nonprofits, unions, and government agencies nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Working IDEAL industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting (DEI Advisory)
- NAICS
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) & Belonging Consulting (BPAHAGAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- DEI, Equity & Inclusion Advisory (BPACAJAJ), DEI, Culture & Employee Engagement Training (BPACANAE), DEI, Equity & Inclusion Training (EDABAIAF)
Keywords
Where Working IDEAL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Working IDEAL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- DEI Consulting and Advisory Services: Professional services revenue generated through consulting engagements including strategic DEI assessments, pay equity audits, racial equity assessments, workplace investigations, training programs, and policy development. Engagements are customized and project-based, serving large enterprises, government agencies, non-profits, unions, and educational institutions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Working IDEAL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Working IDEAL provides evidence-based diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) advisory services to organizations across the nation. The firm delivers strategic DEI assessments, pay equity audits, racial equity assessments, Rooney Rule policy development, workplace investigations, harassment prevention, and leadership development through customized consulting engagements.
Product overview
Working IDEAL offers a portfolio of consulting services centered on workplace diversity, equity, inclusion, and fair compensation. The core offerings include Strategic Diversity Assessment, Pay Equity Services, Rooney Rule Consulting, Racial Equity Assessment, and Workplace Inclusion Services. These services are delivered through evidence-based methodologies including workplace reviews, quantitative and qualitative analysis, focus groups, and coaching. The company also provides specialized services such as Independent Investigations, Harassment Prevention, Recruitment & Retention Consulting, Strategic Human Capital Development, and the Campaign Equity Toolkit. Additional research products include the Reel Equity report for the film industry and Campus Climate Reviews for educational institutions. The portfolio operates as a service-based consulting practice rather than a software platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Strategic Diversity Assessment A comprehensive four-phase methodology for evaluating workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion including leadership conversations, workplace reviews using surveys and focus groups, customized recommendations, and implementation coaching. Designed for organizations seeking to assess and advance DEI across leadership, culture, and operations.
- Pay Equity Services High-quality pay equity audits and assessments applying quantitative and qualitative analysis to identify pay equity challenges and build fair, competitive compensation practices aligned with organizational mission and values.
- Rooney Rule Consulting Policy development and implementation consulting for diverse candidate slate requirements, originally developed for the Coca-Cola settlement and the NFL Rooney Rule, now adopted as a best practice for increasing diversity in leadership across industries.
- Racial Equity Assessment Racial equity audits assessing workplace practices, culture, business operations, partnerships, and external engagement to help organizations document progress, identify gaps, and create roadmaps for advancement.
- Independent Investigation Services Third-party investigations of workplace misconduct, evaluating policies and practices related to preventing and responding to harassment, with recommendations for strengthening workplace environments.
- Safe and Trusted Harassment Prevention Services for developing safe reporting practices, building respectful culture, and investigating serious harassment and misconduct to promote workplace safety, inclusion, and equity.
- Strategic Planning & Advisory Services Executive coaching, facilitation, and strategic planning to help leaders strengthen DEI, solve practical problems, and create accountable roadmaps aligned with organizational values.
- Recruitment, Selection & Retention Services Services for developing and implementing diverse candidate slates, innovative performance measurement, and strategic affirmative action planning to attract and retain diverse talent.
- Workplace Inclusion Services Training, engagement programs, culture audits, focus groups, and affinity group support to build inclusive workplace cultures using evidence-based approaches.
- Certifying Diversity & EEO Practices Settlement monitoring, fair practices certification to stakeholders, and external ombuds services to validate diversity and EEO practices for organizations seeking to demonstrate leadership.
- Strategic Human Capital & Leadership Development Senior management and board diversity consulting, executive compensation EEO metrics development, and governance strategies to strengthen organizational diversity performance.
- Campus Climate Review College and university campus climate reviews assessing diversity and inclusion, harassment prevention, and policy enforcement with recommendations for improvement.
Quantifiable outcome
- 400% increase in NFL head coach minority hiring rate through Rooney Rule implementation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Working IDEAL
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Working IDEAL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Working IDEAL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Covington & Burling, LLPflagshipWorking IDEAL joined a team led by Covington & Burling to conduct a racial equity assessment of BlackRock. This interdisciplinary engagement focused on BlackRock's DEI strategy across business operations, partnerships, and external engagement.
- Holliday AdvisorscoreWorking IDEAL partnered with Holliday Advisors to support the Human Rights Campaign's strategic planning work through a DEI lens, providing facilitation, project management, and strategic advising services.
- Mehri & Skalet, PLLCflagshipCo-founder Cyrus Mehri is also a founding partner of Mehri & Skalet, PLLC. The law firm has a long history representing workers in race and gender discrimination cases and collaborates with Working IDEAL on investigations and legal matters.
- Conscious CustomerscoreWorking IDEAL collaborates with Conscious Customers, a strategic advisory firm specializing in workplace dignity and justice, for diversity, equity and inclusion program work.
- Redwood EnterprisecorePartnered with Redwood Enterprise led by Rene Redwood, who serves as a member of the court-appointed Coca-Cola Task Force and brings expertise in workplace transformation and racial justice.
- Anthem of UscoreWorking IDEAL collaborated with Anthem of Us, a strategic advisory firm promoting dignity and justice in workplaces, schools and communities, on the BlackRock racial equity assessment team.
- AFGE (American Federation of Government Employees)coreAFGE retained Working IDEAL to conduct an independent investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by its National President, demonstrating the firm's capability in workplace investigations.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Working IDEAL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Korn Ferry: Executive search and organizational consulting firm with a dedicated DE&I practice. Closely comparable to Working IDEAL's Rooney Rule/diverse slate leadership advisory and human capital strategy work.
- Aon (Human Capital): Major HR consulting and rewards advisory (including Aon's pay equity tools). Comparable to Working IDEAL on pay equity diagnostics and compensation benchmarking work for corporations.
- Willis Towers Watson: Global advisory firm with strong Human Capital and DEI practices. Comparable to Working IDEAL on enterprise DEI assessments, pay equity analytics, and inclusion strategy for large organizations.
- Mercer: Global consulting leader in compensation, benefits, and pay equity analytics. Directly comparable to Working IDEAL's Pay Equity Services and equity analytics offering for enterprise clients.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Diversity & Inclusion practice. Comparable to Working IDEAL on diverse slate hiring, board diversity, and senior leadership DEI advisory.
- Cook Ross: Boutique DEI consulting firm specializing in inclusion culture, leadership development, and training. Closely comparable as a smaller, specialist DEI advisory competitor in the same buyer set.
- Pearl Meyer: Boutique executive compensation and pay equity consultancy. Comparable to Working IDEAL on compensation analysis, pay equity audits, and EEO-linked executive compensation work.
Broad incumbents
- Deloitte (Human Capital): Big Four firm with a large Human Capital practice including Inclusion and DEI advisory. A larger incumbent offering overlapping DEI strategy, pay equity, and culture services to enterprise clients.
- McKinsey (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Practice): Global strategy consultancy with a dedicated DEI practice advising Fortune 500 leaders. A broad incumbent that competes for enterprise DEI assessment and strategy mandates.
Emerging players
- Paradigm Strategy: DEI strategy and racial equity advisory firm. Comparable as a smaller specialist competitor in equity assessments and DEI strategy for mission-driven and corporate clients.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Working IDEAL social profiles
Digital presenceWorking IDEAL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Working IDEAL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Working IDEAL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Working IDEAL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Working IDEAL
What does Working IDEAL do?
Working IDEAL provides evidence-based diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) advisory services to organizations across the nation. The firm delivers strategic DEI assessments, pay equity audits, racial equity assessments, Rooney Rule policy development, workplace investigations, harassment prevention, and leadership development through customized consulting engagements.
Is Working IDEAL a public or private company?
Working IDEAL is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Working IDEAL founded?
Working IDEAL was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Working IDEAL based?
Working IDEAL is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Working IDEAL make money?
One revenue line is on record: DEI Consulting and Advisory Services.
Who are Working IDEAL's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Korn Ferry, Aon (Human Capital), Willis Towers Watson, Mercer, Heidrick & Struggles, Cook Ross and Pearl Meyer. Broad incumbents are Deloitte (Human Capital) and McKinsey (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Practice). Paradigm Strategy is listed as an emerging player.
Does Working IDEAL have an API?
No public API is recorded for Working IDEAL.
What industry is Working IDEAL in?
Working IDEAL's product category is Management Consulting (DEI Advisory). Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAGAJ, DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) & Belonging Consulting, with a secondary code of BPACAJAJ, DEI, Equity & Inclusion Advisory. Its NAICS code is 5416 and its SIC code is 8742.