Ballinger Leafblad
Ballinger | Leafblad is a Saint Paul-based retained executive search firm founded in 2014 that places senior leaders at nonprofits, foundations, higher education institutions, and professional associations across the Midwest United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ballinger Leafblad does
Ballinger | Leafblad is a privately-held, retained executive search firm headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, founded in 2014. The firm specializes exclusively in the civic sector, placing senior executives including CEOs, Executive Directors, Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Chief-level officers at nonprofits, foundations, higher education institutions, and professional associations. Notable clients include the Bush Foundation, McKnight Foundation, University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Hennepin Healthcare, and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.
The firm operates a structured four-phase methodology (Engagement, Outreach, Decision-Making, Amplification) and supplements its core search service with onboarding coaching, leadership advisory services, proprietary candidate assessment tools, and reference/background checking. Its underlying technology stack is a proprietary candidate database containing thousands of executive records with detailed tracking of qualifications, designations, and correspondence history. The firm does not operate any public-facing SaaS platform, API, or technology product.
Ballinger | Leafblad generates revenue through retained executive search fees, typically charging 25-35% of the placed candidate's first-year total compensation, billed exclusively to client organizations. Each search professional maintains a handful of concurrent engagements, with the firm pursuing approximately 150+ outreach contacts per project. Distribution is entirely direct, relying on civic-sector referrals, the 'That Lars Email' LinkedIn newsletter, and the firm's website. The firm operates regionally across the Midwest United States with no disclosed expansion outside this geography.
Ballinger Leafblad firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ballinger Leafblad
- Legal name
- Ballinger | Leafblad Inc
- Website
- https://ballingerleafblad.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Ballinger | Leafblad is a Saint Paul-based retained executive search firm founded in 2014 that places senior leaders at nonprofits, foundations, higher education institutions, and professional associations across the Midwest United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ballinger Leafblad industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search (BPACAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
Keywords
Where Ballinger Leafblad is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ballinger Leafblad business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retained Executive Search: Retained executive search fees charged as a percentage of the successful candidate's first year compensation, including base salary, bonus, and other components. Percentages typically range from 25-35% of first year compensation. Services are paid by client organizations only; candidates never pay for executive search services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Retained executive search engagement |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Ballinger Leafblad product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ballinger Leafblad is a retained executive search firm that recruits senior leaders (CEOs, Executive Directors, Presidents, Vice Presidents, and other C-suite roles) for civic-sector organizations. Engagements are exclusive arrangements with client organizations, conducted through a four-phase methodology covering stakeholder engagement, candidate outreach, decision-making support, and onboarding/amplification. Fees are charged as a percentage of the placed candidate's first-year compensation.
Product overview
Ballinger | Leafblad operates as a retained executive search firm specializing exclusively in the civic sector. Their offering consists of a core executive search service built around a proprietary four-phase methodology (Engagement, Outreach, Decision-Making, Amplification), supplemented by supporting modules including on-boarding coaching, leadership advisory services, candidate assessment tools, and reference checking services. The firm maintains an extensive proprietary database of executive candidates and does not offer any public-facing technology products, APIs, or SaaS platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search Services Retained executive search services for the civic sector, recruiting CEOs, Executive Directors, Presidents, and other senior leadership positions at nonprofits, foundations, higher education institutions, and professional associations. Engagements are conducted under exclusive, retained arrangements with client organizations.
Companies that use Ballinger Leafblad
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ballinger Leafblad technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ballinger Leafblad partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Ballinger Leafblad competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aspen Leadership Group: Retained search firm focused on nonprofit and foundation leadership, with deep roots in community foundations and philanthropic institutions. Highly comparable to Ballinger Leafblad's foundation and nonprofit client base.
- Kittleman & Associates: Retained executive search firm dedicated to nonprofit, foundation, and association leadership. Comparable mid-sized niche peer with similar exclusive civic-sector focus and retained fee model.
- AGB Search: Executive search practice exclusively serving higher education institutions, including presidents, provosts, and senior administrators. Comparable to Ballinger Leafblad's higher education segment, particularly around university leadership transitions.
- Witt/Kieffer: Executive search firm specializing in healthcare, higher education, and nonprofit leadership. Closely comparable to Ballinger Leafblad in mission-driven retained search, though larger and serving a wider national market.
- Isaacson, Miller: National retained executive search firm focused exclusively on the nonprofit, education, and social-impact sectors. Direct competitor to Ballinger Leafblad in civic-sector retained search, with a much broader geographic footprint and similar four-phase methodology.
Broad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Largest global organizational consulting firm offering executive search, leadership development, and talent advisory. Competes for top-tier nonprofit and education CEO searches where Ballinger Leafblad also operates, though at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a dedicated nonprofit, education, and social-sector practice. Overlaps with Ballinger Leafblad on civic-sector CEO and board searches while serving a much broader client base across industries.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a Social Impact practice serving nonprofits, foundations, and education. Comparable in retained-search model and civic-sector capabilities but vastly larger and more diversified.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm serving C-suite and board-level searches across all sectors. Overlaps with Ballinger Leafblad in nonprofit and association mandates but is much broader in scope and competes primarily on large, complex engagements.
Emerging players
- DRG Talent Solutions: Boutique search firm with a focus on nonprofit, philanthropic, and association leadership. Comparable emerging player in civic-sector retained search, with similar client types but a smaller geographic footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Ballinger Leafblad social profiles
Digital presenceBallinger Leafblad financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ballinger Leafblad leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Ballinger Leafblad funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ballinger Leafblad 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 Ballinger Leafblad
What does Ballinger Leafblad do?
Ballinger Leafblad is a retained executive search firm that recruits senior leaders (CEOs, Executive Directors, Presidents, Vice Presidents, and other C-suite roles) for civic-sector organizations. Engagements are exclusive arrangements with client organizations, conducted through a four-phase methodology covering stakeholder engagement, candidate outreach, decision-making support, and onboarding/amplification. Fees are charged as a percentage of the placed candidate's first-year compensation.
Is Ballinger Leafblad a public or private company?
Ballinger Leafblad is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ballinger Leafblad founded?
Ballinger Leafblad was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Ballinger Leafblad based?
Ballinger Leafblad is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ballinger Leafblad make money?
One revenue line is on record: retained Executive Search.
Who are Ballinger Leafblad's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aspen Leadership Group, Kittleman & Associates, AGB Search, Witt/Kieffer and Isaacson, Miller. Broad incumbents are Korn Ferry, Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles and Russell Reynolds Associates. DRG Talent Solutions is listed as an emerging player.
Does Ballinger Leafblad have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ballinger Leafblad.
What industry is Ballinger Leafblad in?
Ballinger Leafblad's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAI, Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search, with a secondary code of BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search. Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 8742.