International Listening Association

What International Listening Association does

The International Listening Association (ILA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1979 and headquartered in Belle Plaine, Minnesota, that promotes effective listening through research, education, events, publications, and member services. Its primary constituents are individual professionals, students, and organizations in healthcare, education, business, and adjacent fields such as government, non-profit, technology, spirituality, arts, and sustainability, drawn from roughly 25 countries. The ILA has convened an annual convention every year since 1980, with the 47th installment scheduled for September 16–19, 2026 as a fully virtual event under the theme 'Questioning Listening & Listening Questions,' and it supplements the convention with ongoing online programming including ILA Mini Series sessions (e.g., an AI and the Future of Listening series in March 2026), Listening Circles, ILA Meet-Ups, and the ILA Exchange. The organization does not develop proprietary AI or SaaS technology; its core technology footprint is a self-serve membership and community platform (Kiku at community.listen.org / kiku.listen.org) hosted on third-party infrastructure, alongside the listen.org marketing site. Revenue comes from tiered membership subscriptions (Professional $120/yr or $220 for 2 years; Student $60/yr with .edu verification for up to 5 years; Organization $675/yr with automatic renewal for up to 2 professionals included; Lifetime $1,575 paid in full or $350/yr for 5 years), annual convention registration (with early bird pricing), and publication-related revenue from member-access content such as the International Journal of Listening (published in partnership with Taylor & Francis), Listening Times, Listening in Education & Training, and The Listening Post. Additional product surface includes the Certified Listening Leader (CLL) credential, the Student Practicum and Buddy and Mentorship programs, the Listening Toolkit, and an awards program (Hall of Fame, Listener of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Outstanding Educator, Special Recognition, Business Sector, Synergist Research, Graduate Thesis/Dissertation, Carolyn Coakley-Hickerson Scholarship, and President's awards).

Name

International Listening Association

Legal name

International Listening Association

Website

https://listen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Listening Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization founded in 1979 that promotes effective listening globally through annual conventions, publications (including the International Journal of Listening), credentialing (Certified Listening Leader), and member programs serving professionals, students, and organizations across healthcare, education, business, and adjacent sectors in roughly 25 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Adult/Public Speaking Clubs & Community Organizations (EDAMAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Listening association services
• Professional membership programs
• Listening research publications
• Professional development credentials
• Communication training events

Headquarters

HQ city

Belle Plaine

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Memberships: Annual and multi-year memberships providing access to conventions, online resources, networking events, mentorship programs, and professional development. Priced at $120/year or $220 for 2-year term.
2. Student Memberships: Discounted annual student memberships at $60/year for full-time students with access to mentorship, leadership opportunities, and scholarship funds.
3. Organization Memberships: Annual organization memberships at $675/year including up to 2 professional memberships, website promotion, newsletter and social channel access, and convention marketing opportunities.
4. Lifetime Memberships: Lifetime membership options including $1,575 one-time payment or $350/year for 5 years with additional convention discounts and Lifetime ILA Membership Society benefits.
5. Annual Convention Revenue: Registration fees for the annual ILA convention with early bird rates available until specific deadlines. The 47th Annual Convention in September 2026 is fully virtual.
6. Publications Revenue: The organization publishes the International Journal of Listening (scholarly research via Taylor & Francis), Listening Times (monthly newsletter), Listening in Education & Training (practical teaching resources), and The Listening Post. Publications are available to members with some content restricted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The International Listening Association is a non-profit professional membership organization that advances the study and practice of effective listening worldwide. It sells tiered memberships (Professional, Student, Organization, Lifetime), publishes peer-reviewed and member-only publications including the International Journal of Listening, hosts an annual convention and online events, and offers the Certified Listening Leader professional credential.

Product overview

The International Listening Association is a professional membership organization rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist of a portfolio of membership types (Professional, Student, Organization), credential programs (Certified Listening Leader), educational programs (Student Practicum, Mentorship, Buddy Program), publications (International Journal of Listening, Listening Times newsletter, Listening in Education & Training, The Listening Post), events (Annual Convention, Online Events including Mini Series, Listening Circles, Meet-Ups, Exchange), resources (Listening Toolkit, Listening Definition), and awards programs. The organization operates Kiku, an internal community platform for members. No AI-powered products, technical integrations, or public APIs were identified in the provided source material.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Membership Annual professional membership for individuals ($120/year) providing access to the International Journal of Listening, Listening Times, member-only resources, the Kiku community platform, and member pricing on the annual convention and credentialing programs. Designed for educators, healthcare professionals, business leaders, researchers, and other practitioners.
• Student Membership Annual student membership ($60/year) for higher education students, providing discounted access to ILA publications, the Student Practicum, the ILA Buddy Program, mentorship, and the Kiku community platform. Designed for undergraduate and graduate students.
• Organization Membership Annual organization membership ($675/year) providing institutional access to ILA publications, events, and member benefits for groups of employees or faculty. Designed for corporations, universities, healthcare systems, and other institutions.
• ILA Annual Convention The ILA's flagship annual in-person convention bringing together members, researchers, and practitioners for keynote sessions, paper presentations, networking, and awards. Open to members and non-members with member pricing available.
• International Journal of Listening The peer-reviewed scholarly journal of the ILA, published via Taylor & Francis, serving as the journal of record for listening research across disciplines. Available to ILA members as part of their membership benefits.
• Certified Listening Leader (CLL) Program Professional credentialing program that certifies individuals as Certified Listening Leaders (CLL), recognizing demonstrated expertise in listening practice and leadership. Includes the related Certified Listening Practitioner (CLP) credential.
• Listening Times Member publication of the ILA delivering association news, member contributions, and listening-related content to the membership community.

Named customers2 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The National Communication Association (NCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCA, founded in 1914, advances Communication as a discipline through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry. It promotes the importance of communication in public and private life and uses knowledge about communication to solve human problems.
• Innolect Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnolect Inc. prepares executives and their teams to succeed in high-performance, high-integrity workplaces. An industry leader in listening research and resources, Innolect has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Chief Learning Officer, People+Strategy and Christian Journal of Nursing. President and Founder Kittie W. Watson, Ph.D. is a past ILA President and inductee into the ILA Listening Hall of Fame.
• Listen CourageouslyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListen Courageously is on a mission to impart the benefits of empathic courageous listening for healing divides. Their award-winning documentary film showcases people with opposing viewpoints on divisive issues listening to each other and connecting at a human level.
• Grau Interpersonal CommunicationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrau Interpersonal Communication is based in the United States with more than 20 years of national and international training, coaching facilitation and public speaking experience. They specialize in custom designed programs for Fortune 500 companies, family owned businesses, educational institutions, governmental entities, and non-profit organizations, enhancing speaking, listening, collaboration, and conflict management skills since 1992.
• Taylor and FranciscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaylor and Francis is one of the world's leading business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events businesses. With more than 6,500 employees globally, they publish the International Journal of Listening. They have a presence in all major geographies including North America, South America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
• Leaders TodayminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeaders Today is the flagship brand of Mathieu & Cie. Coaching and Consulting based in Geneva Switzerland, providing organizational consulting and coaching skills solutions including leader coach, coaching culture and listening culture for global organizations.
• The Empathy CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Empathy Center is a visionary institution committed to enhancing emotional intelligence and empathic understanding across diverse sectors of society.
• Worldwide Civility CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Worldwide Civility Council is a nonprofit organization committed to promoting civility in communities, government, workplaces, and in interpersonal interactions. They partner with organizations to provide training and inspiration for lasting change.
• National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation is a network of innovators who bring people together across divides to tackle today's toughest challenges. NCDD serves as a gathering place, a resource clearinghouse, a news source, and a facilitative leader for this community.
• Playback North America (PNA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlayback North America is an online resource for learning about Playback Theatre, a worldwide performance art based on deep empathetic listening. Every month, PNA offers free online workshops about Playback Theatre and Embodied Empathy.
• The Chapman Foundation for Caring CommunitiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganization member offering transformational learning experiences that strengthen relationships, align teams, and build stronger communities. They integrate listening, leadership, care and service to create Truly Human Connection.
• ECHO Listening IntelligenceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganization member and management development company based in Boulder, Colorado that creates tools to help teams grow smarter together through improved listening. They are the creators of the ECHO Listening Profile, a scientifically based listening assessment.
• Francisco de Vitoria UniversityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganization member - a private university located in Madrid, Spain named after Francisco de Vitoria, considered the father of International Law. An international university by both origin and mission focused on educating people to contribute to building a better and more humane society.
• Someone To Tell It TominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganization member that creates meaningful relationships through compassionate listening and trains and educates others to do the same.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• ECHO Listening Intelligence: Boulder-based organization member that creates the ECHO Listening Profile, a scientifically based listening assessment — operates in the same listening-assessment and training niche as ILA and sells directly to organizations.
• Innolect Inc. Listening-research and executive-development firm led by Kittie W. Watson (past ILA President and Hall of Fame inductee), featured in Harvard Business Review — a strategic ILA partner that also sells listening and leadership training to enterprises.
• Worldwide Civility Council: Non-profit organization promoting civility in workplaces, government, and communities through training — ILA's listed partner with adjacent mission around listening as a tool for constructive engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Crucial Learning: Training company offering Crucial Conversations, Crucial Influence, and related communication-skills courses that incorporate listening, dialogue, and feedback — directly overlaps with ILA's domain of effective interpersonal communication training.
• Toastmasters International: Global non-profit membership organization focused on communication and leadership skills, including listening and public speaking, with a club-based structure serving members in 145+ countries — directly comparable mission and membership model to ILA but at vastly larger scale.
• American Management Association (AMA): Long-established U.S. non-profit providing management and leadership training, seminars, and webinars including communication and listening skills — competes for the same corporate training budgets as ILA's organization members.
• Dale Carnegie Training: Established global corporate training company delivering courses on communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills including listening — competes for the same corporate training dollars as ILA's organization members but at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• International Association of Business Communicators (IABC): Global membership association for business communication professionals offering training, certification, and an annual world conference — operates a similar professional-membership-plus-convention model serving overlapping business-communication audiences.
• National Communication Association (NCA): U.S.-based scholarly and professional association advancing communication as an academic discipline — ILA's named strategic partner and the closest peer in terms of academic-journal publishing, scholarly community, and convention programming in communication studies.
• National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD): U.S. network of practitioners bringing people together across divides through dialogue and deliberation — ILA's named partner and a peer association serving the overlapping community-of-practice model for civic dialogue and listening professionals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/intlistening
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-listening-association-ila

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 International Listening Association