Academy For Eating Disorders

What Academy For Eating Disorders does

The Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership association founded on September 11, 1993 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Craig Johnson, PhD. It serves clinicians, researchers, academics, students, and individuals with lived experience in the eating disorders field, growing from 33 founding members to over 1,500 professionals across at least 48 countries by 2014-2015, with peak membership of 1,880 recorded in 2018-2019. AED's mission is to advance eating-disorder prevention, education, treatment, and research.

AED's product surface is organized around a Higher Logic digital community platform (aedweb.org and portal.aedweb.org) hosting a member directory, discussion forums, Special Interest Groups (SIGs), committees, training program enrollment, and event registration. Core products include the annual International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED), the fee-based Training and Certificate Program (including the Maudsley Model of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults, or MANTRA), a Webinar Library for continuing education, an Expert Directory for clinician referrals, an online Job Board, the AED Newsletter (eForum), and a publications/standards library. AED maintains an official journal partnership with the International Journal of Eating Disorders (since 1997) and a network of 32+ Partner, Chapter, and Affiliate organizations.

Revenue is generated across five streams: recurring membership dues (tiered by World Bank country income zones and member type), one-time training and certificate fees (MANTRA priced $40-$499 per seat), conference registration, donations through the AED General Fund, and advertising/job-posting fees. Go-to-market combines self-service online enrollment with event-driven acquisition via ICED and a multi-channel presence spanning website, social media, email newsletter, webinars, and partner organizations. AED is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with elected annual presidents; current leadership is President Jerel Calzo, supported by a hired Executive Director and committee/task-force infrastructure.

Name

Academy For Eating Disorders

Legal name

Academy for Eating Disorders

Website

https://aedweb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Academy for Eating Disorders is a U.S.-based nonprofit professional membership association serving over 1,500 eating-disorders clinicians, researchers, and lived-experience members across 48 countries through an annual conference, training programs, an online community, publications, and advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wakefield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from over 1,500 professionals. Fees are tiered based on World Bank country income categories (Zone 1 High Income, Zone 2 Middle Income, Zone 3 Low Income) to enable global access.
2. Training and Certificate Programs: Fee-based training workshops such as the MANTRA course, with pricing ranging from $40-$499 depending on World Bank zone and membership status. Includes CME/CE credentials.
3. Conference Registration: Annual ICED conference registration fees. ICED 2014 exceeded 1,350 attendees; ICED 2018-2019 had highest attendance of 1,439.
4. Donations: General fund donations accepted through the website to support AED's mission of advancing eating disorder prevention, education, treatment, and research.
5. Advertising and Job Postings: The organization accepts advertising for research studies, treatment centers, job postings, and conference announcements on its website and online community. Research study recruitment is free for AED members and non-profit organizations, $75 for non-members and for-profit entities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Academy for Eating Disorders is a nonprofit global professional membership association that delivers paid membership, training and certificate programs (such as MANTRA), the annual International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED), a webinar library, a member-only online community with SIGs and committees, an expert directory, professional publications, and a job board to clinicians, researchers, students, and lived-experience experts in the eating-disorder field. Its core commercial outputs are membership subscriptions, fee-based educational events, conference registration, advertising, and donations that fund its prevention, education, treatment, and research mission.

Product overview

The Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) offers a unified platform of professional resources centered around its Training and Certificate Program and the annual International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED). The organization's digital ecosystem includes a Webinar Library for continuing education, an Online Community for member collaboration, an Expert Directory for referrals, and publications including the AED Newsletter. Additional offerings include a Job Board for career opportunities and access to research and training opportunity communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AED Professional Membership Annual professional membership program for eating-disorder clinicians and researchers across categories (Regular, Student, Post-Bac, New Professional, Introductory, Experts by Experience) with tiered fees by World Bank country income zone, providing access to the AED Online Community, expert directory, journal partnership benefits, and member pricing on training and ICED registration.
• AED Training and Certificate Program (MANTRA and additional courses) Fee-based professional training and certification workshops (e.g., MANTRA) with continuing education credits, delivered online and live to eating-disorder professionals, with tiered pricing by World Bank zone and membership status (e.g., $40–$499 per enrollment).
• International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED) Annual (now also virtual) scientific conference spanning eating-disorder research and education from basic science to emerging research, serving as AED's flagship engagement event for global clinicians and researchers, with simultaneous translations and mini satellite events.
• AED Webinar Library On-demand and live webinar catalog providing continuing-education content on eating-disorder treatment, research, and prevention to supplement the annual ICED conference (e.g., 10 webinars delivered in 2016).
• AED Online Community Private, members-only online community (Higher Logic platform) hosting discussion forums, Special Interest Groups, committees, task forces, and research and training opportunity marketplaces for AED members.
• AED Expert Directory
• AED Expert Directory Public, searchable directory enabling referrals to AED member clinicians by name, location, discipline, modalities practiced, comorbidities treated, languages, and payment options.
• AED Newsletter (eForum) Recurring email newsletter (eForum) and archive providing updates on eating-disorders research, organizational news, events, and resources to AED members and broader subscribers.
• AED Job Board Career center publishing employment opportunities in the eating-disorder field, available to AED members and the wider professional community.
• AED Publications Library Resource library of position papers, guidelines, standards (e.g., AED Residential and Inpatient Treatment standards), Medical Pearls, and educational materials including the 'Critical Points' brochure (44,000+ copies distributed) and 'Nine Truths about Eating Disorders'.
• Research Study and Job Advertising on AED Platforms Advertising service on the AED website and online community for research-study recruitment, treatment-center listings, and job postings; free for AED members and non-profits and $75 for non-members and for-profit entities, with six-month posting duration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Highest membership of 1,880 achieved in 2018-2019
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAED redefined its relationship with NEDA and other U.S.-based eating disorders organizations during 2000-2001 under President James Mitchell. Organizations eventually coalesced into NEDA and the Eating Disorders Research Society (EDRS). Ongoing collaboration includes advocacy and awareness activities.
• International Journal of Eating DisorderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial journal of AED since 1997 under President Joel Yager. AED also established CE credentialing for the journal. The journal's New Editor-in-Chief took the helm during 2012-2013.
• NIH/NIMH and PAHOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAED maintains strategic alliances with NIHM (National Institute of Mental Health) and PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) along with other national and international organizations, as noted during Eva Trujillo's presidency 2016-2017.
• Sister OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAED welcomes sister organizations (now numbering 32+ Partners, Chapters and Affiliates during 2016-2017). First meeting of AED's Sister Organizations and Chapters was hosted in 2009-2010 under President Susan Paxton. Includes Partner Organizations, Affiliate Organizations, and Chapters including the European Chapter formed in 2017-2018.
• Fashion Industry (EDC collaboration)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuring 2006-2007 under President Eric van Furth, AED collaborated with NEDA and the Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC) to improve the health of models in the fashion industry. Guidelines for the Fashion Industry were launched in six languages.
• Deloitte Access EconomicsminorOthersDuring 2019-2020 under President S. Bryn Austin, AED secured funding for and directed work of Deloitte Access Economics to generate the most comprehensive study yet produced of the social and economic impact of eating disorders in the United States.
• NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence)minorOthersNICE recommended MANTRA as a first line treatment for adults with anorexia nervosa in 2017. AED offers training programs on MANTRA through its Training and Certificate Program.
• Coalition for the Advancement and Application of Psychological Science (CAAPS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAED joined CAAPS during 2018-2019 under President Kyle De Young, connecting AED with broader psychological science advancement initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/aedweb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJdjVELGnfTYYCX5bCZ920A
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Academy-for-Eating-Disorders/56454591652
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/academy-for-eating-disorders

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Academy For Eating Disorders