What Leaderflow does

LeaderFlow is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a 7-month, in-person leadership development program for mid-career professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Founded in 2021 through a pilot partnership with the Southern California Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (SoCal NOMA), the program is provided at no cost to participants and focuses on advancing professionals from underrepresented backgrounds into AEC leadership roles. The organization is led by Co-Founder and Executive Director Janiece Williams (an architecture industry veteran and original 2021 pilot participant) and Co-Founder John Gavan (Executive Chair of KPFF Consulting Engineers), and operates as a project of Community Partners, a nonprofit fiscal sponsor. Headcount is 1-10 employees and the organization is headquartered in Los Angeles.

The core product is the LeaderFlow Development Program, a cohort-based curriculum that balances 12-15 participants across architecture, engineering, and construction disciplines to facilitate cross-disciplinary networking and leadership skill-building. The curriculum integrates established methodologies including the Trusted Advisor model, CliftonStrengths assessment, Total Leadership, the Crucial Conversations framework, and Marcus Buckingham's Nine Lies About Work, and includes monthly in-person sessions (Fridays, March through November), virtual "Bridge Calls," and seven AIA Learning Units awarded upon completion. Sessions are facilitated by trained "Flowcilitators" — established AEC industry leaders certified in the Flowcilitator Framework, a proprietary inclusive-facilitation methodology co-developed with Rooted Consulting Group. A separate Flowcilitator Orientation and Training Program certifies additional industry leaders, and graduates join the FloWork Alumni Network for ongoing mentorship and community.

The organization operates in five U.S. cities — Houston, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, and New York — with stated plans for continued national expansion. Revenue is generated entirely through corporate sponsorships and individual donations; the program charges no participant fees. Sponsors are tiered from Silver ($5,000/yr) through Gold ($10,000/yr), Platinum ($20,000/yr), National ($30,000/yr), to Foundational ($50,000/yr as a three-year pledge), with more than 30 AEC industry firms listed, including KPFF Consulting Engineers, DPR Construction, ZGF, Hensel Phelps, Mortenson, Gilbane, Turner, HED, Thornton Tomasetti, SGH, Terracon, Marx Okubo, SHoP Architects, CO Architects, Walter P. Moore, McCarthy, and Stok. The organization has graduated more than 150 professionals since 2021 and was recognized with the 2023 AIA Los Angeles Board of Directors Community Contribution Award and the 2023 Houston NOMA Chapter Partner Award.

Name

Leaderflow

Legal name

LeaderFlow, Inc.

Website

https://leaderflow.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LeaderFlow is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides a 7-month, in-person leadership development program at no cost to mid-career architecture, engineering, and construction professionals across five U.S. cities, funded by corporate sponsorships and donations from AEC industry firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Leadership Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Leadership Development (BPACANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leadership Assessment, 360 Feedback & Development Planning (EDABAAAK), Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH)

Keywords

• Leadership development
• Professional training
• AEC industry
• Executive coaching
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships: LeaderFlow operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing the program at no cost to participants. Revenue comes from corporate sponsorships at multiple tiers: Foundational Sponsors ($50,000 3-year pledge), National Sponsors ($30,000 annual), Platinum Sponsors ($20,000 annual), Gold Sponsors ($10,000 annual), and Silver Sponsors ($5,000 annual). The organization also accepts donations through Givebutter.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible contributions from individuals and organizations supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the AEC industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LeaderFlow delivers a 7-month in-person leadership development curriculum for mid-career professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. The program covers personal growth, emotional intelligence, trust-building, communication, financial literacy, and project leadership, and is offered at no cost to participants. Graduates receive 7 AIA Learning Units and join the FloWork Alumni Network.

Product overview

LeaderFlow is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering the LeaderFlow Development Program — a unified, 7-month in-person leadership development curriculum at no cost to mid-career professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. The program is the organization's core product and is supplemented by the Flowcilitator Orientation and Training Program (a certification for industry leaders to become inclusive facilitation trainers), AIA Continuing Education Credits (7 LUs awarded upon completion), and the FloWork Alumni Network (a post-program alumni community). Sessions are facilitated by trained Flowcilitators — seasoned AEC industry leaders who lead program modules covering trust-building, emotional intelligence, crucial conversations, work-life integration, financial literacy, and project leadership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LeaderFlow Development Program A 7-month in-person leadership development curriculum for mid-career AEC professionals, offered at no cost to participants, covering personal growth, emotional intelligence, trust-building, communication, and financial literacy.
• FloWork Alumni Network A post-program alumni network for graduates to reconnect with past cohort members, expand professional networks, mentor future leaders, and continue engaging in ongoing leadership discussions in the AEC industry.
• Flowcilitator Orientation and Training Program A certification program for AEC industry leaders to become certified in the 'Flowcilitator' Framework: A Model For Inclusive Facilitation, developed in partnership with Rooted Consulting Group.
• Flowcilitator Sessions Facilitated program sessions led by professional coaches and AEC industry leaders covering topics including Building Trust/Growth Mindset/Strengths, Total Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Crucial Conversations, Project Leadership, Financial Aspects, and Firm Leadership.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 AEC professionals have been empowered through the program across five cities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner organization. The 2021 pilot program was run in partnership with SoCal NOMA.
• Rooted Consulting GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with LeaderFlow to develop the Flowcilitator Framework: A Model For Inclusive Facilitation used in the training program.
• Cameron MacAllister GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting the mission of building leadership pipelines.
• Houston National Organization of Minority ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouston Chapter of NOMA - Partner Award recipient in 2023 for collaboration in advancing diverse leadership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DDI (Development Dimensions International): DDI is a global leadership development incumbent offering assessments, training, and coaching to enterprises across industries. It overlaps with LeaderFlow on leadership development delivery but lacks LeaderFlow's AEC vertical specialization and DEI cohort focus.
• Dale Carnegie Training: Dale Carnegie is a long-established leadership and professional development training provider with global reach. It represents a broad incumbent that LeaderFlow differentiates against through AEC-specific industry context and cohort-based peer learning.
• FranklinCovey: FranklinCovey is a large incumbent leadership and organizational performance provider whose content frameworks (including the Trusted Advisor model referenced by LeaderFlow) shape much of the corporate training market. LeaderFlow curates and adapts similar methodologies for the AEC vertical.

Direct peers

• Center for Creative Leadership: CCL is a globally recognized leadership development research and education organization offering cohort-based programs, executive coaching, and leadership assessments. Its methodology portfolio and cohort-based delivery model closely mirror LeaderFlow's leadership-development approach, though CCL serves all industries rather than specializing in AEC.
• National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA): NOMA is a direct peer and partner organization that advances minority representation in architecture. LeaderFlow's 2021 pilot launched with SoCal NOMA and its Houston chapter recognized LeaderFlow with a Partner Award, reflecting overlapping DEI-in-AEC missions.
• Rooted Consulting Group: Rooted Consulting Group is a DEI-focused facilitation consultancy that co-developed LeaderFlow's proprietary Flowcilitator Framework. It is a direct strategic partner with overlapping methodology in inclusive facilitation and leadership development.

Emerging players

• Conscious Leadership Group: Conscious Leadership Group is an executive coaching and leadership development firm operating at a smaller scale with similar cohort and experiential learning modalities. It is an emerging player that competes for the same corporate leadership training budgets LeaderFlow's sponsors allocate.

Others

• American Institute of Architects (AIA): AIA is the principal professional body for U.S. architects and the issuer of the Learning Units LeaderFlow awards (7 LUs). AIA is an ecosystem partner and continuing-education framework provider rather than a direct competitor in cohort leadership development.
• Cameron MacAllister Group: Cameron MacAllister Group is listed as a LeaderFlow partner organization supporting the leadership pipeline mission. It is an ecosystem collaborator with overlapping DEI-in-AEC goals rather than a direct competitor.
• KPMG Leadership Development (KPMG's High Growth Markets / Diversity programs): Large professional services firms run internal AEC-adjacent leadership and DEI programs (e.g., KPMG, Deloitte) that compete for similar corporate training budgets and provide an analog for how LeaderFlow might evolve into an enterprise-delivered curriculum at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leaderflow
• Instagraminstagram.com/_leaderflow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Leaderflow