IKIGAI LIFE

What IKIGAI LIFE does

Ikigai Tribe (also referenced as IKIGAI LIFE) is a coaching and certification platform founded in 2019 by Nicholas Kemp in Australia, focused on teaching authentic Japanese ikigai psychology to professional coaches, HR leaders, psychologists/educators, teams, and individual consumers. The company distinguishes itself by explicitly correcting Western misconceptions about ikigai (the Venn diagram, the Okinawa longevity myth, the single-purpose formula) and positioning as the only program endorsed by Japan's leading ikigai authorities, including Prof. Akihiro Hasegawa (Teikyo University) and Prof. Daiki Kato. The underlying technology stack is a conventional content delivery platform: an online LMS with a private members area, the Ikigai Tribe App (iOS/Android), Zoom-delivered live cohorts, a Moai community forum, and a private Senpai chat coaching thread - supplemented by proprietary diagnostic instruments (Ikigai Drivers Diagnostic, Rolefulness Index, Ibasho Workplace Score, Belonging and Meaning Pulse, Kamiya Flower) built on research-grounded Japanese psychological frameworks.

The business operates as a bootstrapped solopreneur venture with one founder-operator and one co-trainer (Olesia Kyrylchuk, Senior Director at EPAM Systems), supported by a distributed network of 35+ certified coaches across 35+ countries offering services in 14+ languages. Revenue is generated through nine streams: the 8-week Coach Certification ($5,495 upfront or $6,000 in three installments), the Find Your Ikigai self-paced course ($197), the 16-hour Beyond Engagement HR program ($900-$1,000 per participant), the Chief Ikigai Officer enterprise certification, Ikigai for Leaders workshops, Ikigai for Teams facilitated sessions, keynote speaking fees, private 1:1 coaching with Kemp, and book royalties across three published titles. Distribution combines self-serve digital channels for consumers, direct enterprise field sales for HR/L&D buyers, and a channel/reseller model through the certified coach network. Marketing is content-led and community-driven, anchored by The Ikigai Podcast (132+ episodes), three published books, and a global referral network of certified practitioners.

Name

IKIGAI LIFE

Legal name

Ikigai Tribe

Website

https://ikigaitribe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ikigai Tribe is a bootstrapped Australian coaching and certification platform, founded in 2019 by Nicholas Kemp, that teaches authentic Japanese ikigai psychology to professional coaches, HR executives, teams, and individuals through certification cohorts, corporate programs, self-paced courses, books, and a 35-country certified coach network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Coaching & Corporate Training Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

DEI, Culture & Employee Engagement Training (BPACANAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education & Training (Teaching/Instructional Design) Certifications (EDAAANAM)

Keywords

• Coaching certification programs
• Corporate leadership workshops
• Ikigai psychology methodology
• Online self-paced courses
• HR and L&D training

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coach Certification Program: Eight-week online certification program for trained and practising coaches, HR professionals, and educators. Delivered via live Zoom cohorts capped at 5 participants. Includes lifetime membership to Ikigai Tribe, private coaching, video course access, coaching resources, and certification badge. Sold at $5,495 upfront or $6,000 in three installments.
2. Find Your Ikigai Self-Paced Course: On-demand video course (25+ videos, downloadable workbooks, members forum) accessible for a one-time fee of $197. The course can serve as a deposit toward the Coach Certification Program.
3. Corporate Training & Workshops: Ikigai for Leaders (keynotes, workshops, corporate training programs), Ikigai for Teams (half-day or full-day facilitated sessions), and custom corporate programs delivered in-person or virtually. Revenue generated through per-engagement corporate contracts.
4. Beyond Engagement HR Program: A 16-hour executive program delivered over 5 live modules plus an integration session. Priced at $1,000 per participant (founding cohort early-bird: $900). Includes session workbook, recordings, and 30-day post-program support. Teams of 3+ receive 15% discount per seat.
5. Chief Ikigai Officer Certification: Enterprise certification program for HR, L&D, and leadership teams. Equips internal Certified Chief Ikigai Officers with proprietary frameworks and tools for internal deployment. Sold as enterprise contracts.
6. Keynote Speaking: Thought leadership keynotes delivered at conferences and corporate events, with topics including 'Ikigai - A Life Worth Living', 'Ibasho - Your Place to Be', and 'Purpose - Beyond the Why'. Revenue generated through speaking fees.
7. Private Coaching with Nick Kemp: One-on-one coaching sessions with founder Nicholas Kemp for individuals seeking personal ikigai guidance. Accessed via a discovery call and booking inquiry process.
8. Book Sales: Revenue from published books: 'A Year of Ikigai' (365-day daily reflection book), 'Ikigai-Kan: Feel a Life Worth Living', and 'Rolefulness'. Sold through Amazon and direct links.
9. Podcast: The Ikigai Podcast (132+ episodes) serves as a top-of-funnel demand generation channel. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher. Generates leads for certification, coaching, and corporate programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ikigai Tribe delivers a curriculum of coaching certification, corporate training, and self-paced education grounded in authentic Japanese ikigai psychology. Its flagship offerings are the 8-week Ikigai Tribe Coach Certification ($5,495) and the Beyond Engagement executive HR program, complemented by the Find Your Ikigai self-paced course ($197), Chief Ikigai Officer enterprise certification, leadership and team workshops, published books, and a podcast with 132+ episodes.

Product overview

Ikigai Tribe (also referred to as IKIGAI LIFE) is a coaching and certification platform offering a comprehensive ecosystem of programs and services centered on authentic Japanese ikigai psychology. The core offerings include the Ikigai Tribe Coach Certification (8-week program for practicing coaches) and the Beyond Engagement: Creating a Meaningful Workplace program (executive HR program). These are supplemented by leadership workshops (Ikigai For Leaders), team workshops (Ikigai For Teams), and the Chief Ikigai Officer enterprise certification. The platform also provides self-paced learning through the Find Your Ikigai video course ($197), The Ikigai Podcast with 130+ episodes, private coaching with founder Nicholas Kemp, and a global network of certified coaches available in 14+ languages. Author Nicholas Kemp has published three books including A Year of Ikigai, Ikigai-Kan, and Rolefulness. The Ikigai Tribe App provides mobile access to all member content. The platform differentiates itself by emphasizing culturally accurate, research-based Japanese ikigai concepts endorsed by Japanese academic experts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ikigai Tribe Coach Certification: Eight-week professional certification program for coaches to integrate culturally informed, research-based understanding of ikigai into coaching practice.
• Beyond Engagement
• Chief Ikigai Officer
• Find Your Ikigai
• Ikigai For Leaders
• Ikigai For Teams

Products and services

• Ikigai Tribe Coach Certification An 8-week professional certification program delivered live via Zoom (cohorts capped at 5) for trained and practicing coaches, HR professionals, and educators to integrate culturally informed, research-based understanding of ikigai into their coaching practice. Endorsed by Prof. Akihiro Hasegawa and Prof. Daiki Kato.
• Beyond Engagement: Creating a Meaningful Workplace A 16-hour executive program for HR professionals, people leaders, and managers to move beyond standard engagement surveys and well-being initiatives by translating Japanese concepts of meaning, belonging, rolefulness, and spaciousness into practical corporate application.
• Chief Ikigai Officer Certification An enterprise certification program for HR, L&D, and leadership teams to become Certified Chief Ikigai Officers equipped with proprietary frameworks and license-ready diagnostics (Rolefulness Index, Ikigai Drivers Assessment, Ibasho Workplace Score, Manager Meaning Conversations, Role Clarity Diagnostic, Belonging + Meaning Pulse Surveys) for internal deployment.
• Ikigai For Leaders Purpose-led leadership workshops and corporate training programs for senior and emerging leaders, available as keynote, one-hour workshop, half-day, full-day, or multi-session engagements focused on inner clarity, mental space, and engagement.
• Ikigai For Teams Half-day or full-day facilitated team workshops for teams of 8-30 people exploring shared values, contribution, and what makes work meaningful; delivered in-person or virtually with pre-work and follow-up resources.
• Find Your Ikigai Course A self-paced on-demand video course of 25+ concise videos with downloadable workbooks covering 6 modules (Understanding Ikigai, The Mother of Ikigai, The Ikigai Advisor Framework, Uncover Your Ikigai, Activate Your Ikigai, and Ikigai-Kan bonus). Priced at $197 one-time with 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Ikigai Keynote Speaking Keynote speeches and conference presentations by Nicholas Kemp on 'Ikigai - A Life Worth Living', 'Ibasho - Your Place to Be', and 'Purpose - Beyond the Why', offered for events, retreats, and corporate audiences.
• Private Coaching with Nick Kemp One-on-one coaching sessions with Nicholas Kemp for individuals feeling stuck, unfulfilled, or seeking more life clarity and purpose; accessed via a discovery call and booking inquiry.
• A Year of Ikigai (Book) A published 365-day daily reflection book by Nicholas Kemp offering practical tips, reflections, and real-life examples for integrating ikigai principles into daily life; sold through Amazon and direct links.
• Ikigai-Kan: Feel a Life Worth Living (Book) A published book by Nicholas Kemp exploring the Japanese concept of ikigai-kan as a felt sense that life is worth living.
• Rolefulness (Book) A published book by Nicholas Kemp and Professor Daiki Kato exploring Rolefulness theory for purposeful living.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cohorts are capped at 5 (coach certification) and 16 (Beyond Engagement program) to maintain quality and enable meaningful conversations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Professor Akihiro Hasegawa (Teikyo University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Akihiro Hasegawa, a leading Japanese researcher on ikigai psychology, co-developed the Ikigai Framework (Hasegawa-Kemp) used in the Ikigai Tribe coaching methodology. His work on the temporal nature of ikigai, life satisfaction, and Dr. Hasegawa's research on the Ikigai Leisure Theory inform the certification program. His endorsement is prominently featured in marketing materials as a mark of authenticity.
• Professor Daiki KatocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Daiki Kato, the leading academic voice on Rolefulness in organisational settings and co-author of 'Rolefulness: A Guide to Purposeful Living', co-developed the Rolefulness framework integrated into Ikigai Tribe's coaching methodology. He is featured as a guest expert webinar contributor and his endorsement is used to validate the program's academic credibility.
• Professor Ken MogimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Ken Mogi, neuroscientist and author of 'The Awakening of the Japanese' and related works on ikigai, contributes to the Ikigai Summit webinar library with his presentations on the 5 pillars of ikigai and the shared wisdom of Stoicism and ikigai. His content is included in the coach certification program resources.
• Professor Gordon Mathews (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Gordon Mathews, author of 'What Makes Life Worth Living?' and a leading anthropologist on ikigai, contributes webinar recordings to the Ikigai Tribe coach certification program. His research on the meaning of life and ikigai is referenced throughout the curriculum.
• Dr. Shintaro Kono (Alberta University)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Shintaro Kono, Assistant Professor and researcher on ikigai, contributes to the Ikigai Tribe content. His Ikigai Leisure Theory and research on the interpersonal dimensions of ikigai (ibasho) are integrated into the coaching frameworks and featured in the webinar library.
• Dr. Yasuhiro Kotera (University of Nottingham)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Yasuhiro Kotera, Associate Professor in Mental Health, contributes to the Ikigai Tribe ecosystem through his evaluation of the Find Your Ikigai course and podcast appearances. His expertise on health benefits of ikigai adds credibility to the wellbeing angle of the methodology.
• Professor Mieko Kamiya (posthumous)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMieko Kamiya (1910-1979), regarded as the 'Mother of Ikigai', is the foundational figure whose pioneering work on ikigai psychology informs the entire Ikigai Tribe methodology. While deceased, her writings and philosophy — largely untranslated from Japanese — are central to the program's authenticity claim. The certification program is inspired by and pays tribute to her work, and the Find Your Ikigai course uses the Kamiya Flower framework depicting her 8 ikigai needs.
• Naoko Mikami (Japanese Calligrapher & Author)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaoko Mikami, Japanese calligrapher, author of 'Wisdom of Shoguns', and host of the Denoising Podcast, serves as a special guest in the Beyond Engagement HR Program. Her calligraphy and writings on mindfulness complement the program's exploration of Japanese psychological concepts.
• Melissa McIvor (GLOBIS University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMelissa McIvor, Chief Editor and head of external communications for the Kokorozashi Faculty Group at GLOBIS Business School in Japan, is a guest speaker in the Beyond Engagement HR Program. She contributes to the Kokorozashi module exploring where individual purpose meets company mission.
• Dr. Dean Fido (University of Derby)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Dean Fido, Associate Professor of Forensic Psychology at the University of Derby, has evaluated and endorsed the Find Your Ikigai course. He contributed to the Ikigai 9 discussion (podcast episode 12) and provides academic credibility through his endorsement of the course's accessibility and research grounding.
• Olesia Kyrylchuk (EPAM Systems)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlesia Kyrylchuk, Head of People for Asia East and Pacific at EPAM Systems with 25+ years of HR experience, co-developed and co-trains the Beyond Engagement HR Program. She also created the Ikigai Coaching Cards, a proprietary reflective coaching tool used within the Ikigai Tribe ecosystem. She is a certified coach and facilitator based in Japan since 2022.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• iPEC Coaching: A long-established coach training and certification organisation offering multi-level certifications for life, executive, and business coaches. Comparable to Ikigai Tribe Coach Certification in business model, certification pricing tier, and target audience of practising coaches seeking specialisation.
• Co-Active Training Institute: One of the most established coach training and certification organisations globally, offering multi-month certification programs for practising coaches. Directly comparable to Ikigai Tribe's Coach Certification in business model, target customer (practising coaches seeking differentiation), and cohort-based live delivery, though without the Japan-specific niche.
• Barrett Values Centre: A culture and values transformation consultancy offering assessments and certifications for organisational culture change, used by HR/L&D teams globally. Comparable to Ikigai Tribe's Chief Ikigai Officer program and Ibasho Workplace Score as both sell culture, meaning, and belonging diagnostic tools to enterprise HR buyers.
• Positive Psychology (PositivePsychology.com): An education platform offering certificate programs, courses, and training for coaches and HR professionals in positive psychology, meaning, and wellbeing topics. Directly comparable to Ikigai Tribe Coach Certification as both sell certification programs to practising coaches integrating research-grounded methodologies, and overlap in the meaning and purpose niche.
• Hector Garcia (Ikigai Author): Hector Garcia is the author of the bestselling book 'Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life' and operates as a content brand around authentic Japanese ikigai. Directly comparable to Ikigai Tribe as both monetize the ikigai concept for English-speaking audiences, though Ikigai Tribe differentiates by rejecting Garcia's Venn diagram framing.

Broad incumbents

• Gallup: A global research and consulting firm best known for the Q12 employee engagement survey and CliftonStrengths, widely used by HR/L&D teams to measure and improve engagement. Comparable to Ikigai Tribe's Beyond Engagement program as both target corporate buyers seeking to address the engagement plateau Ikigai Tribe explicitly references as a pain point.
• BetterUp: The leading enterprise coaching and mental wellness platform serving HR and L&D buyers at large corporations. Comparable to Ikigai Tribe's Beyond Engagement and Ikigai for Leaders programs as both target corporate buyers seeking purpose, engagement, and wellbeing outcomes, though BetterUp operates at vastly larger scale with a broader coaching network.
• Mindvalley: A large-scale online personal development platform offering courses, certifications, and memberships across categories including purpose, mindfulness, and transformation. Comparable to Ikigai Tribe as both sell self-paced personal development courses and certifications at premium price points, but Mindvalley operates at much greater scale across many categories.
• International Coach Federation (ICF): The largest global credentialing body for professional coaches, offering credential pathways rather than content certifications. Comparable to Ikigai Tribe Coach Certification as both serve practising coaches seeking differentiation and credibility, though ICF is the standards body while Ikigai Tribe is a niche methodology provider.

Emerging players

• VIA Institute on Character: A nonprofit organisation offering the VIA Character strengths assessment and certification programs for strengths-based coaching and HR applications. Comparable to Ikigai Tribe as both provide research-validated diagnostic instruments and training certifications for HR/L&D buyers, though VIA focuses on character strengths rather than meaning and ikigai specifically.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IkigaiTribe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ikigai-tribe

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 IKIGAI LIFE