Flipskills Consulting

What Flipskills Consulting does

Flipskills Consulting, operating commercially as FliP University (FliP U), is a Canadian private training and consulting firm founded by co-founders Marc Hurwitz and Samantha Hurwitz. The firm specializes in integrating followership into leadership development through its award-winning signature product, the Leadership/Followership System Program, supported by a portfolio of 15+ self-paced e-courses on campus.flip.university covering leadership, followership, emotional intelligence, neuroscience applications, collaboration, inclusive culture, decision-making, and professional skills. Deliveries are also offered as in-person or virtual workshops, keynotes, and multi-day sessions, anchored by the proprietary Generative Partnership framework and a bestselling book, 'Leadership Is Half The Story,' published by University of Toronto Press.

The underlying technology is a web-based e-learning platform (Squarespace-hosted campus.flip.university) for course delivery, layered on top of which is the firm's primary intellectual property — the integrated Leadership/Followership methodology that treats followership as equal and complementary to leadership. Content delivery is augmented by a small, named adjunct faculty of practitioners (BK Chan, Tim Hurson, Tzabia Siegel, Sharna Fabiano) and an internal art team (Kym Burchell, Monica Baran).

The business model blends four revenue streams: quote-based enterprise training engagements with sliding-scale pricing, self-serve e-course sales on the campus platform, paid conference keynote and workshop engagements, and book sales through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BookShop.org, and University of Toronto Press. Go-to-market is multi-channel — direct enterprise field sales for organizational programs, product-led growth through self-paced e-courses, event-driven keynote acquisition, and e-commerce for the book — serving a heterogeneous customer base that includes large corporations (Microsoft, ADP, Tim Hortons, Apotex, ReMax), governments (Canadian Food Inspection Agency, U.S. Treasury Executive Institute, U.S. Department of Defence), universities (University of Toronto, University of Florida, Christopher Newport University, Rotman), healthcare providers, and a broad roster of professional associations and nonprofits across Canada, the U.S., Australia, Iceland, South Africa, Chile, and the Cayman Islands.

Name

Flipskills Consulting

Legal name

Flip University

Website

https://flip.university

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Flipskills Consulting (FliP University) is a Canadian founder-led firm delivering the Leadership/Followership System Program, 15+ e-courses, workshops, and keynotes to enterprises, governments, universities, and nonprofits globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Training and Leadership Development

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy, Decision-Making & Business Acumen Coaching (EDABANAH)

Keywords

• Leadership training services
• Followership development programs
• Organizational development consulting
• Professional e-learning courses
• Executive education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Kitchener

HQ country

Canada

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 Development Programs: The Leadership/Followership System program delivered as in-person or virtual team training engagements for organizations. Pricing is quote-based with a sliding scale model to accommodate various budgets.
2. E-courses / Online Learning: Self-paced online courses available through their campus platform covering leadership, followership, emotional intelligence, neuroscience applications, collaboration, and professional skills.
3. Keynotes and Workshops: Paid speaking engagements at conferences, retreats, and corporate events ranging from 55-minute keynotes to multi-day workshops.
4. Book Sales: Sales of the bestselling book 'Leadership Is Half The Story' published by University of Toronto Press, available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BookShop, and bulk purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Flipskills Consulting delivers the award-winning Leadership/Followership System Program, a structured organizational development curriculum that integrates followership with leadership training to build collaborative, partner-centric cultures. Offerings include custom enterprise training engagements (in-person and virtual for groups of 14 to 1,400+ participants), 15 self-paced e-courses on topics ranging from emotional intelligence to neuroscience, a catalog of interactive sessions and workshops, and the bestselling book 'Leadership Is Half The Story'. The methodology centers on a shared language (the Generative Partnership framework) and is sold via quote-based enterprise engagements plus a self-serve online campus.

Product overview

FliP University (Flipskills Consulting) offers a comprehensive leadership and followership development ecosystem comprising the award-winning Leadership/Followership System Program as the core product, supported by 15 scalable e-courses covering topics from followership and emotional intelligence to neuroscience applications and inclusive culture. The portfolio also includes interactive sessions and workshops (keynotes to multi-day formats) such as Lego Serious Play, neuroscience workshops, and creativity programs, plus the foundational book 'Leadership Is Half The Story'. The e-courses form the scalable backbone of the Leadership/Followership System, making the program affordable and easy to roll out across organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Global Followership Network: A network founded by the co-founders of FliP University dedicated to followership research and community.

Products and services

• The Leadership/Followership System Program Award-winning signature organizational development program that integrates leadership and followership as one system to build partner-centric cultures with shared accountability; delivered as in-person or virtual team training engagements for groups ranging from small teams to 1,400+ participants.
• Followership: The F-word that Complements Leadership The world's first e-course on followership, teaching followership skills as equally important as leadership skills for careers and organizations; sold as a standalone self-paced course on the FliP U campus.
• Be a Leader People WANT to Follow E-course teaching leadership skills that make people want to follow voluntarily, focusing on partner-centric approaches; sold as a standalone self-paced course.
• Emotional Intelligence: Make Deeper Connections E-course on emotional intelligence with accessible style and easy sense of humour, integrating curriculum content into stories and theory into practice; co-created with BK Chan.
• Collaboration: How to ROCK IT like The Beatles E-course teaching collaboration skills using The Beatles as a model for effective teamwork and partnership; sold as a standalone self-paced course.
• Power Up Your PowerPoints with Neuroscience E-course teaching brain-based hacks for creating presentations that hit the mark and avoid 'Death by PowerPoint'; sold as a standalone self-paced course.
• The FliPsides of Collaborative Decision Making E-course on balancing the best of Kirk with the best of Spock in collaborative decision-making processes; sold as a standalone self-paced course.
• The Accidental Salesperson: Sales Skills for People Who Hate Selling E-course based on Tim Hurson's book 'Never Be Closing', teaching sales skills for professionals who are not traditional salespeople; sold as a standalone self-paced course.
• Creating an Inclusive Culture & Positive Workspace E-course on creating inclusive culture and positive workspace environments; co-created with BK Chan and sold as a standalone self-paced course.
• Connect! Build Relationships Swiftly & Authentically E-course on building relationships swiftly and authentically, translated from improvisational movement training into relational techniques; sold as a standalone self-paced course.
• Neuroscience at Work: Work Smarter, Not Harder E-course on practical, science-backed neuroscience techniques for boosting focus, creativity, energy, and everyday effectiveness; sold as a standalone self-paced course.
• Make Question-asking Your Superpower E-course teaching the skill of asking better questions to help professionals learn to make decisions better together; sold as a standalone self-paced course.
• Creating a Healthy Feedback Loop E-course teaching practical skills for delivering clearer, kinder, more effective feedback and receiving feedback skillfully; sold as a standalone self-paced course.
• Embracing a Healthy Management Style E-course focused on healthy management styles and self-followership principles; sold as a standalone self-paced course.
• Higher Performance & Wellbeing Through Food E-course on food coaching for higher performance and wellbeing, integrating nutrition science with practical advice for professional environments; sold as a standalone self-paced course.
• Leadership Is Half the Story Session 55 to 90 minute interactive session for groups of 14 to 1,400+ participants covering followership research and why partner-centric approaches outperform leader-centric models; delivered as an in-person or virtual session.
• Your Personal Operating Manual Workshop 55-75 minute workshop (80% experiential) where participants build their own Personal Operating Manual and learn about colleague needs; delivered as an in-person or virtual session.
• Giving & Receiving Feedback Session 55 to 90 minute practical skills session on delivering feedback using a framework rooted in positive psychology and receiving feedback skillfully; delivered as an in-person or virtual session.
• Lego Serious Play Workshop 2-hour to full-day hands-on workshop using Lego Serious Play methodology with certified facilitators for uncovering leadership potential and strengthening collaboration.
• Power Up Your Presentations with Neuroscience (Keynote/Workshop) 55-minute keynotes to full-day workshops teaching how the brain pays attention and processes information for brain-optimized presentations; delivered as in-person or virtual engagements.
• The Neuroscience of Performance Workshop Workshop for boosting focus, creativity, energy, and everyday effectiveness with practical, science-backed neuroscience techniques; delivered as in-person or virtual engagements.
• The Neuroscience of Influence Workshop Workshop on overcoming resistance and communicating in ways that get ideas understood, accepted, and championed; delivered as in-person or virtual engagements.
• The Neuroscience of Decision Making Workshop Workshop on how the brain evaluates options and how to make faster, wiser decisions; delivered as in-person or virtual engagements.
• The Neuroscience of Creative Problem Solving Workshop Brain-based hacks workshop for generating more original ideas and unlocking innovative thinking in teams; delivered as in-person or virtual engagements.
• The Neuroscience of Change Workshop Workshop on making important changes stick by working with the brain, not against it; delivered as in-person or virtual engagements.
• FourSight Thinking Profile Workshop Workshop for discovering creative problem-solving strengths and collaborating more effectively, available on-site or remotely; uses the FourSight Thinking Profile assessment.
• Better Questions, Better Ideas Workshop Workshop teaching how to ask deeper, broader questions and generate more original, inclusive, high-quality ideas; delivered as in-person or virtual engagements.
• Optimize & Implement Solutions Workshop Workshop for elevating promising ideas, making them more feasible and impactful, and leading implementation with clarity; delivered as in-person or virtual engagements.
• Leadership Is Half The Story (Book) Bestselling book by Marc and Samantha Hurwitz introducing the first model to seamlessly integrate leadership, followership, and partnerships; published by University of Toronto Press and available at major retailers and via bulk purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• Employee net promoter score improved from 13 to 41 after training 200+ staff members
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global Followership NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Marc and Samantha Hurwitz alongside FliP University, the Global Followership Network advances the field of followership research and practice globally.
• Association for Talent DevelopmentminorOthersProfessional association in the talent development space listed as a client/partner organization
• Canadian Association of Career Educators & EmployersminorOthersProfessional association listed as a client/partner organization
• Human Resources Professionals AssociationminorOthersHR professional association listed as a client/partner organization
• International Leadership AssociationminorOthersGlobal leadership association listed as a client/partner organization
• Project Management InstituteminorOthersProfessional association listed as a client/partner organization
• Society of Human Resources ManagementminorOthersProfessional HR association listed as a client/partner organization
• Chartered Professional Accountants Canada (and provincial bodies)minorOthersCPA Canada and provincial bodies (CPA Alberta, CPA Ontario, CPA BC, etc.) listed as client/partner organizations
• Canadian Society of Training and DevelopmentminorOthersProfessional training association listed as a client/partner organization
• Institute for Performance and LearningminorOthersProfessional performance and learning association listed as a client/partner organization
• LiftOff By CCAWRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Entrepreneurship Program for which FliP U delivered training. Testimonial quote indicates profound impact on program participants.
• University of Toronto PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher of 'Leadership Is Half The Story' by Marc and Samantha Hurwitz
• Christopher Newport UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner using FliP U's generative partnership framework in student leadership programs. Featured testimonial from Professor Lori Throupe and Director Lacey Grey H. Hunter.
• Rotman School of BusinessminorOthersExecutive alumni and leadership speaker series partnerships
• Conference Board of CanadaminorOthersListed as a government client/partner organization

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Research-driven leadership development provider offering assessments, programs, and coaching to enterprises and governments. Comparable to FliP in leadership development focus and B2B/government client mix, with substantially larger scale and research footprint.
• Dale Carnegie & Associates: Established leadership, communication, and professional development training organization with a global franchise network. Comparable to FliP in delivering leadership and interpersonal skills training to organizations, but with broader brand recognition and deeper distribution.
• DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership and talent management company specializing in leadership development, selection, and succession. Comparable to FliP in serving enterprise leadership development needs, with a much larger assessment and analytics platform.
• Korn Ferry (Leadership & Talent Consulting): Global organizational consulting firm offering leadership development, executive coaching, and talent strategy alongside executive search. Comparable to FliP in leadership and organizational development work for large enterprises, with a vastly broader service portfolio.
• The Ken Blanchard Companies: Leadership training and management education company built around foundational thought leadership (e.g., The One Minute Manager). Comparable to FliP in offering research-anchored leadership programs and leveraging authored IP, with broader licensing and global partner network.
• FranklinCovey: Global leadership and organizational performance training company with an enterprise sales force and broad curriculum. Overlaps heavily with FliP's leadership development and culture-change offerings but operates at much larger scale across many topics.

Emerging players

• BetterUp: Tech-enabled coaching and leadership development platform combining AI, behavioral science, and a coach marketplace for enterprises. Comparable to FliP in leadership and professional development for organizations, but with a venture-backed platform model and broader scale.

Direct peers

• Wilson Learning: Global provider of sales, leadership, and interpersonal skills training with customized programs and assessments. Comparable to FliP in delivering blended learning (live plus digital) to enterprise and government clients worldwide.
• Marshall Goldsmith: Executive coach and author offering leadership coaching, workshops, and stakeholder-based development programs. Comparable to FliP in leader-centric executive coaching and authored thought leadership, with similar founder-driven brand and keynotes.
• Crucial Learning: Provider of leadership, communication, and performance training courses (formerly VitalSmarts and Vital Learning). Direct peer to FliP in offering skill-based leadership and interpersonal training programs with both live and digital delivery to organizations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flipuniversity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Flipskills Consulting