Ceresa

Ceresa is an Austin, Texas-based leadership development and mentoring platform sold primarily to employers, which then provide access to their employees. The product combines self-reflection exercises, a 360-degree feedback process, vision and goal-setting work, structured curriculum, data-driven mentor matching, live mentoring sessions, on-demand mentoring video content, and peer learning programs, organized as a personalized career development journey. Early versions centered on a nine-month program that included assessment exercises, roughly six months of mentorship, and closing executive coaching and goal setting. The company also offers a premium group coaching service and an accelerator with one-to-one mentoring.

The platform is designed to build self-awareness, goal-setting and relationship-building skills as a foundation for higher-level leadership capabilities such as communication, giving feedback and managing up. It was built with women and racially diverse professionals in mind and positions itself as a tool for companies pursuing longer-term diversity in leadership by developing existing talent rather than only hiring for diversity, though it is open to all employees. The program has been delivered virtually since launch, which the company says widens the mentor pool and allows mentors and mentees to be matched anywhere in the world. A more scalable version of the platform launched in 2021.

Founding story

Anna Robinson launched Ceresa in 2018 after more than a decade at McKinsey & Company. A health scare that temporarily left her unable to move, talk or understand speech, and whose cause was never diagnosed, prompted her to pursue work she considered most important: the lack of diversity and representation in management. She has cited data showing little change in the representation of women over four decades and her three daughters as motivations. Nicole Tanzillo met Robinson through mutual friends and initially considered serving as a mentor before co-founding the company, bringing a product technology background. The name derives from Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, fertility and motherly relationships.

Business model

Ceresa sells access to its leadership development platform to employers, chiefly midsize to enterprise companies, which make it available to their employees; individuals can also purchase access directly. Additional offerings include premium group coaching and a one-to-one mentoring accelerator.

Subscription/program-based sales to companies, which represent the largest portion of the business (pricing undisclosed), plus direct-to-individual pricing reported at $175 per month for nine months or $1,470 paid upfront.

Traction

Reported more than $1 million in annual recurring revenue as of the Q3 2022 Built In Austin feature, with clients including Nordstrom, Walmart and Blackstone. The team had scaled to 11 people as of August 2020.

Latest developments

Following an August 2022 seed round of $3 million, the company reported more than $1 million in annual recurring revenue and named Nordstrom, Walmart and Blackstone among its clients. Robinson said the next area of focus was deepening shared learning journeys so participants progress alongside a supervisor, peer or other colleague within their company.