Circl

Circl operates as a leadership development company with a core focus on social impact, founded by Charlie Stainforth and Adrian Blair in late 2018. The firm's business model is built upon providing coaching skills training to professionals, who then apply and refine these skills by coaching young adults aged 16 to 18 from less privileged backgrounds. This dual-purpose approach serves corporate clients by developing their employees' leadership and management capabilities while simultaneously offering social mobility and skill-building opportunities to the youth participants.

The concept for Circl originated from the founders' distinct yet complementary experiences. Charlie Stainforth began his career working with disengaged young adults in a London Pupil Referral Unit and later, at career coaching organization Future Frontiers, saw the mutual benefits of connecting professionals with youth. Adrian Blair, during his 20 years in leadership roles at high-growth technology companies like Just Eat, Spotify, and Google, recognized a persistent need for practical leadership development and a sense of purpose among professionals. Their collaboration merged these insights into a single program where both business professionals and 'Future Leaders' learn coaching skills together as equals. The program is designed to be practical, moving beyond theoretical training to provide real-world coaching experience.

Circl's primary offering is the Circl Leadership Programme, which is accredited by the Association for Coaching. Professionals from client companies and young adults, referred to as 'Future Leaders', participate in workshops and are then matched for one-on-one coaching sessions. This reciprocal relationship allows employees to practice coaching in a diverse context, thereby enhancing their ability to lead varied teams, while the young adults receive valuable coaching and a formal qualification. Revenue is generated by charging businesses for their employees' participation in these leadership development courses. The company serves a range of high-profile corporate clients, including Google, Facebook (Meta), McKinsey, PepsiCo, and Innocent.

Keywords: leadership development, coaching skills, social impact, corporate training, youth empowerment, professional development, diversity and inclusion, management training, employee engagement, soft skills training, social mobility, experiential learning, corporate social responsibility, future leaders, executive coaching, talent development, peer coaching, underserved youth, inclusive leadership, skills-based training