Ninth House Network

Ninth House Network, established in 1998, carved a niche for itself in the educational software and corporate training sector by providing organizational learning solutions geared towards behavioral change. The company was co-founded by Jeff Snipes, who also served as its CEO for over a decade. Snipes, with degrees in philosophy and business, brought a focus on leadership development that shaped the firm's trajectory and offerings. His journey post-Ninth House saw him founding Millennium.org, an organization dedicated to well-being in education, reflecting his long-standing interest in developmental methodologies.

The firm's business model centered on creating and delivering e-learning systems designed to enhance employee skills in business and communication. It served a corporate client base, offering a suite of services that included consulting, learning solution design, technology integration, and implementation. Revenue was generated through the sale of these services and its courses, which were available online or in instructor-led classroom settings. The company's product was a sophisticated broadband e-learning environment. This platform utilized a combination of narrative storytelling, virtual mentors, and interactive role-playing scenarios to allow employees to practice and refine their business skills. Notably, Ninth House collaborated with prominent business thinkers such as Ken Blanchard and Peter Senge to develop its curriculum.

The company demonstrated significant early-stage momentum, securing a substantial $40 million in a second round of venture capital financing by January 2000. Over its lifetime, it raised a total of $50.5M from investors including Arena Capital Partners and J.P. Morgan. The company's journey culminated in a series of corporate evolutions. It merged with Personnel Decisions International (PDI) to become PDI Ninth House, a global leadership services provider. This entity continued to innovate, launching assessment-driven leadership development models that blended simulation-based assessments with both live and online components. Ultimately, PDI Ninth House was acquired by Korn Ferry on January 22, 2013, integrating its talent management offerings and intellectual property into the larger organization.

Keywords: corporate training, e-learning solutions, leadership development, organizational learning, behavioral change, educational software, Jeff Snipes, PDI Ninth House, Korn Ferry acquisition, virtual mentors, employee skills training, corporate education, online learning platforms, business communication skills, talent management solutions, venture capital financing, learning solution design, technology integration, simulation-based assessment, professional development curriculum