# Abilitie > Abilitie is a leadership development company founded in Austin, Texas in 2015. It builds team-based business simulations and AI-powered practice programs that teach managing numbers and leading people to rising leaders, experienced leaders and executives. More than 950 organisations in 50+ countries and 100,000+ learners have used its programs, and it created The 12-Week MBA with TED and St. Edward’s University. Programs are delivered live by Abilitie faculty, virtually or in person, and pair a competitive team simulation with short AI-driven cases and conversations. Abilitie has offices in Austin, London, Dubai and Singapore. Its program for individual professionals, The 12-Week MBA, has its own site at https://12weekmba.com. Every page on this site can be fetched as Markdown by sending the request header `Accept: text/markdown`. The full list of pages is in the sitemap; agent skills and an API catalog are published under `/.well-known/`. ## Simulation programs - [Management Challenge](https://abilitie.com/management-challenge): Team simulation for new and rising managers: practice coaching, communication and leading others with AI-powered team members. - [Enterprise Challenge](https://abilitie.com/enterprise-challenge): Cross-functional team simulation for experienced leaders: set strategic direction in a dynamic marketplace and see how decisions affect company performance. - [Business Challenge](https://abilitie.com/business-challenge): Facilitated team simulation that builds financial fluency, business acumen and strategic confidence through real-world decisions. - [Director Challenge](https://abilitie.com/director-challenge): Simulation for experienced leaders on developing the leadership of others and aligning functions on strategic priorities. - [Income Challenge](https://abilitie.com/income-challenge): Simulation on the foundations of income and profitability for new and rising business leaders. - [Influence Challenge](https://abilitie.com/influence-challenge): Cooperative simulation on influence, trust-building and aligning stakeholders without formal authority. - [Case Challenges](https://abilitie.com/case-challenges): Two-hour facilitator-led, AI-backed narrative sessions that target one leadership capability at a time. - [AI Cases](https://abilitie.com/ai-cases): Self-paced AI-powered scenarios for practicing leadership decisions and critical conversations. - [Executive Summit](https://abilitie.com/executive-summit): Peer-driven simulation experience for executives on enterprise thinking and high-stakes decision-making. - [Finance Summit](https://abilitie.com/finance-summit): Simulation-based experience for executive leaders on financial judgment, risk, investment and trade-offs. - [Rising Leader Program](https://abilitie.com/rising-leader-program): Multi-session program for new and rising leaders on managing numbers and leading people, built around simulations. - [Experienced Leader Program](https://abilitie.com/experienced-leader-program): Program for experienced leaders on navigating complexity, making high-stakes decisions and translating strategy into results. - [The 12-Week MBA](https://abilitie.com/12wmba): Online, cohort-based mini-MBA for working professionals created by Abilitie and TED, with a certificate validated by St. Edward’s University. ## Programs by audience - [Rising leaders](https://abilitie.com/rising-leaders): Programs for first-time and early-career managers. - [Experienced leaders](https://abilitie.com/experienced-leaders): Programs for leaders of leaders who make decisions under pressure. - [Executives](https://abilitie.com/executives): Peer-based programs for senior and C-level leaders. ## Capabilities and approach - [Business acumen](https://abilitie.com/business-acumen): Why leaders need business acumen and which programs build it. - [Team management](https://abilitie.com/team-management): Programs that develop effective team managers. - [Cross-functional decision making](https://abilitie.com/cross-functional-decision-making): Programs that help leaders align, prioritise and decide across functions. - [Story-led learning](https://abilitie.com/story-led-learning): How narrative-driven simulations prepare teams for difficult leadership moments. - [What sets us apart](https://abilitie.com/what-sets-us-apart): The method: team simulations, AI-driven cases, expert faculty, peer networks, and the security and AI-ethics stance behind them. ## Company - [Our story](https://abilitie.com/our-story): Founded in Austin, Texas in 2015 by Bjorn Billhardt; leadership team and global offices; 950+ client organisations in 50+ countries. - [Our programs](https://abilitie.com/our-programs): Overview of every simulation-based program. - [Customer stories](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories): Case studies from client organisations. - [Press and awards](https://abilitie.com/news-room): Industry awards (Brandon Hall Group, Training Industry Top 20) and press coverage. - [Careers](https://abilitie.com/careers): Open roles at Abilitie. - [Contact](https://abilitie.com/contact): Sales and general enquiries; office address in Austin, Texas. ## Customer stories - [From Theory to Action: Darden's Innovative Use of AI in Leadership Education](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/from-theory-to-action-darden-s-innovative-use-of-ai-in-leadership-education): The UVA Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning team partnered with Abilitie to integrate AI Cases into its programs, providing learners with a realistic practice environment to strengthen critical leadership… - [Empowering Through Leadership: How CGT Catapult Built Confident Managers with AI](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/catapult-case-study): Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult partnered with Abilitie to deliver immersive leadership development through its AI Cases and competitive simulation programs, helping first-line and matrix managers build confidence and… - [How ADM’s AI-enhanced Leadership Training Grew Team Productivity 76%](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/adm-case-study): By partnering with Abilitie to redesign its leadership development program, ADM achieved a remarkable 76% increase in team productivity, alongside overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants. - [Empowering Goodwin Attorneys: Influence Challenge Elevates Negotiation Skills](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/goodwin-case-study-2): Goodwin Procter LLP, ranked among the top 20 law firms globally, enhanced its mid-level negotiations workshop by incorporating Abilitie’s Influence Challenge. - [Transformation in Tech: How WP Engine Elevated 200+ Managers and Increased Engagement 21%](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/wp-engine-case-study): Discover how WP Engine transformed its leadership pipeline from technically skilled managers to confident and capable leaders through immersive business simulations. - [52% of Baker Tilly Leaders Earn Promotions After Simulation-Based Leadership Training](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/baker-tilly-case-study): Baker Tilly created a robust leadership pipeline by training employees on business acumen and leadership skills. - [How VMware Upskilled its Leaders for 36% Revenue Growth](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/case-study-vmware): With Abilitie’s help, there has been an estimated $115M in avoided costs by retaining VMware’s senior leaders. - [Enhanced People Management Skills Lead to Improved Employee Engagement at Pep Boys](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/pep-boys-case-study): After internal analysis, the L&D team at Pep Boys realized that to drive outstanding employee engagement outcomes across their organization, their managers needed people skills—communication, delegation, and… - [Building Business Impact Throughout the Organization at Holcim](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/building-business-impact-holcim-case-study): Holcim looks back on integrating Abilitie’s Business Challenge into their Early Career Leadership Program (ECLP) with the goal of growing Holcim’s executive pipeline. - [Managers’ Leadership Experience Boosts Engagement Scores by 6 Points at AMD](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/amd-case-study): AMD reflects on the integration of the Managers’ Leadership Experience (MLE) Program and Abilitie’s Enterprise Challenge to meet their leadership development needs for their mid to senior level leaders. - [Nokia’s Adaptable Leader Program Yields €12m Financial Benefit and Boosts Leadership Productivity and Team Motivation](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/nokia-case-study): Nokia reflects on using the Adaptable Leader Program and its success with return on investment for their needs. - [GE's HR Leadership Program Honored for 'Best Use of Games and Simulation for Learning'](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/ge-case-study): GE integrated Abilitie’s Business Challenge simulation to bring their Human Resources Leadership Program (HRLP) to the virtual world. - [Western Digital's Leadership Program Unites Executives from Three Merged Companies](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/western-digital-case-study): Western Digital reflects on how Abilitie’s Executive Summit provided the corporate leadership courses needed to cohesively assimilate executives from three formerly competing companies together in the face of their… - [Goodwin Leverages Business Challenge to Enhance Associates’ Financial Literacy](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/goodwin-case-study): Goodwin integrated Abilitie’s Business Challenge simulation and Fluent in Finance program to develop financial acumen in their newly hired associates. - [Managers Applaud Realism of Liberty Mutual's Training Simulation](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/liberty-mutual-case-study): Liberty Mutual’s strategic aspirations required a continuous improvement mindset and a relentless customer focus. Managers needed to model these behaviors and manage their people in alignment with them. - [High-Potential Leaders at Southwest Airlines Gain Financial Acumen Through Leadership Development Program](https://abilitie.com/customer-stories/southwest-airlines-case-study): Southwest Airlines integrated Abilitie’s Finance Summit into its MIT II: Developing Legendary Leaders program to develop talent within the company. ## Guides and research - [Five L&D Predictions for 2026](https://abilitie.com/five-l-d-predictions-for-2026): Report drawn from 30,000+ AI learner conversations on where to focus L&D investment. - [10 Leadership Development Trends L&D Leaders Can’t Ignore in 2026](https://abilitie.com/10-leadership-development-trends-l-d-leaders-can-t-ignore): Trends report with input from L&D peers. - [Cross-Functional Playbook](https://abilitie.com/cross-functional-playbook): The five skills leaders need to get things done across functions. - [From Brilliant Coders to Brilliant Managers](https://abilitie.com/brilliant-managers-ebook): eBook on four learning methods for developing technical leaders. - [L&D Checklist for Senior Leader Training](https://abilitie.com/l-d-checklist-for-delivering-successful-leader-training): Ten questions to test a senior-leader program before it runs. - [Whitepaper: The Middle East Manager Challenge](https://abilitie.com/whitepaper-the-middle-east-manager-challenge): Building manager capability at scale in the Middle East through tech-enabled learning. ## Recent articles - [Learning Before Failure: Why I Wrote The Upside of Downside Thinking](https://abilitie.com/blog/learning-before-failure-why-i-wrote-the-upside-of-downside-thinking): What if leaders could learn from failure before it happens? In this article, Matt Confer, Chief Strategy Officer at Abilitie and author of The Upside of Downside Thinking, explores how premortems can help teams surface… - [How to Develop the Skill of Effective Cross-Functional Collaboration](https://abilitie.com/blog/how-to-develop-the-skill-of-effective-cross-functional-collaboration): Most cross-functional decisions do not fail in the meeting. They fail in the handoff, when a sound decision thins out on its way through the organization and each function starts executing its own reasonable… - [What 100,000 Leaders Taught Us About Cross-Functional Decision Making](https://abilitie.com/blog/what-100-000-leaders-taught-us-about-cross-functional-decision-making): Ask a senior leader where their strategy broke down and you rarely hear that the plan was wrong. You hear that the organization could not act on it as one. - [Why L&D Leaders Are Replacing Workshops with Simulations](https://abilitie.com/blog/why-l-d-leaders-are-replacing-workshops-with-simulations): L&D leaders are trading passive workshops for immersive business simulations. Find out in this blog what makes them more engaging, more memorable, and more human in an AI-driven world. - [How Business Simulations Accelerate Leadership Readiness](https://abilitie.com/blog/how-business-simulations-accelerate-leadership-readiness): Business simulations close the gap between knowing and doing, giving new leaders a safe space to test approaches, make mistakes, and build confidence before the stakes are real. - [The 3 Leadership Capabilities Every Leader Needs, Regardless of Industry](https://abilitie.com/blog/the-3-leadership-capabilities-every-leader-needs-regardless-of-industry): The best leaders share three capabilities regardless of industry: business acumen, team management, and cross-functional decision-making. Learn why they're universal, and how to build them through practice. - [Evaluating Leadership Development Programs in the GCC: Do You Need a Ferrari or a BYD?](https://abilitie.com/blog/evaluating-leadership-development-programs-ferrari-or-byd): This article explores different types of L&D programs traditionally offered, from mass mandated compliance training to fully bespoke executive programs, and questions what kind of programs GCC organizations need to… - [Leadership Development Trends L&D Leaders Can’t Ignore in 2026](https://abilitie.com/blog/leadership-development-trends-l-d-leaders-can-t-ignore-in-2026): In a recent survey of L&D and HR leaders, we asked what’s working and where leadership programs continue to break down. ## Optional - [Blog](https://abilitie.com/blog): All articles on leadership development. - [Events](https://abilitie.com/events): Upcoming webinars, play sessions and conference appearances. - [Business simulations for leaders](https://abilitie.com/business-simulations-for-leaders): Why simulations close the gap that theory-based training leaves. - [Privacy policy](https://abilitie.com/privacy) - [Terms of use](https://abilitie.com/terms) - [Sitemap](https://abilitie.com/sitemap.xml): Every public page with its last-modified date. - [Agent skills](https://abilitie.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json): Agent Skills discovery index, including how to fetch pages as Markdown. - [API catalog](https://abilitie.com/.well-known/api-catalog): RFC 9727 linkset pointing at the OpenAPI description of the public endpoints.