The founding story

Built by people who believe work should give energy back

People spend a third of their lives at work. We started Thrive because we believe that with that much of life on the line, the least a company can do is make those hours give energy back: the right people hired into the right roles, led by leaders who know how to lead, not because leadership appeared in their job description but because it became part of them.

Everyone wins when that happens. Companies keep their people. Leaders stop drowning. And people go home with enough left over for the things that matter most: family, friends, a life outside the job. Imagine parents coming home from work energized to spend time with their kids instead of just drained. That’s the concept this company is built on.

Thrive’s roots are in behavioral science and clinical practice. Our assessment and framework design is led from a background in mental health therapy and EQ 360 certification, which is why everything we build carries the same conviction: people are more nuanced and more surprising than any report page, and the best tools reduce blind spots instead of pretending to eliminate them.

The five co-founders

Thrive was founded by five people who share one conviction: with how much of life happens at work, the least a company can do is make that time life-giving. We build the assessments, frameworks, and programs that make it happen.

JS

John Sloss

Co-Founder & President

MV

Michael Valenzano

Co-Founder & CEO

MF

Mitchell Fortman

Co-Founder & Data

MC

Matthew Cale

Co-Founder & System Architect

SS

Starr Skinner

Co-Founder

Tell us which problem you’re solving.

Whether you’re making a critical hire or developing the leaders you already have, the first step is the same: a conversation.