New Zealand Entrepreneur Makes NASDAQ Milestone
Carl Sanders-Edwards, founder of the New Zealand leadership development platform Adeption, rings the NASDAQ stock
exchange bell to celebrate his graduation from NASDAQ Milestone Makers this week. Carl’s photo and the Adeption logo
will be displayed on Times Square at the same time.
The prestigious 12-week NASDAQ programme mentors entrepreneurs striving to take their business to the next level and
accelerate company growth. Carl Sanders-Edwards is one of 12 highly talented individuals from around the world selected
to work with Milestone Makers to set, reach and celebrate key milestones for their enterprises.
“The Milestone Maker programme is a real turning point for Adeption. It has given me the opportunity to bring together
an in-depth funding strategy that will enable the company to gear up for our next stage of growth,” said Carl.
Adeption’s leadership development technology is set to revolutionise global leadership development through its platform
that seeks to democratize leadership coaching.
“It’s like having a pocket leadership coach. Leadership training is no longer just for the board table or those reaching
the peak of their careers. Adeption makes it accessible to anyone at anytime,” said Carl.
“The technology is a world first – no one else is doing anything quite like it. One of the key differences is that
through Adeption people are acting on their leadership development rather than just absorbing information. It’s more of
a ‘fit bit’ approach to leadership development - learning through doing.”
Adeption’s clients, which include four US Fortune 500 companies and leading New Zealand companies, bear testament to the
extraordinary technology this young start-up company has brought to the learning and development market.
“We moved in 2017 to see how Adeption would go in the US. The market here is a $17 billion industry – the biggest global
market for leadership development,” said Carl. “It was a big leap but it is paying off. We’re now in a position to
really capture our share of the market. ”
Carl originally founded JumpShift – a leadership development consultancy in New Zealand – with his wife Emma in 2008.
Carl then went on to study for his MBA in Boston, where he was the Fulbright Scholar in Entrepreneurship. It was during
this time that the concept for Adeption was born and, following a successful capital raise, Carl and his family moved to
the US.