The Leaders Institute gets honorable mention in Ragan CSR awards

The Leaders Institute earned an Honorable Mention in Ragan’s 2026 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards for a CSR or ESG event entry built around charity team-building programs. The nod highlights how the company’s bike-building and service events are being recognized as a workplace engagement model with community impact.

Why it matters: - The recognition gives The Leaders Institute validation for a business model that blends employee engagement with community giving. - The award also underscores continued interest in CSR and ESG events that produce tangible local benefits. - The company’s signature Build-A-Bike® format has become a visible example of charity team building.

What happened: - The Leaders Institute earned an Honorable Mention in Ragan’s 2026 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards. - The recognition came in the CSR or ESG Event (Virtual or In Person) category. - Cisco Systems, Inc. won the category. - Children's Health, Fenix Outdoor, and Meetings & Incentives Worldwide also received Honorable Mentions. - Ragan Communications, which publishes PR Daily, honored finalists at a luncheon at the Yale Club in New York City on Sept. 30. - Amy Maybury, chief revenue officer, and Rebecca Rivas, master trainer, accepted the recognition for The Leaders Institute.

The details: - The company’s entry featured three client events. - Liberty Bank marked its 200th anniversary in Hartford, Connecticut, with an event that had 800 employees build 200 bikes for the Boys & Girls Club of Hartford. - The Dallas Stars hosted a 2025 Playoffs Block Party for more than 800 fans, who built 200 bikes for children in the Dallas Independent School District. - Barron Collier Companies held an Ace Race® event in Naples, Florida, where 80 employees built a mini golf course out of food. - The food from that event went to Grace Place for Children and Families. - Doug Staneart, CEO of The Leaders Institute, said: “Our clients did the real work here.” - Staneart said more than 300 companies turned team events into community gifts last year. - The Leaders Institute said it gave clients a way to do that through a fun format. - The Leaders Institute created the Build-A-Bike® charity team-building event in 2005. - The company says it has run more than 7,000 team events since then. - The company says clients have donated more than $10 million in bikes to kids. - Earlier this year, Corporate Vision named the company Best Corporate Team Building Specialists 2026.

Between the lines: - The award reflects a broader corporate push to make events do double duty: build culture inside the company and deliver a measurable community outcome. - The client examples show a flexible event model that can scale from employee celebrations to sports and corporate gatherings. - The emphasis on bikes, food donations and local nonprofits gives the company a concrete CSR story that is easier for brands to explain and promote.

What's next: - The Leaders Institute is likely to keep pitching charity team-building events as a way for companies to combine philanthropy, morale and public recognition. - Doug Staneart is available for interviews about charity team building and corporate meeting trends. - The company also continues to promote its broader training offerings, including leadership development programs and presentation skills training. - The Leaders Institute says it works with clients in all 50 states and in more than a dozen countries.