Where Leaders Emerge and Boldness Takes Flight

Caterpillar Leadership Institute is where transformation begins, and leadership takes shape. We help professionals shed hesitation, embrace boldness, and turn raw potential into purposeful impact. Our immersive, story-powered programs are designed to spark clarity, build confidence, and equip emerging leaders to rise with authenticity and lead with lasting influence. This isn’t just leadership development; it is evolution in motion.

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Our Mission

We exist to ignite boldness in professionals ready to stretch beyond limits, grow with intention, and break through barriers. Through immersive, story-driven leadership journeys, we transform raw potential into decisive action, quiet hesitation into confident momentum, and dormant dreams into purposeful impact.

Why We’re Different

At Caterpillar Leadership Institute, everything we do mimics the butterfly’s journey: grounded beginnings, stretching struggles, and triumphant flight. Like the caterpillar inside the chrysalis, our participants enter with untapped potential and emerge with clarity, confidence, and wings built for purpose. Inspired by our founder’s own evolution, from commanding troops as a Military Intelligence Officer to architecting transformation in communities and careers, we’ve built a model that fuses immersive storytelling, real-world pressure, and Monday-ready strategies. This is more than leadership training, it’s a launchpad for changemakers who shift culture, spark growth, and paint the sky with impact.

Transformation That Leaves a Trail Every leader who emerges from our institute doesn’t just take flight, they leave behind a trail of inspiration, impact, and growth that ripples through teams, communities, and careers.

Our Approach

Just like a caterpillar doesn’t stay grounded forever, we guide professionals through their full metamorphosis while unlocking confidence, capability, and leadership wings. Our hybrid model blends the freedom of online learning with the energy of hands-on workshops, so no matter where you’re planted, you’ll grow bold, rise strong, and lead with purpose. We believe real leadership training doesn’t limit potential, it unlocks it. By crafting experiences that build resilience, clarity, and strategic capability, we help professionals grow with intention, lead with authenticity, and soar toward meaningful impact in their careers, communities, and callings.

Founder

Jonathan Pride is a transformation specialist forged in high-stakes environments, from military intelligence briefings to breakthrough leadership labs. As a U.S. Army combat veteran and former Military Intelligence Officer, Jonathan began empowering others the moment he stepped into leadership. With decades of real-world leadership under pressure, he’s guided individuals through growth, grit, and game-changing decisions. Now, as the founder of Caterpillar Leadership Institute, Jonathan channels his experience into story-driven leadership training that ignites confidence and unlocks purpose. He’s also the author of Caterpillars Don’t Fly, a powerful memoir-meets-manifesto that reveals how transformation starts on the ground and ends with fearless flight. Whether in a war zone or a workshop, Jonathan’s mission has never changed: build leaders who rise, lead, and leave a lasting impact.

Jonathan brings a wealth of expertise, holding a master’s in business and organizational management, a bachelor’s in political science and English, and a Six Sigma Black Belt certification. As a 2024–2025 Obama Foundation USA Leader and a Dallas Top 40 Under 40 honoree, Jonathan exemplifies a commitment to motivating and uplifting others. Originally from New York City, he is passionate about empowering individuals to reach their fullest potential, both professionally and personally.

Training that Fits your Wingspan

We specialize in delivering immersive, story-driven leadership development experiences designed around your unique challenges, career aspirations, and industry dynamics. Our programs are never one-size-fits-all. They are custom-built to elevate professionals into bold, confident, and purpose-driven leaders. We reject generic solutions. Instead, we craft dynamic learning environments that integrate personal narrative, strategic insight, and experiential growth. This ensures that every participant not only gains practical leadership tools but also develops the clarity, confidence, and courage to lead with authenticity and impact.