Combined Platform Transforms Leadership Development from Individual Coaching to AI-Powered Organizational Intelligence
San Francisco, CA – July 10, 2025 – Torch, the only contextual coaching platform built to link leadership development directly to business results, today announced its acquisition of Praxis Labs, the AI learning platform that builds critical human skills at scale with research-backed practice simulations, AI coaching, and skills assessments. The acquisition addresses a critical market failure: while organizations spend over $60 billion annually on leadership development, the vast majority of transformation initiatives still fail due to the strategy-execution gap.
Traditional coaching often focuses on individual growth without connecting it to the bigger organizational picture. Torch has reimagined coaching for business impact with a dynamic feedback loop to connect individual growth directly to a company’s strategic priorities, generating ongoing intelligence on change readiness, cultural barriers, and execution gaps.
With Praxis integrated, this feedback loop becomes even more powerful: business context shapes coaching conversations, leaders practice new skills between sessions, and insights flow back to reveal what’s helping or hindering progress. The result is a real-time view of organizational health that enables Torch to guide customers through targeted interventions to address barriers as they emerge.
“As businesses face accelerating change—from AI integration to market disruption—the organizations that will succeed aren’t just those with the best strategies, but those with the leadership capacity to adapt and execute,” said Heather Conklin, CEO of Torch. “We know that coaching, when done right, isn’t a perk–it’s a strategic lever. It’s a force that connects human behavior to business results, creating alignment between what leaders are feeling and what a company is trying to achieve. What sets Torch apart is our belief that human connection isn’t optional. It’s essential. We combine the relational depth of human coaching with the intelligence and scale of AI to help leaders evolve faster and more effectively.”
“Human-centered leadership isn’t innate; these skills must be developed through intentional practice, feedback, and coaching—just like any other business-critical capability,” said Elise Smith, co-founder of Praxis Labs and now Head of AI Growth at Torch. “Combining the capabilities of Torch and Praxis Labs delivers a powerful value loop that pairs contextual coaching AI practice simulations, coaching, and assessments so leaders can change their mindsets, build new behaviors, and perform in pivotal moments for their teams and their organizations.”
“With always-on AI coaching and skills practice, Praxis has rich data about individual leaders’ unique skillsets and development needs—whether it’s stalled decision-making or unclear ownership,” added Heather Shen, co-founder of Praxis Labs and now Head of AI Product at Torch. “Alongside Torch’s organizational insights, we can pinpoint where support will have the most impact and tailor development to both individual needs and business priorities. It’s a smarter, more dynamic way to drive meaningful change at scale.”
The combined platform redefines what it means to lead at scale in the AI era—bringing together human connection, intentional practice, and data-driven insight to drive lasting change across the enterprise. By tightly linking leadership growth to strategic priorities, Torch is turning leadership development from a cost center into a strategic driver of business outcomes.
Both Praxis Labs co-founders Elise Smith and Heather Shen are helming executive roles at Torch, taking on new roles within the organization. Elise Smith is Head of AI Growth; and Heather Shen is Head of AI Product. The Praxis team will be joining Torch to accelerate their AI product roadmap, capabilities and impact.
About Praxis Labs
Praxis Labs is an AI learning platform that helps unlock critical human skills to power businesses at scale. Leveraging Praxis Labs’ AI agents for coaching, roleplay and skill measurement, companies like Amazon, Salesforce, Uber, Conagra and more create more inclusive, engaged, and high performing teams. To learn more, visit praxislabs.co.
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