HRI Leadership Academy Wants Your Help on Two Research Projects
December 18, 2025 
HRI Leadership Academy Class of 2026 logo. | Horticultural Research Institute
The 2026 Class of the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) Leadership Academy is currently divided into committees working on industry-focused research projects – and they need your help.
The first project aims to better understand how e-commerce is used in the green industry. The team behind the project has developed a survey asking about the types of products you sell online, sales and revenue trends, and the challenges and benefits of selling online.
You can find the survey here, and it should take less than five minutes to complete.
The second project looks at how the greenhouse and nursery industry continues to evolve through innovation in tools, systems, and workforce development, and where businesses are achieving the greatest impact and return on investment. That survey focuses on three key areas — tools and automation, processes and systems, and employee investment. Grower input will help highlight the improvements that are most effectively driving productivity, profitability, and engagement. You can take this survey here.
While the 2026 HRI Leadership Academy is doing its homework, plans are already in place to form the 2027 class. The one-year program consists of four in-person training sessions (two days each), each with six to eight weeks in between, that covers the following concepts:
- Assessing Business Strategy: Explore key business principles necessary to effectively grow your business and remain competitive in today’s environment.
- Leadership & People Management: Improve your leadership and people management maturity with a focus on small to medium business environments and leading teams typical to those environments.
- Numbers & Advocacy – Driving Success: Understand business operations, including KPIs, cash flow, growth initiative prioritization, and the overall ability to judge business success. Understand our political system and learn ways leaders can enhance their influence and effectiveness.
- Managing the Value Chain: Learn effective techniques for marketing, sales, and operations, including successfully managing supplier and customer relationships and negotiating to win.
The HRI Leadership Academy guides participants through the concentrated curriculum designed to develop the skills the green industry needs to perform better, grow faster, and prepare for the future. It is designed for professionals who aspire to take on greater leadership roles.
The deadline to submit applications is February 6, 2026. Learn more here.
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