Ikigai Certifications · ICA and ICL

Bring ikigai to the people you advise and lead.

Clients want their wealth to mean something. Teams want work that matters. Ikigai Certifications equip advisors and leaders to help people discover their reason for being, deepen trust and loyalty, and turn purpose into lasting results.

Browse the Ikigai Certified Directory →

円相 · ensō

Two credentials

ICA

Ikigai Certified Advisor

For professionals who work with clients: financial professionals, philanthropic advisors and executive coaches.

  • Deliver Ikigai Policy Statements that put each client’s reason for being in their own words.
  • Connect wealth with meaning, so money serves what matters most to your clients.
  • Deepen client relationships with the people and families you serve, across generations.

ICL

Ikigai Certified Leader

For leaders and managers who want purpose at the center of how their teams work. Launching in 2027.

  • Lead from your own ikigai, grounded in your values and strengths.
  • Help each person on your team define, refine and activate their reason for being.
  • Build a purpose-driven culture where people and performance flourish together.

What you’ll deliver

The Ikigai Policy Statement

A policy statement for a life well lived: a person’s values, strengths and three capitals (financial, intellectual and relational), with intentional commitments to stewardship, legacy and flourishing, in their own words. Advisors create them with clients; leaders, with the people they lead. Each becomes a compass to return to, and a conversation that deepens every relationship.

Eight modules

Both certifications follow the same eight modules, and each module is designed around the key attributes of an advisor or a leader: advisors apply it to the clients they guide, leaders to the people they lead. Complete the full program to earn the credential. Earned through deliverables.

Modules 1–4 · Foundations

  1. 1Core Values

    Name what you stand for and how it guides your decisions.

    DeliverableYour top five core values

  2. 2Strengths-Based Leadership

    Lead from your CliftonStrengths and bring out the best in others.

    DeliverableYour strengths-based leadership profile

  3. 3Flourishing

    See well-being across the domains of human flourishing.

    DeliverableYour flourishing baseline and roadmap

  4. 4Sanpo Yoshi

    Good for the seller, the buyer and society

    Create value that benefits everyone it touches.

    DeliverableA value map: good for you, those you serve and society

Modules 5–8 · Application

  1. 5Legacy Planning

    Flourishing domains

    Shape what you want to pass on, well beyond money.

    DeliverableYour legacy vision

  2. 6Stewardship in Action

    Three forms of capital

    Put time, talent and resources to work for what matters.

    DeliverableYour stewardship plan

  3. 7The Next ROI

    Return on Ikigai

    Personalize “returns” around your reason for being, grounded in framing, mindset and perspective.

    DeliverableYour Return on Ikigai scorecard

  4. 8Ikigai Policy Statement

    Capstone

    Bring it together in a personal statement of purpose and commitments.

    DeliverableYour Ikigai Policy Statement

How it works

Three stages to certification

  1. 1Stage 1 · Modules 1–4

    Foundations

    Build the foundation: core values, strengths, flourishing and Sanpo Yoshi.

  2. 2Stage 2 · Modules 5–8

    Application

    Put it to work through legacy, stewardship, The Next ROI and the Ikigai Policy Statement.

  3. 3Stage 3 · Deliverables

    Capstone and certification

    Complete your deliverables, including an Ikigai Policy Statement, to earn the credential and join the directory.

Two ways to certify

In person or virtual

June 1–2, 2027

In-person certification

Connected to the Ikigai Leadership Retreat. Stage 1 is held on site, just before the retreat begins.

  • Stage 1 on site, June 1 (2 p.m.) to June 2 (noon), 2027, just before the Ikigai Leadership Retreat
  • Retreat registration opens soon; share your interest to hold a place
  • Retreat fee is separate
  • Stages 2 and 3 completed virtually

Ikigai Certified Advisor or Leader$3,500Certification only. The retreat is a separate fee.

Register

Opens April 2027

Virtual certification

  • Modules 1–4 open April 2027, at your own pace
  • Then join a live virtual cohort; dates shared soon
  • The same credential and deliverables

Ikigai Certified Advisor or Leader$3,500

Register

What certification includes

Earned through deliverables

Complete a series of deliverables, ending with your own Ikigai Policy Statement as the capstone.

Tools to serve clients

Certified Advisors receive the tools to deliver Ikigai Policy Statements to their clients.

A lasting credential

Certification renews every two years, keeping your practice current with the method.

A place in the directory

You are listed in the Ikigai Certified Directory.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much does certification cost?

The Ikigai Certified Advisor (ICA) and the Ikigai Certified Leader (ICL) are each $3,500, in person or virtually. In-person certification does not include the Ikigai retreat, which is a separate registration and fee.

Which certification is right for me?

Choose the ICA if you guide clients, as a financial or philanthropic advisor, family office leader or executive coach. Choose the ICL if you lead a team or an organization.

What is the difference between in person and virtual?

Both follow the same three stages and lead to the same credential. In person, you complete Stage 1 on site alongside an Ikigai retreat, then finish Stages 2 and 3 virtually. Retreat registration opens soon, and we will hold your place. Virtual begins in April 2027: you work through Modules 1–4 on your own, then join a live virtual cohort to complete Stages 2 and 3.

When can I start?

Virtually, in April 2027, when Modules 1–4 open for independent work; you then join a live virtual cohort when its dates are set. In person, Stage 1 runs June 1 (2 p.m.) to June 2 (noon), 2027, just before the Ikigai Leadership Retreat.

How much time does it take?

Plan on 3 hours a week while modules are open, including live cohort sessions.

Do I need to attend the Ikigai Leadership Retreat?

Only if you certify in person. In-person Stage 1 is held alongside the retreat, so you also join the retreat, and each has its own fee. Retreat registration opens soon; share your interest and we will hold your place. Virtual certification does not require the retreat.

Does the retreat count toward certification?

No. The retreat’s themes draw on the curriculum, but the credential is earned only by completing all three stages.

How is certification earned?

By completing all eight modules and your deliverables, including an Ikigai Policy Statement as the capstone.

What is included?

The full curriculum, your deliverables review, a listing in the Ikigai Certified Directory and, for Ikigai Certified Advisors, the tools to deliver Ikigai Policy Statements to your clients.

How long does certification last?

Certification renews every two years. Renewal is $500.

How do I register?

Choose your certification and format, then register and pay to reserve your place. There is no application review.

Become Ikigai Certified.

For advisors who guide clients and leaders who develop teams. Join the first Ikigai Certified Advisors and Ikigai Certified Leaders.