CommPartners

About CommPartners

CommPartners was established in 1994 by Richard Finstein, who envisioned a company focused on helping associations and other organizations expand their reach through online education and events. Finstein, a graduate of the University of Maryland with postgraduate work in instructional design, founded the company with a passion for connecting communities through educational experiences. The firm specializes in providing a suite of online education services, including curriculum and instructional design, managed webinars, and virtual conferences.

The company's core offering is the Elevate LMS, a learning management system designed specifically for the association market. This platform serves as a centralized knowledge hub that supports a variety of learning formats, from formal, curriculum-based education and certifications to informal social learning and live events. Elevate LMS is designed to integrate with an organization's existing applications, such as AMS or CRM databases, content management systems, and financial software, to create a seamless user experience and allow for personalized learning paths. Its features include tools for managing live webinars, tracking continuing education credits, issuing certificates, and organizing content into catalogs and learning tracks. The system also provides detailed reporting and analytics on learner activity, progress, and revenue.

CommPartners primarily serves non-profits, trade and professional associations, and organizations in sectors like healthcare and manufacturing. The business model centers on providing its software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, Elevate LMS, likely on a subscription or licensing basis. This is complemented by a range of professional services for creating and managing online educational content and events. In March 2021, CommPartners was acquired by Symphony Technology Group (STG), a private equity firm. This acquisition was part of STG's strategy to build a comprehensive platform for events and learning by combining CommPartners with other acquired companies like CadmiumCD and EthosCE. Following the acquisition, the combined entity operates under the Cadmium brand.