The Clary Group is a company that advises senior leaders, executive teams, and boards on judgment, decision-making, and trust in organizations by helping them replace over-reliance on certainty with disciplined curiosity. Pulse 2.0 interviewed The Clary Group founder Dr. Debra Clary to learn more.
Dr. Debra Clary’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Dr. Clary said:
“I began my career as a Frito-Lay route driver, loading trucks at 4 a.m. and learning the value of connecting with people on the frontlines. That experience shaped everything that followed. I went on to hold senior leadership roles at Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana, where I led enterprise transformation and built the Humana Leadership Institute. Along the way, I earned a doctorate in Leadership and Organizational Development, wrote and performed an Off-Broadway, One-Woman Show, and produced an award-winning film. Today, I run The Clary Group, where we focus on helping executives and organizations harness the power of curiosity to accelerate performance.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Dr. Clary shared:
“The Clary Group was born out of a simple belief: curiosity is the engine of growth. Throughout my corporate career, I saw organizations stall not because they lacked strategy, but because they lacked the courage to ask better questions. I wanted to create a company that equips leaders and teams with frameworks like the Curiosity Curve to turn curiosity into a repeatable system for innovation, problem-solving, engagement, and trust.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Dr. Clary reflected:
“One of my favorite memories was leading a healthcare workshop in Saudi Arabia, where executives from five countries, including a delegation from the UAE, came together. The energy in the room was remarkable. Watching leaders from such different cultures recognize that curiosity could be a driver of reliability, innovation, and safety in healthcare was extraordinary. That moment, seeing curiosity transcend borders and disciplines, reminded me exactly why I started this work.
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Dr. Clary explained:
“Our core offering is the Curiosity Curve framework, which includes an assessment tool that helps leaders and teams identify where they fall across four zones: Exploration, Focused Engagement, Inspirational Creativity, and Openness to New Ideas. We deliver this through executive coaching, team workshops, leadership offsites, and keynotes. We’re also launching my book, The Curiosity Curve: A Leader’s Guide to Growth and Transformation Through Bold Questions, with Fast Company Press in October 2025.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Dr. Clary acknowledged:
“Yes, there’s a tendency in business to be driven purely by digits. Leaders want immediate ROI, yet culture and curiosity don’t always fit neatly on a spreadsheet. We’ve overcome that by grounding our work in data. Our Curiosity Curve assessment, developed with neuroscience partners, has a Cronbach alpha of ~0.90—meaning it’s scientifically reliable. That credibility helps leaders see curiosity not as a ‘nice-to-have,’ but as a performance driver.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Dr. Clary noted:
“When we first launched, the Curiosity Curve was a keynote concept. Today, it’s an interactive platform, complete with digital assessments, data dashboards, and team heatmaps that visualize curiosity at scale. We’re integrating AI to give leaders real-time insights into how curiosity levels are shaping culture and outcomes.”
Significant Milestones
Dr. Clary points to several inflection points that marked the firm’s shift from platform to point-of-view:
- Catalyzing a global conversation on curiosity and leadership, with a TEDx talk viewed more than 250,000 times and continuing to influence executive and organizational discourse.
- Recognition as a leading voice shaping the future of leadership, named one of MSN’s Top Ten Speakers to Watch in 2025, a distinction reflecting both influence and intellectual leadership.
- Formalizing curiosity as a measurable leadership discipline with the publication of The Curiosity Curve (Fast Company Press, October 2025), which reached #1 bestseller status within 24 hours and introduced a research-backed framework now used by senior leaders and organizations worldwide.
- Embedding curiosity into enterprise decision architectures, through partnerships with industry leaders to integrate curiosity into strategy formation, culture transformation, and high-stakes decision-making—moving it from concept to operating system.
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? Dr. Clary highlighted:
“At a recent executive offsite, a leadership team came in facing declining engagement and decision gridlock. By applying the Curiosity Curve framework, they identified hidden assumptions, rebuilt their decision framework, and re-engaged employees. Within months, they saw measurable improvement in alignment, accountability, and performance.”
Funding/Revenue
Are you able to discuss funding and/or revenue metrics? Dr. Clary revealed:
“We are a privately held company and do not disclose revenue. That said, we’ve experienced double-digit growth annually as more organizations recognize the link between curiosity, culture, and performance.”
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Dr. Clary assessed:
“The global corporate training and leadership development market is valued at over $350 billion. Within that, we’re focused on executive coaching, leadership offsites, and organizational culture—areas projected to grow significantly as companies seek post-digital, human-centered solutions.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Dr. Clary affirmed:
“Many firms focus on skills or strategy. We focus on the operating system behind both: curiosity. What differentiates us is that we combine rigorous data, neuroscience, and decades of executive experience with storytelling and creativity. That blend helps leaders not only understand curiosity but apply it in ways that stick.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Dr. Clary emphasized:
“We’re expanding the Curiosity Curve platform globally, launching certification programs for coaches and consultants, and scaling the digital assessment so organizations can benchmark curiosity across industries. And with the release of The Curiosity Curve in 2025, we’re excited to bring this framework to leaders at every stage of their career.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Dr. Clary concluded:
“Yes, curiosity is often framed as a personal trait. But our research shows it’s also deeply cultural. When organizations create environments where questions are celebrated, not punished, they unleash extraordinary potential. That’s the conversation I want to keep bringing to leaders everywhere.”
