• 2001: PIE is founded by Harry Wallace in Bozeman, MT, emerging from Arthur Andersen’s business development unit. We were born out of the belief that growth is relationship-led.
• The focus is on peer‑to‑peer executive learning via structured conversations and exchanges. These were originally delivered by phone! 25 years later exchanges are almost exclusively by video.
• Establishes a defining belief that people and relationships drive everything.

“People are the center of everything we do, and that’s always been true.” - Allison Hupp

Listen to Susan Miller's story about how she came to work at PIE.

• 2010: A new era of leadership begins with Tom McMakin joining and becoming CEO, bringing sharper focus to growth strategy and operating discipline.
• Internal roles and operations mature, laying groundwork for scale. Culture begins to balance entrepreneurship with accountability.
• PIE’s marketplace reputation becomes consistency, care, and high service standards.

“Pre‑Tom McMakin era: Entrepreneurship reigned. Tom came in and changed everything for the better.” - Jacob Parks

Listen to Windy Esperti's story about how the PIE values were created.

• 2021: PIE buys out its founder moving towards a more employee‑owned, employee‑led model.
• Modernizes systems, including a consolidation to one CRM. The technology change influenced all company processes.

“Becoming employee owned was about our ability to control our own destinies.” - Andi Baldwin

In 2018 PIE publishes How Clients Buy, teaching readers that business development is a long game won by establishing trust and credibility.

Read Paul Quigley's reflection on the importance of publishing books in PIE's history.

In 2020 PIE publishes Never Say Sell, sharing practical techniques to scale individual professional services engagements into long-term business relationships.

PIE quickly becomes a critical resource for clients and executives navigating unprecedented disruption.

• Rapidly transitions all communities and services from phone to video delivery.
• Onboards employees in cohorts for the first time, reshaping connection and training.

“PIE was a critical resource for execs during COVID. We grew and changed significantly that year.” - Morgan Klaas

Read to Allison Hupp's story about the importance of hosting conversations that bring executives into the room.

In 2025 PIE publishes The Growth Engine, providing a step-by-step guide to building a world-class business development organization in a professional services.

In 2025 Andi Baldwin is named CEO of PIE, signaling a new era of leadership that is still rooted in client success.

Read to Jacob Park's story about how PIE has changed during different eras of leadership.

Listen to TJ Dennis' story about how PIE's human approach is of growing importance in the AI age, so much so a community member ask to come work for us.

• Reaffirms human connection as PIE’s core differentiator in an AI‑accelerated world.
• Commits to listening, trust, and clarity as growth accelerators.
• Protects employee‑led ownership and culture as strategic assets.
• Looks ahead with ambition while staying rooted in what makes PIE, PIE.

"One thing that’s always been core but will be elevated is the human touch and the value of relationship development. People will engage with each other more and more in a digital way, but it’s core to being human to engage with humans in a human way—we can engage with our clients in a way that ensures that won’t be lost." - Gianna Vanata