About PLI About Justin
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Justin Mitchell
Founder of PLI · Investor & owner of Freehold Co
Justin Mitchell founded Professional Leadership Institute (PLI) to make practical learning more accessible for individuals and teams. As a business owner, investor and property developer, he has experience in commercial real estate, property management and raising capital.
He used DISC in his own businesses to understand different working styles. Working with his business coach, he developed practical training for his teams, then made that learning available online through PLI.
Free assessment and results. Premium reports and courses are optional paid products.
EXPERIENCE BEHIND THE WORK
180,000+
People helped through PLI
To learn more about themselves.
Over $4.2B
In transactions
Cumulative sales and leases through a business he co-founded and led.
$1.2B
In property managed
Across 160 buildings at a business he owned.
Building and backing businesses.
Alongside PLI, Justin owns and operates Freehold Co, his private investment company, with investments across operating businesses, agriculture and property. He has operated his own investment company since 2008, with experience across public equities, private businesses and early-stage ventures.
His experience includes business acquisitions, development partnerships, building and selling a multifamily rental portfolio, and backing an online-learning software company before its public listing. Those experiences inform the practical learning he shares through PLI.
Success worth sharing.
Justin’s high-school history teacher was a successful lawyer and investor who chose to give back through teaching. He was an outstanding teacher, respected by his students for the experience he brought from beyond the classroom.
That example stayed with Justin. He wanted to build a career, achieve financial success and then give back by teaching. PLI is his way of doing that—sharing lessons from his education, mentors and the hard-earned experience of building businesses to help others pursue success and purpose.
Justin is especially proud that PLI has helped more than 180,000 people learn more about themselves. His aim is to help them put that self-awareness to work and perform better.
Learning for the responsibilities ahead.
In his businesses, doing a job well did not automatically prepare someone to manage others. People needed practical skills in setting expectations, delegating and supporting performance.
Justin believes the skills behind strong performance, management and leadership can be taught and practised. In his companies, he supported further education and worked alongside emerging leaders to build practical tools.
Education and professional qualifications.
Academic background
B.Comm., Finance and Accounting
University of Western Ontario
B.A., Political Science
University of Western Ontario
Diploma, Urban Land Economics
University of British Columbia
Professional qualifications
Everything DiSC® Certified Practitioner
Wiley
Managing Broker licence — British Columbia
Earned following licensing education at the University of British Columbia
Canadian Securities Course (CSC)
Securities education · Canada
Series 7 studies
Securities education · United States
Put the learning to work.
PLI combines DISC assessments, team tools and online courses. Connect self-awareness with values, goals and personal planning, then practise the skills to follow through. Develop your own capabilities, prepare to manage others or help your team grow.