Next Step
Next Step is a privately held, founder-led management consultancy of around 40 global consultants headquartered in Silicon Valley with a Nordic subsidiary, advising multinational enterprises on business scalability, AI and technology-driven transformation, and executive future-readiness through frameworks and the Executive Growth Alliance peer network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersRedwood City, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Next Step does
Next Step is a privately held, founder-led management consultancy founded in 1998 by CEO Jennifer Vessels, headquartered in Redwood City, California with a regional subsidiary in Oslo, Norway. The firm employs approximately 40 global consultants and delivers advisory services to large multinational organizations across the United States, the Nordics, the UK, the Benelux, and Africa; named clients include Adobe, Cisco, Microsoft, Google, Autodesk, Palo Alto Networks, Novartis, SwissRe, Mitel, Nevion, Tandberg, Avinor, Goodwill Industries, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
The company sells three core service offerings — Scale Your Business (scalability, sales process optimization, and go-to-market execution), Transform Your Business (AI and technology-driven transformation), and the Executive Growth Alliance (a peer-executive community with summit events). The firm does not develop proprietary software, models, or platforms; its intellectual property consists of transformation frameworks (including a P.E.A.C.E. methodology), a thought-leadership content engine, and the reputational capital derived from marquee enterprise engagements.
Next Step monetizes through time-and-materials consulting engagements delivered by its global consultant bench, supplemented by Executive Growth Alliance memberships and events. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per engagement. The go-to-market is consultative and sales-led, with marketing driven primarily by executive-authored blog content, newsletter distribution, CEO speaking engagements, and contributed articles in industry publications such as Norwegian American. The firm has no disclosed institutional investors, no parent company, no acquisitions, and no publicly reported revenue.
Next Step firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Next Step
- Legal name
- Next Step
- Website
- https://nextstepgrowth.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Next Step is a privately held, founder-led management consultancy of around 40 global consultants headquartered in Silicon Valley with a Nordic subsidiary, advising multinational enterprises on business scalability, AI and technology-driven transformation, and executive future-readiness through frameworks and the Executive Growth Alliance peer network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Next Step industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB), Innovation, Product & R&D Consulting (BPAHACAM), Cost Reduction & Working Capital Optimization (BPAHAHAL)
Keywords
Where Next Step is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Redwood City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Next Step business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consulting and Advisory Services: Next Step generates revenue through professional consulting engagements focused on business transformation, scalability, and growth acceleration. Services include strategic advisory, organizational transformation, sales process optimization, and digitalization consulting delivered by their team of global consultants.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Next Step product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Next Step is a global management consultancy delivering business transformation, scalability, and growth acceleration services to enterprise clients. The firm offers three core service lines: Scale Your Business (scalability and long-term growth advisory), Transform Your Business (AI and technology-driven transformation consulting), and Executive Growth Alliance (a peer collaboration network for global executives). Services are advisory and consulting-based rather than software or platform products, delivered by a team of approximately 40 global consultants across the US and Nordic regions.
Product overview
Next Step is a global consultancy firm offering business transformation and growth services. The company provides three core service offerings: Scale Your Business (focused on scalability and long-term growth), Transform Your Business (focused on AI and technology-driven transformation), and Executive Growth Alliance (a peer collaboration network for executives). These services are advisory and consulting-based rather than software or platform products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Executive Growth Alliance: A peer collaboration network founded by Next Step to accelerate future-readiness and growth of global organizations through executive forums and peer case activities.
Products and services
- Scale Your Business Consulting service focused on successful scalability and long-term growth through proven market approaches, sales processes, teams, partners, and business models. Aimed at enterprise clients seeking to maximize revenue.
- Transform Your Business Business transformation service helping leaders and teams adapt to changing market needs by exploring and leveraging AI and technology. Aimed at enterprise leaders seeking to enhance profitability.
- Executive Growth Alliance Peer collaboration network for global executives to accelerate future-readiness and business growth, featuring forums, summits, and peer case activities within Transportation/Mobility, Environment, Industry, Consumer and Health industries.
Quantifiable outcome
- >300% improvement in productivity within 5 years
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Next Step
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Next Step technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Next Step partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Executive Growth AlliancecoreExecutive Growth Alliance was founded in Silicon Valley to accelerate the future-readiness and growth of Global 500 organizations within Transportation/Mobility, Environment, Industry, Consumer and Health industries. Empowered by Next Step, the alliance provides peer collaboration forums and summits for executives to address transformation challenges. Expansion announced beyond Silicon Valley and Norway with planned chapters for London, Benelux, Cape Town and other US locations.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Next Step competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Accenture: Global professional services firm with a large management consulting arm covering strategy, transformation, and digital change — competing with Next Step on enterprise transformation mandates at much larger scale.
- Kearney: Global management consulting firm with strong operations and strategic transformation practices serving large enterprise clients on growth and scalability, comparable to Next Step's core offerings.
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG): Global management consultancy with deep transformation, growth, and AI/digital practice areas serving multinational enterprise clients in a manner comparable to Next Step's Silicon Valley-rooted growth advisory work.
- Deloitte Consulting: Big Four consulting practice offering strategy, operations, and human capital advisory to multinational clients — overlapping with Next Step's transformation, leadership, and scalability engagements.
- EY-Parthenon: Strategy and transactions consulting arm of EY advising enterprise clients on growth, transformation, and corporate strategy — directly competing for the same enterprise transformation mandates as Next Step.
- Booz Allen Hamilton: Large management and technology consulting firm serving government and commercial enterprises on transformation, innovation, and growth — overlapping with Next Step's enterprise transformation client base.
- Bain & Company: Global strategy and transformation consulting firm with strong enterprise growth and operational improvement practices that overlap directly with Next Step's 'Scale Your Business' and transformation offerings.
- McKinsey & Company: Global tier-1 management consulting firm advising Fortune 500 executives on strategy, transformation, and growth — directly overlapping Next Step's enterprise transformation and scalability mandates, but with vastly deeper bench and global reach.
Emerging players
- Heidrick & Struggles: Executive leadership and organizational consulting firm helping enterprise clients on leadership development and future-readiness — overlapping with Next Step's executive advisory and Executive Growth Alliance focus areas.
Direct peers
- PA Consulting: Boutique global consultancy combining strategic advisory with transformation and innovation services for enterprise clients — a closer size and operating-model analog to Next Step than the mega-firms.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Next Step social profiles
Digital presenceNext Step financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Next Step leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Next Step funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Next Step M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Next Step
What does Next Step do?
Next Step is a global management consultancy delivering business transformation, scalability, and growth acceleration services to enterprise clients. The firm offers three core service lines: Scale Your Business (scalability and long-term growth advisory), Transform Your Business (AI and technology-driven transformation consulting), and Executive Growth Alliance (a peer collaboration network for global executives). Services are advisory and consulting-based rather than software or platform products, delivered by a team of approximately 40 global consultants across the US and Nordic regions.
Is Next Step a public or private company?
Next Step is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Next Step founded?
Next Step was founded in 1998. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Next Step based?
Next Step is headquartered in Redwood City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Next Step make money?
One revenue line is on record: consulting and Advisory Services.
Who are Next Step's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Accenture, Kearney, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Deloitte Consulting, EY-Parthenon, Booz Allen Hamilton, Bain & Company and McKinsey & Company. Heidrick & Struggles is listed as an emerging player. PA Consulting is listed as a direct peer.
Does Next Step have an API?
No public API is recorded for Next Step.
What industry is Next Step in?
Next Step's product category is Management Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAA, Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHACAB, Operations & Process Improvement Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.