Whiteboard Advisors
Whiteboard Advisors is a Washington, D.C.-based social impact consulting firm providing policy advocacy, communications, research, and strategic advisory services to investors, nonprofits, and companies in the U.S. education sector, with an owned media portfolio including the Whiteboard Notes and ETCH newsletters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Whiteboard Advisors does
Whiteboard Advisors is a Washington, D.C.-based social impact consulting firm that provides policy advocacy, strategic communications, market research and due diligence, and strategic consulting services to organizations operating in the U.S. education sector. The firm serves a deliberately diversified client base that includes private equity investors (Carlyle, GSV Asset Management), education nonprofits (Code.org, Hispanic Heritage Foundation), publishers and training providers (Scholastic, General Assembly), and EdTech companies. Its core offerings are delivered as bespoke professional services engagements rather than packaged products, with pricing that is quote-based and negotiated per project. Whiteboard Advisors is owned by the nonprofit Strada Education Network and was incubated within a global public affairs firm in 2009 before launching as an independent agency in 2016 with support from the Morgridge Family Foundation and impact investors.
The firm has built a content and media portfolio that functions as both a marketing channel and a standalone asset. This includes the weekly Whiteboard Notes newsletter, the daily What We're Reading PK-12 and Higher Education digest, the W/A Jobs job board, and the ETCH suite of online resources for education investors (acquired June 2024), which together reach tens of thousands of education investors, policymakers, grantmakers, and executives. Distribution is direct, relationship-based, and concentrated in the United States, with a small senior team of roughly 11-50 employees supplemented by subject-matter advisors drawn from state government and journalism.
Whiteboard Advisors generates revenue exclusively through professional services fees and does not sell technology products, software, or APIs. The firm invests in recurring thought leadership (blog, newsletters, the annual Solutions Summit co-hosted with ISTE+ASCD) as its primary go-to-market motion. Recent strategic activity has emphasized talent acquisition (former Tennessee Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn, former NJ Secretary of Higher Education Brian Bridges, former U.S. News & World Report journalist Lauren Camera) and the ETCH acquisition, indicating a strategy of deepening the senior advisory bench and expanding proprietary media and data assets rather than scaling headcount aggressively or raising institutional capital.
Whiteboard Advisors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Whiteboard Advisors
- Legal name
- Whiteboard Advisors, LLC
- Website
- https://whiteboardadvisors.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Whiteboard Advisors is a Washington, D.C.-based social impact consulting firm providing policy advocacy, communications, research, and strategic advisory services to investors, nonprofits, and companies in the U.S. education sector, with an owned media portfolio including the Whiteboard Notes and ETCH newsletters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Whiteboard Advisors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Policy Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA)
Keywords
Where Whiteboard Advisors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Whiteboard Advisors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Professional Services: Whiteboard Advisors generates revenue through consulting engagements, research services, communications work, and advocacy services for education-focused clients including organizations, entrepreneurs, and companies in the education sector.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Whiteboard Advisors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Whiteboard Advisors is a social impact consulting firm that sells policy advocacy, strategic communications, research and due diligence, and strategic consulting services to education-focused organizations, investors, and EdTech companies. The firm also operates content products including the Whiteboard Notes and What We're Reading newsletters, the ETCH investor database/newsletter suite, and the W/A Jobs education job board.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ETCH: EdTech newsletter and investor database for education and investment professionals
- Whiteboard Notes
- W/A Jobs
Products and services
- Advocacy Services Helps education-sector organizations understand, navigate, and shape public policy through advocacy campaigns and stakeholder engagement.
- Communications Services Elevates people, products, and perspectives through creative public relations and marketing campaigns targeting education audiences.
- Research & Due Diligence Services Demystifies the complexity of education issues and trends through market research, policy analysis, and due diligence for education sector clients.
- Strategic Consulting Services Helps businesses and organizations in education navigate critical inflection points, from product strategy to leadership transitions, mergers, and acquisitions.
- ETCH A suite of online resources for education and investment professionals, including a newsletter and transaction database, with a weekly reach of over 30,000 education investors, policymakers, and executives.
- Whiteboard Notes A weekly newsletter recapping major education policy and industry news, read by thousands of education leaders, investors, grantmakers, and entrepreneurs.
- What We're Reading: PK-12 and Higher Education A curated daily roundup of PK-12 and higher education news, reports, and research delivered free Monday through Thursday evenings.
- W/A Jobs A job board featuring career opportunities from organizations across the education industry, accessible at jobs.whiteboardadvisors.com.
Companies that use Whiteboard Advisors
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Whiteboard Advisors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Whiteboard Advisors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered major.
- ISTE+ASCDmajorWhiteboard Advisors co-hosts the annual Solutions Summit with ISTE+ASCD, bringing together education executives, product leaders, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs. The fourth annual Solutions Summit takes place June 28 in Orlando, Florida ahead of ISTELive and ASCD Annual Conference.
- ETCHmajorWhiteboard Advisors acquired ETCH, a suite of online resources for education and investment professionals including a newsletter and transaction database. ETCH joins the Whiteboard Media group and has a weekly reach of over 30,000 education investors, policymakers, and executives.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Whiteboard Advisors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Whiteboard Advisors social profiles
Digital presenceWhiteboard Advisors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Whiteboard Advisors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Whiteboard Advisors subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Whiteboard Advisors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Whiteboard Advisors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Whiteboard Advisors
What does Whiteboard Advisors do?
Whiteboard Advisors is a social impact consulting firm that sells policy advocacy, strategic communications, research and due diligence, and strategic consulting services to education-focused organizations, investors, and EdTech companies. The firm also operates content products including the Whiteboard Notes and What We're Reading newsletters, the ETCH investor database/newsletter suite, and the W/A Jobs education job board.
Is Whiteboard Advisors a public or private company?
Whiteboard Advisors is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Whiteboard Advisors founded?
Whiteboard Advisors was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Whiteboard Advisors based?
Whiteboard Advisors is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Whiteboard Advisors make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services.
Does Whiteboard Advisors have an API?
No public API is recorded for Whiteboard Advisors.
What industry is Whiteboard Advisors in?
Whiteboard Advisors's product category is Education Policy Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAOAG, Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs), with a secondary code of BPAHAOAA, M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side). Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.