What Change Consulting does

Change Consulting is a strategic communications and public relations consulting firm headquartered in Oakland, California, founded in February 2009 by Bilen Mesfin Packwood. The firm provides professional services — including communications strategy, earned media, digital and content strategy, messaging framework development, branding, events, thought leadership positioning, crisis communications, and training/capacity building — exclusively to racial and social justice organizations, foundations, and movement leaders. Its documented client base includes the Black Freedom Fund, Grantmakers for Girls of Color, Essie Justice Group, Black Futures Lab, Power California, the California Endowment, the Rosenberg Foundation, Akonadi Foundation, and Cities United, with engagements delivered via multi-year retainers and project-based work across California.

The firm operates a service-led model with no proprietary software product or technology platform. Service delivery is built on practitioner expertise — including a former-journalist Earned Media Lead and a leadership team organized around Strategy and Visual Communications functions — and is supported by a content-marketing layer (the C+C Blog, the Learning Hub of free downloadable tools, and active social channels) used for thought leadership and lead generation rather than productized distribution.

Change Consulting is a privately held, founder-led LLC with no disclosed institutional investors or external funding rounds beyond a $10,000 Comcast RISE award in November 2021. The team grew from one founder (2009) to a first hire (2015) and then to 13 full-time employees by April 2022, with approximately 70% people of color and nearly 40% Black. Pricing is custom and project-based, with no public pricing tiers; clients engage through the firm's website contact form and ecosystem referrals. Geographic focus is California, with the operating scope described as domestic.

Name

Change Consulting

Legal name

Change Consulting, LLC

Website

https://change-llc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Change Consulting is an Oakland-based strategic communications and public relations firm serving racial and social justice nonprofits, foundations, and movement leaders with earned media, messaging, digital strategy, and capacity-building services. Founded in 2009 by Bilen Mesfin Packwood, it operates as a privately held, founder-led professional services firm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Communications Consulting

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (541820), Management Consulting Services (54161), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organization Design & Change Management Consulting (BPAHACAD), Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB), Workplace Change Management & Communications (BPABAFAK)

Keywords

• Strategic communications consulting
• Social justice communications
• Nonprofit public relations
• Earned media services
• Messaging strategy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communications Consulting: Professional consulting services providing communications strategy, earned media, digital strategy, content development, messaging, and capacity building for racial and social justice organizations and foundations. Engagements include project-based work, retainers, and ongoing partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Change Consulting is an impact communications consulting firm that provides strategic communications, earned media, digital content strategy, messaging development, and capacity-building services to nonprofits, foundations, and movement leaders focused on racial and social justice. Services are delivered as integrated consulting engagements, including retainer relationships, project-based work, and hands-on implementation support across campaigns, launches, and organizational communications.

Product overview

Change Consulting is a social change communications consulting firm that offers a comprehensive suite of professional services rather than a software product platform. Their offerings center on strategic communications, earned media, digital content, and capacity building for racial and social justice organizations. The core service portfolio includes Communications Strategy Services, Earned Media Services, Digital Content Strategy, Content Development, Events, Messaging & Messaging Framework, Social Media Services, Thought Leadership Development, Training & Capacity Building, Visual Identity & Branding, Website Design, Crisis Communications, and Launch Planning. The Learning Hub Resources provide free downloadable tools and worksheets for communications planning. Services are delivered through integrated strategic campaigns, with ongoing retainer relationships, and hands-on implementation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Communications Strategy Services
• Earned Media Services
• Digital Content Strategy
• Content Development
• Events
• Messaging and Messaging Framework
• Social Media Services
• Thought Leadership Development
• Training and Capacity Building
• Visual Identity and Branding
• Website Design
• Crisis Communications
• Launch Planning

Quantifiable outcome

• $100 million raised for Black Freedom Fund
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Wonder: Strategies for GoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking partnership on Cities United strategic communications plan. Change Consulting led the development while Wonder provided strategy collaboration.
• Shake TechnologiesminorOthersContent partnership for digital security resources. Shake Technologies provided expertise for two-part conversation on digital security for social justice organizations published on Change Consulting's blog.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Metropolitan Group: Social change agency providing strategic communications, branding, and campaigns for nonprofits, foundations, and cause-driven brands. Comparable in mission orientation, integrated communications offering, and reliance on values-driven client work.
• Spitfire Strategies: Communications and campaign strategy firm serving nonprofits, foundations, and advocacy groups on narrative change and policy campaigns. Comparable because of the shared focus on building durable client communications capacity and shifting public narratives for social impact organizations.
• The Hatcher Group:
• Wonder: Strategies for Good: Strategy and communications consultancy working with nonprofits, foundations, and social justice organizations on narrative and campaign strategy. Directly comparable as a similarly sized, mission-aligned peer; the two firms have already collaborated on the Cities United strategic communications plan.
• Burness Communications: Strategic communications firm focused on nonprofits, foundations, and social impact organizations, offering media strategy, branding, and campaign support. Highly comparable given the shared nonprofit/foundation client base, mission orientation, and full-service communications offering.

Broad incumbents

• Fenton Communications: Large social-impact communications firm serving nonprofits, foundations, and advocacy organizations on strategy, media relations, and digital campaigns. Comparable because it targets the same nonprofit and foundation buyer with similar earned media and narrative-change services, but operates at much greater scale with a broader portfolio.
• Blue State: Digital agency and consultancy serving nonprofits, advocacy groups, and progressive causes with strategy, creative, and technology. Comparable for shared mission-driven client base and digital communications capabilities, though Blue State is significantly larger and more digital- and technology-oriented.

Emerging players

• Squier Consulting Group: Communications and public affairs firm serving nonprofits, associations, and mission-driven clients on strategy, media relations, and advocacy. Comparable in service mix and nonprofit client focus, with overlapping earned media and campaign capabilities.
• Pollinate: Strategic communications and brand consultancy for social impact organizations, offering strategy, storytelling, and campaign support. Comparable as a similarly sized, niche peer focused on narrative and capacity-building work for nonprofits and foundations.

Others

• The Communications Network: Professional association supporting communications professionals at foundations and nonprofits. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but comparable as it sits at the center of the same ecosystem of foundation and nonprofit communicators that Change Consulting serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/changeco_
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChangeConsultingLLC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/meetchange
• Instagraminstagram.com/ChangeConsulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Change Consulting