Whole Brain Consulting

What Whole Brain Consulting does

Whole Brain Consulting is a privately held professional services firm founded in 2015 through the merger of Right Brain Consulting, Left Brain Consulting, and BJH Food Safety. Co-founded and led by William Madden Ph.D. and Brandon Hernandez, the firm operates from offices in Boulder, Colorado and Chicago, Illinois, and provides outsourced operations consulting to the food, beverage, consumer packaged goods (CPG), and nutraceuticals industries. The firm positions itself as an external operations department for brands that lack internal scale, drawing on what it describes as over 500 years of collective consulting experience and access to more than 12,000 industry connections.

The firm delivers its services through nine core modules: Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance (SQF, BRC, GMP, HACCP), Co-Manufacturer Sourcing and Management, Supply Chain Management, Logistics Management, Operations Management, Investment Due Diligence, Product Development (R&D), Continuous Improvement, and a bundled Full Outsourced Operations offering. It does not develop or sell proprietary technology products; instead, value is delivered through senior practitioner engagement, proprietary co-manufacturer vetting processes, and a curated network of contract manufacturers. Co-founders hold industry certifications (SQF II, HACCP) and prior roles at Nestlé, Fonterra, Hearthside Food Solutions, and other major food operators, which underwrite the firm's credibility in regulated food manufacturing environments.

Whole Brain Consulting generates revenue through fee-based professional services delivered as project-based engagements and retainer arrangements, sold directly to decision-makers at food, beverage, CPG, nutraceutical, and private equity firms. Go-to-market is primarily sales-led with a strong community overlay: the firm maintains active participation in Naturally Boulder (where Brandon Hernandez serves as Chairman of the Board), Naturally Chicago, Naturally Network, and NutritionCapitalNetwork, supplemented by content marketing (blog, books, podcast appearances) and organic social channels. The company is certified as a minority-owned business and aligns with J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) principles. It is bootstrapped, with no external funding rounds disclosed, and reports 11–50 employees with 16 consultants serving 1,000+ lifetime clients.

Name

Whole Brain Consulting

Legal name

Whole Brain Consulting

Website

https://whole-brain-consulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Whole Brain Consulting is a bootstrapped, minority-owned professional services firm that provides outsourced food safety, co-manufacturer sourcing, supply chain, logistics, operations, R&D, and investment due diligence services to food, beverage, CPG, nutraceutical, and private equity clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food and Beverage Operations Consulting

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)

Keywords

• Food safety consulting
• Supply chain management
• Co-manufacturer sourcing
• Operations consulting
• CPG consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: Whole Brain Consulting provides fee-based professional consulting services across food safety, supply chain management, co-manufacturer sourcing, operations management, logistics, R&D/product development, continuous improvement, and investment due diligence. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements, retainer arrangements, and ongoing advisory relationships with food, beverage, CPG, and nutraceutical companies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Whole Brain Consulting is an outsourced operations consulting firm serving the food, beverage, CPG, and nutraceutical industries. It provides fee-based professional services across food safety and regulatory compliance (SQF/BRC/GMP/HACCP), co-manufacturer sourcing and management, supply chain management, logistics, operations management, R&D/product development, continuous improvement, and investment due diligence. Engagements are delivered as project-based work or as full outsourced operations bundles in which WBC acts as the client's external operations department.

Product overview

Whole Brain Consulting is an outsourced operations consulting firm serving the food, beverage, CPG, and nutraceuticals industries. The company offers a portfolio of distinct service modules spanning food safety and regulatory compliance, co-manufacturer sourcing and management, supply chain management, logistics management, operations management, investment due diligence, product development (R&D), and continuous improvement. These services can be engaged individually or bundled as a full outsourced operations solution. The firm leverages over 500 years of collective operations experience and access to thousands of trusted co-manufacturers to provide specialized management that maximizes the value of clients' supply chains and operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance Provides GFSI-aligned food safety solutions including SQF, BRC, GMP, and HACCP certification support, third-party audits, regulatory compliance, supplier approvals, finished product specifications, and sanitation strategies for food, beverage, CPG, and nutraceutical companies.
• Co-Manufacturer Sourcing and Management Connects food and beverage brands with contract manufacturers and co-packers, including vetting processes, contract negotiation, daily interaction management, auditing, and exit negotiations.
• Supply Chain Management Offers supply chain optimization including production planning, demand forecasting, ingredient sourcing, risk mitigation, transportation, storage, procurement, delivery, portfolio mapping, and supply chain evaluations.
• Logistics Management Provides turnkey logistics solutions including warehouse optimization, inbound and outbound transportation management, BOL preparation, proof of delivery, 3PL provider sourcing, supply chain reporting, and transportation billing auditing.
• Operations Management Delivers operations management including ingredient and raw material sourcing, inventory management, secondary supplier sourcing, contract review and negotiation, demand forecasting, production planning, and day-to-day issue resolution.
• Investment Due Diligence Provides operational and quality due diligence for private equity and investors, including quality and food safety assessment, facilities and capacity evaluation, KPI establishment, post-transaction management, production planning, and operational efficiency analysis.
• Product Development (R&D) Offers product formulation and development services including label review, formulation, finished goods specification, raw material sourcing, facts panel data, and raw material specifications across food, beverage, and nutraceutical categories.
• Continuous Improvement Provides continuous improvement consulting including throughput improvement, lead time reduction, labor cost and scrap reduction, cycle time improvement, factory layout, and lean manufacturing implementation.
• Full Outsourced Operations Comprehensive outsourced operations engagement combining supply chain, quality programs, co-packer network management, logistics, production planning, KPIs, and maintenance services into a single bundled service where WBC acts as the client's external operations department.

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved 95% food safety audit score within 6 months for a mid-sized supplement company; maintained 95+ score over the following year.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NutritionCapitalNetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhole Brain Consulting is a supporter of NutritionCapitalNetwork, a private equity network focused on food and beverage. The partnership provides visibility within the investment community and access to private equity firms evaluating food and beverage acquisitions.
• Naturally NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhole Brain Consulting is a supporter and active participant in Naturally Network. Brandon Hernandez serves as an advisor. The partnership provides networking, lead generation, and thought leadership opportunities within the natural and organic products industry.
• Naturally BouldercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrandon Hernandez serves as Chairman of the Board at Naturally Boulder. The company actively participates in and sponsors Naturally Boulder's Collision Series networking events. This is a core community partnership for lead generation and industry influence.
• Norco Rush Soccer ClubminorOthersWhole Brain Consulting is a supporter and sponsor of Norco Rush Soccer, a youth soccer organization. Both Brandon Hernandez and the company provide sponsorship, reflecting the company's commitment to community engagement.
• Styles 4 Kidz Hair Care ServicesminorOthersWhole Brain Consulting is a supporter of Styles 4 Kidz, a hair care services organization. The partnership reflects the company's commitment to community and social impact.
• University of NebraskaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhole Brain Consulting partnered with The University of Nebraska to develop a Process Authority Letter for a beverage supplement client's product, combining academic expertise with industry knowledge to ensure scientifically validated production processes.
• Justice, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhole Brain Consulting is a certified minority-owned business with a stated commitment to justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion. The company partners with J.E.D.I. Collaborative and supports minority business certification through AISW.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kearney: Kearney's consumer products practice provides operations and supply chain strategy to large CPG and food companies; as a global incumbent, it competes for strategic-level engagements that WBC also targets.
• West Monroe Partners: West Monroe is a large business and technology consultancy with a consumer products practice; while broader in scope, its operational improvement and supply chain offerings compete for similar client budgets as WBC.
• AlixPartners: AlixPartners provides operations, supply chain, and performance improvement consulting to consumer products companies globally, often serving large enterprises and PE-backed targets similar to WBC's client base.

Direct peers

• Clarkston Consulting: Clarkston Consulting is a management consulting firm focused on the consumer products and life sciences industries, providing supply chain, operations, and technology advisory services — directly comparable to WBC's food/CPG operations and supply chain offering.
• BSM Partners: BSM Partners is a food industry consulting firm focused on operations, supply chain, and food safety; its vertical specialization in food/CPG directly overlaps with WBC's core service areas.
• BlueRiver Partners: BlueRiver Partners provides supply chain and operations consulting dedicated to food, beverage, and consumer products companies, closely mirroring WBC's vertical specialization and outsourced operations model.

Others

• NutritionCapitalNetwork: NutritionCapitalNetwork is a private equity network focused on food and beverage investments; WBC is an active supporter, positioning itself within the deal-sourcing ecosystem for PE-backed food targets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Wholebrainfood
• Facebookfacebook.com/Whole-Brain-Consulting-262377887545368
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whole-brain-consulting
• Instagraminstagram.com/whole_brain_consulting/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Whole Brain Consulting