Walker and Associates Consulting

What Walker and Associates Consulting does

Walker & Associates Consulting is a privately held, Black- and woman-owned strategic management consulting and executive search firm headquartered in Oakland, California. Founded in 1993 by Constance J. Walker and currently led by her successor as President & CEO, Jeannine N. Walker, the firm operates as a multigenerational family business with three core service lines: Talent Attraction & Development (retained executive search for foundations and nonprofits), Strategic Planning & Implementation (organizational planning and program design), and Compelling Communications & Convenings (communications strategy, board retreats, and stakeholder convenings). It also offers an interactive assessment quiz on its website as a lightweight inbound qualification tool.

The firm serves foundations, nonprofit organizations, and philanthropy-serving organizations across the San Francisco Bay Area and nationally, with a documented emphasis on equity-centered clients in climate, racial and gender equity, youth development, arts, community development, and feminist activism. Named engagements include retained searches of 5-9 placements each for California Wellness Foundation, Stupski Foundation, and Northern California Grantmakers, plus strategic planning work for clients such as Community Housing Development Corporation and Children's Fairyland.

Revenue is generated through project-based, negotiated professional services fees; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is relationship- and referral-led, leveraging the firm's 30+ year legacy, deep sector network, and reputation for an inclusive, relational process. Marketing channels are limited to the firm website, Constant Contact newsletters, and LinkedIn. A strategic partnership with Cathy Schreiber & Associates extends strategic planning delivery capacity, and Windward Fund serves as a fiscal sponsor for one client engagement. The firm does not have disclosed funding, public revenue, a software platform, or AI capabilities, and it is entirely founder- and family-owned.

Name

Walker and Associates Consulting

Legal name

Walker & Associates Consulting

Website

https://walkeraac.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Walker & Associates Consulting is a Black- and woman-owned, family-run executive search and strategic management consulting firm based in Oakland, CA, serving foundations, nonprofits, and philanthropy-serving organizations across the Bay Area and nationally with retained search, strategic planning, and convening services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting Services

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Executive Search Services (561312), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organization Design & Operating Model Consulting (BPAHAGAB), Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Strategic management consulting
• Nonprofit consulting firm
• Foundation executive search
• Organizational development 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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Strategic Management Consulting: Project-based consulting engagements for organizational planning, program design, and strategic advisory services.
2. Executive Search: Retained executive search and recruiting services for senior leadership placements in foundations and nonprofit organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Walker & Associates Consulting is a Black- and woman-owned strategic management consulting and executive search firm that helps foundations and nonprofit organizations with leadership transitions, strategic planning, and organizational development. The firm delivers three core service lines: Talent Attraction & Development (executive search and recruiting), Strategic Planning & Implementation (organizational planning and program design), and Compelling Communications & Convenings (communications strategy and event facilitation). Services are delivered through project-based consulting engagements and retained executive search mandates.

Product overview

Walker & Associates Consulting offers a portfolio of three interconnected consulting services: Talent Attraction & Development (executive search and recruiting), Strategic Planning & Implementation (organizational planning and program design), and Compelling Communications & Convenings (communications strategy and event facilitation). They also provide an interactive digital assessment tool to help prospective clients identify suitable service areas. The firm operates as a unified consulting practice rather than a software platform, with services delivered through direct client engagement and project-based consulting engagements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Talent Attraction & Development Executive search and recruiting services focused on identifying and placing strategic, values-aligned leaders in foundations and nonprofit organizations across various sectors and geographies.
• Strategic Planning & Implementation Organizational planning and program design services that help clients develop actionable strategic plans and implement them effectively.
• Compelling Communications & Convenings Action-oriented communications strategy and event facilitation services, including board retreats, conferences, and stakeholder convenings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully facilitated leadership transitions resulting in hires of notable leaders including Lateefah Simon (Akonadi Foundation), Dwayne S. Marsh (Northern California Grantmakers), and Tamara Toles O'Brien (Environmental Grantmakers Association)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 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 core and minor.

• Cathy Schreiber & AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with Cathy Schreiber & Associates for strategic planning and organizational development engagements. Cathy Schreiber, founder with 20+ years in the social sector, brings expertise in strategic planning, evaluation, and organizational design.
• Windward FundminorOthersWindward Fund serves as the fiscal sponsor for Moving Forward Network, one of Walker & Associates' client engagements for executive search services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DRG Search: Executive search firm focused exclusively on nonprofit, foundation, and association leadership placements. Highly comparable to Walker's retained search work with foundation boards and executive directors.
• Koya Partners: Boutique executive search firm exclusively serving mission-driven organizations, foundations, and nonprofits. Closest direct competitor to Walker's Talent Attraction & Development practice in the foundation/philanthropy search market.
• La Piana Consulting: National nonprofit consulting firm offering strategic planning, organizational development, and executive transition support. Directly comparable to Walker's Strategic Planning & Implementation and search engagements with nonprofits and foundations.
• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: Bay Area-based nonprofit support organization offering leadership development, executive transition, and consulting services. Geographic and service-line peer to Walker, particularly for Bay Area foundation and nonprofit clients.

Emerging players

• LeaderSpring Center: Oakland-based nonprofit leadership development and coaching organization focused on executive directors of social-impact organizations. Adjacent peer sharing Bay Area mission-driven focus and overlapping client base with Walker's coaching and leadership development offerings.

Broad incumbents

• The Bridgespan Group: Large nonprofit and philanthropy consulting firm offering strategy, organizational effectiveness, and leadership advisory. Overlaps with Walker's strategic planning work but at much larger scale and with broader sector reach.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with significant nonprofit and association practice. Competes with Walker for foundation CEO and senior leadership searches, with greater resources and broader geographic reach.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with dedicated nonprofit practice competing for foundation president and senior executive placements. Directly comparable on search, with broader global candidate sourcing capability.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with nonprofit and social enterprise practice. Competes for senior foundation and nonprofit leadership mandates at the upper end of the market.
• Korn Ferry: Global executive search and organizational consulting firm competing for senior nonprofit and foundation C-suite searches. Comparable on retained search but operates at vastly greater scale across all sectors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/walker-and-associates-consulting-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Walker and Associates Consulting