What Black Onyx Management does

Black Onyx Management, Inc. is a privately held benefit corporation founded in 2019 by Marshawn Wolley, operating as a management consulting firm with a community focus. The firm delivers research-informed consulting services including applied research and evaluation, community outreach and engagement, strategic communications, program management, economic development, supplier diversity consulting, and fund development strategy to government agencies, foundations, nonprofits, and corporations. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with team members distributed across Indiana, Washington D.C., Ohio, and Texas.

The company's service portfolio is organized around Applied Research and Evaluation, Communications and Public Relations, 1865 Analytics (a discrete analytics platform), Nonprofit and Philanthropy Services, Economic Development Services, Community Health Impact, and the Indy Black Businesses Matter program. A wholly-owned subsidiary, Obsidian Research Insights (ORI), is based in Washington D.C. and provides research and evaluation services. The firm combines scientific research rigor (quantitative and qualitative methods, surveys, focus groups, policy analysis) with 20+ year community relationships as its primary differentiator.

Black Onyx Management operates a sales-led, consultative GTM model, generating revenue through fee-for-service consulting engagements with custom pricing. Customers reach the firm through website consultation forms and direct outreach. Named clients include Indianapolis Public Schools, Indianapolis Urban League, Mt. Zion Federal Credit Union, Children's Museum of Indianapolis, KSM, MHS, IMS, EmployIndy, Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Federal Home Loan Bank, and others across nonprofit, government, and corporate segments. The firm expanded its scope in May 2024 through the acquisition of Edgewater Financial Group.

Name

Black Onyx Management

Legal name

Black Onyx Management, Inc.

Website

https://blackonyxmanagement.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Onyx Management is a privately held benefit corporation and management consulting firm that delivers research, program management, economic development, and community engagement services to government agencies, foundations, nonprofits, and corporations, headquartered in Indianapolis with a wholly-owned research subsidiary in Washington D.C.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Management consulting services
• Applied research evaluation
• Nonprofit advisory consulting
• Community research consulting
• Economic development consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services Revenue: Fee-for-service consulting engagements providing research, evaluation, community outreach, program management, and strategic advisory services to government agencies, foundations, nonprofits, and corporations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Black Onyx Management is an Indianapolis-based management consulting firm and benefit corporation that delivers applied research, program evaluation, communications, and strategic advisory services to government agencies, foundations, nonprofit organizations, and corporations. The firm focuses on community-centered consulting with emphasis on equity, social impact, and economic development, particularly in underserved communities. Its portfolio spans research insights, public-relations support, nonprofit capacity-building, and analytics delivered through dedicated subsidiaries and programs.

Product overview

Black Onyx Management is a management consulting firm structured as a benefit corporation, offering a portfolio of research, strategy, and program management services. The core offerings include Applied Research and Evaluation (leveraging quantitative and qualitative methods), Obsidian Research Insights (a subsidiary focused on research and evaluation), Communications and Public Relations, 1865 Analytics, Nonprofit and Philanthropy Services, Economic Development Services (focused on supplier diversity), Community Health Impact, and the Indy Black Businesses Matter program. These services are delivered to nonprofits, government agencies, and corporations to empower local communities through research-informed consulting, community engagement, and program execution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Obsidian Research Insights: A Black Onyx Management company providing high-quality research and evaluation services that support informed decision-making and community impact for businesses, nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies.

Products and services

• Applied Research and Evaluation Applied research and program evaluation services for government agencies, nonprofits, foundations, and corporations seeking to measure community impact and program outcomes.
• Obsidian Research Insights Research-insights subsidiary providing dedicated research and data-driven insight services to clients of Black Onyx Management.
• Communications and Public Relations Communications, public-relations, and messaging support to help clients articulate their mission, programs, and community impact.
• 1865 Analytics Analytics-focused offering supporting data, measurement, and analytical needs across the firm's research, evaluation, and community-impact engagements.
• Nonprofit and Philanthropy Services Advisory and capacity-building services for nonprofit organizations and philanthropic foundations, including strategy, evaluation, and program support.
• Economic Development Services Economic-development consulting supporting community and regional economic initiatives, with emphasis on equity and underserved markets.
• Community Health Impact Community-health-focused consulting engagements addressing health disparities and community-health outcomes through research, evaluation, and program support.
• Indy Black Businesses Matter Program supporting Black-owned businesses in Indianapolis through research, advocacy, and economic-development advisory work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 2,700 survey responses collected for a community-wide study
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IU Kelley School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022Marshawn Wolley joined IU Kelley School of Business as associate faculty starting May 2022 as part of the Enterprise Corps program, a combined effort of IU Kelley School of Business and Indy Chamber's Business Opportunity Initiative. The program cultivates resources for small businesses in Central Indiana, connecting them with Kelley faculty and MBA teams for business education and growth support.
• Obsidian Research InsightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerObsidian Research Insights (ORI) is a subsidiary company of Black Onyx Management that provides high-quality research and evaluation services. ORI empowers businesses and organizations through research supporting informed decision-making and community impact, serving businesses, nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies with tailored research, evaluation, and capacity-building services. Located at 1775 Eye Street NW, Ste 1150, Washington, DC 20006.
• Indy ChamberminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Onyx Management partners with Indy Chamber as part of the Enterprise Corps program connecting small businesses with faculty and MBA teams to support small business education and growth.
• Indianapolis Recorder NewspaperminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper for the Indy Black Businesses Matter storytelling series. Features two Black businesses every week on the Recorder's social media channels and physical paper through visual profiles and podcast episodes.
• Federal Reserve Small Business Credit SurveyminorOthersBlack Onyx Management references and utilizes data from the Federal Reserve's annual Small Business Credit Survey (SBCS) which captures perspectives of business owners across the US operating firms with fewer than 500 employees.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PolicyLink: National research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity through policy and community partnerships — analogous to Black Onyx's equity-focused research, policy analysis, and community engagement practice.
• Insight Center for Community Economic Development: Research and consulting organization advancing economic equity for low-income and historically excluded communities — comparable focus on economic development, supplier diversity, and equitable community outcomes.
• TCC Group: Consulting firm serving foundations and nonprofits on strategy, evaluation, and capacity building — comparable target customers, evaluation/research capabilities, and social-sector mission orientation.
• FSG: Global social-impact consulting firm advising foundations, nonprofits, and corporations on strategy, evaluation, and equity — directly comparable to Black Onyx's foundation/nonprofit/corporate client mix and research-driven engagement model.
• The Bridgespan Group: Nonprofit and philanthropy consulting firm focused on strategy, organizational effectiveness, and impact — closely aligned with Black Onyx's work serving foundations, nonprofits, and community-based organizations.
• Community Science: Research and consulting firm applying social science to community change initiatives for nonprofits, foundations, and government — directly comparable research methodology and community-engagement offering.
• La Piana Consulting: Nonprofit and philanthropic consulting firm supporting strategy, mergers, and capacity building — comparable client base (foundations, nonprofits) and similar mission-driven consulting model.

Broad incumbents

• Bain & Company (Social & Practice Areas): Major global consultancy with social-impact and ESG-adjacent offerings that increasingly intersect with Black Onyx's foundation, nonprofit, and community engagement work.
• Boston Consulting Group (Social Impact & DEI): Global strategy consultancy with established social-impact and DEI practices targeting many of the same foundation, corporate, and government clients Black Onyx serves.
• McKinsey & Company (Social Responsibility & DEI practices): Global management consulting giant with established social-sector, DEI, and economic development practices — competes for the same government and corporate DEI/supplier diversity RFPs from a vastly larger platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-onyx-management-llc
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackonyxmanagement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Black Onyx Management