Cheryl Edison

What Cheryl Edison does

Cheryl Edison operates Edison International, a solo professional services and advisory practice headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area / Silicon Valley (founded 1990). The firm provides personalized business growth advisory to international founders, corporates, governments, universities, and accelerators seeking US market entry, investment readiness, fundraising coaching, and startup ecosystem design. Service modules are organized into six lines: Corporates, Embassy Trade Missions, Event Producers, Partnerships, Startups, and Startup Ecosystems, supplemented by keynote speaking and a downloadable Fast Track Toolkit of frameworks and lexicons.

There is no underlying technology product: the offering is entirely human-delivered consulting, coaching, speaking, and workshops — explicitly described as not a SaaS, API, or AI-enabled platform. Distribution is direct via one-on-one engagements, embassy delegation programs, university partnerships (UC Berkeley Sutardja Center, Korea University, Universidad Panamericana), and high-profile speaking venues (SelectUSA Summit, Asian Leadership Conference, Global Student Startup Competition).

The business model is professional-services fee-for-engagement with quote-based pricing; revenue is not publicly disclosed and the firm is entirely founder-owned with no outside investment. Reach is claimed across 76 countries and 65 industries, anchored by 350+ verified media citations across 101 countries and ongoing advisory roles to the U.S. Department of State and SelectUSA.

Name

Cheryl Edison

Legal name

Edison International

Website

https://cheryledison.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cheryl Edison operates Edison International, a Silicon Valley-based solo advisory practice providing US market entry, fundraising coaching, and startup ecosystem design to international founders, corporates, governments, and universities across 76 countries and 65 industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Consulting and Advisory Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Leadership Development (BPACANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship, Startup Incubation & Pitch Programs (EDAMAKAK), Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH), Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA), Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN)

Keywords

• US market entry advisory
• Startup ecosystem consulting
• Investment readiness coaching
• Embassy trade mission programs
• Global business growth strategy

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Advisory Services: Edison partners with established companies expanding into US markets or seeking innovation partnerships. She guides executive teams through American business culture, strategic positioning, and partnership development. This includes personalized coaching and strategic frameworks.
2. Speaking Engagements: Keynotes, panels, and workshops for event producers and conference organizers. Dynamic presentations on fundraising, US market entry, and ecosystem building delivered at embassy trade missions, universities, and industry conferences.
3. Embassy Trade Mission Programs: Edison designs and delivers strategic programs for embassies bringing delegations to Silicon Valley. Programs include preparation for American business interactions, high-value networking facilitation, and frameworks for sustained US engagement.
4. Startup Ecosystem Consulting: Architecting thriving startup ecosystems for universities, accelerators, governments, and property developers. Includes program design, stakeholder convening, and infrastructure creation connecting entrepreneurs with resources.
5. Fast Track Toolkit Resources: Proven frameworks and lexicons for global expansion, investment readiness, and ecosystem building. Downloadable resources including lexicons that help clients sound knowledgeable and navigate business contexts across industries.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cheryl Edison, through Edison International, delivers founder-led global business growth advisory services for companies and institutions seeking US market entry, investment readiness, startup ecosystem development, and cross-border partnership formation. Engagements are delivered personally by Cheryl Edison as one-on-one consulting, workshops, mentorship, and speaking engagements for corporates, startups, embassies, universities, accelerators, and government clients.

Product overview

Cheryl Edison operates as a solo business advisory and consulting practice under Edison International, offering a portfolio of interrelated service modules centered on global business growth strategy, US market entry, and startup ecosystem development. The core offering is personalized advisory and consulting services, supplemented by speaking engagements, educational resources (Fast Track Toolkit), and structured programs such as the SelectUSA Summit mentoring program. Services are organized into six distinct modules targeting different client segments: Corporates, Embassy Trade Missions, Event Producers, Partnerships, Startups, and Startup Ecosystems. The company does not offer a technology product, SaaS platform, or AI-enabled software—all offerings are human-delivered consulting, coaching, and educational services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advisory and Consulting Services Core professional services engagement covering US market entry strategy, investment readiness and pitch preparation, startup ecosystem development, corporate partnership architecture, and cross-border growth strategy. Delivered personally by Cheryl Edison to corporates, startups, scaleups, embassies, universities, accelerators, governments, and venture capital firms.
• Fast Track Toolkit Downloadable resource pack of proprietary frameworks and lexicons for global business expansion, investment readiness, and ecosystem building, including transformation tools that help clients sound knowledgeable and navigate business contexts across industries.
• Speaking Engagements Keynote presentations, panel appearances, and workshops for conferences, summit organizers, corporate events, embassy programs, and universities. Signature topics include The Physics of Business Growth, Building Cross-Border Partnerships That Multiply, Investment Readiness and The Three Pitches, US Market Entry Strategy for Global Founders, and Startup Ecosystem Development.
• SelectUSA Summit Mentoring Program Private one-on-one mentoring and program delivery for CEOs at the SelectUSA Summit, focused on US market entry and fundraising, kicking off a yearlong engagement with founders from 100+ countries.

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• U.S. Department of StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdison serves as a trusted advisor to US State Department Entrepreneur Programs including US Market Entry initiatives. Works with State Department's Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) and other diplomatic programs to provide entrepreneurship guidance and ecosystem development support.
• SelectUSAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentor for CEOs at SelectUSA Summit, providing private one-on-ones for global founders. SelectUSA brings together 100+ countries for the premier US investment summit. Partnership serves as kickoff for yearlong program.
• UC Berkeley (Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration as Industry Faculty at Sutardja Center. Edison delivers 5-day intensive growth strategy programs at #1 public university, including GTM strategy, elevator pitch coaching, and investor demo day mentorship.
• ScaleNLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentor at ScaleNL helping startups with go-to-market strategies. Partner organization supporting Dutch startups in international scaling efforts.
• National Incubation Center KarachimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted workshops on taking startups global, market entry tactics, and building international partnerships. Full-house sessions with entrepreneurs and business development professionals.
• National Incubation Center HyderabadmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted session on playbook for taking startups global with remarkable clarity on market entry tactics and building global partnerships.
• Tecnopuc Science Park (PUCRS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Startup Garage program transforming entrepreneur trajectories. Jorge Audy, Dean of Research at PUCRS, expressed admiration for Edison's trajectory in innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Mindspace GreecemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted workshops for Mindspace Greece participants who couldn't stop talking about the experience. Ongoing collaboration on entrepreneurship programs.
• Grameen Creative LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkshop delivery for Young Challengers program. Program Manager Tugba Kupeli expressed thanks for great support and commitment.
• Draper CygnusmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdison provided insights on creating value for investors and customers in Silicon Valley way. VC firm credited her with rewiring their approach to startup investing.
• Women in Business: Invest4Future (Armenia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKeynote speech at Marriott Hotel Armenia for women entrepreneurs and professionals. Broke down stages of business development and shared perspective on growth-oriented mindset.
• Asian Leadership Conference (Korea)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPanel speaker on How Global Accelerators Create Inclusive Startup Ecosystems at Asia's premier forum connecting global leaders.
• Global Student Startup Competition (GSSC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Fellow, Mentor & Coach for virtual workshops, pitch bootcamp, and final competition spanning March-May 2026.
• AddInVenturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeaker at AddInVentures event focused on field-tested frameworks for founders scaling beyond borders.
• Korea UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilicon Valley growth strategy program meeting Korea's next founders: US market entry & fundraising frameworks.
• Edison - KimVenturous VC Capstone SeminarmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner8-week Sprint Finale with workshops and private one-on-ones coaching Korean founders to transform SelectUSA contacts into US sales and strategic affiliate pipeline.
• Universidad Panamericana (UPAM)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner3-week hybrid course on US market entry & fundraising essentials for engineers going from lab to global markets.
• U.S. Embassy PragueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerErik Black, Cultural Attache, collaborated on virtual programs during Corona virus period with ongoing collaboration potential.
• U.S. Embassy PanamaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Community Champions program and entrepreneurship initiatives.
• University of Moratuwa (Sri Lanka)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeminar on marketing strategies conducted for engineering faculty students.
• University of Colombo (Sri Lanka)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkshop delivery on entrepreneurship and business development for university management studies.
• University of Sri Jayewardenepura (Sri Lanka)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkshop on entrepreneurship for management faculty students.
• American Corner Kandy (Sri Lanka)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirtual series workshop on entrepreneurship and business growth.
• Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on digital ID and sanitation solutions for refugees, working with Senior Program Officer Sun Kim on leveraging diverse perspectives to serve others.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Startup Genome: Ecosystem intelligence and advisory firm focused on startup ecosystem development and policy advisory to governments and accelerators. Overlaps directly with Edison's ecosystem-architecture work for universities, accelerators, and governments, though Startup Genome leans more into data products.
• Scaling Up (Gazelles): Growth strategy advisory and coaching network (founded by Verne Harnish) serving growth-stage companies and accelerators globally with proprietary frameworks. Closely comparable in business model as a solo/founder-led advisory practice monetizing codified growth playbooks across multiple industries.
• Antler: Global early-stage VC and accelerator active across 25+ countries with a focus on founder formation and US market entry support. Most directly comparable to Edison's work helping founders with pitch development, US fundraising, and Silicon Valley ecosystem access, though Antler deploys capital.
• Village Capital: Non-profit venture support organization building entrepreneurship ecosystems in emerging and developed markets. Compares closely to Edison's ecosystem-architecture services for universities, governments, and accelerators, particularly its focus on founders in underserved geographies.

Broad incumbents

• General Assembly: Workforce training and education provider for entrepreneurs and tech professionals, with bootcamps, workshops, and corporate programs. Comparable in delivering structured training to founder cohorts and university partnerships, though at much larger institutional scale.
• Endeavor: Global high-impact entrepreneur support organization operating across 40+ markets with a similar mission of helping founders scale internationally. Like Edison, it bridges founders with investors, corporates, and policymakers, but operates as a larger, multi-employee nonprofit with selection-driven programming.
• Vistage: Executive advisory and peer-group platform serving SME CEOs and founders with structured coaching engagements. Comparable in delivering high-touch advisory to founders and growth-stage leaders, though Vistage focuses on domestic US SMBs rather than international cross-border founders.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network supporting founders with mentorship and US market entry across 20+ countries. Comparable in supporting international founders entering US markets and partnering with State Department-style programs, but operates at venture-backed scale with cohort equity participation.
• Mass Challenge: Non-equity global accelerator with programs in the US, Mexico, Switzerland, Israel, and other regions supporting early-stage founders. Overlaps with Edison's US market entry and ecosystem development work, especially via partnerships with State Department-linked trade missions.

Emerging players

• Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE): Network of organizations supporting small and growing businesses in developing markets, with ecosystem-building programming for accelerators and governments. Comparable to Edison's emerging-market startup ecosystem work (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Armenia), with overlapping embassy and donor stakeholder communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cheryledison
• Facebookfacebook.com/itscheryledison
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/cheryledison
• Instagraminstagram.com/cheryl.edison

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Cheryl Edison