Illume Consulting

What Illume Consulting does

Illume Consulting Corp. is a Vancouver-based boutique strategy and technology consulting firm founded in 2015 by Managing Partner Michele Macready. The firm operates with 1-10 employees under a horizontal-segment go-to-market serving four client categories: technology startups, global technology enterprises, universities, and non-profits, primarily across British Columbia and North America. Its service portfolio is organized into three pillars: (1) Strategy and Planning Workshops and Retreats, ranging from single-day sessions to week-long offsite retreats at venues such as Whistler and the Gulf Islands; (2) Advisory Services, including expert advice, leadership mentoring, and acting COO engagements to implement plans and roadmaps; and (3) Project Delivery Services for complex technology products, with documented work in AI, Machine Learning, Quantum Computing, SaaS, Gaming, and Education.

The firm's underlying methodology combines lean and agile concepts, Design Thinking processes, and complex adaptive systems thinking, delivered through a proprietary workshop facilitation framework that includes pre-workshop planning, expert facilitation, and documentation with action-item accountability. Named client engagements include D-Wave Systems (quantum computing), Electronic Arts (gaming), University of British Columbia (digital media leadership), MediaCore (product retreat), DreamRider Productions (advisory for national scaling), and the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (strategic consulting). A documented outcome reference cites Michele Macready's delivery of Cambridge Technology Partners' largest-ever project at $25M, with other cases highlighting 4-product releases in 5 months for a tech-startup client and a 50% timeline reduction for a SaaS startup.

The business model is professional services revenue through engagement-based fees. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to each engagement, spanning single-day workshops to ongoing advisory retainers and project delivery engagements. Public pricing is not disclosed. Distribution is direct sales: the firm's senior practitioners personally engage prospective clients via website contact, email, and professional networks, supported by content marketing through a blog, LinkedIn presence (Michele Macready), and Twitter. Lead conversion is anchored on client testimonials and word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied senior executives. No external funding, M&A, parent-subsidiary relationships, or publicly disclosed financial metrics are referenced in available materials.

Name

Illume Consulting

Legal name

Illume Consulting Corp.

Website

https://illumeconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Illume Consulting is a Vancouver-based boutique strategy and technology consulting firm that designs workshops, provides advisory services, and delivers complex AI, Machine Learning, Quantum Computing, and SaaS product projects for technology startups, global tech enterprises, universities, and non-profits across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Enterprise Architecture & IT Operating Model (BPAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Strategy consulting services
• Technology consulting
• Workshop facilitation
• Product roadmap consulting
• Innovation advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services including strategy workshops, advisory services, and project delivery. Revenue generated through engagement-based fees for workshops, ongoing advisory retainer arrangements, and project-based consulting engagements. Michele Macready has delivered strategy and technology projects up to $25M.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Illume Consulting is a boutique strategy and technology consulting firm that runs custom strategic and product planning workshops, provides expert advisory services for executing strategies and roadmaps, and delivers hands-on project leadership for complex technology products. Engagements span AI, Machine Learning, Quantum Computing, SaaS, Gaming, and Education products for technology startups, global enterprises, universities, and non-profits.

Product overview

Illume Consulting is a strategy and technology consulting firm offering a unified suite of professional services rather than a software product platform. The core offerings consist of three integrated service areas: (1) Strategy and Planning Workshops and Retreats (including Strategic Planning, Technology Planning, Product Roadmap, and Business Model workshops), (2) Advisory Services for plan implementation (including expert advice, leadership mentoring, and acting COO services), and (3) Project Delivery Services for complex technology products (including Product Manager/Owner roles and expert advisory). These services collectively help tech startups, global tech companies, universities, and non-profits to build adaptive strategies, implement plans, and deliver innovative technology products in AI, Machine Learning, Quantum Computing, SaaS, Gaming, and Education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy and Planning Workshops and Retreats Custom strategic, technology, product roadmap, and business model planning workshops and offsite retreats ranging from single-day sessions to week-long offsites; includes pre-workshop planning, expert facilitation, and documentation of action items and timelines for executive teams at technology startups, global enterprises, universities, and non-profits.
• Advisory Services Ongoing advisory, implementation support, leadership mentoring, and acting COO services that help organizations execute strategies identified in workshops, follow up on action items, mentor emerging leaders, and scale product organizations.
• Project Delivery Services Hands-on delivery of complex technology products including first-of-their-kind innovations in AI, Machine Learning, Quantum Computing, SaaS, Gaming, and Education, with embedded roles such as Product Manager, Product Owner, senior advisor, and facilitator using Design Thinking and lean/agile practices; engagements valued up to $25M.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered largest project in Cambridge Technology Partners' history ($25M)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• entrepreneurship@UBCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichele Macready served as a mentor for the entrepreneurship@UBC program, advising startup teams on business strategy, product development, and lean startup methodologies. Mentored the Screw Cutter Project team through the Lean Launch Pad program to identify value proposition, customer segments, and build and test business models.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bain & Company: Top-tier global strategy consulting firm with a strong innovation and technology practice. Competes for the same C-suite-led strategy and product planning work that Illume delivers in its workshop and advisory engagements.
• Accenture: Global professional services firm with a large Strategy & Consulting practice spanning technology, AI, and digital transformation. Overlaps with Illume's enterprise AI/ML/SaaS advisory and project delivery work, but at global scale.
• Slalom: Large North American management and technology consulting firm with deep presence in Seattle/Vancouver. Slalom competes for the same mid-market and enterprise strategy, digital transformation, and product advisory engagements, but at significantly greater scale.
• Deloitte Consulting: Big Four advisory arm covering strategy, technology, and human capital consulting. Competes for large enterprise transformation mandates in AI, quantum, and SaaS where Illume operates as a more senior, lean alternative.
• McKinsey & Company: Premier global management consulting firm serving large enterprises and institutions on strategy and transformation. Overlaps with Illume's executive workshop and strategy advisory work, particularly for tech and innovation-led engagements.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG): Global strategy consulting leader where Illume's founder Michele Macready previously worked. BCG competes for high-value strategy and technology engagements with the same target buyer profile (CEOs, executive teams at tech and enterprise clients) but at vastly greater scale and brand recognition.
• CEB (now part of Gartner): Former advisory and research firm serving executives with best-practice research, benchmarking, and consulting—directly overlapping with Illume's strategy workshop and executive advisory work for technology and non-profit clients.

Direct peers

• Frog Design (now part of Capgemini Invent): Design and innovation consultancy combining strategy, design thinking, and product development. Closely aligned with Illume's workshop facilitation, product roadmapping, and Design Thinking-led engagement model.
• Thoughtworks: Global technology consultancy that blends strategy, product, and engineering delivery for AI, ML, and SaaS clients. Closest peer in terms of combining product strategy advisory with hands-on delivery of complex technology products in the same emerging-tech domains as Illume.

Others

• Pivotal Corporation (now part of VMware/Tanzu): Historical employer of Illume's senior consultant Yee Chan and a software/product strategy consultancy that helped enterprises build innovative products. Reflects the same lean model of senior-led product advisory that Illume practices.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mmacready
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illume-consulting

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 Illume Consulting