StrategyForward Advisors

What StrategyForward Advisors does

StrategyForward Advisors is a Washington, DC-based, woman-owned boutique consulting firm operating at the intersection of postsecondary education policy, strategy, and intermediary work. Founded and led by Dr. Julie Johnson, the firm serves national foundations (Lumina, Gates), state higher-education systems, postsecondary institutions, and national associations with three integrated service lines: Strategy & Policy Design, Coaching & Implementation, and Research & Evaluation. Engagement scope spans national, state, and system-level transformation initiatives in adult learner reengagement, competency-based education, learning and employment records, micro-credentials, advising redesign, and equity-centered reform.

The firm operates with a small core staff of 1-10 employees supplemented by a curated network of roughly fifteen named collaborators across policy, research, digital credentials, environmental policy, justice and education, design, and communications. Notable collaborators include former higher-education executives (e.g., a former EVP at Southern New Hampshire University), state policy leaders (former Senior Advisor to the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education), and domain specialists (a former Texas higher-ed senior director behind the OERTX digital library that attracted over 500,000 users). The firm holds Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) certification, is an E-Verify employer, and is a member of the Second Chance Hiring Alliance.

StrategyForward generates revenue through custom-scoped professional services engagements with foundations, policy organizations, associations, states, and institutions. There is no proprietary software platform, no published pricing, and no disclosed revenue or funding history. Distribution is relationship-led: the founder's network in higher-education policy circles, content marketing through the UntappED Potential blog (also cross-posted to Medium), speaking engagements at institutions such as Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, and direct engagement via the firm website. Recent strategic activity includes a two-year partnership with Lumina Foundation and CollegeAPP on rural community college adult learner engagement (announced 2025-09-23) and continued participation in the LER Accelerator coalition of 12 national associations.

Name

StrategyForward Advisors

Legal name

StrategyForward Advisors LLC

Website

https://strategyforwardadvisors.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

StrategyForward Advisors is a Washington, DC-based, woman-owned boutique consultancy that provides strategy, policy, coaching, and research services to foundations, state systems, institutions, and associations working to transform U.S. postsecondary education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Consulting Services

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

Keywords

• Postsecondary education consulting
• Higher education policy
• Education strategy advisory
• Workforce credentialing consulting
• Higher education intermediary

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Revenue generated through consulting engagements providing strategic advisory services, policy development, coaching and implementation support, and research and evaluation services to postsecondary education clients including foundations, policy organizations, associations, states, and institutions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

StrategyForward Advisors is a boutique postsecondary policy, strategy, and intermediary firm that delivers three integrated consulting offerings: Strategy & Policy Design (developing solutions, tools, and frameworks to advance client priorities), Coaching & Implementation (guiding clients through planning, execution, and impact measurement), and Research & Evaluation (conducting research on what works and raising the visibility of evidence-based practices). Engagements are delivered as custom-scoped consulting projects to national foundations, policy organizations, associations, state higher education systems, and postsecondary institutions.

Product overview

StrategyForward Advisors is a boutique postsecondary policy, strategy, and intermediary firm offering consulting services rather than a software product. The company provides three integrated service offerings: Strategy & Policy Design (developing solutions, tools, and frameworks), Coaching & Implementation (guiding clients through planning and execution), and Research & Evaluation (conducting evidence-based research and assessment). These services are delivered through collaborative, cross-cutting expertise to help clients transform postsecondary education at national, state, and system levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy & Policy Design Consulting service that designs solutions, tools, and frameworks to advance client priorities in postsecondary education transformation.
• Coaching & Implementation Guides clients through planning, implementation, and impact measurement, facilitating a structured process through to results.
• Research & Evaluation Conducts research focused on understanding what works and raises the visibility of evidence-based practices and policies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported institutions in building capacity for strategic transformation and policy implementation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lumina FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025Partnership with Lumina Foundation and CollegeAPP for the Rural Community College Adult Learner Engagement initiative. The two-year project supports six rural colleges in strengthening outreach to attract and enroll adults. StrategyForward Advisors supports colleges in reflecting on and refining their brand strategy to better engage and enroll adults.
• CollegeAPPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025Partnership with Lumina Foundation and StrategyForward Advisors for the Rural Community College Adult Learner Engagement initiative. CollegeAPP works with colleges to identify and better understand the adults in their community, particularly those students who have been poorly served over time.
• American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting the LER Accelerator coalition of 12 national associations including AACRAO as it seeks to boost the adoption of Learning and Employment Records (LERs) across postsecondary education.
• Complete College AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Julie Johnson serves on the board of directors of Complete College America, including its Equitable Artificial Intelligence National Advisory Council. Previously served as Vice President of Strategy for Complete College America overseeing state higher education policy and advocacy for 42 states.
• Upswing InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Adrian K. Haugabrook currently serves on the board of directors of Upswing International, an education technology company.
• Education Design LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Adrian K. Haugabrook was selected into the inaugural cohort as Designer in Residence with the Education Design Lab (2021-2022). Collaboration on community college transformation and micro-credential initiatives.
• Second Chance Hiring AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud member of the Second Chance Hiring Alliance, demonstrating commitment to second chance employment practices.
• Maya Angelou SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Julie Johnson serves as a long-time board member and former board chair for Maya Angelou Schools, serving opportunity and system-impacted youth and young adults. Schools provide education for justice-involved youth at New Beginnings, DC Jail, and Youth Services Center.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• EAB: Large education advisory firm serving colleges, universities, and K-12 institutions with research, technology, and consulting services. Broad incumbent because it competes for some institutional advisory work but at significantly larger scale and with a broader portfolio beyond StrategyForward's postsecondary policy niche.

Direct peers

• Education Strategy Group: Education strategy and workforce pathways organization that advises states, systems, and institutions on college and career readiness. Direct peer because it operates in the same postsecondary policy and strategy consulting niche with overlapping client base of foundations and state systems.
• Jobs for the Future: National nonprofit that drives workforce and education transformation, including postsecondary credentialing and adult learner pathways. Direct peer because it competes for the same foundation and state policy engagements and overlaps on micro-credential, advising redesign, and workforce alignment work.
• HCM Strategists: Strategic advisory and lobbying firm focused on education, workforce, and social policy at the federal and state levels. Direct peer because it competes for the same foundation, association, and state policy advisory engagements in postsecondary transformation.
• Education Design Lab: Organization focused on community college transformation and micro-credentials, including the Designer in Residence program. Direct peer because it competes for micro-credential and community college transformation engagements and shares a Lumina Foundation client base.
• Achieving the Dream: Network focused on community college student success and equity that advises colleges on institutional transformation. Direct peer because of overlapping community-college-focused strategy and advising redesign work, including shared collaborator connections (e.g., Andres Quintanilla).
• Aspen Institute College Excellence Program: Program focused on community college leadership and student success that convenes and advises colleges and state systems. Direct peer because of overlapping work on community college transformation, leadership coaching, and student success.
• Complete College America: Alliance focused on college completion with which Dr. Johnson is deeply tied (former VP of Strategy). Direct peer because CCA convenes state policy work on completion, adult learners, and equitable outcomes—the same policy domains StrategyForward services.
• Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP): Policy organization focused on higher education access, success, and affordability that conducts research and advises policymakers. Direct peer because IHEP is both a current StrategyForward collaborator partner and a competitor for foundation-funded policy research and state policy work.
• CivicLab: Organization building systems-change leadership capacity in higher education, including the Systemness Leadership Academy. Direct peer because of overlapping work on systems change, leadership coaching, and state-level transformation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/juliejjohnson
• Xx.com/juliejjohnson1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 StrategyForward Advisors