The Callidus Group

What The Callidus Group does

The Callidus Group is a private, for-profit consulting firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, founded in 2008. The firm delivers entrepreneurial education, business mentoring, and advisory services to early-stage entrepreneurs, existing small business owners, and technology/life science founders in the United States. Its core offering is the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation's FastTrac® curriculum, delivered as ten three-hour sessions across three tracks (early-stage, existing business, and technology/life science), supplemented by standalone seminars on pricing, leadership, business planning, franchising, and time management, plus tailored one-on-one business mentoring. The team comprises three principal consultants—David Fair, Bill Ringle, and Robert "Bob" Graham—who collectively bring operating experience spanning manufacturing, aerospace, and Fortune 50 senior leadership.

The firm operates as a services business with no proprietary software platform, no mobile or web application, and no disclosed API or technical product surface. Distribution is direct-to-client via the company website, phone, and email, supplemented by partner-channel referrals through the SBA-affiliated SCORE mentoring network (where David Fair is a certified mentor) and PowerLink (where he serves as Executive-in-Residence). Customer acquisition is therefore primarily regional and relationship-driven rather than platform-mediated.

The revenue model is professional services fees generated through workshop cohorts, multi-session program enrollments, and individualized consulting engagements. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with no recurring subscription or SaaS component. The firm has not raised outside capital, has no disclosed revenue, and operates with a 1-10 person headcount consistent with a micro-consulting practice anchored on its three principals.

Name

The Callidus Group

Legal name

The Callidus Group

Website

https://thecallidusgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Callidus Group is a Pittsburgh-based consulting firm delivering Kauffman Foundation FastTrac® entrepreneurial education programs, standalone business seminars, and one-on-one mentoring to early-stage entrepreneurs, existing small business owners, and technology/life science founders across three delivery tracks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI)

Keywords

• Startup consulting services
• Entrepreneurial education programs
• Business mentoring services
• Leadership development training
• Business planning workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

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. Consulting and Mentoring Services: The company generates revenue through providing customized mentoring services tailored to specific business needs, as well as consulting engagements for entrepreneurs and business leaders seeking growth, profitability, and employee engagement guidance.
2. Educational Programs and Seminars: Revenue is generated through facilitation of educational programs including half-day seminars, eight-session leadership programs, ten-session business development courses, and four-hour strategic planning workshops. Programs cover topics such as entrepreneurship exploration, value-based pricing, business planning, and time management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Callidus Group provides entrepreneurial education and business consulting for entrepreneurs and business leaders, delivering Kauffman Foundation FastTrac® certified programs across ten three-hour sessions covering early-stage ventures, existing businesses, and technology/life science companies. It also offers standalone half-day and multi-session seminars on entrepreneurship fundamentals, pricing strategy, leadership, business planning, and time management, along with tailored one-on-one mentoring and strategic planning engagements.

Product overview

The Callidus Group is a startup and business consulting firm offering a portfolio of programs and services for entrepreneurs and business leaders. The core offering includes Kauffman Foundation FastTrac® certified programs (ten three-hour sessions each) for early-stage entrepreneurs, existing business owners, and technology/life science entrepreneurs. These are complemented by individual seminars covering entrepreneurship fundamentals, pricing strategies, leadership development, business planning, and time management. The firm also provides tailored mentoring and consulting services for businesses seeking to build solid foundations and achieve consistent growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FastTrac® Programs Kauffman Foundation-certified, ten three-hour session entrepreneurial education courses designed for early-stage entrepreneurs, existing business owners, and technology/life science entrepreneurs, equipping them with business skills, insights, tools, resources, and networks to start and grow successful businesses.
• Exploring Entrepreneurship Seminar A half-day seminar that explores the basics of being an entrepreneur, covering personal needs, business needs, starting a business, buying an existing business, and entering into a franchise.
• Value-Based Pricing Seminar Explores pricing components and methods including cost-plus pricing, competitive pricing, market pricing, and value-based pricing, enabling participants to create high-perceived value.
• The Me; The Market; The Money Seminar Explores entrepreneurial characteristics, market needs and product/service value, and basic financial considerations for starting a business, leaving participants with a basic business concept statement.
• Exploring Franchising Seminar Explores the pluses and minuses of entering into a franchise agreement, providing a realistic understanding of the opportunities and pitfalls of owning a franchise.
• Exploring Leadership Program An eight-session program discussing aptitude, characteristics, attitudes, and traits necessary for effective leadership, targeted at newly assigned roles, emerging leaders, and aspiring leaders.
• Elements of a Formal Business Plan Seminar Discusses reasons for a formal business plan, basic elements, and what is involved in completing one, leaving participants with a thorough understanding of components and uses.
• Tuning Up Your Business Plan Seminar Targeted at those with existing business plans that are unused or outdated; re-energizes participants by revisiting fundamentals and pushing them to reach the next plateau of growth.
• Time Management Seminar Teaches how to prioritize, plan workweeks, effectively create and use to-do lists, and use systems to stay focused, designed for supervisors, managers, leaders, or anyone seeking productivity improvement.
• Business Mentoring Tailored mentoring services addressing specific needs of businesses, providing support for building a solid foundation and structure for consistent growth.
• Three-Year Vision Program A four-hour program for existing entrepreneurs to establish a three-year vision, guiding through reflection, vision, and planning processes.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ewing Marion Kauffman FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Callidus Group is a certified facilitator for the Kauffman Foundation's FastTrac® programs. Kauffman FastTrac® education courses equip aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with business skills, insights, tools, resources, and networks to start and grow successful businesses. Multiple team members (Robert Graham and David Fair) are certified facilitators for this nationally recognized entrepreneurship education program.
• SCOREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Fair serves as a certified mentor with SCORE, providing business guidance and mentoring services to entrepreneurs through the SCORE organization which provides free business mentoring services.
• PowerLinkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Fair serves as an Executive-in-Residence with PowerLink, helping guide entrepreneurs through startup and early growth phases. PowerLink is a business accelerator focused on helping early-stage companies grow.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Strategic Coach: Coaching and entrepreneurial development firm targeting founders and business owners with structured multi-session programs. Comparable in cohort-based program design and entrepreneur-focused value proposition.
• SCORE: Nationwide network of volunteer business mentors providing free mentoring and workshops to entrepreneurs and small business owners. Directly comparable as Callidus co-delivers through SCORE and competes with it for the same customer base.
• ActionCOACH: Global business coaching franchise serving SMBs and entrepreneurs with structured programs for growth, leadership, and operations. Comparable in target customer (small business owners) and program-based delivery model.
• Small Business Development Centers (SBDC): SBA-funded network offering free one-on-one business advising, training, and resources to entrepreneurs. Competes head-to-head with Callidus' mentoring and educational programs, but subsidized by federal funding.
• Kauffman Foundation FastTrac® Facilitators (other regional providers): Other certified FastTrac® facilitators operating the same Kauffman curriculum in different geographies. Closest direct functional peer, sharing the same curriculum, format, and certification.

Broad incumbents

• Babson College Executive Education: Top-ranked entrepreneurship institution offering executive education for entrepreneurs and business owners. Overlaps in audience (growth-oriented founders) and topic area (entrepreneurship) but operates at much larger scale and price point.
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: National, well-funded entrepreneurship education program for small business owners offering cohort-based tuition-free programs. Comparable in target customer and curriculum structure, but with dramatically larger scale and brand reach.

Regional players

• SMC Business Councils: Regional peer-to-peer advisory group for mid-market manufacturing and business leaders, where David Fair was previously President & CEO. Overlaps in SMB advisory services and Pittsburgh-area business community.
• TiE Pittsburgh: Local chapter of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), a global nonprofit fostering entrepreneurship through mentoring, education, and networking. Comparable in entrepreneur mentoring and education mission within the Pittsburgh market.
• PowerLink: Pittsburgh-based business accelerator helping early-stage companies grow. Overlaps in target customer (Pittsburgh-region entrepreneurs) and David Fair's Executive-in-Residence role creates a direct partner/competitor dynamic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-callidus-group

Compliance1 record

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 The Callidus Group