Global Impact Collective

What Global Impact Collective does

Global Impact Collective (GIC), founded in 2023 as the successor to Resonance Impact Advisors, is a women-driven, remote-first strategy consultancy headquartered in the United States with team members based in the Pacific Northwest and Colorado. The firm applies a blended systems thinking and human-centered design methodology to solve complex, multi-stakeholder challenges across global food systems — from agriculture and supply chains to oceans, food waste, and sustainable sourcing. GIC does not build or sell software products; its core deliverable is bespoke consulting engagements covering impact measurement and reporting frameworks, workshop design and facilitation, qualitative research and strategy, partnership development advisory, and food waste prevention consulting.

GIC serves a diversified client base spanning Fortune 500 corporations (PepsiCo Global Agriculture Office, Sodexo, with team-background ties to Walmart, Microsoft, Google, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and Nike), global NGOs and foundations (World Wildlife Fund, Oxfam, AFESG, Kauffman Foundation), and government entities (Seattle Public Utilities, USAID). Notable engagements include a multi-country impact report and value framework for PepsiCo's Global Agriculture Office, co-design of PepsiCo's first Agricultural Innovation Summit in Bangkok (30+ countries), a global food waste prevention workshop for WWF/Sodexo across US/UK/France operations, and community-driven food waste programs for Seattle Public Utilities engaging 100+ participants across 30+ businesses.

The firm operates a project-based professional services model with bespoke, quote-based engagements. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, leveraging conference speaking (GreenBiz, ReFED Summit, Trellis Impact 26, Menus of Change), an active Insights blog, hosted Pacific Northwest community events at venues including Tactile Inc. and 9Zero Climate Innovation Hub, and direct outreach. GIC is entirely founder-owned with no disclosed external funding, led by Co-Founder & CEO James Bernard (former Microsoft Global Education Team Leader with 30+ years across 50+ countries) and Co-Founder & COO Carey Renn (former Vulcan Inc. Sr. Director of Technology Development who launched the Allen Institute for AI). Core partnerships include WWF (continuation of the co-founder's prior leadership role there) and DT Global Commercial Advisory (joint workshops and thought leadership on sustainable sourcing).

Name

Global Impact Collective

Legal name

Global Impact Collective, Inc.

Website

https://globalimpactcollective.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Impact Collective is a women-driven, remote-first strategy consultancy that blends systems thinking with human-centered design to help Fortune 500 companies, NGOs, foundations, and governments solve complex challenges across global food systems through bespoke workshops, research, and impact measurement frameworks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting (Food Systems and Sustainability)

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

akta.pro primary industry

Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environment, Climate & Sustainable Development IGOs (BPADAAAI), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Food systems consulting
• Sustainability strategy
• Human-centered design
• Impact measurement
• Partnership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategy Consulting & Advisory Services: The company generates revenue by providing strategy consulting engagements to companies, nonprofits, foundations, and governments. Projects include impact reporting frameworks, workshop facilitation, research and strategy, partnership development, and change management. Revenue is project-based and likely varies by scope and client.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Global Impact Collective is a strategy consultancy that blends systems thinking with human-centered design to solve complex challenges in food systems. Its work spans strategy consulting, workshop design and facilitation, impact measurement and reporting, research, partnership development, and food waste prevention for Fortune 500 companies, NGOs, foundations, and government agencies. All services are delivered through bespoke, project-based engagements rather than any standardized product or software offering.

Product overview

Global Impact Collective is a women-driven strategy consultancy that offers a portfolio of professional services rather than a software product. Their offerings include food systems strategy consulting, workshop design and facilitation, impact measurement and reporting frameworks, research and strategy services, and partnership development advisory. The company works across multiple service areas including agriculture, oceans, food waste, and sustainable supply chains, combining systems thinking with human-centered design methodologies. All services are delivered through collaborative engagements with clients rather than through a software platform or product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Systems Strategy Consulting Bespoke strategy consulting that blends systems thinking with human-centered design to address complex food systems challenges across supply chains, sustainability, and food waste, for companies, nonprofits, foundations, and governments.
• Workshop Design and Facilitation Design and delivery of interactive workshops using human-centered design methodologies, including co-creation sessions, stakeholder engagement, and idea generation workshops for multi-stakeholder groups.
• Impact Measurement and Reporting Development of frameworks and narrative reports that connect strategic initiatives to measurable business outcomes, KPIs, and impact metrics, exemplified by GIC's work for the PepsiCo Global Agriculture Office.
• Research and Strategy Services Qualitative research, stakeholder interviews, market analysis, and strategic planning to inform food systems interventions and sustainability initiatives.
• Partnership Development Advisory Strategic guidance on building and managing cross-sector partnerships between corporations, NGOs, foundations, and governments to advance sustainability and food systems goals.
• Food Waste Prevention Consulting Community-centered food waste prevention programs that reframe food as a connector and engage local businesses, municipalities, and frontline teams in behavior change initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• GIC helped Sodexo design a food waste prevention workshop; Sodexo was on track to reach half its food waste by 2025 and Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Aadyanta AdvisoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner on the About page of Global Impact Collective's website. Aadyanta Advisory is a strategy and advisory firm. No specific co-developed initiatives are detailed on the GIC website.
• DT GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIC and DT Global Commercial Advisory co-hosted a joint workshop at GreenBiz25 on 'the second era of sustainable sourcing.' DT Global is an international development consulting firm. The partnership leverages GIC's human-centered design expertise with DT Global's commercial advisory sustainability practice to deliver workshops and thought leadership in the sustainable sourcing space. The collaboration produced a joint paper on navigating the future of sustainable sourcing.
• USAIDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner on the About page of Global Impact Collective's website. The nature and scope of the USAID partnership is not detailed on the GIC website.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIC worked with WWF on a global food waste workshop initiative for Sodexo, co-designing and delivering interactive sessions for partnership participants from the US, UK, and France. GIC was also commissioned by WWF (through the U.S. Food Waste Pact, in partnership with ReFED) to study the Pacific Northwest plum supply chain. Judith Hochhauser Schneider led WWF's global partnerships with companies before joining GIC, creating a natural continuation of the relationship.
• SodexocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIC partnered with WWF to co-design a food waste prevention workshop for Sodexo's global operations. The engagement was part of WWF and Sodexo's long-standing partnership. GIC's workshop was highlighted as a key mechanism for translating WWF's research into actionable change for Sodexo's frontline teams across multiple countries. Sodexo was on track to reach half its food waste by 2025.
• Thomas BouchardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding advisor to the Global Impact Collective. A design leader and strategist who, along with James Bernard, Don Coyner, and Steve Kaneko, formed the founding group of the Collective. His deep background in human-centered design and strategic leadership helped shape the Collective's approach to co-creating scalable, systemic solutions for global impact.
• Don CoynerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding advisor to the Global Impact Collective. Design Director and former Microsoft colleague of James Bernard. One of the four founders who began the 'coffee chat' that led to the Collective's founding. Brings decades of experience in human-centered design and innovation leadership.
• Steve KanekominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding advisor to the Global Impact Collective. Design Architect and former Microsoft colleague of James Bernard and Don Coyner. Part of the original founding group. Contributed deep expertise in design and strategic leadership to help establish the Collective's methodology.
• Tactile Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner venue host for GIC's community networking events in Seattle. GIC hosted multiple events (Food Waste Prevention panel, AI for Societal Good panel) at Tactile Inc.'s workspace, indicating an ongoing venue/partnership relationship for community event hosting.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SustainAbility: Strategy consultancy advising corporates and NGOs on sustainability, ESG strategy, and impact reporting. Closely comparable in service mix (strategy, reporting frameworks, stakeholder engagement) and client types to GIC.
• NewForesight: Sustainable sourcing and supply-chain consultancy advising food and apparel multinationals on ESG strategy and partnership design. Directly comparable to GIC's PepsiCo, Sodexo, and sustainable-sourcing engagements.
• Futerra: Sustainability strategy and communications agency working with global brands and NGOs on behavior change and food-related campaigns. Comparable in combining strategy, communications, and behavior-change work for sustainability clients.
• Forum for the Future: International sustainability nonprofit and consultancy working on food systems, supply chains, and behavior change with global brands and governments. Highly comparable in mission, methodology, and client base to GIC's food-systems strategy practice.
• SystemIQ: Systems-change consultancy focused on food, land use, and climate, working with corporates, foundations, and multilaterals. Similar methodology (systems change) and shared clients in food systems transformation.
• Metabolic: Sustainability consultancy using systems thinking to help governments and food/agriculture companies redesign supply chains. Comparable methodology (systems thinking) and overlap in food systems and circular economy work.

Others

• DT Global: International development consulting firm with a commercial advisory and sustainability practice. Active GIC partner (joint GreenBiz25 workshop on sustainable sourcing) and therefore adjacent; competes for some sustainability-advisory mandates.

Broad incumbents

• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Large global sustainability consultancy advising Fortune 500 companies on supply chain, climate, and human rights. Comparable client roster and sustainability strategy focus, though BSR is far larger and offers broader service lines than GIC.

Emerging players

• GreenBiz Group / Trellis: Media and events company convening sustainability professionals across food and supply chains. Not a direct competitor but a key channel: GIC regularly speaks at GreenBiz and Trellis conferences and several staff have GreenBiz/Trellis backgrounds.
• ReFED: Nonprofit focused on food waste reduction that convenes stakeholders, publishes research, and runs the U.S. Food Waste Pact. GIC has delivered work commissioned through ReFED-affiliated initiatives, making it a partial peer and collaborator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/globalimpactcollective

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Global Impact Collective