KO Consulting, LLC

What KO Consulting, LLC does

KO Consulting, LLC is a woman-owned community and economic development consulting firm headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio, with a secondary office in Cleveland. Founded in 2012 by Kristen Olmi, the firm became a full-time operation in Fall 2020 and now employs 13 staff (11 full-time, 2 part-time as of August 2025) serving more than 35 clients across government entities, nonprofit organizations, and small businesses. Its core offerings are professional services — grant writing and research, project development, business planning and startup services, grant compliance, government affairs, capacity building, 501(c)(3) application support, and comprehensive municipal planning — delivered through project-based engagements and ongoing retainer arrangements. The firm reports having secured more than $50 million in funding for clients since 2020, including over $1 million through Ohio's FY 2027-2028 capital budget.

The firm operates with no proprietary technology platform; its competitive position rests on senior consulting talent, deep community relationships in the Mahoning Valley, and demonstrated access to public funding programs. The team includes veterans of NYC municipal government, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown's office, Buckeye Hills Regional Council, and YSU's government affairs function. GTM is sales-led and community-led: a free 30-minute consultation serves as the top-of-funnel entry point, with growth driven by referrals, board-level community presence (YWCA Mahoning Valley, Youngstown Prosperity), and media coverage in regional outlets. Geographic footprint now spans Ohio plus engagements in California, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Texas, with an active expansion into Appalachian Ohio announced for April 2026. Certifications include BBB A+ accreditation obtained July 2025; recognition includes the 2024 Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber Business Advocate of the Year award.

Name

KO Consulting, LLC

Legal name

KO Consulting, LLC

Website

https://koconsultllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KO Consulting is a woman-owned community and economic development consulting firm in Youngstown, Ohio, providing grant writing, project development, business planning, and government affairs services to municipalities, nonprofits, and small businesses, with over $50 million in client funding secured since 2020.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community and Economic Development Consulting

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

Keywords

• Grant writing services
• Community development consulting
• Economic development consulting
• Nonprofit consulting services
• Government affairs consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Youngstown, Ohio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting fees for community and economic development services including grant writing, grant compliance, project development, business planning, and government affairs. Services delivered through project-based engagements and retainer arrangements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

KO Consulting is a woman-owned community and economic development consulting firm that delivers grant writing and research, grant compliance, project development, business planning and startup services, capacity building, government affairs/lobbying, 501(c)(3) application assistance, and comprehensive municipal planning. The firm serves government entities (municipalities, school districts, townships, cities), nonprofit organizations, and small business owners primarily in Ohio and the broader Midwest region. Services are delivered through project-based engagements and retainer arrangements.

Product overview

KO Consulting, LLC is a woman-owned community and economic development consulting firm offering a unified suite of consulting services across three divisions: Business, Nonprofit, and Government. The company's core offerings include grant writing and research, project development, business planning and startup services, grant compliance, government affairs, and capacity building. They also provide specialized services such as 501(c)(3) tax exemption applications and comprehensive municipal planning. The firm operates across Ohio with a focus on the Mahoning Valley and is expanding into Appalachian Ohio, serving clients ranging from small businesses to government entities. The company does not offer a software-as-a-service product but rather professional consulting services delivered by their team of consultants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $50 million in funding secured for clients since 2020
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Prest Public Strategies / Josh PrestcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Prest Public Strategies for government relations services. Josh Prest provides state and federal lobbying and government relations for KO clients. KO provides office space to Prest Public Strategies at their Cleveland location.
• Ohio One GroupminorOthersWorking with new owners of Ohio One Building on their development plans for the property where KO Consulting has its headquarters.
• Honeycomb CreditcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Pittsburgh-based crowdfunding platform to facilitate small business funding campaigns. Introduced clients like A Fresh Wind Catering to Honeycomb Credit for crowdfunding investment campaigns.
• Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)coreOthersRecipient of ARC POWER planning grant for regional strategic plan for green industrial manufacturing. Working on projects spanning tri-state region (Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia).
• Norfolk SouthernminorOthersThrough Norfolk Southern's Thriving Communities grant program, helped secure $50,000 for Youngstown State University's Student Security Services division.
• Assembly for Workforce SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Assembly for Workforce Solutions including the Social Information Exchange Network (SIEN) utilizing the Unite Us platform. Collaborative approach to workforce development and service coordination.
• Youngstown/Warren Regional ChamberminorOthersActive member and participant in Chamber events including ribbon cuttings and annual fly-in to Washington D.C. Chamber recognition of CEO's business advocacy work.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ICF International: Large global consulting firm with a substantial public sector practice covering community development, grants management, and government advisory. Represents the scaled, incumbent competitor in KO's space.
• Booz Allen Hamilton: Major government and public-sector consulting firm with capabilities spanning grants, community development, and federal program management. Sets the upper bound of competition KO faces for larger government engagements.

Direct peers

• Fourth Economy: Community and economic development consultancy that partners with regions, cities, and nonprofits on planning, strategy, and grants. Directly overlaps KO's public-sector and nonprofit client segments.
• HR&A Advisors: Economic development and real estate advisory firm advising cities and regions on growth strategies, infrastructure, and community development projects. Comparable services but operates at a larger scale.
• Buxton: Customer analytics and economic development consulting firm working with cities and retail destinations on growth and market entry. Adjacent but comparable in serving municipal economic development clients.
• Camoin Associates: Economic and community development consulting firm of comparable size that advises municipalities, counties, and nonprofits on grants, strategic planning, and project development. Closely matches KO's service mix and public-sector client base.
• Avalanche Consulting: Small-to-mid-sized economic development consulting firm focused on strategic planning, talent, and place-based economic strategies. Similar in scale and customer type to KO Consulting.
• TIP Strategies: Specialized economic development strategy and implementation consultancy serving cities, regions, and nonprofits. Directly comparable in target market and consulting offering.

Others

• Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber: Regional business association that serves as an ecosystem partner and indirect competitor for advocacy and economic development work in the Mahoning Valley. KO's CEO is a recognized chamber honoree and active participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/koconsultingllc
• Facebookfacebook.com/koconsultingllc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ko-consulting-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/koconsultingllc
• TikToktiktok.com/@k.o.consulting

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 KO Consulting, LLC