Elderberry.WORK Incorporated
Elderberry.work is a Canadian B2B services marketplace that connects SMBs and startups with vetted independent consultants aged 45+ for fractional, interim, project, and advisory engagements, earning revenue through transaction commissions processed via Stripe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersHamilton, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Elderberry.WORK Incorporated does
Elderberry.work Incorporated is a Canadian B2B services marketplace, headquartered in Hamilton, Canada, that connects businesses with a curated pool of independent consultants aged 45+ who each have 20+ years of business experience. The platform is structured for fractional, interim, project, advisory, retainer, contract, and freelance engagements across functions including growth, operations (with AI), financial, people, transformation (with AI), and international expansion, with primary customer segments being SMBs and startups and secondary segments including non-profits, government, academia, and industry associations.
The core product surface consists of the Elderberry.work Marketplace, the "Knowledge Gigs" engagement model, a "Plug & Play" talent deployment offering, a "Perpetual Agility" methodology playbook, and six verticalized solution pages. The underlying technology stack combines an online listings marketplace, an in-platform messaging service, an AI-bot used to accelerate candidate shortlisting, and a Stripe integration with escrow that holds client payments until work completion. A "3-Layer Quality Assurance" process — rigorous vetting, seasoned diagnostic intake, and curated shortlist — is positioned as the quality gate between supply and demand. International reach is delivered through a partnership with the WIL Group, giving Elderberry.work access to roughly 40 countries and 40,000+ executives as the Canadian node.
Elderberry.work operates as a for-profit social enterprise and earns revenue exclusively through marketplace commissions: transaction fees are charged to both clients and consultants when engagements are completed, and the Terms of Service require that all work be processed through the platform. There are no upfront fees, no publicly disclosed pricing tiers, and consultants set their own hourly, daily, or project rates which are then negotiated with the client. Go-to-market combines a senior partner-led free discovery call with content marketing, an email newsletter, organic social (LinkedIn, Facebook), and referral flows both within the consultant network and via WIL Group. The company is founder-led by David Y. Smith, MBA, employs 1-10 people, and has not disclosed any external funding rounds.
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Elderberry.WORK Incorporated
- Legal name
- Elderberry.work Incorporated
- Website
- https://elderberry.work/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Elderberry.work is a Canadian B2B services marketplace that connects SMBs and startups with vetted independent consultants aged 45+ for fractional, interim, project, and advisory engagements, earning revenue through transaction commissions processed via Stripe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Consulting and Talent Marketplace
- NAICS
- Temporary Help Services (561320)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Clerical & Customer Support Temp Staffing (BPACACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Senior Workforce Transition & Encore Career Learning (Post-retirement work) (EDAAAMAE)
Keywords
Where Elderberry.WORK Incorporated is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamilton
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Platform Fees (Client Side): Platform fees charged to clients when work is commissioned by a consultant. No upfront fees - only transaction fees when service is completed.
- Platform Fees (Consultant Side): Platform fees applied to consultants when they complete work for a client. Hybrid fee structure applied to both groups to keep costs low.
- Marketplace Commission: All transactions must be processed through Elderberry.work as per Terms of Service - this is the company's only revenue source.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Consultant fee listing with negotiated rates |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Elderberry.work operates an online services marketplace that connects businesses with vetted independent consultants aged 45+ who have 20+ years of experience across functions and seniority levels. Engagements span advisory, fractional, interim, project, retainer, contract, and freelance placements, with revenue earned through transaction fees applied to both client and consultant sides upon completion of work.
Product overview
Elderberry.work is a services marketplace platform that connects businesses with vetted independent consultants aged 45+ who have 20+ years of business experience. The platform operates as a unified marketplace with multiple interconnected offerings: the core Elderberry.work Marketplace for matching consultants with businesses; Knowledge Gigs (the flexible consulting engagements themselves); Plug & Play (a talent deployment methodology); Perpetual Agility (a strategic approach combining flexible workforce management with reliable talent access); and 6 Solutions Categories covering Growth & Revenue, Operations, Financial, People, Transformation, and International expansion. The platform enables fractional, interim, project, advisory, and full team engagements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Elderberry.work Marketplace An online services marketplace platform that connects businesses with vetted independent consultants aged 45+ who have 20+ years of business experience across all functions and seniority levels; both businesses and consultants can post requirements and browse listings.
- Knowledge Gigs
Quantifiable outcome
- Full-time results at a fraction of the cost compared to full-time hiring or consulting firms
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Elderberry.WORK Incorporated
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature4 records
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WIL GroupcoreElderberry.work is the Canadian partner in the WIL Group, an international partnership of leading executive recruiters offering interim and fractional executive placements. The network spans approximately 40 countries with a database of 40,000+ executives. Together they provide global reach for Canadian businesses expanding internationally and opportunities for Canadian consultants to work with foreign companies.
- StripecoreGlobal financial services company used for payment processing and credit card transactions. Stripe provides secure payment processing, fraud protection, and escrow services. Elderberry.work uses Stripe to manage all financial transactions - clients pay upfront through credit card or bank transfer, held in escrow until work completion, then released to consultant.
- Forum for International Trade Training (FITT)minorElderberry.work founder David Y Smith published a TradeReady article with FITT titled 'How to tap into the best resource for export success – experience'. FITT is a trade training organization that helps Canadian businesses with international trade.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Catalant: Marketplace connecting independent consultants and fractional executives with businesses for project, advisory, and interim engagements. Closely mirrors Elderberry.work's marketplace model, talent focus, and SMB-to-enterprise buyer base.
- Business Talent Group: On-demand consulting marketplace for fractional executives and project-based experts, now part of Heidrick & Struggles. Highly comparable in product/market fit to Elderberry.work's fractional and interim executive offering.
- GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group): Expert network and consulting platform connecting businesses with vetted subject-matter experts for short-term advisory engagements. Comparable marketplace infrastructure and curated expert positioning, though GLG skews to enterprise/consulting firms as buyers.
- Maven: Marketplace for vetted experts offering cohort-based learning, coaching, and advisory engagements. Shares the curated-expert marketplace model and serves a similar SMB/startup buyer seeking experienced practitioners.
Emerging players
- Toptal: Marketplace for top-tier freelance talent across software, design, finance, and consulting. Comparable curated-talent positioning and SMB buyer base, though broader in demographic and category scope than Elderberry.work's 45+ focused network.
Broad incumbents
- Upwork: Largest public freelance marketplace, offering broad access to consultants across price points. Competes for the same SMB buyer segment but with significantly less vetting, positioning Elderberry.work as a premium alternative.
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with executive search, leadership development, and interim placement practices. Represents the traditional incumbent model that Elderberry.work's fractional marketplace is disrupting.
- Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with practices spanning senior consulting and interim placements. Comparable in serving the senior executive buyer segment that Elderberry.work targets.
Others
- Bain & Company: Top-tier global management consulting firm. Represents the traditional consulting incumbent whose model (dependency-building, high fees) Elderberry.work explicitly positions itself against ('consulting firms create dependency').
- Hone: Live professional development and cohort-based learning platform for managers and senior leaders. Thematically adjacent given Elderberry.work's focus on experienced 45+ professionals, though Hone is a learning product rather than a consulting marketplace.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated social profiles
Digital presenceElderberry.WORK Incorporated financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Elderberry.WORK Incorporated
What does Elderberry.WORK Incorporated do?
Elderberry.work operates an online services marketplace that connects businesses with vetted independent consultants aged 45+ who have 20+ years of experience across functions and seniority levels. Engagements span advisory, fractional, interim, project, retainer, contract, and freelance placements, with revenue earned through transaction fees applied to both client and consultant sides upon completion of work.
Is Elderberry.WORK Incorporated a public or private company?
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Elderberry.WORK Incorporated founded?
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Elderberry.WORK Incorporated based?
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated is headquartered in Hamilton, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Elderberry.WORK Incorporated make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Platform Fees (Client Side) is the primary driver. The others are platform Fees (Consultant Side) and marketplace Commission.
Who are Elderberry.WORK Incorporated's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Catalant, Business Talent Group, GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group) and Maven. Toptal is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Upwork, Korn Ferry and Egon Zehnder. Others are Bain & Company and Hone.
Does Elderberry.WORK Incorporated have an API?
No public API is recorded for Elderberry.WORK Incorporated.
What industry is Elderberry.WORK Incorporated in?
Elderberry.WORK Incorporated's product category is Online Consulting and Talent Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACACAC, Clerical & Customer Support Temp Staffing, with a secondary code of EDAAAMAE, Senior Workforce Transition & Encore Career Learning (Post-retirement work). Its NAICS code is 561320 and its SIC code is 7361.