clearpath

What clearpath does

Clearpath is a private, founder-led fractional executive leadership and strategic advisory firm based in San Francisco. Founded by Darrell Rodriguez, the firm provides on-demand executive expertise by stepping into fractional CEO, COO, or CRO roles for portfolio companies and high-growth ventures navigating scale-up, transition, pivot, or stabilization. Clearpath primarily serves founders, boards, and investors — including venture capital firms seeking to stabilize portfolio companies — across sectors such as HealthTech, waste management, and consumer goods.

The firm's service portfolio centers on a Fractional Executive Leadership core offering, complemented by four structured modules: a 90-Day Reset for operational stabilization, Executive Coaching & Strategic Advising, Governance & Board Readiness, and Turnaround & Crisis Navigation. There is no proprietary software or technology platform; value delivery is entirely human-expertise-driven, grounded in the founder's 30+ years of executive experience at LucasArts (President), International Game Technology (Chief Creative Officer), Electronic Arts (COO), and the Walt Disney Company, along with a certified executive coaching methodology and proprietary diagnostic frameworks such as the 'Good, Bad, Ugly' assessment. The firm operates with 1-10 employees and has no disclosed institutional investors or parent entity.

Clearpath generates revenue through professional services engagements structured as project-based retainers or defined-term contracts, with pricing provided on a quote basis rather than published rates. The go-to-market model is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying primarily on referrals from VC firms, board relationships, and the founder's professional network, supplemented by top-of-funnel content marketing through an active company blog. Customer testimonials cite outcomes including doubled revenue within six months for a Series A HealthTech client, cost reduction without momentum loss for a VC-backed portfolio company, and significant sales lift for a family winery.

Name

clearpath

Legal name

Clearpath

Website

https://clearpath.partners

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clearpath is a San Francisco-based fractional executive leadership and strategic advisory firm providing on-demand CEO, COO, and CRO expertise to founders, boards, and investors of high-growth ventures and investor-backed portfolio companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Fractional Executive Engagements: Clearpath provides fractional executive leadership services where Darrell Rodriguez steps into critical leadership roles (CEO, COO, CRO) for portfolio companies and high-growth ventures. Engagements include structured programs such as the 90-Day Reset, Turnaround & Crisis Navigation, Governance & Board Readiness, and Executive Coaching & Strategic Advising. Revenue is generated through professional services engagements, likely structured as project-based retainers or defined-term contracts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Clearpath provides fractional executive leadership, stepping into interim CEO, COO, or CRO roles to align vision, strategy, and execution for high-growth companies and their portfolio companies. The firm complements this with four structured service modules: a 90-Day Reset for intensive operational stabilization, Executive Coaching & Strategic Advising, Governance & Board Readiness, and Turnaround & Crisis Navigation. All services are delivered through human executive expertise rather than software or technology products.

Product overview

Clearpath is a fractional executive leadership and strategic advisory firm, not a software product company. The company offers a portfolio of consulting service offerings delivered by experienced executives, primarily centered around its Fractional Executive Leadership service as the core offering. This core service is complemented by four specialized service modules: the 90-Day Reset program for intensive operational transformation, Executive Coaching & Strategic Advising for ongoing leadership development, Governance & Board Readiness for investor and governance preparation, and Turnaround & Crisis Navigation for acute business challenges. All services are delivered through human consultants and advisors rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fractional Executive Leadership On-demand executive expertise in which Clearpath steps into critical interim leadership roles such as CEO, COO, or CRO or into strategic integrator roles to align vision, strategy, and execution. Targeted at founders, boards, and investors of high-growth ventures and portfolio companies that need experienced executive leadership without committing to a full-time C-suite hire.
• 90-Day Reset: Structure, Strategy, and Systems An intensive three-month engagement designed to bring clarity, stability, and momentum to organizations facing operational chaos or growth strain through a full business diagnostic, strategic objective prioritization, systems implementation, and establishment of operating rhythms. Targeted at leadership teams of growth-stage and stabilizing companies.
• Executive Coaching & Strategic Advising One-on-one or small-group coaching designed to sharpen decision-making, expand leadership capacity, and help executives navigate challenges, delivered via bi-weekly coaching calls with on-call strategic advisory access. Targeted at individual executives and senior leaders.
• Governance & Board Readiness Specialized engagement to ensure governance structures are investor-ready, legally sound, and aligned with mission and growth goals, including board structure optimization, board-ready reporting, and leadership preparation. Targeted at boards and leadership teams preparing for funding rounds or investor scrutiny.
• Turnaround & Crisis Navigation Urgent, high-intensity engagement for companies facing financial distress, cultural breakdown, or leadership gridlock, including rapid assessment, crisis communication planning, and short- and long-term recovery roadmaps. Targeted at companies in acute operational or financial crisis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue doubled in six months for Series A HealthTech client
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Chief Outsiders: Chief Outsiders is the leading fractional executive services firm, placing former C-suite operators into growth-stage companies on a part-time basis. It is the closest direct competitor to Clearpath's fractional CEO/COO/CRO model and targets an overlapping client base of founders, boards, and investors.
• ghSMART & Company: ghSMART is a leadership advisory firm specializing in executive coaching, CEO selection, and top-team effectiveness for growth companies. Its services overlap with Clearpath's executive coaching and strategic advising offerings and target similar founder and investor clientele.
• RHR International: RHR International is an executive coaching and leadership development firm serving senior executives and boards across industries. It competes directly with Clearpath's executive coaching and governance advisory services for premium leadership engagements.

Broad incumbents

• Teneo: Teneo is a global CEO advisory firm offering strategic communications, management consulting, and risk advisory to senior executives and boards. It overlaps with Clearpath's crisis navigation and governance work but operates at far larger scale with institutional clients.
• Alvarez & Marsal: Alvarez & Marsal is a global professional services firm known for turnaround, restructuring, and performance improvement advisory. It directly competes with Clearpath's Turnaround & Crisis Navigation practice but operates with a much larger practitioner base and corporate restructuring focus.
• FTI Consulting: FTI Consulting is a global advisory firm offering turnaround, restructuring, and strategic communications services. It competes with Clearpath's crisis navigation offering but serves primarily large public and distressed enterprises rather than VC-backed growth companies.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Heidrick & Struggles is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Its leadership advisory and on-demand talent offerings intersect with Clearpath's fractional executive and governance services, though Heidrick operates at significantly larger scale and serves enterprise clients.
• Egon Zehnder: Egon Zehnder is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Its board advisory and executive assessment services overlap with Clearpath's Governance & Board Readiness offering, though Egon Zehnder is positioned for large enterprise and board-level engagements.
• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm with executive search, leadership development, and talent advisory practices. Its leadership consulting services compete broadly with Clearpath's executive coaching and governance offerings at the senior leadership level.
• Spencer Stuart: Spencer Stuart is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm with board advisory practices. Its board readiness and CEO advisory offerings overlap with Clearpath's Governance & Board Readiness service for high-growth and investor-backed companies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clearpath-capital-partners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 clearpath