NVC is your gateway to the region’s most influential industries. As we celebrate 100 years, we’re connecting with trailblazers shaping the future across industries.
With the global consulting market projected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2025, growing at a 6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), the demand for expert guidance has never been higher. Consulting isn’t just about strategy—it delivers real results. In fact, businesses report a 30% improvement in efficiency after consulting engagements, demonstrating the critical role expert advice plays in streamlining operations and driving success.
From government contracting to cutting-edge technology, Northern Virginia remains at the heart of this expansion, home to top-tier consulting firms shaping policy, infrastructure, and digital transformation. In this Q&A, we sit down with industry leaders to explore key trends, challenges, and the future of consulting. Whether you’re an established firm or an emerging player, their insights will illuminate opportunities for growth and impact in an industry redefining how businesses succeed.
Read our latest Q&A with consulting industry leaders.
Andy Wolff, President, Merakata, Inc.
Q: What are your clients most concerned about in today’s business landscape, and how is your organization helping them navigate these challenges?
At Merakata, we are seeing clients increasingly concerned about modernizing and leveraging their data capabilities to remain competitive. We help our clients navigate these challenges by simultaneously delivering near-term incremental value while strategically building “future-proof” data ecosystems. Our methodology centers on a use-case-driven approach, where we first take the time to understand specific business problems before identifying and prioritizing the necessary data. This approach helps us identify gaps in the existing data ecosystem while keeping implementation costs manageable and accelerating value creation. As additional business needs or use cases emerge, we can systematically expand the solution’s scope and capabilities.
Q: How has your industry evolved over the past decade, and what key trends will shape its future?
The data industry has evolved from being a back-office function to a strategic advantage for those who embrace it. The business world is transitioning from the information age to the data age, where best practices like enterprise data architecture, aligning data with business needs, data governance, and data platforms are no longer optional, they are now mission-critical initiatives. Looking ahead, data professionals, like Merakata, will continue to be critical to helping clients navigate their journey to establishing data-centric best practices and sustainable data ecosystems.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges your firm has faced, and how did you overcome them?
Solving organizational data challenges is a daunting effort for any client, especially those that have grown IT systems over decades. This often leads to siloed data in separate systems, which creates challenges with data consistency, accuracy, and accessibility. Although addressing these complex business problems can seem overwhelming, we help simplify the process and create sustainable, manageable solutions. We deploy compact, highly specialized teams who work alongside the client, guiding rather than dictating implementation. This collaborative approach promotes seamless knowledge transfer, strong organizational buy-in, and a more cost-effective transformation process.
Q: How might changes at the federal level impact the industries you serve, and what strategies will be essential for businesses to stay ahead?
Recent federal initiatives emphasizing operational efficiency have cascaded commercial industries as well, prompting organizations to reevaluate their priorities and operational efficiency. This shift has accelerated interest in AI as a competitive strategy. However, success depends on achieving “AI Readiness” across three dimensions of maturity: data, technology, and operations. Companies that invest strategically in both their AI Vision and their AI Readiness will gain a first-mover advantage with compelling solutions that drive meaningful efficiency gains and market differentiation.
Q: How do you see AI and machine learning transforming business operations and customer experiences, and what strategies will be key to success?
AI will profoundly transform business operations by automating routine tasks, enabling informed decision-making, and transforming customer experiences through highly personalized interactions. Success in this transformation requires four key elements: a focused AI strategy aligned with business objectives, mature data quality and governance programs, comprehensive operational readiness planning, and unwavering commitment to ethical AI practices. With both transformative potential and significant risk, AI deployment demands serious consideration and proper investment to unlock its full value while mitigating potential downsides.
Molly Wilmer, CEO, Oyster Insight
Q: What are your clients most concerned about in today’s business landscape, and how is your organization helping them navigate these challenges?
Many leaders today recognize they are not nimble enough to adapt quickly in an era where strategic plans become outdated the moment they’re finalized. The companies that outlast their competition aren’t just those with the best products or biggest budgets—they are the ones whose leaders thrive in uncertainty. We help leaders build agility and resilience through neuroscience-based programs that drive lasting behavioral changes, enabling them to navigate complexity and make confident decisions. A common theme I hear from strategic thinkers is that Purpose, Values, and Mission are more critical than ever. These serve as the North Star—guiding decisions, aligning teams, and keeping organizations focused on what truly matters.
Q: How has your industry evolved over the past decade, and what key trends will shape its future?
The consulting industry has seen a significant shift over the past decade, with more organizations seeking tailored, high-impact expertise. Smaller, boutique firms have emerged as a preferred choice for companies looking for personalized support and agile solutions. These firms offer a concierge approach, bringing deep experience and high-touch service that allows clients to move quickly, make better decisions, and adapt to real-world challenges. As the industry evolves, the demand for programs that foster collaboration, innovation, and high-performing teams will only grow. At Oyster Insight, we focus on equipping leaders to not just respond to change, but to drive it—helping them steer their organizations like skilled captains navigating uncharted waters.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges your firm has faced, and how did you overcome them?
Adapting to shifts in government policy has been one of our biggest challenges, particularly with the new administration’s evolving priorities. We’ve overcome these challenges by practicing what we preach—staying agile, scanning the landscape for trends, and maintaining a diverse client base across multiple sectors to ensure resilience. By leveraging our own strategies for adaptability, we’ve been able to pivot quickly, develop innovative approaches, and stay ahead of disruptions. This proactive mindset has strengthened our ability to navigate uncertainty and reinforced our credibility as leaders who thrive in complexity.
Q: How might changes at the federal level impact the industries you serve, and what strategies will be essential for businesses to stay ahead?
The federal climate is impacting clients in multiple ways, such as hiring high-level talent leaving government roles, prioritizing defense and domestic manufacturing, and navigating changes in sourcing and tariffs. These are just examples—our clients face broader challenges that demand nimbleness, innovation, and strategic focus, as they navigate a polycrisis of technological evolution, supply chain disruptions, financial volatility, and unpredictable global markets. Businesses that build resilience into their strategy—by developing adaptable leaders, fostering collaboration, and continuously reassessing their priorities—will be best positioned to stay ahead. At Oyster Insight, we help leaders align their purpose and values with actionable strategies, ensuring they’re not just reacting to change but proactively shaping it.
Q: How do you see AI and machine learning transforming business operations and customer experiences, and what strategies will be key to success?
AI is raising the bar for leadership—companies that leverage it effectively will scale, adapt, and innovate at unprecedented levels. But technology alone doesn’t create transformation—leaders do. AI is changing what’s possible, but success depends on leaders who understand its potential, rethink how work gets done, and make better, faster decisions. For those open enough to explore, experiment, and learn quickly, AI could completely reshape their offerings, customer experience, or even their entire business model. The smartest organizations aren’t just asking if AI will change their industry—they’re proactively figuring out how to integrate it into their strategy, talent development, and leadership approach. AI doesn’t replace leadership; it amplifies it, demanding a new level of agility, strategic vision, and continuous learning.
Dr. Eliyahu Lotzar, Founder and Principal Consultant, Reframed Reality Consulting
Q: What are your clients most concerned about in today’s business landscape, and how is your organization helping them navigate these challenges?
My clients are still concerned with their immediate deliverables but additionally are paying close attention to the impact of recent revenue loss of their clients. While they wait for the dust to settle to make major strategic decisions, we’re helping them advance their ability to pivot with speedier communications and decision-making structures and processes.
Q: How has your industry evolved over the past decade, and what key trends will shape its future?
Business and theoretical model changes. The very large organizational development consulting (OD) firms locally, names that we all recognize, have developed federal work as a very large segment of their businesses, and this will (or should) cause a pivot back to the value of revenue stream diversification. In the long run, that’s a good thing. At the same time, the lens or theoretical basis of OD has been on a long pendulum swing towards encouraging clients to decentralize decision-making, value and empower the individual to maximize employee engagement and retention, and create matrixed teams. The clear return to top-down decisioning in the public zeitgeist is something to which OD will need to adapt by adjusting the content of their models. Additionally, OD will continue to keep its pulse on the impact of broader use of generative AI on where centralized authority is needed and where decentralized authority is needed for the greatest organizational effectiveness in the short and long term.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges your firm has faced, and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges my firm faced was entering the long-established, saturated, and highly competitive OD space in the DC region and capturing market share. I don’t think one ever once-and-for-all overcomes; we must stay awake. I mostly stick to the tried and true for boutique firms: specializing (mid-market leadership development), providing cutting-edge service content within the specialty, and good old hard work and persistence with a decent dose of faith and a sense of humor.
Q: How might changes at the federal level impact the industries you serve, and what strategies will be essential for businesses to stay ahead?
“Change” is the word of the day. My clients are losing contracts and having their next year’s budget plan look radically different from last year’s. The essential strategies to handle change all involve increased assumption-questioning at the top level. Especially now while everyone
is still waiting to see what the landscape is when the dust settles, take a moment of ruthless clarity to decide which initiatives, business units, and practices align with your real core values (not necessarily what the website or shelved strategic plan says), and what is need-to-have vs nice-to-have. Then courageously and with compassion implement throughout.
Q: How do you see AI and machine learning transforming business operations and customer experiences, and what strategies will be key to success?
Still too early to know with clarity. AI is affecting different parts of organizations at different rates, and people are engaging positive micro-uses of Gen AI in operations with relative ease compared to the changeover from typewriter to PC. The best strategy for success in the face of change is, as always:
- Be clear with yourself about what the new situation is for you and your other stakeholders (what they think it is because that affects how they respond).
- Come to a decision as soon as feasible about how you and your key partners will define “the” AI situation (Point A) and what you and your stakeholders want your situation to look like (Point B).
- Finally, do the work of bringing together the minimum number of parties to coalesce the needed authority, knowledge, and seats of power to decide how you will get to Point B with the minimum expenditure of resources.
Ryan Changcoco, Founder and Principle, The Marketing Ronan
Q: What are your clients most concerned about in today’s business landscape, and how is your organization helping them navigate these challenges?
At The Marketing Ronin, our clients worry most about staying relevant and standing out in a crowded, noisy marketplace. They’re asking questions like, “How can we effectively tell our story, reach the right audience, and sustain growth, especially in these uncertain times?” Our team—made up entirely of startup veterans, many with successful exits—gets exactly what it takes to move from idea to execution. We focus on pinpointing your immediate needs while setting up a strong foundation for the future. Every company is unique, and strategies need to match each stage of growth. Using our deep experience, specialized skillsets, and smart use of technology, we help clarify exactly who your audience is and the authentic value you bring them.
How has your industry evolved over the past decade, and what key trends will shape its future?
Over the last ten years, marketing has dramatically shifted from traditional, one-directional messaging to highly interactive and deeply personalized experiences. Key trends driving the future include increased personalization, data-driven strategies, and immersive storytelling. Tools like AI, advanced CRMs, and other technology platforms help make this easier and more efficient. The trick is blending the art of storytelling with the science and tech now available to marketers.
What were some of the biggest challenges your firm has faced, and how did you overcome them?
As a startup ourselves—a startup specifically built to serve other startups—we’ve faced many of the same challenges our clients encounter. We had to establish our identity, build efficient processes, and figure out our operations to consistently deliver value. We tackled these challenges by staying lean, constantly refining our approach, and embedding adaptability into our DNA. Experiencing these hurdles firsthand helps us deeply empathize with our clients and informs us how we support their journeys.
How might changes at the federal level impact the industries you serve, and what strategies will be essential for businesses to stay ahead?
Changes at the federal level signal a significant shift towards technology, efficiency, and cost savings. Both government agencies and industries alike are increasingly leaning into tech-driven solutions, AI, and automation to achieve more with fewer resources. Efficiency and scale are now critical, and companies must quickly adapt to these changes to remain competitive. At The Marketing Ronin, our role is to help clients identify how best to leverage these advancements, streamline their operations, clearly communicate their value, and pivot strategically to stay ahead of the curve.
How do you see AI and machine learning transforming business operations and customer experiences, and what strategies will be key to success?
AI and machine learning are reshaping businesses by enabling faster execution, deeper personalization, and predictive insights. At Ronin, our focus with AI is on enhancing speed and efficiency without sacrificing authenticity and quality. Successful strategies will balance technology-driven improvements with genuine, meaningful customer connections.
Steve Gladis, Founder and CEO, Steve Gladis Leadership Partners
Q: What are your clients most concerned about in today’s business landscape, and how is your organization helping them navigate these challenges?
As an executive coach and team coach, I’m seeing a lot of uncertainty—no surprise. But I’m also seeing pivoting toward the private sector by government contractors and more start-ups emerging…people wanting to take control of their own destiny, especially.
Q: How has your industry evolved over the past decade, and what key trends will shape its future?
In Washington, much or what happens depends or leans on the federal government. I anticipate a slowdown for a year or so but then a rebound.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges your firm has faced, and how did you overcome them?
Customer acquisition. As companies feel uncertainty, they hunker down and withhold purchasing development services. That will only last a while before the wheels come off the bus.
Q: How do you see AI and machine learning transforming business operations and customer experiences, and what strategies will be key to success?
I use it frequently and have been teaching not only executives but those who report to them. AI is more than a game changer—it’s a whole NEW GAME!
