About Forward Edge
Strategic Perspective. Forward Momentum.
Who we are
AI, strategy, and talent, working together.
Forward Edge Advisory is a national, industry-agnostic firm that helps businesses grow stronger through the right combination of AI solutions, business strategy, and executive and talent services.
Lasting performance rarely comes from a single lever. A strategy needs the right people to carry it out. A new hire needs a clear role and a clear direction. An AI investment needs a business case, an owner, and a team that can use it. We bring all three to the table and start with what the business needs, so each investment supports the others.
AI is a powerful accelerator when it is aimed at the right problem. Strategy decides what that problem is, and talent determines whether the work gets done. Our recommendations address the cause and not only the symptom.
Every engagement is led by an experienced advisor and supported by the firm’s methodology, tools, and team, with scope and responsibilities agreed up front.
Our mark and philosophy
Human leadership, amplified by AI.
Our logo is more than a mark. It’s a visual expression of the Forward Edge philosophy: human leadership, amplified by AI, moving a business toward its next stage of growth.
- The Circle
- Represents clarity, perspective, and intelligent systems that think with you. It reflects the ability to step back, see the whole business, and use AI to turn scattered data and daily noise into insight that guides where the business goes next.
- The Edge
- The green edge line represents growth, momentum, and the leading edge of what’s possible. It reflects how we help founders, CEOs, and leaders move beyond overwhelm and dependency on a few key people by putting strategy and AI to work in their operations, so the business gains clearer direction, stronger structure, and greater scalability.
Leadership
Rachel Marano, Founder
Rachel sets the direction for Forward Edge and its methodology. She brings more than 25 years of experience in technology, consulting, and business leadership, including co-founding Pivot Point Consulting in 2011 and growing it into a Best in KLAS national firm of ~$100 million in revenue.
Under her leadership, Pivot Point raised capital from an angel investor, merged three companies, completed a divestiture, and was sold twice to private equity. She led the company through each transaction and the integration that followed.
Pivot Point earned recognition as Best in KLAS for Overall IT Services Firm, held a Best in KLAS designation for more than half a decade, and was named among Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work. Rachel herself was honored with Consulting Magazine’s Rising Stars of the Profession award and its Excellence in Leadership recognition in the Leaders in Technology awards.
A computer science graduate of the University of Iowa, Rachel began her career implementing enterprise technology and consulting. That experience gave her a practical, results-first approach to AI, strategy, and talent.
Rachel is the author of Forward Edge, a forthcoming book drawn from her experience building, leading, and advising businesses through growth, transactions, and change. The firm takes its name and its point of view from that work.
Today she is chair of several boards and a board advisor to a number of other companies, and she leads Forward Edge Advisory as an experienced operator, not as a consultant offering theory.
The thinking behind Forward Edge
A book at the foundation. A firm that puts its thinking to work.
Rachel’s forthcoming book, Forward Edge, brings together proven frameworks, hard-earned lessons, and executive wisdom to help businesses recognize what matters sooner and make better decisions about what comes next.
The book explores the patterns that shape a business over time: what growth can conceal, what leaders postpone, why repeatability matters, how culture influences performance, and what makes a company stronger and less dependent on any one person.
That body of thinking is the foundation of Forward Edge Advisory.
- The lessons become reference points.
- The frameworks bring structure.
- The diagnostic tools help reveal what needs attention.
- The playbooks help guide action.
- Experienced professionals apply that knowledge to the circumstances of each business.
This is how the thinking behind Forward Edge becomes useful in the day-to-day work of building and improving a company.
The Forward Edge Advantage
The right expertise. The strength of a firm behind it.
Whether the engagement is an AI implementation, an advisory relationship, or an executive or specialist hire, our people work with access to a shared foundation of knowledge, tools, and support:
Organizational Diagnostic, Roadmap, and Action Plan.
An advisor-led assessment of what is strengthening or weakening the business, translated into clear priorities and next steps.
The 40 Hard Lessons™ Playbook.
A reference built from recurring business patterns, used to recognize issues early and weigh the consequences of decisions.
Frameworks, scorecards, and assessment tools.
Decision filters, interview guides, and working tools that bring structure to decisions and execution.
Team and advisory board access.
Additional perspective from the Forward Edge team and an advisory board of experienced peers.
The EDGE Method
From insight to impact.
- Step 1
Evaluate
Understand where you are, what is holding the business back, and where the greatest opportunities lie.
- Step 2
Define
Clarify what success looks like, set priorities, and build a focused plan.
- Step 3
Get it done
Put the right solutions, plans, or people in place, with clear ownership and accountability.
- Step 4
Elevate
Measure results, refine the approach, and build on progress.
What we do
Three ways to work with Forward Edge
AI Solutions
We identify where AI can create measurable business value, implement the right solutions, and support adoption and ongoing improvement.
Explore AI SolutionsBusiness Strategy & Advisory
Experienced perspective, clearer priorities, and plans carried into action with accountability.
Explore Business Strategy & AdvisoryExecutive & Talent Services
The leaders and specialists your business needs, on the terms that fit: permanent hires, contract and fractional engagements, interim leadership, and retained executive search. Each is backed by Forward Edge resources and tailored to the engagement.
Explore Executive & Talent Services
Ongoing support is available after every implementation, with scope and responsibilities agreed up front.
How we work
Clarity. Respect. Accountability.
See the business honestly.
We look closely, ask thoughtful questions, and raise the issues and opportunities that matter.
Recommend with purpose.
Every recommendation connects to your needs, your resources, and the outcome you want.
Follow through.
We turn decisions into action, with clear owners and regular review of progress.
Respect the people doing the work.
Every business has a history, constraints, and people working to move it forward.
Forward Edge does not judge leaders or businesses. We reflect reality back to them, with clarity, insight, respect, and hope.
Let’s build your forward edge.
Whether you need AI solutions, clearer business direction, or the right people in place, start with a conversation about what would make the greatest difference.
Book a Call with an Advisor30 minutes. Free. No obligation.