We thrive
when you grow

Partner with seasoned experts committed to unlocking demand creation, category dominance, and sustainable revenue growth. 

Orchid Black is your partner from inception to exit unlocking demand creation, category dominance, and sustainable revenue growth.

Accelerate your time to value

We go beyond traditional consulting. Rolling up our sleeves to deliver inception-to-exit operating services.

Orchid Black rapidly increases enterprise value by crafting a customized value creation playbook then injecting our elite group of former CXO’s to generate outsized growth.

ACCELERATE YOUR FUTURE
$27B+
In value created
3500+
Companies
evaluated
110+
M&A transactions
and owner exits

Who we work with

Promising, founder-led companies

Resilient decision-making support and a risk-managed path to success.

Orchid Black delivers hands-on execution and strategic co-leadership. Our team of former executives makes centuries of expertise and a vast network of tech-ecosystem partners available for small and medium sized businesses. We understand the unique challenges you face, and our collaborative model is designed to mitigate risks while multiplying your opportunities for growth and revenue diversification.

Enterprises eyeing carve-outs

Harness innovation with a team of enterprise technology experts who accelerate your ambition while minimizing operational disruption.

Our agile leadership provides confidential, expert guidance to turn your technology and AI productization ideas into reality. We combine a proven framework for product-market-fit with a deep understanding of your unique business model to launch innovation. Our integrated team ensures the realization of untapped technology value without disrupting your core resources.

Private equity firms

We provide hands on leadership that operates within your framework, aiming to prime underforming investments for growth and profitability

Rapidly scale revenue and create synergies among portfolio companies. Orchid Black embeds seasoned CXO’s and a proven framework for immediate value creation impact and fresh monetization opportunities. We adapt this framework to your unique investment thesis, streamlining integration and growth from acquisition to harvest.

Services Offered

Strategic Planning

Uncover your
potential, fast

Validate a thesis or gain clarity to inform impactful decisions around the most important value creation levers

Strategic Planning

Uncover your
potential, fast

Market research
Growth strategy development
Product road mapping
Operational efficiency analysis
Risk management
Executive alignment

AI Strategy

Optimize your product
and operations

Align your operations and offering to deliver AI-centric capabilities and customer experiences

AI Strategy

Optimize your product
and operations

AI readiness assessment
Innovation strategy
Solution development
AI/technology implementation

Growth Services

Accelerate
your vision

Rapidly achieve strategic goals for your product, brand, revenue generation, and go-to-market

Growth Services

Accelerate
your vision

Market entry strategy
New product GTM
Pricing and Packaging
Revenue optimization
Product strategy
Branding & marketing

Organizational Transformation

Set your operations up for scale

Get the right people and processes in place to drive sustainable change in your business

Organizational Transformation

Set your operations up for scale

Leadership alignment
Change management
KPIs / metric tracking
Process training

Exit Readiness

Realize your
optimal value

Prepare founders and their businesses to rapidly increase enterprise value and close the value gap before a transaction

Exit Readiness

Realize your
optimal value

Business optimization
Targetted KPIs
Intellectual property
Talent management
Enhanced competitive positioning
Succession planning

Investment Support

Enhance investment
portfolio value

Optimize your investment strategy and maximize revenue & valuation within the investment hold period

Investment Support

Enhance investment
portfolio value

Due diligence
Risk assessment
Post-acquisition growth planning and execution
Business Integrations

How we work
with you

Combine your vision with our expertise. Here how our distinct model sets us apart from management consulting.

Partnership Over Projects

We only choose winners, seeking deep partnerships and an outsized return instead of outsized hourly rates

Integrated Expertise

We skip armchair recommendations, integrating real-world experts into client teams for immediate solutions

Maximized Enterprise Value

We’ve been through exits — we know what buyer’s look for and we know the right levers to pull to close the value gap and maximize value

Shared Success

We bet on ourselves and align our compensation with your success, assuring a return on your investment

Our
Approach

We offer a unique approach that ensures your value and performance long after the traditional extent of consulting services. Our approach involves ring-fencing our team within your organization to ensure culture, operations and incentives evolve in support of your total value transformation.

Strategize

Clarify Your Opportunity

We decompose core value drivers and pair them with intensive market and customer research to uncover your most compelling opportunities

Accelerate

Execute Your Ambition

We integrate with your team, piloting growth strategies to rapidly increase demand, achieve strategic goals, and maximize valuation

Harvest

Sustain Your Success

Ensure enduring impact, facilitating smooth transitions for sustained success. maximized Return on Investment, and lasting legacy

Case Studies

digital transformation

 

This tech company was challenged in navigating to cloud computing amidst the dominance of Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. They needed to understand the factors involved in migrating.

Orchid Black Results

Our research aimed to guide a well-established corporation through the tumult of digital transformation and cloud computing integration. It highlighted the importance of aligning business and cloud.

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revenue growth

 

Thumbstopper, a Martech SaaS company, overcame growth stagnation by realigning sales and marketing strategies, resulting in consistent pricing and revenue upswing.

Orchid Black Results

Thumbstopper increased market share, slashing marketing costs by $500K while boosting year-over-year revenue by 30% and saving over $750K through incentive restructuring.

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repositioning

 

The Hilco retail team developed a tech platform used to scale and accelerate inventory liquidation efforts and realized it could be offered to their customers to drive best practices.

Orchid Black Results

Orchid Black’s strategic growth consultants supported this effort product development at Hilco with the analysis and selection of a software development vendor.

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growth strategy

 

A leading cybersecurity firm partnered with Orchid Black to overhaul its IAM solution's P&P amid rising competition and a shift towards cloud computing and IoT.

Orchid Black Results

Key insights led to a strategy introducing a "wedge offering" to ease sales and attract new clients. Orchid Black's collaboration, involving interviews and financial analysis.

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exit strategy

 

This financial technology company puts easy-to-use risk management and portfolio analysis tools into the hands of professional investors.

Orchid Black Results

Through the execution of a seven-month growth services engagement, the company and Orchid Black executed on a new go-to-market strategy that realized an ROI of more than 4000%.

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service model design

 

When this organization experienced an unexpected surge of consumer inquiries to their call center, the leadership team recognized a need to improve the customer experience.

Orchid Black Results

Orchid Black did a phenomenally deep assessment of Xyngular’s current state, prioritizing and refocusing multiple areas for leadership and potential investment for Xyngular.

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Our Managing Partners

Steve Horwitz

Founding Managing Partner

30+ years in executive leadership and VC consulting, propelling software and tech services through complex challenges with innovative strategies and high-performance teams.

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Jim Barnish, Jr

Founding Managing Partner

Maximizing growth, enterprise value and profitability. 20 years of experience in scaling tech firms.

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Howard Joyce

Managing Partner

Experienced in leading SaaS and tech services, building dynamic teams and implementing strategic improvements to drive efficiency and scale.

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Bob Caruso

Managing Partner

Seasoned business leader with expertise in forming top-tier teams and delivering swift, tangible results.

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Team member headshot

Steve Horwitz

Founding Managing Partner

I am a visionary, performance-driven strategist with over 30 years of executive leadership and venture capital consulting experience across software and technology-enabled service organizations. With a hands-on leadership approach, high energy, and exceptional skills in critical thinking and creative problem-solving, I excel at building and inspiring high-performance teams to tackle complex organizational challenges. My track record spans from steering high growth environments to managing turnaround situations in both early-stage, venture-backed software startups and Fortune 100 companies. My expertise is deeply rooted in identifying and achieving product-market fit, harnessing the voice of the customer for strategic insights, and crafting effective channel strategies to maximize market penetration. I have a proven ability in enterprise sales, fostering a solution provider ecosystem that enhances value delivery, and adept deal making that ensures sustainable growth. My approach to governance and due diligence ensures operational integrity and risk mitigation. As a storyteller, I articulate vision and strategy compellingly, fostering a culture of innovation and resilience. I prioritize team building and leadership development, creating cohesive units that excel in execution and adaptability. Specializing in growth strategy development, I focus on demand/category creation, leveraging my comprehensive skill set to drive organizational success.

Industry & Type Expertise

Enterprise & SMB HiTech Professional Services Enterprise Software

Mastery and Unique Skills

Product Market Fit Voice Of Customer Channel Strategy Enterprise Sales Solution Provider Ecosystem Deal Making/construction Governance/due Diligence Story Telling Team Building

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Jim Barnish, Jr

Founding Managing Partner

Over the past twenty years, I've immersed myself in the tech industry, growing companies as an entrepreneur, operator, and consultant. At the helm of Orchid Black, my team and I specialize in propelling SaaS and tech-forward companies into new realms of growth and value. Our mission at Orchid Black is clear: to leverage our unparalleled track record to maximize growth and enterprise value. With a deep understanding of the tech landscape and a strategic approach, we navigate through the complexities of scaling businesses, ensuring our partners not only grow but thrive in competitive environments. My expertise lies in strategically positioning tech companies for success, from crafting and implementing innovative go-to-market strategies to managing the intricacies of mergers & acquisitions and fine-tuning operations through revenue operations. This focus is the cornerstone of my approach, guiding tech-forward companies to sustainable growth and industry leadership.

Industry & Type Expertise

Startups VC PE SaaS

Mastery and Unique Skills

Design Thinking Launches & GTM Mergers & Acquisitions RevOps Startups Strategy

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Howard Joyce

Managing Partner

I am a seasoned senior operations executive with extensive leadership experience across SaaS and technology services sectors. My expertise lies in spearheading strategic initiatives and tactical operations to foster organizational growth and efficiency. A proven high-performance team builder, I excel in the acquisition and retention of top talent, strategically aligning human resources with business goals to drive substantial outcomes. My professional journey is distinguished by a robust track record in crafting and executing operational improvements and process innovations aimed at enhancing efficiency and scalability. These initiatives have consistently resulted in significant advancements in operational capabilities and competitive positioning. My skill set encompasses a broad spectrum of areas critical to organizational success, including business and finance transformation, channel strategy & management, and distribution. My experience in mergers & acquisitions extends to both the buy-side and comprehensive IT due diligence, underscoring my versatility and strategic depth in navigating complex corporate landscapes. Additionally, my capabilities in operations management, product management, and sales strategy have been pivotal in driving forward company objectives. I have successfully led ERP implementations and merger integrations, projects that demonstrate my ability to manage change and integrate advanced technological solutions effectively. This combination of strategic foresight, operational expertise, and leadership acumen positions me as a dynamic executive capable of steering technology-focused companies through periods of growth and transformation. This diverse toolkit of skills and experiences makes me a versatile and strategic leader, adept at guiding technology-focused companies through growth and change, always with an eye toward the future.

Industry & Type Expertise

Enterprise & SMB Enterprise Software Professional Services Media & Entertainment

Mastery and Unique Skills

Business/Finance Transformation Channel Strategy & Management Distribution Mergers & Acquisitions Operations Product Management Sales Erp Implementations Buyside M&A IT Due Diligence Merger Integration

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Jim Lapalermo

Operating Partner

Over the past 30 years, I have worked with iconic global technology and strategy consulting firms (including Intel, PWC, and Accenture) and startups, focusing on solving complex business problems and helping clients innovate to bring enterprise product and service solutions to market at scale. The last 20+ years have been dedicated to defining and delivering what success looks like through co-developing strategies for ideal client profiles, ensuring repeatable predictable pipeline growth, and creating consumption models with strategic revenue programs. I have executed go-to-market (GTM) offering roadmaps alongside the world’s leading semiconductor, spatial computing VR/XR (wearables), multi-cloud infrastructure, telco 5G/ORAN stack, CRM, and IoT-Edge, AI/ML foundation providers. This has involved aligning people, processes, capabilities, and programs for new routes to market, fostering partnerships, and offer co-development investments to differentiate, build preference, and generate IP with value creation at scale. Currently, I serve on two not-for-profit boards, leveraging my experience to contribute to broader societal goals. My career is built on a foundation of growth through Strategy, Tactics, Metrics (STEM methodology), innovation at scale, demand creation, and category creation programs, among others. I pride myself on building teams that execute co-innovation, utilizing design thinking for offers that drive a predictable quality pipeline. Leadership for me is about leading with stories, fostering diversity, inclusion, and empathy within teams. With over 30 years of global leadership, client strategy, and consulting delivery experience in the high-tech sector, my focus has always been on building, operating, and transferring client innovation co-development with revenue scale. My expertise in GTM capabilities, leadership, collaboration and orchestration, executive alignment, and delivering innovation at scale underscores my approach to opening up new markets and achieving predictable revenue.

Industry & Type Expertise

HT (Products, Services, Consulting And Advisory) Innovation New Categories

Mastery and Unique Skills

GTM Capabilities Leadership Collaboration And Orchestration Executive Alignment Results Orientation Through Servant Leadership To Open Up New Markets Agile Methodology For Validation Partnership + Client Credentialing Delivering Innovation At Scale (Client Problem, Ideal Customer Profile, Tech Enablement, Offers, Assets, Capabilities, Predictable Revenue)

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Jon Reeves

Operating Partner

With over three decades immersed in the realms of technology sales, business development, and Private Equity Value Creation, my career is a testament to the power of enduring relationships built on trust. For the past 20 years, I have dedicated myself to demonstrating to Private Equity sponsors, C-suite executives, and board directors the transformative impact of technology on efficiency, visibility, scalability, and ultimately, on enhancing valuation for exit strategies. My passion lies in identifying and seizing opportunities to assist clients in accelerating revenue generation, refining go-to-market strategies, and cultivating alternate sales channels and partnerships for sustained growth. As a Strategic Business Development and Sales Executive, I've established a formidable track record in leading sales teams within Fortune 100 Technology companies. My experience encompasses spearheading and nurturing high-performing teams adept at leveraging technology to address the mission-critical priorities of commercial stakeholders. I excel in forging collaborative partnerships with C-suite leaders, delivering professional service solutions tailored for private equity-owned organizations. My commitment to fostering long-term partnerships is driven by a desire to act as a catalyst for competitive growth, ensuring the alignment of diverse cross-functional teams towards common objectives. My expertise spans critical areas such as Private Equity, Sales, Business Development, Customer Success, ERP/CRM, Fintech, Strategic Partnerships, and Strategy. These competencies allow me to drive significant business transformation, positioning the organizations I work with to not only meet but exceed their strategic goals. My approach is characterized by a deep understanding of the nuances of technology sales and the unique challenges and opportunities it presents, making me a pivotal figure in navigating and thriving in the competitive landscape of technology sales and private equity value creation.

Industry & Type Expertise

Enterprise - Technology Telcom/Media Professional Services Finance InfrastructureEdge/Hyperscalers, AI/ML SaaS

Mastery and Unique Skills

Private Equity Sales Business Development Customer Success ERP/CRM Fintech Strategic Partnerships Strategy

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Bob Caruso

Managing Partner

I am an accomplished business leader renowned for my ability to drive customer-focused changes across various professional services firms. My leadership is defined by building high-performance teams through empowerment, innovation, and creativity. Known as a practical problem solver who focuses on outcomes, my operational style is designed to deliver real value promptly. Beyond my role in organizational leadership, I am a dynamic keynote speaker and a published writer, particularly on the subjects of customer and employee engagement. These platforms allow me to share insights and strategies for enhancing engagement and fostering a culture of responsiveness and innovation within organizations. My expertise encompasses a broad range of areas critical to organizational success, including customer experience development, change management, marketing, and organizational change. I am deeply committed to leadership development and practice leadership, principles that have guided significant and impactful organizational transformations. I also specialize in business process re-engineering and implementing the voice of the customer initiatives. These areas highlight my ability to align organizational processes and strategies with customer needs, ensuring an integrated and customer-centric approach to business operations. This comprehensive approach to leadership and change management, underpinned by a steadfast focus on customer and employee engagement, positions me as a transformative leader. I excel in guiding organizations through periods of growth and change, ensuring they remain aligned with their core mission of serving customers effectively while achieving enhanced organizational effectiveness.

Industry & Type Expertise

Enterprise Manufacturing HiTech

Mastery and Unique Skills

Customer Experience Development Change Management Marketing Organizational Change Leadership Development Practice Leadership Business Process Re-Engineering Organizational Effectiveness Voice of the Customer

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