Organization · Board
Phased scaling plan for a growing technology services company
Staffing and operational analysis for the CEO, culminating in a board report and executive roadmap.
Outcome: company acquired 18 months later
Strategy in service of the mission
Strategy that gets built.
We help education organizations and the companies that serve them turn hard decisions into plans their teams can execute. Then we help carry them out.
Led by Chad Massie, former Chief Strategy Officer at Common App
25 years
building products and teams in education
Millions
of students served by platforms we've led
One
singular focus: delivering lasting value to the organizations we serve
Why we do this
Behind every product, plan or partnership is an individual or family figuring out what comes next.
Since 2019, we've been helping mission-driven organizations deliver on their purpose and show the difference they make, so the people they serve can navigate their futures with more clarity and confidence.
Who we work with
Purpose-driven leaders who need an experienced partner at a moment that matters.
Education technology companies
Founders and executive teams sharpening product strategy, entering a new segment, or scaling past what got them here, without losing sight of the learners they serve.
Nonprofits & member organizations
Mission-driven organizations sharpening their strategy, communicating their impact, and bringing members and funders along.
Investors & boards
Sponsors who want an operator's read on a company, a market, or an acquisition in the education space, and a plan the team can execute.
Services
Four ways we help: from the strategy to the work that makes it real.
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”
Every engagement pairs a clear recommendation with the frameworks, plans and tools to carry it out, built with the people who will do the work.
01
Strategy & Positioning
Decide where to compete and how to say it.
- Strategic planning with boards & leadership
- Market & competitive analysis
- Positioning, messaging & site architecture
- Communicating mission, value & impact
- Go-forward options & decision frameworks
02
Product & Technology
Build the right things, the right way.
- Product strategy & portfolio review
- Roadmap & prioritization frameworks
- Human-centered design & UX
- Rapid prototyping with AI tools
- Cloud architecture (AWS) & platform strategy
03
Partnerships & Growth
Grow through others.
- Partner strategy & program design
- M&A diligence & integration
- Business cases & investment analysis
- Fundraising & investor materials
04
People & Operations
Support the people behind the plan.
- Organizational scaling plans
- Translating strategy into operational action
- Product & service operations
- Culture & change management
- Onboarding, training & playbooks
Current focus
Education that leads somewhere.
Learners, families and funders are asking challenging but important questions about what education is worth. Our recent work helps organizations answer them by connecting learning experiences to employment outcomes and workforce success.
Educational ROI
Defining, measuring and communicating the value of programs and credentials for the people who invest in them.
Learning-to-career pathways
Connecting education experiences to employment outcomes, and to the data that shows how learners fare.
Workforce partnerships
Bringing institutions, employers and service providers together around shared outcomes for learners.
Our approach
Experience.
We've sat in the seats our clients sit in.
Empathy.
For your mission and the people who carry it.
Excellence.
In everything we hand over.
Step 1
Listen
We start with your people: leaders, staff and the communities you serve, to understand your mission and how the organization really works.
Step 2
Frame
Name the real decision, the options, and the criteria for choosing among them.
Step 3
Decide
A clear recommendation, prioritized and sequenced, that leadership can stand behind.
Step 4
Deliver
Plans, templates and hands-on support so the team can execute with confidence.
Ways to work together
Start focused and expand when it's earned.
6–10 weeks
Strategic Diagnostic
A fast, structured read on one question with findings and a recommended path.
2–6 months
Project Engagement
A defined scope across strategy, product, partnerships or operations, from research and recommendations through hands-on implementation.
Flexible
Leadership Support
Experienced support for a leader new to a product, strategy or operations role, or one scaling a team or organization.
Ongoing
Advisory Retainer
On-demand research, analysis and counsel for leaders who want a trusted sounding board — or ongoing tactical support and execution for organizations that need it.
Collaborative by design
The right expertise for each engagement.
M2 Group regularly partners with other boutique firms and independent consultants, bringing in specialists in research, design, finance, technology or communications when the work calls for it. You get one accountable lead and a team assembled around your goals, without the overhead of a large firm. We're also glad to join a partner's team when our experience fits.
Selected work
Representative engagements
A sample of recent work across strategy, product, partnerships and operations, and the difference it made.
Strategy · Market entry
New-segment analysis for an established higher ed software platform
Market and strategic engagement analysis with the CEO and Head of Product to guide investment.
Outcome: significant PE investment 9 months later
Positioning · Product
Positioning and product strategy review for a national higher ed data organization
Messaging, information architecture, and product and partnership portfolio, with scored recommendations across three horizons.
Outcome: a decision-making framework for product and partnership engagement
Nonprofit · Strategic review
Strategic review and three-year roadmap for a nonprofit organization
Leadership interviews, market analysis and strategic planning, plus support in shaping a three-year organizational strategy roadmap.
Outcome: board update, staff roll-out and an implementation framework
Product · Operations
Product management review for a growing software company
Assessed product strategy and infrastructure with the CEO and COO, recommending near- and longer-term initiatives.
Outcome: a prioritization and decision-making framework
M&A · Integration
Acquisition and integration of an education technology platform
Supported acquisition activities alongside the CEO and M&A attorney, then led the integration of the business and operations into the parent organization.
Outcome: platform fully integrated into parent operations
Our reach
Helping organizations across North America
SeattleWashingtonSan FranciscoCaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaPhoenixArizonaDenverColoradoTorontoOntario, CanadaPittsburghPennsylvaniaNew YorkNew YorkBostonMassachusettsWashington, DC areaWashington, DC · Bethesda, MD · Reston, VADurhamNorth CarolinaCharlotteNorth CarolinaMiamiFlorida
ArizonaCaliforniaColoradoDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaMarylandMassachusettsNew YorkNorth CarolinaPennsylvaniaVirginiaWashingtonOntario, Canada
About
A boutique firm led by Chad Massie.
M2 Group is led by Chad Massie, who began his career in university admissions and went on to lead product, technology and strategy at ApplyYourself, Hobsons and Common App, including serving as Chief Strategy Officer and Interim Executive Director of Common App.
His teams have built products used by millions of students researching, applying to and enrolling in college. Today his work centers on educational ROI and connecting learners to careers and workforce success.
His early years in admissions, across the desk from students and families, still shape how he approaches every engagement: the people on the other end of the work always come first.
Career path
- 2000 ApplyYourself VP & Director of Product Management
- 2007 Hobsons Director, Common App Product Group & Higher Ed Partnerships
- 2013 Common App VP Technology, then Chief Strategy Officer
- 2019 M2 Group Principal
M.S., Management of Information Technology, University of Virginia · A.B., Psychology, Duke University
Chad always demonstrated care and concern for the staff and was an effective leader whether leading from the front or the back.
What decision is in front of you?
Start with the question you're facing. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help and what a focused first step could look like.