Who we are....

Brian Goodman

Brian established First Steps Consulting in 2004 because he believed in the power of small business and entrepreneurs to shape economies and fundamentally change the way that business can impact society.

Brian specializes in the identification and strategic positioning of innovative solutions including; market research and segmentation;branding; financial modeling; marketing strategy and opportunity analysis. Brian has a particular interest in innovation that unites the private, nonprofit and public sector.

Brian brings over 10 years of diverse industry experience to First Steps clients from private firms such as the May Company and Monitor Group; public policy experience from his work in developing innovative programs for the Office of Business Development for the City of Boston; and nonprofit experience working with innovators such as the Interra Project

Brian has served as a small business consultant in Peace Corps, Bulgaria where he worked on developing a crafts cooperative in partnership with the UNDP and is a volunteer member of Peer Servants, supporting microfinance partners worldwide.

Brian is a sought after public speaker and has addressed audiences on innovative efforts at a number of forums including;

The Organizers Collaborative: “Collaboration & Local Economies” & “Boston Community Change, The Pilot”

  • iMobcom, Seoul Korea: “The Boston Main Street Wireless Initiatives”
  • Center for Reflective Community, MIT—”Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives”
  • Peer Servants: “Microfinance Overview” and “Microfinance and Credit Scoring”
  • Virginia Tech: “Strategy for Startups—For Profit and Non Profit Learnings”
  • National Trust for Historic Preservation: “Wi-Fi on Main Streets”
  • National Trust for Historic Preservation: “The Next Generation of Loyalty”
  • W2i Conference, Seoul Korea: “Modeling a Successful Digital Application”
  • Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE): “Building Success in Boston”

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    Brian is also an endurance junky who has crossed the US by bike, completed the Boston Marathon several times and just recently completed his second Half Ironman (Timberman)

    Brian earned his MBA in entrepreneurship from Babson College in Wellesley, MA and holds a degree in Business Administration from UMass Amherst. Additional studies have been completed at Harvard, MIT and the University of Manchester, England.