Your Personal Tiger Team is on the Way.

Burdened with a complex, wicked problem? Schedule a session and let's tackle it.

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Make the system legible. Move value deliberately.

We support investors and leaders facing wicked problems and complex systems - environments where where value, risk, and execution depend on understanding context and constraints, not just forecasts.

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WHEN TO CALL US

Call Ground & Form when clarity matters more than consensus.

Organizations work with us when:

  1. A major transformation is stalled, and no one agrees why
  2. Leadership decisions are politically charged or analytically deadlocked
  3. Architecture exists, but execution keeps breaking down
  4. Risk, cost, or emissions are rising faster than clarity
  5. Traditional consulting produces slides, not decisions

If the problem is well-defined and linear, we are probably not the right firm.
If the problem is systemic, ambiguous, or high-stakes, we likely are.

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WHAT WE DO

We don’t sell frameworks. We change what decisions are possible.

We identify where leverage truly exists in complex systems—and help decision-makers act on it.

Stalled & Complex Operations

We help leaders understand what actually drives outcomes in the systems they are accountable for.

Transformative Spend Reduction

We move cost reduction from price pressure to system redesign.

Sell-Side Value Narrative

We help sellers make value drivers explicit, coherent, and defensible under buyer scrutiny.

Diligence & Post-Acquisiton

We surface the system-level constraints that determine whether value will be realized after close.

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TEAM

Andy Hillier, CSEP   |   Senior Advisor

I help organizations understand complex systems and uncertain environments.

Andy brings more than a decade of experience to advisory work, shaped by a genuine curiosity about how complex systems—and the people within them—actually function. His background spans solution architecture, systems integration, and hands-on consulting across organizations of all sizes, including time spent at several respected global accounting, engineering, analytics, and consulting firms - including FICO, EY, and Burns & McDonnell. That mix of technical depth and practical, real-world exposure is what fuels his approach today.

In his current consulting role, Andy focuses on helping teams make better decisions by teaching and building curriculum on predictive modeling and decision-support systems. He pairs this work with a strong academic foundation: dual M.S. degrees in Accountancy and Management with a focus on Information Systems Management, and ongoing Ph.D. research in Systems Engineering at Colorado State University. His passion lies in understanding how strategy, technology, and governance intersect—and how organizations can navigate that intersection with clarity and confidence.

Andy has also spent years teaching at the University of Akron, developing coursework in business application development and backend systems integration. Guiding students and early-career professionals has been one of the most rewarding parts of his career, and it continues to influence how he shows up as an advisor: practical, thoughtful, and invested in long-term growth.

Outside of his professional and academic work, Andy is deeply committed to community service and creative impact. Having served as Chair of the Public Art Commission for the City of Akron, he lead budget planning and project development for public art installations—including guiding annual funding requests. At the University of Akron, he volunteers on curriculum initiatives and advisory boards, helping shape programs that prepare future technologists and leaders. He’s also contributed as a Research Storyteller for the Journal of Business Venturing Insights, translating entrepreneurial research into accessible, engaging content. Previously, he served with CraftyMart as a board member, artist mentor, and curriculum developer, creating practical tools for independent artists to better price, cost, and grow their businesses. These roles reflect his belief that education, creativity, and public service are integral to strong communities.

Grounded in formal modeling, structured analysis, and outcome-oriented thinking, Andy aims to bring both rigor and empathy to every engagement—helping clients cut through complexity and move toward decisions that actually make a difference.

Education

Colorado State University

Ph.D., Systems Engineering

MBSE, Simulation, Operations Research, System Dynamics

Candidate - A.B.D.

University of Akron

M.S. Management

Business Analytics — Information Systems

2023

University of Akron

M.S. Accountancy

Information Systems Concentration

2022

University of Akron

B.S. Geology

Geophysics Concentration

2016

Graduate Certificates

Colorado State University

Human-Centered Design Thinking

2026

University of Akron

Strategic Leadership

2023

Predictive Analytics & Machine Learning

2023

Business Analytics

2023

Industry Certifications

Systems Engineering

INCOSE—Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP)

Data Engineering & Cloud Engineering

Microsoft Azure Data Engineer—Associate Microsoft Azure AI Engineer—Associate Microsoft Office Specialist—Excel Expert MB-300 Microsoft Dynamics 365: Core Finance and Operations Snowflake SnowPro Core Alteryx Designer—Advanced Alteryx Server—Administration Alteryx Server—Implementation FICO Certified Practitioner—Solution Developer II FICO Certified Practitioner—Solution Developer I FICO Certified Associate—Foundations

Honors & Awards

Top Master of Science in Management — Information Systems Graduate

University of Akron · College of Business · Apr 2024

Top graduate award for the 2023–2024 academic year.

Volunteering

Steering Committee Member & Score a Better Future Ambassador

FICO Cares · FICO

Economic Empowerment Education

Jul 2025 – Present · 10 mos

Guides service strategy, inspires volunteer engagement, and shapes how FICO shows up in communities — from campaign ideas to platform improvements. Score a Better Future delivers financial literacy education through FICO employees to high-school and college students, international learners, and adult learners, covering credit, spending, and financial planning.

Citizen Scientist — Stream Monitoring (Chemical & Aquatic Macroinvertebrate)

Summit Soil and Water Conservation District

Environment

Apr 2026 – Present · 1 mo

Monitors stream health using equipment to assess temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, chloride, and total suspended solids. Evaluates aquatic macroinvertebrate communities at defined sampling sites. Contributes data to the Lake Erie Basin Assessment Framework report.

Public Arts Commissioner — Commission Chair

City of Akron, Ohio

Arts & Culture Community Development

Aug 2023 – Apr 2026 · 2 yrs 9 mos

Served as Chair of the Akron Public Art Commission, advising the City on all matters pertaining to public art programs — including artist selection, artwork placement and maintenance, and policy recommendations to the Mayor. Increased public awareness of visual arts including sculpture, painting, mosaics, photography, and video. Presented annual reports on Commission activities and ensured alignment with defined administrative policies.

Board Member, Volunteer Lecturer & Finance Curriculum Developer

Crafty Mart

Arts & Culture Education Professional Development

Feb 2021 – May 2022 · 1 yr 4 mos

Developed curriculum for Beginner and Master Maker Sessions to empower independent artists, artisans, and craftspeople. Topics included cost management, product costing, budgeting, pricing, breakeven analysis, margins of safety, marketing, and comparative profitability analysis, as well as practical tools such as Excel, QuickBooks, and Access.

Volunteer Alumni Panel / Speaker

Akron Early College High School

Youth Outreach

Rachel Cossick, CPSM   |   Senior Advisor

I help organizations avoid costly spend negotiate the best deals possible for complex contracts and programs.

Education

Ohio State University

B.S., Logistics Management

Personalities & Social Psychology Minor

2019

Industry Certifications

Supply Chain & Procurement

ISM—Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) Redbear Negotiation Certification KARRASS Negotiation Seminar

Honors & Awards

30 Under 30 Awardee

Institute of Supply Management · Apr 2026

The ISM 30 Under 30 Rising Supply Chain Stars recognition program shines a spotlight on outstanding young procurement/supply chain management professionals for their passion, creativity and contributions to supply chain management.

Volunteering

Stephen Minister (em)

Holy Martyrs Catholic Church Parish

Religious Service Community Development

Jul 2025 – Present · 10 mos

Stephen Ministry is a global, interdenominational lay caring ministry providing one-to-one Christian support to individuals experiencing tough times like grief, illness, or job loss. Trained caregivers (Stephen Ministers) provide confidential, long-term, and consistent emotional and spiritual support, helping bridge the gap in pastoral care within congregations.

Youth Ministery Core Team Member - LifeTeen

Holy Martyrs Catholic Church Parish

Religious Service Education Community Development

Jul 2025 – Present · 10 mos

Life Teen is a Catholic youth ministry with the mission of leading all teens closer to Christ through the celebration of the Eucharist, the teachings of Christ and His Church, and through the experience of being loved and accepted. Welcomes all high school students to an energetic, fun and prayerful environment where they can grow in relationship with their peers and with God.

Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (emHC)

Holy Martyrs Catholic Church Parish | Catholic Diocese of Cleveland

Religious Service

Jul 2025 – Present · 10 mos

According to Redemptionis Sacramentum , an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion is a layperson formally instituted to administer - that is, distribute - Holy Communion during the Roman Catholic Mass. They are referred to as extraordinary as the ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are Bishops, Priests and Deacons. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are particularly dedicated to the Eucharist. Their purpose is to serve the congregation by distributing Jesus in the Holy Eucharist to the faithful. These ministers assist the priest-celebrant in distributing holy communion at Masses and at special feasts during the year.

Elizabeth Heckler   |   Research Associate

I help organizations analyze consumer preferences, competitor activity, and market trends to help companies make data-driven decisions.

Education

University of Akron

B.S., Communications

Public Relations Concentration, Creative Writing Minor

2019

Professional Certificates

University of Akron

Social Media

2019

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DEPTH & PHILOSOPHY

For those who want to understand how we think.

We identify where leverage truly exists in complex systems—and help decision-makers act on it.

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PRICING & CONTRACTS

Aligned Incentives. Structured Value.

At Ground & Form, our pricing model reflects the way we work: logically structured, performance-aligned, and built for transparency. Our approach is designed to ensure payment is tied to impact you can trace—and results you can trust.

See an example MSA contract agreement:

MSA:

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ADVISORY PRICING

Fixed Retainer + Performance-Based Fee

For advisory engagements, Ground & Form combines a monthly fixed-fee retainer with a contingency-based performance fee to align effort with measurable impact:

  • The retainer ensures availability, strategic continuity, and access to systems expertise throughout the engagement.
  • The performance fee is based on a percentage of verified value delivered—such as cost savings, revenue uplift, or efficiency gains—validated jointly using pre-defined and easily measurable KPIs and SLAs.

This model ensures payment is tied to the real, measurable, and attributable results we deliver.

If you prefer a flat-fee contract for a set amount of service hours, we are always open to contract negotiation and individualized pay structures with your procurement and legal team.

Learn More our Performance-Based Pricing Methodology:

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PROJECT PRICING

Budget-Based Fee Model with Transparent Components

For project-based engagements—including architectural services, technology development and implementation, programs, workshops, instructional coaching, instructional design, and curriculum review—fees are structured around a project-based budget and billed according to clearly-defined activity types:

  • Hourly rates for implementation, development, instructional time, curriculum development, coordination, and administrative services.
  • Pre-approved expense budgets for travel, lodging, per diem meals, and on-site meetings & delivery where required.
  • Technical infrastructure costs, including sandbox or simulated learning environments, cloud infrastructure, digital delivery platforms, or specialized modeling tools.
  • Materials and licensing, when applicable, for educational content, assessments, third-party services, hosting, or tools integrated into the learning process.

Each engagement includes a detailed budget estimate and delivery timeline, with flexibility for modular rollout or milestone-based phasing.

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AUDIT & PRIVACY

Open and transparent model. Protected IP that follows your company's standards.

We understand that your IP and data is valuable, and want to be able to provide you the best service possible. For that reason, when possible, we will work with your team to keep all of your data internal to your system and only access it through the approved, authenticated channels. When possible, we can work with your team to implement sandbox environments, software, or other necessary items for training. During and throughout training, we are open to an audit process that ensures transparency surrounding any potential use of all parties' IP:

  • Monthly audits for advisory engagements.
  • Post-engagement audits for project-based engagements.
  • On-request audits for all reasonable and legitimate purposes.
  • Controlled-access and administration for all provided services, software, and infrastructure where requested.

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SERVICES

What we actually do.

We identify where leverage truly exists in complex systems—and help decision-makers act on it.

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COURSES

Learn from us.

Take a professional development course to grow your skills with project-based learning experiences. Gain PDUs to extend the lifespan of your professional certifications.