Tech Advisors that Made the Inc. 5000 Invested in People
Learn about how five technology advisors that landed on the Inc. 5000 achieved their growth.
![Inc. 5000 Tech advisors investing in people. Inc. 5000 Tech advisors investing in people.](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/blt6dbe581221f9cf63/6523ea9b1b1d69396c841f37/People-in-Office.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
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Channel Futures in this article focuses on partners that identify as technology advisors (TAs). Technology advisors, historically known as agents or brokers, source as-a-service technology solutions for businesses and earn a recurring commission from the suppliers they refer. The recurring commissions and the fact that they do not directly bill the end customer for the technology sold sets them apart from a traditional value-added reseller (VAR). Moreover, they typically rely on the vendor for managed service component of the solution they sell, which distinguishes them from managed service providers (MSPs).
The Inc. 5000 features numerous channel partner types, including technology advisors, MSPs, VARs, systems integrators and consultants. The list includes 3Cloud (687), Thirdera (851), Clutch Solutions (1,195), Nordicom Technologies (1,900), Nexus IT Consultants (2,486) and NWN Carousel (3,160). Some of the partners, such as Integris and Thrive (1,785), also reside on the MSP 501. Many of the partners on the Inc. 5000 specialize in vendor ecosystems like that of SAP, ServiceNow, Salesforce and Microsoft.
Various vendors also occupy the Inc. 5000, including DartPoints (1,095), Data Canopy (2,648), GlobalGig (2,688) and BCM One (3,926).
Company: Opkalla
Rank: 52
3-Year-Growth: 7,931%
Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina
Upstart Opkalla represents just how flexible a technology advisor practice can be. Opkalla is unique among its agency peers in that it participates in the Microsoft Solutions Partner program. The company also made investments in its cybersecurity practice, signing different providers.
And those evolutions have come from responding to customer requests, Opkalla executives have told Channel Futures.
Opkalla managing partner Jim Campbell told Channel Futures in April that Opkalla saw “responsibly growing the company” as both its biggest challenge and opportunity.
“[We have] invested in the right people and the right go-to-market strategy. It’s easy to get distracted with how fast the industry is moving, so the balance between the 12-18 month vision versus what we need to do well today is top of mind,” Campbell said at the time.
Company: Cloud Communications Group
Rank: 1,513
3-Year-Growth: 381%
Headquarters: Dallas, Texas
CCG technically started in 2009, but co-founders Keith Hatley and Chris Moffett went back to work in the vendor world and essentially put the company on hold.
In 2019 Hatley rejoined as partner. He said inclusion in the Inc. 5000 helps validate his decision to return from the corporate world.
Hatley pointed out some of the stark differences between working at a supplier and working at a partner. For one, the partner’s ability to source multiple providers across multiple technologies means no longer must category rule out working with customers.
In addition, the technology advisor model allows for a more consultative approach to customer’s needs, he said. Partners don’t feel the pressure of needing to satisfy investors on a quarterly basis.
“Certainly, I’m not going to make a decision that isn’t going to allow for a return on the investment, but my time horizon for that for that return, might be a lot different,” he told Channel Futures. “It might not be this quarter, it might not be this year. It may be building a relationship that doesn’t pay dividends for a handful years.”
Company: Caliber Solutions
Rank: 2,364
3-Year-Growth: 233%
Headquarters: Spring, Texas
Caliber chief revenue officer Roger Blohm said the company is making contined investments in its relationships with enterprise customers.
And although IT departments face the financial pressures that come from macroeconomic hardships, Blohm said Caliber is finding ways to provide value working with customers’ tightening budgets.
“Enterprises are adjusting to a post-pandemic economy, so they are spending smarter. We continue to invest in optimizing the way they spend and increasing in areas of employee engagement, customer experience and secure technology execution,” Blohm told Channel Futures. “We meet our customers at the intersection of security, innovation and digital augmented experiences. We see our customers investing in the life cycle and adoption of the technologies they have purchased with much more discipline and focus than years past.”
Blohm said Caliber developed a reputation for landing enterprise accounts. And by enterprise, that does not mean upper midmarket, Blohm said. He said 48 of Caliber’s 50 top customers reside on the Fortune 1000.
With that established client base in hand, Caliber has been moving up the stack with its technology portfolio, adding security and contact center sales to the network services it historically sourced.
Moreover, Blohm said Caliber has expanded the breadth of its go-to-market approach, doing more in life cycle management and operational technology.
Company: Acliviti
Rank: 4,061
3-Year-Growth: 112%
Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois
Eight-year-old Acliviti is appearing on the Inc. 5000 for the fourth time. The partner has carved out a reputation for itself in the channel as one of the foremost advisors around contact center as a service (CCaaS).
The company has also announced multiple hires and promotions in the last half-year. That includes people who will work in enabling technology deployments, account management and sales.
Company: Opex Technologies
Rank: 4,502
3-Year-Growth: 93%
Headquarters: Raleigh, North Carolina
Opex is the senior member of this grouping, having started in 2004. Yet the technology advisory firm continues to make appearances on the list – earning recognition for the fifth time. And that continued growth makes for an aspirational example for other partners.
Many agencies hit a wall after seeing rapid growth. Their annual revenue may move toward $1 million, but retaining that growth amid customer churn proves difficult. Opex is one of the standouts in that it has gone past that mark and beyond.
CEO Courtney Humphrey said complacency has no place in the company’s culture. That was true in the early days of Opex when Humphrey was one of the few people at the company, and it’s true now that Opex employs more than two-dozen people.
“A guiding tenet for Opex is that all team members must have a growth mindset. The expectation is that we always strive for more. We want more for our team and we especially want more for the clients we serve,” Humphrey said.
Company: Telarus
Rank: 3,600
3-Year-Growth: 136%
Headquarters: Sandy, Utah
The caveat here is that Telarus is not a technology advisor. It supports technology advisors as a technology solutions brokerage (a moniker synonymous with a technology services distributor).
Nevertheless, Telarus executives say they tie their own success to the success of the technology advisor channel. CEO Adam Edwards at Telarus’ recent partner summit envisioned a world where tech advisors are more of a household name for IT buyers.
“When it becomes a normative behavior when people say, ‘We’ll just call McKinsey,’ that’s where we want to be,” Edwards said. “That’s where we need to arrive – when CIOs say, “Just talk to your advisor. Get that person in here.’ That’s the behavior we want. That behavior is not does not exist today, but it will. And when it does exist, that’s when we’ve really arrived.”
Company: Innovative Business Solutions
Rank: 4,182
3-Year-Growth: 107%
Headquarters: Castle Rock, Colorado
This TSD is a lifer of sorts on the Inc. 5000, having landed on it every year since 2016.
Innovative has carved out a reputation for itself as a cable-focused distributor. But the company has diversified in some respect, signing contracts with AT&T and some cloud communications providers.
“This incredible accomplishment not only shows the dedication of our hard-working employees, sales partners and vendors, but the indirect channel as a whole,” co-founder Jed Kenzy told Channel Futures. “Over the last 10 years, the channel has seen significant growth in revenue, deal complexity and automation. It is a great time to be in the channel.”
Company: Innovative Business Solutions
Rank: 4,182
3-Year-Growth: 107%
Headquarters: Castle Rock, Colorado
This TSD is a lifer of sorts on the Inc. 5000, having landed on it every year since 2016.
Innovative has carved out a reputation for itself as a cable-focused distributor. But the company has diversified in some respect, signing contracts with AT&T and some cloud communications providers.
“This incredible accomplishment not only shows the dedication of our hard-working employees, sales partners and vendors, but the indirect channel as a whole,” co-founder Jed Kenzy told Channel Futures. “Over the last 10 years, the channel has seen significant growth in revenue, deal complexity and automation. It is a great time to be in the channel.”
Hiring is paying off for tech advisors and agents who occupy the latest Inc. 5000 leaderboard.
Channel partners showed up in a big way on America’s most prestigious list of fast-growing private businesses. At least five companies that fit the bill of a technology advisor (agent) landed in the Inc. 5000. North Carolina-based Opkalla in particular, cracked the top 100 with a staggering 7,931% growth rate over the last three years. It’s an auspicious start for the four-year-old company, which recently celebrated its 350th customer.
Opkalla’s Jim Campbell
“This is something we’ve set our sights on since day one at Opkalla, and it’s amazing to see it come to fruition,” Opkalla managing partner Jim Campbell told Channel Futures. “This is a product of a lot of hard work from our team over the last four years, and we’re excited to continue the momentum supporting our clients, partners and the technology space.”
And the growth rates are also impressive other qualifying technology advisors, some of which have existed for more than a decade and continue to increase their revenue.
Inc. ranked companies based on how much they grew their revenue from 2019-2022. Companies needed to register at least $2 million in revenue last year to qualify for the list.
Tech Advisors Expand Their Teams
Interviews with partner honorees shows a common theme — these companies are agencies, rather than agents. Their teams are expanding, and their leaders are more and more building out company-wide processes rather than relying on their own charisma for customer engagements.
And that breaks the mold often seen in the traditional agent channel. Opex Technologies CEO Courtney Humphrey said he focuses now on running the overall business rather than actually selling in the field. It’s an uncommon shift for an agent, considering that many partners initially worked as sales reps at vendors before putting out a shingle.
Opex’s Courtney Humphrey
“I feel like I was at the top of the stack when I was a solo guy in corporate America. I could have stayed the path I was on and been very successful, but this path has created value for not only me, but now our team, the business, and most importantly, our clients,” Humphrey told Channel Futures. “It’s about putting the best people around you every day. That’s what I strive to do. I always want to surround myself with people smarter than me, which is a total cliché. But I think I have been very good at doing that.”
Keith Hatley, partner at Cloud Communications Group, said bringing on talent has helped improve the experience for his customers. Hatley said his background in sales helps him establish and build relationships with clients. But Cloud Communications Group has also hired people that have worked on the customer side and possess insider knowledge about technology procurement. That gives the firm more credibility, Hatley said.
Cloud Communications Group’s Keith Hatley
“Am I a trusted advisor because I say that I am? Or am I a trusted advisor because my client says that I am? I believe the collective investments we’ve made in the people we have on the team – the former CIOs and former CISOs that can truly empathize – allow us to get that distinction and delineation from our customers,” Hatley told Channel Futures.
Many partners say they are looking to grow their teams. One in three (33%) tech advisors indicated in the latest Channel Futures Market Outlook survey that they increased their headcount year-over-year. But they also overwhelmingly identified talent retention and retention as their top challenge.
Humphrey said he has tried to operate with the motto of being willing to take risks to bring on the right people. When they identified a talented person who brought unique value, Opex would “figure out how to make it work,” Humphrey said. Even if the budget looked uncertain.
“When you find great talent, do whatever you can to acquire that talent. You can’t be afraid to take on the risk and the cost associated with it,” Humphrey said. “I have spoken with a number of folks that are afraid to get out of their comfort zone and take these risk, because it is a risk. But that’s what you have to do. You have to cross that line to create real value for your clients and your business.”
For Caliber Solutions and chief revenue officer Richard Blohm, the move from agent to agency also means implementing more processes and structure. Blohm recently moved to Caliber with the goal of helping it run more like a “platform company.”
That’s unusual for the average partner, Blohm said.
Caliber’s Roger Blohm
“They run like an agent, and then they realize they want to be something bigger. They want to go hire somebody or get bought or buy, and all of a sudden their finances aren’t set up right, and their corporate structure is wrong, Blohm told Channel Futures. “Good companies are looking at themselves and saying, ‘Who can I bring in that can get me prepared for future transactions, whether it’s me buying somebody or being bought by somebody?”
Highlighting the Tech Advisors
Channel partners proliferate throughout the Inc. 5000. Channel Futures in this instance is highlighting the partners that fit the technology advisor (agent) model.
Channel Futures also is including in this recap Telarus (3,600) and Innovative Business Solutions (4,182), which fall into the category of a technology services distributor (TSD). These companies serve as a bridge between tech advisors and the vendors they refer. One could also make the case that Pax8, more traditionally known as a cloud distributor, plays in the TSD arena as well.
Scroll through the images above to see seven technology advisors and services distributors that made the Inc. 5000. Please keep in mind that it is not an exhaustive list.
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