How We Work

Advisory Model, Engagement Structure, and National Expert Integration

214 Innovation and Development LLC (214ID) operates as a senior-level advisory and governance firm serving privately held technology and engineering companies, boards, founders, investors, and economic development organizations. Engagements are structured to deliver direct partner-level involvement, institutional governance discipline, and on-demand access to specialized national expertise without the overhead of large consulting platforms.

Advisory-First, Not Staff-Augmented

214ID is built on a direct advisory model, not a leveraged staffing model. Clients work directly with senior leadership throughout the engagement. The firm does not deploy consulting teams, standardized templates, or generic frameworks.

This structure ensures:

  • High accountability

  • Board- and executive-level relevance

  • Confidential, conflict-aware advisory relationships

Engagement Structure and Cadence

Engagements are typically structured as one of the following:

1. Advisory Retainer

  • Ongoing governance and leadership advisory

  • Monthly or quarterly board-level involvement

  • Founder and executive transition support

2. Defined Transition Project

  • Board formation or restructuring

  • Founder-to-board transition

  • ESOP or recap governance readiness

  • CEO or executive succession design

3. Board or Committee Advisory

  • Independent committee chair roles

  • Transaction committee participation

  • Audit, risk, governance, or innovation committee advisory

National Expert Network Integration

214ID operates with a nationwide network of senior experts across technology, research, engineering, regulatory, commercialization, and institutional governance disciplines. These experts are engaged selectively on an as-needed basis to support specific project requirements.

This model allows clients to:

  • Access deep domain expertise without building permanent infrastructure

  • Deploy specialized expertise only when risk or complexity requires it

  • Preserve governance and advisory independence

  • Avoid the overhead of large consulting teams

Experts are most often introduced to support:

  • Regulated and controlled technologies

  • Technical diligence and board-level oversight

  • Public-private research and commercialization governance

  • Energy, defense, and infrastructure programs

  • Capital transitions involving complex technical risk

All experts operate as independent advisors and are screened for conflicts prior to engagement.