About

STAR Collaborative

An Affordable Virtual Staffing Network of Trusted Advisors for Top Change and Project Management Performers

Serving Fortune 500 Companies

“We are creating a no-frills brand that consistently builds value for clients and consultants in a collaborative network whose currency is strong, lasting relationships.” — Ed Lefkow, STAR Collaborative Co-founder and President

You often hear about the office of tomorrow enabled by computing power, globalization and the vagaries of market economies, but for the growing and well-defined staff augmentation enterprise, STAR Collaborative, that model is already a reality. Founded by two entrepreneurial spirits with 37-collective years of highly scalable corporate retail experience, STAR Collaborative has created a network of trusted advisors, many who are skilled and seasoned project and change management and other professionals who understand the basic and complex business challenges of Fortune 500 companies in any economic environment.

Co-founders Ed Lefkow (President) and Dan Olson (Vice President of Professional Services) took the hands-on experience gained in key project and change management roles over 10 and seven years respectively at Best Buy and embraced the “follow-your-dream, follow-your-passion” message of its CEO, Brad Anderson, by taking the January 2009 buy-out to start a business. See Lelkow’s Best Buy alumni video that talks about the hard choice to leave the company and start his own business: http://alumni.iambestbuy.com/Ed_Lefkow.htm

The dream began with incorporation in February 2009. Writers are always told to write about what they know from experience: Ed and Dan embraced that adage to create a viral staff augmentation boutique that would operate in the cloud (without a sales force or recruiting person but the rigorous use of salesforce.com and Linkedin) and attract an elite group of project, change management and other top-side professionals to serve corporations based in Minnesota.

The self-described “Odd Couple” — different in style, yet strengths-based with their core values aligned (See BIOS) — placed 20 top performers in their first year. And it is on track in 2010 to produce more than 30 new placements for various key positions for a variety of other companies eager to source critical talent from partners that it can trust, at a rate that makes sense to solve everyday business challenges, those wrought by the lingering recession — and what lies over the horizon.

Heavily Vested In — and Seeing a Good Return On — Social Media and Abundance Thinking

“Think of STAR Collaborative as the Costco version of Match.com for consultants. We help our customers staff their cool and exciting projects with the best talent available by harnessing opportunities with many social media tools and traditional business connections.”— Dan Olson, STAR Collaborative Co-founder, VP of Professional Services

STAR Collaborative’s virtual business model offers both consultants and clients among the most competitive rates and value in staffing.  Unlike other staff augmentation firms and because of its low overhead, STAR Collaborative is able to offer its consultants not only top engagements that align strategically with their skill sets but opportunities to grow faster professionally and financially:

Other Key Differentiators include:

  • It views a permanent hire as a job well done on the consultant’s part and on the part of STAR Collaborative, which does not charge a fee for such scenarios, unlike other consulting firms.
  • STAR Collaborative provides competitive-plus fees for consultants and total transparency on how the fee structure works.
  • While many staffing agencies mark up their rates 20% or more and don’t share the info with clients or consultants, STAR Collaborative does share that information, so their consultants know they are receiving the lion’s share of the rate, and their clients understand that they’re getting a true value.
  • Abundance-based thinking pervades its culture and its collaborative network: The company rewards consultant loyalty with a give-back program after six-months – and is eager to partner with appropriate companies – sometimes even synergistic partners that expand the reach of the collaborative network to provide the more complete and comprehensive talent alignment and measurable value that clients are seeking.
  • These Best-Practice drivers inspire loyalty and interest in the consulting world.
  • Clients ultimately view the team as a trusted adviser – rather than just another body shop

This staffing firm has readily embraced social media channels, not because it’s trendy, but because their utility is perfectly configured with STAR Collaborative’s business model and is delivering a strong return. It uses these channels – sometimes with a variety of accounts (SEE list below) – to recruit, retain and share information with consultants, and both consultant and client prospects, and others.

The result is that many high-value specialists – many who were turned out in the recession – are joining their ranks, some of whom are finding employment openings on the company’s ubiquitous social media channels like its multiple accounts on Linked In, Twitter and Facebook.  The company often posts job opportunities, plus special “speed networking meet ups” where consultants can pitch for five minutes their strengths and job interests to hiring managers from major area corporations.

STAR was able to gain four interviews and place three such individuals as a result of a speed networking session in October. These speed networking events help their clients quickly assess the talent available within the Twin Cities with little time or effort. STAR’s consultants gain access and visibility to the hottest projects and key decision makers. Another such event was held just in late January at a cozy Southdale restaurant where the intimidation meter read low while the productivity quotient ran high for all parties: Such occasions allow consultants immediate access to sell themselves — and STAR Collaborative in the process — to potential employers.  Employers get to sample the best and brightest in needed areas ranging from IT, project and change management to marketing and other disciplines.

STAR Collaborative Social Media Channels Include:

Jeffrey Cornwall, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Belmont University in Tennessee, has pointed out, that launching a business during an economic crisis can be a good time to steal market share from established yet vulnerable competitors. The most talented consultants and Fortune 500 companies are discovering that — and much more — transpiring at STAR Collaborative.

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n Affordable Virtual Staffing Network of Trusted Advisors for Top Change and Project Management Performers and Others Serving Fortune 500 Companies

“We are creating a no-frills brand that consistently builds value for clients and consultants in a collaborative network whose currency is strong, lasting relationships.” — Ed Lefkow, STAR Collaborative Co-founder and [EL1] President

You often hear about the office of tomorrow enabled by computing power, globalization and the vagaries of market economies, but for the growing and well-defined staff augmentation enterprise, STAR Collaborative, that model is already a reality. Founded by two entrepreneurial spirits with 37-[EL2] collective years of highly scalable corporate retail experience, STAR Collaborative has created a network of trusted advisors, many who are skilled and seasoned project and change management and other professionals who understand the basic and complex business challenges of Fortune 500 companies in any economic environment.

Co-founders Ed Lefkow (President)[EL3] and Dan Olson (Vice President of Professional Services) took the hands-on experience gained in key project and change management roles over 10 and seven years respectively at Best Buy and embraced the “follow-your-dream, follow-your-passion” message of its CEO, Brad Anderson, by taking the January 2009 buy-out to start a business. See Lelkow’s Best Buy alumni video that talks about the hard choice to leave the company and start his own business:

http://alumni.iambestbuy.com/Ed_Lefkow.htm

The dream began with incorporation in February 2009. Writers are always told to write about what they know from experience: Ed and Dan embraced that adage to create a viral staff augmentation boutique that would operate in the cloud (without a sales force or recruiting person but the rigorous use of salesforce.com and Linkedin) and attract an elite group of project, change management and other top-side professionals to serve corporations based in Minnesota.

The self-described “Odd Couple” — different in style, yet strengths-based with their core values aligned (See BIOS) — placed 20 top performers in their first year. And it is on track in 2010 to produce more than 30 new placements for various key positions for a variety of other companies eager to source critical talent from partners that it can trust, at a rate that makes sense to solve everyday business challenges, those wrought by the lingering recession — and what lies over the horizon.

Heavily Vested In — and Seeing a Good Return On — Social Media and Abundance Thinking

“Think of STAR Collaborative as the Costco version of Match.com for consultants. We help our customers staff their cool and exciting projects with the best talent available by harnessing opportunities with many social media tools and traditional business connections.”— Dan Olson, STAR Collaborative Co-founder, VP of Professional Services

STAR Collaborative’s virtual business model offers both consultants and clients among the most competitive rates and value in staffing. Unlike other staff augmentation firms and because of its low overhead, STAR Collaborative is able to offer its consultants not only top engagements that align strategically with their skill sets but opportunities to grow faster professionally and financially:

Other Key Differentiators include:

  • It views a permanent hire as a job well done on the consultant’s part and on the part of STAR Collaborative, which does not charge a fee for such scenarios, unlike other consulting firms.
  • STAR Collaborative provides competitive-plus fees for consultants and total transparency on how the fee structure works.
  • While many staffing agencies mark up their rates 20% or more and don’t share the info with clients or consultants, STAR Collaborative does share that information, so their consultants know they are receiving the lion’s share of the rate, and their clients understand that they’re getting a true value.
  • Abundance-based thinking pervades its culture and its collaborative network: The company rewards consultant loyalty with a give-back program after six-months — and is eager to partner with appropriate companies — sometimes even synergistic partners that expand the reach of the collaborative network to provide the more complete and comprehensive [EL4] talent alignment and measurable value that clients are seeking.
  • These Best-Practice drivers inspire loyalty and interest in the consulting world.
  • Clients ultimately view the team as a trusted advisor — rather than just another body shop.

[EL5]

This staffing firm has readily embraced social media channels, not because it’s trendy, but because their utility is perfectly configured with STAR Collaborative’s business model and is delivering a strong return. It uses these channels — sometimes with a variety of accounts (SEE list below) — to recruit, retain and share information with consultants, and both consultant and client prospects, and others.

The result is that many high-value specialists — many who were turned out in the recession — are joining their ranks, some of whom are finding employment openings on the company’s ubiquitous social media channels like its multiple accounts on Linked In, Twitter and Facebook.  The company often posts job opportunities, plus special “speed networking meet ups” where consultants can pitch for five minutes their strengths and job interests to hiring managers from major area corporations.

STAR was able to gain four interviews and place three such individuals as a result of a speed networking session in October. These speed networking events help their clients quickly assess the talent available within the Twin Cities with little time or effort. STAR’s consultants gain access and visibility to the hottest projects and key decision makers. Another such event was held just in late January at a cozy Southdale restaurant where the intimidation meter read low while the productivity quotient ran high for all parties: Such occasions allow consultants immediate access to sell themselves — and STAR Collaborative in the process — to potential employers.  Employers get to sample the best and brightest in needed areas ranging from IT, project and change management to marketing and other disciplines.

STAR Collaborative Social Media Channels Include:

Jeffrey Cornwall, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Belmont University in Tennessee, has pointed out, that launching a business during an economic crisis can be a good time to steal market share from established yet vulnerable competitors. The most talented consultants and Fortune 500 companies are discovering that — and much more — transpiring at STAR Collaborative.

[EL1]FYI – Everywhere else I use President.

[EL2]21 years for Ed

[EL3]? on title.  I’m OK with CEO just not what I’ve used in the past.

[EL4]Makes it sound like we might do something inappropriate with our competitors.

How about something more along the lines of – synergistic partners that expand the reach of the collaborative network to provide a more complete and comprehensive …  talent blah .

[EL5]I agree with these comments but not sure I understand how the fit with the other bullets.  Asking the question – I’ll defer to you.