Eric Vega Giordano

A vetted community of senior operators—former VPs, C-suite executives, and functional leaders—who have built and scaled teams, products, and revenue engines at high-growth companies. Every expert is founder-vetted and brings verified operational impact through their STAR Portfolio.

Every expert in the Forward network builds a STAR Portfolio—verified case studies structured as Situation, Task, Action, Result. These are founder-vetted proof points that demonstrate real operational impact, not self-reported accomplishments.

Each expert goes through a multi-layer vetting process: operational track record review, founder reference checks, STAR case study verification, and advisory style assessment. Only operators with demonstrated P&L ownership and hands-on scaling experience are admitted to the network.

The network spans 30+ industries and every core operating function—including Engineering, Product, GTM, Revenue Operations, Finance, People & HR, Marketing, and more. Experts are tagged by primary function and industry verticals so matching is precise to your context.

Initial proposals are delivered within 48 hours of your discovery call. Each proposal includes expert match rationale, STAR Portfolio highlights, and a composition analysis showing how the recommended engagement covers your stated needs.

Three pathways: Fractional Consulting for embedded part-time operators, Expert Advising through Forward Achieve for curated expert advising boards, and Venture Cofounding through the Forward Share Ventures Venture Studio for full-commitment co-founder partnerships. Each model fits a different stage and need.

Embed a seasoned operator into your team part-time. Fractional consultants work 10–30 hours per week on retainer, bringing hands-on execution and strategic guidance to a specific function—without the overhead of a full-time executive hire.

Typical engagements run 3–12 months, depending on scope. Some teams use fractional operators to bridge a leadership gap while hiring, others to stand up a new function entirely. Engagements can be extended or transitioned to advisory as needs evolve.

Fractional consultants are senior operators who own outcomes, not contractors who take tickets. They bring strategic perspective from scaling multiple companies and integrate with your leadership team to drive decisions—not just execute tasks.

Engagements are retainer-based and scoped to the hours and outcomes you need. Pricing depends on seniority, function, and weekly commitment. A discovery call helps us scope the right fit—there is no obligation until you are ready to move forward.

Yes. Some fractional engagements evolve into full-time hires or shift to an advisory relationship once the initial build phase is complete. The model is designed to flex with your needs as the business grows.

A curated board of 3–5 vetted experts matched to your specific goals and growth stage. Unlike one-off coaching or generic mentoring, your board is built around your actual operational challenges—career trajectory, org design, GTM, fundraising—and stays with you quarter over quarter.

We use a 3-layer matching framework: (1) Personality Archetype—how the expert operates (Builder, Architect, Growth Leader, etc.), (2) Expertise Model—their advisory superpower (C-Suite Surrogate, Political Navigator, Domain Pathfinder, etc.), and (3) Advisory Style—how they engage (Challenger, Mentor, Sounding Board, etc.).

Each quarter includes a board composition review, structured sync video sessions with your matched experts, and unlimited async messaging. Your board evolves with you—experts can be rotated based on shifting priorities, and outcomes are tracked against your operational goals.

Expert advisors dedicate 2–3 hours per month through a blend of async messaging (Slack, email) and scheduled sync video sessions. This is designed to fit around busy operator schedules while delivering meaningful, ongoing strategic guidance.

Forward Achieve is an activation layer for operational goals—not coaching or leadership development. Your board members are operators who have built and scaled the exact functions you are navigating. They bring pattern-matched experience from real P&L ownership, not frameworks from a textbook.

Yes. Boards are reviewed quarterly. As your goals shift—say, from product-market fit to scaling GTM—experts can be rotated to match your new priorities. The 3-layer matching framework ensures every swap maintains board diversity and relevance.

Find your technical or operational co-founder through the Forward network. Cofounding matches pair complementary operators who commit fully to building a venture together—bringing deep domain expertise, shared equity ownership, and aligned long-term incentives.

Fractional and advisory are service engagements; cofounding is a partnership. Cofounders commit full-time with equity and cash compensation, share decision-making authority, and are aligned on a multi-year build horizon. It is the deepest level of engagement in the network.

Cofounding is reserved for operators in the network who have demonstrated founder-level capabilities—prior founding experience, C-suite leadership, or deep technical/product ownership. Both the idea-stage founder and the matched cofounder are vetted for complementary skills and working-style alignment.

Studio ventures get access to the full Forward Share Ventures infrastructure: operational playbooks, the expert network for advisory and fractional support, investor introductions through FSV Capital, and structured milestone tracking to accelerate from zero to one.