Values that drive us

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Fiercely Inclusive

We believe in and promote models where everyone belongs, at all levels of any organization.

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Data Driven, result & growth oriented

Collecting data and intelligence is the foundation to growth-oriented models. (whatever growth means to your organization)

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Incubator of talent

Organizations should be intentional about staff development and help them identify their gifts, and grow in their talents.

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Collective thinking

Combined talents, second opinions and diverse approaches always deliver better outcomes.

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Deliver excellence, be a game changer

We work to help organizations reach outcomes that exceed their expectations.

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Be bold

We think big, and help design bold goals that will take clients further than they could imagine.

Meet the team

ALEX BARROUK Founding director, consultant, business development, vision activator. 

Strategy – planning and execution – business growth and profitability – leadership development and executive coaching – change design and management – culture – stakeholders engagement – communications – workshop design and facilitation.

As the founder of ABCD consulting, and a growth strategy consultant, Alex’s role is to serve as your company’s primary care provider: he diagnoses organizations, and helps them find the path to healthier dynamics and growth-oriented models. He sees people, systems, and organizations for their potential rather than focusing on where they are currently stuck.

Throughout his career, he has focused on three distinct areas of expertise: business management, project management, and psychology. Combining these experiences with best practices learning, Alex has designed a unique consulting approach that focuses on vision and execution, organizational psychology and leadership development.

Alex’s clients have included top-level decision makers at all types of medium-to-large organizations over the years, and his ability to untangle problems to find a strategic path has been demonstrated across cultures, countries, and a broad variety of organizations. Alex is also part of the Coaching Bureau at Gonzaga’s University’s Leadership Training and Development department.

Alex’s vision for ABCD is to gather a team of subject matter experts with extraordinary skills that will serve leaders and ‘change the game’ of any organization. We never drop knowledge and leave. We walk the path with our clients, to train them and their teams to become execution experts.

Our group is continuously growing and evolving. Our areas of expertise include and are not limited to:

  • Data/Market Research & Analysis
  • Strategic Planning & Facilitation
  • Execution & Facilitation
  • Culture, Diversity, Equality & Inclusion, HR
  • Marketing
  • Workshops & Trainings
  • Business Development

ALLISON CONNELLY, MBA Senior Consultant

Allison Connelly has extensive experience in strategy development and execution, fundraising, communications, and stakeholder engagement across corporate and nonprofit sectors. Her expertise includes corporate strategy, business operations, brand development, stakeholder and board engagement, organizational development, and change management. With a deep understanding of strategic business challenges, Allison drives change and achieves organizational goals by synthesizing best practices with innovative strategies.

Allison holds a BA in International Studies and Public Policy from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and an MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Administration from Eastern Washington University (EWU). An active community member, she has served on several nonprofit boards in Spokane, WA.

In her current role as Senior Director of Corporate Strategy and Communications at The Geneva Foundation, Allison leads the development and execution of enterprise-wide strategic initiatives and communications efforts, aligning them with business objectives to amplify Geneva’s visibility and impact across key sectors. She plays a pivotal role in the development and execution of strategic and operational priorities, ensuring the organization’s relevance, growth, and long-term sustainability. Prior to her tenure at Geneva, Allison was the Fund Development Manager for the Washington Environmental Council in Seattle, Washington, where she honed her skills in fundraising, event management, Board development, and strategic partnerships.

Throughout her career, Allison has been highly regarded for her expertise in organizational transformation, strategic planning, leadership activation, and partnership building. Her ability to strategically leverage stakeholder relationships to strengthen mission impact and drive long-term, sustainable growth has solidified her reputation as a powerful force in the nonprofit sector.

JENNIFER FANTO Senior Consultant

Jennifer Fanto has over a decade of achievement in the marketing and advertising industry. Her expertise focuses on driving operational excellence, project management efficiency, and systems and processes design. Her core competencies include production workflow optimization, team leadership, strategic communication, business development, software implementation, and the development of processes that promote high-performance teams.

Jennifer’s diverse background spans operations management, marketing, and web development, allowing her to approach challenges from multiple perspectives and craft tailored solutions. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Whitworth University and an Associate’s degree in Graphic Design from SFCC.

An active leader within the local community, Jennifer has contributed over 11 years to the AAF Spokane Board, holding key roles such as President, Executive Director, and advisor. She is also a member of the SFCC Graphic Design Program Advisory Board, where she mentors emerging talent and advises on curriculum development.

At the heart of Jennifer’s leadership philosophy is a commitment to fostering organizational alignment and leveraging individual strengths to create thriving work environments. Her focus on business operations consulting helps organizations clarify their goals, build systems that enhance employee satisfaction, and drive productivity and profitability.

Jennifer served as Senior Production Manager at Desautel Hege, a behavior change marketing agency serving national clients. She led the operations team in implementing initiatives that increased retention, productivity, and profitability through software deployment and workflow enhancements.

As former Executive Director of American Advertising Federation Spokane, Jennifer ensured smooth organizational transitions, provided mentorship on recruitment and project management, and collaborated on leadership training and strategic retreats.

Jennifer’s passion for understanding organizational dynamics drives her continued success in aligning business objectives with operational strategies, empowering teams to achieve sustainable growth.

SUSAN FOSTER-DOW, MA Senior Consultant

Susan’s career work has promoted organizational capacity building and leadership development at home and abroad for thirty years, primarily for non-profit organizations. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University (focus area: China and Taiwan), and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University (focus: cross-cultural engagement and policy development).

Susan worked in academic administration at Gonzaga, has worked with a wide variety of nonprofit organizations as an independent consultant for two decades, and as part of CCEW senior leadership since 2015. Her experience in a wide variety of administrative and teaching roles relies on strategic thinking and creativity, clear and compassionate communication, and a deep commitment to capacity building. Her volunteer commitments range from safeguarding work on the Diocesan Review Board, to civic and community engagement, to work for USAID/Catholic Relief Services Farmer to Farmer program as a volunteer, where she recently had the great privilege of training and coaching an Ethiopian NGO through leadership team development.

Susan loves travel by plane, train or sailboat and has lived, studied, volunteered in and explored Asia, Europe and Africa. She has been serving as the Chief Mission & Strategy Officer for Catholic Charities Eastern Washington.

Success Stories

Skils’kin spoke to multiple agencies however once we spoke with Alex, we knew that he and his team could provide us with the type of data we were needing. Alex and his associates delivered ahead of schedule, gave a thorough report, and helped us strategically decide next steps for our operation. We will continue to work with Alex as his professionalism, knowledge, and insightfulness are game changers.

Tami – Director of Communication & Governance

The help and insight I was provided as the owner of a small nonprofit was stellar. Alex was insightful, attentive to my needs and concerns, prompt in responding, seemed to have unlimited resources and connections, and was so encouraging in his advice and support. I highly recommend working with him and his team—they are the best in the business!"

Elisabeth – Nonprofit President & Founder

I first learned about Aim & Build Consulting and Development through social media. After reviewing the website, I was impressed with the range of experience and depth of knowledge across team members at ABCD. During my initial consultation, Alex really took the time to understand our organization and provided valuable feedback on how we might build a roadmap for our diverse group of stakeholders. I appreciate the ABCD focus on helping organizations execute their vision and providing the necessary support to achieve results.

Mason – CEO

The protocols ABCD’s team uses are incredibly effective, and even better, they are teaching us to be self-sufficient so that we can continue the great work on our own. I did not know how the work we did together would be more potent than high power counseling, allowing us to go deep into the issues that were keeping us stuck. We have been in practice for over 38 years, but never before have both of us felt 100% confident that what we say we want will transpire. If you feel a bit hopeless that what you want won't happen, my advice is to reach out now.

Kelli P, Dr & Owner

We certainly could not have gotten here without ABCD’s expert guidance. Once Alex and I had a chance to demonstrate exactly where we, as a company, were headed, they all became enthusiastic adopters. We are now into the rollout of the strategic plan to the next layer of management and the excitement from the upper management team is palpable and the adoption is going much smoother. Working with ABCD was exactly the catalyst we needed to create a cohesive strategic vision for my company. Our vision is succinct, defined and embraced by the entire company. Thanks, ABCD!

Melanie, CEO

ABCD has helped us rationalize our MO, which created a better and more efficient flow. In turn he also helped us renegotiate our logistics contract and saved an average $160,000/fiscal year.

Marc, Director

Our company (...) struggled with structure, values and accountability. We now have structure and clear processes. The leadership team was redesigned, some leaders stepped down, and new leaders were discovered. ABCD coached and equipped our leaders with soft skills and leadership to take their departments and the company to the next level. The whole team was redesigned to have the right people in the right seat, technical skills, shared vision and values, and an embodiment of our culture of accountability. The whole team was redesigned to have the right people in the right seat, technical skills, shared vision and values, and an embodiment of our culture of accountability.

Josh, Lead Dr, CEO

Alex has taught me so much about myself, helped me believe in myself, and therefore I have grown as a team lead more (...) than I ever thought I would. I now have total confidence (...) on how to motivate, encourage, coach, and teach my staff to be better providers for the office. I felt skilled and confident enough because Alex invested time to coach me (...) He took me from a timid leader to a leader with confidence. I no longer wonder where my lines in leadership are. Before, I never knew if I could make a decision without consulting someone else.

Kalie, Lead

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