We serve CEOs of growth-stage companies and professional service organizations
Our Story
Based in Austin, Texas, Connexa Partners has been in business for 2.5 years. Drawing on high-level experience with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Cooley, we optimize marketing and business development for professional services organizations.
Our current and past clients include Morrison Foerster, Houlihan Lokey, Shulman Rogers, Barsols, Triumph Law, Alcorn Immigration Law, Cobalt Robotics, Facility Innovations Group, BSU, Inc., BTP Automation, Anno, Din Din, Electro-Media Design, Ltd., and Evolve Partners.
Our Mission
At Connexa Partners, our mission is to empower professional service organizations and growth-stage companies to achieve new heights.
With over 25 years of experience, we offer the expertise and strategic insights necessary to transform your business development efforts and drive sustainable growth.
Meet Carl Grant III
Carl Grant III, Chairman and CEO of Connexa Partners, is a pioneer in professional services business development with over 25 years of market-facing experience.
His distinguished career includes.
Revenue Growth
As global head of business development for Cooley LLP, Carl led a team that contributed significantly to a $1.7 billion increase in annual revenue over 20 years.
Venture Capital Leadership
Led the Capital Attraction Program for the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, doubling the number of venture funds in that market in two years.
Market Expansion
At PricewaterhouseCoopers, he achieved a 33% market share increase in two years.
Elite Experience
Roles at AMLaw 50 firms and a Big Four accounting firm.
Carl is also a founding board member of the Austin Venture Association and Chairman of the Board of Cationic Mineral Formulations, Inc.
An Army veteran who achieved the rank of Major as an Airborne Infantry officer, Carl is a best-selling author, a private pilot, and holds an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, with additional studies in Private Equity and Venture Capital at Harvard Business School.
Meet Melissa Goldate
Melissa Goldate is an attorney by trade with nearly 15 years of experience in business development, business growth, and go-to-market strategy for organizations of all sizes, ranging from global law firms and large public companies to early-stage startups.
Melissa created the first client-facing business development programs for some of the largest global law firms in the world, including two AmLaw 50 firms and one AmLaw 100 firm, resulting in millions of dollars of revenue per year. She also worked at the top cybersecurity threat intelligence and cyber forensics company, developing a global strategy for strategic alliances and partnerships with national security law firms to increase revenue and global brand awareness.
Melissa’s approach to business development focuses on building trust and authentic connections that result in long-term client and referral relationships. She believes the most successful business development strategies incorporate marketing and sales activities that prioritize each attorney’s strengths, whether that is event networking, public speaking, publishing blogs, or all of the above. Melissa knows that a key to maintaining an effective business development program is finding ways to make it fun for time-challenged attorneys.
Additionally, Melissa is focused on the intersection of AI with cybersecurity and privacy. After spending more than ten years doing business development in the Washington, DC area, she is now based in San Francisco, where she is actively involved in the Bay Area’s dynamic startup ecosystem and runs a monthly Founders Book Club.
Melissa earned her B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania, J.D. from the University of Denver, and a certificate in “Ethics, Public Policy, and Technology” from Stanford Engineering.