The Keystone Strategy
In nature, keystone species have an impact on their ecosystem far greater than their numbers would suggest. Remove a keystone species, and the entire ecosystem collapses. Activate the right keystone species, and you can transform barren landscapes into thriving ecosystems.
We help you identify and activate the critical ecosystem connections that position your venture as the keystone—the player whose success enables everyone else to thrive.
What is the Keystone Strategy Approach?
The Keystone Strategy applies this ecosystem principle to innovation. Rather than trying to solve every problem or connect every player, we identify and activate the critical relationships, platforms, or processes that unlock exponential value across entire networks.
Why it matters now: Climate solutions require unprecedented coordination across sectors that historically operated in isolation. Traditional consulting approaches that optimize individual players miss the systemic leverage points. The Keystone Strategy focuses on the few critical interventions that enable many others to succeed.
The Keystone Strategy in Action
Case Study: Utility-Scale Wind Development
Challenge
90 MW wind project faced vocal opposition.
Early outreach gaps eroded public trust.
No shared-benefit framework for town or county.
Intervention
Mapped stakeholders and influence.
Co-designed transparent benefit-sharing.
Led open forums and permit-path mediation.
Impact
► Project approved and built; $15 M community benefit fund secured.
Case Study: Enterprise Developer Platform
Challenge
Platform lacked an external dev layer.
Integration roadblocks slowed deals.
Platform revenue hit a flatline.
Intervention
Designed an open API marketplace.
Stood up developer docs and rev model.
Piloted with six launch partners, including Salesforce.
Impact
► Public APIs, 12 enterprise integrations in year 1; revenue +30 %.
Ready to Activate Your Ecosystem's Keystone Potential?
We help you identify and activate the critical ecosystem connections that position your venture as the keystone—the player whose success enables everyone else to thrive.
The most successful climate solutions emerge from ecosystems where the right connections enable breakthrough collaboration. The question is: which connections will unlock your ecosystem's potential?
Our Process:
Map your current network and identify leverage points
Design interventions that create disproportionate ecosystem value
Activate the partnerships that turn breakthrough into scale