By DeAnn Rossetti
If you’re like most people, you’ve had an idea for a business bubbling around in your head for years, and haven’t gotten around to doing anything about it.
David Gallimore, a 1980 Mercer Island High School graduate, started his business, Ventura Consulting, on the premise that there are many great business ideas and innovations out there going to waste. He has a way to screen business ideas and innovations for the budding entrepreneur that shows them the business’ strengths and potential weaknesses, and how to morph the weaknesses into income-producing strengths.
“I’m working with a Mercer Island doctor now who has been toying with a business idea for three years, and is frustrated with how to proceed,” said Gallimore. “I’m helping him develop an opportunity assessment, doing market validation to define his business plan and basically deciding whether there’s a business there or not.”
Gallimore, who has a bachelor of science degree from Yale in applied mathematics with a minor in English and a master’s degree in human performance and technology from the University of Washington, said he derived inspiration to get involved in solving business problems creatively from professor C.P. Snow.
“C.P. Snow was a physicist and a humanitarian from Cambridge University who wrote the Leeds lectures on the two cultures of scientists and humanists not talking to each other,” said Gallimore. “I was committed to being the guy who would connect the two worlds, which is what inspired me to do math and English, and what inspired my new company.”
Gallmore’s idea was to have a company that would help individuals and organizations grow through innovation. He’s worked with six start-up companies to assess ideas to see if any of them could be turned into new businesses inside a company or to start new companies.
There are four main areas that Gallimore works in. The first is with individuals or small companies to find if their business ideas are viable. The second is developing business plans and finding funding by licensing research and development information. The third is working with universities to help create entrepreneurship programs to help graduates and undergraduates start their own businesses. Finally, the firm offers corporate venturing, helping larger organizations grow through taking employees ideas and wrapping business plans around them.
“Most people don’t know why their business fails, they get frustrated and lose part of themselves,” Gallimore said. “We evaluate the viability of the idea for a few thousand dollars and save the participant from launching an unworkable idea.”
Gallimore charges $200 per hour for his services as a consultant, which provides all of his acumen and experience with Boeing, IBM, Wall Date and Fourgen Software. He’s also a been a trainer and member of the Center for Ethical Leadership in Seattle for many years.
“I love to apply math to solve real world problems,” said Gallimore. “I’m really a mutt when you look at my background, but this is the first job where it all comes together.”
David Gallimore can be reached at Ventura Consulting at 720-489-7755.
