25 years

Our story is over 25 years in the making. And we’re just getting started.

”That’s what we are - partners in performance.”


Mike Cook founds Colleague Consulting in his dining room in Scaggsville, MD. The vision is simple - partners in performance.
— 1997

”We should probably get more space.”


Colleague graduates from a house to a real office in College Park. Mike’s family assembles IKEA desks on the weekend - desks that we still use today.
— 2004

”Of course we can manage the whole thing.”


We win our first prime contract - a five-year training BPA with the Department of Energy.
— 2005

”Flight training?”


Building on our decades of custom course development experience, Colleague partners with the FAA to develop training for newly-hired aviation safety inspectors.
— 2008

”This is an entirely new way to approach executive coaching.”



Colleague proposes an entirely new way of matching coaches and clients — later an industry standard — and welcomes the IRS as our first executive coaching client.
— 2009

”Thank you, DOE.”


After five wonderful years as a prime contracting partner to the Department of Energy, Colleague is fortunate enough to win the follow-on five-year contract.
— 2010

”Let’s bring JumpStart to life.”


Alongside our partner, TRG, Colleague wins a five-year training and development BPA with USAID.
— 2017

”This is going to be big.”


Colleague Consulting earns a spot on GSA’s best-in-class training vehicle, the Human Capital and Training Solutions (HCaTS) contract — both small business and unrestricted.
— 2017

”This is everything we do.”


Alongside our old and dear friends at TRG, Colleague wins a five-year training contract at the Foreign Service Institute within the State Department.

The contract brings together everything we do - training design, development, and delivery; coaching; mentoring; and organizational development. After the win, Mike is (professionally) reunited with his old friend and colleague, Scott Graves.
— 2019

”Another cornerstone client.”


After executing a multi-year plan, Colleague Consulting proudly welcomes HRSA as a strategic client. (Since 2019, our relationship with HRSA has continually expanded!)
— 2019

”Granted...”


For several years, Mike believed grants training was the next big thing. His focus paid off when Colleague won a five-year contract to develop and deliver grants and cooperative agreements training for the Defense Acquisition University.
— 2020

”Who wants to go to Hawaii?”


Building on our successes at DAU, Colleague hatches a cooperative agreements training relationship with the National Guard. Perhaps by coincidence, the first training is in Hawaii.
— 2021

”What does the next 25 years look like?”


After nearly 25 years at the helm, Mike passes the baton. Maya Larson joins Colleague Consulting as President.
— 2021

”Welcome, Senior Managers”.


Colleague expands its leadership development and coaching relationship at the IRS, winning the Senior Manager Course (SMC) contract.
— 2022