about
Based in the Pacific Northwest and engaged worldwide, Big Left has assembled a seasoned, innovative team of problem-solvers passionate about strengthening complex systems and driving meaningful progress.
Sometimes you know something’s off.
Sometimes everything looks fine, but progress feels heavier than it should.
Sometimes everything is, in fact, on fire.
Sometimes you’ve successfully navigated the first phase of growth and now you’re asking, what’s next?
We step in at any of those moments.
Big Left evaluates the system beneath the surface, decision-making authority, capital allocation, operational design, leadership alignment, and structural risk. We identify what is misaligned, what is exposed, and what is limiting forward motion.
Then we design a path that strengthens what works, corrects what doesn’t, and restores momentum with discipline.
Mission
Who We Help
Big Left exists for complex situations that require serious thinking.
Most organizations aren’t short on intelligence, talent, or skill. They’re short on perspective. When you’re immersed inside a system every day, building it, breathing it, living it, it becomes harder to see what’s actually driving results.
We zoom out in ways internal teams simply can’t and help organizations move forward with clear thinking and decisive action. Change can be complex. It doesn’t have to be chaotic.
How We Help
We work with established businesses generating real revenue and carrying real responsibility.
Privately held companies. Capital-backed ventures. Nonprofits. Public-facing organizations. Infrastructure-heavy environments.
If you’re leading something that affects people, payroll, investors, reputation, or long-term direction, and you’re past the “figuring it out” phase, you’re who we’re built for.
Our Team
Big Left is powered by a carefully curated group of high-skill professionals chosen for their judgment, adaptability, and ability to perform when complexity rises.
They have operated across nonprofits, major corporations, small businesses, and regulated environments—from tech to spiritual, engineering to law, healthcare and beyond—building, stabilizing, and strengthening systems at every level.
What connects them isn’t background. It’s range, innovative thinking, strategic discipline, and the ability to move serious work forward when others lose perspective.
About the Founder
Big Left was founded by James P. Ellis, MPA, PE, PMP, PCMP—an alphabet that reflects engineering discipline, public-sector leadership, financial strategy, and organizational change.
James has operated across nonprofit, public sector, infrastructure, capital-intensive startups, and high-growth consulting environments. As a founder, CFO, managing director, engineer, and executive, he has led multimillion-dollar budgets, scaled teams through rapid growth, restored operational credibility within government systems, and guided organizations through complex financial and structural transformation.
He is a Professional Engineer, certified change practitioner, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and Project Management Professional. He has founded and scaled a nonprofit general contracting firm, overseen major public capital improvement budgets, and provided strategic and financial leadership within deep-tech innovation environments.
But more important than the credentials is the pattern.
James is trusted with complicated environments because he knows how they function—and where they fail. He brings structure when things feel loose, clarity when direction blurs, and momentum when progress stalls.
That’s the foundation of Big Left.
The Process
There are two ways to begin.
You may start with a focused working session designed to examine your situation directly and provide strategic direction. It is a paid, in-depth conversation built for serious thinking. For some organizations, that single session provides exactly what is needed. For others, it becomes the starting point for a broader engagement. You can book a Working Session here.
If you already have a clear initiative in mind, whether you are navigating a significant transition, building the next phase of growth, or ready to engage in sustained project work, you may submit a Project Inquiry here. The team will review your submission and determine next steps.
If a project follows a working session, the cost of that session is applied toward the engagement. You choose how to begin.