How Whale Rock Consulting Came To Be

Whale Rock Consulting was founded in 2025, but the idea took shape a few years earlier.

Like many professionals, Colleen Trahan spent the early years of the pandemic working remotely. Looking for a change of scenery, she started spending time at Groundwork, a coworking space in New Bedford. What she found there was a community of solopreneurs who, almost unanimously, thought she was underutilizing her skills working for someone else. The idea planted a seed.

Colleen spent the next two years in an executive role, deepening her experience before going out on her own. When she was ready, she launched Whale Rock Consulting and engaged her first client in November 2025.

The part of the job Colleen has always found most meaningful is the partnership — working directly with business leaders to support financial decision-making and help organizations meet their operational and financial goals. In a corporate environment, that kind of direct impact can be hard to find. In a fractional practice, it’s the whole job.

WRC was built to deliver that: senior financial leadership to growth-stage companies and startups that need it most.

New Bedford’s location made a focus on the blue economy a natural fit — but it’s more than geography. The work being done in this space — in marine technology, ocean conservation, offshore energy, and aquaculture — matters in ways that extend well beyond the balance sheet. Supporting the businesses doing that work is, for WRC, part of the point.

Many of the companies operating in this space are early-stage, navigating growth in a sector that is still defining itself. Being based in New Bedford and present weekly at Innovate Newport means being in the room with the industry leaders, innovators, and investors who are shaping it. That proximity is an asset for clients — regardless of where they’re located.