Edward Holdings announced its formation as a business consulting and capital investment firm serving clients throughout the U.S. and Canada. The company’s consulting arm, branded E.D. Edwards Consulting, will concentrate primarily in the public sector, while the company’s capital investment pursuits will focus on companies in the startup and early-stage development phase.

Eric Friedman, formerly of Deloitte, is founder, chairman and CEO of Edward Holdings and founder and principal of E.D. Edwards Consulting.

“These two companies will provide an ideal platform for socially and fiscally responsible investment, as well as consultancy and stewardship for public and private sector entities seeking to enhance operating results,” said Friedman. “I am energized by the diverse set of opportunities ahead.”

At launch, the holding company owned interests in three companies, each with a mission focusing on social responsibility and innovation. They are: Hemisphere Development, a Cleveland-based Brownfield redeveloper and think tank, where Friedman is an investor and strategic advisor;
Ministry of Supply, a Boston-based performance clothing company that Friedman advised through its early rapid growth; and
4tell Solutions, a Toronto-based carbon footprint reduction company with offices in Washington, D.C. and Portland. Friedman serves on the board of directors.

Friedman began his career in government and real estate. In 1988, he co-founded Cleveland Real Estate Partners, a national strategy and operations consulting company. He operated the firm for 11 years before selling it to Deloitte Consulting in 1999. At Deloitte, Friedman served as a principal in the public sector practice, which served 45 U.S. states in areas of security and defense, health and human services, finance and administration, law and justice, and transportation. During his tenure, he also led the program management office for Deloitte’s Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) services. He also served the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion initiative; the National Sustainability & Climate Change Community of Practice; the Center for Health Solutions initiative, a healthcare policy think tank; and the federal and state government relations groups.