Northstarter Consulting is the practice of Dave Lee, Principal Consultant. One person, direct access, no handoffs.
Dave has spent a decade in enterprise identity and access management, most of it as an Okta specialist: designing, migrating, and running the identity systems that sit behind Zero Trust, ICAM, and the compliance frameworks federal technology buyers care about. In 2026 he completed the GovClose federal sales methodology through the GetChkd × Metro State Applied Innovation Institute Cyber Innovation Accelerator, a federally oriented program for cybersecurity founders and practitioners. GovClose, developed by retired Air Force Lt. Col. Richard C. Howard, is a structured process for finding funded federal opportunities early, positioning before the solicitation, and building a repeatable pipeline. Northstarter applies that process to small businesses that are new to the market.
He is based in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and works with clients nationwide.
Minnesota is the North Star State, and the North Star is what you steer by when you don't yet know the territory. Northstarter is for businesses at the start of something big: a first federal contract, a new line of work, a market that looked closed from the outside. The job is to point the way and get you moving.
Thirty minutes. Tell me what you sell and who you think should be buying it, and leave with an honest read on whether federal work makes sense for you right now.