Hands-On Tech Consulting

Your mission deserves better than band-aids and workarounds.

Edmund O'Neill turns technology chaos into systems that actually work for nonprofits, EdTech companies, and human services organizations.

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Meet Edmund

Edmund O'Neill, founder of Straight Arrow Technology

If your organization has outgrown its technology and systems, or never quite got them right, that's where I come in.

I'm Edmund O'Neill. For over 16 years I've worked inside and alongside nonprofits, human services organizations, and EdTech companies. I know this world because I've lived in it.

My job is simple to describe but hard to find: help your organization stop fighting its technology and start using it. I don’t bring buzzwords, bloated platforms, or vendor agendas with me.

When you hire me, you get me. Not a junior associate or a rotating team of contractors.

Whether your team is drowning in spreadsheets, stuck on a vendor decision, or trying to build a product culture without a product team, I can help. And you'll have my full attention the whole time.

Organizations I've Worked With and For

2U
Relay Graduate School of Education
Liaison
New Moms
Elentra
OnYourMark Education

Let’s solve the right problem.

Strategy

Technology Strategy & Systems Design

Your team has outgrown its tools or never quite picked the right ones. I help you figure out what you need and build workflows around how you actually work, whether that's Airtable, Zapier, a CRM overhaul, or something else entirely. Designed to last, not just to launch.

Advising

Product Management Advising

Your engineers are building. But capable teams still need someone setting direction. I work with product and engineering teams to get focused: clear roadmaps, sharper priorities, and a North Star everyone agrees on.

Vendor Selection

Vendor Evaluation & Selection

Every vendor thinks they're the right fit. I've been on their side of the table. I know how they sell, and I know how to translate their pitch into reality. My only agenda is getting it right.

Assessment

Organizational Technology Assessments

Not sure what's broken or where to start? I do a full diagnostic of your tech stack, workflows, and pain points. And I’ll deliver clear recommendations of what to fix, not a 40-page report to shelve.

The numbers behind the work

16+ Years in Mission-Driven Tech
12+ Organizations Served
30+ Systems Built & Deployed
Featured Work

MarkBase: Replacing Spreadsheet Chaos with a System That Works

The Problem

OnYourMark Education (OYM) provides high-impact tutoring to K-5 students and was growing fast. But their operations hadn't kept up. Tutor matching, onboarding, and scheduling all ran on disconnected Google Sheets and manual processes. Staff were buried in administrative work. Leadership knew that without a new unified system in place before the next school year, operations would break. They had six months.

The Solution

Rather than jumping to enterprise software, I recommended a flexible, low-code system built on Airtable and Zapier, nicknamed MarkBase. Working as an embedded partner alongside OYM's team, I mapped the full arc from assessment to build to handoff in 10 months, with shared ownership built in from the start.

The Outcome

MarkBase launched on time. Tutor account creation time dropped by 50%. Manual hours tied to clearance tracking and task management fell significantly. By the close of the engagement, MarkBase was fully owned and operated by OYM's team.

Edmund worked with Clarity Consulting on this project. For more detail, see here.

What People Say

Audrey Abela

“Edmund quickly understood both my challenges and my specific needs — especially as someone who isn’t particularly tech-savvy — and designed a master spreadsheet that now saves me hours of work and helps prevent countless mistakes.”

“He is incredibly kind, personable, and insightful!”

Audrey Abela Founder and Director, Opus One Music Replaced spreadsheet chaos with a system that actually works
Stephanie Nelson

“I trust Edmund implicitly. He is smart, thoughtful, and caring.”

“I didn’t have any hesitation introducing him to a long time client and starting a new client relationship with him at my side.”

“He can break down complicated problems into component parts that feel manageable to solve and then support you to and through resolution.”

“He is a true joy to work with. He is funny and down to earth. He makes work feel a little lighter and a lot less like work.”

“Edmund listens and brings humility to his work. He is about rising the tide, not hogging the water.”

Stephanie Nelson Founder, Clarity Consulting Group A true partner to me and to my clients
Chrissie Leahy

“We chose Edmund because of both his product leadership expertise, as well as chiefly for us the experience directly in education technology — and clear experience in operationalising driving learner outcomes within product teams. The first thing we noticed is how quickly he understood our situation and was able to make a strong recommendation about where we start because he’s been there and done it practically.”

“He was organised, proactive and communicative — continuously checking in to ensure he was meeting the most important needs, but independently managing stakeholder relationships pre and post sessions to ensure we get the best outcomes.”

Chrissie Leahy Chief Operating Officer, Genio Unblocked executives and managers alike

Ready when you are

If your technology is getting in the way of your mission, that's exactly what I'm here for. Let's figure out if I can help.

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