About
Solving problems where business and government meet.
Cold Rock is a strategic advisory firm with deep roots across federal, state, and local government. We work with businesses, nonprofits, and startups to navigate complex policy environments — building the strategies, systems, and relationships that convert government engagement from an obstacle into an advantage.
Our work is personal, disciplined, and directed by the managing partner on every engagement. What makes it possible is the network behind it.
How we work
We are a solutions-oriented firm operating in a complex and often ambiguous space. Every engagement begins with a deep and honest assessment of the problem — dissecting every twist and turn before developing a clear plan of attack.
We do not sell access. We build capacity — the kind that stays with your organization long after an engagement ends. Our deliverables are clear, actionable, and built around your specific challenge.
The network
Cold Rock is a partnership of practitioners — strategists, policy experts, and operators who have worked inside government and alongside it. Problems at the intersection of business and government don't get solved by one person. They get solved by the right room.
Our network was built through years of work at the highest levels of federal, state, and local government — and it is the foundation of everything we do for clients.
Federal — Executive Branch
Relationships built across the Obama Administration and within the U.S. Departments of Commerce, State, Treasury, and Labor. We understand how federal agencies make decisions, allocate resources, and respond to external stakeholders.
Federal — Legislative
Congressional engagement at the committee and member level — across both chambers. We know how bills move, where staff influence lives, and how to position organizations for effective advocacy.
State Government
Active relationships with governors' offices, state legislators, and state agency leadership across the country — in markets that matter for our clients' growth and policy objectives.
Local Government
City halls, county executives, city councils, and municipal agencies in major metro markets. Local government is often the fastest path to tangible outcomes — and the most overlooked.
Industry & Capital
Trade associations, peer networks, venture capital, and mission-driven investors. Cold Rock's Managing Partner is a General Partner at 1921 Ventures and an active mentor at Techstars.
Cold Rock's Managing Partner, Van Freeman, leads every engagement personally. A former Obama Administration appointee, Van held senior positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce and served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the DC Department of Employment Services. He currently directs public policy and investment at STRIVE, a national workforce development nonprofit operating across multiple cities.
He holds a bachelor's degree from Morehouse College and a Juris Doctorate from Southern University Law Center.
Areas of expertise
- Trade association and peer network engagement
- Federal engagement — executive branch and congressional
- State engagement — governors' offices and state legislators
- Local engagement — cities, city councils, and municipal agencies
- Workforce development, economic mobility, and inclusive growth
- Grant strategy across federal, state, and local funding streams