Core Acceleration Consulting
People = the Core
Our name says it all. We were founded on the concept that for businesses to accelerate, the people at the core of the organization must thrive. We specialize in turning processes and playbooks into elegant, actionable eLearning and training systems that help your business or trade group accelerate performance.
Max Olson, Founder and Managing Partner
Core Acceleration Consulting was founded by Max Olson, a strategic business leader with a career-long passion for developing entrepreneurs, driving businesses, and solving problems.
With experience in operations, recruiting, coaching, learning design, and strategy, Max founded the company with a focus on helping businesses and trade groups establish core learning systems. The company has worked with national & international trade groups and leaders in a wide range of industries in the strategic design and creation of learning systems in service of growth and performance.
Max’s business career began as a student at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he owned & operated a College Pro franchise. Upon graduation, he joined the corporate team, becoming the first US General Manager to achieve $10 Million in sales, and subsequently oversaw the Western USA as Vice President. In that capacity, Max ran the P&L for the business unit and consistently reached his profit, recruiting, and sales objectives.
After 12 years in operations, Max took on a North America portfolio in 2015 as the VP of Innovation & Learning for College Pro, a role in which he was able to fully embrace his passion for learning design & problem solving. Beginning that year, Max led a major company initiative to improve learning at all levels of the organization through a newly created Learning Management System (LMS) with original course design and a graduated learning approach to training. As a member of the PALM Committee at College Pro’s parent company FirstService Brands (which includes brands such as California Closets, CertaPro Painters, and Paul Davis), Max helped select and implement a cross-platform LMS for the system.
In 2019, Max founded Core Acceleration Consulting and has become a key partner in the growth of his clients ever since. In his free time, Max has a passion for running (he has completed 14 marathons), family, and continuous learning. He lives in Chapel Hill, NC with his wife, five year old daughter, and 3 year old son.
Scott Shaw, Partner
Sandra Storoschuk, Partner
Sandra Storoschuk joined Core Acceleration Consulting as a Partner in August 2025. Sandra brings more than twenty years of experience working with entrepreneurs, franchise organizations, and leadership teams, with a focus on leadership development, operational performance, and helping organizations build the systems required for sustainable growth.
A Certified Executive Coach (PCC) and Certified Franchise Executive (CFE), Sandra has spent over a decade coaching business owners and leaders and has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs across a wide range of industries. She is known for her ability to translate leadership development into practical execution, helping organizations strengthen their systems, develop stronger leaders, and improve daily performance across their teams.
Sandra’s business career began as an entrepreneur at the age of twenty-one when she launched her own painting business. That early experience shaped her deep appreciation for the challenges and opportunities of business ownership. Over the course of her career, Sandra went on to hold multiple Vice President of Operations roles within franchise organizations, where she led teams and supported business owners in driving operational performance, developing leaders, and strengthening the systems that support long-term growth.
In parallel with her operational leadership roles, Sandra has built and delivered leadership development and training programs designed to elevate how organizations develop their people. Her work blends facilitation, executive coaching, and structured learning design to ensure that development efforts translate into stronger leadership capability and measurable improvements in business performance.
At Core Acceleration, Sandra plays a key role in designing and implementing learning systems for clients. Her work includes developing leadership programs, designing courses and training experiences, and helping organizations ensure their learning initiatives translate into improved leadership capability and frontline execution.
Sandra lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband. Outside of work she enjoys travel, outdoor adventures, music festivals, road trips, reading, and spending time with friends.
Scott Shaw has spent his career developing leaders and driving performance in growing organizations. His work focuses on helping leaders apply practical leadership and operational systems that improve execution and produce stronger business results.
Throughout his career, Scott has partnered with owners and leadership teams to solve operational challenges and strengthen performance as organizations grow. He has led teams, managed P&Ls, and coached senior and mid-level leaders responsible for running and improving their businesses. Since 2010, he has also served as an Examiner Coach within the FirstService Brands network, supporting the development of leaders and businesses across their franchise systems.
Because of his strong operational background, Scott brings a practical perspective to leadership development. His focus is not just on concepts, but on helping leaders apply what they learn in ways that move the needle on team performance and business results.
Scott lives in Spokane, Washington with his wife and three kids. He is a classic car enthusiast and serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster in a Scouting America troop. Outdoor adventures are part of the family norm.