Why Panda Consulting?
Our name has a great story behind it. After realizing that his tenure at the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation was coming to an end, our founder, Frank Conkling, was searching for a name for the consulting firm he was to create. He wanted the name to be easily identifiable and reflective of the things the company would represent, therefore, FJC Consulting and any run of the mill GIS reference was out.
Being a geographer by heart, he mentioned to his wife and son at dinner one night that he was thinking of naming his company "Pangea Consulting." Pangea being the name of the mega-continent that existed before the tectonic plates began their continental drift and the last time all of Earth's people were one. Since the new firm would be focused on bringing understanding to its clients and helping to utilize GIS technology to foster tolerance and equitable distribution of resources, Frank thought this name aptly conveyed the mission.
Unfortunately, his wife and son thought otherwise. Sue correctly noted that few people would understand the meaning and the name is difficult to pronounce. Christopher, his son, more bluntly said the name was "stupid." As is the rule in their house, no one dismisses a suggestion without offering a better solution. Needless to say, it was a quiet dinner.
However, by the end of dinner, Christopher's eyes lit up as he suggested "Panda Consulting." It was a stroke of genius! The name reflected our environmental awareness and concern regarding the endangered species; Pandas are distinct and different creatures and the firm sought to be distinct and different; it even worked as an acronym: "P"olygon "A"nd "N"etwork "D"ata "A"nalysts.
Christopher, however, gave us the real reason why we should name the company Panda Consulting....he pointed out how much Frank looks like a Panda.
