By: Elena Mart
When Reece Calhoun first stumbled across applied behavior analysis (ABA), he had no idea it would eventually lead him into entrepreneurship. What began as a 2 am job search while trying to avoid returning home to California turned into a career – and ultimately, a business – built on the science of understanding people. Today, as a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) and founder of Review Gather Consult (RGC), Calhoun has created a company that not only trains new clinicians but also attracted acquisition offers within months. His secret? He simply practiced what he taught.
“I’ve always loved the science behind behavior – it’s everywhere,” says Calhoun. “But when you really understand behavior, you realize business is just behavior on a larger scale.”
From Personal Experience to Professional Calling
Calhoun’s passion for working with individuals with disabilities has deep roots. With two cousins diagnosed with autism and a cousin who battled mitochondrial disease before passing away, Calhoun grew up keenly aware of the challenges faced by families and children with special needs. This personal exposure planted an early seed.
Still, after graduating from Purdue, he didn’t immediately know where his career would lead. That late-night job search eventually landed him a role working with children with special needs – a role that introduced him to ABA. “I looked it up on YouTube, and I was hooked,” Reece recalls.
From there, he immersed himself fully: earning his master’s from Arizona State, working as a clinic director, trainer, and clinician, and helping to open multiple new centers, all while accumulating hands-on experience with both clients and staff.
Turning Therapy Principles Into Business Strategy
It was during his time training new behavioral technicians that Reece spotted a recurring problem: many new hires were entering the field unprepared, often overwhelmed by complex caseloads with little support. “A lot of people were just thrown to the wolves,” he explains. “I didn’t want anyone to feel like that.”
This became the catalyst for RGC – a company that started not from a business plan but from a desire to better prepare new clinicians for the field. Using his BCBA credentials, Calhoun began creating in-house continuing education units (CEUs) and comprehensive onboarding programs for both behavior technicians and newly certified analysts.
The business model itself was a reflection of ABA: proactive, data-informed, and individualized. Just as therapy plans are customized to each client’s needs, RGC’s training was tailored to set up every new hire for success. “Behavior is behavior,” Reece says. “Whether you’re working with kids or staff, it’s about setting clear expectations and reinforcing success.”
Learning (and Unlearning) Along the Way
Though the behavioral principles were second nature, entrepreneurship brought its own learning curve. Calhoun admits his first attempt at a company website was a Google Sites page – one that couldn’t even be found publicly until a friend, who eventually joined the business, pointed out the issue. “We were laughing about it later, but in the moment, I thought: ‘Oh man, I’ve got a lot to learn,'” Calhoun says.
Rather than discourage him, those early missteps became another applied lesson in problem-solving. As his team refined their systems, built proper infrastructure, and grew their offerings, the business naturally attracted attention.
Within just weeks of launching their public website, Calhoun was approached by a broker representing a buyer interested in acquiring the company. Their reason? The in-house CEU model that Calhoun had built could save potential buyers hundreds of thousands in third-party training costs. Unlike most companies that outsourced continuing education, RGC’s model brought those capabilities entirely under one roof.
When Values Are Tested
While the offer was flattering, Calhoun faced a difficult decision. “At first, I thought: there’s really not that much to sell – we were still early,” he says. But as discussions progressed, it became clear that any acquisition would leave his team behind – something Reece wouldn’t accept.
“My team put in just as much work as I did. They deserved to be part of any opportunity,” he explains. “I couldn’t, in good conscience, do a deal that didn’t include them.”
In the end, Reece walked away from the offer, reinforcing not just his leadership philosophy but the behavioral principles that guide him: value people, build trust, and prioritize long-term outcomes over short-term wins.
Behavior Analysis as a Way of Life
What makes Reece’s journey particularly unique is how deeply behavior analysis shapes his entire worldview. “In ABA, we have this concept called the ‘Dead Man’s Test’: if a dead man can do it, it’s not a behavior,” he laughs. “That mindset helps me see everything – business, leadership, growth – as constantly active and evolving.”
His training also informs his adaptability as an entrepreneur. Each staff member, each client, and each business opportunity is approached like an individualized case study: assess, intervene, monitor, and adjust.
“Not every strategy works for every person,” Reece says. “The job is to find what works for this person, this situation. That’s true whether you’re writing a therapy plan or building a company.”
The Road Ahead
For Reece, the entrepreneurial story is far from over. He’s currently pursuing a doctorate in behavior analysis, with dreams of eventually developing his own methodology – what he jokingly calls “The Reece Method” – that blends both clinical research and real-world application. Long-term, he hopes to create research-based models that can help scale effective therapy while remaining highly individualized.
Beyond his professional ambitions, Reece is also building his personal legacy. He hopes to adopt a child in the future, continuing the same values-driven approach he brings to every part of his life.
“I don’t look at it as ‘doing it all,’” he says. “I look at it as doing what I love, staying true to my purpose, and helping people along the way.”
Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared in this article are those of Reece Calhoun and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or practices of all behavior analysts or professionals in the field. The information provided is for general informational purposes and should not be construed as professional advice or a substitute for individualized treatment or business strategies. The success of Review Gather Consult (RGC) and its methods may not be universally applicable and results may vary depending on specific circumstances.
