Economic Consulting Offer

I have an offer from an economic consulting shop that was founded in June as a break-off of a top firm. An expert pulled his entire team, they have about 20-25 people working there right now, have a lot of deal flow, and are expanding rapidly. The compensation is slightly above average, and I'd be in a market with a lower cost of living (when compared to DC/NY/SF).

For context, I attend a top-10 school with a ~3.5 GPA that has all the major firms (Cornerstone, AG, Lexecon, etc.) recruit here.

I understand the exit opps are limited and that I'd have to return to grad school most likely. Would working at a boutique/startup (where I'd still be working with PhD level experts from top universities) dampen my long-term prospects if I choose to leave economic consulting (or even within the field)?

What are some of the risks I should consider?

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