AI Center of Excellence -Steve
Steve is an experiencced consultant who specializes in crafting AI-enabled Go-to-Market (GTM) strategies. He is also recognized as an international public speaker on emerging tech trends, AI, cybersecurity, data privacy, and quantum computing.
Q. How do you describe your independent consulting offering and the typical focus of your work?
My AI consulting practice focuses on helping organizations understand, adopt, and scale AI-driven transformation. I work with both established enterprises, high-growth, small businesses, and solo-practices to define AI strategies, build AI-powered Agents & products, and integrate automation into marketing, operations, and customer experience.
My work typically bridges strategy, product, marketing, and agent development helping leaders and clients move from exploration to measurable results through practical AI roadmaps and implementation.
Q. What are the specific benefits that you, as an independent, offer?
As an independent, I offer trust, speed, focus, and flexibility. I focus on adding value throughout the process. I work without the constraints of large consulting hierarchies, which allows me to quickly identify opportunities, prototype ideas, and bring AI concepts to life in days or weeks rather than months.
Clients value that I combine a strategic lens with hands-on technical understanding, someone who can translate between business goals, emerging and rapidly changing AI capabilities, and real-world execution. I also bring an external perspective that challenges assumptions and helps teams think differently about where AI can create the most practical value.
Q. How do you explain the value your expertise brings and the specific situations in which you should be engaged?
Organizations typically bring me in when they are:
- Trying to understand where AI fits into their existing products, marketing, or operations; or
- Looking to accelerate from AI experimentation to production, with measurable ROI and scalable outcomes.
I help teams design and implement AI adoption strategies and tactical AI Agent development that are both visionary and pragmatic. My value is in simplifying complexity, supporting overall change management, understanding cybersecurity, data privacy, legacy tech, and a modern tech stack to help leaders and teams see the common sense and practical path forward with clarity, making sure AI isn’t just a buzzword but a business driver.
Q. What made you realize that AI was going to be significant in the next stage of your independent career?
I‘ve been coding on AI since 2018 while attending Georgia Tech, then in 2020 I became an OpenAI beta developer and I have seen the evolution of AI to lead transformation initiatives, I noticed that the most meaningful results came when technology, change management, and human creativity work together. AI fundamentally changes how we work, learn, and create, it’s not just another tool, it’s a new medium for innovation.
That realization shaped the direction of my independent work and the launch of an AI Institute, which focus on helping organizations learn to work with AI as a collaborator rather than simply as automation.
Q. How do you start conversations with clients about where AI is going to impact them?
I often start with a simple question:
“Where do your people spend the most time doing work that feels repeatable, but still requires judgment?”
That question usually reveals areas where AI can enhance human capability, not replace it. From there, we map workflows, identify high-impact opportunities, and prioritize areas where AI can improve efficiency, creativity, or decision-making.
The conversation always begins with the business outcome, not the technology, and grows into a practical plan for responsible, flexible, and scalable AI use.
Q. Describe a recent assignment in terms of success, outcomes, and personal learnings.
I recently supported a client through the design and rollout of an AI-driven marketing and automation initiative. Within 90 days, they were able to streamline campaign production, improve personalization, and reduce manual creative time by over 50%.
The biggest learning was that successful AI adoption depends on clarity of purpose, when teams understand the “why,” they adopt the “how” with enthusiasm. Human alignment drives technological success.
Q. What advice would you give to anyone about to embark on an independent career as to how they can provide the best results for a client, while fulfilling their own career path?
Define what you want your work to stand for early on. Independence is not about being on your own, it’s about being aligned with your values and curiosity.
Clients hire independent consultants for clarity and action. People they trust who can communicate and bring critical thinking. Focus on delivering tangible progress in the first few weeks, not just presentations or plans. The best results come from being both a strategic partner and a creator who can help make things real.
Q. Finally, what do you like to do when you’re not working in the depths of AI Consulting?
When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time traveling, attending college sports, learning and reading, and exploring lifestyle hacks that rethink how technology connects with the human experience. I also mentor startups to help grow their passion projects.