AI Change Management, Technology Strategy & Business Coaching
Most of the companies I talk to are not behind on AI. They are drowning in it. Too many tools, bots nobody owns, and a team that quietly went back to the old way.
I was at AOL when the consumer internet was born. I ran a nationwide company remote-first from 2004. I am the founding managing partner of an angel fund. I watched small businesses lose to the shops that took the internet seriously, and AI is that, times ten. So I start small: one workflow, the painful repetitive one that eats your week, and we prove it pays for itself before we touch anything else.
Which kind of help do you need?
Take a few minutes to name what you need before you pay for it. The three paths below each open into their own page.
Strategic Advisor
A fractional executive technology advisor who sits beside your leadership team and tells you when a vendor is blowing smoke. Tech investments, vendor claims, data architecture, without the sales pitch.
Explore Advisory →Executive Coach
For founders who built something real and now need it to run without them in every meeting. Cadence, scorecards, accountability. The unglamorous work that makes a company work.
Explore Coaching →Contractor / Builder
When you need the thing built, I build it. MCP integrations, agents, and the deterministic tools around them, so the work your staff does by hand every day gets done by a system.
Explore Builder →Where I'm working now
Executive AI & Tech Advisory
Fractional executive technology advisor. I sit on your side of the table for tech investments, vendor claims and data architecture, and I am not selling software.
Take the AI-readiness assessment →Strategic Management Coaching
Weekly work with founders on the operating basics: meeting cadence, scorecards, and who owns what. Founder-driven chaos to a rhythm that runs without you.
HV Venture Hub & Startups
Entrepreneur in Residence and advisor at SUNY New Paltz's Hudson Valley Venture Hub. Capital efficiency and investor diligence for founders, from someone who has sat on the investor side of that table.
In the Field
Read the full segment transcript
"I launched my business with a few very capable business partners and we worked really hard in bootstrapped our business for 15 years but we kept our heads down so I really encourage folks to lift their heads up and look around and ask for help people really want to help forty-four folks came into our fund primarily not for the investment opportunity and the return on the investment they came because they selfishly wanted to give back because there's nothing more gratifying than passing on what you learned and taking something that took you ten years to learn giving it to somebody in 20 minutes that can be a life changer and those businesses can really thrive on those bits of information and those connections"
What clients & colleagues say
Curated from LinkedIn recommendations received across advisory, technology, and ecosystem leadership roles.
“Johnny has been the single greatest resource for my company since the day he started advising us... His coaching style is truly multifaceted and is rooted in multiple points of view, based in his experience as a founder, operator, advisor, and investor.
“I've come to rely on him as my go-to source for kicking around new business ideas, social media trends, online communication strategies. He's inspired me to think outside the box and always challenges my status quo with the intention of growth and improvement in my business.
“Johnny mentored and guided me on a business development and growth opportunity/challenge which I was facing. His insightful and thought-provoking consultative approach was extremely helpful.
“He provides a great vision on how to use technology, as well as a great understanding in how the different pieces of technology fit together to provide an overall solution. It has helped me greatly in doing my job, and helped move the company forward at a brisk pace.
“Johnny has the combination of big bold ideas and detailed hands on knowledge to follow through with the plan. His ability to stay on the cutting edge of technology is an extensive asset.
“Not only did he possess the technical expertise to manage large complex systems; but he also worked very well on cross organizational teams. He was able to adapt his communication style to technical and non-technical audiences to facilitate a common understanding.
“Johnny's attention to detail, creativeness and work ethic are only to be superceded by his generosity. Because of WAKA Kickball under Johnny's leadership we were able to launch a first class event and raised over $15,000 to support adolescent mental health services in our community.
“He is, in fact, the calm in the midst of a complicated and evolving process- rallying the financial, educational and social forces to elevate the entrepreneurial eco system within the Hudson Valley and beyond... His leadership style is gentle but compelling and, above all, highly effective.
“Johnny is super smart entrepreneur and a truly insightful leader. He has an intuitive grasp of emerging business opportunities and can find the right risk-reward balance when contemplating investing his time and/or capital.
Recommendations sourced from Johnny's LinkedIn profile.
Core Insights & Operating Frameworks
Four ideas I keep coming back to with clients who are adopting AI and trying to keep the business running while they do it.
The Remote Work Rule for AI
I have run remote companies since 2004. Remote work did not change what management is. It made you do all of it on purpose. AI is the same.
Workflow DisciplineThe 3-Draft Writing Workflow
AI makes a terrible first draft and a remarkable middle draft. You set the frame, the machine fills the middle, you make the call.
Governance & AlignmentTerm Sheets Before AI Drafting
Agree on the bullets before anyone opens a drafting tool. Two bots arguing over 40 pages is how you get AI drafting fatigue.
Talent TransitionOutsource to Insource Rhythm
Outsource early to learn how it is done. Insource later to own it. The hand-off works when both teams sit side by side and fails when it is a Friday email.
Background & Scale
Enterprise AI & Agentic Systems
MCP integrations, serverless sub-agents on Google Cloud, deterministic tools. Hands on the keyboard every day.
Hudson Valley Startup Fund
Founding managing partner. Technical and business due diligence.
CLUBWAKA
CIO and co-founder. Ran a nationwide company remote-first from 2004 and scaled it to $8.5M.
AOL
Core host connectivity and UNIX automation while the consumer internet was being built. AOL Instant Messenger was my baby.
Speaking & Workshops
Keynotes, panels, executive workshops, board retreats. I talk about what it is like to run a business with your hands on the technology, and I do not do hype.
Book a Discovery Call
No hard sell. A focused conversation about where AI is helping you, where it is creating drag, and whether a short engagement makes sense. If it does not, I will tell you.
Book a Discovery Call