Doctoral Student in AI Looking to Help Search Funders with Short-Term AI Projects

Hi all, I’m a doctoral researcher focused on AI adoption in industrial lower middle-market businesses, with 20 yrs+ in manufacturing, strategy, and AI implementation. As part of my candidacy, I’m required to demonstrate social impact, one of which is working directly with businesses. I have experience implementing AI technologies in both small and large enterprises, primarily in the industrial sector. I’m particularly interested in partnering with search funders and recently acquired businesses, where there’s a clear opportunity to move quickly from acquisition to execution. Most businesses in the $1M–$20M range don’t need complex data stacks; they need AI embedded into workflows to improve speed, visibility, and decision-making. Proven AI use cases I’ve already implemented and can quickly apply to your business: 1. Short-Term (2–4 weeks): Immediate Efficiency Gains - AI-driven deal origination: Automate target search, qualification, and outreach - Email automation: Faster responses, follow-ups, and inbox management - Finance team chatbot (investor intelligence): Answers questions from large volumes of investor calls, transcripts, and reports, enabling faster, consistent responses for finance and leadership teams 2. Medium-Term (4–8 weeks): Revenue & Decision Leverage - AI Sales Assistant: Integrates CRM, engineering data, IoT machine data, and past interactions to help sales executives during their plant walkthrough (delivered via iPad App) - Executive insight layer: AI-driven view into revenue and pipeline health, surfacing risks and opportunities without heavy reporting Long-Term (8–16+ weeks): Scalable Operating Layer - ERP-integrated automation to streamline workflows - Supply chain visibility & automation for better visibility and execution - Marketing & GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) to improve visibility in AI-driven search and discovery If you’re a search funder (or have recently acquired a business), I’d be glad to collaborate on a focused pilot engagement. Happy to connect.