Operator-led AI services

Most companies are investing in AI.Few are getting anything real out of it.

Grounded helps companies find where AI is worth investing, build the operating model to make it work, and ship products which generate real value. Stuff you'll actually use -- without the hype and without the powerpoint slides.

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Founded by operators

Alyssa Simpson Rochwerger

Healthcare AI · Responsible AI · Author

Led a 120-person AI team at Blue Shield of California serving 6M members. Author of Real World AI, the Kirkus-reviewed guide used in university programs globally. Modern Healthcare 40 Under 40. Forbes contributor. Patent holder. GTM advisor to Canvas Ventures health tech portfolio.

Keith Vertrees

AI Architecture · Forward Deployed Builds · Patent Holder

Took Pricefx from invisible AI feature to 125 agents, 26 deals, and IDC MarketScape Leader in 4 months. Former CPTO at Shift Technologies. Author of the AI-First Enterprise Framework, a 315-page transformation methodology. Patent holder in competitive pricing AI.

How We Work

From "we should do something with AI" to shipped work that holds up.

Each track stands on its own. Together, they form a simple system for discovery, governance, adoption, build, and leadership.

1 — Find It

Hidden Gems Assessment

Most companies have four AI ideas and no clear sense of which one will actually pay off. Find It cuts through that in two to three weeks and gives you a decision you can act on.

2 — Govern It

AI Governance Foundation

Your team is already using AI. The question is whether they're using it in ways you'd be comfortable explaining to a client or a regulator. Govern It builds the policies, ownership, and oversight that let you move fast without surprises.

3 — Activate It

AI Adoption Sprint

You've bought the tools. A handful of people are using them well. Most aren't. Activate It builds the habits, enablement, and internal champions that turn scattered usage into something consistent and measurable.

4 — Build It

AI-First Execution

For teams that are past the strategy phase and ready to actually ship -- new AI-enabled workflows, product features, or internal tools that hold up in production, not just in a demo.

5 — Lead It

Embedded AI Leadership

When you need someone who can make decisions, own the roadmap, and drive execution -- not just advise on it. Lead It embeds an operator into your team who acts like a senior hire without the 12-month search.

2.5xFaster time to AI value

80%+Executive alignment rate

$10M+Client value generated

90-dayFirst results timeline

Metrics represent aggregated outcomes across client engagements. Individual results vary based on organizational context and scope.

Framework

A structured operating model for AI work

The AI-First Enterprise Framework

Most AI initiatives stall because teams jump from ideas to tools without a shared operating model. The AI-First Enterprise Framework connects strategy, delivery, and commercialization as one system.

Each pillar reinforces the others. You get clearer priorities, cleaner execution, and a more credible path from internal adoption to customer-facing AI offers.

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AI Strategy & Vision

Clarify where AI should create value, what to test first, and how to sequence investment around real business outcomes.

AI Product & Engineering

Design the specs, workflows, and customer-facing AI experiences that turn good ideas into shipped product.

AI Operations & Scale

Operationalize adoption, embedded execution, and the feedback loops that make AI work repeatable over time.

Client Feedback

“Your quick impact and ability to constructively challenge our thinking has been invaluable. The detailed feedback and strategic insights are helping us navigate complex challenges and get to the best answers for our AI initiatives.”

Senior Executive

Product & Engineering Leadership, Enterprise B2B SaaS

Not sure which move comes first.

Take the 5-minute assessment to see where AI can create value now and what your next operator-led step should be.

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