Jared Lukes. Book 30 min

Applied AI consulting  /  fractional leadership

I build the AI, design how people trust it, and lead the org through using it.

Most AI value leaks out in the gaps between the model, the people, and the workflow. I work all three, so the thing you build actually gets used and actually pays.

Available for projects Currently Chief AI Officer at Appraisal Dream and fractional CTO at U.S. Asset Appraisals and Quartz Importers MN.

25+ yrs R&D / transformation 10+ startups founded 3 exits 95%+ accuracy at 100K docs/day, in production

Selected clients and engagements

How I can help

Start with the problem you actually have.

Six ways to work together, from holding the AI seat to getting a stuck pilot live to covering a design lead while you hire. Pick the one that sounds like your week.

Proof

Outcomes, running in production right now.

Not a portfolio of pitches. These are live systems I built and seats I hold today.

95%+
Classification accuracy, in production
100K
Documents processed per day
60%
Lower AI inference cost via caching
50+
Appraisers on the Appraisal Dream waitlist

2026 to present · Full-time

CAIO · Appraisal Dream

Built the AI SaaS platform end to end: 18+ Cloud Run microservices, a Pub/Sub pipeline, court-ready evidence timeline, USPAP-aligned reporting. Zero to beta with 50+ appraisers waiting.

2024 to present · Fractional

Fractional CTO · Quartz Importers MN

Sole architect of a 49-workflow agent platform with a self-evolving query engine and a 500-node Neo4j knowledge graph, in production. Vendor selection top to bottom.

2025 to present · Fractional

Fractional CTO · U.S. Asset Appraisals

Leading martech modernization and AI rollout for a firm operating across 35+ states. Roadmap, vendor strategy, AI capability integration.

Twenty-five years of clients before these, from U.S. Bank and Principal Financial to Medtronic, Target, and BMW. See the full record →

How we can work together

Three shapes, priced up front.

So we both save time. We pick the shape that fits your timeline on the first call.

Scoped project

$125 to $225 / hr

A bounded build, audit, or study with a clear end. Fixed scope on request.

Fractional seat

$8K to $12K / mo

I hold the CAIO, CTO, or design or research lead seat on your team, on retainer.

Standing & advisory

Cash, equity, or pro-bono

Long-arc roles, advising, and board work. Not-for-profit and arts get their own conversation.

About

A builder who learned to lead, and never stopped building.

I have spent 25 years bringing new teams, new systems, and new ideas to life, the messy first stretch where the org does not know what it wants yet and the tech does not exist yet. R&D engineer, then design and UX leader, now AI architect, with team-building threaded through all of it.

I read a business as a system of flows: where labor, capital, and information enter, where margin leaks, and which step an agent can change. Then I build it, get people to actually use it, and stay through the landing.

The longer story, the full timeline, and the awards →

Jared Lukes

What people say

Quoted verbatim from people who have worked with me.

At BMW, Jared was the design lead on the e-mobility project and brought in a fresh perspective, new service design tools and had a quick impact on, not only the design, but also on the ways of working of the entire organization, including the stakeholders. One of Jared's key super powers is that he can identify the problem at hand very quickly when it might not be that obvious to others. He is always ready to help out anyone else in the organization. Great leader and an asset to any company.
Pawel BakAssociate Director UX, AI Experience Strategy
Jared is not a traditional director who pulls the strings to make things dance. Instead, he is an enabler and coach who pushes the team to achieve a common goal. Jared augments his management style with the unique ability to detect problems, then uncover tools and talent to solve them often long before anyone else on the team realizes the problem exists. I've yet to meet another person who can assess talent the way Jared can.
Bryce HowitsonProduct / UX Design leader
Here's the thing about Jared, he's brilliant. People claim to be either left brained or right brained. Jared is a hybrid of both. He is a creative thinker and technical wizard. He combines his creative and technical skills for the purpose of solving his client's business problems. His goal is to help his clients, and he succeeds.
Mike MuggliSitecore Consultant
Jared is a strategic thinker who is excellent at using technology to provide creative solutions to business issues. He works to obtain in-depth knowledge of the client's business needs and pushes solutions beyond what the client asks for.
Beth MurphySr. Director, Target Creative
His ability to see not only the "big picture," but future implications of plans and decisions really make him unique. His technical expertise is stellar, but he also understands it's crucial how users interact with technology.
Kristen FindleyOperating Architect / Chief of Staff
Jared and I worked on several large client engagements together. He was an exceptional thought leader and added an extraordinary amount of value to the team. His knowledge and grasp of UX is second to none.
Michael KraabelVP, Head of Digital Experience
Jared is great at building a strategy from the ground up and then staying close to the details throughout the process to ensure quality and consistency from conceptual design, to production, to deployment. He is a fast study and an endless generator of cool ideas.
John MillerFractional CFO
Deeply interested in solving a problem not just filling an order. Jared is honest, smart and creative. His work in two words: Over Deliver.
Gary KoellingDigital Product Development & Marketing
Jared is a strong, strategic partner from start to finish. He seeks excellence at every step, pushes for innovation, and is an excellent communicator.
Peggy MunnagleStrategic Consultancy Leader

Fragile Future

Working essays on agentic AI, fractional leadership, and the long arc of building. One or two a month, no spam.

Or read first: all essays · RSS.

Let us talk

Tell me what is stuck. I will tell you straight if I can move it.

A 30 minute call, no deck, no pitch. Pick whichever channel is easiest.

Based in Minneapolis. Remote-fluent for 12+ years, with frequent secondary bases in Antigua, Guatemala and Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Travel about 25%.

Jared working on a laptop under a thatched palapa, ocean in the background.

Field office/Isla Mujeres, MX/21.23° N · 86.73° W/Status: working