AI consulting guide
About Bracken Fields: The CTO Who Builds AI That Actually Works
By Bracken Fields
Who is Bracken Fields?
I'm Bracken Fields. I've spent 20 years building software in Indiana, contact center platforms, cloud communications systems, and SaaS products that have to work at scale. Now I help Indiana and Midwest businesses deploy AI that solves real problems.
This page exists because people search "Bracken Fields" when they're trying to decide if I'm the right person to help them.
The short version
- 2007-2017: Founded and ran Fathom Voice, a VoIP and cloud communications company. Learned product, infrastructure, sales, support, and how to keep systems running when customers depend on them.
- 2017-2019: CTO at Sharpen Technologies, a contact center platform serving Fortune 500 customers. Built for scale, uptime, security, and operational pressure.
- 2019-2024: Co-founded and served as CTO of Edify, a modern CX and communications platform with AI in the mix. Kept the engineering tied to operator pain.
- Now: Partner at BACK Venture Co and running Indy AI Consulting. I help Indiana businesses put AI to work in ways they can measure and control.
What I actually do
I run a small AI consulting practice focused on Indiana and Midwest businesses. Four services:
OpenClaw Setup & Maintenance: I deploy AI assistants on your own hardware, connect them to your tools (Slack, email, CRM, calendar), and configure them to handle real work, not just answer FAQ chatbot questions.
Cash Flow Audits: Most businesses leak $2,000-$10,000/month in forgotten subscriptions, overpaid vendor contracts, and manual processes that should be automated. I use AI tools to find those leaks fast.
AI Phone Agents: I set up voice agents that answer your phones, qualify leads, book appointments, and handle common questions, 24/7. Built on proven platforms. No robot vibes.
Custom Workflow Automation: Pick the one thing costing your team the most time. I build a focused automation that removes the burden, lead follow-up, report generation, proposal drafting, document review, data entry.
Why I focus on practical AI, not transformation theater
I've been in tech long enough to see hype cycles. The AI hype cycle is bad because: - Consultants sell six-month transformation roadmaps with no working software at the end - Businesses get pitched "AI strategy" when they need one workflow fixed - Too much focus on capability, not ROI
I'm not interested in selling transformation decks. I'm interested in helping businesses remove friction from one workflow, measure the result, and decide what comes next.
The projects I take on have: - A specific workflow to improve - A person who owns that workflow - Clear success criteria (hours saved, dollars saved, errors reduced) - A timeline measured in weeks, not quarters
If you want a deck about "leveraging AI to drive digital transformation," I'm not your guy. If you want to automate the thing costing you $5,000/month in labor, let's talk.
The technical background
I've written code, architected systems, managed engineering teams, and kept production systems running at scale. Technical foundation:
Languages and platforms: Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, C#, PHP, and others. The right tool depends on the problem.
Infrastructure: AWS, Azure, GCP, and on-prem. Scaling, uptime, DR, security, and compliance.
AI and automation: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, open-source models. Whatever solves the problem fastest. Pragmatic about tooling.
Integrations: The hard work in AI projects is usually integration. I've connected systems to CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive), ticketing platforms (Zendesk, Jira, ServiceNow), knowledge bases (Notion, Confluence, Google Drive), email (Gmail, Outlook), calendars, databases, and legacy systems that were never designed with APIs in mind.
Product and business: Run companies, sold to customers, managed P&Ls, made technical decisions with business constraints. ROI, change management, team adoption.
How I work with clients
Typical engagement:
Initial call (30 minutes, free): You tell me what's costing you the most time or money. I'll tell you if AI can help and what the engagement would look like.
Pick a service: Most clients start with a cash flow audit ($3,500, 2 weeks) or a single workflow automation ($3,000-$8,000, 2-3 weeks).
Ship in 2-4 weeks: I build it, your team tests it, we measure the result. If it works, we keep going. If it doesn't, you learned something for a few thousand dollars instead of six months and $100,000.
I prefer working with Indiana businesses. If you're in Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers, Bloomington, Fort Wayne, or anywhere in the state, I'd rather meet you for coffee than do a Zoom call.
Beyond consulting: BACK Venture Co
In addition to Indy AI Consulting, I'm a partner at BACK Venture Co, a small venture studio focused on building and backing Indiana startups. We invest operator experience and capital into companies solving real problems. It keeps me close to the challenges of building and scaling software, not just consulting on it.
How to reach me
Phone: Coming soon — grabbing a dedicated line.
Email: bracken@fieldsprairie.com
Contact form: indyaiconsulting.com/contact
I respond fast to Indiana businesses with specific problems. If you're looking for someone to present a generic AI strategy deck, I'm probably not the right fit. If you want to fix one workflow and measure the result, let's talk.