AI & Data Readiness Consulting

I help mid-market companies close the gap between their AI ambitions and their data reality.

Most AI projects fail because of what's underneath them: the data, the processes, the trust in the numbers. Whether your AI hasn't delivered yet or you haven't started, I give you the honest picture first.

Tim Youngren

Most companies are pouring AI on top of chaotic, ungoverned data, then wondering why it doesn't work.

The problem isn't the AI. It's everything underneath it. Scattered data sources. Reports no one fully trusts. Processes that were never mapped. Before AI can help your organization, you need to know what you're actually working with. I'm the person who helps you find out.

95%
of enterprise GenAI pilots produce no measurable P&L impact — MIT, The GenAI Divide, 2025
60%
of AI projects will be abandoned for lack of AI-ready data through 2026 — Gartner
better odds of real AI returns for companies that fixed their data workflows first — McKinsey, 2025

Two ways I can help your organization

01

Deployed AI Review

You've already invested in AI, and it's not delivering what was promised. Was your pilot one of the 95%? Give me two weeks and I'll tell you exactly why, and what it'll take to turn it around.

  • Data quality & governance audit
  • Use case alignment review: is it solving the right problem?
  • Output accuracy & trust assessment
  • Prioritized remediation roadmap
  • One-page findings summary, ready for your CEO or board
02

AI Readiness Assessment

A fixed-scope, two-week diagnostic that gives you a clear, honest picture of where you stand on data readiness, process maturity, and AI opportunity. All before you spend a dollar on implementation.

  • Stakeholder interviews & data audit
  • Data Trust Scorecard: where your numbers can and can't be trusted
  • AI opportunity map ranked by feasibility and impact
  • Phased roadmap you can act on immediately

Why independent matters

I have no software to sell you and no implementation contract to land. When a vendor offers a free "AI readiness assessment," it's the top of their sales funnel. The conclusion is written before the work begins. My only product is the honest answer, even when the honest answer is "you're not ready yet" or "you don't need me for the next step."

Not ready for a full engagement? I also run focused executive briefings. It's a half-day working session with your leadership team on what AI can realistically do for your business, and what has to be true first. Ask me about it.

Simple, honest, no surprises

1

Discovery Call

We talk through your situation, your goals, and what's not working. No pitch. Just an honest conversation to see if I'm the right fit.

2

Focused Engagement

I do the work: interviews, audits, analysis. I meet your people where they are and learn how your organization actually operates.

3

Clear Deliverable

You get a written assessment with findings and a roadmap you can act on. Use it with your own team, with someone else, or with ongoing support from me. Your call, no strings.

Tim Youngren

The bridge between business and technology.

I've spent my career at the intersection of business strategy and data, helping organizations understand what their data is actually telling them, where their processes are breaking down, and how to design solutions that move them from problem to better state.

That perspective is grounded in 20+ years of hands-on work. I hold a Master's in Analytics from the University of Chicago, where I applied AI and natural language processing to real-world medical data, plus a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue. I've held senior data roles across financial services, insurance, and government, including data scientist at Charles Schwab and Director of Business Transformation at Kemper Insurance.

My superpower, according to the people I work with, is that I'm genuinely easy to work with. I listen before I prescribe. I learn your business before I make recommendations. And I tell you the truth, even when it's not what you were hoping to hear.

That matters more than ever as organizations face pressure to adopt AI quickly. Someone needs to ask the hard questions first. That's the work I do.

20+
Years in Data & Analytics
M.S.
Analytics, UChicago
Chicago
Based, Available Nationally

Ready to find out where you actually stand?

Maybe your AI pilot didn't deliver what was promised. Maybe you just want an honest read before you invest. Either way, let's start with a conversation. No pressure, no pitch, and if I'm not the right fit, I'll tell you that too.

tim@youngrenconsulting.com
or find me on
LinkedIn