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About Cory Holmes

About Cory Holmes
About Cory Holmes. AI Thought Leader, Architect & Strategist.

I help organizations and aspiring AI leaders navigate the AI era with clarity.

Most organizations know they need to do something with AI. Few know where to start, what to prioritize, or how to avoid the mistakes that cost time, money, and trust.

That's where I come in.

I work with leaders who are ready to move on AI but need a clear path forward. Whether you're a business trying to adopt AI responsibly, a school building its first AI policy, or an aspiring AI professional looking to break into the field, I create the frameworks, courses, and content that turn AI confusion into confident action.

Here's my story.

I spent 15+ years in the trenches of enterprise technology: databases, cloud infrastructure, data warehouses, application development. I managed production systems for large healthcare organizations. I built and led technical teams across higher education. I launched an e-commerce company and grew it with zero ad spend using SEO and AI-driven automation.

Then the AI wave hit, and I realized something most people were missing.

The problem was never the technology. It was the strategy. Organizations were buying AI tools with no governance. No data readiness. No clear use cases. Leaders were excited but had no roadmap. Meanwhile, professionals who wanted to get into AI had no practical guidance on where to start.

I decided to bridge that gap.

I went back to school and earned my MBA. I stacked certifications in AI, cloud architecture, and data platforms. I started designing and shipping real AI systems: agentic applications, RAG-powered chatbots, AI governance frameworks aligned with NIST and ISO 42001. I began speaking at conferences and universities on AI strategy, ethics, and responsible adoption.

Today, I focus on two things: helping organizations adopt AI the right way and helping aspiring AI leaders build the skills and knowledge to lead in this space.

What I can do for your organization.

Build your AI strategy from scratch. I work as a Fractional Chief AI Officer through my firm, Fractional AI Advisors. I embed into your leadership team, identify high-value AI use cases, and build the roadmap to get there. No fluff. No vendor pitches. Just a clear plan tied to your business goals.

Design your AI governance framework. Policies, risk classification, data privacy guardrails, acceptable use guidelines, and the oversight structures that keep you compliant and accountable. I've done this for higher education and I do it for businesses.

Architect your AI systems. From data pipelines and model selection to cloud infrastructure and security architecture across AWS, Azure, Oracle Cloud, and GCP. I design systems that are scalable, secure, and cost-optimized.

Train your team. I run workshops and training sessions on AI fundamentals, prompt engineering, responsible AI use, and how to actually leverage the AI tools your organization is already paying for.

Speak at your event. I deliver keynotes, panels, and workshops on AI strategy, governance, ethics, security, and real-world implementation. View topics and book a talk.

What I can do for aspiring AI leaders.

Teach you what actually matters. I create courses and write articles that cut through the noise. Not theory for the sake of theory. Practical knowledge you can apply to real projects and real career moves.

Show you the path. Through my newsletter [Fractional AI Advisor Insights](https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fractional-ai-advisor-insights-7182482355029225473/ and my LinkedIn content, I share the lessons, frameworks, and insights I've gained from building AI systems, advising leadership teams, and navigating this space in real time.

Prove what's possible. I've built and shipped real AI projects that you can study:

  • CMO Agents - A multi-agent AI marketing application with guardrails for security, sensitive data handling, and ethical content moderation.
  • Healthcare Gen AI Chatbot - A RAG-powered chatbot on AWS for healthcare using Glue, SageMaker, OpenSearch, and Streamlit.
  • Ethical AI in Higher Education - A case study on responsible AI adoption with a focus on student privacy and bias mitigation.

Credentials that back it up.

Education

  • MBA - Saint Louis University, Chaifetz School of Business
  • Certificate in Data Analytics - Saint Louis University
  • BS in Technology Management - Southeast Missouri State University

Certifications

  • Microsoft Certified: AI Transformation Leader
  • Oracle Cloud Infrastructure 2024 Generative AI Professional
  • Databricks Generative AI Fundamentals
  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate
  • Oracle Certified Associate
  • Professional Scrum Master I

Let's work together.

Organizations: I take on a limited number of Fractional CAIO engagements. If your organization needs senior AI leadership without a full-time hire, book a 30-minute strategy call.

Aspiring AI leaders: Subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on LinkedIn, and explore the courses and content I'm building for people like you.

Speaking and collaborations: Reach me at info@coryholmes.com.