GragertTech / Independent Consultant

Mike Gragert

IT Leadership · Generative AI Advisory · Operations · Lean · Governance

U.S. Army Veteran 17+ yrs Enterprise IT Generative AI Advisory Lean & CI Board Governance Danville area

What I Do

Practical expertise across five disciplines.

Military

10 yrs U.S. Army. Advanced field engineering on military communications and network infrastructure.

IT Leadership

17+ yrs at Watchfire Signs. Infrastructure, cybersecurity, application development & digital transformation.

Operations

Deep operational context in a manufacturing environment. Systems integration & operational efficiency.

Lean / CI

Founding steering committee member, IMIN LEAN Network. Continuous improvement & process thinking.

Governance

7 yrs school board, 4 as President. Policy, budget, and institutional decision-making.

Who I Work With

Organizations ready to move forward.

Small Businesses

SMBs of any industry needing IT strategy and practical AI guidance.

Community Colleges

Workforce development and continuing education programs on AI and digital skills.

School Districts

K-12 boards and administrators navigating AI policy and technology planning.

Veteran Organizations

Career coaching and IT pathway programs for transitioning service members.

Ready to bring this to your organization?

Available for workshops, retainer advisory, and speaking engagements across the Danville area and beyond.

Visit GragertTech

linkedin.com/in/mikegragert 217-920-1073 mike@gragert.us

About

A practitioner, not a theorist.

Mike brings a rare combination of advanced military communications field engineering, nearly two decades of enterprise IT leadership, and community governance experience to every engagement. He is not an academic - he has lived and worked alongside his clients, which means advice that is practical, credible, and immediately actionable.

Core Expertise

Five pillars. One perspective.

Military

10 yrs U.S. Army, active duty & National Guard. Advanced field engineering on military communications and network infrastructure. Leadership under pressure with incomplete information.

IT Leadership

17+ yrs at Watchfire Signs. Infrastructure, cybersecurity, application development, training, and digital transformation at scale.

Operations

Deep operational context in a commercial manufacturing environment. Systems integration, ERP, and operational efficiency.

Lean / CI

Founding steering committee member, IMIN LEAN Network. Continuous improvement methodology applied to technology and operations.

Governance

7 yrs school board, 4 as President. Policy development, budget oversight, and institutional decision-making.

Credentials

Experience that speaks for itself.

Current Role

Director of Information Technology

Watchfire Signs, Danville IL · 17+ years

Advisory Role

Advisory Board Member

Rockford University, Generative AI for Value Creation

Community Leadership

Founding Steering Committee Member

IMIN LEAN Network · Since 2017

Board Service

Board President (4 yrs) & Member (7 yrs total)

Georgetown Ridgefarm CUSD #4

Military Service

U.S. Army - Advanced Communications & Network Field Engineer

Active Duty (4 yrs) & National Guard (6 yrs)

Earlier Career

Biomedical Field Engineer

Ventana Medical Systems · Chicago, IL

Let's have a conversation.

Every engagement begins with a free 20-minute discovery call. No obligation.

linkedin.com/in/mikegragert 217-920-1073 mike@gragert.us

Services

What I can do for your organization.

Generative AI for Business

Practical AI adoption for businesses of any size - use cases, tool evaluation, workflow integration, and responsible implementation.

WorkshopAdvisoryKeynote

Lean + Technology Integration

Connecting continuous improvement methodology with IT systems, data analytics, and automation for measurable efficiency gains.

WorkshopConsulting

IT Strategy for SMBs

Fractional IT director services - infrastructure planning, cybersecurity posture, vendor management, and technology roadmaps.

RetainerProject-based

Digital Skills & AI Literacy

Workforce and community workshops on AI tools and digital transformation - designed for non-technical audiences.

Community CollegeWorkforce Dev

Leadership & Team Development

Drawing on military and corporate leadership - decision-making frameworks, leading through change, building high-performance teams.

WorkshopSpeaking

Board & Governance Advisory

Technology policy, AI governance frameworks, and board advisory for school districts, nonprofits, and public institutions.

AdvisoryK-12Nonprofit

Service Detail

What to expect from every engagement.

Hourly Advisory & Consulting

On-demand strategic guidance - when you need an expert in your corner

Overview

Hourly advisory is the most flexible engagement format - ideal when you need a thought partner for a specific decision, a second opinion on a technology direction, or expert input without committing to a full project.

What's Included

Pre-session agenda and context review
60-90 minute structured advisory session
Written follow-up notes and key recommendations
Resource or tool recommendations as relevant
One follow-up email within 48 hrs

Ideal For

Business owners facing a technology decision
IT managers needing a strategic sounding board
Leaders evaluating AI tools or vendors
Organizations preparing for a larger engagement

Format

Video call, phone, or in-person
Minimum booking: 1 hour
Written notes delivered within 24 hrs

Outcome: You leave with clear direction, specific next steps, and a written summary you can act on immediately.

Fractional IT Director / Retainer Advisory

Ongoing strategic IT leadership without the overhead of a full-time hire

Overview

A monthly retainer gives your organization access to senior IT leadership on a part-time basis - available for questions, decisions, vendor negotiations, and strategic planning - without the full-time cost.

What's Included

Onboarding session to assess current IT state
Monthly 60-minute strategy check-in
On-call availability via phone and email
Vendor evaluation and contract review support
Cybersecurity posture guidance and oversight
Technology roadmap development and updates
Quarterly written progress and priority review

Ideal For

Small businesses without an internal IT director
Growing businesses scaling their technology
Organizations navigating compliance or cybersecurity
Companies evaluating new platforms or vendors

Format

Remote-first with optional on-site visits
3-month minimum commitment
10-20 hrs/month depending on tier

Outcome: Consistent, experienced IT leadership that keeps technology aligned with your business goals month over month.

AI Readiness Assessment

Understand where you stand and where AI can deliver real value

Overview

Most organizations know they should be doing something with AI - but do not know where to start. This assessment cuts through the noise and gives you an honest, practical view of your highest-value AI opportunities.

What's Included

Pre-engagement questionnaire and data collection
90-minute discovery interview with key stakeholders
Review of current technology stack and workflows
Identification of top 3 AI opportunity areas
Written recommendations report (10-15 pages)
Executive summary for leadership
60-minute debrief presentation with Q&A

Ideal For

Businesses exploring AI for operations or decision-making
SMBs unsure where to begin with AI adoption
Leadership teams needing a credible outside view
Organizations that tried AI pilots and need a reset

Format

3-4 week engagement
Remote interviews plus on-site option
Fixed fee: $3,500 to $5,000

Outcome: A clear, jargon-free picture of where AI can help your business, ranked by impact and feasibility.

Let's find the right fit.

All engagements begin with a free 20-minute discovery call.

217-920-1073 mike@gragert.us

Workshop Series

Applied AI: The Working Professional Series

Real tools. Real work. Real results. Practical AI education built for working professionals in the Danville area and beyond. Every session is built around real-world problems and draws directly on nearly two decades of enterprise IT leadership and hands-on AI governance experience.

Introductory Session

Introductory Sampler · 2 Hours

AI at Work: An Introduction to the Series

Anyone curious about AI - no prerequisites required

A fast-paced, accessible 2-hour preview of the full workshop series. Includes a live AI demo using real audience suggestions, a hands-on prompt exercise, and an overview of all upcoming workshops.

2 hoursUp to 50 participantsDevices optionalIn-person or virtual

Full Workshop Series

Workshop 1 · 3.5 Hours

AI Basics for the Real World

General workforce · Career changers · No prerequisites

Plain-English foundations: what AI actually is, live tool demonstrations, where AI genuinely helps vs. where it fails, and how to use it responsibly.

3.5 hoursUp to 30 participantsDevices required

Workshop 2 · 3.5 Hours

AI Tools for Your Job - Hands-On

Working adults · Workforce program students

Practical prompt engineering, writing and communication tasks, research and decision support, and AI tools mapped by job type.

3.5 hoursUp to 30 participantsDevices required

Workshop 3 · 3.5 Hours

AI for Small Business & Operations

Business owners · Managers · Operations staff

Where AI delivers real ROI for small businesses, a practical use-case framework, AI for operations and marketing, and cybersecurity basics.

3.5 hoursUp to 25 participantsIn-person preferred

Workshop 4 · 3.5 Hours

Leading Through AI

Supervisors · Department heads · Decision makers

Why AI initiatives stall, building an AI-ready team culture, governance frameworks, and Lean-informed change management. Includes a 90-Day AI Adoption Plan.

3.5 hoursUp to 20 participantsIn-person preferred

Workshop 5 · 2 or 4 Hours

AI Governance: Three-Tier Classification

IT leaders · Compliance teams · Department heads

Enterprise AI governance using a three-tier classification framework, Tool Registry, and AI Champion Program. Drawn from real-world implementation experience.

2 or 4 hoursUp to 25 participantsPairs with Workshop 6

Workshop 6 · 2 or 4 Hours

AI Transcription: Consent Law & Risk

Managers · HR teams · Legal and compliance staff

Federal and Illinois consent law, all-party consent states, BIPA and voiceprints, cross-state exposure, and real 2025-2026 case law. Covers practical compliance, not legal advice.

2 or 4 hoursUp to 25 participantsPairs with Workshop 5

Workshops 5 and 6 can be paired as a full-day AI Governance event - enterprise AI classification in the morning and recording consent law in the afternoon. Effective for corporate training days, HR retreats, and IT leadership off-sites.

How It Works

Built for working adults.

Pre-Session Primer

A one-page resource sent 48 hours before each session, with a reflection question to prime the room.

Hands-On Activities

Every session includes facilitated exercises, group work, and real-world scenarios. Participants do half the talking.

Takeaway Materials

Every participant leaves with workbooks, reference cards, and action templates specific to each session.

7-Day Follow-Up Clinic

An optional 15-minute Q&A session one week after each workshop - clearing obstacles and sharing wins.

Bring this series to your organization.

Available for community colleges, workforce development programs, corporate training, and employer groups. Contact Mike to discuss scheduling, format, and fit.

217-920-1073 mike@gragert.us

Rates

Transparent pricing. No surprises.

Independent, conflict-free advisory. No software vendors. No hidden referral fees. All engagements begin with a free 20-minute discovery call.

Hourly & Advisory

Service	Description	Rate
Hourly Advisory	Strategic IT, AI, and operations advisory - planning sessions, vendor reviews, decision support	$150 / hr
Discovery Call	Free 20-minute introductory call to assess fit and scope before any engagement	No charge
Extended Consulting	Deep-dive advisory blocks of 4+ hours - planning, roadmapping, or problem-solving sessions	$125 / hr

Workshops & Speaking

Format	Description	Rate
Keynote / Talk	60-90 min presentation on AI, IT strategy, Lean + technology, or leadership	$500 - $1,500
Half-Day Workshop	3-4 hr facilitated session with slides, exercises, and takeaway materials included	$850 - $1,000
Full-Day Workshop	6-8 hr immersive session - pre-work, facilitation, materials, and debrief included	$1,200 - $1,800
Multi-Day Engagement	2-3 consecutive days - team off-sites, intensive training, or boot camps	$1,000 - $1,500/day
Community College	Discounted rate for accredited workforce development and continuing education programs	Contact
School District	Discounted rate for K-12 professional development, board training, and AI literacy programs	Contact

Engagement Packages

Starter

AI Readiness Assessment

Discovery call (1 hr)
Current-state technology audit
Top 3 AI opportunity areas
Written recommendations report
30-min debrief presentation

$3,500 - $5,000

Core

AI & IT Strategy Roadmap

Everything in Starter
2-3 stakeholder working sessions
12-month technology roadmap
Vendor & tool recommendations
Implementation priority matrix
Executive summary presentation

$10,000 - $20,000

Ongoing

Fractional IT Advisory

10-20 hrs/month of access
Monthly strategy check-in
On-call advisory via phone/email
Quarterly roadmap reviews
Cybersecurity & vendor oversight
Priority scheduling

$2,500 - $4,500 /mo

Terms & Policies

Payment Terms

50% deposit to start; balance due on completion or Net-30 for retainers

Travel

Engagements within 60 miles of Danville, IL included; mileage billed at IRS rate beyond

Cancellation

Full refund 7+ days; 50% within 48-72 hrs; no refund within 48 hrs of engagement

Custom Pricing

Multi-session packages, nonprofit & school district rates available on request

Let's find the right fit.

Every engagement begins with a free 20-minute discovery call. No obligation.

217-920-1073 mike@gragert.us

Contact

Let's start with a conversation.

Every engagement begins with a free 20-minute discovery call - no commitment, no pitch. Just an honest conversation about where you are and where you want to go.

What to Expect