AUTHOR
Stephen Forte
Founder & CEO
Stephen is the Founder & CEO of BuildClub. He's one of a small group of executives who has both run global operating businesses end-to-end and built the technology that transforms them. That combination — deep operator instinct paired with hands-on technical fluency — is what BuildClub brings into every engagement.
He started, scaled, and exited multiple technology companies, including Ascendant Systems, whose patented mobile technology was acquired by Research In Motion and became part of the BlackBerry platform. As an executive, he has led international multinationals across the US, Europe, and Asia — running operations, sales, and P&Ls of more than $1B across dozens of countries.
Today he focuses on AI transformation: helping CEOs and operating teams turn AI from experimentation into production-grade systems that generate measurable shareholder value. He holds 15 patents across software, mobile, and workflow technology, teaches MIT's Applied AI for Business program for YPO, and serves on the board of the YPO Technology Network, which he previously chaired.
Writing by Stephen Forte
April 18, 2026
Pre-Sale AI Makeover: $180M Building Materials Distributor
If you're 6–12 months from a PE process, the goal isn't an AI strategy deck. The goal is measurable operating lift that survives diligence. Here's what BuildClub would implement at a $180M distributor — and the impact you should expect.
February 4, 2026
Pre-Sale AI Makeover: $95M Field Services Business
Buyers don't discount you because they hate your business. They discount you because they don't trust your plumbing. Here's the playbook for a $95M field services business preparing for a strategic sale.
December 8, 2025
360° Proof of Service for Waste Fleets
A mid-sized waste operator serving 30,000 customers was burning hours adjudicating disputes over missed pickups. Here's the in-cab video system BuildClub designed and deployed — built around commodity hardware and AI-assisted classification.
October 15, 2025
Replacing a $50K Quote With a $76 Sensor
A multi-facility operator faced freezing pipes, failing compressors, and uptime tracked by memory. Here's how BuildClub used LLMs as a field engineer to design a $76 freeze-protection controller — and then scaled it into a real IoT platform.
August 22, 2025
Turning Thousands of Calls Into Insight
A service operator was capturing thousands of calls every month but had almost no practical insight. Here's how BuildClub turned that audio into a queryable knowledge layer in 24 hours, all running on local hardware.
June 12, 2025
Two Weeks to a Truck Utilization System
An AI-assisted utilization report that gives supervisors daily visibility into underloaded and overweight routes — built in two weeks, deployed without a major IT project.
May 1, 2025
Why mid-market companies should hire digital employees, not buy AI tools
The companies that win the next decade will not be the ones with the most AI subscriptions. They will be the ones with the cleanest operating models, the best instrumented workflows, and a workforce that includes both human and digital employees managed under the same playbook.