AI Implementation & Business Transformation

Minneapolis & New York City

Do more with less

Cardine is an AI consultancy helping companies automate manual workflows and build custom tools—built for rapid delivery. Founded by Ryan Johnson, with 15+ years shipping AI at scale. Services include business process automation, custom tool development, AI strategy, and team enablement.

For companies ready to build faster—whether you have a technical team looking to accelerate or operations that need automation.

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15+ Years Experience AWS re:Invent Speaker
As seen at AWS re:Invent 2024

Shipping AI to production: practical lessons from real deployments

The experience behind Cardine

The Challenge

AI is changing what's possible

The gap between "AI-enabled" and "not" is widening. Companies that figure this out are outpacing those that don't.

Manual-heavy operations

Hours every week on repetitive tasks—data entry, document processing, reporting—that could be automated.

Ready to move faster

Your team knows AI can help—but getting from idea to production takes expertise you shouldn't have to build in-house.

Hiring to solve problems

Adding headcount for challenges that don't require more people—just better tools.

Competitors moving faster

They're already using these tools. You're watching from the sidelines.

What We Do

From strategy to production

Cardine offers four core services: Business Process Transformation (automating manual workflows like data entry and document processing), Custom Tool Development (building industry-specific software when off-the-shelf doesn't exist), AI Strategy & Implementation (operations assessment and first implementations), and Team Enablement (hands-on AI training for technical teams). Every engagement includes production implementation—not just recommendations.

01

Business Process Transformation

TL;DR: Automate your manual workflows with production AI systems.

Cardine identifies manual workflows and builds AI-powered systems that handle them. Not chatbots. Production tools.

  • Data entry & document processing
  • Research & reporting automation
  • Replace hours of repetitive work
  • Measurable outcome tracking

02

Custom Tool Development

TL;DR: We build the software that doesn't exist yet.

When off-the-shelf software doesn't exist, we build it. Rapid prototyping to production, typically in weeks.

  • Industry-specific solutions
  • Designed for how you actually work
  • Full-stack implementation
  • Production deployment

03

AI Strategy & Implementation

TL;DR: Find AI opportunities, then build the first solution.

For companies that need to understand where AI fits. We assess, identify opportunities, and build the first implementations—using the same approach that delivered AI to 2M+ users at Arccos.

  • Operations assessment
  • High-impact opportunity identification
  • First implementations built
  • No strategy without follow-through

04

Team Enablement

TL;DR: Train your team in AI-augmented workflows.

For companies with technical teams: hands-on training in AI-augmented practices. Not a workshop—embedded work until new approaches stick.

  • Modern AI tool adoption
  • Hands-on, not theoretical
  • Embedded until it works
  • Measurable productivity gains

Why Cardine

Cardine builds, not just advises

Unlike big consultancies that deliver slide decks, Cardine ships working systems. You work directly with Ryan—no layers, no handoffs—getting production code in weeks, not quarters.

Built for speed

Cardine is designed for rapid delivery—the same approach that shipped AI to millions at Arccos. No lengthy discovery phases or endless meetings, just focused execution.

→ Approach: Ship fast, iterate with real data

Proven at scale

At Arccos and BuzzFeed, Ryan built production AI systems serving millions of users on billion-record datasets. That experience—knowing what works in the real world, not just demos—now serves Cardine clients.

→ Track record: AI to millions of users

Product builders first

Led engineering at multiple companies, built award-winning mobile products, and scaled teams. AI is a tool in service of solving problems.

→ Multiple Webby Awards

Always current

Two years deep in AI implementation and production systems. Presented at AWS re:Invent 2024. The landscape changes monthly—we're in it daily.

→ AWS re:Invent 2024 speaker

Experience That Delivers

What This Means For You

15+ years building production AI systems, scaling teams, and shipping award-winning products—now focused entirely on solving problems like yours.

By the numbers: 15+ years in engineering leadership · 2M+ users served by production AI · 30+ person team scaled

As VP Engineering at Arccos Golf

Millions

Users Served by Production AI

Built and shipped AI-powered analytics delivering real-time insights to millions of golfers worldwide.

As VP Mobile at BuzzFeed

1★→5★

App Store Turnaround

Turned around the flagship app from 1-star to 5-star ratings, launched BuzzFeed News and Video apps.

Industry Recognition

AWS

re:Invent 2024 Speaker

Invited to speak at AWS re:Invent 2024 on shipping AI to production—practical lessons from real deployments.

Ryan Johnson, Founder of Cardine - AI implementation consultant based in Minneapolis serving businesses in the Twin Cities and New York City

Leadership

Ryan Johnson

Founder, Cardine

Key Facts: 15+ years in engineering and product leadership. VP Engineering at Arccos Golf (AI analytics for millions of users). VP Mobile at BuzzFeed (30+ person team, 1-star to 5-star app turnaround). AWS re:Invent 2024 speaker. Multiple Webby Awards. In-person availability in Minneapolis and NYC.

Rooted in Minneapolis with deep NYC ties—I spent years building products for NYC tech companies like BuzzFeed and maintain strong relationships in both ecosystems. Hybrid work with in-person availability in both cities. Most recently VP of Engineering at Arccos Golf, building AI-powered analytics for millions of users. Previously VP of Mobile Engineering at BuzzFeed, where I turned around the flagship app (1-star to 5-star), launched BuzzFeed News and Video, and scaled the mobile organization to 30+ people.

Google Play Best App nominee, featured in both app stores. Background in machine learning, large-scale data systems, and mobile product development.

Multiple Webby Awards
AWS re:Invent 2024
VP Eng @ Arccos Golf
VP Mobile @ BuzzFeed

Common Questions

Frequently asked

How long does AI implementation typically take?

Cardine is built for 4-6 week delivery cycles. I focus on quick wins first—automating one high-impact workflow—before expanding. This lets you see real results fast rather than waiting months for a "complete" solution.

What size companies do you work with?

Cardine works best with companies that have real problems and the appetite to solve them. That includes engineering teams wanting to adopt AI-augmented workflows, and operations-heavy businesses with manual processes worth automating. The common thread: concrete challenges, not vague "we should do AI" energy.

Do you just do strategy, or do you actually build things?

Cardine builds. Every engagement includes production implementation—not just recommendations. The philosophy is no strategy without follow-through. You'll have working tools in production, not a slide deck about what you could do someday.

What industries do you serve?

Cardine is industry-agnostic but focuses on operations-heavy businesses where manual work creates bottlenecks. Professional services, logistics, healthcare administration, and any business with significant data entry, document processing, or reporting needs. If your team spends hours on repetitive tasks, Cardine can help.

Free Assessment

30 minutes. One actionable idea.

Cardine works with businesses who have real problems to solve—not "we need AI" without understanding why.

hello@cardine.ai In-person in Minneapolis & NYC

Who We Work With

Companies with technical teams ready to accelerate with AI. Operations-heavy businesses with manual processes worth automating. Organizations that want concrete results, not AI theater.

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