Our Story
Built because the trust problem in AI is real — and nobody was solving it for small businesses.
GLAIN exists because Midwest SMBs deserve access to AI guidance they can actually trust — from consultants who have worked at their scale, in their industry, and who are honest about what AI can and can’t do.
Why GLAIN exists
The AI consulting market is crowded. The trust problem is unsolved.
Small and midsize businesses are being told they need AI. Most of them believe it. What they don’t have is a reliable way to find consultants who understand their size, their budget, their industry, and their risk tolerance — and who will be honest with them when AI isn’t the right answer.
Generic freelancer marketplaces don’t vet for SMB fit. National directories don’t have regional accountability. Enterprise AI firms don’t work at $5,000 project scales. And the AI consultant landscape ranges from deeply experienced to completely unqualified, with no easy way for a small business owner to tell the difference.
GLAIN is built to solve that. A defined vetting standard. Every project brief read by a real person. A regional network with real accountability. The GLAIN Verified credential means something specific — and every consultant in the directory has earned it.
Jeff Rodgers
Founder, Great Lakes AI Network
The founder
Jeff Rodgers
Founder, Great Lakes AI Network
Jeff Rodgers is an AI business strategist, digital accessibility specialist, and the founder of both Great Lakes AI Network and Great Lakes AI Solutions, an AI consulting agency serving SMBs across the Midwest. He holds master’s degrees in Learning Design and Technology, which shapes how he thinks about practical AI adoption — not just implementation, but how organizations actually learn to use new tools effectively.
His background in federal compliance and governance informs GLAIN’s standards directly. The network’s specific vetting requirement — that consultants distinguish between AI-assisted and manual testing in all client-facing work — reflects a professional standard Jeff has held in his own practice for years.
Before building GLAIN, Jeff served in the United States Marine Corps. That background shows up in how the network is run: clear standards, documented process, and no tolerance for misrepresentation, or hurry up and wait.
Connect on LinkedIn →The network
Regional. Accountable. Built for the long term.
Midwest-focused.
GLAIN is built for the Great Lakes region — Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and beyond. Regional focus means regional accountability. A bad implementation travels through a chamber of commerce or bar association faster than any marketing can respond to. That’s a feature, not a risk.
SMB-first by design.
Every part of the vetting process is built around SMB fit — not enterprise credentials. Consultants are assessed on whether they can work at small business scale, communicate without jargon, and scope a $3,000 pilot as confidently as a $30,000 project.
A standard worth maintaining.
The GLAIN Verified credential requires annual re-attestation. Consultants who no longer meet the standard lose their listing. That ongoing accountability is what makes the credential meaningful to the SMBs relying on it.
By the numbers
A note on structure
GLAIN and Great Lakes AI Solutions are separate.
Great Lakes AI Network is operated by Great Lakes AI Solutions, LLC — Jeff’s consulting agency. The two businesses are intentionally separate. GLAIN does not favor Great Lakes AI Solutions when sharing project briefs, and Great Lakes AI Solutions is not listed in the GLAIN directory. The network exists to serve SMBs and consultants across the region, not to generate leads for Jeff’s own consulting practice.
Get in touch
Questions? We’re easy to reach.
Whether you’re a business owner trying to figure out if GLAIN is right for you, a consultant with questions about the application process, or just curious about what we’re building — reach out.
Great Lakes AI Solutions, LLC — Hartville, Ohio
For Businesses
Ready to find the right consultant?
Submit a short project brief. We’ll review it personally, and most briefs go out to vetted consultants within two business days.
Submit a Project BriefFor Consultants
Want to get listed?
Start your application. Every submission is personally reviewed.
Start Your Application