About Russ McGuire

I've been here before — twice.

In the mid-1990s, I co-founded the first web development firm in Oklahoma, helping businesses figure out what the Internet meant for them before any had a website.

In the mid-2000s, I wrote The Power of Mobility, helping leaders navigate the smartphone revolution — I submitted the manuscript before Apple even announced the iPhone.

Since the mid-2010s, I've been following, writing, and advising about the Connected Intelligence Revolution — a decade before most had even heard of ChatGPT.

Each decade, a new wave. Each time, the same conviction: leaders who move thoughtfully and early come out ahead.

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Three decades, three technology transitions

Each wave looks different.
The work looks the same.

Mid-1990s · The Web

The Internet changes everything

I co-founded Digital Frontiers, the first web development firm in Oklahoma. At the time, businesses didn't have websites — and most weren't sure they needed one. The work was helping leaders understand what this new thing actually meant for their business, separate from the hype.

Mid-2000s · Mobile

The smartphone reshapes work

I wrote The Power of Mobility to help executives think clearly about the smartphone revolution — submitting the manuscript before Apple even announced the iPhone. At Williams Communications and later Sprint — where I served as VP of Corporate Strategy — I helped large organizations navigate fast-moving technological transitions at scale.

Mid-2020s · AI

Artificial intelligence arrives for everyone

Now, in the mid-2020s, I'm focused on Faithful AI — helping faith-driven small business leaders cut through the hype and make their first confident move with a clear plan built from their actual workflows and goals, and a values framework for decisions they can stand behind.

What I bring

Engineer by training.
Strategist by calling.

Decades of Fortune 500 strategy experience

From leading strategic planning at Sprint to helping Williams Communications raise $3.2B and integrate $500M+ in acquisitions, I've done serious strategy work at serious scale.

A track record of calling technology waves early

Three times now I've been in the room before the room knew it mattered — the web, mobile, and AI. I know what it looks like when something real is happening, and I know how to help leaders respond without overreacting.

A mature faith that shapes how I work

My faith isn't a credential I list. It's the lens through which I think about technology, people, and responsibility. It's why I developed the GRACE Framework, and why I care about getting this right — not just getting it done.

Practical tools that turn uncertainty into a roadmap

I've spent years developing and refining strategy frameworks that work for organizations of all sizes. The 2-Week AI Roadmap is the latest — a structured process that goes from uncertainty to a clear 90-day plan and 12-month roadmap.

What clients say

I've been told by multiple investors that they have never seen a company of our stage even approach our level of clarity when it comes to strategy and decision making process, and I attribute that directly to my time with Russ.

Gabe Wyner Founder & Executive Chairman, Fluent Forever

Russ helped us define our Christ-centered culture, establish a transition strategy that would protect that culture, and is now working with the new president on strengthening the business and the culture.

Dave Dassoulas Founder & Overseer, Hope Builders

Russ' way of thinking and questioning helps us consider our decisions from different and constructive angles. I really appreciate how he integrates our shared faith and values into how we approach our work. He has helped us avoid mistakes and pursue important opportunities as we seek to love our neighbors through affordable assistive technology.

Steve Maher Co-founder & CEO, VisuALS Technology Solutions

Russ helped hopr focus on our most important decisions at the right time and provided frameworks and tools to help us make decisions with confidence and clarity. As a company focused on security, simplicity, and trust, we really appreciated the structure and experience Russ brought to help us move forward with coherence and consistency. hopr continues to rely on Russ for the hard decisions we face.

Tom McNamara Founder & CEO, hopr

Three huge telecom providers were interested in our product, but each would require different significant development. Russ brought a strategic framework and process that helped us quickly evaluate and prioritize the opportunities — enabling better decisions on product development, marketing, and hiring. He felt like a natural extension of our team.

Kenneth Epps Former CEO, BayPackets, Inc.

Russ gave us the tools to pinpoint our strengths and what needed to change. It was discussions with Russ that helped us realize our need to pivot. He helped us get past our emotional involvement in the product and think logically about what it will take to succeed.

Tolu Oridota Co-founder & CTO, Koalie, LLC

Russ' creativity, structure, and flexibility were instrumental in putting together a strategy session that uniquely fit our culture while challenging us to think beyond the current business. I look forward to working with Russ again.

Jay Holden Global Marketing Manager, Paul Mueller Company

Career

Where I've been

2014–present

Founder & Chief Strategist

SDG Strategy

AI strategy, advisory, and business transformation consulting for leaders across industries. Helping organizations navigate significant change — from AI adoption to ownership transitions to growth strategy.

2015–2019

Entrepreneur in Residence

Oklahoma Christian University

Mentored students and faculty through startup development. Launched two software startups leveraging university IP. Mentored 3 winning state-wide business plan competition teams.

2016–2019

Co-founder & CEO

Altimeter Software

SaaS platform for Christian universities to support student spiritual development. Supported 569,850 student check-ins to 13,420 events at 7 institutions.

2017–2019

Co-founder & CEO

VisuALS Technology Solutions

Affordable eye-tracking communication device for patients with ALS and similar conditions. Enabled over 100 individuals to communicate with their families — including saying goodbye with grace and dignity.

2003–2014

Vice President, Corporate Strategy

Sprint

Led strategy formulation and strategic planning. Grew the prepaid business from 2.6 million to 10.7 million subscribers. Championed the Sprint Accelerator and the company's connection to the global innovation ecosystem.

2002–2003

Founder

Seek First Networks

Built Internet-based tools to help small churches and ministries connect with those they serve. Used by hundreds of churches across dozens of countries.

2000–2002

Vice President & Chief Strategist

TeleChoice

Strategic advisor to the telecom industry — working simultaneously with innovative startups, venture capital firms, and established carriers. Developed business and market strategies for technology providers and operators of all sizes.

1995–2000

Vice President, Strategic Development

Williams Communications

Led strategic communications for a $3.2B NYSE IPO and financing. Developed the company's initial strategic plan integrating three divisions with combined revenues of $500M+.

1995

Co-founder & CTO

Digital Frontiers

Co-founded the first web development firm in Oklahoma. Developed first-in-the-world innovations including a hospital's "Internet nursery" and an Oil and Gas trade publisher portal.

Education & Patents

Credentials

Graduate

Master of Business Administration

Oklahoma Christian University · Edmond, Oklahoma

Finance Focus
Cumulative GPA 4.0 / 4.0

Undergraduate

Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering

Virginia Tech · Blacksburg, Virginia

Study Abroad — University of Essex, Colchester, England
Firmware Internship — Alnor Oy (Nuclear Power Industry), Turku, Finland
Software Internship — Delex Systems (Defense Industry), Vienna, Virginia
Cumulative GPA 3.51 / 4.0

US Patents

US 8,244,832

Providing Location Information to Website Providers

US 8,166,189

Click Stream Insertions

US 8,126,129

Adaptive Audio Conferencing Based on Participant Location

US 9,880,799

Extendable Display Screens of Devices

Faith & Work

Why faith is central,
not peripheral.

I'm not a pastor who dabbles in business, and I'm not a consultant who happens to go to church. My faith shapes how I think about technology, people, and what it means to lead well. It's not a credential I list at the bottom of my bio.

When I help a business owner navigate AI, the questions I care most about aren't just "what's efficient?" They're: What does this do to your people? What does it ask of you? What kind of organization are you building, and can you stand behind it?

The GRACE Framework — which I apply in every AI engagement — exists because those questions deserve a structure, not just good intentions. Goods in Tension. Responsibility. Allegiance. Character. Effect. These aren't abstract theological concepts. They're practical lenses that surface the decisions most AI frameworks ignore entirely.

I work best with leaders who take their faith seriously and want their business to reflect it — not as a marketing angle, but as a genuine commitment to stewardship, integrity, and serving people well.

"What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Micah 6:8