Slade Mahoney — AI Consulting

About

I've worked where AI is actually deployed.

I got into this work because I believe AI should make us more human, not less. When we offload the mundane — the spreadsheets, the email drafts, the transcriptions — we get time back for the things only we can do. Our creativity. Our relationships. The gifts that make us irreplaceable. My job is to be a teacher and a translator: to help you find exactly where AI can take the weight off, so you can spend more time on the things that matter and less on the things that don't.

"What I bring to these sessions isn't just AI literacy — it's the ability to translate between technical systems and the humans who use them. I've been that bridge professionally for years."

I'm Slade Mahoney — an AI consultant and data strategist based in San Diego, CA. I've worked with some of the most complex organizations in the world on real AI systems — pandemic threat prediction, supply chain ethics, agentic hiring technology — which means I've been in the rooms where the real decisions get made. I hold a graduate degree in public policy from UC San Diego, where I focused on the intersection of technology and real-world systems, and studied data analytics at UC Berkeley. I understand AI not just as a tool, but as something that needs translation — between what it does, what it promises, and what actually matters to real people.

The work that means the most to me now is helping people like my mom, Jessie Mahoney MD — founder of Pause and Presence Coaching and Retreats — who left medicine to build her own business and wanted a clear, honest picture of how AI could help her. Outside of work, I'm a San Diego lifer — I surf, hike, backpack, and take food and baseball more seriously than most. I have a child and newborn twins at home, and I'm deliberate about where I put my time. Helping smart, curious people use AI effectively — without the hype or the overwhelm — is exactly where I want to be.

If you want to hear more about my perspective on AI and how I think about it, I joined my mom — founder of Pause and Presence Coaching and Retreats — on the Healing Medicine Podcast for two episodes:

Episode 308: Why AI Feels So Overwhelming for Physicians | A Grounded Conversation — April 12th
Episode 309: AI as a New Language: Practical Tools for Physicians and Small Business Owners — April 19th

UC San Diego MPP UC Berkeley Data Analytics Kaiser Permanente Walt Disney Company CDC IDB Bilingual EN/ES San Diego, CA

Who it's for

You don't need a tech background.

These sessions are built for people who are curious, busy, and skeptical in the best way — not for engineers.

Professionals & Families

People navigating how AI is changing their careers and homes — doctors, educators, executives — who want to understand what's happening, stay informed, and help their kids develop responsible AI literacy.

Small Business Owners

Entrepreneurs who want to save time, cut through the noise, and figure out which tools are actually worth it — or build their own. Whether you want to automate repetitive work or create a custom AI tool for your business, no technical background required.

Curious Individuals

Anyone who is smart, accomplished, and wants to understand what AI actually is and what it can do — for their work, their life, or just their own curiosity. No prior knowledge needed.

Pricing

Simple, transparent pricing.

No retainers, no jargon. Just focused time to get you oriented and moving.

Group Session — Bring 3 Friends

$50 / person

You pick the date and time · minimum 4 people

Want a focused, personalized AI session for you and a few colleagues? Gather 3 friends, submit your questions in advance, and I'll build the hour entirely around your group — the tools you should know about, the problems worth solving, and the things only you thought to ask.

Your questions, your businesses, your tools — built around what actually matters to your group
Short intake form sent in advance so I show up already knowing what you need
One hour on Zoom, $50 per person, minimum 4 people
You pick the date and time that works for your group

Book a group session

$50 per person — paid via Venmo or Zelle. I'll reply within 24 hours with a Zoom link and payment details.

Want to go deeper? The 3-session package picks up exactly where this leaves off.

Real results, plain language.

"I'd been avoiding anything AI-related for months. After one session, I finally understood what the tools actually do — and what I'd been missing."

— Jennifer L.

Physician, Primary Care

"I expected a tech lecture. Instead I got a real conversation about my business. The tools Slade recommended cut my admin time in half."

— Marcus R.

Small Business Owner, Retail

"I didn't feel stupid once. That says everything. Slade makes complex things feel completely accessible — and actually useful."

— Diana C.

Executive, Nonprofit Sector

Common questions

Answers up front.

Not at all. These sessions are built specifically for people who are not engineers. The goal is plain-language understanding, not technical depth. If you can send an email, you can get something real out of this.

Tutorials teach you a tool. They can't ask you questions. They don't know what you're trying to accomplish, what industry you're in, or what's already eating your time. They also can't tell you which 10% of what they're covering is actually relevant to you versus which 90% you can ignore. These sessions are a conversation — one that starts with where you are and ends with a concrete, personalized plan. You also get email support between sessions if questions come up.

A clear mental model for how AI tools work, a shortlist of tools relevant to your situation, and practical next steps you can take immediately. Package clients also receive a written summary and resource list after each session.

Many parents — especially those in professional fields — feel behind their children when it comes to AI. These sessions give you the foundation to have informed conversations with your kids, understand what they're doing online, and teach them to use AI responsibly and strategically. The families who get ahead with AI aren't the ones who hand their kids the tools and hope for the best — they're the ones who understand it themselves first. This is one of the most common reasons people book these sessions.

We start the first session by getting a quick picture of your context — what you're working on and what you want to accomplish. Then we get to work. Whether that means I show you how to do something and we start it on your computer, or we dive straight into a tool or problem together, the goal is to leave session one with something tangible. Between sessions, you iterate on your own and come back with questions. Sessions two and three are about refining, going deeper, and making sure what you built or learned is actually working for you. The pace is yours, but you'll have something real by the end of session one.

Because I'm actively building my portfolio of client outcomes, I offer a 20% discount to clients who agree to provide a short written testimonial after completing the three-session package. Anonymity is always an option. Reach out to discuss.

AI doesn't have to be overwhelming.