Turnaround
Led a 35-year-established business through a turnaround
With the team’s support, rebuilt credit policy and operating discipline, moving the operation from a loss to profitability.
Entrepreneur · Intrapreneur · Operator · Author · Speaker
Building organizations where people think like owners.
I help leaders turn the knowledge inside their business into clearer decisions, stronger teams, and practical AI-enabled growth.
About
Operator first.
Advisor second.
For more than 30 years, RJ Grimshaw has built businesses, led teams, and helped organizations turn change into growth.
“People are capable of far more than most organizations allow.”
He built his first million-dollar business at 23, founded and exited eight companies, and spent a decade as President and CEO of UniFi Equipment Finance. Today, the author of The AI Edge connects ownership, intrapreneurship, leadership, and practical AI.
Selected AI credentials
Anthropic Certified AI Fluency, 2025 · MIT Management Executive Education, AI Strategy · Upstart, AI & Financial Services, 2024
Experience
A record built inside the work.
Strategy shaped by operating responsibility, not observation.
New business
Built an HVAC financing vertical
Created a dealer enrollment model for a new line of business.
Execution
Delivered a one-year platform transition
Replatformed and rebranded the business while finishing below the expense budget.
Industry leadership
Built beyond the balance sheet
Former ELFA board member and founding chair of Equipment Finance Cares, with more than 25 years in equipment finance.
Testimonials
In their words.
RJ, you bring more than just innovation in AI. You bring the macro view, assisting companies that are ready for growth.
Frameworks
Methods people can carry.
01
Framework
Analyze. Build. Leverage. Execute.
02
Operating method
The Foundation Protocol
Make the founder's judgment visible, give the team a system they can carry, and build the right technology around both.