AI value creation for mid-market companies

Turn fragmented AI ideas into an integrated plan for growth.

Discuss a business priority See how we work

AI cannot create business value without workflow redesign and proper AI engineering.

Consultants sold you AI ideas.

We help you get results by executing on an integrated plan between business goals, technical feasibility and operational change.

We start with your business goal, not AI

Where can AI materially improve revenue, EBITDA margin or reduce a business risk exposure?

We help you where most consultants can't

We'll help you design and implement the AI solution you need, based on your business context, in a secure, compliant and production-grade way.

We help you operationalize the new AI workflows

Working hand-in-hand with the front lines, we'll make sure your team want to use AI so that you get results.

We have delivered commercial results for the last 15+ years

Yes, even before AI was hype.

3x faster delivery at 8% of the cost

Redesign of a software delivery cycle to be AI-first

We replaced a slow and costly outsourcing vendor with an in-house AI-native delivery cycle. The production-ready software was deployed in under 3 weeks and allowed the client to get user feedback earlier.

25% increase in investment throughput

Redesign of investment due diligence workflows around agentic AI

We helped an investment firm augment their investment teams with AI with a bespoke AI solution which compressed 3 weeks of due diligence into a few hours, while keeping strong AI oversight.

10x more qualified leads for outreach

Augmenting an outreach team with AI copilots

We advised an outreach team on how to adjust their workflow to get more targeted LinkedIn profiles for different outreach campaigns, and implemented a bespoke an AI solution to replace manual labor.

Capture new revenue opportunity

Go-to-market workflow redesign around self-serve

We redesigned the entire go-to-market motions from sales, marketing and product onboarding for a SaaS company, and unlocked previously unreachable paying markets at a low marginal cost.

70% higher telemarketing conversion

Integrating the sales stack & workflows

We helped a retail business increase its telemarketing conversion by 70% by digitizing and integrating their entire sales and telemarketing infrastructure, using smart routing to the best agents for the best leads and automated follow-up.

50% shorter time-to-productivity for new salespeople

Redesigned a sales training workflow into a tech-enabled one

We redesigned a traditional, offline staff training into a blended experience, shortening the time to acquire sales skills and increasing the output quality, while optimizing trainers' time utilization.

Built by an engineer turned operator & investor.

The same C-Level advisor will guide you through the journey.

No ‘Buy senior judgment, get junior execution’ model.

Transformation leader

Led complex digital transformations in enterprise banking, education, SaaS, AI and investment management.

Operator

15+ years of experience building companies, launching products, driving growth, from 0 to exit.

Investor

Experience evaluating business opportunities, working with capital allocators and enterprise value creation.

AI engineer

First-hand understanding of AI systems, harnesses, orchestration and governance.

Bao Nguyen (AI Value Creation Principal)

Bao brings a blend of business acumen, strategy and AI engineering capabilities, allowing him to help Clients bridge the gap between AI and actual value creation.

In the last 15 years, he has held C-level roles and led digital transformations across enterprise banking, education, SaaS, carbon financing and investment.

He has advised on AI strategy and implemented real-world AI solutions for an investment fund, leading the client from solution shaping to actual delivery to production. He also brought to market an AI and data platform in carbon financing. Both solutions included complex multi-step agent orchestration, RAG and AI governance planes.

In terms of commercial success, he enabled one of the first billion dollar exit in Vietnam (Commercial Real Estate) and exited 2 of his own companies (tech-enabled education and SaaS).

He holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science (Paris, 2008), where he worked on neural networks - the foundations enabling most of current GenAI technologies.

View profile

Led enterprise transformations

Engineered AI systems

Advised investors

Built & exited companies

From opportunity to operating value

We guide you step-by-step on the AI interventions that can materially improve revenue growth, EBITDA margins or reduce a business risk exposure.

AI value creation diagnosis

Identify and prioritize the opportunities most likely to improve growth or EBITDA margins.

Workflow and operating model redesign

Define how work, roles, controls, decisions, and technology must change for the opportunity to succeed.

Prototype and implementation

Build, test, and iterate along your front-line teams, with their real operational constraints.

Scale and transform

Expand what works, track realized value, and train your teams on the new AI-native workflows.

Where to get started?

We have 4 engagement models that fit with different AI transformation stages. Have a look and pick the one that resonates most."

Explore our services

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this an AI strategy engagement?

Not only. We identify where AI can create measurable business value, then help design and implement the changes required to realize it.

Do you build AI systems?

Where implementation is required, we work with the client’s existing teams, technology partners, or focused specialist support assembled for the engagement.

Do you replace our technology partners?

No. We often work alongside internal teams and existing vendors. Our role is to ensure that the right business problem is solved in a technically credible and operationally workable way.

How are you different from a traditional consulting firm?

Traditional engagements often separate strategy, technology, and implementation. We integrate those decisions from the start so recommendations remain commercially meaningful and technically achievable.

We already have an AI roadmap. Can you still help?

Yes. We help prioritize the opportunities most likely to create value and close the gap between the roadmap and operational execution.

We are not sure where AI is relevant. Is it too early to engage?

No. The objective is not to deploy AI everywhere. It is to determine whether specific opportunities justify investment and what must be true for them to succeed.

Who leads the engagement?

The same senior advisor leads the work from initial diagnosis through implementation. Additional specialists are brought in only where the engagement requires them.

Can a small advisory firm support implementation?

Yes. Keystone One leads the overall value creation and operating design work, then works with the client’s teams, existing vendors, or selected specialists to deliver the required technical and operational changes.

How large are your engagements?

Engagements are tailored to the business problem. Some focus on identifying and prioritizing high-value opportunities. Others continue through implementation and rollout.

How do you use AI in your own work?

We use AI extensively in research, analysis, prototyping, and delivery. This allows senior expertise to move faster while keeping judgment, accountability, and client context at the center of the work.