Built by operators. Not theorists.

Spej was built by people who've led AI, software engineering, cybersecurity, and delivery teams inside real organizations. We kept seeing the same pattern: companies understood AI's potential but couldn't connect it to execution. Spej exists to close that gap.

CORE VALUES

AI First

We use AI in everything we do. If we can't apply it ourselves, we have no business advising you.

No Fear

We tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

Do Hard Things

Governance, change management, legacy integration — the messy problems others avoid.

Build Together

We build with your team so capabilities transfer. We're not here to hand you a report and leave.

OUR APPROACH

How we operate

We embed with your team, not above it. Every engagement starts with listening — understanding your workflows, your constraints, your definition of success. Then we build, measure, and iterate. No black boxes. No 200-page reports that sit on a shelf. Working systems that your team owns.

Leadership

The team

Sagar Pandya

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Exited founder with over a decade of experience in cybersecurity, enterprise technology, and risk management. Previously led security and technology programs at organizations where he saw firsthand how companies adopted new technology without governance, accountability, or measurable outcomes. Built Spej to give mid-market companies the structured AI leadership they need — rooted in the same discipline he applied to enterprise cybersecurity and compliance. Leads client strategy, AI governance design, and executive alignment across every engagement.

Sean Blair

Co-Founder & Chief AI Officer

Machine learning engineer and enterprise architect with deep experience across AI system design, data pipeline architecture, and large-scale system integration. Has built and deployed production AI systems spanning predictive modeling, natural language processing, and intelligent automation. At Spej, he owns the technical architecture behind every client engagement — ensuring solutions connect to real infrastructure, not slide decks. The person who translates business problems into working AI systems that integrate with what companies already run.

Alex Krutik

Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer

Former CFO with Big 4 public accounting experience in audit, financial modeling, and operational finance. Spent years advising companies on financial controls, cost structure optimization, and performance measurement before transitioning into operations leadership. At Spej, he ensures every engagement is grounded in financial discipline — building business cases, modeling ROI, and structuring pricing so clients know exactly what they're getting before the work starts. Brings the rigor of enterprise finance to AI consulting.

Joseph Kim

Director, AI Consulting & Delivery

Leads client delivery from kickoff through implementation across all Spej engagements. Owns the research, competitive intelligence, and project execution that turns AI roadmaps into working systems. Brings a background in management consulting and technology delivery, with experience running complex, multi-workstream projects on tight timelines. The person who keeps engagements on track, on scope, and accountable to outcomes.

Ken Peel

Director, AI Solutions & Quality

Ensures every solution Spej delivers meets enterprise-grade quality standards across security, performance, and reliability. Owns technical review, testing methodology, and solution architecture across all client engagements. Brings extensive experience in software quality assurance, test automation, and systems validation in regulated and enterprise environments. The last line of defense before anything ships to a client.

SOSA

Chief LLM

Our always-on AI team member. Trained on Spej’s methodology. Never sleeps. Occasionally hallucinates.

Spej draws from the Latvian word Speja — meaning capability. We help organizations build the capability to adopt AI at scale.

Spej is an AI consulting firm based in Chicago and Atlanta that operates as a retained AI Office inside mid-market and enterprise organizations. Founded by Sagar Pandya (CEO, cybersecurity and enterprise technology), Sean Blair (Chief AI Officer, machine learning and system integration), and Alex Krutik (COO, Big 4 finance and operations), Spej provides executive-level AI leadership, governance frameworks, and continuous implementation — delivering one active AI initiative per month. The firm serves operations-heavy industries including construction, manufacturing, financial services, banking, healthcare, energy, and professional services.

Stop experimenting. Start executing.

A 30-minute discovery call to assess where you are, where the gaps are, and what a structured path forward looks like.

Book a Discovery Call

No pitch deck. No pressure. Just clarity.