Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian Gerard
Hi Ian, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up on a small farm in Zion, Kentucky. My entrepreneurial journey continued in that tradition, in 2015, with me using $7,000 of Kickstarter funding to start Howlin’ Wolf Farm, where I more or less talked people into helping me raise vegetables, herbs, cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. There was also a goat in the mix, but we had him because my sister dropped him off after he rammed her leg on her own farm.
Howlin’ Wolf was, more or less, forced to shut down in 2017 due to the landowner I rented from selling the property we operated on. It was because of this experience that I ended up founding my first tech company, Adder. Adder started off as a car-wrap advertising company (like Carvertise, or Wrapify) that paid everyday people to put ads on their vehicles in exchange for cash. I liked the concept a lot because it kept advertising dollars local, and helped everyday people with paying their bills. The problem we had, though, was that there was no solution to ad-tracking. Digital ads all have Google Analytics, but there were no “analytics for the real world” fixes that were needed for us to sell a compelling service to our customers.
So, with that being our real problem, I invented that solution. We used mobile data to build an outdoor-ad attribution system that actually worked. The solution was so good that we were able to branch out into all things location related — first starting with billboard ads, then moving into projects that answered questions like “why do some people visit one public park versus another.”
The problem with Adder, rebranded as Adder Location Analytics, was that it was almost too powerful. This struck me when I was asked to help a city police force identify individuals who were going to church during the first Covid lockdowns. I’m a Christian, and I’m a believer in the first amendment right to assembly. I hated that my technology could be used to limit freedom of expression and religion. So, with a heavy heart, I had to shut Adder down. “Someone else is gonna do it, might as well make money off of it” I was told, but my answer was always “Okay, they can do that. I’m not going to compromise my values.”
During that experience, though, I began experimenting with AI and machine learning models. In 2018 and 2019, I was giving talks and explaining the power of AI for pattern recognition, and even worked with NASA/JPL on autonomous space navigation projects using low-power AI systems. I knew that the future of data processing wasn’t humans combing through mountains of information, it just wasn’t fast enough.
That’s why I founded The Cloud Minders, which is a cloud provider for AI and machine learning developers who need massive amounts of high performance compute in order to build their own projects.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh, see above, there were many challenges. Betrayal, an existential crisis, poor personal relationships. All the stuff everyone feels from time to time, but amplified. You name it, I’ve dealt with it. But it’s also important to recognize I’ve met some of the best people and really learned the value of making friends with the same values I do.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
AI development is incredibly resource-intensive, requiring massive computational power to train and fine-tune advanced models—something traditional cloud providers weren’t designed to handle efficiently. With so much at stake, ensuring access to this power is essential for building the future of AI together. The Cloud Minders is on a mission to make supercomputing universally accessible, so AI’s potential is shaped by many, not just a few. By breaking down barriers to these critical resources, we’re fostering a more inclusive and collaborative approach to innovation—putting the tools to shape our future within everyone’s reach. We call it “Supercompute as a Service.”
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Tenacity and loyalty. There are many values I feel are important but these are the keys I’ve really settled on.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thecloudminders.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecloudminders/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearethecloudminders
- Twitter: https://x.com/cloudminder
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCloudMinders
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecloudminders
Image Credits
Dameon Black, KIZUNA
