Measure. Understand. Improve. Grow.
Building at the intersection of Business, Technology & People.
About Kai Schulz
EARLY BEGINNINGS
It started with curiosity.
I started developing software and selling it at the age of 13.
What began as curiosity quickly became something more: a fascination with technology, building things, solving problems, and understanding how an idea could become something useful to someone else.
That early experience set the direction for much of what followed—from software engineering and product management to entrepreneurship, e-commerce, analytics, and eventually building teams and organizational capabilities.
The technology has changed dramatically since then.
The curiosity hasn't.
THE JOURNEY
Foundation
Technology & Product
Built a technical and commercial foundation through international roles with organizations including Siemens, IBM, Lexmark, and Minolta—progressing from software and technical positions into product management and the launch of technology products across European markets.
Create
Entrepreneurship
Helped small businesses establish their digital presence before founding Samukai Interactive Apps. Built the company into a 15-person B2B software organization, evolved recurring customer needs into scalable digital products, and ultimately successfully sold the business.
Transform
Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits
Joined a major B2B e-commerce transformation at the approximately $25B privately held company, bringing entrepreneurial, digital, and technology experience to help connect Business, Technology, Analytics, and Product.
Built analytics and predictive capabilities used by 5,000+ sales associates, while helping establish ML-powered product recommendations within the digital commerce experience.
Build
Upbound Group | Rent-A-Center & Acima
Built the Marketing Data & Digital Analytics capability from the ground up, creating and developing a 7-person organization spanning customer intelligence, marketing measurement, data, and digital decision support.
Developed an ML-driven user-intent capability that helped understand customer intent in real time—enabling hyper-personalization and informing product development and experimentation.
Scale
ADT
Leading the continued evolution of Digital Analytics & Insights across behavioral intelligence, experimentation, measurement, governance, and decision support.
Scaled the organization from 2 to 7 FTE plus contractor support in less than two years, while introducing new capabilities including DELTA digital experimentation, User Journey Intelligence, Marketing Data Governance, modernized measurement, and expanded self-service analytics.
HOW I LEAD
I believe leadership is less about having all the answers and more about creating the environment in which people can find better ones.
That means asking questions. Listening. Giving people room to explore. Encouraging creative thinking and constructive challenge. Treating people with respect. Admitting when I'm wrong. And being willing to change my own point of view when the evidence says I should.
I want people around me to grow—not become dependent on me.
I believe strong teams combine kindness with accountability, curiosity with discipline, and autonomy with shared purpose.
Success isn't about being the smartest person in the room.
It's about what we can accomplish together.
Kai: "AI is in My Name" & Other Fun Facts
Music Made My Math Stronger
Music Made My Math Stronger
Music Made My Math Stronger
Apparently, that's what I told my parents when I asked to start playing the violin at age 7, though I can't recall saying it. Today, I'm convinced it helped.
I also dabble in guitar, albeit rather unsuccessfully. All in all, I love music and enjoy a variety of genres, from classical and 80's hits (with some 70's mixed in) to today's country and more.
I’m a Dog Person,
Music Made My Math Stronger
Music Made My Math Stronger
But I also have a cat,
Katsu, my 8-year-old Shiba Inu, is a bundle of fun and keeps my wife and me laughing nonstop. Thanks to him, I enjoy refreshing morning and evening walks through our community. He shares a hilariously love-hate, brotherly bond with Sky, my mischievous male cat. Life is never dull with these two!
So Much More...
Music Made My Math Stronger
So Much More...
At 11, my folks gifted me a Schneider CPC 464, launching my coding journey. Instead of gaming, I dove into programming. Selling software, winning contests, and building PCs set my career stage. Being a military kid, I've moved a ton—unpacking's practically my cardio! Now, I cherish nature and quality time with my wife (and daughters when around, who have careers of their own).