TRANSFORMING PHYSICAL OPERATIONS INTO OPERATIONAL INTELLIGENCE THROUGH AI
Founder • Chief Evangelist • Speaker • Host of the HIT-MAN Podcast
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HELPING ORGANIZATIONS TRANSFORMING PHYSICAL ASSETS INTO REAL-TIME OPERATIONAL INTELLIGENCE THROUGH CONNECTED TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS AND AI.
FOUNDER & CHIEF EVANGELIST
Don founded Laundris after recognizing that organizations lacked visibility into billions of dollars of physical assets. What began as solving an inventory challenge evolved into building one of the industry’s first AI-native operational intelligence platforms.
SPEAKER
Don helps executives understand how artificial intelligence, connected technologies, and operational intelligence will reshape the future of hospitality.
HIT-MAN PODCAST HOST
Through the HIT-Man Podcast, Don sits down with founders, operators, innovators, and technology leaders shaping the future of hospitality and artificial intelligence. Each episode uncovers the unique journeys, challenges, and breakthrough strategies of today’s most successful modern innovators.
MORE ABOUT DON
CONNECTED TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS
FOUNDER OF LAUNDRIS
HOSPITALITY TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
AI POWERED FORECASTING
OPERATIONAL INTELIGENCE
FOUNDER LEADERSHIP
CREDIBILITY & RECOGNITION
ORGANIZATIONS WORKED WITH
STARTUP & INNOVATION
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
MEDIA & COMMUNITY
Precision Technology Pioneer
Don engineered a state-of-the-art autonomous platform leveraging IoT, AI, and machine learning to completely transform asset tracking and inventory optimization for major enterprise clients.
Top 30 Black Founder to Watch in America
An honor received in 2021 that solidified his reputation as an influential, visionary leader driving the future of the digital tech ecosystem.
American Business Awards Recipient in 2022
For outstanding corporate innovation with HCL. This prestigious recognition underscores his dedication to building groundbreaking automated solutions that set new efficiency benchmarks across complex global supply chains.
THE EVOLUTION
Chapter 1LEARNING THE PHYSICAL WORLD
Understanding the Business Before Building the Technology
Before building AI or developing a connected technology platform, Don immersed himself in the day-to-day realities of hospitality and commercial laundry operations. Working alongside operators, he studied how physical assets moved through complex workflows, where processes broke down, and why organizations struggled with visibility.
Those firsthand experiences became the foundation for mapping operational workflows, identifying meaningful data points, and developing the applied AI concepts that would ultimately evolve into the Laundris platform.
2017
Chapter 2FROM PHYSICAL OPERATIONS TO
DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE
Building the Connected Technology Platform
With a deep understanding of operational workflows, Don shifted from solving physical problems to building a digital platform capable of connecting assets, collecting real-time data, and creating a system of record for physical inventory movement.
This transition established the foundation for applying AI to operational decision-making while validating our patent strategy and long-term technology vision.
2019
TOP 30 BLACK FOUNDERS TO WATCH
VENTURE ATLANTA FINALIST
43NORTH FINALIST
2021
AMERICAN BUSINESS AWARDS
Startup life moves fast, but winning the 2022 American Business Award for New and Emerging Technology (recognized by HCLTech) was a milestone worth pausing for. Huge gratitude to co-founder and friend Joey Dominguez for sharing this incredible journey and making the trials of building a startup worth every second.
2022
Chapter 3SaaS, SCALE & APPLIED AI
Turning Data into Operational Intelligence
As Laundris evolved into a SaaS platform, every customer interaction generated valuable operational data. Those insights enabled the company to apply AI to forecasting, inventory optimization, workflow automation, and operational decision support.
The platform evolved from simply tracking assets to delivering real-time operational intelligence.
2023
BLACK TECH WEEK SPEAKER
2024
LOGX SPEAKER
INAUGURAL PINE BLUFF AI SUMMIT SPEAKER
2025
Chapter 4AI-NATIVE OPERATIONS
Building the Future with Connected Technologies and AI
Today, Laundris is focused on creating an AI-native platform that transforms physical operations into intelligent enterprises. Powered by connected technologies, operational intelligence, and agentic AI, the platform creates a living system of record that continuously learns, recommends, and automates business processes.
This next chapter represents the evolution from digitizing operations to enabling autonomous, AI-driven decision-making.
2026
ENGAGING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE LEADERS AND INNOVATORS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF HOSPITALITY, AI, AND PHYSICAL-WORLD TECHNOLOGY.
MEDIA & STORYTELLING:
Artificial Intelligence Strategies for Laundry Operations
ARTIFICIAL LAUNDRY NEWS
An article exploring how AI, machine learning, and operational data can improve efficiency, scheduling, retention, and performance in laundry operations.
Interview with Grupo Fantasma’s Caramelo Haze – The Resilience of the Create Spirit
BUDDY MAGAZINE
Emerging post-pandemic stories highlight the relentless drive of musicians who found ways to keep creating and performing even when their entire industry shut down.
Interview with Don Ward, Founder and CEO of Laundris Corporation
MEDIUM
In today’s episode, Laundris CEO Don Ward shares how he leverages two decades of enterprise tech experience to revolutionize hospitality inventory management.
LET’S CONNECT
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