Who We Are
AI Consulting Built for Small Business
We help small businesses and solopreneurs figure out where AI fits, set it up, and make sure it actually works. No hype, no jargon, just real results.
Elias Bou Zeid · Founder
The person behind ForgeLabs
Hi, I'm Elias.
I'm a San Diego–based developer and twice-deployed USMC combat veteran. Before I wrote a line of code, I spent six years in construction project management: tight margins, tight deadlines, and clients who needed the thing to work by Friday. After that, I went back to school for cybersecurity, fell in love with building, and started shipping small automations and apps for myself.
AI has made it obvious that one person can now build things that used to take a team and a timeline. That's a massive unlock for small businesses and solopreneurs. It's what ForgeLabs exists to help them capture. My construction-PM background still shapes how I scope every engagement: I focus on what actually moves the business forward, not what looks impressive in a deck. A $20/month tool beats a $20,000 custom build every time the $20/month tool solves the problem.
ForgeLabs is a one-person practice, so when you hire me, you're working directly with me. I work fast, reply to email within a business day, and run meetings as a dialogue. I ask more than I pitch. If the right answer to your problem isn't AI, I'll tell you.
If the right answer to your problem isn’t AI, I’ll tell you.
Purpose
Why ForgeLabs Exists
AI is changing how businesses operate. But most of the conversation around it is aimed at enterprise companies with six-figure budgets and dedicated tech teams. Small businesses and solopreneurs are left to figure it out on their own, sifting through marketing hype, conflicting advice, and tools that promise everything but deliver confusion.
ForgeLabs Consulting was built to close that gap. We work exclusively with small businesses and solopreneurs because we believe that is where AI can make the biggest difference. When you are a team of one or five, saving 10 hours a week is not a nice metric for a quarterly report. It is the difference between growth and burnout.
Method
Our Approach
We do not sell AI for the sake of AI. Every engagement starts with understanding your business first: what you do, how you do it, and where your time actually goes. If AI is not the right solution for a problem, we will tell you. If a $20/month tool solves your issue, we are not going to recommend a $2,000 custom build.
We also believe in working alongside you, not just handing over a deliverable and disappearing. When we set up a tool or build an automation, we make sure you understand how it works, why it works that way, and how to manage it going forward. Our goal is to make you self-sufficient, not dependent on us.
Credentials
Formal training.
Most of these are cybersecurity-focused. They're not what brought you to this page, but they shape how I think about AI systems, data handling, and what actually happens when automation meets a real business. Certifications alone don't make a good consultant. The discipline behind earning them does.
GIAC (Global Information Assurance Certification)
- Security Essentials (GSEC)
- Penetration Tester (GPEN)
- Web Application Pen Tester (GWAPT)
- Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
- Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA)
- Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA)
- Information Security Fundamentals (GISF)
- Foundational Cybersecurity Tech (GFACT)
- Python Coder (GPYC)
- Advisory Board Member
Also
- Google IT Support CertificateCoursera · 2020
Expectations
What you get, what you don’t.
Every engagement is a trade. Here is the shape of it.
You get
- A written scope with a fixed price, before any work starts.
- A plain-English runbook at handoff.
- Direct access to Elias, every call and every email.
- Tools picked because they fit, not because they pay us.
- An honest “this isn’t worth doing” when that’s the call.
You don’t
- A “strategic framework” PDF you’ll never read.
- Brittle automations that break the moment you change a tool.
- An account manager, a sales pipeline, or a drip sequence.
- Vendor kickbacks, paid placements, or affiliate links.
- A $2,000 recommendation to solve a $20 problem.
Want to see how we can help your business?
Take our quick quiz for a personalized recommendation, or book a free call to talk it through.