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    SolisMatica

    Data Storytelling · Business Intelligence · AI Training

    Understand what’s happening.See what to do next.

    Your data tells a story, but it is often spread across systems, spreadsheets, and departments. I bring it together and build visualizations that show what is slowing things down, what is working, and where to act.

    I also help teams use AI in practical ways, including where it can reduce repetitive work, what people need to check, and when human judgment matters.

    Let’s Talk

    Book a 30-minute conversation

    Microsoft AI MVP (Foundry)Holland, MichiganTEDx Speaker

    What are you trying to move forward?

    “We have reports. We still don’t have answers.”

    You know the information is somewhere, but getting a clear picture takes too much work. I connect the data and build visualizations that help you understand the problem, test assumptions, and decide what needs to change.

    See the Data Work

    “I want my team to know how to use AI.”

    Not just watch a demonstration. Use it in their work, ask better questions, and recognize when an answer needs checking. I provide practical training that gives people room to try, question, and learn.

    Explore AI Training

    “We’re a small team. Where do we start?”

    You don’t have the capacity to try every tool. I help you look at the work taking up your team’s time and identify where AI could help, what needs human review, and what is worth leaving alone.

    Let’s Talk About Your Team
    Charles Elwood standing outside the Presidential Palace in Nusantara, Indonesia
    Charles Elwood at the Presidential Palace in Nusantara, Indonesia.

    Sometimes the problem isn’t where you think it is.

    That’s why I bring the data together. A useful visualization does more than show a number. It helps people see a relationship, question an assumption, or understand why work isn’t moving.

    Manufacturing / Power BI

    Long-lead materials weren’t the whole problem

    What people thought: Long-lead materials were causing the late shipments.

    What the report showed: Many smaller jobs had materials ready, then waited longer to start production.

    What it helped them review: Review how smaller jobs enter the schedule and set delivery dates from the production plan.

    Representative scenario with synthetic project names, dates, and figures.

    See the use case
    Purchasing / SQL Server + Power BI

    Three prices for the same part, and nobody could see it

    What people thought: Each supplier spreadsheet gave buyers a different view of the same parts.

    What the report showed: A single part master put contract price, paid price, delivery, and quality on one record.

    What it helped them review: Compare suppliers with the full history in view before deciding where to move volume.

    Illustrative supplier names, part numbers, and figures.

    See the use case
    Multi-site enterprise / SQL Server + Power BI

    One clear picture of 120,000 devices across 70 locations

    A flat file of PC status data, rebuilt as a star schema. Leadership went from company wide trends down to a single location's top IT issue in seconds.

    Representative demonstration with synthetic data.

    See the use case
    Public health / SQL + Power BI

    Seeing an outbreak in the sewer before it hits the clinic

    Virus counts in wastewater move with the weather, not just with illness. Normalizing against PMMoV and adding a 14 day trend turned the file into a map people could act on.

    Representative demonstration with synthetic data.

    See the use case
    Hospitality / Interactive demonstration

    Guest satisfaction is a score. Returning is a decision.

    A fictional hotel group, 900 invented reviews, and a working demo that separates a good rating from a guest actually saying they will come back.

    Fictional demonstration with synthetic data.

    See the use case

    Organizations I've worked with

    Meiji University
    Purdue Mitch Daniels School of Business
    Rotary International
    Mimaki
    Kids Food Basket
    Yanfeng
    Loyola University Chicago
    Bosch
    Blue Cross Blue Shield
    Hope College
    Aquora Research & Consulting
    MERC
    Cambia Health Solutions
    United Bank of Michigan
    Global Detroit
    Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland
    Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce
    Michigan Economic Development Corporation
    Automation Alley
    West Michigan Works
    Holland Public Schools
    Holland Museum
    Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
    International Trade Administration

    How I help

    Start with the question, then choose the tools.

    Data that helps you make a decision

    I do the work behind the picture, too. Bringing sources together. Working through definitions and calculations. Making sure the numbers mean what we think they mean.

    I use SQL, Power Query M, DAX, and Power BI to build the data models and visualizations. But the starting point is the question you need to answer, not the tool.

    Explore Business Intelligence

    AI your people know how to use and check

    Some teams need training. Others have a specific process they want to improve. Some need both.

    I help people use AI for real tasks and build human review into the work. That means checking answers against sources, applying business context, and deciding who approves the result before it is used.

    The aim is to reduce unnecessary work without handing over judgment.

    Explore AI Training and Services

    Speaking and workshops

    I speak at conferences, universities, Rotary events, and team workshops about how AI changes the way people think and work, with human judgment kept in the process.

    Explore Speaking

    For leaders who want to understand the problem and do something about it.

    I work with business leaders, operations teams, and organizations that want to make better use of their data and their people’s time.

    You might need a clearer view of performance, practical AI training, or help improving a process that keeps slowing everyone down.

    You don’t need to arrive knowing which tool to buy. Start with what you want to change.

    Tools I use to support the work

    Microsoft FabricMicrosoft Fabric
    Power BIPower BI
    Microsoft FoundryMicrosoft Foundry
    Foundry LocalFoundry Local
    AzureAzure
    GitHub CopilotGitHub Copilot
    ClaudeClaude
    LovableLovable

    Questions people bring to the first conversation

    Yes. I use SQL, Power Query M, DAX, and Power BI to bring information together from systems, spreadsheets, and planning lists. The work starts with the question you need to answer, not a requirement to replace every tool you already use.

    That is common. Before building the visualization, I work through definitions, calculations, duplicate records, and the way information connects so the numbers mean what the team thinks they mean.

    Yes. The useful starting point is the decision the report needs to support. I can review the underlying data model, definitions, calculations, and visualizations to identify what is getting in the way of a clear answer.

    Yes. AI training can be a standalone need. I build hands-on training around the work people actually do so they can practice, ask better questions, and recognize when an answer needs checking.

    Yes. A sensible starting point is to look at the work taking up the team’s time, identify where data or AI could help, and be clear about what still needs human review.

    It means checking AI answers against the source, applying business context, and deciding who reviews and approves a result before it is used. The exact checks depend on the task and the consequences of getting it wrong.

    Start with what you want to change. Tell me what your team cannot see clearly, what keeps slowing the work down, or where people are spending time on repetitive tasks. We can then decide whether better data, clearer visualizations, AI training, or a focused process review makes sense.

    What do you wish your team could see, understand, or spend less time doing?

    Tell me what’s getting in the way. We can talk through where better data, clearer visualizations, or practical AI training might help.

    Let’s Talk