Daniel Giles
Founder & Principal Consultant
Daniel brings a rare combination of strategic thinking, hands-on building, and a deep understanding of the people side of technology change. With a Yale MBA and operations leadership experience at Delta Air Lines, he's seen firsthand how large organizations navigate the human challenges of deploying technology at scale — aligning leadership, earning employee trust, and building adoption that lasts.
He's also worked closely with smaller, family-run businesses where every change is personal and every new tool has to earn its place. That range of experience — from Fortune 500 operations to owner-operated companies — is what he brings to Dawn Treader: a practical, people-first approach to AI adoption that meets teams where they are.
As the builder behind VerSquare, a live SaaS platform, Daniel doesn't just advise — he builds. He works directly in Claude Code, designs automation workflows, and configures integrations himself. When he recommends a solution, it's because he's built something similar with his own hands.
Why “Dawn Treader”?
The name comes from C.S. Lewis's The Voyage of the Dawn Treader — a story about sailing into uncharted waters with courage and curiosity. For many small business owners, AI feels exactly like that: an unknown sea full of both promise and uncertainty.
We chose this name because it captures what we do. We don't just hand you a map and wish you luck. We are the ship — navigating alongside you, handling the technical complexity, and making sure your crew is ready for the journey.
Our Approach
Strategy Meets Execution
MBA rigor meets builder mentality. We don't just tell you what to do — we roll up our sleeves and build it with you. Strategic framing paired with hands-on implementation.
People Before Technology
Most AI implementations fail because people don't trust the change. We include explicit change management in every engagement — leadership alignment, employee training, and adoption follow-up.
Local Roots, National Thinking
Deep understanding of Southeast business culture — manufacturing corridors, franchise networks, family-owned businesses. We speak your language because we know your world.
Plain-Language Results
No enterprise jargon. No buzzword bingo. Every recommendation is framed in terms you care about: hours saved per week, revenue generated, costs reduced.