About
A small studio with a long memory.
Cauldron Labs is an AI innovation consultancy and event planning studio in Kansas City. We help companies and their key people put AI to work in ways that keep getting better over time.
The founder
Justin Gardner
Twenty-five years in media and marketing — builds AI systems that do the work of a team, and events that get people to use them.
I design and build self-improving agentic AI stacks, company-brain knowledge bases that capture how a business actually runs, and fast website redesign concepts. I also plan events that get teams and communities excited about AI and ready to put it to use.
I come to this from 25 years in media and marketing. As Chief Content Officer at Everhance, I led publishing for a network that reaches 30M+ followers and puts out 1,200+ posts a month. I used AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to model acquisitions, build performance algorithms and find new revenue in the data. Before that, I pioneered social media at AMC Theatres, built an award-winning video team that was later acquired by Collider, and led Film Society KC through years of events and screenings.
These days I also help the Kansas City AI Club put on new events — because many of my best ideas about AI started with conversations in a room full of builders.
Before this
Where the practice comes from.
Publishing at scale, video and live events — all three show up in how the studio works now.
Most recently
Everhance — Chief Content Officer
Led publishing for a network reaching 30M+ followers and putting out 1,200+ posts a month. Used AI to model acquisitions, build performance algorithms, and find new revenue in the data.
Before that
AMC Theatres — early social media
Pioneered social media for a national entertainment brand — well before it was a department anyone budgeted for.
In parallel
An award-winning video team
Built a video team that was later acquired by Collider.
And
Film Society KC
Led the organization through years of events and screenings.
Kansas City
The room matters.
Cauldron Labs comes out of the Kansas City AI community, not a conference circuit. We help the Kansas City AI Club put on events, including the KC AI Expo — and the studio's work is shaped by what builders in this city are actually running into.
Events are a delivery format, not a side business — a room of the right people can move a company further in a day than a deck can in a quarter.
Start here
Wondering where AI fits in your business?
The first session is free, and it starts with what is taking the most time.