BLACK
AI advisory and deployed agents for small businesses.
We help real businesses adopt AI through hands-on advisory, custom agent builds, and practical systems that work in the flow of day-to-day operations.
Advisory
Guide the transition.
We work directly with business owners, leadership teams, and operators to bring AI into their operations and make sure they get maximum benefit — Tool selection, workflow design, implementation, and training.
Explore AdvisoryProducts
Built for the real world.
We build products for the markets we serve, and we help others build and launch products in those markets too. What starts as field work and repeated pain turns into experiments, tools, and businesses worth bringing into the world.
- Advisory and operating work show us where the pain is real and where software can help
- Some ideas stay early, some move into active build, and some become products we launch publicly
- The portfolio includes both Black4-built products and launches we help bring to market for others
Education
Practical AI literacy.
We turn operating experience into clear, useful education for business owners, teams, students, and communities. No hype. No doom. Just practical explanations of what AI changes and what to do next.
- Business owners: which tools are real, which are hype, and where AI actually saves time
- Teams and operators: how workflows change, what to automate, and what still needs a human
- Students, educators, and communities: a grounded view of what AI means in the real world
Investment
Capital follows conviction.
Investment is the longest-horizon layer of Black4. As we build, advise, and learn in the market, we develop the judgment to deploy capital, make strategic introductions, and help strong operators access the right opportunities.
- Operating experience comes first; capital follows earned insight
- Over time, Black4 can deploy its own capital or connect strong projects and businesses to aligned investors
- The goal is not theory — it's better capital allocation built on real work in the field
The Founders
Black4 is led by Joey Sterling and John Yang — longtime operators who worked together for years at Treez and have spent their careers close to the real-world problems software is supposed to solve.
Joey comes from the intersection of product, operations, and AI enablement. He focuses on helping teams figure out where AI actually saves time, how to make it usable in day-to-day work, and how to turn messy workflows into systems people can rely on.
John co-founded and led Treez, giving him deep experience building software for complex businesses, understanding operator pain, and turning product vision into something customers will actually buy and use.
Together, they give Black4 a rare combination of product leadership, operating empathy, and practical implementation judgment — exactly what small businesses need when they know AI matters but do not know how to make it work.
Let's talk.
Whether you're a business owner looking for AI help, a founder building something interesting, or someone who wants to work together — reach out.
joey@black4.ai