About Luke

Who Is Luke Bachtold?

I'm Luke Bachtold, the founder of This Day AI Consulting. We're an AI consulting company in Bloomington, Illinois, and we help small and midsize businesses put AI to work without replacing the people who make them great.

I also own Maxwire, my family's internet company in Fairbury, which I bought from my dad on January 1, 2026.

Where I Come From

Technology has always been my language. I grew up in my parents' Radio Shack franchises, fascinated by how things worked, and taught myself several programming languages long before AI was in the news.

I spent nearly five years at Edelman, a 9-location heating, cooling, plumbing, and electrical company in Central Illinois, including time on its executive team. That's where I learned how a service company really runs, from the dispatch board first thing in the morning to the numbers in the weekly meeting.

I discovered AI in late 2022 and spent every spare moment learning it, because I could see what it would do for the way we work. In 2026 I left Edelman to do this full time.

How I Work With Companies

I'm a builder, not just an advisor. I build the tools myself, train office teams in plain language, and tell you honestly when something isn't worth automating. I'm not building systems to replace people. I'm building them so your people can do their best work.

Most of the work happens over video calls, so I work with companies anywhere. If you're in Central Illinois, I'm happy to be in the room.

Why It's Called This Day

This Day exists to help sponsor 3,000 children in developing countries. 10% of our gross revenue goes to Lifesong for Orphans, off the top, before anything else gets paid. The whole story, including the 7-day fast it came out of, is on the mission page.

Outside of Work

I'm a husband and a dad to three little boys, and I've journaled almost every day since 2012. That family shapes how I think about AI more than anything else does.