I founded Data Prep U in 2018 after spending years watching finance professionals struggle with the same problem: training programs that felt more like compliance obligations than actual skill-building. Too many teams were stuck in sessions that checked boxes but left them just as confused about their tools when they returned to work. I wanted to create something different, an independent practice focused entirely on hands-on, practical instruction without the overhead and sales pressure of traditional consulting firms.
Over time, that work evolved. The more I helped finance and analytics teams get more out of their tools, the clearer it became that the real problem wasn’t just training, it was the software itself. I spent time building automation and reporting systems directly for clients, and the same pattern kept showing up: companies paying for platforms they barely used, renewing tools nobody had reviewed, and adding subscriptions without a clear view of the whole stack. Helping businesses make better software decisions became the work that mattered most.
Today, Data Prep U is an independent technology advisory firm. I audit software stacks, identify what a business truly needs, and help reduce what it spends, with a focus on artificial intelligence, software as a service, and managed and professional services. My advice is independent, and it comes at no cost to clients because the providers pay me. Every client works directly with me, a human with 20+ years of experience who has seen software decisions from both sides: the vendor pitch, and the team that has to live with it.
When I’m not helping clients make sense of their software, you’ll find me with my family in Colorado, doing all the Colorado things: hiking, camping, skiing, and mountain biking. That balance keeps me grounded and reminds me why this work matters: helping people spend less time managing software and more time doing what they actually love.
At a glance
- Company: Data Prep U LLC, an independent technology advisory firm based in Colorado
- Founded: 2018, by Chad Martin, Principal Consultant
- What we do: Technology audits that reduce software spend, with a focus on AI, software as a service, and managed and professional services
- Cost to clients: None; advisory fees are paid by the technology providers
- Partnership: AppDirect Technology Advisor partner
- Credentials: NASBA-registered CPE sponsor (Registry ID 169254)
- Background: 11 years at a leading software analytics company, including $4.4M in technical revenue in a single year and Solutions Consultant of the Year; nearly 9 years training finance and analytics teams
- Who we serve: Companies across all industries and sizes