Building AI That Delivers McKinsey-Level Insights in Days | Kara Whitaker

Most employee surveys deliver generic insights that executives already know. But what if AI could predict organizational risks months before they impact your bottom line?

Today I'm joined by Kara Whitaker, VP of Client Partnerships at Etnromy. Entromy helps private equity firms and their portfolio companies get fast, unfiltered reads on organizational health. They're not just running surveys - they're building AI-native intelligence that surfaces blind spots, alignment gaps, and risks that traditional consulting approaches often miss.

What makes Entromy different is their approach to AI. Instead of bolt-on features, their models analyze feedback in real time, learning from 700+ PE-backed organizations to deliver predictions and recommendations tailored to each company's specific context. While McKinsey and BCG might take weeks to uncover organizational issues, Entromy delivers actionable insights in days.

In this conversation, Kara breaks down how they're applying AI across the entire client lifecycle - from data collection through predictive analytics that flag risks six months in advance. We dive into their upcoming PE Dashboard, how they're building AI agents for automated reporting, and why their lean team is punching above its weight with smart AI tooling.

Takeaways

• Cross-Portfolio Learning: Entromy's AI learns from 700+ PE-backed organizations simultaneously, delivering benchmarked insights instead of isolated analysis
• Predictive Risk Flagging: Moving beyond reactive surveys to AI that identifies organizational risks 6 months before they impact EBITDA
• Tailored Recommendations by Function: AI generates specific action plans filtered by department, manager, and team - not just company-wide generic advice
• PE Dashboard Intelligence: New dashboard gives PE firms portfolio-wide visibility to identify which companies need immediate attention
• AI-Powered Consultant Acceleration: What takes McKinsey weeks, Entromy delivers in days, enabling consultants to deliver faster at lower cost
• Smart Tool Stack for Lean Teams: Using Momentum, Gamma AI, and Intercom Copilot to automate low-leverage tasks and focus on strategic client work

Sound Bites

"Most companies have the same problems. There's three key categories that most organizations score the lowest in: performance management, capabilities, and communication."

"What McKinsey and BCG might uncover in weeks, Entromy delivers in days through AI native platforms."

"Our AI is not just learning from your survey - it's learning from every other organization that's running in our platform simultaneously."

"If you're two weeks behind in private equity, you might as well be a year behind."

"AI is not replacing the human touch. It really and truly is amplifying it and helping a small but mighty CS team punch above its weight."

"I genuinely think everybody needs Entromy. I don't care if you've got all the answers - there's always opportunities for improvement."

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Entromy and Organizational Intelligence 
01:21 - The Problem: Getting Truth About What's Happening Inside Companies
 02:44 - How AI Powers Every Part of the Workflow 
04:35 - AI in Data Collection: Beyond Generic Survey Results 
06:29 - Cross-Portfolio Learning and Benchmarking 
08:58 - Tailored Recommendations by Function and Department 
14:09 - Three Customer Personas: PE Firms, Portfolio Companies, Consultants 
16:07 - Upcoming PE Dashboard for Portfolio-Wide Risk Assessment 
20:09 - AI Tools That Supercharge Lean CS Teams 
28:55 - Favorite AI Tool: Momentum for Salesforce Integration 
33:35 - Vision for 2025: Predictive Analytics and AI Agents 
35:49 - What Kara is Most Proud Of 

Connect with us

Where to find Kara
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kara-whitaker/
Website: https://entromy.com/

Where to find Sani
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sani-djaya/
Get in touch: [e-mail]

Tags

#AI #MachineLearning #PrivateEquity #OrganizationalHealth #CustomerSuccess #PredictiveAnalytics #AIAgents #EmployeeSurveys #PortfolioManagement #AITools #Momentum #GammaAI #IntercomCopilot #BusinessIntelligence #PEPortfolio #ValueCreation