> 00 the practice

About Forge & Ward.

Forge & Ward LLC is a Wisconsin multi-member LLC, operated as an Advisor practice for founders, sole proprietors, and small technology teams. The LLC is new. The operator experience behind it is not.

established
2026 · WI
jurisdiction
multi-member LLC, Wisconsin
retainer model
bounded by design
headquarters
Appleton, WI
> 01 founding member

David Borden.

Founding member. Advisor practice lead.

Twenty-five years across IT, infrastructure, security, cloud, DevOps, compliance, and enterprise architecture. Currently building AI-driven automation into IT and Security operations at PKWARE while operating Forge & Ward as an Advisor practice per the charter scope.

> 01.a operator experience
  • Senior Director, Information Systems at PKWARE. Built DevOps, infrastructure, security, and operational foundations for the PK Protect SaaS transition. Now leading AI-driven automation in enterprise IT and Security operations.
  • Senior Director, Information Technology at Fusion Anesthesia. Stood up SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA compliance from zero in under eighteen months. Rebuilt the entire IT estate on Azure.
  • Senior Enterprise Architect at Northwestern Mutual. Authored the Enterprise Recovery Playbook covering thousands of applications at a Fortune 100 financial institution.
  • IT Infrastructure Manager and Systems Administrator at National Business Furniture. Drove PCI descoping. Led the Microsoft 365 + Zero Trust transformation years ahead of industry adoption.
> 01.b track record
  • SOC 2 Type II shipped from zero at PKWARE.
  • SOC 2 Type II shipped from zero at Fusion Anesthesia.
  • HIPAA compliance program built from zero at Fusion Anesthesia.
  • PCI program and cardholder-data descoping at National Business Furniture.
  • Public Trust Center launched at trust.pkware.com.

These are personal career work, not Forge & Ward client outcomes. The LLC is a new Advisor practice. The operator experience behind it is not new.

> 01.c credentials
  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect
  • AI Fluency · Anthropic (Mar 2026)
  • Building with the Claude API · Anthropic (Mar 2026)
  • Introduction to Agent Skills · Anthropic (Apr 2026)
  • Introduction to Subagents · Anthropic (Apr 2026)
  • Claude Code in Action · Anthropic / Coursera (Jan 2026)
  • Claude Code: Software Engineering with Generative AI Agents · Vanderbilt (Jan 2026)
  • Certified in Cybersecurity · (ISC)² (Apr 2023 → Apr 2026)
> 01.d current posts
> 02 co-member

Sarah Borden.

Co-member. Lifecycle and CRM practice.

CRM and lifecycle marketing leader with twenty-plus years across email, SMS, and loyalty. Klaviyo certified. Has driven more than one million dollars in CRM-attributable revenue and grown a DTC subscription program to fifty percent of store revenue. Currently CRM Manager at MegaFood (Pharmavite).

> 02.a positioning

Forge & Ward publishes security, compliance, and AI advisory as its v1 service lines, led by David. Sarah's lifecycle and CRM practice joins when the SOW calls for it.

> 02.b credentials
  • Klaviyo Product Certificate (Apr 2025 → Apr 2027)
  • Certified GURU Email Specialist (Jan 2026 → Jan 2027)
  • HubSpot Digital Marketing Certified
  • HubSpot Marketing Hub Software Certified
  • Google Analytics Certification

One advisor. Bounded by design, not sold by the hour.

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