About Joshua Francis
From finance to design to AI. I've worked across all three, and that's what makes the products I build different.
I started my career in finance at BMO and State Street, building financial models, automating reporting processes, and analyzing data. That's where I learned how businesses actually work, and it gave me a foundation most designers and developers don't have.
I moved into product design because I wanted to build things people use, not just analyze them. I spent years designing products as a freelancer, then joined SynthMinds as founding design lead, where I built the brand and platform for an AI consulting firm serving NVIDIA, PwC, and Kraft Heinz.
Now I help businesses build and ship AI products. I've designed AI systems at enterprise scale, built RoomLab from idea to live SaaS product, and taught AI image creation to professionals at Uplimit.
When I consult, you get someone who understands the business case, can design the experience, and can build and ship the product. That's not typical, and it's why the things I build actually work.
My Approach
How I work
Ship, Don't Slide
I don't hand off a strategy deck and disappear. I design it, build it, and ship it. You get a working product, not a presentation about one.
Design-Led, AI-Powered
Most AI products are built by engineers and look like it. I come from design, so the products I build are ones people actually want to use.
Business-Aware
I spent four years in finance before I ever touched design. I understand unit economics, ROI, and business cases, not just pixels and prompts.
Background
Experience
AI Consultant & Developer
Helping businesses design, build, and ship AI products. Experienced across SaaS platforms, AI agents, and LLM-powered tools.
AI Image Course Instructor
Uplimit
Designed and taught an AI image creation course that earned a perfect 100/100 feedback score, 89 NPS, and 74.5% completion rate.
Founding Design Lead
SynthMinds
Built the brand identity and web platform for an AI consulting firm serving NVIDIA, PwC, HP, and Kraft Heinz. Led design strategy across consulting, education, and product.
Freelance Product Designer
Designed and shipped products for startups and enterprises, including conversion-focused websites and AI-powered SaaS tools like RoomLab.
Senior Analyst, Finance
BMO Financial Group
Led automation of reporting processes saving ~$25K annually. Tested and provided UX feedback on pre-release S/4 HANA updates. Built financial models for FX-denominated asset and P&L verification.
FAQ
About Joshua Francis
Who is Joshua Francis?
Joshua Francis is an AI consultant based in Toronto, Canada, who helps startups and enterprises design, build, and ship AI products. He combines four years of finance experience at BMO Financial Group, product design expertise, and engineering capability to bridge business strategy and technical implementation. He has shipped AI products including RoomLab and taught AI courses at Uplimit that earned a perfect 100/100 score.
Where is Joshua Francis based?
Joshua Francis is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He works with clients across Canada and the United States, both remotely and on-site in the Greater Toronto Area.
What is Joshua Francis's background?
Joshua started his career as a senior analyst in finance at BMO Financial Group from 2017 to 2021, where he led reporting automation that saved roughly $25K annually. He then moved into product design, freelancing for startups and enterprises, before joining SynthMinds as founding design lead, building the brand and platform for an AI consulting firm serving NVIDIA, PwC, HP, and Kraft Heinz. He now works as an independent AI consultant.
What makes Joshua Francis different from other AI consultants?
Most AI consultants deliver a strategy deck and leave. Joshua designs, builds, and ships working products. His background spans finance, product design, and engineering, so clients get one person who understands the business case, designs the user experience, and builds and deploys the technical solution. He produces working software, not presentations about it.
What clients has Joshua Francis worked with?
Joshua has worked with Uplimit on AI education, taught professionals AI image creation, shipped RoomLab as a solo AI SaaS product, and led design at SynthMinds for an AI consulting practice serving NVIDIA, PwC, HP, and Kraft Heinz. He works across SaaS, education, real estate, financial services, and professional services.