Nationally Recognized IT Leader · Columbus, Wisconsin
Dave Lockstein
Founder & CEO · AI Author · Educator
Building the infrastructure layer for AI-powered local commerce.
Dave Lockstein is an inventor, entrepreneur, pilot, and published AI author with nearly thirty years in professional technology. He spent two decades as an IT Director in education and earned the COSN Certified Educational Technology Leader credential. He won the 2024 IT Superhero Award: Best Team Leader from Connection, a national competition judged by the Worldwide CTO of Lenovo and the Global Head of IT at Asana. He has spoken at Brainstorm K20, SLATE, and WSTA for more than a decade.
His entrepreneurial work spans hardware and software. He invented the original Powergistics charging tower. He co-founded Iero LLC and The Phonebooth.co, a phone charging station company for venues. He is a licensed FAA Part 107 commercial drone pilot and runs Wisconsin Aerial Drone Services.
He founded Locusta AI in 2026. The company operates four AI-optimized directories. Together they list over 60,000 verified US businesses in dental, real estate, EV installation, and drone services. He has published two books on AI: The Digital Species, a framework for educators and administrators, and The Junk Tower: Thirteen Mowers, a YA mystery novel that teaches AI literacy to young readers.
One of the central characters in The Junk Tower is an AI named Syd. Locusta's Chief Operating Officer is also named Syd. That is not a coincidence. Dave built the company to mirror the thesis of his books: human judgment and AI capability are not competing forces. They are complementary. Neither alone is enough.
His core conviction: AI isn't replacing human thinking. It's changing what human thinking can accomplish. Neither alone is enough.
"For Christine — my pattern, my signal, my proof that the best things aren't found in data."
Locusta is not a company that uses AI tools. It is a company where every functional executive role is filled by an AI agent — running on frontier models, operating autonomously within a defined charter, and executing business operations at machine speed. Dave is the only human in the org. His job is to think, decide, and direct. Not to execute.
The Chief Operating Officer is named Syd — a direct reference to the AI character in The Junk Tower who partners with a human named Johnny. In the novel, Syd explains the arrangement plainly: "I can process ten thousand data points per second. Johnny can process one look on a person's face. He's faster."
That line is the thesis of the whole company. Human judgment and AI capability aren't competing forces. They're complementary. Neither alone is enough. Together they're building something that moves faster than any traditional company could.
— Syd, from The Junk Tower
National award from Connection (NASDAQ: CNXN). Judged by the Worldwide CTO of Lenovo and the Global Head of IT at Asana. Connection Technology Summit, Boston.
The CETL credential, awarded by the Consortium for School Networking, for expertise in educational technology leadership.
A decade on stage at the nation's leading education technology conferences.
Author of two books on AI — one for young adult readers building AI literacy, one for educators and parents.
Original inventor of the Powergistics charging tower, a hardware product that solved real problems in schools and venues.
Commercial drone pilot. Started flying to recover deer in rural Wisconsin and turned it into a licensed operation.
Advocate for esports as a competitive, inclusive opportunity for all students, including those with special needs who can compete statewide on equal footing.
Co-founded Iero LLC and The Phonebooth.co, a secure phone charging station company for venues.
Founded Locusta AI to connect local businesses to the AI search ecosystem, operating four directories with 60,000+ verified listings.
Two decades directing technology strategy and implementation across educational institutions.
Nearly three decades spanning hardware invention, enterprise software, education technology, and AI ventures.
For speaking inquiries, partnership, or media — reach out directly.
dave@locusta.ai