Indiana Startup Murray Mentor Launches AI-Powered Mentor to Preserve Expertise and Bridge the Workforce Skills Gap
August 25, 2025
Carmel-based company secures investment and early customers, bringing on-the-job, voice-in-the-ear guidance to the shop floor
Murray Mentor, a Carmel-based technology company, today announced its launch following an investment with participation from five investors, including Fireroad Ventures and Start Something Ventures. The company has developed an AI-powered mentor that provides real-time, voice- and text-activated guidance directly to workers on the job. The solution helps manufacturers preserve expertise and keep operations running at current levels even as experts retire in record numbers.
Murray Mentor already has early paying customers and strong interest from companies across sectors including food and beverage, automotive, and chemical manufacturing. In pilot deployments, Murray has reduced training cycles and helped companies protect hundreds of thousands of dollars annually by keeping critical knowledge accessible on the shop floor.
Indiana Furniture is among Murray Mentor’s early customers. The company faced a common challenge in preserving key knowledge: the best experts are often the worst documenters.
“The people who built a unique competitive advantage in our manufacturing process can simply describe to Murray how the process works and how they solve problems. The AI will help us run lines smoothly with less experienced operators and ensure our competitive advantage continues even as our veteran team members retire.” - Chad Nord, VP of Operations at Indiana Furniture.
“Indiana is at the heart of American manufacturing, but decades of institutional knowledge are at risk as experienced workers retire in record numbers. Murray was created to capture that expertise and make it instantly accessible to the next generation of workers—improving retention, safety, and productivity.” - Susan Murray Carlock, co-founder and COO of Murray Mentor and co-owner Mursix Corporation.
The skills gap is a pressing economic challenge. A Deloitte/National Association of Manufacturers study projects a $1 trillion productivity loss by 2030 if knowledge is not retained. With more than 8,500 manufacturers and one of the largest manufacturing workforces in the nation, Indiana is both vulnerable and uniquely positioned to lead in addressing this crisis.
Murray Mentor is already being used to guide operators through everyday challenges such as troubleshooting production issues, running faster changeovers, and recalling specialized processes like scrap handling. By providing in-the-ear or on-screen guidance, the platform allows workers to solve problems quickly—without waiting for the one expert who knows how.
“Today’s workforce faces increasing complexity, often with less on-the-job experience. Murray acts as a digital mentor, giving employees the real-time support they need while ensuring companies don’t lose decades of expertise when someone retires.” - Paul Boris, co-founder and CEO of Murray Mentor.
Murray Mentor is actively engaging with manufacturers across Indiana and the Midwest to expand pilot programs and partnerships.
About Murray Mentor
Murray Mentor is an AI-powered mentor for on-the-job guidance, created to address the urgent skills gap facing frontline and industrial organizations. By giving employees real-time, voice- and text-activated access to the expertise they need, Murray helps companies preserve critical knowledge, reduce downtime, and improve productivity. Headquartered in Carmel, Indiana, Murray serves manufacturers and other skilled trades organizations across the Midwest and beyond. Learn more at www.murraymentor.ai.
