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AI Is a Leadership Challenge, Not a Technology One
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Keynote·Under 1 hour·In person or virtual
For CEOs and senior executives, executive peer groups, next-generation leaders, general corporate audiences, and boards and nonprofit leaders.
Most AI efforts stall for human reasons, not technical ones. Drawing on 25+ years leading technology at Delta Air Lines, Cox Enterprises and a 39-brand software company, Michelle shows why AI is an organizational capability and what leaders must do differently: set clear expectations, build trust, and measure real value. A story-driven keynote with practical tools, followed by Q&A.
A five-question check to tell whether your organization has an AI strategy or just a collection of tools.
A simple model for sorting AI ideas by business value, readiness and risk, so the right work gets funded first.
Three leadership moves that build the trust people need to adopt AI instead of resisting it.
Grit Over Pedigree: An Unconventional Path to Executive Leadership
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Keynote·Under 1 hour·In person or virtual
For next-generation leaders and general corporate audiences.
Michelle led global technology teams of up to 200 people at Delta Air Lines before finishing her college degree in 2019. In this candid, story-driven talk, she shares what grit looks like day to day, how she earned trust without the expected credentials, and how listeners can turn their own unusual paths into an edge. The session closes with reflection prompts and audience Q&A.
A reframe for turning a nontraditional background into a leadership advantage.
Practical ways to build credibility and trust when you don’t fit the expected profile.
A plan for your next stretch move, including who to ask for help and how to ask.
Buying AI Tools Isn’t a Strategy: A Working Session for Leadership Teams
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Workshop·Half day·In person
For CEOs and senior executives, executive peer groups, and boards and nonprofit leaders.
A hands-on workshop for leadership teams ready to move past AI pilots. Michelle opens with what a real AI strategy contains, then small groups identify and rank use cases, map ownership and decision rights, and draft a one-page plan. Teams leave with a working draft they can take to their next leadership meeting, not just ideas.
A one-page AI strategy draft tied to your organization’s top business goals.
A ranked list of AI use cases, sorted by business value, readiness and risk.
A starter governance checklist covering ownership, decision rights and how value will be measured.
I’ve spent 25+ years leading technology, from global teams of up to 200 people at Delta Air Lines to enterprise AI strategy at a 39-brand software company. Along the way, I’ve learned that the hardest part of any transformation is never the technology. It’s the people.
I start with the business. I’ve ridden in Delta cockpits and worked alongside airport operations, because you can’t lead change in work you don’t understand.
I lead with high expectations, positive accountability, and genuine respect for the people doing the work. I believe context matters, trust matters, and most conversations go better when we start by assuming positive intent.
My path wasn’t traditional. I led large organizations long before I finished my college degree in 2019. That taught me that grit and curiosity open more doors than credentials, and I love helping others find that in themselves.
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