AI Ready or Risky?
An Executive Working Session for Leaders Pursuing AI Initiative
Is your AI initiative ready to move forward?
Your organization has identified an opportunity for AI. The harder question is whether the business is ready to turn that opportunity into measurable value.
AI Ready or Risky? is an executive working session for C-level leaders actively evaluating, piloting, implementing, or scaling an AI initiative. Bring one specific AI initiative and pressure-test it with Northeastern and industry experts across four dimensions.
Nada Sanders
Fellow, Decision Sciences Institute
D'Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University
Professor Sanders will guide the morning's conversations and working sessions and moderate the fireside conversation with Tom Davenport and Usama Fayyad.
Business Value & ROI
Is the initiative solving the right problem, and is the path to measurable value clear?
People Readiness
Does your organization have the skills, ownership, and support needed for adoption?
Data Readiness
Is the necessary data available, usable, trustworthy, and ready to support the initiative?
Governance & Access
Are the right controls in place for access, security, accountability, and responsible use?
How the Morning Works
The morning begins with a fireside conversation featuring Tom Davenport and Usama Fayyad on moving from AI experimentation to measurable business value.
You'll then work in a small executive cohort as expert teams rotate through the room, applying the four readiness dimensions directly to your initiative. Throughout the morning, you'll capture your findings on an AI Readiness Card, creating a practical view of what's ready, where risk remains, and what needs to happen next.
What You'll Leave With
- A completed AI Readiness Card for your initiative
- A clearer view of where you're ready to move forward and where gaps remain
- Expert guidance across business value, people, data, governance, and security
- A focused set of priorities and next steps
- New connections with executives navigating similar AI decisions
Who Should Attend
Designed for C-level and equivalent enterprise leaders with decision-making responsibility for an active AI initiative.
Meet the Experts
Keynote and Industry Speakers
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Northeastern University Speakers
Agenda
Participants will remain in three small executive cohorts while expert teams rotate among them. Every participant will work with all three expert groups, pressure-testing their AI initiative across three interconnected areas of readiness.
Business Value & People Readiness
Translate the business priorities explored in the fireside conversation into execution. Examine organizational ownership, workforce capabilities, adoption, and what needs to be true for an AI investment to deliver its intended value.
Data Readiness
Assess whether your data and technical environment can support your AI initiative, including data quality, availability, infrastructure, and other dependencies that can determine whether an initiative succeeds.
Governance & Access
DataPivot Technologies
Work through the governance, responsible AI, security, and access questions that need to be addressed as your initiative moves from concept toward implementation. Thulasi and Meredith will lead the discussion, with Rick contributing additional cybersecurity and implementation perspective where useful.
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Attendee Testimonials
