The AI Leadership Series
Program Details
$225 per session; $1,080 for all 6 sessions
About the Program
Six powerful sessions to become the AI-ready leader of tomorrow.
The AI Speaker Series is a dynamic, live-online program that bridges the gap between AI awareness and practical application. Across six focused sessions, you’ll explore the evolving AI landscape, discover high-impact tools and frameworks, and learn how to lead in an environment reshaped by intelligent technologies. From strategic vision to hands-on application, the series equips you with the knowledge and skills to drive innovation, decision-making, and customer engagement—while keeping people at the center of the AI conversation.
You may register for individual sessions or enroll in the full six-session series at a discounted rate. While each session is designed to provide immediate value on its own, we strongly recommend participating in the full series to gain the most comprehensive understanding and practical application of AI in your leadership journey.
Schedule
Pre-Assessment
Complete an assessment to identify your current AI knowledge, followed by tailored readings and resources to get you up to speed before the live sessions.
Session 1: Thriving in Today’s AI Landscape
October 6, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
AI is ushering in a new industrial revolution, transforming industries, economies, and daily work. This session introduces the “House of AI” framework, explores the evolution from machine learning to today’s generative capabilities, and demystifies complex concepts through practical examples. You’ll gain clarity on how AI impacts everything from hiring decisions to customer targeting, and leave with a big-picture understanding of the opportunities and risks it presents.
Session 2: The 5 A’s of AI: Assistants, Automations, Avatars, Agents, and APIs
October 20, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
Generative AI is moving beyond simple chat interfaces into powerful, proactive systems. In this session, you’ll discover the “Five A’s” of applied AI and learn how to harness them to streamline workflows, create intelligent automations, and build tailored solutions. From developing custom GPTs to deploying Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and API integrations, you’ll move from being a competent AI user to an AI power user—capable of building tools that align with your organization’s unique needs.
Session 3: Leading in the Age of AI
November 3, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
This session focuses on designing and executing people-first AI strategies that enhance human potential rather than replace it. You’ll explore how to foster organizational trust, manage change, and align AI initiatives with your company’s culture and values. By exploring a variety of use cases, you’ll leave with a blueprint for guiding teams through AI-driven transformation with empathy, vision, and strategic clarity.
Session 4: AI & The Future of Customer Engagement
November 17, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
Customer engagement is shifting from static campaigns to continuous, personalized interactions. This session examines how AI enables real-time adaptation of brand voice, tone, and messaging, while simultaneously predicting customer behavior and detecting subtle market signals. You’ll explore practical applications for segmentation, personalization, and trust-building to ensure your brand stays relevant, authentic, and deeply connected to its audience in an AI-powered marketplace.
Session 5: Gen AI for Data Driven Decision Making
December 1, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
Data is one of your most valuable organizational assets—but only if you can translate it into actionable insights. This session will show you how to leverage AI to perform advanced analytics without requiring code, enabling faster and more accurate decisions. You’ll work with a cutting-edge Agentic-AI platform to solve real business problems, from identifying trends to separating correlation from causation, and leave with the skills to turn raw data into strategic advantage.
Session 6: From Idea to Impact: Executing Successful GenAI Initiatives
December 15, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
Many organizations see individual productivity gains from AI but struggle to translate them into measurable results at the organizational level. In this final session, you’ll learn how to pitch, plan, and execute GenAI initiatives that deliver value to the bottom line. We’ll cover project selection, risk management, metrics, and cultural adoption strategies. You’ll leave with a practical framework for moving from experimentation to enterprise-scale impact.
Experience
The program begins with an AI readiness assessment to determine your current knowledge level. Based on results, you’ll receive personalized readings, videos, and other curated resources designed to get you up to speed before the live session(s). This pre-module experience ensures all participants regardless of starting point can fully engage with the material.
Led by program faculty members Ravi Bapna and Paul Acito, this interactive series combines expert insight, real-world examples, and practical exercises. You’ll gain direct exposure to cutting-edge AI tools in a live online environment, with opportunities to discuss, question, and apply concepts to your own organizational context. After completing the series, you’ll return to work with actionable strategies for harnessing AI to drive value in your organization, as well as the confidence to lead transformative initiatives as an AI champion.
Learn how you can customize this program for your organization.
Program Contacts
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 612-850-6731
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 612-625-5412
- Request Course Catalog
Who Should Take This Course & Why
- Senior managers, directors, VPs, and C-suite leaders who have a foundational understanding of AI concepts and are ready to translate that knowledge into practical, high-impact applications within their organizations
- No prior technical expertise required
- Enhance your understanding of how AI is transforming work, and identify where your organization can lead or lag in this new era
- Gain the skills to move beyond prompting—designing custom AI solutions and intelligent workflows that meet your firm’s unique needs
- Strengthen your ability to guide AI adoption with empathy, clarity, and purpose—aligning innovation with culture and values
- Leverage AI to personalize engagement, anticipate customer needs, and deliver consistent, human-centered brand experiences
- Learn how to unlock insights from data using no-code tools to enable faster, smarter decisions that create a competitive advantage
- Translate AI experimentation into enterprise-wide impact with practical tools for pitching, planning, and scaling successful initiatives
Additional Ways to Participate
Attend as a Group
Maximize the return on your organization’s development investment by attending as a group. When you send three of your employees to the same course, a fourth employee may attend the course at no charge. Additional group pricing benefits are also available for larger cohorts through our Talent Development Partnerships.
Customize This Program For Your Organization
We can customize this course's content, format, and delivery to meet your organization’s specific learning objectives. Whether you are looking for a highly effective program that you can deliver quickly or a fully customized program built from the ground up, our team of experts will work with you to deliver the right approach for maximum impact.
Schedule
Pre-Assessment
Complete an assessment to identify your current AI knowledge, followed by tailored readings and resources to get you up to speed before the live sessions.
Session 1: Thriving in Today's AI Landscape
October 6, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
- AI is ushering in a new industrial revolution, transforming industries, economies, and daily work. This session introduces the “House of AI” framework, explores the evolution from machine learning to today’s generative capabilities, and demystifies complex concepts through practical examples. You’ll gain clarity on how AI impacts everything from hiring decisions to customer targeting, and leave with a big-picture understanding of the opportunities and risks it presents.
Session 2: The 5 A’s of AI: Assistants, Automations, Avatars, Agents, and APIs
October 20, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
Generative AI is moving beyond simple chat interfaces into powerful, proactive systems. In this session, you’ll discover the “Five A’s” of applied AI and learn how to harness them to streamline workflows, create intelligent automations, and build tailored solutions. From developing custom GPTs to deploying Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and API integrations, you’ll move from being a competent AI user to an AI power user—capable of building tools that align with your organization’s unique needs.
Session 3: Leading in the Age of AI
November 3, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
- This session focuses on designing and executing people-first AI strategies that enhance human potential rather than replace it. You’ll explore how to foster organizational trust, manage change, and align AI initiatives with your company’s culture and values. By exploring a variety of use cases, you’ll leave with a blueprint for guiding teams through AI-driven transformation with empathy, vision, and strategic clarity.
Session 4: AI & The Future of Customer Engagement
November 17, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
- Customer engagement is shifting from static campaigns to continuous, personalized interactions. This session examines how AI enables real-time adaptation of brand voice, tone, and messaging, while simultaneously predicting customer behavior and detecting subtle market signals. You’ll explore practical applications for segmentation, personalization, and trust-building to ensure your brand stays relevant, authentic, and deeply connected to its audience in an AI-powered marketplace.
Session 5: Gen AI for Data-Driven Decision Making
December 1, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
- Data is one of your most valuable organizational assets—but only if you can translate it into actionable insights. This session will show you how to leverage AI to perform advanced analytics without requiring code, enabling faster and more accurate decisions. You’ll work with a cutting-edge Agentic-AI platform to solve real business problems, from identifying trends to separating correlation from causation, and leave with the skills to turn raw data into strategic advantage.
Session 6: From Idea to Impact: Executing Successful GenAI Initiatives
December 15, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
- Many organizations see individual productivity gains from AI but struggle to translate them into measurable results at the organizational level. In this final session, you’ll learn how to pitch, plan, and execute GenAI initiatives that deliver value to the bottom line. We’ll cover project selection, risk management, metrics, and cultural adoption strategies. You’ll leave with a practical framework for moving from experimentation to enterprise-scale impact.
Faculty & Instructors
Curtis L. Carlson Chair Professor in Business Analytics and Information Systems Information & Decision Sciences
Lecturer, Marketing; Former President & CMO, 3M Worldwide
Register Today!
$225 per session; $1,080 for all 6 sessions