Brian Elliot

CEO, Work Forward
Author, How The Future Works

Brian Elliott is the CEO of Work Forward, an executive advisory firm. He's the co-founder of Future Forum, a think tank that enables leaders to redesign work to be better for people and organizations. He has spent three decades leading teams and building companies as a startup CEO, at Google, and at Slack where he was a Senior VP. His work has been published in Fortune, Harvard Business Review and Time, and cited in The Economist, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and many other publications.

From Fear to Flow: Building AI-Ready Teams Through Hands-On Learning

A workshop with Brian Elliott (Work Forward) and Helen Kupp (Women Defining AI)

The Challenge: While 97% of executives feel urgency around AI adoption, only 8% of employees use AI tools at work daily and fears of job displacement are growing. The gap isn't technical—it's emotional.

The Solution: Team-centered approaches that address fears head-on and create safe spaces for experimentation.

In this interactive workshop, you'll experience firsthand the strategies that successful organizations use to overcome AI adoption barriers. We'll move beyond the hype to explore how AI transforms organizational structures and what it means for responsive leadership in practice.

You'll walk away with:

  • Hands-on experience with AI tools in a collaborative setting

  • A framework for measuring AI maturity across your teams

  • Practical strategies for eliminating "soul-crushing toil" that creates organic momentum

  • Tactical approaches that address the emotional barriers that block adoption

Workshop Format: Some conversation and lots of hands-on experimentation. Bring your laptop! We’ll do some exercises together using AI tools, demonstrating how shared learning accelerates adoption while building the psychological safety essential for organizational transformation.

Perfect for: Leaders seeking to move beyond mandates to meaningful AI integration that enhances both human potential and organizational responsiveness.

No prior AI experience required—just curiosity and willingness to experiment alongside peers.