About this Event
Course overview
AI introduces new leadership decisions: which activities to redesign, how to allocate responsibility, where to invest, and how to determine whether the organization is improving.
This program helps leaders develop a disciplined approach to those decisions. You will assess your organization’s starting point, evaluate potential applications, and select a focused initiative tied to a business objective.
The program examines the relationship between operating processes, employee capabilities, information quality, and governance. You will consider how responsibilities change when AI contributes to execution and how leaders can support adoption while maintaining accountability. Throughout the day, you will develop a 90-day pilot roadmap with defined ownership, success measures, and decision points.
Who should attend
Founders, business owners, executives, department heads, operations and organizational development leaders, HR and learning professionals, school and nonprofit administrators, and consultants advising on strategy or change.
It is particularly relevant to leaders moving from individual experimentation toward a coordinated organizational approach.
Prerequisites and preparation
No programming or technical background is required. Participants should understand their organization’s goals, core processes, and staffing responsibilities. Bring one operational or strategic challenge. Approximate process volumes, staff time, costs, and performance measures will support planning; confidential business records are not required.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the program, participants will be able to:
Assess organizational readiness for a focused AI initiative.
Prioritize use cases according to value, feasibility, and risk.
Map changes to work, responsibility, and decision authority.
Outline governance, review, and staff development requirements.
Develop a 90-day pilot roadmap with measurable continuation criteria.
COURSE 3 | CURRICULUM AND PARTICIPANT DELIVERABLES
Curriculum
Six one-hour modules including instruction, discussion, and applied work.
Module 1 Assessing Organizational Readiness
Examine existing AI use, process maturity, available information, and staff capabilities. Identify conditions supporting implementation and gaps that could undermine it.
Working output: An organizational readiness assessment.
Module 2 Selecting Strategic Priorities
Compare initiatives against a business objective. Evaluate expected value, implementation effort, costs, dependencies, and risk. Select a pilot with manageable scope.
Working output: A prioritized opportunity assessment and pilot rationale.
Module 3 Redesigning Work and Accountability
Map how the selected process operates today and how it could change. Define what AI supports, where human judgment remains necessary, and who owns the result.
Working output: A proposed process map with assigned responsibilities.
Module 4 Establishing Governance
Develop working principles for approved uses, information access, review, and escalation. Identify decisions requiring specialist input and an owner for maintaining guidance.
Working output: A draft AI-use and oversight framework.
Module 5 Developing People and Leading Adoption
Consider how changes affect employee responsibilities and confidence. Plan communication, role-specific training, feedback channels, and support for managers overseeing AI-supported work.
Working output: A staff communication and development outline.
Module 6 Building the 90-Day Roadmap
Translate the initiative into milestones, responsibilities, and resource assumptions. Define baseline measures, review dates, and criteria for expanding, revising, or stopping the pilot.
Working output: A 90-day roadmap and pilot scorecard.
Learning experience
Instructor briefings, case-based discussion, structured decision exercises, and individual strategic planning. Participants receive peer feedback on a challenge relevant to their organization.
What participants will take away
A readiness assessment, opportunity map, proposed process design, governance framework, staff development outline, and 90-day pilot roadmap.
Networking: One hour of facilitated peer discussion, professional connection, and exchange of implementation ideas, in person at Guild Hall Learning in Natick.
Delivery schedule and review notes
Time Eastern
Session
9:00–11:00 AM
Modules 1 and 2
11:00–11:15 AM
Break — 15 minutes
11:15 AM–12:15 PM
Module 3
12:15–12:45 PM
Lunch break — 30 minutes
12:45–2:45 PM
Modules 4 and 5
2:45–3:00 PM
Break — 15 minutes
3:00–4:00 PM
Module 6
4:00–5:00 PM
Professional networking and facilitated discussion
Preparation and delivery
Bring a laptop, charger, current web browser, and access to your email for account verification. Use nonconfidential or anonymized materials. Course-specific accounts and any subscription requirements will be confirmed by the instructor before tickets go on sale; do not purchase subscriptions in advance. The day includes a 30-minute lunch break and two 15-minute rest breaks. Lunch is not provided; participants may bring lunch or purchase it from local sandwich shops. Snacks and water are available.
Instructor biography
David Martelli
Educator, Technologist and Entrepreneur | Founder, Guild Hall Learning
David Martelli brings together three perspectives that shape how he teaches AI: the technical depth of a systems engineer, the practical judgment of a business owner, and more than a decade of experience helping people understand complex ideas.
His career includes more than 15 years in the high-tech industry, spanning systems engineering, program management, and software development, with work at Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Department of Defense. That experience grounds his instruction in the realities of building and implementing technology—where reliability, clear decisions, and execution matter.
David also brings extensive classroom and educational leadership experience. He has taught robotics, computer science, physics, and mathematics in Boston public schools and served as Director of Technology and Head of Computer Science and Engineering. Across these roles, he has developed the ability to recognize where understanding breaks down, explain difficult concepts in familiar terms, and guide learners toward independent application.
Today, David leads Guild Hall Learning, a network of STEM education centers where he develops programs and teaches audiences ranging from small groups to full auditoriums. As an entrepreneur and educator, he understands both the demands of running an organization and the process of building new capabilities.
His workshops bring that combination directly to professionals navigating AI. Participants learn how the technology works, where it can contribute to their goals, and how to evaluate and apply it with sound judgment. David makes sophisticated ideas approachable while preserving the depth people need to put them to work.
Registration and participant information
Attendance and tuition
Each course takes place in person at Guild Hall Learning, 19 Willow Street, Natick, Massachusetts, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern. Enrollment is limited to 12 participants per course. Tuition is $695, including Eventbrite ticketing fees. Guild Hall absorbs these fees; no separate ticketing fee is added for the participant. Online attendance is not currently offered.
Accounts and subscriptions
Proposed preparation: Bring a laptop and charger, use a current web browser, and have access to your email for account verification. An account with the instructor-designated conversational AI platform will be required for applied exercises. Additional creative or assistant-building accounts may be needed for particular courses. David will confirm the platform list and whether free accounts are sufficient before ticket sales open. Participants should not purchase paid subscriptions until course-specific instructions are issued.
Event venue & nearby stays
Guild Hall Learning Natick, 19 Willow St, Natick, United States
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