Elaine Barsoom

I've been in my field for 20 years, and my career has really been a culmination of different roles across corporate, startup, and nonprofit sectors. Early in my career, I thought I was going to go into international development, which is what I got my master's in, and I worked in the development bank side of things, like the UN and NGOs. Through a mentor's advice, I transitioned to the private sector where I could make more impact, initially going into consulting and working in emerging markets. I've always been a systems thinker, seeing the large big picture, which is the thread in my career. After going to business school at Wharton, I ended up at Amex, but I was really drawn to the entrepreneurial side of new ventures and new investments, driven by my dad who was an entrepreneur time and time again. The pattern recognition, the systems thinking, and my undergraduate degree really shaped my career and where I am today. Most people stay in one company or one industry, but I have really straddled both the corporate and the startup world, building from scratch from zero to 200 million, but also being at large corporates. I just left Nike after 5 years, and I'm now independent with a portfolio career as a board member, a venture partner at Silicon Foundry, and the founding partner of an AI transformation agency. My passion is really to help leaders, CEOs, and small businesses understand the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and to unlock growth for both companies and small businesses. I love teaching, training, and learning - I'm curious, so I've got to be passionate about everything I do, and this is really where I feel like I found my calling.