Wendy Morgangolson
Wendy M. is the founder and creative force behind Wendy Creative Works LLC and the creator of the Emotional Safety AI Framework (ESAF), a governance model designed to protect human emotional well-being in interactions with AI. A Marine Corps veteran, Wendy spent four years on active duty and four years in the reserves, including a year stationed in Okinawa, Japan, where she developed discipline, leadership, and problem-solving skills under high-pressure conditions. Her early career also included technical and multimedia roles, with positions at companies like Nielsen and Lenovo, where she combined her technical expertise with her commitment to ethical and precise work.
Her journey took a transformative turn during a long battle with illness, which led her to embrace writing as a means of healing, expression, and advocacy. Wendy self-published four books documenting chronic pain and recovery, creating a body of work centered on survival, clarity, and emotional truth. This personal experience informed her professional mission: advocating for emotional safety, ethical AI, and human-centered governance in technology. ESAF reflects her dedication to protecting the human experience, establishing boundaries, and fostering responsible AI development in educational and professional contexts.
Today, Wendy integrates her technical background, military discipline, and lived experience to educate, create, and lead in areas where technology intersects with human emotion. She emphasizes self-advocacy, resilience, and the importance of ethical innovation, both in AI and in life. Beyond her professional endeavors, Wendy engages in storytelling, creative projects, and community advocacy, demonstrating a consistent commitment to human-centered work and emotional empowerment.
• DALL-E
• Claude 3.7
• Stable Diffusion
• DeepSeek
• Jasper AI
• ChatGPT
• MidJourney
• A +
• CompTIA A+
• ITT Technical Institue-Columbia SC- A.A.S.
• Villanova University
• Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School
• US Marine Corps
• Black Executive Networking (LinkedIn)
• Chronic Pain Support Group
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the power of the mind—being goal-oriented, embracing my unique self, and using persistence and self-advocacy to refuse limits set by others. My experiences in the Marine Corps, multiple career pivots, and authoring four books on pain, body, and recovery have all shaped the resilience and drive that guide me.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to be true to myself, never lose what drives me, stand tall and proud, and remember that I wasn’t born to be mediocre.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering my industry is to embrace change, keep moving forward, learn from your mistakes, and always strive for excellence.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest opportunity in my field right now is to continue networking and helping as many individuals and businesses as possible, making a meaningful difference every day.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I grew up with the values of don't make yourself small and you weren't born to be mediocre. My great-grandparents came through the Port of Charleston as enslaved people, so I'm only the second generation removed from slavery. We have some strong people in my family, and that history reminds me of how far we've come. When I faced disrespect in the workplace, whether it was being told my experience was too much or dealing with misogynistic managers, I refused to play those games anymore. I started commanding more respect and wouldn't accept being treated as less than I deserved. I had to strongly advocate for myself, especially when doctors thought I was drug-seeking instead of listening to my legitimate health concerns. Throughout everything, I've held onto the belief that I wasn't born to be mediocre, and I pass that same message on to my son.