Her Story
About Tamara
Tamara Bombardo Way, is the Founder and CEO of BrightPath AI Solutions LLC, a consulting firm dedicated to helping small and mid-sized businesses adopt artificial intelligence in practical, ethical, and measurable ways. Launched in April, BrightPath was created from Tamara’s belief that successful AI adoption requires more than technology—it requires strategy, leadership, and an understanding of the human side of change. Through AI readiness assessments, strategic roadmaps, value mapping, workflow optimization, and implementation planning, she helps organizations integrate AI into their broader business strategy rather than treating it as a standalone tool.
With more than 25 years of project management experience across automotive, healthcare, and industrial sectors, Tamara has built a career around solving complex problems, improving processes, and leading transformational initiatives. Her professional journey began in hands-on manufacturing roles, including assembly work with General Motors suppliers, and evolved into leadership positions managing large-scale projects with organizations such as Apex Test Labs and Health New Zealand. Her accomplishments include resolving system linkage issues that helped one organization clear 70 percent of its collectibles and successfully re-scoping an electric vehicle installation project involving Bosch and Volkswagen. These experiences shaped her approach to AI: technology delivers the greatest value when it is paired with strong processes, clear strategy, and engaged teams.
Tamara holds a PhD in Business Administration and Management, an MBA in Human Resources from Baker, a bachelor’s degree in Human Ecology from Michigan State University, postgraduate credentials in International Business from Oakland University and Project Management from National University, and an AI certification through Industry Rockstar. Her doctoral research and professional experience inspired her forthcoming book, Why Your AI Keeps Failing: The Emotional Intelligence That’s Missing in the Rollout, which explores the critical role emotional intelligence plays in successful AI transformation. Recognized as an advocate for responsible innovation and women in business leadership, Tamara continues to empower organizations to embrace AI in ways that strengthen people, improve efficiency, and create sustainable growth.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tamara
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a willingness to reinvent myself and a refusal to stop learning. My path was never a straight line — from an assembly line to decades in project management across automotive, healthcare, and technology, working with organizations from Bosch to Health New Zealand, and ultimately earning my PhD and founding Brightpath AI Solutions. Each pivot taught me that we rarely stay on the path we picture for ourselves, and the real opportunity is in embracing that.
Just as important: leading with emotional intelligence. My doctoral research confirmed what my career taught me — success comes from genuinely caring about people, building trust, and helping others reach their potential. When people know you're invested in them, they do their best work, and so do you.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You don't have to have it all figured out — just keep learning and stay open to the detours. I started on an assembly line after my bachelor's degree, convinced my path was set. It wasn't. Every unexpected turn — HR, international business, project management, my PhD, and now founding my own AI consultancy — came from being willing to abandon the plan and follow what I was actually good at and curious about. The careers we picture for ourselves are usually too small. If I'd stuck to my original plan, I'd have missed my real potential.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The first thing that I really noticed that I didn't realize is how many support organizations there are for women going into business, how many small business grants and loans and guidance there is out there if you just open or you are just open to it and definitely find a mentor because it makes it so much less stressful and just flows better and you feel more confident.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity in AI right now are the same thing: the gap between the hype and the reality. Small and mid-sized businesses know AI matters, but misconceptions paralyze many—they fear it's about replacing people, or they jump to buying tools before understanding their own workflows. Much of my work is education: helping leaders see AI as a tool that amplifies their teams, not a substitute for them.
The opportunity is enormous for businesses that get this right. My approach is to assess first, fix the simple inefficiencies, and then layer in automation and AI in a way that is practical, ethical, and measurable. The companies that adopt that way won't just save time; they'll free their people to do the work that actually requires human judgment, creativity, and emotional intelligence. That's where I believe the real transformation happens.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity, ethical responsibility, and positive social impact — those have been my constants through every career pivot. My path changed many times, but my values never did.
Beyond those, I believe deeply in genuinely caring about people. When someone knows you care about their well-being and their goals, they trust you — and trust is what allows people to grow, take risks, and reach their full potential. That belief shapes how I lead teams, teach students, and guide clients through change.
And finally, lifelong learning. No one is ever finished learning — I've built my entire career on that idea, and it keeps both my work and my life moving forward.
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