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Matthew Saleski shared thisI've said a version of this in comments and posts before: one of AI's real limitations is that it isn't proactive... yet. Agentic AI complicates that thought. The entire premise of agentic AI is that it doesn't just respond — it decides, and then acts on that decision. A New York Times investigation into the Russia-Ukraine drone war this week reported something that should give all of us pause: drones that identified and struck their own targets, with no human confirming the shot. That's the sharp edge of "proactive." But here's the caveat I keep coming back to — reinforced by the agentic AI coursework I just finished. Even well-designed agentic systems are built around human-defined goals, reward structures, and, critically, human-AI collaboration checkpoints. The architecture may let an agent act autonomously in the moment, but the planning, the boundaries, and the "should this ever happen" questions still sit with people. Agentic doesn't mean unsupervised. We're standing at the edge of a real inflection point on AI ethics and regulation — and this story is exactly why. The technology to remove humans from a decision loop already exists. The question in front of all of us is whether we choose to. Humans need to stay at the front of every consequential decision. Not behind the system. In front of it. #AgenticAI #AIEthics #AIRegulation #ResponsibleAI Mighty Humans
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Matthew Saleski shared thisJust finished the course “Agentic AI Fundamentals: Architectures, Frameworks, and Applications” by David Linthicum! Check it out: https://lnkd.in/erq92HNJ #aiforbusiness #aiagents #artificialintelligence.
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Matthew Saleski shared thisJust earned my AI Foundations credential through Mighty Humans. I've spent the years deep in AI strategies — building fractional CMO practices around it, advising clients on adoption, and serving as an AI literacy ambassador for the Art Coast of Michigan region. I could have skipped this one. I didn't. And I'm glad. Here's the thing about AI fluency: it's not a ladder where "experts" stand at the top looking down. It's a shared floor. The foundational credit isn't about proving what I already know — it's about validating that we're all working from the same baseline, speaking the same language, building trust in the same direction. That's the whole premise behind Mighty Humans: Free. Open. Human. AI literacy shouldn't be gatekept by jargon or credentials that only some people have access to. It should be a level set — something everyone can stand on, regardless of where they're starting from. In my short video— why this matters to me (and why I think every professional — technical or not — should have this foundation). Take a look, and if you're curious about your own AI fluency, I'd encourage you to start here too: https://lnkd.in/eY3pg4xg 📍 Saugatuck-Douglas folks: I'm running a community AI training session on September 17 at the Library — more details soon. #AIFoundations #AILiteracy #AIFluency #MightyHumans #HumanCenteredAI #FractionalCMO
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Matthew Saleski shared thisA founder DM’d me last week. Said most of the founders he talks to “don’t know marketing” — they’re technical builders who’d rather ship features than think about content. We got on a call. I gave him a framework I’ve used for decades: define your audience, objective, message, distribution channel, measurement. But the real work happened in the last piece. He’d been thinking about measurement in CPMs— cost per thousand views, a fine leading indicator, but a vanity metric at the end of the day. I pushed him past it: What’s the founder’s actual run rate? What’s a good month look like — in units, in dollars? What’s the sales cycle length? If a campaign works too well and orders triple overnight, can the founder even fulfill them? Those aren’t marketing questions. They’re business questions. And they’re the only ones that tell you whether a campaign is actually working. Then I told him: don’t lead with “CRM.” Most founders won’t know what you mean, or won’t have one. Ask instead — “How are you tracking sales right now? What does success look like to you this month?” Same question, translated into language that meets someone where they are. Near the end, he asked if I was running UGC campaigns myself right now. I told him no — my focus right now is AI. I’m working with a consortium, Mighty Humans, training people to actually use AI well, with human judgment still firmly in the loop. Not the same conversation as CPMs and content calendars, but the same underlying question: how do you help people build a skill they’re avoiding because it feels outside their lane? He was engaged the whole time, taking notes, asking sharp follow-ups. It wasn’t until after we hung up that I noticed what he never did: he’d opened our DM thread with something close to a pitch of his own — a free trial, “could this be viable for you right now?” Thirty minutes later, on the call, he never brought it up. And that’s when his earlier line landed differently. He hadn’t just been describing the founders he coaches — who avoid the sales conversation, who’d rather build than ask. He’d described himself. I didn’t point that out. Some things land better when the conversation shows you, rather than someone telling you. Most advice is about what to say. The harder skill is knowing which questions actually matter — and hearing what’s underneath the ones you’re asked. #Mentorship #Founders #Sales #Marketing #Leadership #AI #StartupAdvice
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Matthew Saleski shared thisWhy am I spending my Friday nights and weekends on this? Honestly — because I've lived it. I know what it feels like to watch an industry shift under your feet and wonder where you fit. And the people I worry about most aren't the ones already fluent in AI — it's the marginalized communities, the folks who get hit first and heard from last. That's who's showing up to this training I'm planning. Retired judges. School superintendents. Grandparents worried about what this means for their grandkids. People who are anxious, not because they're behind, but because no one's taken the time to sit with them and say: you're not behind, you're right on time. That's what Mighty Humans is to me. Not another AI hype machine — a place where technology stays in service of people, not the other way around. Connectedness. Collaboration. Community. Human-first, always. As our founder Grant puts it: "AI is getting mightier — but what about us?" That question is why I'm doing this. See you in September — both in person and virtually. 🤍 Lucy Coulden Grant McDougall - two of the mightiest humans
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Matthew Saleski shared thisI haven't posted much here lately — been heads-down on local development (more to come on that!) and a few other things close to home. But this one felt worth breaking the silence for. A few months ago I signed on as a local Ambassador for Mighty Humans — a free, nonprofit movement helping everyday people build confidence, skills, and connection in the AI era through learning, local gatherings, mentorship, and projects of purpose. No one should meet the AI era alone. I've watched AI reshape entire functions over the last decade in tech, and I've also watched how much fear and uncertainty it creates for people outside that world — small business owners, career-changers, neighbors who just want to understand what's actually happening without the hype or the doom. So on September 17th, I'm hosting the first of what I hope becomes a series of local AI trainings, right here at the @Saugatuck-Douglas District Library. We'll start with a fireside chat with a longtime agency partner, walk through some real history on hype cycles (turns out this isn't humanity's first rodeo), and spend real time hands-on — everyone leaves having actually used the tools, not just heard about them. If this works the way I think it will, it may end up being a model other Mighty Humans ambassadors can use in their own cities. If you're in West Michigan and curious — or if you know someone who's anxious about AI and could use a calm, human room to start in — send me a message. Everyone has something to teach and something to learn. City of Saugatuck #MightyHumans #ArtCoastOfMichigan #AI #CommunityBuilding
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Matthew Saleski shared thisSometimes your true mission appears before you. Not always on schedule. Not always where you left it.
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Matthew Saleski reacted on thisMatthew Saleski reacted on thisWhen I was at Facebook building fundraising products, we were putting the wheels on the bus as we drove it. Products would change completely two days before launch. I was scoping, building, and scaling all at once, usually in the same afternoon. In that kind of chaos, you find out fast what you're actually running on. There are really only three options: cruise control, fear, or intuition. I was running on both fear and intuition. Fear, because I was putting out fires constantly. Intuition underneath it, the steadier current, telling me the same thing every time: the humans matter most. That intuition was simply pattern recognition I'd been building my whole life, finally pointed at work. It all came back to the same four conditions, every single time. Whether people felt connected to why the thing mattered. Whether they had the competence to use it well. Whether they had a real choice in it. Whether they understood and agreed to what they were signing up for. It came from two halves of me finally meeting. One had spent years chasing social impact and volunteering for every do-gooder team I could find. The other had spent years mastering the craft, every marketing lever there is. At Facebook, across people, programs, and products, those two became one thing. Nobody knew I was calling it anything. It was just how I ran teams, how we decided what to build, how we knew which questions to ask first. When a product pivoted overnight, those four conditions didn't move, so neither did I. You could see it in the results. The product reached a scale I'm still proud of. You could see it in the accelerator programs we ran and the partners we stood beside through some of the hardest cultural moments of the last decade. Every bit of it traced to the same thing: giving people real agency in something being built around them. Under pressure, you cut the thing that feels soft first. The buy-in, the context, the choice, the consent. It feels like the part you can skip to move faster, when it's actually the part holding the whole thing up. Every product that struggled did the technical work and skipped the human conditions around it. Every one that lasted did the opposite. The conditions around the tool are essential. Build those, and what you make lasts long after you've stopped pushing it.
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Matthew Saleski reacted on thisMatthew Saleski reacted on thisLong-term ROI beats a low upfront price. The cheapest option isn't always the best investment. Learn why organizations prioritize long-term value including: reliability, scalability, integrations, and support when choosing a travel and expense solution. Learn more here: https://sap.to/6043BEbACx https://bit.ly/4xrcswb
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Matthew Saleski reacted on thisMatthew Saleski reacted on this10 FREE Google AI courses that could make your CV a lot more valuable. Learn the AI skills companies are increasingly hiring for, without paying a penny. As someone who’s led AI and digital transformation across legal tech, housing, and professional services, including deploying Azure OpenAI and machine learning tools at scale, I can tell you: these are the fundamentals recruiters look for. Whether you're just starting out or upskilling for your next move, these courses are a solid foundation. Here’s the full list (with direct links): 1. Introduction to Generative Al • Understand what Generative AI actually is and how it works. • Learn how to build simple AI applications using Google tools 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ghGR-kqa 2. Introduction to Large Language Models • Get a clear understanding of models like ChatGPT. • Learn where LLMs are used, why they matter, and how they can be improved, without heavy tech terms. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gMKCQ7nf 3. Introduction to Responsible Al • Learn how AI can be built ethically. • Explore Google’s 7 core principles for creating fair, safe, and responsible AI systems. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g4EAJmGT 4. Prompt Design in Vertex Al • Learn how to write better prompts to get better results from AI. • Practice creating text and images using Google’s AI tools with hands-on exercises. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gWJg-6aP 5. Introduction to Image Generation • Understand how AI creates images from scratch. • Learn the core ideas behind modern image-generation models. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ggZWmem7 6. Encoder-Decoder Architecture • Learn how AI translates languages, summarizes content, and generates text. • A simple introduction to the backbone of language models. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gc-g3-fq 7. Attention Mechanism • See how AI learns to focus on important information in text and images. • A quick and clear intro to one of the most important AI concepts. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gfXVJFPw 8. Transformer Models and BERT Model • Understand the models that changed modern AI. • Learn how BERT understands context in language, and earn a digital badge on completion. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gGGKTCsS 9. Create Image Captioning Models • Build AI models that can understand images and describe them in words. • Learn how vision and language work together. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g62aH2sf 10. Introduction to Generative Al Studio • Explore Google’s platform for building AI applications. • See real demos that show how ideas turn into working AI tools. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gRnedPKk 🎯 Key takeaway: You don’t need to break the bank to break into AI. Start small. Learn fast. Build real-world skills that matter. 👉 Which of these courses are you tackling first? Happy Friday! ______________________________________________________ ♻️ Repost to spark learning across your network. 🔔 Follow me, Dr. Kion Ahadi, for insights at the cutting edge of AI, ethics, and the future of professional services.
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Matthew Saleski reacted on thisMatthew Saleski reacted on thisSuper excited to be giving my first TEDx talk! Curious about how to live healthier and even longer? Science points to arts + creativity as one of the pillars of healthy living! Get the scoop on this and lots more cool conversations at TEDx Macatawa on October 5. Follow the link to register, friends! https://lnkd.in/gJiWtSyY
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Matthew Saleski reacted on thisMatthew Saleski reacted on thisthe wonders of the universe - this morning's eclipse - a few phases
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Matthew Saleski reacted on thisYesterday, I sat with the Idaho Inclusion Collective at their summer gathering. The Strelo®Group brought it to Boise and Shannon Rush-Call got me into the room. Boise has an innovation community that runs deep. You can feel it. But yesterday left me with the truth that the real work for leaders isn't just about building fast. It is about building room. In creative strategy and executive leadership, we talk constantly about growth. But the ultimate client relation strategy is environment. There is still a massive, open opportunity for organizations to design spaces where employees and customers can exist authentically. When you give people a place to simply be, they do great work. Let's build the spaces where high-level creative strategy meets human-centric execution.
Experience & Education
Licenses & Certifications
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Generative AI for Digital Marketers
LinkedIn
IssuedCredential ID 17a32d50aeec73c041d9c4cee2213d7eefd9c4c49e6037d8ce772288d09f72d7 -
Marin Certified: Facebook Certified Specialist
Marin Software
Issued -
Marin Enterprise Certified Specialist
Marin Software
Issued
Volunteer Experience
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Trustee (Past)
Chicago Sun-Times Charity Trust (501c3)
- 3 years 3 months
Social Services
Established in 1936, the Chicago Sun-Times Charity Trust has given back to Chicago and surrounding communities for 75 years. The Trust has three charitable priorities aimed at youth in the Chicago Region:
1.Education and Literacy
2.Arts and Culture
3.Social Services and Civic Affairs
Every year, the Trust awards grants to eligible charitable, non-profit organizations located in the Chicago metropolitan area. Currently, our focus is a crowdsourcing program entitled…Established in 1936, the Chicago Sun-Times Charity Trust has given back to Chicago and surrounding communities for 75 years. The Trust has three charitable priorities aimed at youth in the Chicago Region:
1.Education and Literacy
2.Arts and Culture
3.Social Services and Civic Affairs
Every year, the Trust awards grants to eligible charitable, non-profit organizations located in the Chicago metropolitan area. Currently, our focus is a crowdsourcing program entitled www.chicagosunshineproject.com
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Member Of The Board Of Advisors- Emeritus
Chicago Innovation
- 11 years 1 month
Economic Empowerment
Chicago Innovation’s mission is to empower the CHICAGO INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM by educating, connecting, and celebrating innovators.
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Board Member
Hopeful Beginnings of St. Mary's
- Present 5 years 9 months
Children
Vision:
Every child deserves a good home.
Mission:
Creating stable families through adoption. Supporting women through the challenges of pregnancy and parenting. Building communities through counseling and education. -
Advisor - Marketing Committee
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
- Present 5 years 9 months
Human Rights
The mission of Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is expressed in our founding principle: Remember the Past, Transform the Future. The Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Holocaust by honoring the memories of those who were lost and by teaching universal lessons that combat hatred, prejudice and indifference. The Museum fulfills its mission through the exhibition, preservation and interpretation of its collections and through education programs and initiatives that…
The mission of Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is expressed in our founding principle: Remember the Past, Transform the Future. The Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Holocaust by honoring the memories of those who were lost and by teaching universal lessons that combat hatred, prejudice and indifference. The Museum fulfills its mission through the exhibition, preservation and interpretation of its collections and through education programs and initiatives that foster the promotion of human rights and the elimination of genocide.
Publications
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QR Codes- The Opportunity
Heartland Mobile Council
See publicationDiscussion: Is there a window opening or closing relative to QR Codes connecting traditional media and other sources to mobile?
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QR Codes for Cause Marketing
Heartland Mobile Council
See publicationSummary of an innovative cause marketing program that stitched together crowd sourcing and QR codes to engage communities and integrate messages.
Projects
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Empathy-based business development in action
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Not every pitch turns into a project. But every pitch is an opportunity to listen deeply, build trust, and map a strategic path forward. Here’s how I approached one recent opportunity—and what I took away.
________________________________________
Situation:
My former colleague was launching a new venture serving the luxury market in a particular region—a blend of services and brand storytelling. She asked for my perspective.
Task:
Craft a scalable digital go-to-market…Not every pitch turns into a project. But every pitch is an opportunity to listen deeply, build trust, and map a strategic path forward. Here’s how I approached one recent opportunity—and what I took away.
________________________________________
Situation:
My former colleague was launching a new venture serving the luxury market in a particular region—a blend of services and brand storytelling. She asked for my perspective.
Task:
Craft a scalable digital go-to-market plan.
Action:
Instead of jumping straight into solutions, I did what I always do:
✅ Audited what work she had already done- confirming her brand, tagline, internet service provider (GoDaddy), distribution plans, financials, and other key factors. I identified a key need- an e-commerce solution for ordering and fulfillment
✅ Researched top platforms that integrate with GoDaddy like Shopify + Zapiet and Squarespace + Choco for ease, UX, and scheduling
✅ Flagged terrain/weather-specific challenges and how to solve for them
✅ Proposed 3 phased steps: Launch Logistics, Customer Journeys, Brand Experience
✅ Delivered two engagement models—hourly or retainer—based on client needs and risk tolerance
✅ Anchored the proposal with warmth, curiosity, and shared momentum from our reconnection
Result:
No response.
(Which, if you’ve worked in client services, is part of the gig.)
But here’s what I did walk away with:
📍 A case study in empathy-based business development
📍 A reminder that how you pitch matters just as much as what you pitch
📍 A roadmap I can now adapt for other founders navigating similar white space
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🤝 Whether or not someone signs the contract, they should walk away feeling seen, heard, and inspired. #BusinessDevelopment #HumanCenteredInnovation #DigitalStrategy #CulinaryBranding #FractionalCMO #StartupStrategy #FounderSupport #MarketingLeadership #Storytelling #PitchToWin #LinkedInCreators -
🚀 Building Brand Resilience in Bear Markets: A Playbook from the Front Lines
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During my time at LinkedIn, I had the privilege of co-developing a manifesto designed to help one of the world’s most respected enterprise brands reimagine its positioning during a period of economic uncertainty.
We called it Brand Imagination—an approach rooted in data, driven by storytelling, and built to unlock deeper emotional connection and market visibility.
I’ve scrubbed the client details so I can share this version here—not to self-promote, but to offer a…During my time at LinkedIn, I had the privilege of co-developing a manifesto designed to help one of the world’s most respected enterprise brands reimagine its positioning during a period of economic uncertainty.
We called it Brand Imagination—an approach rooted in data, driven by storytelling, and built to unlock deeper emotional connection and market visibility.
I’ve scrubbed the client details so I can share this version here—not to self-promote, but to offer a behind-the-scenes look at how I think about brand-building in complex B2B environments.
Key themes:
How to win in down markets through strategic overinvestment
The ROI of emotional storytelling in a logical world
Why brand + demand work better together than apart
Would love to hear your thoughts—and if this sparks any ideas for how you’re navigating the brand vs. demand conversation, I’m all ears.
👉 [PDF Link or attach as document]
#BrandStrategy #B2BMarketing #LinkedInMarketing #FractionalCMO #ShareOfVoice #StorytellingInMarketing
Languages
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Spanish
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Organizations
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Chicago Innovation
Board of Advisors
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Tutoring Chicago
Board of Advisors
-One to One Learning since 1965 Tutoring Chicago (formerly Cabrini Green Tutoring Program) has been supporting kids in Cabrini Green and beyond since 1965. With a solid history behind us and an even-stronger future ahead, we offer kids the stability of a trustworthy organization. Beyond classroom help, students also benefit from structure, a positive environment, and a safe place to learn, grow and discover. Tutoring Chicago is a private, non-profit organization that provides free weekly…
One to One Learning since 1965 Tutoring Chicago (formerly Cabrini Green Tutoring Program) has been supporting kids in Cabrini Green and beyond since 1965. With a solid history behind us and an even-stronger future ahead, we offer kids the stability of a trustworthy organization. Beyond classroom help, students also benefit from structure, a positive environment, and a safe place to learn, grow and discover. Tutoring Chicago is a private, non-profit organization that provides free weekly tutoring to approximately 500 students in grades one through six with the help of over 500 dedicated volunteers. Our students come from economically disadvantaged families from all around Chicago, but most significantly from the Near North and Near West neighborhoods as well as the Logan Square area. Tutoring sessions are held Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings from 6:00 pm to 7:30pm. Each student is paired with his/her own volunteer tutor. The program provides a safe, stable learning environment and individualized attention for the children.
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What’s next for AI in communications? Check out PR Daily’s predictions on how it will evolve in 2026 🤖 As AI continues reshaping how PR professionals create content, measure impact, and develop strategy, industry experts are weighing in on what 2026 will bring. Discover key insights on the future of AI in communications and you can do to stay ahead. Read the full article on PR Daily: https://lnkd.in/gaXaEpsu #GYCVegas #PRDaily #PublicRelations #PRTrends #CommunicationStrategy #AITrends #FutureOfPR #PRInsights
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