AI Innovators™ Interview Series

Real conversations with leaders shaping the future of artificial intelligence in business

Welcome to the AI Innovators™ Interview Series presented by the AI Leaders Council.

This series highlights pioneering executives, entrepreneurs, and practitioners who are redefining how artificial intelligence is used in business. In concise and focused interviews, we explore each guest’s career journey, their perspective on AI’s role in their organization, and the opportunities they see on the horizon.

The conversations are designed to be direct, engaging, and insightful, offering practical lessons and new ideas for executives across roles and industries. Each interview delivers a unique window into how AI is transforming leadership, decision-making, and enterprise value creation.

We have many interviews that will be published soon. In the meantime, if you are interested in participating as an interviewee, please complete the form below.

Alex Marroquin

Chief Growth Officer, Chief AI & Operations Officer @ Grydd Supply Chain & Logistics Operating System; Co-Founder and Non-Executive Board Director @ ia²

In today’s episode, Alex Marroquin, Chief Growth Officer, Chief AI Officer, and Chief Operating Officer of Grydd Supply Chain & Logistics Operating System, shares his perspective on building AI-first organizations and reshaping the global logistics landscape.

Alex discusses:

• Why supply-chain intelligence marks the dawn of the autonomous enterprise
• The evolution from “AI awareness” to measurable ROI
• How small companies can out-innovate large incumbents through speed and agility
• The growing role of digital twins, agentic AI, and “experts in the loop”
• Why leadership and governance (not technology) will define the next era of AI

Martina Matthews

Founder/Consultant/Educator @ Miss ChatGPT101

In today’s episode, Martina Matthews, founder, consultant, and educator at Miss ChatGPT101, shares how she is helping business owners, students, and professionals build practical AI literacy and confidence with tools like ChatGPT. Drawing on nearly two decades in tech startups including Chegg, Life360, Sittercity, and other high-growth ventures, Martina now focuses on demystifying AI for non technical audiences and turning curiosity into everyday impact.

Martina discusses:

• How her journey from tech startups and operations leadership led to founding Miss ChatGPT101
• Why so many leaders say “I know I need to do something with AI, but I have no idea where to start”
• The role of AI literacy, responsible use, and simple workflows in building trust and adoption
• How effective prompt engineering can save five to ten hours a week for busy professionals
• Using AI as a thinking partner to overcome blank page syndrome and support problem solving
• Why you should start with the problem, educate yourself before you automate, and treat AI as a tool that gets you 80 percent of the way there

Glenn Hopper

Managing Director and Head of AI @ VAI Consulting

In today’s episode, Glenn Hopper, Managing Director and Head of AI at VAI Consulting, joins us to discuss how AI is reshaping the finance and accounting landscape. A former CFO, Glenn is the author of the Amazon best-seller Deep Finance: Corporate Finance in the Information Age and the new book AI Mastery for Finance Professionals. He also serves on advisory boards, teaches executive education for Duke University’s CFO Program, and works with organizations worldwide on AI adoption and strategy.

Glenn shares his insights on:

• Why “digital evolution” is replacing digital transformation in finance
• The critical difference between generative AI and “classic AI” — and when to use each
• How training, education, and change management drive successful AI implementation
• Top-down vs. bottom-up AI adoption and how both approaches create value
• Lessons from failed pilots and how to avoid the “trough of disillusionment”
• The rise of agentic workflows, dashboarding 2.0, and what’s next for finance leaders

OJ Laos

Director of AI @ Armanino

In today’s episode, Octavio (OJ) Laos, Director of AI at Armanino, one of the nation’s top 20 accounting and technology firms, shares how Armanino is applying AI both internally and externally—from process automation and predictive analytics to organization-wide deployment of Microsoft Copilot.

OJ shares his insiders perspectives including:

• How Armanino founded its internal AI Lab and what it’s achieved
• Key lessons learned from leading AI adoption across a 3,000+ person firm
• The importance of transparency, usage metrics, and employee empowerment in successful AI initiatives
• Opportunities and challenges shaping the future of AI in professional services

Interested in being interviewed by the AI Leaders Council?

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