The Speakers

Two people who've actually done it.

Most AI events put a consultant on stage to tell you what's coming. This one puts two operators in the room — one who built AI systems inside companies you've heard of, and one who's been building distributed, global teams since before “remote work” was a trend. Between them: four decades of building things that work.

Keynote · The CEO's Perspective

David Nilssen

CEO, DOXA Talent · Co-Founder, Guidant Financial

David Nilssen has built two companies from nothing into category-defining businesses. Guidant Financial helped more than 30,000 entrepreneurs secure $7 billion to start or buy businesses across all 50 states. DOXA Talent now operates a 1,000-person distributed workforce across six countries with no headquarters, no office space, and no traditional playbook — just high-performing teams doing real work across time zones every day.

Along the way, David's companies have been named to the Inc. 500/5000 list six times (#230 in 2025), earned more than ten "Best Places to Work" honors (#19 in the Philippines in 2025), and proven that scale and culture are not opposing forces. He currently serves on the boards of DOXA Talent, Guidant Financial, and the AI Officer Institute, and previously served on the Entrepreneurs' Organization's Global Board of Directors. A two-time TEDx speaker and SBA National Young Entrepreneur of the Year, David brings a builder's perspective to the future of work, remote teams, and what it really takes to scale a business without losing the soul of it.

Guidant Financial · $7B deployedInc. 500/5000 · Six times10+ Best Places to Work honorsSBA National Young Entrepreneur of the YearBoards · DOXA · Guidant · AI Officer InstituteFormer · EO Global Board of DirectorsTwo-time TEDx Speaker · Author

Curriculum Co-Creators

Leadership Research Lens

Dr. Brooks C. Holtom

Professor of Management, Georgetown University

Professor of Management at Georgetown University and former Senior Associate Dean at Georgetown's business school. Dr. Holtom co-created the leadership-in-AI curriculum that informs this workshop.

Dr. Holtom is a curriculum co-creator and is not scheduled to present at the workshop. AI in Action is independently hosted by DOXA Talent. Georgetown University does not sponsor, certify, or approve this event.

AI Implementation Lens

Dave Hajdu

Founder, AI Officer Institute · Former Microsoft, TINYpulse

Dave has spent 25 years at the intersection of technology and business — from Microsoft to co-founding TINYpulse (acquired by WebMD). He founded the AI Officer Institute on one conviction: most companies get nothing back from AI because nobody in the room knows how to lead it.

Why This Room Is Different

One keynote. One workshop. One afternoon where your problem becomes a prototype.

David opens the morning with the strategic frame — why AI is reshaping how organizations are built, and what mid-market companies need to do now. Dave runs the afternoon with a live build that makes the abstract concrete. The curriculum was co-developed with Dr. Brooks Holtom, professor of management at Georgetown University, and field-tested in executive education settings. You won't find this combination on a conference stage. It only happens in these five cities, this summer.

Find a Location →