In this episode of Inside Assemble AI, hosts Mac and Sam sit down with Priya Reddy, an expert in AI strategy and data literacy, to explore why the real bottleneck in AI transformation isn't technology, it's understanding!

Priya shares her insights on the critical importance of AI literacy across organizations, emphasizing that successful AI adoption requires bridging the gap between technical teams and business leaders. The conversation delves into why organizations must invest in people rather than just tools, how translation failures between data scientists and executives derail AI initiatives, and what it takes to build a culture of data-driven decision-making.

From real-world examples of AI adoption failures to practical frameworks for effective data literacy programs, this episode offers actionable guidance for leaders navigating the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why AI literacy—encompassing data, tech, and business literacy—is the foundation of successful AI transformation
• Real-world examples of how miscommunication between technical and business teams derails AI initiatives
• The difference between data quality issues and AI model problems, and why it matters
• How executives can ask the right questions about data and AI to drive better outcomes
• Building role-based, practical data literacy programs that stick
• The role of "bilinguals"—professionals who can translate between technical and business contexts
• Why data-literate leaders will define the next era of competitive advantage

About Our Guest:

Connect with Priya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyareddy-dataleader/

Checkout her consultancy services: https://www.linkedin.com/company/priya-reddy-consulting/

This episode tackles the ultimate leadership challenge: achieving next-level performance across profit, people, AND purpose without trading one off against the others. How do you turn AI vision into daily execution? What's the minimum viable AI roadmap that delivers value in 90 days? And how do you coach teams through transformation while maintaining speed and accountability?

Guest:

Greg Mester, co-author of "The Change, Vol. 20" and upcoming author of "Get to the Next Level" (2025/26). As an experienced Agile Coach and Program Manager, Greg helps companies break through blockers and accelerate performance using proven PMP, Scrum, and Agile frameworks across IT, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and finance.

Key Takeaways:

• The minimum viable AI roadmap that produces value in 90 days

• Leadership behaviors that compound profit, people, and purpose

• Proven frameworks for stakeholder alignment and team coaching

• Weekly leading indicators that actually predict AI success

• Governance guardrails that enable speed without compromising safety

• Growth metrics that drive action and resist gaming

• SMB-specific strategies for rapid AI adoption and margin improvement

Perfect for:

Executive leaders driving AI transformation, mid-market and SMB owners, product leaders, marketers, operations professionals, and anyone ready to move from AI hype to measurable results.

Season 2 delivers battle-tested strategies from leaders getting real results. Subscribe for practical, implementation-focused frameworks you can apply immediately.

In this episode of Inside Assemble AI, hosts Mac and Sam sit down with Claude Jones to explore how artificial intelligence is being democratized through community-driven education and strategic implementation. This episode addresses the critical question of how to turn AI access into opportunity and create meaningful change through inclusive AI education.

Claude, a veteran tech leader with over 20 years of experience at companies like Yahoo, Walmart, Strava, and Centr, is the founder of San Diego Tech Hub and Do It With AI—a platform offering free AI training, certification, and consulting to help people and businesses learn faster, build smarter, and create real-world results. What makes Claude's perspective unique is his passion for turning access into opportunity and using technology to drive meaningful change through community-building.

Key insights from Claude Jones include: • The mission and vision behind democratizing AI education • How AI has shifted strategic priorities across different organizations • The role of community in successful AI transformation • Surprising patterns about who adopts AI fastest • Frameworks for deciding where to integrate AI in business operations • Building AI fluency in executive teams without technical backgrounds • Overcoming internal resistance to AI adoption • Emerging trends in AI education and community building

🎙️ Runtime: ~1 hour