We Speak on Operations, Organizational Design,
AI Governance & Power Dynamics
We speak and facilitate at conferences, workshops, and organizational convenings on strategic operations, systems design, AI decision-making, and power dynamics in technology adoption. We share what we've learned from 12+ years of real implementation work, not just theory. Sometimes the answer is "don't use AI for this." That's a valuable outcome.
Schedule ConsultationWhy AI Foundations for Women
Research shows women adopt AI at significantly lower rates than men, often due to legitimate ethical concerns, privacy worries, and workplace anxiety about what adoption means for their roles and values.
These workshops don't push adoption. They build critical literacy and confidence so women can make informed decisions on their own terms rather than feeling pressured by hype cycles or vendor promises. We explore when AI makes sense, when it doesn't, and how to evaluate tools through a lens of power and equity.
Currently running sessions through Lean In Latinas and available for custom bookings in 2026.
Topics We Speak On
Customized for your audience and context. Each talk centers honest assessment of trade-offs, not just benefits.
How mission-driven organizations can design operations that actually serve their people, not just their org charts. From participatory systems design to financial infrastructure that supports your mission instead of constraining it.
Key Themes- Aligning operations with mission and values
- Participatory systems design in practice
- Financial infrastructure for complex funding streams
- When to build vs. when to buy
How to evaluate whether new technology, including AI, actually solves your problem or just creates new ones. Moving beyond vendor promises to strategic assessment through The Fourth Lens.
Key Themes- Questions to ask before adopting any tool
- Red flags: process vs. tech problems
- Fourth Lens framework for decision-making
- When "no" is the right answer
Every technology decision is a power decision. Who gets to decide? Whose data is extracted? Who absorbs the risk? Who benefits? This talk applies to any organizational system, not just AI.
Key Themes- How systems concentrate or redistribute power
- Community voice in organizational decisions
- Data sovereignty and ownership
- Building governance that centers impacted people
How AI tools can replicate inequity inside philanthropic systems and what leaders need to know before automating decisions about people and communities.
Key Themes- Where bias hides in screening algorithms
- Participatory approaches to AI governance
- What "algorithmic fairness" actually means
- Human oversight that actually works
Deep dive into analyzing organizational decisions through power dynamics alongside technical, financial, and operational considerations. This framework applies to any major decision. Technology adoption is just one application.
Key Themes- Why three lenses aren't enough
- Applying Fourth Lens analysis to real decisions
- Building power analysis into organizational culture
- Case studies where Fourth Lens changed the outcome
How housing systems, social services, and institutional structures can be redesigned to center those most impacted. Where technology helps, where it harms, where it's irrelevant.
Key Themes- Where power concentrates in systems
- Co-design with people who have lived experience
- Tech's role in systems change (smaller than claimed)
- Implementation without reproducing harm
Auditing algorithms for bias, understanding what responsible AI actually means, and building governance structures that work in practice, not just in policy documents.
Key Themes- Detecting bias in vendor tools
- Building internal review processes
- Community oversight of automated decisions
- When to override the algorithm
Moving beyond "stakeholder feedback" to genuine power-sharing in how organizations get designed, how technology gets implemented, and how decisions get made.
Key Themes- Difference between consultation and control
- Designing participatory processes that work
- Compensating community expertise appropriately
- When participation is performative vs. genuine
A hands-on working session for coaches, speakers, consultants, and solopreneurs. Participants walk through real AI tools together: Gamma for presentations and lead magnets, Claude for content calendars and strategy, Lovable for building client-facing apps, and AI-generated code for building websites. 70% hands-on building, 30% teaching.
Key Themes- Content strategy and calendars with Claude/ChatGPT
- Lead magnets and pitch decks with Gamma
- Websites and client tools with AI-generated code
- Making AI output sound like you wrote it
Helping leaders understand AI critically so they can become informed skeptics and strategic decision-makers, not passive adopters following trends.
Key Themes- How AI actually works (no jargon)
- Real risks versus vendor hype
- Environmental and ethical costs rarely discussed
- Questions that reveal vendor knowledge gaps
Moving beyond traditional metrics to community-defined measures of success. How to design evaluation that serves learning, not just compliance.
Key Themes- Whose definitions of success count?
- Participatory evaluation methods
- Using technology for analysis without losing narrative
- When quantification does harm
Workshop Formats
Flexible delivery for your team's needs
Keynote Presentations
Strategic overview that challenges assumptions and provokes critical thinking. Not about convincing you to adopt AI, but about helping you think clearly about operations, technology, and power.
Best for: Conferences, large convenings
Interactive Workshops
Hands-on sessions where participants apply frameworks to their real decisions. Includes case studies, breakout discussions, and tools you can use immediately.
Best for: Professional development, team offsites
Executive Briefings
Concise, strategic sessions for leadership teams. Focuses on governance, decision-making frameworks, and honest assessment of organizational readiness.
Best for: Board retreats, executive teams
Multi-Day Training
Deep capacity building with your team. Includes framework training, application to your specific context, and implementation planning across operations and technology.
Best for: Organizations implementing major changes
Speaking Engagements
Currently accepting 2026 bookings
Each engagement is customized based on your audience, goals, and organizational context. We speak on operations, organizational design, AI governance, and power dynamics, together or separately.
Inquire NowWhat People Say
"Melissa brings a unique perspective that connects operations strategy with real systems change. Her Fourth Lens framework gave our team a practical way to evaluate decisions we were struggling with. More importantly, it helped us say no to tools that would have caused harm."
"The workshop was exactly what our leadership team needed. No jargon, no hype, just honest conversation about power dynamics in our operations and technology. We walked away with clarity about what to build and what to leave alone."
"Melissa doesn't just talk about equity. She shows you how to build it into your systems. The tools and frameworks she shared are things we're actually using. And she helped us avoid wasting money on automation that would have made our processes worse, not better."
Publications & Thought Leadership
Writing and research on operations, systems design, AI governance, and power dynamics in social impact work.
Let's Explore If There's a Fit
Whether you're planning a conference, organizational training, or coalition convening, We'd like to understand your context first. We'll discuss your audience, your actual goals (not just the stated ones), and whether our approach aligns with what you need. We don't take every engagement.
Schedule Call to Discuss Speaking →