Speaker Bio
Denver Sicay is an AI Learning & Adoption Strategist with 15+ years of experience helping organizations bridge the gap between human capability and emerging technology. He spent 11 years as a Training & Development Specialist with the Federal Highway Administration, is currently an Instructional Designer at Dominion Energy, and volunteers as an AI Platform Consultant for Unni.AI.
He holds an M.Ed in Learning Design and Technology from James Madison University, a Google AI Professional Certificate, and is a decade‑long ATD member.
Session Description
AI adoption rarely fails because of technology — it fails because of people. Organizations struggle not from a lack of tools or budget, but because leaders don’t fully trust the change, managers aren’t equipped to guide the conversation, and employees don’t feel safe naming what they fear or don’t understand.
In this interactive session, Denver reframes AI adoption as a leadership and trust challenge, not a technical rollout. Grounded in ATD’s 2026 State of the Industry research, he shows how clarity, influence, and psychological safety determine whether teams embrace AI or resist it.
His core message: Leadership is influence, not title. Anyone in the room — regardless of role — can shape how their team experiences AI adoption. Every attendee leaves with practical language, tools, and confidence to support AI‑related change.
What You’ll Experience
Four structured segments (10–15 minutes each) with continuous interaction
Paired discussion and small‑table breakout
A live role‑play exercise: crafting an “elevator pitch” to support a nervous coworker
A personal‑commitment card to anchor next steps
A one‑page takeaway summarizing the framework and conversation language
This topic aligns with ATD’s Building Personal Capability domain within the ATD Capability Model, where Emotional Intelligence lives as a core leadership capability, and offers a practical, reflective in‑person discussion designed to help you deepen your personal competence and strengthen your leadership readiness.
© Greater Richmond ATD
