AI in Action: A Hands-On Board Workshop

In Person | September 16, 2025 | Workshop 1:00 - 6:00 PM | Austin, TX

Directors who attended the recent AI in Action workshop gained practical insights into how artificial intelligence reshapes governance, oversight, and value creation in the boardroom. Through case studies and peer discussion, participants examined the spectrum of AI maturity across industries and explored how boards can evaluate readiness while balancing opportunity with risk. The program challenged directors to think through governance dilemmas, such as accountability for algorithmic decision-making and the ethical implications of deploying new technologies at scale. Attendees also engaged in scenario-based exercises that highlighted the trade-offs boards must weigh when integrating AI into long-term strategy. By the close of the session, directors left with a stronger framework for asking the right questions of management, greater confidence in assessing emerging AI initiatives, and a deeper appreciation of their role in guiding companies through rapid technological change.

Learning Outcomes

1. Develop a clear mental model for evaluating AI strategies across different maturity levels—learning how to ask the right questions, assess alignment with enterprise goals, and guide management through decisions and trade-offs.
2. Understand how AI reshapes governance responsibilities and gain practical tools to anticipate and respond to real-world dilemmas like unintentional failures, brand damage, and stakeholder pressure.
3. Practice guiding management through AI-related inflection points with hands-on exercises that simulate real board decision-making to drive value and impact.

Participant Testimonial

Workshop Resources

NACD:

• 2024 Blue Ribbon Commission report - Technology Leadership in the Boardroom: Driving Trust and Value
• AI at the Crossroads: Revamping Board Structures for Effective Governance
• In an Era of AI, Boards Must Disrupt Legacy Leadership
• Responsible AI by Design: It’s Not Compliance, It’s Culture
• Scaling Generative AI Solutions and Fostering an AI-First Approach
• Total Information Mastery: Enterprise AI Strategy, Risks, and Road Map
• Tuning Corporate Governance for AI Adoption

BAKER BOTTS:

• Texas Enacts Responsible AI Governance Act: What Companies Need to Know

KUNGFU.AI:

• Board AI Primer
• Register Today - AI Leaders Summit | Houston | June 3-4

Workshop Facilitators

Rich Harper

Partner, Baker Botts

Rich Harper advises and litigates on behalf of some of the world's most sophisticated technology, media, and entertainment companies. He leads litigation teams in business tort and breach of contract disputes, ranging from trade secret litigation to business defamation claims for clients such as PepsiCo and Formula 1 Racing...

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Benjamin Herndon

Chief Strategy Officer, KUNGFU.AI

Benjamin Herndon is the chief strategy officer at KUNGFU.AI, applying more than 30 years of experience developing strategies for organizations…

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Emma Pirchalski

AI Strategist, KUNGFU.AI

Emma Pirchalski is an AI strategist at KUNGFU.AI with a passion for helping organizations adopt AI responsibly and effectively…

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Stephen Straus

Co-Founder & CEO, KUNGFU.AI

Stephen Straus is a serial entrepreneur and former venture capitalist who has started, ran, and successfully sold two companies. He was also a Kauffman Fellow and a general partner at Austin Ventures, at the time the largest venture capital between the two coasts, during the dot-com boom and bust. He is a graduate of Colgate University and received his master of business administration from Harvard Business School…

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