Ever work with Excel and realize that you are sweating with rage? Every time I present to nonprofit folks about AI, I ask who has a 'love-hate relationship with Excel" —and nearly every hand goes up. Because Excel is one of those tools we have to use… but it doesn’t always feel like it’s working with us. You try to solve a problem, get stuck on a formula, start rage-Googling, and suddenly you’re 17 threads deep in an Excel forum from 2009. I’ve been there too. That’s why I built an AI assistant for nonprofit teams that use Excel. It helps you write formulas, debug issues, answer your questions, and get your spreadsheet done faster—with way less pain. You describe the problem in plain English. It figures out the Excel part. You get back to your real work. It’s like having someone on your team who speaks fluent Excel… and never rolls their eyes when you ask a question. If you use Excel and you’ve ever felt like throwing your laptop out the window—this is for you. Here's the link to try it yourself: Excel Expert AI Assistant

If you have ever heard me give a training or keynote then you've probably heard me open with why AI is such a big deal in our society. Right now, we are living through the transition to the "after AI times". And AI is unique from all other human inventions, here's why We've all lived through other "before and after times" Before the internet Before cell phones Before GPS (And maybe, fax machines, though no need to date yourself) Each of those innovations changed how we move, how we connect, how we work. But AI is different. And now we are living through the "Before and After transition of AI" But I think this technology will have an even bigger impact on our society...for one specific reason AI uses language And we use language to build our society. Language is how we make sense of the world. It’s how we pass down values, express love, explain our ideas, build relationships, and shape culture. Language used to be exclusive to humans, but not any more. AI is the first tool we’ve built that can 𝘶𝘴𝘦 language to communicate 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 us… And we are influenced by language (that's why marketing exists) And that changes everything. This is the shift I want every audience to understand. Because if we don’t grasp this, we’ll underestimate what’s coming. And we need to be intentional about where we say yes this technology And where we set boundaries AI won't be used for our own betterment without be intentional. This isn’t just a tech shift. It’s a cultural shift. And what we do now will define the “after AI” world we end up living in.

Yesterday I had the chance to speak at United Way of the Midlands during their all-staff training—nearly 200 people in the room—and walked away more energized than when I arrived. Why? Because this team isn’t just talking about AI. They’re building a real plan to make it work, starting with an AI Champion Program Here’s how it’s set up: • The champions were nominated by leadership • They span departments and represent different roles and perspectives • They’re empowered to test, explore, and ask real questions—with support and structure Their first focus? Creating an internal AI policy and governance framework rooted in their values and mission. Then: launching a high-impact quick win that gives the rest of the org something real to point to—not just theory, not just hype. And they’ve got full executive backing. What I love about this approach is that it taps into the curiosity already inside the org. Instead of forcing adoption top-down, they’re creating space for the most interested people to lead the way, test the guardrails, and help shape what good looks like for everyone else. Big thanks to the United Way of the Midlands team for the warm welcome, thoughtful questions, and meaningful conversation around ethics, equity, and implementation. Proud to be part of this moment.

Hey friends, and happy Friday. This week, I spoke at a tech conference for nonprofits. One thing stood out: everyone’s somewhere different on their AI journey. Some folks are curious and just starting. Others are waist-deep in experiments. And a lot of people are asking the same question: How exactly does AI help nonprofits and where do I even begin? So I created a new resource to help folks get started. The AI Quickstart Guide for Nonprofits — a simple guide to help nonprofit teams take their first few steps with AI, without the overwhelm. And I’d love your help. I’m sharing it here with our community first, because your feedback matters. What works? What’s missing? What would you add for someone just getting started? If there’s a story, prompt, or example you think should be included, tell me. If there’s a confusing part, let me know that too. Have a great weekend, and thanks in advance for helping shape something useful. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Ever ask ChatGPT to fix one section, only to find it make a lot of changes you didn't ask for That’s where Canvas steps in. It's a built in function within ChatGPT and super easy and powerful. Canvas lets you edit just one part of a doc, without touching the rest. Instead of rewriting everything, you can zoom in on one paragraph, give it clear instructions, and get a precise, controlled revision. Less “rewrite over and over” More “refine what’s already working.” As an example I used it to build a nonprofit fundraising strategy—section by section. I could highlight just one piece, ask for examples, add more detail, or tweak the tone. And the rest of the doc stayed exactly how I wanted it. For anyone working on longer pieces—grants, strategies, reports—this is super helpful and reduces some of the frustration of using ChatGPT. More control, one edit at a time. Canvas isn’t flashy. But it's secretly awesome.