Move from AI experimentation to organizational capability.
Build the durable, self-managed AI capability your organization needs to keep transforming as AI evolves.
An 18-month, research-led cohort experience that develops leadership, governance, and workforce capability through internal AI Transformation Councils.
Most regional organizations are stuck between enterprise consulting built for Fortune 500 companies and AI training that never becomes operational.
The Gonzaga Organizational AI Transformation Program is built for mid-market organizations that need an appropriately scaled, academically credible approach to building lasting AI capability from within.
Program at a Glance
- 18-month cohort experience
- 5-10 organizations per cohort
- $25K per organization
- September 2026 target start
- Spokane & Coeur d'Alene mid-market organizations
Who this program is for
Built in Spokane, for the organizations that power the Inland Northwest.
- Local ownership or P&L authority
- Multiple business functions
- A need for AI governance
- Leaders ready to commit to an inside-out transformation rather than a one-off project
Program Details
The Transformation Council Model
Every participating organization stands up its own internal AI Transformation Council - a cross-functional team of 4-10 leaders responsible for AI strategy, governance, and execution.
We bring the framework, facilitation, and expertise. Your council does the work, which is exactly why the capability stays after the program ends.
Dual-Track Design
Executive Track
Monthly executive sessions prepare senior leaders one quarter ahead of council work, ensuring leadership stays ahead of implementation.
Council Track
Monthly working sessions where cross-functional teams discover opportunities, launch pilots, measure outcomes, and build lasting organizational capability.
Operating principles
People-First AI
Workforce trust as a strategic constraint, not an afterthought.
Evidence-Based
Academic rigor informing practical implementation.
Client Executed
Organizations do the work; we provide the framework.
Cohort Learning
Peer organizations learn from each other's journeys.
Boring AI
Focus on practical business outcomes, not shiny objects.
What you’ll leave with
By the end of the 18 months, your organization will have:
- Fully operational AI Transformation Council as the permanent center of AI strategy and governance
- Documented portfolio of vetted use cases, prioritized against your customized rubric
- Pilots tested, measured, and either scaled into production or retired with clear rationale
- Workforce-trust framework integrated into how you communicate about and roll out AI
- Internal change-management muscle that applies well beyond AI
- Real-time visibility into your journey through a custom-built cohort dashboard
- Gonzaga University completion certificate
- Regional network of peer organizations
Executive AI Think Tank
Your journey begins with a 1.5-day Executive AI Think Tank at Gonzaga.
You'll explore:
- Where AI is headed and what it means for regional organizations
- Your organization's AI maturity
- The AI Transformation Council model
- Practical next steps for responsible AI adoption
Investment
- $1,000 per organization
- $1,500 for two attendees (recommended)
Includes lunch, networking dinner, and workshop materials.
Attend as a standalone experience or continue into the full cohort.
The 18-month journey
Q1 Foundation
Form your Transformation Council, complete an AI discovery, and establish a governance baseline.
Q2 Strategy
Build a use-case intake framework, prioritize pilot candidates, and begin process mapping.
Q3 Execution
Run pilots, implement change management, and enable the workforce.
Q4 Measurement
Validate pilot outcomes, make scale-or-kill decisions, and assess security and governance for production.
Q5 Documentation
Complete research documentation, establish council independence, and produce case studies of your own transformation.
Program Leads
Gena Hoxha, Ph.D. Chief AI and People Officer, human-centered AI transformation strategist
Gena holds a Ph.D. from Gonzaga, is a graduate of the Stanford AI Executive Program, and developed the Transformer Team methodology that underpins the council model. Her work centers on workforce trust, leadership clarity, and cultural readiness for AI-enabled change.
Alex Stanton Executive strategy expert, speaker, and former technology company founder and CEO
Alex serves as Director of Strategy at the Foundation for Agentic Networks (Cambridge) and brings global experience in AI, cybersecurity, and applied research. He has spent decades leading digital transformation in mid-sized organizations through cross-functional Transformation Councils, rather than relying on IT alone.
Together they've built the methodology, and they personally lead the cohort.
Future-forward, rooted in tradition
Rooted in Gonzaga's Jesuit tradition of cura personalis - care for the whole person - the program approaches AI as a leadership, culture, governance, and workforce transformation challenge, not simply a technology initiative.
The result is responsible AI adoption that builds both organizational capability and workforce trust.
A regional program with academic backbone
The program is led through Gonzaga's Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology in collaboration with the Center for Lifelong Learning.
Insights from participating organizations contribute to applied research on human-centered AI, including a regional AI maturity report and anonymized case studies on practical AI adoption in mid-market organizations.
Graduate and doctoral students participate through credit-bearing action learning projects, giving your council access to fresh research perspectives and giving the next generation of leaders a real seat at the table.
Reserve a Program Seat