Gonzaga Launches AI Transformation Program for Inland Northwest Organizations

A woman talks to a man across a round table
July 27, 2026
Center for Lifelong Learning

Gonzaga University is launching the Gonzaga Organizational AI Transformation Program, a regional initiative to help Inland Northwest organizations adopt AI responsibly and build the durable, self-managed capabilities needed to keep transforming as AI continues to evolve.

The initiative is led through Gonzaga’s Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology, in collaboration with Gonzaga’s Center for Lifelong Learning and AI transformation experts Gena Hoxha, Ph.D., and Alex Stanton of ThinkPurple. Together they combine Gonzaga’s strengths in applied technology, ethical AI, cybersecurity, leadership and human-centered education with real-world organizational transformation experience.

The 18-month, research-led cohort experience is built around internal AI Transformation Councils and methodologies developed by Hoxha and Stanton for mid-market organizations. Designed for the organizations that power the Inland Northwest economy, the program helps leaders move beyond AI experimentation and build the leadership, governance, workforce trust and operating capacity required for sustainable AI transformation.

“AI transformation is not a one-time project and definitely not about the technology itself,” says Shanchieh Jay Yang, Ph.D., Reisenauer Family Director of Gonzaga’s Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology. “Organizations must align process with mission and equip people with a sustainable support structure to continue learning, adapting and governing these technologies as they evolve. This is about helping regional leaders move from curiosity to capability, and from experimentation to responsible, sustained transformation.”

The initiative begins this August with the Executive AI Think Tank, a one-and-a-half-day working session for CEOs, owners, executives and senior leaders who want to understand what AI could make possible inside their organizations.

Designed for leaders to attend with a key executive, the Think Tank helps participants explore the art of the possible, identify high-value use cases, assess organizational readiness and leave aligned on practical next steps. Participants will work alongside Gonzaga leaders, AI transformation experts and regional peers in a hands-on environment focused on opportunity, governance, workforce trust and responsible adoption. The Think Tank is designed to deliver stand-alone value and does not require a commitment to the full program.

For organizations ready to go deeper, the Think Tank serves as the kickoff for the broader Organizational AI Transformation Program. Participating organizations will launch their own AI Transformation Councils — cross-functional teams that guide AI strategy, governance, adoption and workforce engagement from within.

“AI transformation succeeds or fails at the human layer,” Hoxha says. “Organizations need more than tools and training. They need leadership clarity, workforce trust and a practical way to redesign how work actually happens, with people at the center of transformation.”

“We’ve watched organizations spend real money on AI consulting and walk away with fractured capabilities they can’t sustain,” Stanton adds. “The Transformation Council model is the opposite — it keeps the knowledge, governance, and decision-making inside the business, so AI becomes operational instead of experimental. That’s how Inland Northwest employers turn constant change into durable advantage.”

Rooted in Gonzaga’s Jesuit tradition of cura personalis — care for the whole person — the initiative places workforce trust at the center of AI adoption, approaching AI not only as a technology opportunity but as a leadership, culture, governance and workforce transformation challenge.

“At Gonzaga, we regularly hear from corporate leaders seeking guidance to help their organizations build capacity to use AI strategically and responsibly,” says Rachelle Strawther, Ed.D., founding director of Gonzaga’s Center for Lifelong Learning. “This program is designed to meet organizations where they are and help them take meaningful steps forward in a way that aligns with their values, their people, and their long-term goals.”

Insights from participating organizations in the broader program are expected to support Gonzaga’s applied research in human-centered AI, including a regional AI maturity report and anonymized case studies on practical AI adoption in mid-market organizations.

The Executive AI Think Tank At A Glance 

What: A 1.5-day executive working session, and the entry point to Gonzaga’s 18-month Organizational AI Transformation Program

Who: CEOs, owners, executives, and senior leaders — encouraged to attend with a key executive or “number two”

When: September 10 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) and Sept. 11 (8 a.m.-11 a.m.), 2026

Where: Gonzaga University, Spokane, Wash.

Capacity:  Limited to 20 organizations

Register by: September 2, 2026

Registration for the August Executive AI Think Tank is limited. CEOs, owners, executives, and senior leaders can reserve a place — and learn about the path into the full 18-month program — at Gonzaga.edu/center-for-lifelong-learning/professional-development/business/executive-ai-think-tank or by contacting Alex Stanton at stantona@gonzaga.edu.