Meet the Articulate 2025 speakers

AI is transforming the way we communicate at work. From leadership to storytelling to the future of collaboration, the rules are being rewritten—and those who are fully prepared will be the ones who will lead.

That’s why we're bringing together leaders, innovators, and visionaries at Articulate: The business communication AI conference, on September 25th in San Francisco. We'll explore how AI is transforming the way we connect, influence, and inspire at work.

This one-day event will feature executives, innovators, and storytellers who are making AI understandable, ethical, and practical for their teams. Through keynotes, panels, and fireside chats, you’ll get actionable insights from the brightest minds on how to lead—and win—in the age of AI.

Here’s a look at the sessions that will spark ideas, sharpen your leadership, and show you how AI is reshaping communication.

1) AI and the future of work: How communication bridges the gap

If you’ve been wondering what skills are needed in an AI future, this powerhouse panel is here to help you out. 

We all know that AI is redefining roles and reshaping workflows. We’ll get to learn how AI is redefining those workplace skills. 

This fireside chat brings together leaders who’ve each been at the frontlines of transformation. Rajat Mishra, CEO at Prezent will be joined by Janet Dorling (SVP at Gilead Sciences), Steven Birdsall (CRO at Alteryx), Mayssa Attar (SVP and R&D Head at Bausch & Lomb), and Mark Terbeek (Partner at Greycroft).

Together, they’ll unpack some of the most urgent questions: Which skills should leaders double down on today? How do we keep empathy at the center of collaboration as AI accelerates output? And what communication blind spots could derail AI transformation at scale?

Expect candid insights for reducing friction, and bold advice for executives navigating the cultural shifts of this new era. You’ll also gain strategies to align teams, reduce friction, and accelerate AI adoption across your organization. 

2) Lessons learned in getting real ROI from AI

Every company is experimenting with AI—but what does real ROI look like, and how can leaders prove it? This panel will cut through the noise to share lessons from leaders who’ve shipped, scaled, and measured AI initiatives. You’ll get proven approaches to translating AI initiatives into measurable business outcomes. 

Panelists, Alex Zagury (VP, Global Partner Operations & Platform Experience, Cisco), Zack Rhoades (Chief of Staff to the President, Head of Strategy & Operations, GRAIL), Nishit Sahay (CIO at Marvell Technology), and Elizabeth Whitson (VP, Development Operations, Gilead Sciences) will explore the role of communication in building trust in AI outcomes across teams, the next wave of AI and its potential for ROI, and the hurdles they encountered when operationalizing AI.

You’ll leave with practical frameworks for identifying high-impact opportunities and sustaining AI’s value over time.

3) The AI-first leader: Building influence and driving change

This session unpacks how leaders can harness AI to make faster, smarter decisions while inspiring confidence and trust. 

It’s packed with inspiring AI-first leaders: Lamees Hamada (Executive Director, Global Marketing, Amgen), Darren Tayama (Vice President, US Medical Affairs Oncology at Gilead Sciences, Gilead Sciences), Anupam Rastogi (Partner, Emergent Ventures), Mandy Ransdell (Director, Field Strategy & Operations, Novartis), and Don Arnette (Director, Medical Affairs, AbbVie).

They’ll give practical tips on how to influence skeptical teams or legacy functions to embrace AI-driven transformation and share advice for peers looking to step into an AI-first leadership role. The engaging discussion will equip you with tools to influence stakeholders, lead change, and future-proof your leadership in an AI-driven world.

4) Storytelling with data: How technical and analytics teams tell great data stories with AI 

Brilliant analysis falls flat without a story. See how top technical leaders use AI to translate complexity into crisp narratives that land with executives and drive decisions.

See how AI is helping technical and analytics teams bridge the gap between complex data and compelling business narratives with Lenin Patra (SVP & CTO Platform Business Unit, Marvell Semiconductor), Melody Zacharias (Technical Evangelist Director, Pure Storage), Kartik Hosanager (John C. Hower Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions Co-Director, AI, Wharton School), Bill Rush (Head, Portfolio Management, Market Access US, Sanofi), and Alex Bitting (Sr Director, Head of Payer Accounts, Alynylam).

You’ll walk away with methods to make data insights resonate with any audience, driving better decisions and faster buy-in.

5) Storytelling in the age of AI: Crafting narratives that inspire action 

Storytelling is what makes us human and we’ve been storytelling since the stone age. Stories still have the power to move people, change perspectives, and spark meaningful action. But in the age of AI, the storyteller’s toolkit has evolved. 

This dynamic panel brings together a uniquely diverse set of perspectives: Kartik Hosanagar, a Wharton professor specializing in AI; Tom McCarthy, a lifelong, “go-to” executive coach who has delivered over 2,000 trainings in 24 countries for audiences as large as 18,000; and communication leaders from Cisco (Noelani Price), Affirm (Sean Garrett) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (Alex Bitting).

Together, they’ll unpack and explore the seismic shift that has come from AI when it comes to communication – sharing, insights, practical strategies (and mistakes) they’ve made. 

You’ll learn how to harness AI to connect with audiences, influence action, and lead with impact without losing the authenticity that makes stories compelling. 

What else you can expect at Articulate 

In addition to the panels, we also have some can’t miss keynotes lined up. Tony Colon, SVP at ServiceNow, will be talking about the skills that will define leadership in an AI-first future. And, Elena Sharkova, Artistic Managing Director at Cantabile Youth Singers, will shed light on how internal and external storytelling are being reimagined in the age of AI.

The closing conversation by Karthik Chakkarapani (SVP & CIO, Zuora) will cover the CIO mandate in the age of AI-Native enterprises.

Every session at Articulate is designed to move beyond theory. You’ll leave with frameworks you can apply right away, practical playbooks to guide your team, and fresh ideas from peers who are already putting AI to work.

Secure your spot here.
Date: September 25, 2025 • Location: The St. Regis, San Francisco

See you there. Let’s make business communication AI understandable — and undeniably useful.