Internal AI Leaders Program

Build AI Leaders Inside Your Organization

We train your people to lead AI adoption. Not generic workshops. Hands-on enablement that creates internal champions who drive sustainable results.

Why AI Adoption Fails Without Internal Champions

95% of AI pilots never reach production. Not because the technology doesn't work. Because nobody inside the organization can sustain it.

Top-Down Mandates Fail

Executives announce AI initiatives. IT buys tools. Nobody uses them. Six months later, you're back where you started with an expensive subscription nobody wanted.

Consultants Leave

External experts implement solutions, then disappear. Your team doesn't understand what was built. Problems arise. Nobody knows how to fix them.

Shadow AI Grows

Your team is already using ChatGPT through personal accounts. No governance. No visibility. Sensitive data flowing to public AI platforms while you debate policy.

Knowledge Stays Siloed

One person figures out AI. They get promoted or leave. Nobody else knows what they knew. The company has to start over. Again.

The solution isn't more technology. It's building internal capability.

Companies that succeed at AI adoption have one thing in common: internal champions who understand both the tools and their business, and can bridge that gap for everyone else.

The Internal AI Leaders Program

We don't just train people on AI tools. We build a sustainable internal capability that compounds over time.

Phase 1

Identify Champions

We find the people in your organization who are already curious about AI. The ones asking questions. The ones experimenting. They become your foundation.

  • 1. Shadow AI inventory reveals who's already using AI tools
  • 2. Manager nominations identify natural early adopters
  • 3. Interest survey surfaces hidden enthusiasm
  • 4. Champion recruitment campaign builds momentum

Deliverable: 5-15 identified champions across departments, ready for training

Phase 2

Train the Champions

Practical training on your actual workflows. Not generic AI courses. Your champions learn by solving real problems in your business.

  • 1. AI fundamentals: What these tools can and cannot do
  • 2. Prompt engineering: Getting reliable results from AI
  • 3. Use case identification: Spotting automation opportunities
  • 4. Peer support skills: Teaching without overwhelming
  • 5. Data safety: What to share, what to protect

Deliverable: Trained champion cohort with company-specific prompt library and playbooks

Phase 3

Build Governance

Champions need structure to operate within. We help you create policies that enable innovation while protecting sensitive data.

  • 1. AI acceptable use policy (written in plain language)
  • 2. Tool approval process that enables rather than blocks
  • 3. Data handling protocols for different sensitivity levels
  • 4. Steering committee charter and meeting structure

Deliverable: Published AI policy, governance framework, steering committee playbook

Phase 4

Launch & Support

Champions start helping their teams. We stay alongside to answer questions, troubleshoot problems, and ensure momentum continues.

  • 1. Champion office hours for peer support
  • 2. Monthly champion sync calls for problem-solving
  • 3. Recognition program to celebrate wins
  • 4. Metrics tracking to measure adoption and impact

Deliverable: Self-sustaining champion network with ongoing support infrastructure

What Your Champions Actually Do

2-3 hours per week being the go-to person for AI questions in their department. Not experts. Colleagues willing to try stuff first.

Someone asks for help

"Can Copilot help me summarize these meeting notes?" Your champion shows them the trick they learned last week. Takes 5 minutes.

Manager has a question

"Can AI speed up monthly reporting?" Your champion tests it on their own reports first, then shares what worked and what didn't.

New tool arrives

Your champion gets early access. They play with it for 20 minutes and tell the team if it's actually useful or just marketing hype.

Something doesn't work

Half the time, the answer is "I don't know, but let's figure it out together." That's fine. That's the job.

Think of champions less as experts and more as colleagues willing to try stuff first.

The ones who say "Yeah, I broke that too. Here's how I fixed it." When your team sees someone like them using AI for real work, that's when adoption actually happens.

Is This Right for Your Organization?

This program is for you if:

  • + You're starting AI adoption and want to get it right the first time
  • + You've run AI pilots that didn't stick and need a different approach
  • + Your team is already using AI tools (shadow AI) and you need governance
  • + You want internal capability, not dependency on external consultants
  • + You have 50-200 employees and real processes to improve

This probably isn't for you if:

  • - You want AI implementation without training your team
  • - You expect instant results without doing foundational work
  • - You're looking for the cheapest option (this is an investment)
  • - You don't have time for employees to participate in champion activities
  • - Your organization actively resists change (we can't force adoption)

What Companies With Champions Achieve

Bottom-up adoption through champions works better than top-down mandates. Here's what that looks like in practice.

Construction

Primus Builders: From Shadow AI to Steering Committee

Team was already using AI tools without governance. No way to track what data was being shared. Leadership saw risk, not opportunity.

We formed an AI steering committee, created usage policy, and trained champions across departments. Those champions then led implementation of 9 AI tools, including a custom chatbot used on their largest bid ever.

9
Implementations
15-20hrs
Weekly Saved
Zero
Security Issues
6+ months
Still Using Tools
Read Full Case Study

Program Investment

The Internal AI Leaders Program is typically delivered as part of our 90-day AI implementation engagement. It can also be structured as a standalone engagement for organizations focused specifically on building internal capability.

What's Included:

  • + Champion identification and recruitment
  • + 4-week training program for 5-15 champions
  • + AI policy and governance framework
  • + Custom prompt library for your workflows
  • + Steering committee playbook
  • + 3 months of champion support calls

Your Team Provides:

  • + 2-3 hours per week from each champion
  • + Executive sponsor to support the program
  • + Access to your current tools and workflows
  • + Manager support for champion activities

Not sure if this is right for you?

Schedule a 30-minute consultation. We'll discuss your current state, your goals, and whether champion enablement makes sense for your organization. No pitch. Just an honest conversation.

Schedule Free Consultation

Common Questions

Do champions need to be technical?

No. The best champions are people who are curious and willing to try things. They don't need computer science degrees or to understand how LLMs work under the hood. They need to explain things without jargon and admit when something doesn't work.

How much time do champions need to commit?

Month 1: About 4-5 hours total for training. Months 2-3: About 2-3 hours per week. After Month 3: About 1-2 hours per week, mostly conversations that happen naturally. It's lumpy, like most things that matter.

What if we already have people using AI?

That's actually ideal. We start by identifying who's already experimenting (your shadow AI users). They become your champion candidates. We formalize what they're doing, add governance, and help them share their knowledge more effectively.

How is this different from AI training courses?

Generic AI training teaches features. We teach how to apply AI to your specific workflows. Champions learn by solving real problems in your business, not by watching videos about theoretical use cases. And we build the governance structure that makes adoption sustainable.

What happens after the program ends?

Your champions continue operating. They have playbooks, prompt libraries, and governance frameworks to guide them. Many clients transition to advisory retainers for ongoing support, but the goal is internal capability that doesn't depend on us.

Ready to Build Internal AI Leaders?

Schedule a 30-minute consultation. We'll discuss your current state, identify potential champions, and determine if this program fits your needs.