What I Learned From Helping Launch Neeley AI

 I joined the Neeley AI executive board thinking I'd mostly learn about AI, but I ended up learning a lot more about leading people. Our goal was simple: build a place where students could get into AI without feeling intimidated by it. Getting to our launch event was messy, though, because we didn't have enough decorations, a speaker we tried to book never worked out, and faculty canceled the humanoid robots we were counting on. We were stressed, but we didn't stop, we just kept going. Then I got to host the event, and walking out to see 300 students in the room is something I'll never forget. I was nervous, but I really wanted to do a good job, and once I started talking it got a lot easier. What I took from all of it is that things rarely go the way you plan, and you just have to keep moving anyway. I'm excited to see Neeley AI keep growing, and I hope we all learn a lot along the way.

Comments

  1. williams.dan76October 6, 2026 at 6:20 AM

    Thanks, your first line made me smile. Learning leadership skills is not easy, but patience and good humor pay off in the end.

    ReplyDelete

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