Speaking Topics

Two connected themes.

Mary Michael speaks on how to lead through change in education and edtech, and on what it actually takes to lead a company as a single mother of four. Both talks draw on the same throughline: relationships are the infrastructure.

Topic 1

EdTech Leadership & Strategy

“Every Chair Counts: Leading EdTech from the Classroom Up”

For education and technology leaders navigating AI adoption, digital transformation, and change management — told by someone who has been the teacher, the professor, and the executive making the call.

What audiences take away:

  • Why lived teaching experience changes how you build and sell edtech
  • A practical model for incremental, well-governed AI adoption — cross-functional review teams, weekly governance check-ins, no chasing shiny objects
  • How to meet customers in “the messy middle” between legacy and digital instead of forcing an all-or-nothing choice
  • Building a culture of empathy that shows up in the product, not just the mission statement
Topic 2

Leading Without Balance: The Single-Mom CEO

“Integration, Not Balance: Leading a Company (and Four Kids) at the Same Time”

A candid talk on leading as a single mother of four — built on real logistics, not inspirational platitudes.

What audiences take away:

  • Why “work-life integration” is a more honest and sustainable frame than “balance”
  • How to protect personal renewal as a leadership discipline, not an afterthought
  • What consistency across every role — parent, executive, colleague — actually requires
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