AI as Leverage: How a 10-Person Team Operates Like 50
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Good for 1 CAE Credit Hour
Everyones talking about AI, but most companies are stuck in one of two places: running chatbot experiments that never scale, or buying tools that flatline within 90 days because nobody changed how people actually work. Technology isn’t the bottleneck:. Culture and process alignment are. And in a landscape where technology moves faster every month, the teams that get the culture right are the ones that can actually keep up.
In this session, Bear Analytics CEO Joe Colangelo pulls back the curtain on the internal AI skill library his team uses every day: From client-needs intelligence that compounds across every prospect call, to delivery tools that turn raw data into executive-ready client briefs in minutes instead of hours. He will also show how that same leverage philosophy extends to clients, when bespoke intelligence can be tailored to each account and delivered through mechanisms built specifically for how that client operates. No theory. Just the real playbook from a team that built AI into how they run and what their clients touch.
Representing associations of different sizes and missions, today’s leaders are navigating increasingly complex expectations from boards, volunteer leaders, members, staff, and corporate partners. AI is rapidly becoming a core tool but only when directed strategically. This session demonstrates how to use it to enhance connection, not dilute credibility.
You’ll walk away with:
● A practical framework for building AI into your teams culture and processes, not just your tech stack, so adoption actually sticks and keeps pace as the technology evolves
● Real case studies showing how AI compounds across sales, delivery and product development, quality control, and client intelligence, and how each skill multiplied a single persons output
● The three questions to ask before greenlighting any AI initiative, so you stop
spending money on tools that flatline and start building leverage that grows
Speaker
Joe Colangelo, CEO of Bear Analytics
Joe Colangelo is Co-Founder and CEO of Bear Analytics. He believes in the power of first-party data generated at events, which is often locked away in disparate systems but ripe for disrupting future value generation at face-to-face engagements. Bear Analytics helps tear down complex data barriers, ensuring clients understand their data and use it to fuel both engagement and revenue growth.
Moderator, Barbara Armentrout, CAE, BJA Solutions for Associations
Innovative strategist helping associations achieve sustainable growth through non-dues revenue, dynamic business collaborations, and smart technology solutions. Options available that are designed to help small-staff teams.
Hostess, Teri Carden, COO, Insight Guide
Teri Carden is the COO at Insight Guide, helping associations modernize how they engage members and industry partners. Teri is wildly passionate about turning big ideas—especially around AI and innovation—into practical solutions that deliver real value.
