Keynotes That Change How Leaders Think About Modernization

The flagship keynote. Through the lens of the Birmingham $216M disaster and contrasting success stories, Abhijit reveals why identical challenges produce opposite outcomes. Audiences leave with a clear understanding of the structural traps that produce failures — and the Phase Zero framework that prevents them.

• The three forces creating extraordinary risk right now
• Why "best practice" advisory structures are structurally conflicted
• The Phase Zero framework: 100 days to clarity
• AI in government: separating capability from marketing

AI is transforming what's possible in government operations — and being weaponized as a marketing tool. This talk cuts through the hype with a practical assessment of what AI delivers today, what it can't, and the governance framework every agency needs before saying yes.

• Real AI capabilities vs. vendor vaporware
• The AI readiness assessment framework
• Contract provisions that protect your data
• Building AI governance before building AI systems

When a legacy ERP reaches end-of-life, most organizations focus on the technical migration and forget the strategic question: what happens to the decades of data left behind? This keynote draws on real-world advisory experience with counties navigating SAP-to-cloud transitions to lay out a governance-first framework for legacy data, records retention, and AI readiness.

• Why data extraction without a governance wrapper creates new risk
• Building a records retention framework that satisfies compliance and enables analytics
• The data sovereignty principles every agency should adopt before choosing platforms
• Positioning legacy data as the foundation for responsible AI adoption

A hands-on working session where leadership teams apply the Start at Zero framework to their own organizations. Participants leave with a customized Phase Zero roadmap, stakeholder map, and governance charter draft — ready to execute.

• Complete stakeholder power/influence mapping exercise
• Draft governance charter and decision rights matrix
• AI readiness self-assessment and gap analysis
• Customized 100-day Phase Zero action plan