Calendar of Events

Details:

February 18, 2026

6-8 PM

1 PDU available for PMI Members

Members/Students: $10

Non-Members: $15 

Participants will be responsible for covering their own dinner costs

Presentation Description:

Project Managers are the most important “translators” in the AI era. While headlines focus on dazzling demos, most organizations struggle with the hard part: turning AI ambition into measurable business results—safely, ethically, and at scale.

In this session, we’ll split our time between (1) a practical, plain-English primer on what AI actually is (and isn’t)—including generative AI, machine learning, data, and the realities behind the hype—and (2) why Project Managers are uniquely positioned to rescue AI initiatives from confusion, scope creep, and “pilot purgatory.”

Through a PMI lens, we’ll map AI work to familiar disciplines: stakeholder alignment, requirements, risk management, governance, change adoption, and benefits realization. You’ll leave with a clear mental model, a repeatable framework for planning AI projects, and concrete tactics PMs can use to ensure AI delivers outcomes—not just activity.
Learning Objectives:

1. Explain AI in plain language — distinguish generative AI vs. traditional ML, and identify where data quality and process design matter most.

2. Translate AI hype into business outcomes — define clear problem statements, success metrics, and benefits-realization plans for AI initiatives.

3. Apply a PMI-style delivery framework to AI projects — align scope, requirements, governance, risk, and ethics/compliance to reduce “pilot purgatory.”

4. Lead AI change adoption effectively — build a stakeholder plan, change strategy, and operating model updates that drive real usage and sustainable value.

Speaker Bio:

Jim Damian

Jim Damian is an entrepreneur and the Founder and Managing Partner at Linean, where he helps organizations turn strategy into measurable results using analytics, automation, and AI.

He’s led digital transformation across public and private-sector environments, with a reputation for translating complex technology into clear plans, strong governance, and real adoption.

Jim holds a graduate degree from UC Berkeley and brings a practical perspective on what it takes to deliver outcomes in messy, real-world organizations. If you’re a PM navigating AI projects, you’ll leave with a clearer mental model, a repeatable approach, and tactics you can use immediately.