Getting AI Right in Tribal Organizations

Turning AI on was the easy part. At TribalNet, Synozur CEO Michelle Caldwell, Minburn CSO Alex Minburn, and Navajo Housing CEO Brent Nelson led a session on AI purchasing and licensing: the contract terms, data ownership questions and cost structures that make buying AI different from buying traditional software. This roundtable picks up where that conversation left off and takes a wider view. Many tribal organizations have turned on Copilot or other AI tools. Fewer can say what people are using them for, or whether that use serves the tribe’s goals. Tribal technology leaders, a tribal enterprise CEO and governance practitioners will share what’s working, where organizations get stuck, and what order to do things in. Sovereignty, community priorities and tribal enterprise operations all change how AI should be planned and governed. What we’ll cover Step 0: Start with business goals Before policy and before tools, write down what you need AI to accomplish. That means goals like better member service at the front desk of a clinic or faster contract review for a gaming or hospitality operation, not “better use of Copilot.” Synozur CEO Michelle Caldwell will share how organizations define AI business goals that lead to measurable results. Step 1: Set and document your policies Governance that reflects tribal sovereignty and your community’s priorities, written down, shared and put in force. Step 2: Pilot with purpose Choose pilots, build agents and scale what works, with goals and guardrails already in place. Hear from a tribal organization doing the work Brent Nelson, CEO of Navajo Housing, will describe where his organization is on its AI journey and what it’s learning along the way. Roundtable participants Toni Pepper, Executive Director, Tribal-ISAC Brent Nelson, CEO, Navajo Housing Michelle Caldwell, CEO, Synozur Alex Nicklas, Chief Strategy Officer, Minburn Technology (moderator) Who should attend Tribal leaders and council members IT, security and data leaders Leaders of tribal enterprises, including gaming, hospitality, healthcare and housing Procurement leaders who attended the TribalNet AI purchasing and licensing session Anyone asked to “figure out AI” for their organization Bring your questions This is a conversation, not a presentation. A large part of the session is open Q&A, so bring the questions your organization is working through.

Getting AI Right in Tribal Organizations | The Synozur Alliance