Speaking

Keynotes, panels, and workshops on the systems shaping what comes next.

From WEF Davos to industry summits, the work is the same: name the mechanism, cut through the noise, and give the audience something they can actually use. Available for keynotes, moderated panels, fireside chats, and workshops globally.

Keynote
$15,000 – $35,000
60–90 min · travel included
Half-Day Workshop
$10,000 – $20,000
3–4 hrs · up to 50 participants
Panel / Fireside
$7,500 – $15,000
60–90 min · virtual available
Virtual Keynote
$7,500 – $12,500
45–60 min
Keynote Topics
Signature Keynote
Beyond the Hype: Stop Talking About AI and Start Doing
A ROI-focused framework for operational AI deployment. What actually works in production, what the vendor ecosystem gets wrong, and how to build an AI strategy that survives contact with reality.
Governance & Trust
Embracing AI with Purpose: Governance, Capacity, and Trust as the Real Enablers
The AI governance conversation most organizations are having is the wrong one. This keynote reframes the question from compliance to capability, and shows what trust-first AI deployment actually looks like at scale.
Infrastructure
The $162 Billion Design Failure: What AI Infrastructure Gets Wrong
Based on the published white paper. On incentive misalignment in hyperscale data center construction and what it means for every organization building on AI infrastructure they do not own.
Workforce & Sovereignty
Digital Sovereignty vs. Digital Tenancy: The Workforce Transition Nobody Is Talking About
The difference between workers who rent skills from platforms and workers who own their digital output. Based on the Digital Foreman Protocol research. For policy, HR, and workforce development audiences.
Agentic AI
The Agentic Shift: What Changes When AI Stops Answering and Starts Acting
Most organizations are not prepared for the transition from AI as a tool to AI as an agent. This keynote maps the operational, legal, and cultural implications of agentic deployment for leaders who need to get ahead of it.
Leadership & Systems
Scaling Complex Operations: What 1,800 Machines Taught Me About Systems That Hold
Lessons from building Pokémon's national vending infrastructure. On system design, failure tolerance, and the decisions that compound over years. For operations, supply chain, and general management audiences.
◈
Keynote
60–90 min · signature talks with Q&A
◎
Panel
As speaker or moderator
◇
Workshop
Half or full day · up to 50
○
Fireside Chat
Intimate · executive audiences
Speaking History
2026
Mar 24, 2026
Virtual
PEX Network
All Access: AI in PEX
Panel: "Beyond the hype: Stop talking about AI and start doing." ROI-focused framework for operational AI deployment alongside Andreas Welsch, Wayne Butterfield, and Doug Shannon.
Panel
Feb 2026
Davos, Switzerland
The Deal Lounge · WEF Week
The Deal Lounge Panel
Panel discussion with Prof. PK Prasanna Kumar and De Kai during World Economic Forum week.
Panel
Jan 18–23, 2026
Davos, Switzerland
World Economic Forum · Smart Cities Council
WEF Davos 2026
Moderated panel: "Embracing AI with Purpose: Governance, Capacity, and Trust as the Real Enablers." Featured speaker at the SCC VIP Welcome Reception launching global strategy.
Moderator Featured Speaker
2025
Oct 9, 2025
San Francisco, CA
BuildETH 2025 · Edge & Node House of Web3
Stablecoin Build Patterns
Expert session on stablecoin architecture and build patterns at the Presidio.
Expert Session
Oct 2025
Chicago, IL
AI Summit Chicago
Agentic AI: From Pilot to Production
Keynote on the operational gap between agentic AI proof-of-concept and enterprise-scale deployment.
Keynote
Sept 2025
New York, NY
Future of Work Summit · NYC
Digital Sovereignty and the Workforce Transition
On the structural shift from subscription-based skill rental to blockchain-anchored workforce ownership.
Keynote
Jul 2025
Austin, TX
GovTech Innovation Forum
AI Governance in the Public Sector: What Actually Works
Framework for responsible AI deployment in government contexts, including procurement, accountability, and trust architecture.
Panel
Jun 2025
San Francisco, CA
HealthTech Summit 2025 · JPM Week
HealthTech Summit 2025
Speaker at the annual health technology summit held during JP Morgan Healthcare Conference week.
Speaker
Apr 29 – May 1, 2025
Tulalip, WA
CAAGE 2025 · Tulalip Resort Casino
CAAGE Conference 2025
Multiple sessions on AI strategy and workforce transformation.
Speaker
Mar 2025
Washington, D.C.
Smart Cities Connect
AI Infrastructure and Urban Systems
On the intersection of AI deployment and municipal infrastructure planning, including data governance and vendor accountability.
Keynote
Jan 2025
Las Vegas, NV
CES 2025 · AI Leadership Track
The Agentic Enterprise: Preparing Your Organization for AI That Acts
Fireside conversation on organizational readiness for agentic AI systems, with focus on accountability frameworks and human oversight design.
Fireside Chat
2024
Dec 13, 2024
San Francisco, CA
AIify.io · Ontology of Value
AI x Future of Work (v.3)
FutureLab presentation: "Upskilling and Government-Supported Trainings" with Monette Stephens. Panel: "The Future of Team Management and Productivity."
Speaker Panel
Nov 2024
New York, NY
Enterprise AI Summit · NYC
Building AI Strategy That Outlasts the Hype Cycle
Framework for separating durable AI capability from vendor-driven noise, with case studies from operational deployments.
Keynote
Sept 21–24, 2024
San Francisco, CA
AIify.io · DG717
It's an Agentic AI World
Hackathon mentor, judge, and summit speaker at the multi-day agentic AI summit and developer event.
Speaker Mentor/Judge
Sept 10–11, 2024
Kansas City, MO
CivStart · State of GovTech 2024
State of GovTech 2024
Host and speaker at the annual government technology summit, covering AI adoption in public sector operations.
Host & Speaker
Jul 2024
Seattle, WA
Pacific NW Tech Leaders Forum
The Network Approach to AI Transformation
On building organizational AI capability as a networked competency rather than a centralized function.
Keynote
May 2024
Chicago, IL
Midwest Operations & AI Summit
AI-Exposed Sectors: The Productivity Dividend
On the five-fold labor productivity gains in AI-exposed sectors and what organizational leaders need to do to capture rather than lose that delta.
Keynote
Mar 2024
Austin, TX
SXSW · AI & Future of Work Track
Agentic AI and the Accountability Gap
Panel on the organizational and legal implications of AI systems that act autonomously in enterprise contexts.
Panel
Archival · 2022
2022
With Mitchell Levy
Ultimate Credibility Bootcamp
Credibility Frameworks & Personal Positioning
Co-hosted event on credibility architecture, authority building, and professional positioning.
Workshop
Jul 25, 2022
Podcast
Work @ Home RockStar
Business Strategy & the Roadie Approach to Consulting
On client acquisition, business strategy, and building a consulting practice that works without constant presence.
Interview
May 30, 2022
New Zealand · Podcast
Better Business Better Life
Brain Fog or Brain Brilliance: Your Choice
Episode 50. On productivity, brain state management, and the neuroscience of peak cognitive performance.
Interview
Apr 27, 2022
Podcast
Career Buzz
Career Transitions and Consulting
On navigating career pivots, building a consulting practice, and the strategic logic behind major professional transitions.
Interview

Book Dr. Root for your event.

Available for keynotes, panels, workshops, and fireside chats globally. Inquiries reviewed within 48 hours. For confirmed events at WEF, major industry conferences, and corporate leadership summits, reach out directly.

Booking Inquiry SmartPage ↗