Keynotes That Change How Your Audience Thinks About AI
TerDawn DeBoe doesn't talk about AI like a tech enthusiast. She talks about it like a business owner who's used it to cut her work week from 50 hours to 15, reduce overhead by 81%, and build systems that create freedom—not just efficiency.
Now she teaches organizations how to do the same.
Forbes Contributor | AI ROI Strategist | Founder, Institute for Business AI
Book TerDawn
The Speaker Your Audience Didn't Know They Needed
Most AI speakers talk about tools. TerDawn talks about results.
As one of two Forbes contributors—out of thousands—selected to teach on Forbes' longest-running show Leadership Lessons, TerDawn has earned a reputation for making AI practical, measurable, and accessible for businesses that don't have enterprise budgets or technical teams.
She's trained board members at Key Bank, COSE, the Women's Business Center, and organizations across the country. Her Forbes column on AI for small and mid-sized businesses has been read by tens of thousands worldwide. And her proprietary STEAD Framework has helped hundreds of business owners stop guessing and start measuring what AI is actually doing for their bottom line.
But what sets her apart isn't just what she knows. It's how she delivers it.
TerDawn speaks with the clarity of a strategist, the warmth of a trusted advisor, and the authority of someone who's lived everything she teaches. She doesn't lecture. She connects. And she leaves audiences with frameworks they can implement before they get back to their desks.
Why Organizations Choose TerDawn
She's Done It Herself
TerDawn isn't teaching theory. She transformed her own business—going from a team of 10 and 50-hour weeks to 2 contractors and 10-15 hours weekly. She reduced her operational overhead by 81%. And she built AI systems that handle content, customer care, research, and administration without adding headcount.
She Makes AI Accessible
Your audience isn't filled with engineers. They're business owners, executives, and professionals trying to figure out how AI fits into their real lives. TerDawn meets them where they are—no jargon, no hype, just clarity.
She Focuses on ROI, Not Tools
While everyone else is talking about the latest app, TerDawn is asking the only question that matters: Is it working? Her STEAD Framework gives organizations a way to measure AI impact across five key areas—so they stop spending money on tools they can't justify.
She Delivers With Soul
TerDawn brings cultural fluency, spiritual grounding, and lived experience to every stage. She speaks as a woman who's been homeless, rebuilt from nothing, and now writes for Forbes. That journey shows up in how she connects—without performance, without pretense.
TerDawn On Stage
Signature Keynotes & Workshop Topics
The 5 ROI Measurements Every Business Needs Before Buying Another AI Tool
Why 78% of businesses are using AI but only 26% are seeing results—and the framework that closes the gap.
The AI-Powered Solopreneur: How One Person Can Outpace a Team of Ten
The skills, systems, and mindset shifts that allow micro-business owners to compete at levels previously impossible without significant resources.
From Adoption to ROI: What Separates Businesses That Win With AI
Moving beyond "we use AI" to "here's what we got from it"—and why measurement is the new competitive advantage.
Vibe Coding: The Small Business Superpower
How non-technical founders are going from idea to launched product in days instead of months—and what it means for the future of entrepreneurship. (Collins Dictionary's Word of the Year)
Building Your AI Employee Team
How to create AI systems that handle specific business roles—content, customer care, research, admin—without the overhead of a full team.
Return on Intention: Building Business Around Your Life Instead of the Reverse
The intersection of AI strategy and intentional living—for leaders who want freedom, not just efficiency.
As Seen In & Trusted By
Media Features
- Forbes – Contributor, AI for Small & Mid-Sized Businesses
- Forbes Leadership Lessons – Selected as 1 of 2 contributors to teach from published work
- Business Insider – Paid Contributor
Organizations Trained
- Key Bank
- COSE (Council of Smaller Enterprises)
- RMDA (Restaurant Marketing Delivery Association)
- ECDI / Women's Business Center
- The Faith Community
- The Event Professional School
- Futureland
What Your Audience Will Walk Away With
A clear framework for measuring AI ROI (not just adopting tools)
Practical strategies they can implement immediately
Confidence to make smarter AI decisions without technical backgrounds
A shift in perspective—from overwhelmed to empowered
The energy of a speaker who sees them, not just talks at them
Book TerDawn for Your Next Event
Available for:
For booking inquiries, contact: [email protected]
One More Thing
TerDawn doesn't just speak. She shifts rooms.
She's been the woman with everything on the curb and the woman with a Forbes column. She's worked the jobs she hated and built the business she dreamed of. She's lost everything that mattered and rebuilt with more intention than before.
That journey isn't just her story. It's her superpower.
And it's why audiences don't just listen to her.
They remember her.