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Gartner Expert
Michelle Bazargan
Managing Vice President
I believe every day we are invited to choose reimagination over repetition. It takes audacity and courage to ask bold questions and be different. That single choice is what brings curiosity, creativity, and growth to our lives and our businesses.
AI and machines are part of the future, which makes focusing our energy on becoming elevated humans just as critical as becoming AI savvy. The qualities that will matter most are the ones technology cannot fully replace: awareness, intuition, creativity, courage, and the ability to see possibilities others miss. If you study the secret behind the greatest innovators, you’ll find they were deeply connected to awareness and intuition - ideas, patterns, and possibility. That’s where human creativity lives.
I've spent 10+ years working in AI, long before it became part of the daily news, and more than 25 years helping organizations bring new ideas to life. From leading global initiatives at Toyota, Oracle, and Ultimate Software to successfully exiting two startups, I've learned how to turn emerging innovation into real business value.
Much of what I’ve learned comes not from studying textbooks or theory, but from being in the arena day after day, navigating uncertainty and the human complexity that comes with building, leading, and scaling innovation. That experience has become a superpower: recognizing signals, spotting patterns, and connecting dots that often remain invisible in metrics and playbooks.
My mission is to empower people to see clearly, challenge status quo, and rise above the noise of the system. This purpose drove me to write my bestselling book, Unmask Your Brilliance: Thriving in Workplaces Designed to Hide You, and TED Talk on the power of human connection and numerous global keynotes. My journey from escaping war and facing the adversities of being an immigrant woman in tech since I was 18, to rising as a top voice in business and technology embodies what is possible with bravery, grit, and curiosity.
Previous experience
Technology Startup Founder with Two Successful Exits
Oracle - Head of Global Product Management Cloud Engineering
Ultimate Software - R&D and Innovation
SE Toyota - R&D Artificial Intelligence and
JM Family ($18B Private Finance, Insurance, and Automotive Firm) - Diverse Sr. Leadership roles - Digital Strategy, Office of CIO, VMO, PMO, R&D
Professional background
JM SE Toyota , Various Executive Leadership Roles , 10 years
Ultimate Software, R&D and Innovation , 2 years
Fitconnect 360 , Founder, 3 years
SE Toyota, R&D Data Science Innovation Lab , 3 years
Oracle , Head of Cloud Product Engineering , 2 years
Areas of coverage
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Corporate Leadership
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Strategy and Business Performance
Education
Computer Science and Business Managment - BS
Founders Institute Graduate
Scrum Alliance - Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
Scrum Alliance - Certified Product Owner (CPO)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Various Leadership, Coaching, Consciousness and Psychology Certifications
Top Issues That I Help Clients Address
Growth Decoupled from Headcount - New Business Playbook in Age of AI Shifts Fundamental Ways Grow and Scale Organizations
Innovation and Revenue No Longer Occur in Four Walls of Your Company - Innovation Ecosystems Drive Business Model of the Future
Skills Required for 2030 and Beyond Are Not What You Think - Workforce and Talent Strategy for the Future of AI
What Made You a Successful Leader Before Will No Longer Work - Shifting to New Era of Leadership In New World
Echo Chambers will Bleed Cash - Inclusive Cultures Drive Business Innovation and Competitive Edge