Michelle
Lentz
AI strategy and enablement lead. I help HR and L&D organizations move from AI-curious to AI-capable — without leaving their people behind.
About
A practitioner first.
I've spent two decades inside enterprise L&D — at Oracle, at UPS, and inside the kind of consulting engagements where you learn what actually moves the needle and what just looks good in a deck.
What I keep finding: the technology mostly works. The hard part is the humans, and the systems they work inside. AI hasn't changed that — if anything, it's made it sharper.
The Innovate practice is where I bring that lens. Strategy, governance, and enablement work for HR and L&D organizations that want to adopt AI seriously. Not a pilot to put in the all-hands. The actual work — policy, capability frameworks, learning programs, change management — that turns AI from a buzzword into a workforce capability.
I hold an MS in AI in Business from Arizona State University and the Google Cloud Generative AI Leader certification. I have worked with AI strategy at large financial and credit institutions. The credentials matter less than what they're for: bringing rigor to a space full of vibes.
What I work on
Four ways I
engage
Engagements range from a half-day strategy session to multi-quarter implementations. Some clients want one of these; most want a combination.
AI strategy & roadmapping
Enterprise AI strategy, technology prioritization, and phased implementation roadmaps that account for your culture, your risk tolerance, and the specific shape of your workforce.
Governance & responsible AI
Risk frameworks, policy development, and the Five Pillars governance model — built specifically for HR and L&D organizations and the regulatory environments they operate in.
AI change management & enablement
Custom learning programs, automation through AI agents, and the AI Fluency Ladder framework (Dabbler → Innovator) — moving your people from AI-curious to AI-capable while managing the human side of transformation.
Learning auditing
A structured assessment of your L&D function — evaluating programs, technology, talent, and alignment with business strategy to identify gaps and prioritize the highest-leverage investments.
Writing & published work
Publications
Books, ebooks, articles, and frameworks on AI strategy, governance, and the future of L&D.
From Risk to Responsibility: AI Governance in Your Organization
Clarity Consultants
Partner with AI for Instructional Design
Featured in ATD Insights · 2025
From Content Creators to Capability Architects: L&D's Identity Shift in the AI Era
Training Magazine · June 2025
- The AI Fluency Ladder: Dabbler → Assistant → Collaborator → InnovatorFramework · Innovate + Elevate
- Ebook · ELB Learning · 2024
- AI-ready or AI-hype? Evaluating real AI skills in the modern workforceWorkshop · TrainingPros · 2024–25
- Brave new learning: AI change management in a global contextInternational conference session · ATD Asia-Pacific · 2025
- Blog · ATD
- Blog · ELB Learning
- Blog · ELB Learning
- Blog · ELB Learning
- Blog · ELB Learning
Contributing writer
- Co-authored by Michelle Lentz, Brandon Carson & Dr. Markus Bernhardt · ATD
- Contributing writer · ATD Press · 2021
- Contributing writer · ATD Press · 2015
Get in touch
Let's talk about your AI moment.
A paragraph or two about what your organization is wrestling with is plenty to start. I'll write back within two business days with whether and how I can help.
Schedule
Speaking inquiries