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Speaker · Strategist · AI Educator

Chiara
Barden

AI Enablement Strategist · Founder, Better by Design

Chiara doesn't just talk about AI. She teaches people how to use it. Her sessions are built on proprietary frameworks, real-world demonstrations, and 20+ years of business leadership. Audiences leave with skills they can use the same day.

10 Anthropic Certifications 20+ Years Business Leadership Proprietary ROCK™ Framework Finance · Nonprofits · Education · Engineering Midlothian, Virginia
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Chiara Barden
CB
Chiara Barden
10
Anthropic
Certifications
Better by Design: Make AI Work for You. Practical AI education for businesses, teams and leaders. Strategy, training, speaking engagements.
Recent & Upcoming

Where you can find Chiara

Recent talks and workshops, plus the community work Chiara is part of.

Recent · September 2026

Regional GenAI Summit

Speaker at the Regional GenAI Summit, hosted by Chesterfield County Public Schools

Date
September 26, 2026
Location
Thomas R. Fulghum Conference Center
13900 Hull Street Road
Format
Speaker session + hands-on workshop
Audience
Educators and regional professionals

A talk on how Chiara personally uses AI day to day, followed by a hands-on workshop teaching attendees what AI “Projects” and “Gems” (custom AI assistants) actually are, how to set them up, and the high-value use cases for running them in real work.

Community Involvement

Planning Committee Member, AI Ready RVA’s Power of Possibility Conference & Expo — April 14, 2027, at the Dewey Gottwald Center, Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond, VA. Chiara also belongs to the Two Twelve Business Network, Team Synergy, meeting Thursdays 8:15 AM at Gather in Midlothian, VA.

As Heard On

Podcast & media appearances

Chiara is available for podcasts, panels, and press on practical AI adoption.

Episode promo for The Unlocked Professional featuring host Jeff Midland and guest Chiara Barden, headlined "AI Doesn't Just Screen Resumes. It Can KILL Your Useless Meetings Too."
Episode promo courtesy of The Unlocked Professional.

The Unlocked Professional: AI & Future of Work

Hosted by Jeff Midland · Featured Guest

Chiara joined Jeff Midland to talk about what AI is genuinely good for at work — beyond resume screening — including how to cut the meetings, reports, and busywork that eat a professional’s week. The episode is recorded and live now.

Listen on Spotify Watch on YouTube
App Minded podcast, Episode 6: How To Build A Thrifting App With Claude And Replit, with Chiara Barden
Episode art courtesy of App Minded.

App Minded: How To Build A Thrifting App With Claude And Replit

Hosted by Nina Kolari · Episode 6 · Featured Guest

Chiara sat down with Nina Kolari to share how she built AI Treasure Hunter, her thrifting app, with no coding background. They talk about turning a personal idea into a working app, keeping AI simple enough that people use it, and improving a product from real user feedback.

Listen on Apple Podcasts Watch on YouTube Visit App Minded Try AI Treasure Hunter
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Chiara Barden and host Mike King at the microphones in front of the On the Mic with Mike backdrop for MIKEKINGBIZ on ESPN Richmond
Photo from the MIKEKINGBIZ / ESPN Richmond studio.

Radio appearance: Mike King’s show (MIKEKINGBIZ / ESPN Richmond)

Radio · Featured Guest

Chiara joined Mike King for her first radio appearance, talking practical AI adoption and how to use AI to reclaim time from repetitive work.

View on LinkedIn
Signature Talks

Three formats.
One standard.

Every talk includes a live AI demonstration, a take-home prompt pack, and a framework your audience can use before they leave the room.

Keynote · Signature
🐘
Eat the Elephant
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. A health crisis at home took away forty percent of my work days (five down to three), and I still had the same work to deliver. What I learned in that stretch wasn't about productivity hacks. It was about deciding what actually had to be done by me, and then building a way to do the rest in a fraction of the time. That method is what I now teach organizations facing their own version of too much work and not enough hours. Honest about the hard part, practical about the way through, and it ends with something your audience can act on the same week.
⏱ 45–60 minutes
👥 50–500+ attendees
📍 In-person or virtual
✦ Includes live AI demonstration
Breakout · Workshop-Style
🧩
Think Before You Prompt
An interactive session built on ROCK™, my four-part framework for people whose work has rules and whose mistakes have consequences. Participants bring a real task from their own week, build a prompt for it live, and leave with a repeatable process rather than a list of tips. Designed for teams in nonprofits, banking, and other environments where "just try it and see" isn't an acceptable approach.
⏱ 45–90 minutes
👥 Up to 50 attendees
📍 In-person preferred · Virtual available
✦ Hands-on activities included
Panel · Podcast · Media
💡
AI Enablement, Ethics, and the Human Advantage
A nuanced, accessible conversation on AI's real impact on people, teams, and organizations. Chiara brings a practical, non-alarmist perspective grounded in real-world training experience, ideal for panels, podcast interviews, media appearances, and executive conversations.
⏱ Flexible
👥 Any format
📍 In-person, virtual, or remote recording
✦ Available for media on request
Talk Topics

What Chiara speaks about

Topics can be tailored to your audience, from C-suite leaders to frontline employees, career transitioners to nonprofit teams.

🧠
AI Foundations: What It Is and Why It Matters Now
A plain-English introduction to AI: how we got here, what's actually happening, and why the people who learn to use it intentionally will have a significant advantage.
Keynote
⚡
The ROCK™ Framework: Think Before You Prompt
The proprietary pre-prompting system that changes how people interact with AI. Four parts. Fully repeatable. Works for any AI tool, any task, any industry.
Keynote + Breakout
💼
AI at Work: Practical Productivity for Real Teams
How to use AI for the work that actually takes up your day: emails, reports, presentations, data, and client communication. Built for teams who need results, not theory.
Corporate
🌱
AI for Your Real Life: Beyond the Workplace
How AI can help with meal planning, family organization and personal growth. A talk that makes AI feel accessible, human, and genuinely useful outside of work.
Lifestyle
🛡️
AI Safety, Ethics, and the Human Advantage
What organizations need to know about AI risks, responsible use policies, and why the human-in-the-loop will always matter. A balanced, practical perspective for leadership audiences.
Executive Audience
🔄
Leading AI Adoption: A Framework for Organizations
How leaders can build AI-capable cultures without losing team trust, overwhelming people, or creating compliance risk. For HR, L&D, and executive audiences.
Leadership
Why Book Chiara

What makes this different

Most AI speakers explain what AI is. Chiara teaches people how to use it, before they leave the room.

01
A Proprietary Framework
The ROCK™ framework is original intellectual property, not generic advice. Audiences get a system they can repeat, not a list of tips they'll forget.
02
Real Demonstrations
Every talk includes live AI tool demonstrations. Audiences see real prompts, real outputs, real iterations, not polished screenshots. This builds trust and removes fear.
03
Cross-Sector Credibility
With experience across finance, nonprofits, civil engineering, education, and professional services, Chiara meets every audience where they are, using their language and their use cases.
04
Anthropic Certified
Chiara holds 10 Anthropic certifications from the company behind Claude, one of the world's leading AI systems.
05
Audiences Leave Ready
Take-home prompt packs, the ROCK™ reference card, and a clear next step come with every talk. Your attendees don't just feel inspired. They know what to do Monday morning.
06
20+ Years Leadership
Two decades of business leadership means Chiara understands what organizations actually need, not just what's technically possible. She speaks to people, not at them.
Who Chiara Speaks To

Built for real audiences

From C-suite to frontline staff, career transitioners to nonprofit leaders, every talk is tailored to the room.

🏦
Finance & Banking
Teams navigating AI adoption, compliance considerations, and productivity transformation
❤️
Nonprofits & Education
Mission-driven organizations learning to multiply their impact without multiplying their budget
🏗️
Engineering & Professional Services
Technical and client-facing teams ready to work smarter with practical AI skills
👩‍💼
HR & L&D Leaders
People leaders building AI-ready culture, training programs, and adoption strategies
🎓
Conferences & Associations
Professional associations, annual conferences, and industry events looking for a practical AI voice
💡
Career Transitioners
Individuals navigating career change who want AI skills that translate across industries
🏢
C-Suite & Executive Teams
Leaders who need to understand AI strategy, risk, and opportunity at an organizational level
🌍
General Public & Communities
Everyday people (parents, families, community groups) who want AI for real life, not just work
Book Chiara

Let's make your
event unforgettable.

Tell us about your event and we'll get back to you within one business day with availability and speaker fee information.

Track record
8,000+ professionals trained on AI
Previously HR AI Ambassador at a Fortune 500 company: 15+ workshops, 500+ colleagues trained
Built AI university partnerships with 30+ institutions
10 Anthropic certifications
What's included
Pre-event consultation call to customize the talk
Live AI demonstration tailored to your audience
Take-home prompt pack for all attendees
ROCK™ framework reference card
30-day follow-up support via email for attendees
Logistics
Available for in-person and virtual engagements
Based in Midlothian, Virginia; travel available
Speaker fee provided upon inquiry
Nonprofit and association discounts available
Prefer to reach out directly?
chiarabarden@betterbydesignai.com
Speaking inquiries responded to within 1 business day
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