Sharon Gai is a worldwide expert in E-commerce, digital transformation, AI and innovation. She helps organizations do more with less using AI.
In her tenure at Alibaba, she advised brands and heads of state in crafting their digital strategy with programmatic marketing and AI.
Sharon Gai has appeared on CNN, Bloomberg, Reuters, ABC, CBC, CCTV, TechCrunch, and The Next Web. She is the author of the book, “How To Do More with Less Using AI” and “Ecommerce Reimagined”.
Sharon Gai Speaking Topics
- How to do more with less using AI
We have been told two stories when it comes to AI. It will lead to mass unemployment and 95% of AI projects have failed. Which is correct? Sharon Gai cuts through the noise. Drawing from real-world examples and global insights, she explains how AI is reshaping the way we work, without hype or fearmongering. Instead of choosing between blind optimism or outright pessimism, she offers a practical, balanced perspective that helps readers make sense of the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Session Takeaways:
- Reskill and future-proof your career in the face of AI disruption
- Identify which parts of your role can be automated, and which require human creativity and judgment
- Use proven frameworks to evaluate AI’s impact on your work and your organization
- Apply actionable tips and tools to boost productivity, make smarter decisions, and do more with less
- Gain clarity as a parent, leader, or professional navigating what this means for the next Generation
- China’s rise in AI: From the world’s factory to the world’s AI lab
Whether you’re an employee anxious about your future, a parent concerned about your child’s opportunities, or a leader managing a lean team with tight budgets, this keynote provides the strategies and mindset you need to adapt so you can stop worrying and start preparing.
- The Future Consumer: Navigating the Age of Hyper-Personalization, AI, and Invisible Payments
By 2030, AI won’t just enhance software—it will replace it. We’re entering an era where AI agents perform the tasks apps used to handle, embedding commerce, communication, and decision-making into everyday interfaces. Payments, once driven by manual input and app-based workflows, will become ambient—handled by AI that knows what you want, when you want it, and how you prefer to pay.
Sharon Gai, drawing on her experience at Alibaba where she witnessed software giving way to ecosystems powered by data and automation, takes audiences on a journey into this AI-first future. In this world, personalization is no longer a feature—it’s the interface. The consumer of tomorrow will expect seamless, ethical, and predictive engagement across every touchpoint, with payment logic embedded into LLMs, voice assistants, and smart devices.
Session takeaways:
- How AI is replacing traditional apps and becoming the new interface and how payments will become invisible, automatic, and embedded.
- Learn what the future consumer expects: speed, personalization, and zero friction.
- Identify the risks of AI-driven commerce, including fraud and loss of control.
- Prepare your business for a world where AI, not software, runs the experience.
But as AI eats software, it also creates new threats: opaque decision-making, AI-powered fraud, and the erosion of user control. Sharon unpacks the double-edged sword of invisible commerce—where trust must be rebuilt even as friction disappears. This keynote arms leaders with the insights needed to stay relevant in a world where apps are vanishing, and AI is the new operating system of consumer experience.
- Unlocking Enterprise Sales with AI: Navigating the Future of B2B Strategy
In an era of economic uncertainty and rapid technological advancement, large enterprises face unprecedented challenges in maintaining growth and efficiency. While many recognize the potential of AI, the path to implementation often remains unclear. This keynote cuts through the noise, offering a practical roadmap for leveraging AI to revolutionize enterprise sales strategies. While AI companies are creating AI agents to augment our work, how will our roles be augmented with AI?
Session takeaways:
- How AI will change the B2B sales landscape
- Discover how to overcome common barriers to AI adoption in large organizations, including data silos and change resistance
- Explore AI-driven strategies for lead generation, qualification, and nurturing in complex B2B environments
- Learn to balance AI automation with the human touch in high-stakes enterprise deals
- Gain insights into the evolving skill set required for sales professionals in an AI-augmented landscape
Drawing from global success stories and cutting-edge research, Sharon will explore how AI is reshaping the B2B sales landscape and provide actionable insights for thriving in this new post-AI age. This keynote is designed to inspire and equip sales leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to thrive in this new era.
- Culture Fluid: A New Mindset in an AI-Driven Age
Over the past few years, we’ve seen AI become a game-changer, excelling in what’s known as “Narrow AI”—performing specific tasks with speed and precision. But there’s a big difference between Narrow AI and the elusive “General AI”.
As we delegate repetitive tasks to AI systems, our focus must shift to sharpening the uniquely human skills that set us apart. This keynote is designed for business leaders who are determined to future-proof their organizations and careers in this AI-driven landscape.
Session Takeaways:
- What Will Be Outsourced vs. What Will Stay Human: Understand which roles and tasks are ripe for automation and where human ingenuity remains essential.
- How to Retain Your Competitive Edge: Learn practical steps to enhance uniquely human skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and relationship-building.
- Ready-to-Use Exercises for Today: Walk away with actionable strategies and exercises to keep yourself and your team relevant and indispensable.
In just 45 minutes, Sharon Gai will deliver a high-energy, insight-packed session, showing you what’s really happening in the AI world and what it means for businesses. This isn’t about catching up with AI—it’s about staying ahead with a strategy that emphasizes the human advantage.
- AI and the Future of Work: Thriving in the Age of Collaboration
The rise of AI is transforming the way we work, challenging traditional roles, and opening up unprecedented opportunities for innovation and productivity. But how can leaders and teams integrate AI into their workflows effectively without losing the human touch? In this session, Sharon Gai will explore the profound ways AI will reshape the workplace over the next decade, from redefining roles and responsibilities to fostering collaboration between humans and machines.
Sharon Gai will take you to the Alibaba offices in Hangzhou, China where she witnessed the smooth transition from human workers to AI agents. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to harness AI as a partner, not a replacement, ensuring their organizations stay agile, competitive, and future-proof in a rapidly evolving world. This session will inspire leaders to embrace AI as an ally in driving innovation and creating a workplace where human ingenuity and machine intelligence thrive together.
Session Takeaways:
- Learn how AI will redefine job roles and responsibilities, empowering employees to focus on creativity, strategy, and problem-solving while delegating repetitive tasks to machines.
- Discover practical ways to integrate AI tools into daily workflows, enhancing productivity and decision-making without losing the human perspective.
- Identify key skills and mindsets that will become indispensable in an AI-driven workplace, from data literacy to emotional intelligence and adaptability.
- Understand how to build ethical and transparent AI systems that employees trust and that align with organizational values.
- Gain practical insights into implementing AI at scale, including frameworks for evaluating tasks, choosing the right tools, and preparing teams for AI-enabled collaboration.
Sharon Gai has worked with TEDx, Singularity University, UBS, Deloitte, Walmart, LVMH, Nestle, Coca Cola, Lenovo, and many others. She is a RETHINK Retail’s Top Retail Expert 2026, Top AI Leader 2026 and a LinkedIn Community Top Voice in 2024.
Sharon Gai on the Future of Retail and E-Commerce.
Sharon has an Honors Bachelor’s degree in International Development from McGill and a Masters in Information Management from Columbia University. When she is not speaking, she is jamming on electric keyboards with her band, writing jokes for her stand up comedy set or sharing tips on how to maximize productivity.
Why Sharon Gai – Her deep Expertise
Unlike some speakers who simply report on the latest trends, female speaker Sharon Gai has worked in the trenches in one of the largest e-commerce and AI companies in the world. She has built marketplaces, presented to Heads of State, and advised CEO’s on digital strategies. She is regarded as an expert in her field, highly sought after by intelligence agencies, investment institutions, brands and retailers.
Sharon Gai has a talent for breaking down complex concepts in digital ecosystems into simple to understand and relatable language, enabling her audience to instantly connect with her material.
Sharon Gai: China’s rise in AI: From the world’s factory to the world’s AI lab
Apart from being a DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) speaker where she coined the term “Culture Fluid”, Sharon Gai uses the same agile methodology in a business setting, starting projects that have beat competitors and disrupted industries. Culture Fluid shows how businesses can be agile to fit the changing tides for a VUCA time ahead.
Sharon Gai uses first-hand experience and actionable insights to present a compelling vision of the future world and leaves the audience with tools and an approach to develop a strategy to succeed in the shifting landscape of the 21st century tech-driven and digital economy.