The AI Opportunity

Kenny Alegbe

Welcome to The AI Opportunity Hosted by Kenny Alegbe, The AI Opportunity is where business leaders learn how to turn AI from noise into real results. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we drop new episodes – a mix of short, sharp Q&As and in-depth conversations with leaders who’ve actually put AI to work. Each episode cuts through the hype with practical, no-nonsense advice on how to bring AI into your business to grow revenue, reduce costs, and manage risk — all in under 40 minutes.

  1. From Special Forces to AI: How Mission-Critical Thinking Shaped My Approach to AI in UK SME's with Chris Duffy

    FEB 5

    From Special Forces to AI: How Mission-Critical Thinking Shaped My Approach to AI in UK SME's with Chris Duffy

    In this episode of The AI Opportunity, we sit down with Chris Duffy, a former Special Forces communicator who spent 23 years in the British Army, working in mission-critical environments where technology had to work. Every time. Because failure wasn’t theoretical, it had consequences. Chris shares what it’s like to trust technology under real pressure, and how those experiences now shape the way he helps businesses adopt AI. His perspective is refreshingly blunt: most AI projects don’t fail because the tech is bad – they fail because leaders treat AI like a shortcut instead of a capability that has to be earned, tested, and trusted. We dig into why 70–85% of AI initiatives stall, what Special Forces thinking gets right about tools and decision-making, and why process, culture, and leadership behaviour matter far more than chasing the latest model. If you’re tired of AI hype and want grounded lessons from someone who’s worked where failure isn’t an option, this conversation will change how – and when – you trust technology. Chapters 00:00 - From Special Forces to AI: Why This Shift Made Sense 03:04 - Why Most Businesses Don’t Know Where AI Actually Helps 07:55 - What the Military Gets Right About Technology Adoption 10:31 - Communication and Decision-Making Under Pressure 12:43 - A Practical Framework for Evaluating AI Tools 15:34 - Why AI Adoption Lives or Dies With Leadership 18:08 - Giving Teams Permission to Use AI Without Losing Control 19:33 - Quick Fire Round: A Case Study in Retail AI Find us on socials: 🔗 Follow Kenny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyalegbe/ 🤖 Follow Brim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinbrim/ 📩 For business or guest inquiries: hello@joinbrim.ai

    23 min
  2. When AI Makes Sense (and When It Doesn’t) in Traditional Businesses with Andrew Deutsch (Fangled Group)

    JAN 29

    When AI Makes Sense (and When It Doesn’t) in Traditional Businesses with Andrew Deutsch (Fangled Group)

    AI doesn’t win by being everywhere. It wins by being used intentionally. In this episode of The AI Opportunity, Kenny sits down with Andrew Deutsch, CEO of Fangled Group, to unpack how leaders should really think about applying AI inside long-established, traditional businesses. Andrew brings decades of experience turning around companies – including a 70-year-old manufacturing business – and shares why low-tech solutions sometimes outperform high-tech ones, how to spot real bottlenecks, and where AI genuinely creates leverage versus unnecessary complexity. A practical, grounded discussion for CEOs, COOs, and operators who want results and who know that good judgment still matters in an AI-driven world. Chapters 00:25 – Introduction to Andrew Deutsch 01:34 – From Global Trade to Turning Around 70-Year-Old Businesses 02:36 – Low-Tech vs High-Tech: How Leaders Decide What Actually Works 06:10 – Leading Through Change: Bridging Old Experience and New Technology 11:02 – Where AI Delivers Real ROI: Sales, Marketing, and Customer Insight 14:34 – Tool or Toy? Why AI Without Intent Fails 17:45 – Predictive Intelligence: Moving From Monthly Panic to Real-Time Clarity 22:40 – Quick Fire Round: Leadership Lessons That Stick Find us on socials: 🔗 Follow Kenny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyalegbe/ 🤖 Follow Brim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinbrim/ 📩 For business or guest inquiries: hello@joinbrim.ai

    27 min
  3. Building Confident AI Leadership Through Executive Literacy with Allegra Guinan (Lumiera)

    JAN 22

    Building Confident AI Leadership Through Executive Literacy with Allegra Guinan (Lumiera)

    AI is moving fast, and for a lot of leaders it can feel like you’re expected to understand everything all at once. In this episode of The AI Opportunity, Kenny speaks with Allegra Guinan, Co-Founder and CTO of Lumiera, about what executives really need in order to lead well through AI change. Drawing on her background in machine learning and her work educating senior leaders, Allegra explains why executives don’t need to become AI experts to make good decisions. Instead, she shares how AI literacy, clear problem definition, and asking the right questions help leaders navigate uncertainty, avoid over-engineering, and make more grounded choices about where AI fits in their organisation. They talk about building confidence without pretending to know everything, why AI adoption works better when it starts with real problems, and why many companies discover that their first AI work is more about people, culture, and alignment than technology itself. This episode is for CEOs, COOs, CFOs, and leadership teams who want to approach AI thoughtfully, build confidence across their organisation, and move forward without rushing or guessing. Chapters 00:25 - Introduction to Allegra Guinan 02:49 - Why Executives Don’t Need to Be AI Experts 06:33 - Understanding AI Through Practical, Everyday Examples 09:01 - Starting With Real Problems, Not Technology 10:43 - What AI Readiness Actually Looks Like Inside Organizations 13:07 - A Real Executive Case Study on AI Readiness 15:40 - Why People and Culture Decide AI Success 18:30 - Bringing the Workforce Along 22:05 - Common Executive Pitfalls in AI Adoption 28:13 - Consumer AI vs Enterprise AI at Scale 30:29 - Shadow AI, Governance, and Responsible Use 32:28 - Defining Success Before Building AI 35:21 - Quick Fire Round: Where AI Creates Real Business Value Find us on socials: 🔗 Follow Kenny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyalegbe/ 🤖 Follow Brim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinbrim/ 📩 For business or guest inquiries: hello@joinbrim.ai

    39 min
  4. Scaling Financial Advice With AI Without Losing Trust with David Snider

    JAN 15

    Scaling Financial Advice With AI Without Losing Trust with David Snider

    AI promises to scale expertise – but in regulated, high-stakes domains like finance and tax, getting it wrong can be costly. In this episode of The AI Opportunity, Kenny sits down with David Snider, Founder & CEO of Harness, to unpack what responsible AI adoption really looks like when precision, trust, and compliance matter. David shares lessons from his career spanning Bain Capital, private equity, CFO/COO roles, and entrepreneurship – including why generic AI answers often fail in real financial contexts, how to introduce AI incrementally without scaring conservative users, and where automation genuinely creates leverage for advisors and operators. Rather than chasing shiny tools, this conversation focuses on practical workflows, clear guardrails, and keeping humans firmly in control. Chapters: 00:25 - Introduction to David Snider and Harness 02:40 - Why Harness Was Built and the Problem It Solves 04:49 - Using AI in Financial Advice Without Losing Trust 09:25 - Delivering Value to Clients Over Time 13:03 - Introducing AI in Conservative, High-Risk Industries 17:28 - Vertical AI vs General-Purpose Tools 20:07 - Data Governance, Guardrails, and Responsible AI 24:11 - Culture, Behaviour Change, and Adoption Realities 25:53 - Quick Fire Round: Practical AI Takeaways Find us on socials: 🔗 Follow Kenny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyalegbe/ 🤖 Follow Brim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinbrim/ 📩 For business or guest inquiries: hello@joinbrim.ai

    33 min
  5. 12/18/2025

    How to Run AI Projects That Deliver Business Value with Mark Daniel Ward and Katie Sanders

    Many companies know they should be investing in AI and data – but far fewer know how to run those projects well. In this episode, Kenny speaks with Mark Daniel Ward and Katie Sanders from The Data Mine at Purdue University about what business leaders need to understand before launching AI, LLM, or data-driven initiatives. Drawing on years of hands-on work with companies like Cummins and Eli Lilly, Mark and Katie break down what it takes to run AI and LLM projects that deliver real business value. They explain how to scope initiatives so they move beyond experimentation, set realistic timelines, and avoid common execution pitfalls. The conversation also covers how to structure projects with clear ownership, checkpoints, and auditability, and how leaders can recognise when a data project is ready to scale – or when it’s time to stop. For CEOs, COOs, and CFOs navigating their first or next AI project, this episode offers a grounded, execution-focused playbook for moving from experimentation to impact. Learn more about the Data Mine here: https://datamine.purdue.edu/ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Data Mine and Its Mission 04:09 Challenges in AI and Data for Large Enterprises 05:57 The Impact of Students in Organisations 10:12 Project Management and Business Outcomes 11:51 Diverse Projects and Applications of AI 16:18 Framework for Companies and Leaders to Start with AI 19:53 Debunking Myths About AI in Organizations 23:02 Advice for Executives on AI Projects 26:52 Final Quick Fire Questions Find us on our socials: 🔗 Follow Kenny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyalegbe/ 🤖 Follow Brim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinbrim/ 📩 For business or guest inquiries: hello@joinbrim.ai

    34 min
  6. 12/11/2025

    The Hidden Security Risks of AI And How to Prevent Them with Donato Capitella

    AI agents are rapidly entering the enterprise — but with new power comes new risk. In this episode, Kenny sits down with Donato Capitella, a principal security consultant and ethical hacker with 14+ years of experience breaking into systems before the bad actors do. Together, they unpack the real security challenges behind AI agents and GenAI adoption. Donato explains why prompt injection has become one of the most common attack vectors, how AI-powered workflows can unintentionally leak sensitive data, and why organisations should treat every LLM output as untrusted. Drawing on his experience reviewing 50+ enterprise GenAI implementations, he shares what teams consistently overlook and how leaders can design safer, more resilient AI systems before they hit production. It’s a practical, grounded conversation for COOs, CTOs, and product leaders looking to strengthen security and deploy AI agents safely without slowing innovation. Mentioned in the podcast: The LLM Application Security Canvas: https://reversec.com/service/generative-ai-security/ Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction to AI and Security 05:04 – Understanding Ethical Hacking and Generative AI 08:04 – Security Challenges in AI Implementation 10:08 – The Concept of Prompt Injection and Its Risks 16:03 – Guardrails for AI Implementation 24:00 – Biggest Opportunities in AI 31:33 – Advice for Leaders on AI Use Cases Find us on socials: 🔗 Follow Kenny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyalegbe/ 🤖 Follow Brim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinbrim/ 📩 For business or guest inquiries: hello@joinbrim.ai

    34 min

About

Welcome to The AI Opportunity Hosted by Kenny Alegbe, The AI Opportunity is where business leaders learn how to turn AI from noise into real results. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we drop new episodes – a mix of short, sharp Q&As and in-depth conversations with leaders who’ve actually put AI to work. Each episode cuts through the hype with practical, no-nonsense advice on how to bring AI into your business to grow revenue, reduce costs, and manage risk — all in under 40 minutes.