Kevin Williams

Kevin Williams is a five-time CEO and the Founder of Ascend AI, where he advises boards, executives, and leadership teams on the adoption, risk, and governance of artificial intelligence. With a background spanning machine learning, digital marketing, and international business growth, Kevin has launched four commercial LLM-based products, exited a prior company to private equity, and built a career at the intersection of commerce, technology, and organizational change. He has been cited by leading media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Inc. Magazine as a primary source on business, technology, and innovation.

Kevin serves as a confidential advisor to federal and state lawmakers, public company CEOs, and founders navigating the strategic, operational, and societal implications of AI. His private advisory practice supports high-net-worth individuals and senior executives who need a trusted thinking partner on decisions where the stakes are high and the playbook doesn't exist yet.
He has led large-scale AI programs for multi-billion-dollar global organizations in sectors including entertainment, consumer products, marketing services, property management, and environmental services, helping leadership teams and employees integrate AI quickly and effectively. His approach starts with the human side: working with the C-suite to frame what's actually possible, then building foundational AI literacy across the organization before any tools get deployed. It's a method that turns skeptics into champions and ensures adoption sticks.

Beyond enterprise implementation, Kevin is a vocal voice on the broader societal impacts of AI, including workforce displacement, algorithmic risk, and the governance gaps that emerge when technology outpaces policy. He advises the Utah Governor's Office of AI Policy and the Utah Department of Commerce, and co-chairs the Responsible AI Initiative at the University of Utah, grounding his perspective in both boardroom realities and the policy conversations shaping what comes next.

Through Ascend AI's AI Ambassador Program and across 50+ client engagements, Kevin and his team have trained more than 1,000 professionals to work with AI confidently and responsibly. He brings a complementary focus on cultural fit, leadership alignment, and lean execution to ensure Schindler's initiative delivers fast results while laying the groundwork for global scale.