Enid-Mai Jones
Clarity That Moves People. Strategy That Moves Organizations.
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
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Enid-Mai Jones does not talk about transformation in the abstract. She has lived it — in boardrooms, budget cycles, and staff meetings where real organizational change happens.
As the founder and CEO of EMJ Consulting LLC and its AI consulting division, InsightfulAI Strategies, Enid-Mai equips association and nonprofit leaders to build learning portfolios that drive revenue, adopt artificial intelligence with intention and ethics, and lead with the kind of clarity that moves organizations forward when the stakes are high.
Her proof is specific. At LifeSpan Network, Maryland's premier senior care association, she scaled educational programming from 35 to more than 100 annual events, grew conference attendance by 106 percent, and increased non-dues revenue by 160 percent — from $350,000 to $1.5 million. She has managed budgets up to $3 million, led teams across 17 state chapters, and built certification programs with a 90 percent first-year pass rate.
Enid-Mai holds dual master's degrees from the University of Kansas and credentials including the Certified Association Executive (CAE), Certified Association AI Professional (AAiP), and Certified Diversity Executive (CDE). She is an ASAE DELP alumna and has spoken at United Way Worldwide, the National Leadership Alliance, and the American Society of Association Executives.
Her sessions are built to move people — not just inform them. Attendees leave with a framework they can use the next morning.
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AI Is in the Building. Your Strategy Is Not.
A practical framework for association and nonprofit leaders navigating artificial intelligence without losing their mission or their people.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future consideration. It is already within your organization — in the tools your staff quietly uses, in the platforms your vendors have upgraded, and in the expectations your members bring to every interaction.
The question is no longer whether AI will change how your organization operates. The question is whether your leadership will shape that change or simply react to it.
This session equips association and nonprofit leaders with a clear, ethics-first framework for evaluating, adopting, and scaling AI tools in ways that strengthen — rather than compromise — their mission, their culture, and their member relationships.
Drawing on hands-on consulting experience with mission-driven organizations and over two decades of association leadership, this talk moves beyond the hype to deliver a decision-making structure that leaders can use immediately.
Attendees will leave with a practical roadmap, not a vendor pitch. This is an AI strategy built from within the sector by someone who has lived it.
Key Takeaways:
* A three-part framework for evaluating AI tools against mission, ethics, and operational readiness
How to lead staff through AI adoption without creating fear or resistance
* The three questions every association leader must ask before implementing any AI solution
* How to build an AI policy that protects your organization and positions it for growth
Audience: Executive Directors, VPs of Operations, Senior Leadership Teams, Board Members
Length: 45 minutes | 60 minutes | 90-minute workshop
Your Education Department Is Sitting on Untapped Revenue
How association leaders transform learning portfolios from cost centers into strategic revenue engines.
Most associations run educational programs. Very few treat education as a revenue strategy. The result is a department that works hard, delivers real value, and still cannot justify its budget at the board table.
This session changes that conversation.
Drawing on direct experience scaling association educational portfolios from 35 to more than 100 annual events, growing non-dues revenue by 160 percent, and building certification programs with 90 percent first-year pass rates, this talk gives learning and association leaders a concrete framework for connecting program design to financial performance.
This is not a session about doing more. It is a session about doing what you already do with a strategy behind it — so that your education department becomes one of the most defensible investments in your organization's budget.
Key Takeaways:
* The structural difference between an education calendar and a learning revenue strategy
* How to audit your current portfolio for untapped revenue opportunities without adding staff or budget
* A pricing and positioning framework for workshops, certifications, and on-demand content
*How to present your learning portfolio's financial case to a board that is skeptical of program spending
Previously titled: Unleashing the Dynamic Potential of Professional Development & Engagement in Membership Associations
Reston-Loudon Ideas Swap for Associations, January 2024
Audience: VPs of Education, Directors of Professional Development, Executive Directors, Chief Operating Officers
The Weight of Every Decision
What it actually takes to lead with clarity, courage, and humanity when the stakes are real.
Leadership literature is full of frameworks. What it rarely addresses is the weight — the actual experience of making decisions that affect people's livelihoods, their sense of belonging, and their belief in the organization's mission. That weight does not go away with a better strategy document. It requires a different kind of leader.
This session is for leaders who are done performing confidence they do not feel and are ready to build the kind of grounded, courageous leadership that actually moves organizations forward. Drawing on more than twenty years of executive leadership across associations, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations — including scaling teams, managing multimillion-dollar budgets, and leading through institutional change — this talk is honest, practical, and built for the complexity leaders are actually living.
It addresses decisions without clear answers, moments when values and politics collide, and the daily practice of leading people with integrity as the environment keeps shifting.
Key Takeaways:
* A decision-making framework built for high-stakes, values-driven environments
* How to lead through organizational change without losing the trust of your team
* The difference between positional authority and earned leadership — and how to build the latter
* How to sustain your own clarity and conviction when external pressure is constant
Audience: Senior Leaders, Executive Directors, Emerging Executives, Women in Leadership, Leadership Development Programs
Length: 45 minutes | 60 minutes | 90-minute workshop
Beyond Limits: Mastering the Art of Connection in a Diverse World
In "Beyond Limits: Mastering the Art of Connection in a Diverse World," participants will embark on a transformative journey to enhance their ability to connect and collaborate effectively in today's diverse workplace. This dynamic session focuses on equipping attendees with the skills and mindset to navigate cultural differences, communicate inclusively, and build meaningful relationships across diverse backgrounds. Through interactive discussions, practical exercises, and real-world examples, participants will gain insights into the importance of empathy, active listening, and perspective-taking in fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging. By mastering the art of connection, attendees will unlock the full potential of diversity within their teams and organizations, driving innovation, collaboration, and success in today's globalized and interconnected world.
Objectives:
1. Develop cultural competence: Participants will gain an understanding of diverse perspectives, values, and communication styles, enabling them to navigate interactions with individuals from different cultural backgrounds with sensitivity and respect.
2. Enhance empathy and perspective-taking skills: Participants will cultivate empathy and the ability to see situations from multiple viewpoints, fostering deeper connections and understanding across diverse groups.
3. Strengthen inclusive communication skills: Participants will learn strategies for fostering inclusive communication, including active listening, asking questions, and seeking clarification, to create environments where all voices are heard and valued.
4. Identify and address unconscious biases: Participants will explore their own unconscious biases and develop strategies to recognize and mitigate biases that may impact their interactions and decision-making processes.
5. Foster meaningful connections: Participants will learn techniques for building authentic connections and relationships across diverse backgrounds, leading to greater collaboration, innovation, and success in personal and professional contexts.
Audience: United Way Worldwide Staff
Length: 60 minutes
July 2024
Beyond the Hype: An Ethical Decision Framework for Smart AI Adoption in Nonprofits
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future consideration for nonprofits. It is already within your organization — in the tools your staff is quietly using, in the platforms your vendors have upgraded, and in the expectations your communities bring to every interaction.
Most nonprofit leaders are asking the wrong question. They ask, "What tool should we buy?" when the more important questions are: Are we ready? Does this serve our mission? Will this protect the communities we depend on us?
This session delivers a practical, ethics-first decision-making framework for evaluating and adopting AI tools strategically rather than reactively. It moves leaders beyond "AI for AI's sake" toward mission-aligned technology adoption that delivers measurable results while protecting organizational values and the vulnerable populations nonprofits exist to serve.
The framework addresses the challenges nonprofit leaders most often face: decision paralysis when evaluating tools, limited budgets competing with essential programs, staff resistance to change, and legitimate concerns about data privacy and algorithmic harm. Through real-world examples, attendees will see what thoughtful AI integration actually looks like inside organizations like theirs.
Central to this session is the justice imperative that too many AI conversations skip entirely — how to audit tools for bias, ensure equitable access, and protect the communities your organization serves from harm they did not consent to and cannot easily see.
Attendees leave with four practical tools they can use immediately: an AI Readiness Assessment, a Technology ROI Calculator designed for resource-constrained organizations, an AI Bias and Ethics Checklist, and an Ethical AI Decision Tree.
No technical background required. Designed for leaders who need to make informed decisions, not become engineers.
Key Takeaways:
* A replicable framework for evaluating AI tools against mission, ethics, and organizational readiness
* Concrete strategies for auditing AI tools for bias and protecting vulnerable populations from algorithmic harm
* A practical approach to building staff buy-in and managing resistance to technology change
* Four ready-to-use tools: AI Readiness Assessment, ROI Calculator, Bias and Ethics Checklist, and Ethical AI Decision Tree
Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, Elevate Conference, February 2026
Audience: Executive Directors, Senior Leadership Teams, Program Directors, Board Members, Operations and Technology Staff
Length: 45 minutes | 60 minutes | 90-minute workshop
Career Tank and Power Moves Now!: Advancing and Negotiating Your Next Step
You have done the work. You have the experience, the credentials, and the results. And yet something keeps stalling — the promotion that goes to someone else, the offer that comes in lower than you deserve, the next step that feels just out of reach.
This session is for professionals who are done waiting and ready to move.
Career Tank and Power Moves Now! is a high-energy, honest conversation about what it actually takes to advance your career, negotiate what you are worth, and make the kind of bold, strategic moves that change your trajectory. It addresses the full picture — because being qualified is never enough on its own. You also have to know how to position yourself, how to negotiate without apology, and how to take decisive action when opportunity appears, even if you do not feel completely ready.
This session cuts through the noise and delivers a practical framework for professionals at every stage — whether you are finding your footing, navigating a mid-career pivot, or preparing to make your most significant move yet. The conversation is direct, the tools are immediately usable, and the energy in the room will not let you leave without a plan.
Because the career you want is not waiting for permission. And neither should you.
Key Takeaways:
1) A clear personal positioning strategy that communicates your value before you ever enter a negotiation
2) A negotiation framework built for professionals who have been taught to be grateful rather than strategic
3) How to identify and act on your next move with confidence — even when the timing does not feel perfect
4) Practical tools for overcoming the visibility gap between being qualified and being chosen
5) A powerful action plan you leave the session with and execute immediately
2026 FORWARD WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP FORUM, February 2026
Audience: Women in mid-career ready to advance to their next level, early-career professionals building momentum and confidence, and all professionals navigating transitions, pivots, or their next strategic career move. This session is especially
powerful for conferences, leadership development programs, women's professional networks, and association membership events.
Length: 45 minutes | 60 minutes | 90-minute workshop
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