Biography
Ellen Williams is CEO at The Salient Strategist, Inc. She has over 25 years of experience as a technology and business process consultant, speaker, and writer. Ellen maintains her knowledge of technology advances and trends, most recently including sustainability and AI, so her communications are relevant to clients and audiences.
Ellen is also the host of Time To Press Pause: A Podcast for CEOs by CEOs. She interviews CEOs as they share their stories of when they needed to "press pause."
Ellen's presentations, articles, and business consulting deliver guidance on technology best practices. From CRM and marketing automation to ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and AI (Artificial Intelligence), she has advised thousands of small businesses and presented to over 20,000 attendees (collectively). Speaking in plain English rather than technology jargon, Ellen educates customers and audiences alike to achieve strategic alignment of their business processes and technology platforms.
Past keynotes, workshops, and panels include NYC Social Media Week, NYxPO, and Sage Software Partner Summit, and podcasts include Sustainable Minds, Shark Bite Biz Vodcast, Actionable ESG™️ Talks, and The ESG Show. As a professional writer, Ellen's articles appear in top publications including Inc. Technology, Crain’s NY Business, and Forbes.
Passion
Technology can be amazing and it can be frustrating. I've spent my career simplifying the use of technology and helping businesses of all sizes successfully select the best platforms, implement them, and achieve adoption. In 2019 I combined technology and sustainability, working with a platform that calculates carbon emissions. The decisions we make every day have an impact on the planet, so helping companies use technology to measure their carbon footprint so they can take actions to reduce them is exactly what I want to do!
And in 2023, I jumped on the AI bandwagon, and have created workshops including "Anyone Can Write Effective Generative AI Prompts" and "How to Create a Generative AI Strategy for Your Business" that are available for small events and industry conferences.
Featured Video
I am willing to travel
Up to 100 miles
When it comes to payments
I generally get paid for speaking but make exceptions
Topics
Origin Story
My technology journey started in 1985 when they put a computer on my desk and said, "Learn it." Since then I have been an avid technology user and teacher. My presentations are always educational and in plain English.
Being both a writer and speaker has enabled a very interesting career path. My entrepreneur days were spent presenting to small business organizations and at small business summits which led to spending 4 years as the NY/CT Regional Development Director at Constant Contact. This opportunity enabled me to continue presenting to the same audiences, however, my stages were bigger!
My return to entrepreneurship (as "The Data Chick") enabled me to expand my topics which caught the attention of the CEO at Orion Global Solutions. My 25+ years of technology knowledge combined with my writing and speaking expertise allowed me to create the Director, Advisory Services role and I was back to employee mode! After spending 5 years at Orion, it was time to don the entrepreneur hat once again.
In 2024 I launched The Salient Strategist, Inc. offering services that get CEOs out of the weeds. Having spent more than 30 years consulting with business leadership and assisting clients in making major business decisions, I am looking forward to building a business that leverages all the lessons I've learned along the way.
ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) are the most recent additions to my knowledge, allowing me to help clients and audiences understand how to leverage technology to do well and do good!
Example talks
The ESG Show #11 - Measurement of ESG and Scopes 1, 2 and 3
How we can use data in our decision-making processes to ensure our ESG strategies are effective and authentic?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKKobRZRmrE
Shark Bite Biz Vodcast - Talking About Selecting Technology and Sustainability
Finding a new tech solution is tough. Trying to find one that also helps with your carbon footprint, tougher. Shark Bite Biz's David Strausser chats with fellow Forbes Business Development Council Member, Ellen Williams, chatting about the works she does selling SalesForce with Orion Global Solutions.
Sustainability and ESG in Corporate America
In this podcast, Actionable ESG™️ Talks series, brought to you by AKFI (Actionable Knowledge Foundation Institute), we discussed:
• A perspective on the current state of digital transformation and ESG
• How to transition by focusing on People, Process, Technology, Sustainability
• Sustainability and Scope 3 reporting challenges
• Governance for diversity
https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:6954645476059099136/
How Remote Work Impacts DEI
In this webinar from Breaking the Glass, the panel of experts discusses how companies can use working remotely as a vehicle for creating greater diversity in their workforce.
Did You Know That? Podcast titled: What Do You Know About Data.
Ellen Williams doesn’t like wasting data. She knows the value contained in those bits and bytes, and she knows how to extract that value. (You don’t get the moniker, The Data Chick, for nothing.) On episode 2021:3 of Did You Know That? Ellen and I talk about data, what companies can do with it, and why they don't do anything with it (most of the time). The conversation is a good reminder that the service/product you produce isn’t the only valuable element of your business.