Keynote Speaker | Executive Catalyst | 4X Best Selling Author
Chris Dessi.
CEO, Torque AI · MIT Sloan Executive Certificate · TEDx Speaker
The rooms that book Chris aren’t looking for someone to explain AI. They need someone who will walk in and say the thing everyone already knows — and then show them exactly what to do about it.
See Chris is Action
The operator who will say what your team needs to hear
Keynote Topics
Four talks engineered to produce decisions, not just inspiration.
Every keynote is custom-built for your audience — industry-specific, role-appropriate, and designed to shift what happens after people leave the room.
“Your competitors already made the decision you’re still debating.”
The keynote that breaks the spell. Chris walks executive audiences through exactly where they are in the AI adoption curve, why 90% of companies are stuck in the same three failure modes, and the specific moves that create competitive separation right now.
Best For: C-suite teams, leadership offsites, annual conferences, industry events
45–90 min · Workshop add-on available
“The Remarkable Leader: Building Authority in the Age of AI”
As AI commoditizes tasks, what makes a human leader irreplaceable? Chris draws on a decade of personal branding expertise and work with thousands of executives to reveal what distinguishes the leaders who rise from those who get passed by.
Best For: Leadership development, HR conferences, executive onboarding
45–60 min · Coaching follow-up available
“Stop Talking About AI. Start Using It.”
A hands-on session for revenue teams where AI theory meets real workflow change. Attendees leave with specific tools, prompting frameworks, and productivity systems they can use the next business day.
Best For: Sales kickoffs, revenue team offsites, B2B conferences
60–90 min · Workshop format available
“The AI Gap: Why Some Companies Accelerate and Others Disappear”
A hard look at the real reason AI transformation fails — it’s not the technology, it’s the leadership. Chris breaks down the organizational patterns that separate the companies defining the next decade from those being left behind.
Best For: Financial services, professional services, healthcare leadership teams
60 min · Includes pre-event diagnostic
Need a custom keynote? We’ve got you covered.
Past Stages
From boardrooms to battleships —
every room is different
Chris has delivered a TEDX talk, spoken to senior executive teams, national conference audiences, and 100-seat invite-only events for leaders who needed the conversation forced.
Call Chris
+1 (646) 645 4171
AI SUMMIT NYC
He doesn’t just speak
at events. He builds them.
AI Summit NYC is Chris’s invite-only event for senior leaders who are serious about implementation — not exploration. Real use cases. Proven systems. The right people in the same room.
About Chris
Built from experience,
not observation
Chris Dessi is the CEO of Torque AI and one of the most sought-after speakers on AI transformation for executive teams. But the credential that matters most isn’t the MIT certificate, the television appearances, or the four bestselling books. It’s that he’s actually run businesses — and felt the full weight of what that means.
He built Silverback Social from the ground up and sold it. Before that, he was part of the leadership team at Buddy Media — which Salesforce acquired for $1 billion. He knows what it costs to make payroll when you’re not sure it’s going to clear, and what it feels like to lose a key client on a Friday and face your team on Monday.
“Entrepreneurship is horrible. And then it’s amazing. And then it’s horrible again. And I wouldn’t trade any of it.”
That’s exactly why executive audiences trust him from the first five minutes. He’s not there to impress them. He’s there to help them move.
MIT Sloan Executive Certificate MS, New York University BA Psychology, Loyola TEDX Speaker Certified Scrum Master
WHY CHRIS DESSI
The difference between a speaker and a catalyst
Most AI keynotes leave the audience informed. Chris leaves them activated — and that’s a different experience entirely.
01
An operator, not an academic
He built and sold companies. Felt the payroll fear. Lost clients and found his way back. When he talks about transformation, he’s speaking from scar tissue — not research papers.
02
He creates productive tension
Chris will say the thing everyone in the room is already thinking and nobody will say out loud. That tension is exactly what moves organizations from contemplation to action.
03
Translates complexity into motion
His superpower isn’t depth on any single technology — it’s compressing 10 years of executive confusion into 2 hours of absolute clarity. Audiences leave knowing exactly what to do next.
04
Earned emotional credibility
He speaks publicly about the weight of leadership — the fear, the failure, the recovery. In rooms full of leaders carrying the same things, that honesty hits differently than any framework slide.
Book Chris
Every room he walks into
leaves different.
Each engagement is custom-built around your audience’s actual state — not a generic slide deck. Speaking fees start at $10,000. Availability is limited.
Half Day or Full Day
Conference Keynote
Private Workshop
Clients’ Reviews
After the keynote,
something shifts.
What Audiences Say
“Captivating, energetic, approachable, and dynamic. Not only did we learn best practices, we experienced how contagious high-energy enthusiasm and a love of what you do can be. If you’re looking to motivate and energize your team — invite Chris.
National Sales Meeting keynote
Jacqueline Merl Bamman — CHRO / Board & Compensation Advisor
“His keynote on personal branding was highly praised by attendees, with many post-summit surveys calling it the best of the day. His energy, passion, and insight kept a full auditorium captivated throughout the speech.
Marquette University Digital Summit
William Fischer – Global Brand & Advertising, Boeing
“One of the best presentations I’ve ever sat in on. Awesome energy and the personal touch put it over the edge. His PowerPoint is going to be a great addition to my toolkit as I continue to fight the good fight and change the culture of my organization.
Corporate training session
Jon Kinsella – Sr. Manager, Digital Marketing & Platform
Trusted by Industry-Leading Brands and Local Experts
Chris Dessi helps executive teams stop talking about AI—and start using it.
A former CEO who built and sold a digital agency, Chris now advises leaders on how to cut through complexity, align their teams, and implement AI in ways that drive real business outcomes. Known for his direct, no-fluff approach, he focuses on what most organizations get wrong: not technology, but execution.
Company
Contact Us
Trademark Torque AI, Inc 2026
info@torqueapp.ai