Speaker · Practitioner · NBA Front Office Executive
I don't talk about AI theory. I talk about what actually works.
10 years building and deploying innovation inside an NBA organization gives me something most speakers don't have: a real track record. Every talk I give is grounded in what we built, what failed, what stuck, and what it actually takes to get an organization moving.
David Long
VP, Digital & Innovation — Portland Trail Blazers
Speaking topics
Talks built from real deployments.
Finding the Friction: A Problem-First Approach to AI Adoption
Most organizations fail at AI because they start with the tool instead of the problem. This talk walks through the Ignition Method — a structured framework for surfacing the real workflow pain your teams live with every day, prioritizing by business impact, and building solutions that actually get adopted. Practical, repeatable, and grounded in 80+ real deployments.
Innovation From the Inside Out: How Non-Technical Teams Build Real Solutions
You don't need a data science team to build tools that save thousands of hours. This talk covers how the Trail Blazers democratized innovation across departments — giving marketing, HR, ticketing, and fan experience teams the confidence and methodology to identify and build their own solutions, without waiting on IT or an outside vendor.
Past appearances
Where David has spoken.
Conference · Austin, TX · 2025
Winning With Gen AI: Trail Blazers' Blueprint for Success — SXSW
Featured speaker at SXSW 2025 on how the Portland Trail Blazers operationalized generative AI across departments — reducing hiring costs 30% through automation and democratizing AI beyond IT.
View session ↗Podcast · Stanford GSB · Live at SXSW
Say What Sucks — Think Fast Talk Smart, Ep. 205
Featured on Stanford GSB's flagship podcast, recorded live at SXSW. Discussed how surfacing employee frustrations — not top-down mandates — drives real AI adoption inside organizations.
Listen to the episode ↗Publication · Stanford University
Recognized by Stanford professor Jeremy Utley
Featured in a piece by Stanford's Jeremy Utley on how organizations move from operational efficiency to what was previously thought impossible — using the Trail Blazers as the benchmark case study.
Read the article ↗Keynote · Major League Soccer
Briefed all MLS Presidents on AI operationalization
Presented to all MLS Presidents as a model for how professional sports organizations adopt and scale innovation — recognized across leagues as a replicable framework for real-world impact.
Featured listen
Say What Sucks: Catalyzing Organizational Change with AI
Recorded live at SXSW for Stanford GSB's Think Fast Talk Smart podcast — one of the clearest distillations of how the Ignition Method works and why starting with employee frustration, not technology, is the key to real organizational change.
Think Fast Talk Smart · Episode 205
Say What Sucks: Catalyzing Organizational Change with AI
A live SXSW panel on how employee complaints illuminate the path to organizational innovation. Hosted by Matt Abrahams of Stanford GSB.
Also featured
More stages. More rooms that matter.
Conference + Podcast · SBJ
SBJ Drive Conference & Morning Buzzcast
Spoke at SBJ Drive — then cited by Sports Business Journal's own hosts on their Morning Buzzcast as a standout takeaway from the conference.
Hear the mention ↗Conference · MLB
MLB Technology Conference
Spoke to Major League Baseball technology leaders on building AI solutions that drive measurable results.
Live Event · Section
Inside an NBA Team's AI Strategy
Joined Section CEO Greg Shove to discuss how the Trail Blazers map AI to real business value — KPIs, adoption, and org-wide transformation.
Watch the recording ↗Speaking inquiries
Interested in having David speak at your event?
David speaks to sports business audiences, enterprise leadership teams, and innovation-focused conferences. Talks can be tailored to your audience — from a 20-minute keynote to a half-day workshop. If you're putting together a program and think there's a fit, reach out.
What to expect
- Talks grounded in real deployments, not borrowed case studies
- Available for keynotes, panels, and workshop formats
- Audiences: sports business, enterprise leadership, innovation teams
- Can pair with an Ignition Method workshop for deeper engagement
- Responds within 48 hours