Fifteen years ahead of the curve. The expert in your corner.

One of the UK's most experienced AI and digital skills experts, working with organisations that want to get this right.

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Most businesses know AI matters.
Few know where to start.

The noise around AI is relentless. New tools, new headlines, new pressure to act. But acting without a strategy is expensive, and doing nothing is riskier still.

I work with business leaders who want to get this right. Not just adopt AI for the sake of it, but genuinely understand where it fits, what it can do for their specific business, and how to bring their people with them on the journey.

The real barrier to AI isn't technology.
It's confidence.

Businesses don't fail at AI because the tools aren't good enough. They fail because their people don't feel equipped to use them. The jargon is intimidating, the pace of change is exhausting, and most training scratches the surface without building real capability.

What actually works is helping people understand AI in a way that sticks. That means knowing the language, understanding what these tools can and can't do, and feeling genuinely confident enough to try things, make mistakes, and come up with their own solutions.

I work with organisations at every level of that journey. From leaders who need to know enough to make good decisions, to teams who need the hands-on skills to use AI tools confidently in their day to day work. The goal is always the same: AI literacy that goes deep enough to actually change how people work, not just a tick-box training session that gets forgotten by Friday. It becomes part of your DNA, part of how your team thinks and operates every day, until they know what the tools are capable of and start coming up with their own AI solutions to existing business problems.

We have never had a more urgent need to get this right. The gap between businesses that build genuine AI capability and those that don't is widening every month. I act as a trusted partner, working alongside you to close that gap.

Working with me

There are a few ways organisations typically work with me, and the right one depends entirely on where you are and what you need.

Some want an experienced AI strategist embedded in the business on a fractional basis, someone who understands the technology, the people side of it, and how to move an organisation forward without the chaos that comes from acting without a plan. That is the work I do most and enjoy most.

Others need something more focused: a workshop, a team session, a strategic review, or a one-off consultancy engagement to get unstuck and moving in the right direction. I work with leadership teams, HR and L&D functions, and boards who need clarity rather than another vendor trying to sell them something.

And some organisations need a credible, experienced voice for their event. I speak regularly on AI strategy, AI skills and workforce readiness, and the broader implications of artificial intelligence for business and society. If you need someone who can hold a room and make a complex subject land without the jargon, get in touch.

The best starting point for all of it is a conversation. Book a free discovery call and we will work out whether and how I can help.

Book a Free Discovery Call

Speaking and events

Joanna is a seasoned, enthusiastic speaker and panellist with fifteen years of experience communicating about digital skills and technology to audiences across every sector. She has appeared on television, spoken on podcasts, delivered parliamentary briefings, presented at academic and industry conferences, and addressed live audiences of up to a thousand people, from business leaders and researchers to policymakers and the general public. As comfortable running a practical hands-on workshop for a team of twenty as she is on a main stage, she brings the same clarity and directness to every format.

Joanna speaks plainly, without jargon, and leaves audiences genuinely more knowledgeable, whether that is a keynote that reframes how a room thinks about AI, a panel contribution that cuts through the noise, or a workshop that sends people back to their desks with real capability they didn't have before. She is available for keynotes, panel appearances, conference speaking and workshop delivery across the UK and internationally.

To discuss a speaking or workshop engagement, get in touch at joanna@joannawake.com

Joanna Wake, AI Strategy and Skills Consultant

Hi, I'm Joanna.

I've spent years working at the intersection of technology, skills and business strategy. I founded and sold RAW Digital Training, led public affairs at one of the UK's leading apprenticeship providers, and spent nine years in central government policy. I know what it takes to help organisations navigate change, and I know that the people side of it is always the hardest part.

When AI started accelerating, I threw myself into understanding it properly. Not just the tools, but the strategy, the skills, the human impact and the very real risk of businesses and people being left behind. I became UK Brand Ambassador for SheAI, a UN-certified AI education platform, and I now work with organisations across the UK helping them find their footing in a fast-moving landscape. She is the founder of Situate AI, an AI training company helping businesses build practical capability in tools including Claude and Microsoft Copilot.

I built this business because I believe every leader deserves to feel confident about AI, not anxious, not overwhelmed, and definitely not left behind.

A track record you can trust

Two-time founder with over a decade building and scaling businesses across the private, public and third sectors, membership bodies and charities, starting in 2013
Multi-award winning digital skills leader recognised nationally for innovation and impact across every sector and business type
UK Brand Ambassador for SheAI, a UN-certified AI education platform operating globally
Early adopter of AI strategy and implementation, with a career built around AI skills, courses and staying at the forefront of a fast-moving landscape
Nine years in central government policy, including senior roles shaping skills and education strategy
Sought-after AI speaker at conferences and events across the UK, with experience of TV, podcasts and live audiences of up to a thousand people
Senior leadership role at a national training provider where I drove digital transformation, changed national apprenticeship policy, and introduced AI courses in 2024
Board experience including Tees Valley Combined Authority LEP and TechUK Skills Council
Connect with Joanna on LinkedIn

Getting started is simple

1

Book a free discovery call

A relaxed 20-minute conversation to understand where you are and whether working together is the right fit.

2

We agree a plan

Whether that's a retainer, a one-off session, or something in between, we agree the right starting point for you.

3

We get to work

You get clarity, momentum and a trusted partner in your corner as AI continues to evolve.

Book Your Free Discovery Call

Ready to get started?

Book a free 20-minute discovery call and let's talk about where AI fits in your world.

Book a Free Discovery Call

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