Building Enterprise AI with Startup Velocity with Microsoft’s Director of AI & Venture Ecosystems Taylor Black

AI is no longer a future bet — it’s a board-level mandate. But for corporate innovation leaders, the real question isn’t whether to invest in AI… it’s how to turn AI from experimentation theater into measurable enterprise value. Taylor Black, Director of AI & Venture Ecosystems in Microsoft’s Office of the CTO, works at the intersection of AI strategy, venture ecosystems, and internal venture building. Taylor brings a rare dual perspective: enterprise AI leadership inside one of the world’s largest technology companies — combined with firsthand startup-building experience. We unpack how AI takes impossible problems and makes them merely difficult, how this growth mindset of hyper abundance is paired with the enterprise rigor and the internal velocity needed to scale.