Sam Gao 高山
I help organizations find out how mature their AI really is, and how to make it better. Founder of Maturity Labs.
Now
- WorkLeading AI maturity appraisals and AI transformation programs at Maturity Labs.
- WritingFinishing a book on AI transformation for software companies.
- SpeakingTalking with leadership teams about why AI programs stall, and how to measure the ones that work.
About
I spent my first ten years writing software. I spent the next twenty helping organizations improve how they build it, leading more than 300 CMMI appraisals for companies ranging from fast-growing software firms to national banks.
Along the way I co-founded several companies, including Ambow Education, which later listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For the past five years I have worked almost entirely on AI: building AI agents, coaching teams through adoption, and helping write the standard that measures it.
My view is simple. AI transformation rarely fails because of the tools. It fails on organization design and measurement. That is where I focus.
- CMMI AIM Lead Appraiser and CMMI High Maturity Lead Appraiser
- Team leader in ISACA's AI Working Group, which wrote and piloted CMMI AI Maturity (AIM)
- ISACA-certified instructor who trains lead appraisers and instructors
- Former Vice Chair, CMMI Institute Partner Advisory Board
- USTC; MS, Northeastern University; MBA, Indiana University Kelley School of Business
Speaking
- Beyond AI toolsHow organizations restructure, measure and mature for enterprise AI.
- What an AI maturity appraisal actually findsThe gaps that show up again and again, and which ones matter most.
- Measuring AI in software teamsHow to tell real productivity gains from activity, with numbers leaders can trust.
For conferences, executive sessions and internal leadership offsites. To invite me, email sam@maturitylabs.com.
Book
AI Transformation for Software Companies
软件企业AI转型：道法术器人
A practical guide for software executives and engineering leaders. It covers five layers of change: philosophy, governance, execution, tooling and people. It draws on more than 300 enterprise engagements. In progress.
Writing
A newsletter on AI maturity is on the way: what appraisals reveal, what measurement shows, and what leaders can do next. To get the first issue, send me a note.
Contact
Based in Chicago.