Your AI strategy starts with you — not the technology.
GDP is a six-month leadership program for SMB executives who are serious about AI and honest about how hard it is to move an organization through change. Built on a consistent insight from two cohorts of Ontario CEOs: the hardest part of AI transformation isn’t the technology — it’s the leadership. It's bringing your people with you, making confident decisions with imperfect information, and building the internal capacity to sustain momentum. GDP was designed for exactly that challenge.
You’ll develop a practical AI roadmap, test real use cases with Rotman MBA students, and work through the decisions and dynamics that define whether transformation actually succeeds — with peers and mentors who understand what you’re up against.
- Your GDP Playbook
Part strategic reference, part implementation guide — designed to be used in the real world, not shelved after graduation. - Workshops That Go Beneath the Surface
Three full-day sessions grounded in leadership and strategy, with AI experimentation embedded where it delivers the most practical value. - Monthly Mentoring + Peer Exchange
Six virtual sessions with practitioners, plus a confidential cohort of 12–15 executives — where the isolation of leading through uncertainty finally lifts. The most valuable conversations often happen here — around the people challenges, resistance, and organizational dynamics that don't show up in AI playbooks but define whether transformation succeeds. - Rotman MBA Prototyping Partnership
Work with graduate students to develop and pressure-test real AI prototypes — high-calibre support most SMB leaders don’t have access to on their own. - The Outcome: Implementation-Ready AI Roadmap
Leave with a transformation plan covering strategy, governance, people, data, and technology. Not a deck you present once — a document you return to. The outcome past participants told us they needed but couldn’t find anywhere else.
Not Sure If GDP Is the Right Fit?
Talk to Us First.
Schedule a 20-minute call with our program team. We’ll ask you a few questions about where your organization is and be honest about whether GDP is the right next step for you.
A series of upcoming Growth Development cohorts, designed for small- and mid-sized businesses in Southern Ontario, will guide C-suite executives through exploring, testing, and implementing AI use cases that drive smarter decision-making and sustainable growth. These cohorts are offered through the AI Business Catalyst (AIBC) and are supported by the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario)
