A storytelling collection.
People Create Impact. Innovation creates opportunities to work more effectively, but it is people who create impact. Four stories from across Enterprise Technology.
Enterprise Technology, Engagement and Affairs.
STORIES OF INNOVATION AND CONNECTION
Contents
01 02 03 04
EXPERIENCE CENTER
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Tech that elevates human connection
ET ADMIN
“Jane of All Trades”
PEOPLE OPERATIONS
How ET Affairs is Reimagining the Employee Onboarding Experience
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND TRAINING (ISD & T)
Where systems meet the human connections
A Welcome from Bonnie Wilde, Executive Director of Affairs What makes Enterprise Technology different isn't the systems we run — it's the people who choose to make this a place where others can do their best work and feel seen doing it. Innovation creates opportunities to work more effectively. People create impact. That's why we're starting with stories. Bruce Feiler's new book, A Time to Gather, makes a case I believe deeply: community isn't inherited, it's built, through the rituals we choose to keep. I'd add one thing — ritual gives the community its rhythm, the on-purpose coming-together. Stories give that rhythm meaning. It's how we remember why we gathered, and how we pass that on. Story isn't a department. It's how culture actually gets made.
These first four pieces are proof: AI AutoSummary gave specialists back their attention, and they used it to be more human, not less. ROAR gave new hires a reason to believe they were chosen, not just hired. Our instructional designers turned faster analysis into deeper listening. Our admin team turned a fundraiser into a reminder of what a community looks like when people bring their full selves to it. This is a first attempt, not a finished record — a ritual we're just beginning to keep. More stories are already unfolding. If you have one, I want to hear it. With gratitude, Bonnie
01 EXPERIENCE CENTER
Artificial Intelligence (AI): tech that elevates human connection The Experience Center (EC) within Enterprise Technology at ASU has discovered that the impact of AI extends beyond automation and increased efficiency – it also plays a meaningful role in strengthening human connections. Using AI AutoSummary, EC staff across Student Services, IT, and Financial Aid specialties are spending less time documenting conversations and more time focusing on the people they serve. Before AI AutoSummary, balancing customer interactions with note-taking was a constant challenge. Specialists were expected to listen, identify solutions, and provide support, all while accurately documenting every interaction in real time. "Someone like me needs time to process before taking notes,” said one specialist. “It was a challenge." Another described trying to document information while callers were placed on hold or during pauses in the conversation. While effective, it often meant their attention was split between helping the customer and completing administrative work. Today, AI AutoSummary is helping change that experience. By automatically capturing key details from conversations, the tool allows specialists to focus fully on the caller's needs. Rather than worrying about documenting every detail, agents can remain engaged in the conversation and review the summary afterward for accuracy.
Specialists have observed that AI AutoSummary helps them remain focused on the caller and the quality of the interaction, with any documentation corrections handled afterward. This impact becomes especially noticeable during difficult or emotionally charged conversations. Whether assisting a caller with a withdrawal process, a frustrating technical issue, or a complex financial aid situation, specialists report that fully concentrating on the caller significantly improves the customer experience.
"When speaking with a frustrated caller, it helps to be able to give them all your attention demonstrating empathy can create a calmer conversation." EXPERIENCE CENTER TEAM MEMBER
The prioritization of empathy reflects something that technology alone cannot provide: the irreplaceable human element that turns a caller’s obstacles into triumphs. While AI has reduced after-call work, lowered stress, and improved efficiency, specialists consistently emphasized that a human touch remains vital. Understanding a caller's frustration, recognizing emotional cues, building trust, and providing reassurance are skills that cannot be automated. "Hearing a human on the other side should never go away," one specialist shared. "AI can enhance the experience, but it cannot replace human-to-human interaction." The EC's use of AI AutoSummary reveals an axiom of innovation: technology is at its best when it supports humans, rather than replacing them. By reducing distractions and administrative burden, AI creates additional opportunities for specialists to do what they do best: listen, empathize, and assist. As Enterprise Technology continues to explore new ways to leverage AI, the EC's experience serves as a reminder that innovation is not measured only by efficiency, but by how much more time it creates for people to connect with one another.
02 ET ADMIN
“Jane of All Trades” The ET Admin team’s organization of the United Way Campaign, which featured a silent auction, wine pull, gift card pull, and 5K Fun Run, helped raise more than $10,000 for charitable causes. In a concerted effort to encourage broader participation across our organization, the team expanded Holiday Party fundraising activities by adding wine and gift card pulls alongside the silent auction. Striking a balance between maximizing participation, fostering a spirit of giving, and achieving fundraising goals remains a priority. The 5K Fun Run also provides an opportunity for Enterprise Technology employees to build community and foster connections while contributing to a meaningful cause. Planning for the Silent Auction, gift card pull, and wine pull began in early October 2025. The campaign officially launched on October 15 with a Slack call for donations, followed by outreach to ET leadership to help generate support and increase participation. While the months leading up to the Holiday Party focused on building awareness and excitement, the weeks before the event required a significant, all-hands-on-deck effort. The team photographed and uploaded auction items, wrote descriptions, set starting bids, organized wine and gift card donations, and prepared materials to create a festive, carnival-like atmosphere. On the day of the event, team members transported and displayed auction baskets and wine, managed fundraising activities, and collected donations throughout the evening. The success of the 2025 Silent Auction and wine and gift card pulls was the result of countless hours of planning, coordination, and teamwork. Tori and Betsy led the effort from start to finish, with Laura, Liz, Kiki, and Hazael supporting them, whose expertise, collaboration, and encouragement ensured smooth outcomes. Planning the 5K Fun Run provides the ET Admin team with an opportunity to come together, leverage their individual strengths, and draw on relationships and expertise from across ASU’s communities. Each team member played a unique role: Betsy partnered with the Chandler Innovation Center woodshop to create custom wooden medallions for participants. Tori coordinated refreshments through ASU Catering, providing hot chocolate, tea, and cookies for event attendees.
$10K
5K
3
RAISED FOR CHARIT Y
COMMUNIT Y FUN RUN
PULLS: SILENT AUCTION, WINE & GIFT CARD
Kiki worked with Facilities to secure tables and chairs, while Hazael partnered with ASU Student Services and Athletics to arrange the starting arch, creating a memorable backdrop for event photos. Liz coordinated parking validations in the Fulton Garage, and Laura played a key operational role in ensuring the event ran without a hitch. Together, the team mapped the course, placed directional markers, and coordinated with the Creative x Communications team to capture the event through photography. The ET Admin team brings a wealth of institutional knowledge and experience to Enterprise Technology. Collectively, the team represents decades of service to ASU, with members ranging from a few months to 18 years of tenure. That combination of experience, collaboration, and commitment was instrumental in making the 2025 5K – as well as the silent auction, wine pull, and gift card pull – a tremendous success.
03 PEOPLE OPERATIONS
How ET Affairs is Reimagining the Employee Onboarding Experience In the modern, fast-paced technology ecosystem, an employee’s first few weeks set the lifelong trajectory of their career. Forward-thinking organizations recognize that onboarding can no longer be a mere administrative exercise in absorbing information; it must be an active invitation into the community.
88%
~ 50%
OF ORGANIZATIONS FAIL TO DELIVER A SATISFACTORY ONBOARDING (GALLUP)
OF VOLUNTARY TURNOVER HAPPENS IN YEAR ONE (SHRM)
Globally, the corporate world is facing an onboarding identity crisis. According to extensive workplace analytics from Gallup, a staggering 88% of organizations fail to deliver a satisfactory onboarding experience, leaving new hires feeling disoriented and disconnected. Furthermore, data compiled by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows that nearly half of all voluntary employee turnover occurs in the first year of employment, a direct consequence of inadequate early engagement. When modern organizations treat onboarding as a clinical transaction, they risk losing their best talent before they ever become fully productive. At Enterprise Technology (ET) Affairs, this corporate pitfall is treated as an active blueprint for innovation. Through its newly energized onboarding program, ROAR (Rapid Orientation for Accelerated Results), the People Operations team is proving how a localized, human-centric approach to early employment can defy global statistics, creating a lasting impact on organizational alignment and culture.
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Rapid
Orientation for
Accelerated
Results
A Zoomed-in vision for employee success For years, ROAR functioned as a reliable introduction to the broader University landscape, effectively managed by the instructional design team. However, as the organization evolved and critical cultural programs required formal, strategic ownership, ET Affairs saw a massive opportunity to completely elevate the process. The People Operations team stepped forward to take the helm, bringing a precise new directive: it was time to zoom in. While the macro-university ecosystem matters, People Operations recognized that what new employees truly crave upon arrival is a localized, relevant understanding of Enterprise Technology itself. They need to understand the nuances of their specific roles, navigate internal structures and align their day-to-day work with their team's strategic priorities. Beyond the essentials of benefits, insurance and retirement, new hires need the answer to a fundamental question: Why was I chosen to be here? To bridge this gap, ET Affairs established a brand-new role: Program Manager, Employee Experience. People Operations member Terri Campos was promoted to this position, stepping into the role of chief architect and main driver behind ROAR. With Terri leading the charge, the People Operations team collaborated to design an onboarding experience centered entirely on clarity, mentorship, and belonging.
Unleashing "superpowers" from day one ROAR achieves immediate engagement from new hires by treating them as vital contributors rather than passive observers. Instead of front-loading onboarding sessions with one-sided presentations, Terri kicks off the orientation by turning the spotlight directly onto the individuals in the room. During introductions, employees are asked to identify and share their professional "superpower": the unique core strength or specialized skill they bring to their work. This shift instantly sets a tone of mutual respect. It signals to incoming staff that they are not just filling an open headcount or a spot on a chart; they have been intentionally brought in to contribute a distinct power to a collective mission. From there, the orientation demystifies the organization's unique structure. Instead of leaving new hires to figure out professional growth tracks on their own, ROAR maps out exactly how Executive Leadership, Core Leads, Directors, and Chapter Leads interconnect. New hires exit onboarding with an understanding that their Chapter Lead or Manager is a dedicated advocate for their professional development and daily alignment.
A Zoomed-in vision for employee success Under this fresh vision, culture is treated as a living asset. During the presentation, Terri and the team introduce one of ET’s core paradigms: culture is not a fixed monument that new hires must adapt to. Instead, it is a dynamic environment that employees are empowered to contribute to and transform from their very first day.
This culture is grounded in a shared framework known as the Positive Core, defined by the acronym BRAVE: Belonging, Relational, Authentic, Visionary, and Empowered. By teaching new hires that BRAVE is a practical tool for collaboration and communication, the onboarding process becomes an open invitation to innovate. The very first letter of the acronym represents this feedback loop: the value of "Belonging" was added to the Positive Core in direct response to team feedback gathered during a previous Culture Check-In Survey. It serves as real-time proof to incoming employees that their voices matter and their input shapes their workplace.
The human metric While quantitative data can validate a strategy, it is the personal, qualitative stories that paint a vivid picture of success. The true measure of ROAR’s impact isn't found in a global spreadsheet, but in the casual, trusting relationships that thrive months after the presentation slides are closed. By transforming onboarding from a standard corporate milestone into an ongoing relationship, ET Affairs has proven that when you invest deeply in the employee experience from day one, that investment pays dividends in engagement, clarity, and community for years to come.
"If someone was hired six months ago, and they have a moment where they need help… they come to me, and that makes me feel like I’m meeting my goal of creating a meaningful point of connection in our onboarding program." TERRI CAMP OS, PROGRAM MANAGER , EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE
04 INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND TRAINING (ISD & T)
Where systems meet the human connections At Enterprise Technology, innovation is often measured in systems, processes and efficiencies. Yet some of our most meaningful outcomes come from something unquantifiable: the human connections that help students, employees and future leaders realize their potential. One of the most time-intensive parts of instructional design for talent development is the analytical work that occurs before design begins. This work involves hours of interviews with stakeholders and learners, followed by days of manually synthesizing feedback to identify patterns and themes. As Senior Instructional Designer Alison Wachs explains, the team recently began using AI to clean and analyze interview transcripts, dramatically reducing the time required for this process. The greatest benefit, however, wasn't efficiency; it was what the team could do with the time they gained. Faster analysis allows them to engage more deeply with stakeholders and learners, ask better follow-up questions, and develop a stronger understanding of business outcomes. By combining AI's speed with their expertise in talent development strategy, the team can identify the root causes of organizational challenges, changes and successes more effectively and design learning experiences grounded in genuine understanding. AI didn't replace the thinking; it created additional opportunities to apply human expertise where it has the greatest impact: understanding and supporting the communities we serve. That additional time and focus are most impactful when paired with human expertise. Training Specialist Jenelle Blackwell demonstrated this during a training session when she learned that one trainee, an ASU undergraduate student, had decided against pursuing graduate school because she believed the financial barriers were too great. Spotting a critical information gap, Blackwell realized the student was unaware that her existing NAMU and Obama Commitment awards could help fund her graduate-level studies. Rather than simply moving forward with the planned curriculum, Blackwell turned the moment into a learning opportunity for the entire class. Together, the cohort explored institutional requirements and mapped out a personalized financial pathway to graduate school.
This commitment to people extends beyond the classroom and into the culture of leadership across Enterprise Technology. When the Experience Center (EC) opened in 2014, many of its employees were international students adapting not only to a new job but also to a new country, culture, and professional environment. For ET Training Manager Claud Archie, leadership meant seeing the whole person behind the employee. The lessons taught during those early years often seemed simple, including one favorite reminder: “If you're on time, you're late.” More than a decade later, former student employee Sanchit Chirania returned to Arizona for a work conference and asked to meet Archie for breakfast. He arrived carrying a Scrivener London pen set, remembering how much a good pen meant to his former manager. During their conversation, Chirania reflected on how his experience at the EC had shaped the habits, standards, and professionalism that guided his career. Most meaningfully, he shared that there were only two people he wanted to see during his visit to Arizona: his favorite professor and his favorite manager. The moment underscored a truth that cannot be captured by metrics: leadership leaves lasting impressions that continue to shape lives long after someone has left the workplace. Creating those lasting impressions often begins on a person's very first day. Through a partnership with the Tech Hub, Training Specialist Kaleb Armstrong and the training team helped onboard a large cohort of student workers, many of whom were navigating both their first job and their first experience working in the United States. Recognizing the challenges of adapting to a new workplace and culture, the team focused on more than technical skills and processes. They worked to foster confidence, belonging, and psychological safety, encouraging students to ask questions, learn from mistakes, and find their place within a large and complex institution.
A breakfast more than a decade in the making: Former student employee Sanchit Chirania (left) reunited with his former manager, Archie, to thank him for the leadership and life lessons that have guided his career long after his time at the EC.
The influence of that culture often extends beyond current employees and students. When Training Specialist Justin O'Daniell's daughter, Mari, visited ASU as a Tobitate! Scholar, she was searching for a path that could combine her interests in public speaking, digital transformation, and social impact. Through conversations with ET Affairs members, including Kelly Mukherjee and Danielle B. Steele, she met professionals who had intentionally aligned their careers with their values. Kelly shared how storytelling and coalition-building support underserved communities through broadband initiatives, while Danielle described how she shaped a role that reflects her unique strengths and passions. For Mari, the experience was transformative. She saw firsthand that meaningful work and professional success do not have to be separate pursuits. By openly sharing their experiences, Kelly and Danielle demonstrated that careers can be molded around authenticity, purpose and community impact. In doing so, they inspired a young professional to envision a career in which personal values and professional aspirations coexist.
A COMMON THREAD
Together, these stories reveal a common thread woven throughout Enterprise Technology's culture. Innovation creates opportunities to work more effectively, but people create impact. Whether through instructional design, training, leadership, mentorship, or community engagement, the defining characteristic is a commitment to helping others succeed. Technologies and tools will continue to evolve, but the lasting difference will always come from people who invest their expertise, compassion and time in one another.
Built for Impact. Driven by Purpose.
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