Speaking
This page is built for organizers, hosts, and institutions deciding fit. It keeps the emphasis on audience, topics, formats, and dated proof rather than promotional copy.
Recent
A July 2026 Bourbon & Business conversation with Tyler Wiltshire and Dakota Tate about what AI is, how quickly it is moving, and what business, education, and human-AI collaboration need from practical leaders.
Organizer fit
Organizers usually invite Chris when they need a practitioner’s view of AI, leadership, or responsible implementation — whether the room is education leaders, business executives, IT professionals, or civic organizations. The best fit is an audience that wants operating clarity more than keynote theater.
Dell Technologies World
Dell Technologies World draws tens of thousands of technology leaders, executives, and innovators to Las Vegas each year. Chris Chism has spoken there three times — on AI implementation, educational transformation, and the practical leadership decisions behind both.
Audience fit
Common topics
Formats
Selected appearances
Official witness appearance for the April 1, 2025 House hearing on AI in K-12 education.
Keynote role paired with the Hugh I. Peck Research Award from William Carey University.
Public webinar focused on practical, day-to-day uses of AI for school leadership.
Supporting public record
Chris Chism was listed as a witness for the April 1, 2025 House hearing on artificial intelligence in K-12 education.
The hearing appearance is reflected in the official GovInfo congressional hearing record, giving the testimony a durable federal archive source.
Selected as the 2025-2026 Mississippi Superintendent of the Year, recognized for district leadership and public work in education.
William Carey University reported the 2026 Hugh I. Peck Research Award and Chris's keynote role at the PREPS Conference.
A Mississippi PEER Committee report supports phrasing Chris's role as an invited education panelist before the AIR Task Force.
WLBT news coverage of AI adoption in Mississippi schools, positioning Pearl Public School District among districts actively shaping how technology enters the classroom.
Rankin County News profiles Chris as the central figure driving AI implementation across Pearl Public School District — the most direct local press coverage of the district's leadership work.
Regional education coverage of Mississippi's expanding AI programs in K-12 and higher education — places Pearl's district-level work inside a broader statewide leadership effort.
Education Week — the national record of K-12 education — covers how districts are approaching AI professional development. Pearl's teacher training work is part of the national landscape this piece examines.
Education Week examines how school leaders are using AI to reduce administrative overhead — the same operational shift Chris has driven inside Pearl Public School District.
Organizer-ready short bio
Chris Chism is superintendent of Pearl Public School District, co-founder of AscendEd Intelligence, and the 2025-2026 Mississippi Superintendent of the Year. He has delivered 290 presentations across 19 states to audiences including K-12 leaders, IT professionals, judges, CPAs, engineers, architects, and business executives — keynotes run 60–90 minutes, trainings 2–6 hours, every format built to fit the room. He testified before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce on April 1, 2025 and received the 2026 Hugh I. Peck Research Award from William Carey University.
Inquiry handoff
For speaking or media inquiries, the useful first note is simple: audience, date, format, location, and the decision you need the session to help people make.