The Human Side of AI: How Tasha Cooper Helps Leaders Navigate What's Next

Before AI became the conversation every leader was having, Tasha Cooper was already helping professionals make sense of the next big technological shift.

At the time, social media and digital automation were changing how attorneys and other licensed professionals could build their brands, market their work, and create new revenue streams. Then serving as Assistant General Counsel at a publicly traded company, Tasha understood why so many were hesitant. With experience at the Washington, DC office of a Wall Street law firm and in federal government, she knew professionals were excited about the possibilities, but cautious about how to use new tools while staying aligned with their ethical and professional obligations.

That tension between innovation and responsibility became the foundation for UpwardAction, the company Tasha founded to help attorneys and other professionals embrace emerging technologies with more clarity and confidence. Her work grew to include training for organizations such as NASA, the Council on Foreign Relations, the DC Bar, and law firms across the country.

Over time, Tasha’s path continued to deepen at the intersection of technology, law, and leadership. She returned to federal service and ultimately served as Chief Privacy Officer while leading her agency’s intellectual property portfolio, working closely across data protection, innovation, and emerging technologies.

Then AI accelerated, and Tasha saw another defining moment taking shape. Leaders and organizations were once again being asked to adapt quickly, this time with even higher stakes around trust, governance, privacy, and human value. So she made a bold next move. In early 2025, she chose to leave federal service, travel the world, and immerse herself in cultural experiences and global AI conversations. She earned advanced AI governance and privacy certifications through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and decided to focus her work on the responsible governance of intelligent systems.

Today, through UpwardAction Advisory, Tasha helps organizations strengthen their AI readiness and governance while coaching leaders through this transformation using her Human Intelligence Value Mapping™ and Unique Human Contribution™ frameworks. She also maintains a select coaching practice for leaders preparing for their own next chapter with more purpose, positioning, and readiness.

In this Q&A, Tasha shares the pivots, questions, and convictions that shaped her path, and what it means to lead with humanity in an AI-powered world.

What’s been the most unexpected part of your professional journey?

When I launched UpwardAction in 2006, the questions professionals brought me centered on a common concern: how to embrace social media without running afoul of the rules of professional conduct governing their licenses. When we expanded our services in 2025 to equip professionals to navigate the rise of AI, I expected a new version of the same conversation, this time centered on AI governance and trustworthy adoption. I was wrong.

Artificial intelligence now performs functions human intelligence once handled alone, and professional service providers and leaders at every level want to know whether AI will replace them. It’s a concern I understand, particularly as organizations adopt AI at unprecedented speed and scale without clearly defining what remains uniquely human and what can be augmented by AI.

My answer is simple: humans are—and will always be—essential. AI predicts from patterns in what already exists. Judgment, discernment, and discretion arise from our lived experiences, environments, relationships, perspectives, and the uniquely human ability to connect seemingly unrelated ideas into something entirely new. I did not expect to spend this season coaching accomplished people to find their place in an AI-enabled future and recognize their irreplaceable value. Yet this Work (with a capital W) called me, and I have the privilege of answering.

Every leader must now answer one question: What do you contribute to your profession that is uniquely human and uniquely yours? This is precisely what the Human Intelligence Value Mapping™ Assessment reveals for our clients.

In what ways have your upbringing or past experiences contributed to how you operate as a leader?

I am a daughter of the rural South—South Carolina, to be exact—raised by two lifelong educators. My father was also an entrepreneur, and I was blessed to grow up near both sets of my grandparents. I was surrounded by teaching, entrepreneurship, and a family culture grounded in integrity, hard work, faith, and education. These are influences that continue to shape my life and work today.

My grandparents were farmers, one side owning their land and the other sharecropping. All four worked to create opportunities for future generations that they themselves did not have. Three of my grandparents transitioned within two years while I was in high school, and for their vision, sacrifices, and leadership, I am forever grateful. My maternal grandmother lived nearly twenty years longer than the others, long enough to see all of her grandchildren educated and thriving. I still treasure the letters she wrote to me, which remind me of who I am, who God created me to be, and who I was raised to be.

My church community at Greater St. Mark A.M.E. Church was also instrumental in shaping my leadership values, which remain my creed today: integrity, empathy, and character no matter what, with the courage to say what needs to be said, always with love.

Over 25 years in the workforce have reinforced the peace of mind that comes from doing the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons, even when it takes courage. This practice is the foundation of how I operate as an entrepreneur because, in advisory work, my counsel is my product. Clients trust me to tell them the truth. This might be "not yet," even when "go" is what they want to hear. Every engagement I accept carries both my name and the legacy of the people who raised me.

What feels difficult in the moment often passes quickly. The regret of ignoring what you know is right can last much longer. I do my best to choose what is right, even when it’s difficult.

We dare you to brag: What achievements are you most proud of?

I am most proud of having the faith to leave a meaningful career to do the work I am called to do in the world. Entrepreneurship is neither easy nor certain; it requires faith to believe in your vision long before you see evidence of it. Yet seeing your ideas become tools that help others do meaningful work, make better decisions, and create greater impact is deeply rewarding and makes the uncertainty worthwhile.

I am equally proud of building an incredible team that serves our clients and community with excellence and care. Together, we have had the privilege of creating meaningful impact for the people we serve and the communities and organizations they touch.

How do you celebrate successes along the way?

I celebrate by going somewhere—sometimes to a coffee shop I’ve never been to across town, other times to a new country across an ocean. The destination matters less than the practice. I find a seat, immerse myself in the vibe of my surroundings, strike up a conversation with a new friend (because I never meet a stranger), and pause long enough to give thanks. I journal, I read, and I let my gratitude catch up with the pace of the impact of my work.

Travel has taken me to more than 22 countries across six continents. Every trip returns me to a truth at the heart of everything I build: human connection is what makes the world go around, and trust is what makes business possible.

What would you tell your younger self if you were to start your professional journey all over again?

Trust your intuition and believe in your dreams. Only you know how hard you're willing to work to make your dreams your reality, so don't let anyone talk you out of what your inner wisdom tells you to do. Not even those who love you—and especially not those who have never walked the path you envision for yourself. 

The journey is the assignment. You’re built for it.

What’s next for you and your company?

What's next is growth on every front. Through UpwardAction Advisory, we are expanding our AI governance training and education programs and scaling the Human Intelligence Value Mapping™ Assessment, so leaders everywhere can identify their Unique Human Contribution™  and put it to work alongside the tools reshaping their industries.

I am also completing my first book on AI, NOT YET: The Missing Step in AI Adoption, which explores why understanding our uniquely human value is the essential first step in AI readiness.

I am on a mission, taking this message to stages around the world and bringing the future into the present. We're just getting started.