Ready Is Not a Requirement

Ready is Not a Requirement: What Stepping Into AI Taught Me About Confidence, Growth, and Leadership

Featuring Heather Terning, Director of Capability Portfolio for AI and Automation at Envision Health

AI is creating entirely new roles, opportunities, and career paths at a pace we haven't seen before. But for many women, the biggest barrier to stepping into those opportunities isn't a lack of ability. It's the belief that we need to be completely qualified before we raise our hand.
What if being "ready" isn't actually a requirement?

When Heather Terning saw an opportunity to move into AI leadership, she didn't have an AI-specific title on her résumé. Rather than treating that as a reason not to pursue the role, she advocated for the experience, leadership skills, and business perspective she already brought to the table.
She got the job.

In this candid conversation, Heather will share what stepping into AI taught her about confidence, growth, and leadership, and why emerging fields like AI may actually offer women an incredible opportunity to redefine what it means to be qualified.

We'll talk about:
• Why you don't need an AI background to belong in AI
• Recognizing transferable skills when your résumé doesn't perfectly match the job description
• Advocating for yourself before someone else decides you're "ready"
• Moving through imposter syndrome when you're learning in public
• Building credibility in a rapidly evolving field
• Why women should be helping shape AI, not waiting until the industry is already defined

Whether you're curious about moving into AI, considering a stretch role, or simply wondering whether you're qualified for the next opportunity in front of you, this conversation is for you.
You don't have to know everything before you step forward. Sometimes the opportunity is where the growth happens.

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Heather Terning is the Director of Capability Portfolio for AI and Automation at Envision Health. She helps identify and scale emerging technology opportunities that deliver measurable business value through responsible AI adoption and innovation.
Heather is passionate about helping others embrace new opportunities, navigate uncertainty, and grow their confidence when stepping into unfamiliar spaces.

WITI is grateful to Mytech Partners for hosting our community at their Denver Tech Center location and to Arc Thrift Stores for sponsoring this event and supporting opportunities for women in technology.