Sean Stephens: The Green-Haired CEO Transforming AI Strategy
Do We Really Need More AI? Or Just Better Ways to Use What We Have?
tl;dr
Sean Stephens, CEO of Treefrog Group, is a prominent AI strategist known for his engaging speaking style and practical AI solutions. He emphasizes AI’s importance as the next major technological shift, urging businesses to adopt it quickly or risk falling behind.
With a unique background and extensive experience, Stephens helps executives navigate AI integration, offering coaching, strategy, and implementation. His mission is to make AI a core business driver, not just a tool.
In our sudden and fast-evolving world of AI, Sean Stephens has made a name for himself, not just for his distinctive green hair, but for his unmatched ability to turn complex AI concepts into actionable business strategies. "I’d rather be known for the value my team delivers, not the crazy hair," Stephens quips. "But if that’s what it takes to grab people’s attention, so be it." It’s a reminder that while people may sometimes fixate on the surface, the real impact often lies deeper—and the same is true when it comes to AI.
With this chasm in mind, Stephens, the CEO of Treefrog Group, has become a sought-after keynote speaker and AI coach for top executives, alongside his role leading multiple teams of AI-first service offerings. He’s spoken 200 times since ChatGPT went viral and coached dozens of CEOs, online and in person. “I want to showcase this technology while driving home the importance of AI as the future fuel of the economy,” Stephens explains. “It’s not just about filling the AI bucket—it’s about lighting the AI fire."
This may just be the future of AI: not just the technology itself, but this new breed of companies and leaders who help us navigate it effectively. It may, in fact, be what keeps any given business competitive in the future. For Stephens and team, who have built a reputation for helping executives navigate the AI revolution by offering practical solutions for adopting and integrating AI across industries, it’s all that matters. "We were building AI tools in 2014," he notes. “And yet, the impact of AI on our lives and civilization is just getting started. We’re excited to continue to be part of the AI vanguard, as builders or as sherpas, so we don’t all get left behind.” Having embarked on their tech journey long before AI became a buzzword in boardrooms, Stephens and his team are early adopters of this new evolution, living the change in real time. And Stephens has stood by this vision by taking his show on the road: for the right price, he says, “he’ll come and preach AI at your birthday party”.
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Stephens' experience in AI strategy is bolstered by an unconventional background. Raised on a Canadian farm and having lived in countries around the world, including an active war zone, he developed a unique perspective on adaptability. "Living in an African civil war with missiles overhead taught me to see opportunities in chaos," Stephens recalls. "That mindset is crucial in today’s rapidly changing AI landscape." In the last year alone, Stephens has been kidnapped, gone viral for his recorded music to 30 million people, started a dance promotion company, and climbed Kilimanjaro—all while running multiple multi-million dollar businesses and speaking to thousands of CEOs all over the world.
This experience informs his approach to guiding CEOs through the challenges of AI adoption. "AI is the next major civilizational shift—like electricity or the internet," he says. "You can join now or later, but eventually you’ll be on that train. Standing in the station forever is not an option.”
Stephens frequently addresses the lag in AI adoption among business leaders. "There’s always one CEO in the room who hasn’t embraced AI yet," he observes. "That’s a critical oversight in today’s business environment." This is consistent with Canadian stats, that show older businesses lag in adoption. Recent analysis from Statistics Canada found that while 20.9 per cent of businesses in information and cultural industries have adopted AI for producing goods and delivering services, only 0.7 per cent of businesses in agriculture and 0.9 per cent in accommodation and food services have embraced these technologies.
One of Stephens' key messages is the urgency of AI integration. "Canada’s productivity challenges can be addressed through strategic AI adoption," he argues. "It’s not about keeping pace—it’s about leading. Companies that fail to integrate AI quickly will fall behind."
Looking to the future, Stephens warns of an impending "AI divide" in the business world. "The companies that embrace AI will shape the future, while those that don’t will risk obsolescence," he predicts. Treefrog’s mission is to ensure that its clients are on the right side of this divide, helping them make AI a core part of their business DNA.
More than just a consultancy, Treefrog offers coaching and strategy, speaking and hackathons, acceleration and tech implementation, all in one place. "Our goal is to make AI a fundamental driver of business strategy, not just another tool," Stephens says.
As AI technology continues to accelerate, companies like Treefrog are evolving at breakneck speed. Stephens’ expertise provides business leaders with more than just guidance—it’s a lifeline for future success as the world gets enveloped by AI. And Stephens is ready for it.
“Bring it on,” says Stephens. “I won’t stop driving AI adoption until it does my dishes”.
Head to Treefrog Coach if you want to hire Sean for strategy or speaking—a website created using exclusively AI.
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