It was 2019, and Susan Sly was a best-selling author, renowned professional speaker and trainer, and celebrated entrepreneur. She also was the co-founder and co-CEO of RadiusAI, Inc., a computer vision analytics company that is one of the fastest-growing tech startups in the country. And while she was a successful tech investor, she hadn’t written a line of code since 2001. She knew she had to get up to speed quickly about artificial intelligence, so she asked herself, out loud and with intention, how she could do that. The answer came in mere moments.
“I was on LinkedIn, and there was an ad for Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy from MIT Sloan Executive Education,” she recalls. “I am the co-CEO of an artificial intelligence company, and I understand the theory of how AI works, but I wanted a deeper knowledge. And MIT made it so easy for me to get that knowledge—I clicked on the link and registered.”
For Sly, being fluent in the language and intricacies of AI was essential for a number of reasons, including the fact that she is one of the few women leading a company in this burgeoning space. “I wanted that credibility,” she reveals. “I’m often the only woman in the room, the only woman in meetings where we’re talking about negotiating for servers and about GPUs and CPUs. Even though I have a conscious competency and a zone of genius in one area, this was not it. But I was raised with this mindset of curiosity, and I want to be equipped to be in the position I’m in right now.”
According to Sly, she could not have picked a better option. “The course provided an understanding of artificial intelligence as a whole and then broke it down into different subsets. It also delved into superintelligence, and it really got me thinking deeply about where the future is going,” she says. “I recognized that I have to be a good steward of this technology. Running an AI company, I have a responsibility. It was a tremendous class, and I learned so much.”
"We’re living in a time when only 2.5 percent of women-led pitches to venture capital firms are being funded. I’m going to change that number."
Beyond Expectations
Sly was raised by a single father, an engineer who worked on the first pacemaker and the microprocessor. He often told his daughter that she should attend MIT. And while her collegiate path led her in a different direction, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity years later to enroll in a course at MIT Sloan Executive Education. And the experience was more than she expected, leading her to complete three additional courses and earn an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership in 2020.
“I felt his joy of life, this joie de vivre, when I was taking the courses,” Sly notes. “It started fulfilling a space, a void I had been feeling since 2017 when I read Diane Von Furstenburg’s book, The Woman I Wanted to Be. That was one of her main questions: am I living into the woman I want to be? I was doing a lot of soul searching and trying to figure that out for myself. I’ve had some amazing personal and professional successes, and I was looking for that next challenge.” That searching led her RadiusAI, which ultimately led her to MIT Sloan Executive Education.
While Sly initially did not consider pursuing her Executive Certificate, the course offerings convinced her to move in that direction—and beyond. From Machine Learning in Business to Cybersecurity for Non-Technical Executives, the Management and Leadership track aligned seamlessly with her work in the AI arena, as well as with her thirst for more knowledge. “I discovered the ease of getting an Executive Certificate. I realized that you could study things you love that will help enhance your career. So it was very natural for me to pursue the Executive Certificate,” she says. Susan not only earned her Management and Leadership certificate, but she has since met the requirements for the Advanced Certificate for Executives in Management, Innovation, and Technology (ACE), which she completed by selecting courses across all three learning verticals of Management and Leadership, Strategy and Innovation, and Technology and Operations.
Learning from Afar
Sly, who ran the Boston Marathon six times after being diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis in 2000, has a deep affinity for the local area. While she wanted to take in-person classes on MIT Sloan Executive Education’s Cambridge campus, business and family obligations kept her in Phoenix, where she is based. Fortunately, she was able to begin her Executive Certificate journey with rigorous self-paced courses; she scheduled deliberate time to download and study the course materials and set aside Sundays to complete the majority of her classwork. She also added live online courses when possible. Both options were particularly helpful during the COVID pandemic, when Sly wanted to continue being intentional and learning regardless of the situation swirling around her. “It was beautiful to be able to connect and achieve something when it felt like the world was standing still,” she observes.
The connection Sly had with her professors and other students made an impact on her, and she encourages other participants to make the most of their time in the classroom, whether it’s in-person or online. “I’m always in awe of people’s backgrounds, and it’s amazing to see what others have achieved. This is a global community, which is absolutely outstanding. You meet so many phenomenal people, and it’s very inspiring,” she says. “Of course, the people who get the most out of the courses are the ones who show up with the intention of adding value, not just taking what they can from the classes. You have to ask yourself how you can add value and create a great experience for everyone. It’s important to take advantage of the beautiful sense of community.”
Currently, Sly must take three more classes before officially becoming an ACE holder. She looks forward to meeting her online classmates in such offerings as Economics for Business, which she plans to take in the near future. In the meantime, she plans to continue changing the face of the tech industry in regards to female representation, thanks in part to what she has gained from MIT Sloan Executive Education. “We’re living in a time when only 2.5 percent of women-led pitches to venture capital firms are being funded. I’m going to change that number,” she concludes. “That is a goal for me, and I’m on this journey now with MIT Sloan Executive Education. I think everyone can find value in taking these courses. It’s an awesome experience.”
Learn more about MIT Sloan Executive Certificates.