I’ve known Shelley Zalis, Founder & CEO of The Female Quotient (TFQ), for a long time now…10+ times at CES together (including one where I was pregnant walking the floor 😅), Advertising Weeks, Possibles, AI events, airport run-ins. And every time we talk, I leave thinking differently about leadership, community, and honestly… how much of our industry needs to be redesigned.I’m really excited to share this new BOSS episode with Shelley, as it's a long time in the making.And it's perfect timing as we’ll both be back at POSSIBLE this year in Miami in April… and you already know I’ll be spending time in the TFQ Lounge.If you’ve been, you know.That’s where the real conversations happen.That's where I know I will run into industry friends old and new.Within the first couple of minutes of the interview, Shelley said:“I never want to look back and say shoulda, woulda, could have.”“I’m a chief troublemaker… I break every rule that makes no sense.”“We don’t get anywhere by just sitting around.”That’s the energy.She didn’t just build a company…She built a global community of millions of people showing up, connecting, and supporting each other across industries.That’s not easy to do.But she’s done it with her team.We also got into what’s happening right now:→ Why we’re moving from audience → community → Why community isn’t just a buzzword, it’s how trust, relationships, and business actually happen → And why AI is an opportunity, opportunity, opportunity, if you lean inAnd honestly—this is what I keep coming back to:So much of what’s shaped my career didn’t come from a meeting or a title.It came from people.From communities.From moments where you show up, connect, and something real happens.That’s why spaces like TFQ matter.Also, very on brand—30 seconds into the interview she flipped it and started asking me questions 😂If you’re building, leading, navigating your next move or just thinking about what kind of leader you want to be—You’ll want to watch this one.If you’re going to POSSIBLE—are you stopping by the TFQ Lounge?👇 And bigger question…What’s one “rule” in our industry that just doesn’t make sense anymore?Let’s rewrite a few of them.Follow me, Ali Levitan, for more BOSS executive interviews, agentic AI insights, and the real talk on work and life as Jake and Sophia's mom.

We have 640+ mutual LinkedIn connections.

But I didn’t actually meet Steven Wolfe Pereira ⚡️ in real life until I stopped him at Starbucks at CES ☕️

Very 2026. Shortly after, I had him as a guest on BOSS, and this conversation stuck with me. I'm excited to share it with all of you. Steven started his career at Blackstone in 1994. Jumped to Akamai in 1999 when everyone thought it was crazy. Built across finance, infrastructure, data, media, tech. Pattern recognition across multiple waves.

And now? He says we all need to have a “wake the hell up” moment.

Because we are in the agentic era. Not AI as content fluff. Not AI as a buzzword. AI agents inside enterprises. Working alongside people. Talking to each other. Making decisions. But here’s the shift most leaders are underestimating: They care about: • Your data • Your structure • Your governance • Your infrastructure This is no longer just a marketing conversation. It’s a boardroom conversation.

And Steven said something I think a lot of executives quietly feel: “No one wants to look dumb in front of their peers when it comes to AI.” But staying quiet doesn’t slow this down It just widens the gap. The first inning was curiosity. The second inning is capability. 👇 So I’ll ask it directly: Are you building? Or are you hoping this is still just hype?

Watch the full BOSS episode with Steven,CEO Alpha, to hear his story and our conversation. 🔥 And follow me, Ali Levitan, for more BOSS executive interviews, industry insights… and yes, work & life as Jake & Sophia's mom

On BOSS this week, I interviewed my boss, Tim Barnes, at Amazon Web Services (AWS).

We talked AdTech, Agentic AI, CES, and what actually matters as we head into 2026.

"I think the next sea change in AdTech is going to be an interoperability of AdTech based on agents." - Tim

Tim leads the Advertising & Marketing vertical at AWS, and he has built his career through multiple cycles of this industry, from early CRM and AdTech days to AT&T/Xandr and now AWS.

What stood out most in this conversation wasn’t hype.

"I think everyone knows who's in this industry; this is an industry driven by annual buzzwords." - Tim

It was clarity.

On agentic AI, Tim said what a lot of people are thinking:

This industry loves buzzwords.

Some move the needle. Some don’t.

This one feels different.

Why? Listen to find out as 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year.

We also talked CES!

"The relationships we enjoy in this industry are priceless and very easy to obtain at first, but difficult to nurture and maintain long term." Tim

CES is about...

reconnecting with old colleagues.

Understanding real customer business challenges.

C-suite conversations that are unique to CES & Cannes, and how relationships shape what comes next.

That same thinking is what led us to bring industry leaders together at AWS re:Invent for the launch of the AWS AdTech Executive Advisory Forum Roundtable, to build community, deepen relationships, and have candid conversations on shaping the future of AdTech.

Listen all the way through if you’re curious why Tim hired me.

If this episode resonated, like it, share it, and comment below.

And follow me, Ali Levitan, for more BOSS executive interviews, AdTech + AI insights, and the real talk on work and life as Jake and Sophia’s mom.

Happy Holidays, and see you all in Vegas next year!