Meet Shama

Meet Shama.

Shama Hyder is a keynote speaker, author, Professor of Practice at the Link School of Business, and a 2026 TIME100 Creators honoree in the Leaders category.

Book Shama

Keynotes on Applied AI, business growth, and customer experience.

As Seen On

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Origin Story

I've always been early.
That's the point.

Shama Hyder built and led Zen Media for 17 years before selling the company.

She is the author of The Applied AI Business Playbook, Momentum, and The Zen of Social Media Marketing.

In 2026, Shama was named to the TIME100 Creators list in the Leaders category.

She advises leaders at Microsoft, Adobe, Salesforce, and JPMorgan Chase.

She has delivered keynotes for EMAAR and SEMA on Applied AI, business growth, and customer experience.

Shama is a Professor of Practice at the Link School of Business.

Founder Story

The Twitter ThesisThe Zen Story

Mission

Helping leaders spot opportunities and turn them into tailwinds.

Many leaders face faster market shifts, changing customer expectations, and uncertainty about AI. The challenge is separating relevant signals from noise and deciding which opportunities merit attention.

A useful framework can help teams review evidence, compare options, and decide what to test without treating every new development as an emergency.

Shama's work focuses on practical ways to evaluate changes in customer behavior, AI capabilities, and competitive conditions.

Her keynotes and advisory work address Applied AI, customer experience, and business growth through concrete questions, decision criteria, and next steps.

Growth is a combination of direction and timing. I teach both.

TIME100

Creators · Leaders

17 years

Built and Led Zen Media

Published Books

EMAAR

Keynote Event

SEMA

Keynote Event

What I Actually Do

I don't give speeches about the future.
I give your team a growth playbook for right now.

Keynotes

Practical ideas for leaders and teams.

Framework-driven keynotes on Applied AI, business growth, and customer experience, adapted to the audience and event context.

Explore Keynotes

Rewired — Hands-On AI Workshops

Not a lecture. A build day.

Participants bring their laptops and a real workflow, then build practical AI tools tailored to their work, with guidance they can continue using after the workshop.

Learn About Rewired

Advisory & Executive Briefings

Frameworks meet your context.

For leadership teams that want to evaluate growth opportunities and discuss practical systems for pursuing the most relevant ones in their business context.

Work With Shama

Keynote options

Event leaders usually start with the challenge in front of them: AI adoption, financial-services change, innovation pressure, or business growth. These pathways make the right keynote topic easier to find.

Financial services keynote speaker

For banks, wealth firms, fintech teams, and financial-services leaders navigating AI, trust, and customer loyalty.

Innovation keynote speaker

For organizations that need to spot change earlier and move before the timing window closes.

Business keynote speaker

For leadership teams that need practical frameworks for growth, urgency, and market timing.

AI keynote speaker

For teams ready to turn AI curiosity into useful workflows and better-informed decisions.

Formal speaker bio & credentials

For event programs, introductions, and speaker one-sheets — the formal bio, credentials, and booking details in one place.

Credentials & Experience

Shama's verified background.

2026 TIME100 Creator

Named to the TIME100 Creators list in the Leaders category.

Founder of Zen Media

Built and led Zen Media for 17 years before selling the company.

Author

Author of The Applied AI Business Playbook, Momentum, and The Zen of Social Media Marketing.

Professor of Practice

Link School of Business.

Strategic Advisor

Advises leaders at Microsoft, Adobe, Salesforce, and JPMorgan Chase.

Keynote Speaker

Delivered keynotes for EMAAR and SEMA.

Career Timeline

Every wave, early.

17 years

Zen Media

Built and led Zen Media for 17 years before selling the company.

Books

Author

Published The Applied AI Business Playbook, Momentum, and The Zen of Social Media Marketing.

Keynotes

Speaking

Delivered keynotes for EMAAR and SEMA.

Advisory

Leadership

Advises leaders at Microsoft, Adobe, Salesforce, and JPMorgan Chase.

2026

TIME100 Creators

Named to the TIME100 Creators list in the Leaders category.

Today

Education

Serves as a Professor of Practice at the Link School of Business.

Selected Keynote Events

Keynotes for EMAAR and SEMA.

EMAARSEMA

Explore keynote topics and formats.

The Framework

The system: See → Interpret → Act.

See, Interpret, Act is a practical structure for reviewing signals, evaluating their relevance, and choosing an appropriate next step.

See

Review changes in customer behavior, technology, markets, and competition without treating every change as equally important.

Interpret

Evaluate which signals are relevant to the organization, what evidence supports them, and which options merit further attention.

Act

Choose a response proportionate to the opportunity, define what the team will test, and revisit the decision as new information appears.

The framework is designed to be adapted to different organization sizes, budgets, teams, and resource levels.

Ready to create tailwinds
for your organization?

Explore keynote topics on Applied AI, customer experience, and business growth, then share your event goals, audience, and preferred format.

Check Availability View Keynote Topics

Related resources

Explore Shama Hyder’s keynotes and event information.

AI keynote speaker →Marketing keynote speaker →Business keynote speaker →Speaker bio and credentials →Testimonials and audience proof →Check availability →

Credentials and event planning

Give the committee the information it needs.

Review Shama’s bio, credentials, books, frameworks, testimonials, engagement details, and availability for your event.

Speaker bio and credentials →Short bio, credentials, awards, and formal program copy for stakeholder review.Audience feedback →Audience response and event-team feedback for committees evaluating speaker fit.Books and frameworks →Long-form authority behind Applied AI, Strategic Urgency, growth, marketing, and customer loyalty.Request a keynote proposal →Budget, format, travel, recording, workshop, and customization factors before quote review.

FAQ

About Shama Hyder

Who is Shama Hyder?

Shama Hyder is a keynote speaker, author, 2026 TIME100 Creators honoree, and founder who built and sold Zen Media after 17 years.

Why do organizations book Shama?

They book her for practical frameworks on Applied AI, growth strategy, customer experience, and strategic urgency that leaders can use immediately after the event.

What makes her perspective different?

Shama has operated through major digital shifts, advised global brands, built a company through those shifts, and translates that experience into practical decision frameworks.

Where has Shama spoken?

Shama has delivered keynotes for EMAAR and SEMA and advises leaders at Microsoft, Adobe, Salesforce, and JPMorgan Chase.