Molding AI leaders
Alex Castrounis teaches AI fluency in his Applied AI for Business course, a key curriculum component for the MBAi Program, a joint AI-focused MBA degree from the Kellogg School of Management and McCormick School of Engineering.
Just as importantly, Castrounis teaches confidence. “AI only creates value when it’s applied to the right problem in the right way,” he said. “I want students to be able to walk into any organization and say, ‘Here’s a real business problem, and here’s how AI can help solve it in a responsible and trustworthy way.”
The course is a mix of lecture, in-class activities, group discussions and coding-based assignments using the latest AI models, coding agents and tools. It also features a final project that students work on during the latter half of the course.
Castrounis, who helped develop the MBAi curriculum and has taught his class since the program's inception, said the combination is intentional. It is designed so students develop a potent combination of collaborative, strategic thinking skills and hands-on technical knowledge to wield after they earn their MBAi diploma.
“We don’t want MBAi graduates to deploy AI in every nook and cranny or to replace people with AI,” MBAi Director Andy Fano said. “We want them to rethink entire workflows and the roles people and technology play within them given the rapidly evolving technologies.”
To help students blaze the trail to that destination, the Applied AI for Business course strives to deploy an ever-evolving and unique blend of business and technological leadership lessons. The mission is to create AI product managers and business leaders who make the important decisions about how to prioritize AI investments, how to manage AI costs and risks and how to explain those decisions to a board or a CEO.
“If they don’t have a genuine foundation in how this technology works, not just the buzzwords, they’re going to struggle to lead effectively,” Castrounis said. “The professional landscape is shifting fast. This course is designed for exactly that world.”
The class is also taught by someone highly qualified for the job. Castrounis has spent more than 20 years making AI complexities clearer, more actionable, and more valuable for organizations. He was a race strategist and data scientist in IndyCar, then went on to advise leaders across different companies — from Fortune 100 to startups — on how to use AI to drive growth and customer success.
He is the author of “AI for People and Business: A Framework for Better Human Experiences and Business Success.” In 2019, he founded Why of AI, a consulting company that helps middle-market organizations turn AI chaos into clarity and put AI to work in practical ways. Castrounis positions the company as a guide for leaders who feel pressure to “do something with AI” but currently struggle with AI adoption, risk management, and what he called “the AI Wild West.”
“AI is all we do. We keep up with AI so our clients don't have to,” Castrounis said. “That means when I walk into the classroom, I'm not teaching from a textbook. I'm teaching from what's actually happening right now, with real companies, real challenges and real stakes.”
All of which helps strengthen the message he teaches his students — that they hold a tremendous responsibility going forward.
“There’s an enormous amount of hype in this space, and one of my jobs is to cut through it and make sure the course reflects what actually matters,” he said. “The goal is simple: When students graduate and join the workforce, they should already have meaningful hands-on experience with the tools they’re going to be expected to use.”
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