Elaine Barsoom

Elaine Barsoom is a senior executive, advisor, and innovation leader with more than two decades of experience at the intersection of AI, emerging technology, and strategic partnerships. She has led enterprise-wide digital and AI transformations at Nike, American Express, and Airbnb, and has structured over $1B in joint ventures, M&A, and strategic alliances that opened new market and revenue opportunities. Most recently, Elaine served as Global Head of Tech Innovation Partnerships & Strategy at Nike, where she helped build the company’s first Center of Excellence for Emerging Tech & AI. She oversaw the global tech innovation partnerships, shepherding the evaluation of more than 300 startups, built partnerships with AWS, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia, and scaled enterprise AI solutions that delivered significant commercial and operational impact across the company. At American Express, she launched new digital ventures—most notably the Vente-Privée joint venture—which opened new revenue streams and reshaped the brand’s e-commerce presence. Across roles, she has built multi-million-dollar partnerships that strengthened competitive advantage, unlocked growth, and positioned organizations for long-term transformation. Across her career, Elaine has been recognized as a bridge between technology and business. She is known for translating complex emerging technologies into clear, actionable strategies that cross-functional teams can execute. Her experience spans retail, fintech, travel, health tech, and luxury—giving her a broad vantage point on how AI, data, and digital capabilities are reshaping consumer expectations and modern commerce. Elaine holds an MBA from The Wharton School, a Master’s from Columbia SIPA, and a BA from Barnard College. She advises AI and commerce startups, mentors women in technology, and supports founders across emerging tech and consumer innovation. Today, Elaine speaks on AI transformation in retail, digital modernization, and building high-value partner ecosystems—helping organizations move from experimentation to enterprise-scale impact.