Whole-organization, human-centered, arts-native
AI transformation for Arts and Culture
I help organizations adopt sound AI technology, become adept at using AI, and adapt organizationally to get the best from this new tech era.
I’m Kristin Darrow.
For 20 years, I built tech that powers arts and culture — first at the Baltimore Symphony, then as a founding exec and Product leader/Chief Product Officer at Tessitura, the leading CRM/ ticketing / fundraising platform for nonprofit arts and culture.
In 2021, I stepped out to join Silicon Valley luminary Marty Cagan’s coaching group to help private sector tech companies move like the best innovator companies in the world as they manage change, lead innovation, and reinvent themselves in the AI era.
I’ve spent the last few years deeply immersed in AI.
In short, I’m an innovation and org-transformation coach who knows a lot about AI and cultural nonprofits.
Now I’m connecting all these dots to help Arts and Culture orgs modernize in the AI era.
Here’s my wild-hare, radical, totally serious notion:
With AI, the age-old paradigm of reliance on large software platforms to deliver capability you need starts to shift. A lot.
AI’s first killer app is code writing and data connecting. Sure, we may not be able to create perfect, production-ready code from natural language AI prompts YET. But it’s coming.
AI is lowering the technical barrier to entry for technical problem solving — daily. It’s not fiction. It’s already happening.
And — what is code creation and technical problem solving but being able to solve hard business or customer problems yourselves?
I see Silicon Valley startups of 10-20 people creating tech products that previously would have taken 100+ people to create. Real products the world needs… not just “hey, look what I did with AI” tricky apps.
So.
What if YOUR organization decided to leverage AI to solve hard technical problems yourselves?
I mean…Tessitura was written by the Metropolitan Opera in 1998. (Wait, an opera company?! Yes. And. Tessitura now runs Arts and Culture.) Ok, sure, the Met had a budget to overcome the many technical barriers to authoring software. Today, AI helps lower that technical barrier immensely. Not to zero. But in game-changing ways.
Heck, even if your organization has no ambition to build software used by others (understandably), you can still build and leverage technology to solve YOUR problems in ways that were never possible before now.
That’s generative AI’s influence.
Fast-emerging tools to author code and connect data to open powerful technology doors are available to any smart group of people willing to learn.
That’s you.
Yep, you still have to have solid technical oversight, data security and good product sense in what you build. Maybe now more than ever.
But the point is… MORE people in your org can do more and get further autonomously before tapping IT to approve it or help than ever before, thanks to AI.
This is the cultural nonprofit’s big-leap moment out of ‘wait-for-tech-to-build-what-we-need’ to: “how might we solve this problem ourselves?”
Sound daunting? Wildly infeasible?
It’s happening every day already. Outside our sector.
Connecting these two worlds is what I do.
I help Arts and Culture organizations modernize their tools, teams and thinking to thrive in the AI era.
Customer experience is a mix of digital pixels and real life.
It’s buying a ticket on the phone and the temperature in the hall. It’s speed of ticket scanning at the door and the roar of the second ovation.
Time to stop thinking in data silos and “systems.”
Modern Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) tools allow data insight across vastly dissimilar pools of data that have never been connected before. That opens the door for real customer intelligence.
Whole-org. Whole-customer. Period.
When I stepped into the private sector in 2021, I didn’t know if I’d return to Arts and Culture. Not because I didn’t love it (you ARE my tribe) — but because I wanted to stretch, learn, and see how the most innovative companies were navigating change.
What I learned:
✔️ No sector — not even the biggest tech — is immune to disruption (look at Apple and Tesla right now).
✔️ Smaller, more focused teams are the future, not a liability (today’s tech startups are smaller than the average arts and culture org — budget and staff).
✔️ My best contribution is right here — helping cultural organizations move forward, confidently and smartly.
So, I’m back.
And I’m connecting the dots between:
• 20 years of business and tech leadership in Arts & Culture
• Hard-won innovation methods from the private sector
• Deep domain experience connecting AI and emerging tech and Arts and Culture
How we work together.
Delivering cohesive technology that solves real business and customer pain by unifying data like never before.
☑ Artificial Intelligence (AI) Readiness and ROI Strategy - AI and Machine Learning (ML) are here. Your Board, donors and staff are wanting to know how to best leverage them. I help your organization cut through the AI hype and build a grounded, whole-org roadmap that is rooted in what is ethical, actionable and meets your organization’s real pain points.
What we deliver: Strategic org-wide-meets-AI-wide guidance, AI feasibility assessment, AI roadmap creation based on real ROI objectives. (I don’t just leave it there. I help you get it done too.)
☑ Increased Innovation Capacity - Did you know I also work with Silicon Valley tech companies as an innovation coach? I work with them to optimize how they build, solve problems and prioritize their tech product roadmap. Result? Building tech products customers love that also works for the business. Building tech experiences that MATTER. This same innovation skill-building is highly transferrable to your org in Arts and Culture. I coach cultural nonprofits on how to become your own version of a lean startup, helping your leadership move, think and act with new skills focused on addressing your core business and customer pain with skillful tech solutions. In short— I help you build the leadership skills to consistently make tech decisions that MATTER to your audiences and to your bottom line.
What we deliver: Coaching on modern product building/lean startup mentality and technique which allows your organization to consistently make better technology bets and deliver consistent ROI. ➜ Watch the video
☑ Rapid and Skillful R&D (Try-Test-Learn Cycles) - You’ve got great ideas but limited bandwidth. I help your team explore and validate new tools or tech ideas (hello AI!) through quick, low-risk pilots that save money in the long run. Real learnings, fast.
What we deliver: Small-scope “spikes” or tests of technology tools/AI tools to solve a specific business case, proof of concepts, feasibility studies, AI and tech exploration support. ➜ Watch the video
Recent Posts
Work with me
I work with cultural organizations to unify their data and technology strategy into a cohesive whole that serves the organization, the team and the community.
AI and ML are rail of today’s tech stack. It’s vital to be adept at using them. But what is most important is focusing on solving hard business problems effectively USING technology of the day. Not following the shiny object.
However you approach questions like “what do we do about AI?” to “how do we make our online exchange flow better?”… you need a practical strategy rooted in making real ROI and impact.
Put my deep AI research, decades of knowledge of the Arts and Culture sector, and Silicon Valley innovation coaching to work for you in finding real ROI with unbiased technology strategy that serves your whole organization.
The best way to start? Just a chat… humans figuring it out.
