// 01Speaking & presentations
Keynotes · breakouts · workshops

Your adoption programs fail. Your AI governance stalls. Your ROI story is weak.

I speak on why, and what actually works.

I bring 6+ years of enterprise data and automation leadership to every session, grounded in real examples from construction, operations, and mid-market organizations. My sessions emphasize practical frameworks, not theory.

Available in English and Spanish.

// 02Speaking fees

Engagement pricing

BREAKOUT SESSION · 45–60 MIN
$1,500–$2,500
FOR

Conference or internal event.

INCLUDES

Full prep, professional deck, Q&A, materials.

KEYNOTE · 60 MIN
$3,000–$4,500
FOR

Premier events and executive forums, all-conference audience.

INCLUDES

Full prep, professional deck, Q&A, AV support, materials.

Travel billed separately at cost.

INTERNAL WORKSHOP · 90 MIN–FULL DAY
$3,500–$8,000
FOR

Leadership teams and organizational training.

INCLUDES

Customized content, interactive exercises, follow-up resources. Half-day (4 hrs) or full-day (8 hrs).

All fees include prep, materials, and delivery. Travel, lodging, meals, and ground transportation covered by the organization. Available in English & Español.

Book a speaking consultation →
// 03What I speak about

Session topics, grouped by the problem they solve

Each session runs 45–60 minutes. Scan for the problem your audience is facing.

When your adoption programs fail

The Adoption Gap: Why Well-Built Programs Fail

Why technically sound programs fail, and it's not what you think. The ADKAR framework for designing adoption into any program from day one.

Making Data Meaningful for People, Not Just Systems

Why your dashboards exist but aren't used, and how to design systems people actually trust and sustain.

When you're scaling AI without governance

Building AI Governance in Civil Construction

A 5-pillar framework for scaling AI responsibly across organizations, and how governance enables, rather than restricts, adoption.

AI Governance for Operational Teams

A practical framework for governing AI: tool approval, usage standards, data handling, prompt documentation, and output validation.

When you need to quantify ROI

$1M+ in Cost Avoidance: What Actually Worked at Scale

A 4-step process for identifying and delivering measurable ROI through data and automation, with real examples from across operations. Replicable for mid-market organizations.

When data systems break down

Reducing Tool Sprawl and Restoring Trust in Reporting

How tool sprawl undermines reporting reliability, and practical approaches to simplifying without large-scale platform overhauls.

Restoring Trust in CMS-Connected Reporting

Why fragmentation across systems erodes trust, and architectural patterns for designing reporting environments leadership can rely on.

When security stalls, and bridging the gap

From Controls to Confidence

Why security programs are technically sound but struggle at adoption, and how to design security systems leadership trusts and teams actively use.

Bridging Technical Teams and Executive Leadership

Language and frameworks for translating technical complexity into business relevance, closing a major barrier between teams and leadership.

Custom Topics

Work with Ashley to develop a session tailored to your organization's challenges or industry.

// 04Speaking record & recognition
  • ✓4.75/5 session rating (Trimble Dimensions 2025)
  • ✓4/5 session rating (SnowFROC 2026)
  • ✓4.5/5 session rating (DrupalCamp Colorado 2026)
  • ✓5/5 session rating (BSidesDen 2026)
  • ✓Repeat speaker, Trimble 2023, 2025, 2026
  • ✓SnowFROC, Live! 360, DrupalCamp, BSidesDen, Women in Construction Week
  • ✓Attendees report direct impact on their technology approach
What attendees say

"One of the most important sessions I've attended. The perspective will directly shape how I move forward with technology and workflow decisions."

Justin M · Trimble Dimensions 2025

"The struggles you shared reflect what I deal with day to day. Your advice felt practical, and I plan to apply it moving forward."

Bianca R · Trimble Dimensions 2025

"Understanding the need to involve people more in the process. Our company has many dashboards, but adoption is low, and this helped explain why."

Matthew B · Trimble Dimensions 2025

"Your message about making data make sense for people, not just systems, really resonated. That's where the real impact happens."

Karan P · Trimble Dimensions 2025

"This will help me more proactively include change management in implementations I work on."

Nick S · BSidesDen 2026

"I wouldn't change anything about your presentation."

Jared C · BSidesDen 2026

"I'm a Prosci Certified practitioner. This was a solid ADKAR intro. Good job."

Joe K · BSidesDen 2026
From the room
Ashley Rivera presenting to a live audience
Ashley Rivera at the front of the room
Trimble Dimensions 2026 speaker announcement
// 05Speaking history · 2023–2026

All engagements

Every session is built on change management from day one - not bolted on after. That's why attendees leave with something they can actually use.

Upcoming2026
October 24 · Online (Global)

Data Analytic Group Monthly Connect

From Dashboards to Decisions: Why Your Reports Exist But Nobody Trusts Them. For BI developers, analysts, and data teams who want their work used, not ignored.

Microsoft Fabric community · ~1,700 members, global audience
November 9–11 · Las Vegas

Trimble Dimensions 2026

Selected for two sessions: AI Governance in Civil Construction + $1M+ Cost Avoidance.

Ashley Rivera - Trimble Dimensions 2026 Speaker
Construction & operations leaders · The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
November 15–20 · Orlando · My sessions: Nov 17

Live! 360 Tech Con

Two sessions on enterprise AI and data systems: an interactive discussion plus a 75-minute deep dive on designing systems leadership trusts. Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando.

Enterprise architects & tech leaders · Use code RIVERA for $500 off at live360events.com/orlando
Live! 360 Tech Con 2026 - Join me in Orlando, code RIVERA
Past engagements
September 11, 2026 · Denver, CO

BSides Denver 2026

Most security programs are technically sound. This session made the case that adoption is a change management problem - not a technical one - and gave practitioners a framework to close the gap between "the control exists" and "people actually follow it."

5/5 session rating
August 27–28, 2026 · Denver, CO

DrupalCamp Colorado 2026

Data that flows through a CMS before reaching a report multiplies governance gaps quickly. This session walked through diagnosing where trust breaks down in CMS-connected pipelines and what it takes to design reporting stakeholders actually believe.

4.5/5 session rating
April 2026 · Denver, CO

SnowFROC 2026

Security programs fail at adoption, not architecture. This talk argued that the missing layer isn’t a better control - it’s change management. Presented to OWASP Denver’s practitioner audience with a framework for making programs stick beyond the implementation team.

Watch recording ↗  ·  4/5 rating
November 2025 · Las Vegas

Trimble Dimensions 2025

Construction operations run on dozens of systems that rarely talk to each other. This session covered the gap between “we have dashboards” and “we make decisions from them” - and what change management has to do with closing it.

4.75/5 session rating  ·  Verified badge ↗
2023–2024 · Women in Construction Week

Transportation & Construction GIRL

A mentorship interview on building a career in construction data without the traditional path. Covered what it takes to grow in non-traditional roles, why the industry needs more people who think in systems, and how to earn trust when you’re the only one in the room who thinks this way.

Watch interview ↗
November 2023 · Las Vegas

Trimble Dimensions 2023

An early session on BI tools and adoption in construction - making the case that the reporting system itself is only half the work. The session hit capacity before it started; attendees were turned away at the door. That response led directly to a standing speaker invitation.

Fully booked · repeat speaker invitation followed
// 06Is this a fit for your event?

Good fit for speaking

  • ✓Your conference focuses on data strategy, adoption, governance, or operations.
  • ✓Your audience is leaders, architects, and operations teams, not pure developers.
  • ✓You value practical frameworks over hype.
  • ✓You want a speaker with enterprise experience, not just theory.
  • ✓You're in construction, trades, operations, security, or mid-market.

Not the right fit

  • ✗You need a celebrity or famous-name speaker.
  • ✗Your audience is purely technical (coding/dev topics).
  • ✗You want introductory-level only, sessions assume a mid-senior audience.
  • ✗You need a last-minute fill-in, sessions require prep time.
// 07How to book

Three ways to engage

OPTION 01 · FREE

Speaking consultation

A 30-minute call to discuss fit, format, topic, and audience.

Book free consultation →
OPTION 02 · DIRECT

Direct inquiry

Reach out with your event details, dates, and audience.

ariverofdata@gmail.com
(720) 248-7373
OPTION 03 · CUSTOM

Custom topic

Develop a session tailored to your specific organization or industry challenge.

Discuss custom topics →
// 08Beyond conferences

Community work & resources

I'm committed to mentoring emerging leaders and contributing to industry conversations on systems thinking and organizational change.

Transportation & Construction GIRL Interview (2023), mentorship on career paths, building in non-traditional roles, and embracing change for growth.

HEI Civil booth, Transportation & Construction GIRL (2026) - HEI Civil's presence at the annual event connecting young people with careers in construction. The booth was visited by students throughout the day, with feedback coming from women who work in this field every day.

Freely available resources
  • ›The Adoption Gap (blog + 30-min video)
  • ›You Don't Have to Have It Figured Out (women in tech, mentoring)
  • ›Governance Is Not the Thing That Slows AI Down

Book Ashley for your next event.

Start with a free 30-minute consultation to discuss fit, format, and topic.

Book a speaking consultation →
Reach directly
email ariverofdata@gmail.com phone (720) 248-7373
// Newsletter

Practical essays on data, AI, and adoption.

No noise. One sharp essay on data, AI, or the work of building systems people trust. That’s it.