Send us Fan Mail

In this special interview edition of Sidecar Sync, hosts Mallory  and Amith sit down with AI consultant, John Huisman, to explore how associations can effectively adopt generative AI. John shares insights from his extensive experience advising Fortune 50 companies on digital transformation and AI strategy. The conversation covers how associations can shift from adopting AI just for the sake of it to strategically leveraging it for real business outcomes. They also discuss employee productivity, AI training, and practical applications like knowledge management and customer service automation. If you're wondering how to make AI work for your organization, this episode is a must-listen!

🔎 Check out Sidecar's AI Learning Hub and get your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification:
https://learn.sidecar.ai

📕 Download ‘Ascend 2nd Edition: Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations’ for FREE
https://sidecar.ai/ai

📅 Find out more digitalNow 2025 and register now:
https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai/ 

🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Whisper ➡ https://openai.com/research/whisper
ChatGPT ➡ https://openai.com/chatgpt
Claude ➡ https://claude.ai

📅 Register for digitalNow2026 in Washington, D.C. from October 25–28:
 https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai

🎀 Use code AIPOD50 for $50 off your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification at https://sidecar.ai/aaip

🚀 Help Us Grow Our Reach - Share With a Friend or Colleague!

👍 Like & Subscribe!
https://x.com/sidecarglobal
https://www.youtube.com/@SidecarSync
https://sidecar.ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidecar-global/

Amith Nagarajan is the Chairman of Blue Cypress, a family of purpose-driven companies and proud practitioners of Conscious Capitalism. The Blue Cypress companies focus on helping associations, non-profits, and other purpose-driven organizations achieve long-term success. Amith is also an active early-stage investor in B2B SaaS companies. He’s had the good fortune of nearly three decades of success as an entrepreneur and enjoys helping others in their journey.

https://linkedin.com/amithnagarajan

Mallory Mejias is passionate about creating opportunities for association professionals to learn, grow, and better serve their members using artificial intelligence. She enjoys blending creativity and innovation to produce fresh, meaningful content for the association space. Mallory co-hosts and produces the Sidecar Sync podcast, where she delves into the latest trends in AI and technology, translating them into actionable insights.

https://linkedin.com/mallorymejias

Send us Fan Mail

In this jam-packed episode of Sidecar Sync, Amith and Mallory break down two of the biggest AI stories of the moment: DeepSeek’s R1 model and OpenAI’s new Operator agent. R1 has been making waves with its impressive reasoning abilities, low training costs, and major impact on AI stocks—leaving industry giants scrambling. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s Operator brings a new level of automation, allowing AI to browse the web and complete tasks like a human. What does this mean for associations and AI adoption? Tune in as we explore the implications, risks, and opportunities these developments bring to the table.

🔎 Check out Sidecar's AI Learning Hub and get your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification:
https://learn.sidecar.ai

📕 Download ‘Ascend 2nd Edition: Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations’ for FREE
https://sidecar.ai/ai

📅 Find out more digitalNow 2025 and register now:
https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai/ 

🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

DeepSeek R1 ➡ https://www.deepseek.com/
OpenAI Operator ➡ https://openai.com
Claude’s Computer Use (Anthropic) ➡ https://claude.ai
Llama 3.3 (Meta AI) ➡ https://ai.meta.com/llama

📅 Register for digitalNow2026 in Washington, D.C. from October 25–28:
 https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai

🎀 Use code AIPOD50 for $50 off your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification at https://sidecar.ai/aaip

🚀 Help Us Grow Our Reach - Share With a Friend or Colleague!

👍 Like & Subscribe!
https://x.com/sidecarglobal
https://www.youtube.com/@SidecarSync
https://sidecar.ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidecar-global/

Amith Nagarajan is the Chairman of Blue Cypress, a family of purpose-driven companies and proud practitioners of Conscious Capitalism. The Blue Cypress companies focus on helping associations, non-profits, and other purpose-driven organizations achieve long-term success. Amith is also an active early-stage investor in B2B SaaS companies. He’s had the good fortune of nearly three decades of success as an entrepreneur and enjoys helping others in their journey.

https://linkedin.com/amithnagarajan

Mallory Mejias is passionate about creating opportunities for association professionals to learn, grow, and better serve their members using artificial intelligence. She enjoys blending creativity and innovation to produce fresh, meaningful content for the association space. Mallory co-hosts and produces the Sidecar Sync podcast, where she delves into the latest trends in AI and technology, translating them into actionable insights.

https://linkedin.com/mallorymejias

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Sidecar Sync, hosts Amith and Mallory dive into the intersection of leadership and artificial intelligence, exploring why growing your team is the true measure of a leader. Amith shares his decades-long journey of building organizations, candidly discussing the lessons learned along the way. Together, they discuss the critical importance of AI training for teams, why failing to provide it is "leadership malpractice," and the distinct challenges of leading in a time of rapid technological change. From actionable tips to thought-provoking insights, this episode equips leaders to bridge the gap between AI awareness and effective implementation.

🔎 Check out Sidecar's AI Learning Hub and get your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification:
https://learn.sidecar.ai

📕 Download ‘Ascend 2nd Edition: Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations’ for FREE
https://sidecar.ai/ai

📅 Find out more digitalNow 2025 and register now:
https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai/ 

🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
ChatGPT ➡ https://chat.openai.com
Claude AI ➡ https://www.anthropic.com/claude
Google Cloud AI ➡ https://cloud.google.com/ai

📅 Register for digitalNow2026 in Washington, D.C. from October 25–28:
 https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai

🎀 Use code AIPOD50 for $50 off your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification at https://sidecar.ai/aaip

🚀 Help Us Grow Our Reach - Share With a Friend or Colleague!

👍 Like & Subscribe!
https://x.com/sidecarglobal
https://www.youtube.com/@SidecarSync
https://sidecar.ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidecar-global/

Amith Nagarajan is the Chairman of Blue Cypress, a family of purpose-driven companies and proud practitioners of Conscious Capitalism. The Blue Cypress companies focus on helping associations, non-profits, and other purpose-driven organizations achieve long-term success. Amith is also an active early-stage investor in B2B SaaS companies. He’s had the good fortune of nearly three decades of success as an entrepreneur and enjoys helping others in their journey.

https://linkedin.com/amithnagarajan

Mallory Mejias is passionate about creating opportunities for association professionals to learn, grow, and better serve their members using artificial intelligence. She enjoys blending creativity and innovation to produce fresh, meaningful content for the association space. Mallory co-hosts and produces the Sidecar Sync podcast, where she delves into the latest trends in AI and technology, translating them into actionable insights.

https://linkedin.com/mallorymejias

Send us Fan Mail

Dive into the riveting highlights of digitalNow 2024, where leading experts shared transformative insights on AI and its impact on associations. In this episode, keynote speakers Robert Plotkin, Dr. Gio Altamirano Rayo, Dr. Param Dedhia, Neil Hoyne, and John Spence unravel strategies for leveraging AI, enhancing leadership, and fostering innovation. From safeguarding intellectual property with AI to ethical AI applications at the U.S. Department of State, and even the science behind high-yield health, this episode delivers actionable takeaways for forward-thinking leaders.

🔎 Check out Sidecar's AI Learning Hub and get your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification:
https://learn.sidecar.ai

📕 Download ‘Ascend 2nd Edition: Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations’ for FREE
https://sidecar.ai/ai

📅 Find out more digitalNow 2025 and register now:
https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai

📅 Register for digitalNow2026 in Washington, D.C. from October 25–28:
 https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai

🎀 Use code AIPOD50 for $50 off your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification at https://sidecar.ai/aaip

🚀 Help Us Grow Our Reach - Share With a Friend or Colleague!

👍 Like & Subscribe!
https://x.com/sidecarglobal
https://www.youtube.com/@SidecarSync
https://sidecar.ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidecar-global/

Amith Nagarajan is the Chairman of Blue Cypress, a family of purpose-driven companies and proud practitioners of Conscious Capitalism. The Blue Cypress companies focus on helping associations, non-profits, and other purpose-driven organizations achieve long-term success. Amith is also an active early-stage investor in B2B SaaS companies. He’s had the good fortune of nearly three decades of success as an entrepreneur and enjoys helping others in their journey.

https://linkedin.com/amithnagarajan

Mallory Mejias is passionate about creating opportunities for association professionals to learn, grow, and better serve their members using artificial intelligence. She enjoys blending creativity and innovation to produce fresh, meaningful content for the association space. Mallory co-hosts and produces the Sidecar Sync podcast, where she delves into the latest trends in AI and technology, translating them into actionable insights.

https://linkedin.com/mallorymejias

Send us Fan Mail

In the first episode of 2025, Amith and Mallory dive into groundbreaking innovations reshaping the association world. They explore Google’s Gemini Deep Research, a cutting-edge AI tool revolutionizing how associations can generate actionable insights. Then, they discuss the futuristic potential of carbon-14 diamond batteries—offering nearly unlimited power for thousands of years. From enhancing member engagement through AI to powering the tech of tomorrow, this episode blends scientific curiosity with practical association strategies. Tune in for insights, inspiration, and a glimpse of what’s ahead in AI and energy innovation.

🔎 Check out the NEW Sidecar Learning Hub:
https://learn.sidecarglobal.com/home

📕 Download ‘Ascend 2nd Edition: Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations’ for FREE
https://sidecarglobal.com/ai

🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Gemini Deep Research ➡ https://gemini.google.com/app
ChatGPT ➡ https://openai.com/chatgpt

📅 Register for digitalNow2026 in Washington, D.C. from October 25–28:
 https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai

🎀 Use code AIPOD50 for $50 off your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification at https://sidecar.ai/aaip

🚀 Help Us Grow Our Reach - Share With a Friend or Colleague!

👍 Like & Subscribe!
https://x.com/sidecarglobal
https://www.youtube.com/@SidecarSync
https://sidecar.ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidecar-global/

Amith Nagarajan is the Chairman of Blue Cypress, a family of purpose-driven companies and proud practitioners of Conscious Capitalism. The Blue Cypress companies focus on helping associations, non-profits, and other purpose-driven organizations achieve long-term success. Amith is also an active early-stage investor in B2B SaaS companies. He’s had the good fortune of nearly three decades of success as an entrepreneur and enjoys helping others in their journey.

https://linkedin.com/amithnagarajan

Mallory Mejias is passionate about creating opportunities for association professionals to learn, grow, and better serve their members using artificial intelligence. She enjoys blending creativity and innovation to produce fresh, meaningful content for the association space. Mallory co-hosts and produces the Sidecar Sync podcast, where she delves into the latest trends in AI and technology, translating them into actionable insights.

https://linkedin.com/mallorymejias

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to a special edition of Sidecar Sync! In this episode, Mallory shares keynote highlights from Day One of digitalNow 2024, a premier event for association leaders. Dive into insights from Amith Nagarajan on AI agents and agentic systems, Thomas Altman on AI's role in knowledge creation, Sharon Gai on AI-driven e-commerce strategies, and Dr. Denise Turley on implementing generative AI solutions. From practical takeaways to future-forward ideas, this episode is packed with inspiration for associations navigating the AI revolution.

📣 Take Advantage of the Early Bird Special and Sign Up for digitalNow 2025:
https://digitalnow.sidecarglobal.com/

🔎 Check out the NEW Sidecar Learning Hub:
https://learn.sidecarglobal.com/home

📕 Download ‘Ascend 2nd Edition: Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations’ for FREE
https://sidecarglobal.com/ai

🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
ChatGPT ➡ https://openai.com/chatgpt
Sora Text-to-Video ➡ https://openai.com/research
Klarna AI Assistant ➡ https://www.klarna.com/us

📅 Register for digitalNow2026 in Washington, D.C. from October 25–28:
 https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai

🎀 Use code AIPOD50 for $50 off your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification at https://sidecar.ai/aaip

🚀 Help Us Grow Our Reach - Share With a Friend or Colleague!

👍 Like & Subscribe!
https://x.com/sidecarglobal
https://www.youtube.com/@SidecarSync
https://sidecar.ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidecar-global/

Amith Nagarajan is the Chairman of Blue Cypress, a family of purpose-driven companies and proud practitioners of Conscious Capitalism. The Blue Cypress companies focus on helping associations, non-profits, and other purpose-driven organizations achieve long-term success. Amith is also an active early-stage investor in B2B SaaS companies. He’s had the good fortune of nearly three decades of success as an entrepreneur and enjoys helping others in their journey.

https://linkedin.com/amithnagarajan

Mallory Mejias is passionate about creating opportunities for association professionals to learn, grow, and better serve their members using artificial intelligence. She enjoys blending creativity and innovation to produce fresh, meaningful content for the association space. Mallory co-hosts and produces the Sidecar Sync podcast, where she delves into the latest trends in AI and technology, translating them into actionable insights.

https://linkedin.com/mallorymejias

Send us Fan Mail

In this special interview, Mallory chats with Varun Puri, co-founder of Yoodli, an AI-powered communication coach revolutionizing how people prepare for speeches, interviews, and conversations. Varun shares Yoodli’s journey, from its inspiration as a "smart mirror" for speech to its adoption by global organizations like Google and Toastmasters. Discover how associations, professionals, and even doctors are using Yoodli to enhance communication skills, and get insights into why keeping the "human in the loop" is key for authentic speaking. Varun’s candid anecdotes, including the quirky origin of Yoodli’s name, make this an episode you won’t forget.

🔎 Check out the NEW Sidecar Learning Hub:
https://learn.sidecarglobal.com/home

📕 Download ‘Ascend 2nd Edition: Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations’ for FREE
https://sidecarglobal.com/ai

🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Yoodli ➡ https://yoodli.ai

📅 Register for digitalNow2026 in Washington, D.C. from October 25–28:
 https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai

🎀 Use code AIPOD50 for $50 off your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification at https://sidecar.ai/aaip

🚀 Help Us Grow Our Reach - Share With a Friend or Colleague!

👍 Like & Subscribe!
https://x.com/sidecarglobal
https://www.youtube.com/@SidecarSync
https://sidecar.ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidecar-global/

Amith Nagarajan is the Chairman of Blue Cypress, a family of purpose-driven companies and proud practitioners of Conscious Capitalism. The Blue Cypress companies focus on helping associations, non-profits, and other purpose-driven organizations achieve long-term success. Amith is also an active early-stage investor in B2B SaaS companies. He’s had the good fortune of nearly three decades of success as an entrepreneur and enjoys helping others in their journey.

https://linkedin.com/amithnagarajan

Mallory Mejias is passionate about creating opportunities for association professionals to learn, grow, and better serve their members using artificial intelligence. She enjoys blending creativity and innovation to produce fresh, meaningful content for the association space. Mallory co-hosts and produces the Sidecar Sync podcast, where she delves into the latest trends in AI and technology, translating them into actionable insights.

https://linkedin.com/mallorymejias

Send us Fan Mail

In this special year-end episode of Sidecar Sync, Amith and Mallory reflect on 2024’s AI predictions and dive headfirst into the top 10 AI trends set to transform associations in 2025. From advancements in AI-powered video creation and humanoid robots to the rise of domain-specific tools and AI education, this episode unpacks what’s on the horizon. Amit also shares strong views on leadership and AI readiness, coining the term “leadership malpractice.” Tune in for expert insights, actionable advice, and a glimpse into the exciting future of AI in the association world.

🔎 Check out the NEW Sidecar Learning Hub:
https://learn.sidecarglobal.com/home

📕 Download ‘Ascend 2nd Edition: Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations’ for FREE
https://sidecarglobal.com/ai

🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
ChatGPT ➡ https://openai.com/chatgpt
Google Gemini ➡ https://ai.google/gemini
Meta AI ➡ https://meta.com/ai
DeepMind’s AlphaFold ➡ https://www.deepmind.com/research/highlights/alphafold

📅 Register for digitalNow2026 in Washington, D.C. from October 25–28:
 https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai

🎀 Use code AIPOD50 for $50 off your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification at https://sidecar.ai/aaip

🚀 Help Us Grow Our Reach - Share With a Friend or Colleague!

👍 Like & Subscribe!
https://x.com/sidecarglobal
https://www.youtube.com/@SidecarSync
https://sidecar.ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidecar-global/

Amith Nagarajan is the Chairman of Blue Cypress, a family of purpose-driven companies and proud practitioners of Conscious Capitalism. The Blue Cypress companies focus on helping associations, non-profits, and other purpose-driven organizations achieve long-term success. Amith is also an active early-stage investor in B2B SaaS companies. He’s had the good fortune of nearly three decades of success as an entrepreneur and enjoys helping others in their journey.

https://linkedin.com/amithnagarajan

Mallory Mejias is passionate about creating opportunities for association professionals to learn, grow, and better serve their members using artificial intelligence. She enjoys blending creativity and innovation to produce fresh, meaningful content for the association space. Mallory co-hosts and produces the Sidecar Sync podcast, where she delves into the latest trends in AI and technology, translating them into actionable insights.

https://linkedin.com/mallorymejias

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Sidecar Sync, Amith and Mallory unpack the latest advancements shaping the AI and association landscape. From Meta's groundbreaking Llama 3.3 model, which challenges scaling laws with its smaller yet mightier parameters, to OpenAI’s launch of Sora, a highly anticipated text-to-video AI model, we explore how these technologies redefine the boundaries of innovation. Discover why smaller AI models are taking the spotlight, how Sora’s creative capabilities might revolutionize storytelling, and the implications for associations embracing video at scale. Tune in for an insightful discussion on these exciting AI breakthroughs!

🔎 Check out the NEW Sidecar Learning Hub:
https://learn.sidecarglobal.com/home

📕 Download ‘Ascend 2nd Edition: Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations’ for FREE
https://sidecarglobal.com/ai

🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Llama 3.3 ➡ https://www.llama.com/
Sora ➡ https://openai.com/sora
HeyGen ➡ https://heygen.com
Hugging Face ➡ https://huggingface.co

📅 Register for digitalNow2026 in Washington, D.C. from October 25–28:
 https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai

🎀 Use code AIPOD50 for $50 off your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification at https://sidecar.ai/aaip

🚀 Help Us Grow Our Reach - Share With a Friend or Colleague!

👍 Like & Subscribe!
https://x.com/sidecarglobal
https://www.youtube.com/@SidecarSync
https://sidecar.ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidecar-global/

Amith Nagarajan is the Chairman of Blue Cypress, a family of purpose-driven companies and proud practitioners of Conscious Capitalism. The Blue Cypress companies focus on helping associations, non-profits, and other purpose-driven organizations achieve long-term success. Amith is also an active early-stage investor in B2B SaaS companies. He’s had the good fortune of nearly three decades of success as an entrepreneur and enjoys helping others in their journey.

https://linkedin.com/amithnagarajan

Mallory Mejias is passionate about creating opportunities for association professionals to learn, grow, and better serve their members using artificial intelligence. She enjoys blending creativity and innovation to produce fresh, meaningful content for the association space. Mallory co-hosts and produces the Sidecar Sync podcast, where she delves into the latest trends in AI and technology, translating them into actionable insights.

https://linkedin.com/mallorymejias

Send us Fan Mail

In this post-Thanksgiving episode, Amith and Mallory dive into groundbreaking AI innovations shaping the association landscape. Discover the story behind Daisy, a clever chatbot designed to thwart phone scammers, and its implications for cybersecurity. The hosts also unpack Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open-source framework poised to redefine how AI interacts with diverse data sources. With a mix of practical advice and forward-thinking insights, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the intersection of AI and associations.

🔎 Check out the NEW Sidecar Learning Hub:
https://learn.sidecarglobal.com/home

📕 Download ‘Ascend 2nd Edition: Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations’ for FREE
https://sidecarglobal.com/ai

🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
ChatGPT ➡ https://openai.com
ElevenLabs ➡ https://elevenlabs.io
HeyGen ➡ https://www.heygen.com
Anthropic’s Claude ➡ https://www.anthropic.com

📅 Register for digitalNow2026 in Washington, D.C. from October 25–28:
 https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai

🎀 Use code AIPOD50 for $50 off your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification at https://sidecar.ai/aaip

🚀 Help Us Grow Our Reach - Share With a Friend or Colleague!

👍 Like & Subscribe!
https://x.com/sidecarglobal
https://www.youtube.com/@SidecarSync
https://sidecar.ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidecar-global/

Amith Nagarajan is the Chairman of Blue Cypress, a family of purpose-driven companies and proud practitioners of Conscious Capitalism. The Blue Cypress companies focus on helping associations, non-profits, and other purpose-driven organizations achieve long-term success. Amith is also an active early-stage investor in B2B SaaS companies. He’s had the good fortune of nearly three decades of success as an entrepreneur and enjoys helping others in their journey.

https://linkedin.com/amithnagarajan

Mallory Mejias is passionate about creating opportunities for association professionals to learn, grow, and better serve their members using artificial intelligence. She enjoys blending creativity and innovation to produce fresh, meaningful content for the association space. Mallory co-hosts and produces the Sidecar Sync podcast, where she delves into the latest trends in AI and technology, translating them into actionable insights.

https://linkedin.com/mallorymejias