Reginé Gilbert Keynote Speaker

Founder of Access Blueprint®
NYU professor and author of four books on design and AI
Specialist in human judgment in AI systems

Reginé Gilbert's Biography

Reginé Gilbert is a Systems and Change Strategist, NYU professor, and author of four books whose work sits at the intersection of human judgment, AI, and organizational change.

As founder of Access Blueprint®, Reginé helps leaders and organizations ask the questions they don’t know they have, mapping workflows, clarifying decision ownership, and designing training so teams can adapt when technology or regulation changes how work gets done.

With over 400 workshops and strategic engagements delivered across four continents, Reginé has advised organizations across finance, media, technology, and fashion. Her published works include Inclusive Design for a Digital World, now in its second edition with a Japanese translation, Human Spatial Computing with Oxford University Press, and the forthcoming Digital Accessibility Ethics with Taylor and Francis.

Reginé serves on the UX Advisory Committee for the Ad Council, the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, and the Board of Directors of Teach Access and XR Guild. She is a Faculty Fellow in NYU’s Empire AI Initiative.

A sought after keynote speaker and strategic advisor, Reginé brings rare clarity to the most urgent organizational challenge of our time, not whether to adopt AI, but how to do it without losing the human judgment that makes decisions trustworthy, systems resilient, and organizations worth working for.

Where Human Judgment Must Remain

As AI takes on more decisions, the quality of human judgment becomes more valuable not less. This keynote helps leaders understand where automation creates risk, where human oversight is non-negotiable, and how to build organizations where judgment stays central even as systems scale.

The Perspective Pivot - Making Better Decisions in an AI World

Built on the Dance Floor Framework, this session gives teams a shared language for understanding why decisions break down. Participants learn to move between three vantage points, the floor, the balcony, and the doorway, to surface what everyone else is missing before it becomes a costly mistake.

From Compliance to Strategy - Accessibility as Organizational Intelligence

The European Accessibility Act is in effect. But organizations that treat accessibility as compliance are missing the bigger opportunity. This talk reframes accessibility as a systems and strategy conversation, showing how designing for human complexity at the edges builds better products, retains more talent, and produces smarter decisions for everyone.

Designing for the Future Self - A New Framework for Change Management

Most change initiatives fail because they assume people will remain capable in the same ways over time. This session introduces a systems based approach that treats human variability as a baseline condition, helping organizations build change that actually sticks.

AI Literacy and the Human Edge

Most teams are being asked to use AI without understanding it. This session cuts through the hype to give leaders and teams a practical framework for AI literacy, what to automate, what to augment, and where human experience, ethics, and judgment remain the irreplaceable competitive advantage.

She brings rare operational depth – combining business analysis, systems thinking, and human centered design to help organizations navigate AI adoption without losing the human judgment that makes decisions hold under real world pressure.
She translates complexity into clarity – having delivered 400+ workshops and strategic engagements across four continents for organizations including Netflix, Condé Nast, JP Morgan, and Mastercard.
She is a published authority – author of five books including Human Spatial Computing with Oxford University Press and Inclusive Design for a Digital World now in its second edition with a Japanese translation, making her one of the most credible voices at the intersection of accessibility, AI, and organizational change.
She makes the urgent actionable – helping leaders move from AI hype and regulatory pressure to clear workflows, defined decision ownership, and teams that actually know how to operate new systems responsibly.

Videos of Reginé Gilbert

Config 2024: The design renaissance (Reginé Gilbert, James Weldon Johnson, New York University)

Building Inclusive Experiences

Articles, Media & Podcasts

Ally Financial Has Turned To ‘The Wizard Of Oz’ To Inspire Its Drive For Greater Tech Inclusivity

Forbes

Watch a User Experience Expert React to Sci-fi Operating Systems

Vulture

Keeping Your Design Mind New and Fresh

A List Apart

Books by Reginé Gilbert

Inclusive Design for a Digital World - First Edition

Inclusive Design for a Digital World - Second Edition

Human Spatial Computing - Oxford University Press

Digital Accessibility Ethics - Taylor and Francis

Comments & Testimonials

"Reginé was one of the most engaging speakers we've hosted. She delivered a highly engaging and impactful session that resonated across an audience of 220 participants spanning design, product, engineering, and more. The level of participation was exceptional, many specifically mentioned her ability to break down complex ideas into clear, actionable insights. Reginé's energy and dedication not only made the session memorable, but kept the momentum going for digital inclusion across our organization."

Inclusive Design Leader

"Reginé delivered an engaging, tailored workshop during our Product Accessibility Onsite. She is an exceptional facilitator who combines deep subject matter expertise with a rare ability to foster meaningful dialogue and engagement. I loved that she did her homework to make sure the workshop was thoughtfully designed, highly relevant, and immediately actionable for our teams and industry. We received great feedback on her session and she was fantastic to work with, especially in how she included our online participants alongside those in person."

Heather Dowdy Former Head of Product Accessibility at Netflix

“Reginé Gilbert brings a powerful and timely perspective to the stage. One of the most valuable takeaways from her session at AccessU was how clearly she connected storytelling to spatial computing, making a complex and emerging topic both accessible and actionable. Her ability to bridge technology, human behavior, and real-world application gives audiences something they can immediately use, whether they’re designing, leading, or shaping digital experiences. Reginé delivers insight with clarity and purpose.”

Sharron Rush Executive Director, Knowbility

“Reginé spoke about Inclusive Design to a large group of UX Designers at NBCUniversal and Sky. Her presentation was so engaging and insightful! We particularly loved her discussion around designing for our future selves, which helped everyone understand the importance of accessibility and how to put it into practice. She was awesome and we’d love to have her back!”

Lori Samuels NBCUniversal and Sky UK

“Reginé brought incredible energy and expertise to our program. She wove hope and agency throughout the day in a way that resonated deeply. The student reflections from both sessions were outstanding — her frameworks sparked conversations that continued well beyond the event.”

Casey McArdle, PhD Michigan State University

"Reginé brought practical expertise and genuine engagement to our founder community. Her sessions were immediately actionable and directly relevant to the challenges our entrepreneurs face."

Desiree Browne Tory Burch Foundation