Fireside Chat with Christel Buchanan

In an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping every industry, the most effective leaders aren't necessarily the most technical. Curiosity and being authentically human is the key differentiator. Join Christel Buchanan, founder of ChatAndBuild and inventor of Non-Fungible Agents, as she shares how her unconventional path from Twitter's international expansion to AI innovation was shaped by embracing her multi hyphenate nature rather than conforming to traditional tech leadership models.

Discusion Overview:

From Outsider to AI Pioneer: The Unconventional Advantage -

How lacking traditional Silicon Valley credentials and growing up without privilege created a unique perspective on technology accessibility.

Christel will share specific moments from her journey, from being Twitter's 10th international hire to recognizing the AI democratisation opportunity, that illustrate why diverse backgrounds often produce more innovative solutions than conventional tech pathways.

The Multi Hyphenate Leadership Philosophy: Why Breadth Beats Depth -

A deep dive into how seemingly unrelated pursuits create unexpected competitive advantages.

Diverse experiences create better pattern recognition and prevent the single-domain thinking that limits many leaders.

Democratising AI Creation: From Coding Elite to Natural Language Revolution -

The story behind ChatAndBuild's core philosophy that anyone should be able to turn imagination into software.

Christel will explore why the traditional "learn to code" approach excludes brilliant minds and how natural language programming represents a fundamental shift in who gets to be a creator.

This includes her controversial decision to build differently when everyone else was targeting developers.

Authentic Leadership in Hyperspeed Innovation: Staying Human While Building the Future -

How to maintain personal values and authentic decision-making when technology is moving faster than traditional business frameworks can handle.

Christel will share practical examples of how her grounding practices, from morning meditation sessions to creative evenings, learning how to say NO is more important than saying YES to all - and how that helps inform major strategic decisions and prevent the burnout that destroys many tech leaders.

Scaling Global Vision with Local Humanity: Lessons from Twitter to AI -

Drawing direct parallels between expanding Twitter internationally and democratising AI globally, Christel will reveal frameworks for understanding cultural adoption of transformative technology.

This includes recognising when technological shifts represent genuine inflection points versus hype cycles, and how to act decisively without losing sight of human needs.

Non-Fungible Agents and the Philosophy of AI Ownership -

An exploration of Christel's latest innovation and why she believes individuals should own their AI creations rather than rent them from big tech companies.

This goes beyond technical specifications to examine fundamental questions about agency, creativity, and economic power in an AI-driven world.

She'll explain why memory, identity, and ownership in AI systems represent the next frontier of technological democracy.

Learning Points:

Participants will understand how to leverage their own diverse backgrounds and interests as leadership strengths rather than perceived weaknesses

Practical frameworks for staying grounded and making authentic decisions during periods of rapid technological change

Insights into identifying and acting on major technological shifts without getting paralyzed by complexity or imposter syndrome

A new perspective on AI leadership that emphasises human creativity and curiosity over technical expertise

Live demonstration of how non-technical leaders can directly engage with AI tools to solve real business problems.

Interactive Elements:

Live AI application building using natural language

Group discussion on embracing multi hyphenate identities in professional contexts

Q&A focused on practical leadership challenges in the AI era

About the Facilitator

Christel Buchanan is the founder of ChatAndBuild and the inventor of Non-Fungible Agents (NFAs), a new token standard debuting on BNB Chain as the first BNB Application Proposal (BAP-578). Her work focuses on weaving memory, identity, and ownership into AI systems. Christel’s path into technology wasn’t conventional. She grew up without privilege or perfect credentials, but carried a belief that with curiosity and grit, it’s possible to learn, create, and shape your own future. That belief eventually became the foundation of ChatAndBuild, an AI-native platform that allows anyone to turn imagination into software and fully own what they build. Earlier in her career, she helped scale Twitter internationally as the 10th team member outside the US, serving as Head of Content for International Markets, and later worked as VP Asia at Brandwatch (acquired for $400M). She also holds postgraduate degrees from Oxford in Artificial Intelligence and Major Programme Management. Outside of work, Christel is a multihyphenate. She has completed two Ironman 70.3 triathlons, is an avid painter, plays the saxophone, and is currently working on her first novel. Curiosity is her constant thread, whether through learning, cooking, art, or fitness. She is happily married and shares life in Singapore with her husband, an economist and avid sailor, and their goldendoodle, Toby.