AI training usually fails for a simple reason: it is too generic.

In this episode of Business AI Explained, I sit down with Elise Masurel de Laval, co-founder of Catalyst.ai Academy, to break down what makes AI training actually work inside companies. Elise and her team focus on practical AI training for non-technical roles, with a strong emphasis on role-based use cases and learning by doing rather than abstract demos.

They discuss why AI adoption needs to be tied to real business workflows, why peer-led learning often beats formal training, and how companies should think about shadow AI, governance, and long-term capability building. They also explore why AI agents create excitement early on but often become difficult to maintain unless internal teams can truly own them.

They cover:

Why most AI training programs fail
The case for role-specific AI enablement
Why peer practitioners are often the best teachers
How to build relevance through real company use cases
Why AI communities can outperform static courses
How to think about shadow AI without overreacting
Balancing experimentation with governance
The hidden maintenance cost of AI agents
Why practical adoption matters more than tool knowledge
How non-technical teams can build AI confidence quickly

This episode is for founders, operators, enablement leaders, consultants, and anyone trying to move from AI awareness to real adoption across teams.

About the guest
Elise Masurel de Laval is co-founder of Catalyst.ai Academy. Catalyst describes its approach as practical AI training for non-tech roles, and the company’s about page highlights Elise’s background in marketing, digital, sales, innovation, and executive leadership in education.

Where to find Elise:
→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elise-masurel-de-laval-2579b999/?skipRedirect=true
→ Company: https://catalystacademy.ai/

Work with Vlad:
If you’re implementing AI in your operations and want hands-on help building real workflows:
→ https://www.elementsagents.com/

Subscribe / follow Vlad:
→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladeziegler/
→ AI with Vlad: https://www.youtube.com/@aiwithvlad