We have 640+ mutual LinkedIn connections.

But I didn’t actually meet Steven Wolfe Pereira ⚡️ in real life until I stopped him at Starbucks at CES ☕️

Very 2026. Shortly after, I had him as a guest on BOSS, and this conversation stuck with me. I'm excited to share it with all of you. Steven started his career at Blackstone in 1994. Jumped to Akamai in 1999 when everyone thought it was crazy. Built across finance, infrastructure, data, media, tech. Pattern recognition across multiple waves.

And now? He says we all need to have a “wake the hell up” moment.

Because we are in the agentic era. Not AI as content fluff. Not AI as a buzzword. AI agents inside enterprises. Working alongside people. Talking to each other. Making decisions. But here’s the shift most leaders are underestimating: They care about: • Your data • Your structure • Your governance • Your infrastructure This is no longer just a marketing conversation. It’s a boardroom conversation.

And Steven said something I think a lot of executives quietly feel: “No one wants to look dumb in front of their peers when it comes to AI.” But staying quiet doesn’t slow this down It just widens the gap. The first inning was curiosity. The second inning is capability. 👇 So I’ll ask it directly: Are you building? Or are you hoping this is still just hype?

Watch the full BOSS episode with Steven,CEO Alpha, to hear his story and our conversation. 🔥 And follow me, Ali Levitan, for more BOSS executive interviews, industry insights… and yes, work & life as Jake & Sophia's mom