Practical Strategies for Thriving Amidst Disruption With Chad Blackburn

Chad Blackburn is a leader at Elevate Capital, a values-led capital firm that backs high-integrity entrepreneurs and modernizes lower-market accounting firms. He works at the intersection of growth, emerging technology, capital markets, and AI-driven business transformation. Chad's experience spans Cherry Bekaert, Pathway Health Partners, MDSave, and ACS/Xerox, and he holds an MBA from Western Governors University. He is also an active speaker and educator on AI adoption, helping professionals use AI to work smarter and simplify daily tasks.

Disruption has a way of making even experienced leaders feel like they are starting from scratch. What if the best way forward is not to chase every new tool, but returning to the clearest signal of all: how your business creates value?

According to Chad Blackburn, a builder and investor with deep experience in high-growth companies and emerging technologies, the answer starts with anchoring every decision to the organization's North Star. He explains that AI transformation should not be handed off as a purely technical project; leaders need to examine their workflows, identify where value is created, and decide which steps belong with people, tools, automation, or something else entirely. That shift helps teams move from fear and noise to practical action, using AI to remove friction and unlock more meaningful work.

In this episode of the Level Up, Nick Araco is joined by Chad Blackburn of Elevate Capital to discuss practical strategies for thriving amidst disruption. They explore how leaders can cut through AI noise, map workflows around value creation, build trust during change, and shift from static reporting to real-time insight. Chad also shares advice on using AI through hands-on experimentation.