Meet Your AI Advisory Partner
Ben Cross is an independent AI advisor who works with executive and board-level leaders navigating high-stakes decisions around artificial intelligence. His focus is on readiness, governance, and risk, helping institutions respond with clarity and confidence before pressure forces reactive choices.
Ben brings a background shaped by service, operational leadership, and strategic technology work. He served as a paratrooper in the United States Army and later as a firefighter for the City of Raleigh. These roles instilled a deep respect for preparation, disciplined decision-making, and calm leadership in high-stakes environments. That foundation continues to influence how he approaches advisory work today, particularly when leaders must act without perfect information.
In the private sector, Ben has worked in AI and automation roles at AT&T, where he has been involved in applying advanced technologies to real-world business problems. This experience allows him to bridge the gap between technical capability and leadership reality, translating complex AI concepts into practical guidance that executives can use to make informed decisions.
Ben is completing a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Management and Policy, with a focus on responsible adoption, governance frameworks, and risk management. His advisory work emphasizes leadership readiness over tool deployment, helping organizations establish clarity, boundaries, and confidence before pressure forces reactive choices.
Beyond his professional work, Ben is an active member of First Baptist Church Forney, where he serves on both the College Ministry Leadership Team and the Marriage Ministry Leadership Team. His involvement in church leadership and commitment to Jesus informs his commitment to stewardship, trust, and values-aligned decision-making, particularly in environments where leadership carries moral and community responsibility.
Rather than promoting rapid adoption or specific AI tools, Ben helps leadership teams slow down, ask better questions, and prepare thoughtfully for emerging risks such as misuse, impersonation, or erosion of trust. His work includes executive education, policy development, crisis preparedness, and ongoing advisory support designed to protect institutions and the people they serve.
Ben’s guidance is grounded in established frameworks, including the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and informed by experience across public service, corporate environments, and faith-based leadership. He is vendor-neutral and incentive-aligned, allowing him to focus on what is best for the institution rather than what is easiest to sell.
Ben lives in Texas and works with organizations nationwide. He is known for a steady, thoughtful approach to complex issues and for helping leaders move forward with confidence rather than fear. Through LYNC AI Advisory, his goal is to help organizations prepare for the realities of AI in a way that protects trust, aligns with mission, and supports long-term stewardship.