Meet the Moderator, Giselle Santos

How did you start your moderation journey?

My moderation journey evolved naturally from my professional involvement in technology and digital transformation spaces. As the founder of MiraElla Group (established in 2024), which was accepted into the NVIDIA Startup Inception program, and having been personally recognised with the 2024 Rising Star in Technology Award by Women We Admire, I’ve been regularly engaging with companies facing AI implementation challenges. These conversations highlighted the need for structured but authentic discussions around digital transformation. 

The Nitro roundtable was particularly valuable because it brought together diverse perspectives from legal, creative, technical, and business stakeholders in creating a comprehensive view of how document management and AI are reshaping workflows across industries.

 

What do you find most exciting about moderating?

The most exciting aspect of moderating events like the Nitro roundtable is witnessing the genuine exchange of ideas and shared challenges. During our discussion, there was a remarkable moment when participants began sharing their first experiences with AI tools that dramatically changed their workflows. One participant enthusiastically described their “holy shit moment” when they realised an AI tool “saved me three to four hours… I was going to spend my morning doing this, and this just cut this down to 30 minutes.”

These authentic reactions and the collective energy that builds when participants realise they’re facing similar challenges – whether it’s balancing remote work policies, implementing AI governance, or navigating generational differences in technology adoption – make moderating truly rewarding. The Nitro event was particularly exciting because it balanced technical discussions about document management with broader cultural and organisational transformation topics.

 

How do you typically prepare to moderate an event like the Nitro roundtable?

Preparation for the Nitro event involved understanding the intersection of document management, AI implementation, and workplace transformation. This meant researching current challenges in each area and identifying where they overlap. 

For example, understanding how legal firms are adopting private AI models for discovery while maintaining data security, as one participant mentioned: “We have private LLMs that are trained with your data… firms are willing to start paying us to do that.”

The preparation also involved understanding participants’ industries and potential pain points – from advertising agencies navigating creative AI to financial institutions concerned with compliance. This allowed me to craft questions that drew out diverse perspectives while keeping the conversation focused on practical applications and real-world challenges rather than theoretical discussions.

 

What tips and tricks would you recommend for those aspiring to become moderators?

Based on the Nitro roundtable experience, I’d recommend several approaches:

1. Focus on real-world applications: The most engaging moments came when participants shared specific examples – like the advertising agency participant describing how they were “building our own Gen AI” to resell data for market research.
2. Embrace tension points: Some of the richest discussions came from areas of disagreement, such as the value of in-office work versus remote policies. Don’t shy away from these tensions – they often reveal the most interesting insights.
3. Connect similar experiences across industries: Notice when participants from different sectors describe similar challenges. During our event, both legal and advertising representatives discussed data privacy concerns but with different approaches.
4. Draw out specific examples: Vague generalisations don’t advance the conversation. When a participant mentioned AI guidelines, asking for specific implementation details led to much richer information about their “three-part prompt engineering training.”
5. Balance technical and human elements: The Nitro discussion was most valuable when it connected technical capabilities (like document management) with human impacts (like workplace culture and generational differences).

 

In what ways has moderating contributed to your growth as a leader in your field?

Moderating events like the Nitro roundtable has enhanced my understanding of how digital transformation impacts different industries. Hearing firsthand accounts from legal professionals about how they’re implementing private LLMs or from creative agencies about their Gen AI governance boards provides insights that wouldn’t be available from standard industry reports.

The Nitro event particularly highlighted the intersection of document management with broader business processes. As one participant noted, “For us, the easiest part is building the tools or adapting a tool. It’s all the other aspects… and the organisational change part” that presents the greatest challenge. These insights directly inform how we approach technology implementation at MiraElla Group, helping us focus not just on the technical solution but on the human and organisational elements crucial for success.

 

How has moderating contributed to your personal and professional growth?

The Nitro roundtable and similar events have fundamentally changed how I view technology implementation. Rather than focusing primarily on technical capabilities, I now see how organisational culture, generational perspectives, and workplace policies are equally important factors in successful digital transformation.

For example, the robust discussion about remote work policies revealed how companies are balancing productivity with collaboration needs. One participant shared how their company had to “allocate additional funds to hire” specialists because existing staff was too overwhelmed to take on new AI initiatives – highlighting that budget considerations aren’t just about technology costs but about human capacity.

The candid sharing of challenges – from data security concerns to change management strategies – creates a more comprehensive understanding of the digital transformation landscape. This broader perspective has proven invaluable in my work at MiraElla Group and has shaped our approach to helping organisations implement AI solutions that consider both technical requirements and organisational realities.

Most importantly, the Nitro roundtable reinforced the power of bringing together perspectives from different industries to tackle common challenges. The document management discussion naturally expanded to include conversations about AI implementation, hybrid work policies, and generational knowledge transfer – demonstrating how interconnected these issues truly are in today’s business environment.