Interview

Abby Knowles is the founder of ASKTech Works and creator of the December Leadership Lab, bringing together nearly three decades of engineering, operations, and leadership experience from her career at Verizon to help companies scale at the intersection of technology and culture. A systems engineer by training and a builder by practice, she has launched networks, led cybersecurity and AI initiatives, transformed operating models, and incubated new technologies—from billing platforms to drones. Today she advises organizations on clean growth, governance, AI adoption, and leadership development, using a rare blend of deep technical fluency and people-centered strategy. In this conversation, Abby shares how culture multiplies technology, why hybrid leadership is the new non-negotiable, and what modern businesses must master to grow sustainably in the age of AI.

Q: Abby, can you introduce yourself and share what your company focuses on?

I’m the founder and principal of ASKTech Works, LLC, a strategy, technology, and leadership execution firm. I also created the December Leadership Lab, which offers personal and professional development for individuals. ASKTech Works serves corporations, while the Leadership Lab focuses on people—because the future will always require both.

My work today is built on 28 years at Verizon, where I engineered, operated, and scaled networks and technologies across the organization.

Q: What was your background before launching Asktech Works?

I’m an engineer by training. I studied at Morgan State University, did a year at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad, and earned my master’s at Johns Hopkins. I’m originally from Jamaica and have strong Caribbean roots.

At Verizon, I spent nearly three decades building and operating wired and wireless networks, transforming operating models, running cybersecurity, overseeing billing platforms, integrating AI and machine learning, and even launching the company’s first drone program. Much of my work centered on incubation—bringing ideas to life, testing them, then scaling them.

“Much of my work centered on incubation—bringing ideas to life, testing them, then scaling them.”

Q: You have deep technical roots, yet you focus heavily on culture and leadership. Why?

Because I learned—up close—that culture is the multiplier. The most advanced technology in the world cannot outperform a dysfunctional culture.

Engineers and technologists aren’t often taught how to build trust, communicate ideas, or partner with business stakeholders. But those relational elements are what accelerate ROI, speed to market, and scalability.

I saw Verizon Wireless become number one not just through technical capability, but through leaders who understood how to bridge strong engineering with strong culture.

That combination is what I now teach.

Q: What makes your approach unique in the marketplace?

My background gives me a rare intersection of skills: deep engineering expertise and deep cultural fluency.

I bring:

• A systems-engineering mindset
• Leadership training through lived experience—not theory
• Proven frameworks for scaling teams, technology, and operations cleanly
• The ability to diagnose both technical bottlenecks and cultural ones

Companies often treat technology and culture as separate lanes. I treat them as one system. That’s the only way to scale sustainably.

“My background gives me a rare intersection of skills: deep engineering expertise and deep cultural fluency.”

Q: Why do you work with both corporations and individuals?

Because every transformation, technology or otherwise, ultimately comes down to people. The world may be adopting AI quickly, but humans still run the system, make decisions, and govern the outcomes. Individuals need personal mastery, confidence, and clarity just as companies need strategy, execution, and governance.

If the people inside the business aren’t optimized, the outcomes won’t be either.

Q: What challenges do companies face when trying to scale with new technology like AI?

Two major ones:

1. They believe their culture is already “fine.” Most leaders won’t admit their culture needs tuning. But every technological shift is an opportunity to reassess culture, communication, and alignment.
2. They confuse culture with social activities. Culture isn’t pizza parties. It’s:
   – Governance
   – Decision-making
   – Trust-building
   – Communication fluency
   – Role clarity
   – Scalable operating models

As companies attempt digital transformations, they often don’t know what to prioritize. AI requires digital maturity, alignment, and a clean operating foundation.

Q: Who is your ideal client?

My ideal clients are growing small and medium-sized businesses, as well as niche executives within large organizations who work alongside big consulting firms.

I’m especially effective with organizations that are scaling, shifting, or maturing, where clarity and momentum matter.

I offer:

• Strategic advisory for high-impact decision-making
• Execution support across transformations, operations, and technology integration
• Leadership coaching for teams navigating today’s hybrid world of people and AI agents

Q: How do you help companies integrate both culture and technology?

I start with strategy, then move to execution. My focus areas include:

• Engineering efficiency
• Eliminating operational noise
• Choosing clean pilots to scale
• Building governance early
• Trust-building at every layer
• Developing leaders who understand both people and tech

I also help companies harness the innovation already inside their teams. Most employees—especially those on the front line—already know the answers. They simply haven’t been heard.

Q: What leadership characteristics matter most in the AI era?

1. Personal mastery. Leaders must be personally fluent in the tools and risks—AI, cyber, privacy—not just verbally supportive.
2. Flexibility. The ability to move fluidly with uncertainty and fast-changing tech.
3. Communication. Engineers and developers must learn to communicate with business teams and vice versa.
4. Trust-building. Trust accelerates everything—scaling, recruiting, retention, innovation.
   

Q: What is your long-term vision for Asktech Works?

Over the next 24–36 months, I want to partner with organizations that are scaling fast and need guidance on:

• Clean growth
• Safe adoption of AI
• Cyber maturity
• Governance structures that scale
• Leadership frameworks that match technological pace

I want to advise, support, and help these companies grow—with both technical rigor and people-centered leadership.

Q: How has your experience at BA been so far?

I’ve only been here one full day, but it has been amazing. I learned about BA through a fellow keynote speaker, and I’ve appreciated how this community embraces both business excellence and personal values like faith.

The openness, trust, and quality of conversations have been exceptional.

Q: What is your biggest need right now as you grow your business?

Connection—specifically introductions to companies that are growing and need help scaling efficiently.

I’m looking to connect with founders, leadership teams, and niche executives who are navigating growth, operational complexity, or AI adoption and need practical, execution-oriented support to scale quickly.

Q: Any final thoughts you’d like to share?

Yes. I recently won the Chairman’s Award from the IEEE Communications Quality and Reliability Committee. When I posted about it, I dedicated it to women, especially women of color, because despite my technical background and accomplishments, women in tech are often seen as “not technical enough.”

Leadership is not a soft skill. It is a superpower. And my mission now is to double down on helping companies and leaders bridge technology and culture—because that intersection is where sustainable growth happens.