For Business & Marketing

Research-backed AI thinking
for leaders, marketers, and executive teams.

Navigate AI's business and marketing work pairs original research with a clearer leadership lens for the Verification Economy: the shift from impressive AI to provable trust. Two flagship reports, The Golden Algorithm, and selected speaking and advisory work help leaders move from AI activity to defensible judgment.

2026 Reports
Business + Marketing — free download
Leadership Framework
The Golden Algorithm + GOLDEN Framework
Available Now
Speaking, advisory, and keynotes
Read the Business Report Explore The GOLDEN Algorithm
Free download
State of AI in Business 2026 State of AI in Marketing 2026
What's here
Research and a leadership framework that can carry the conversation
Two free sector reports, a published leadership framework, and a clear path into speaking or advisory work. Strong on signal, grounded in original data, and built for leaders who need more than AI enthusiasm.
State of AI in Business State of AI in Marketing The GOLDEN Algorithm Speaking & advisory
Why this work matters

Research-backed thinking on AI in business and marketing — not recycled hype.

The Navigate AI 2026 reports draw on original longitudinal research, sector surveys, and real implementation patterns. Each report names specific findings, frameworks, and practical implications — not generic AI optimism.

Trust
In the Verification Economy, organizations do not get credit for what they claim. They get credit for what they can prove — especially when decisions affect customers, employees, or partners.
6 + 1
The GOLDEN Framework translates the Golden Rule into six structural disciplines — Guard Human Dignity, Operate Transparently, Limit Harm, Design with Empathy, Ensure Accountability, and Nurture the Common Good — grounded in integrity.
Moat
The business upside is not performative ethics. It is an Ethical Moat: customer loyalty, regulator trust, resilience under stress, and clearer ownership when things go wrong.
3
Three free 2026 reports plus The Golden Algorithm give leaders a practical entry point into AI strategy, governance, and implementation conversations.
2026 Sector Reports — Free Download

Three reports. Real data. Practical implications for leaders and teams.

Each report is grounded in original research and sector analysis — written for leaders and practitioners who need a sharper view of where AI is actually going, not where the hype says it should be.

FREE ↗
State of AI in Business 2026 cover
Executive report
State of AI in Business 2026
The J-Curve adoption model. The Toy-Tool-Zombie framework. Why ~5% of organizations extract real value while most stay stuck at the activity layer. For leaders navigating AI governance, workforce change, and implementation lag.
Download free report →
FREE ↗
State of AI in Marketing 2026 cover
Practitioner report
State of AI in Marketing 2026
The Output Trap. The Confidence Paradox (r≈0). The 7 Anchors of Human-Centered Marketing. For CMOs, marketing leaders, and educators who need a framework that holds up under real-world pressure.
Download free report →
FREE ↗
State of AI in Education 2026 cover
Also in the series
State of AI in Education 2026
Faculty fluency, governance gaps, course redesign, and the research finding that ethical readiness — not tool exposure — is the strongest predictor of faculty AI adoption.
Download free report →
Book + Framework

The Golden Algorithm — a practical AI leadership framework for leaders who need trust to be provable.

Built for the Verification Economy, The Golden Algorithm turns the Golden Rule into operating reality through the GOLDEN Framework: Guard Human Dignity, Operate Transparently, Limit Harm, Design with Empathy, Ensure Accountability, and Nurture the Common Good — all grounded in integrity.

Reframes AI ethics as leadership infrastructure: structures, constraints, and ownership that make speed safer to scale.
Introduces the Ethical Moat: customer loyalty, regulator trust, resilience, and pricing power earned by doing the right thing when it is costly.
Useful for executive teams, board conversations, leadership retreats, speaking engagements, and future executive learning.
Explore The GOLDEN Algorithm Ask about speaking or advisory work
The Golden Algorithm by Ryan Baltrip
The GOLDEN Framework
Six structural disciplines + an integrity foundation
G — Guard Human Dignity
O — Operate Transparently
L — Limit Harm
D — Design with Empathy
E — Ensure Accountability
N — Nurture the Common Good
Integrity foundation Verification economy Ethical moat
Available Now

Research, speaking, and advisory — no product catalog required.

The business side of Navigate AI is intentionally focused: deep research, a published leadership framework, and selected engagements for the right conversations. Executive learning is in development.

Free download
2026 Research Reports
Three sector reports on AI in business, marketing, and education — all grounded in original research and available free. The strongest entry point for any business conversation.
Published
The GOLDEN Algorithm
The book and framework that help leaders move from AI enthusiasm to trustworthy systems, clearer constraints, and repeatable governance.
Speaking & keynotes
Conference & Leadership Sessions
Research-backed sessions on AI in business, marketing, leadership, and ethics. Available as keynotes, workshops, or leadership retreats — grounded in frameworks, not trend chasing.
Coming soon
Executive AI Learning
Short, practical executive learning built around the Golden Algorithm and the 2026 research series — designed for leaders and teams, not full academic programs.
Dr. Ryan Baltrip
Dr. Ryan Baltrip
Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing · Old Dominion University
E.V. Williams Fellow for AI in Teaching & Learning · Founder, Navigate AI
The business and marketing work comes from the same place as the education work — ongoing research, live teaching, framework development, and real engagement with how AI is changing professional practice. Not commentary from the sidelines. Grounded research translated into useful frameworks, practical reports, and leadership guidance that holds up in the room.
Background
Research and practice across education, marketing, and AI leadership
Three-year longitudinal study of 464 students — the research foundation for every Navigate AI framework and report
Author of The GOLDEN Algorithm and three 2026 AI sector reports covering education, marketing, and business
Teaches MKTG 319: AI in Digital Marketing Management at ODU — frameworks tested in live courses every semester
Available for keynotes, leadership sessions, advisory conversations, and institutional engagements
Research Frameworks Speaking Advisory Executive education
Get started

Start with the reports. Then let's talk.

The 2026 reports are the best entry point — free, substantive, and useful before any further conversation. If you want to discuss speaking, advisory work, or executive learning, the contact form is the right next step.

Explore All Research Contact for Speaking or Advisory
Free reports — no form required
Three 2026 reports, ready to download now
State of AI in Business 2026 →
J-Curve · Toy-Tool-Zombie · Implementation lag
State of AI in Marketing 2026 →
Output Trap · Confidence Paradox · 7 Anchors
State of AI in Education 2026 →
464 students · OR=1.51 · Faculty fluency research
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