Metova

The speed of social- and AI-driven news cycles has dramatically shortened the window between an emerging issue and a full-blown crisis. Stories can sometimes take shape before facts are confirmed, and public perception often solidifies in minutes rather than hours. Shift From Response Plans To Predictive Narrative Models: AI has collapsed the crisis window from hours to minutes, so here at Gathid, we have shifted from “response plans” to response models. We pre-train narrative frameworks the same way AI is trained, mapping likely triggers, sentiment paths and counterfactuals. The goal isn’t speed; it’s staying ahead of AI-amplified distortion before it becomes the dominant story. 👉 Forbes Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gyHUhg3N In this environment, crisis management is less about crafting the perfect statement and more about building systems, decision rules and #governance structures that allow teams to respond quickly and credibly. Below, the members of Forbes Communications Council share excellent strategies for crisis preparedness in the age of real-time social- and AI-first news cycles. 🎙️Run Practice Sessions, Mock Crises Camille Weleschuk 🎙️Clarify Chain of Command Victoria Zelefsky 🎙️Shift from Responsive to Predictive Models Hope Frank 🎙️Build Messaging Frameworks Kal Gajraj, Ph.D. 🎙️Pre-Align Decision Rules Katie Jewett 🎙️Trim the List of Approvers Rekha Thomas 🎙️Prioritize Precision & Responsiveness Rob Robinson 🎙️Include a Preemptive & Reactive Crisis Plan Andrew Frank 🎙️Focus on Fast Clarity Cade Collister | Metova 🎙️Simplify the Escalation Map Heather K. Stickler, PMP, PCM, CDMP 🎙️Surface Early Warning Signals Toby Wong, CPACC, ADACC 🎙️Monitor Data Spikes Scott Morris | Sprout Social, Inc. 🎙️Align on What you Stand For Jessica Wong | Valux Digital Gathid | Gathered Identities Forbes Technology Council Forbes CMO Network Forbes Research & Insights Tamara McCleary Jeanniey Walden Kelli Richards Ted Rubin

Most internal communications don’t fail because the writing is bad. They fail because the message wasn’t grounded in reality. In the latest Forbes Communications Council article, Cade Collister shares why internal comms professionals need to get better at reading the room before writing the message & how listening without an agenda builds trust faster than polished messaging ever could. If communication sounds right but lands wrong, it’s usually a context problem, not a content problem. Read the full insight: https://lnkd.in/enwTM85W

Building a product at pre-seed is one of the most energizing phases of the founder journey. You are moving fast, validating assumptions, and making decisions under pressure. Choosing the right development partner is one of the most critical early choices. Beyond skills and industry knowledge, you need alignment on operating rhythm. I am not the first founder to navigate this, but after a false start and an incredibly successful 90-day sprint to our beta, I wanted to share the lessons I wish I had known sooner. My first partner was talented, had deep industry expertise, and people I genuinely liked. They were expensive, but I felt worth it for the caliber of work.  I learned something important: a great partner can still be the wrong partner. Speed and iteration matter as much as capability. I needed a team that could operate at my pace: rapid and real-time iteration. Their model simply wasn’t built for that. No bad actors—just a mismatch. You own your product's success. That means setting expectations clearly, prioritizing with discipline, and communicating when something isn’t working before it becomes a problem. What you are building matters. In my case, image analysis wasn’t a feature; it was foundational IP. For me, that meant: - No offshoring of the critical components - Engineers with prior experience in similar models - A team willing to find the right solution quickly - True collaboration To ensure the integrity of priorities, scope, and timelines, I intentionally hired two partners with different responsibilities: one to drive product management, and one to build the product. That controlled friction, uncomfortable at times, made the outcome stronger. It ensured that decisions were challenged, assumptions vetted, and no one (including me) got too comfortable at the wheel. Things always take longer. Sometimes you underestimate a feature’s complexity. Sometimes discovery invalidates the thing you thought was essential. Your job as a founder most importantly, is to communicate - constantly. The partner relationship doesn't succeed because nothing goes wrong, but because you navigate what does go wrong in a healthy, honest, productive way. I’m grateful to the teams who helped bring our beta to life: Comedia, Metova, and Ashley from Startup Baddie. We moved fast, worked hard, and built something early users truly love. When capability, accountability, and trust align, 90 days can produce something extraordinary. There are so many to thank - including those who helped us early on - FÖDA® with positioning and productOps, Inc. with our ai proof of concept. Choosing a development partner is a relationship decision. You are not hiring hands - you’re selecting collaborators who will help you establish momentum, reduce uncertainty, and accelerate learning. Skills matter. Price matters. Process matters. But in the end, how you work together, is what makes the difference. #entrepreneurship #startups #innovation

We’re proud to share that Josh Smith, Chairman of Metova, is honored this November by the Arkansas Academy of Computing (AAoC) for his contributions to the tech community. Josh has been a driving force in Arkansas technology for more than two decades, leading innovation, advancing digital transformation, and creating opportunities for new tech talent across the state. A proud Arkansan, U.S. military veteran, former Metova CEO, and founding member of the Arkansas Coding Academy (ArCA), Josh’s impact continues to shape businesses and communities alike. 👏 Congrats, Josh! This is a well-deserved recognition. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g3jCEdFP

And like any good prototype, what matters isn’t that it’s perfect. It’s that it’s honest, learnable and built to iterate. https://hubs.li/Q03NQqR_0 Written by Cade Collister of Metova

Can microschools better prepare the next generation of UX designers for the AI era? 💡 In his latest article, originally published for the Forbes Communications Council, Metova’s Chief Creative Officer, Cade Collister, explores how hands-on, human-centered education can shape UX designers who create not just with AI, but for humans in an AI-driven world. Read the full article ➡️ 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gM7bXB5R

The leaders who connect best are those who share who they are in a way that also advances their organization’s mission. Read more at https://hubs.li/Q03LV-9p0 from Colby Proffitt of Carbyne, Scott L. Anderson, Cody Gillund of Grounded Growth Studio, Melanie Draheim of Fox Communities Credit Union, Rekha Thomas of Path Forward Marketing, John Jorgenson of Cambium Learning Group, ⛳️ John Schneider of Betterworks, Joe Ariganello of Veracode, Cade Collister of Metova, Rachel Gerber Kule of Pursuit PR, Marie O'Riordan of The Croí Initiative, including Croí Impact and Croí Capital, Lisa Maynard of Awin Global, Kurt Allen, LSSBB, AINS, AIS of Notre Dame de Namur University, Natalie Silverman, MBA of GSCF, Lauren Parr of RepuGen, Rich Bornstein of Bornstein Media, and Michelle Wicmandy, DBA, MBA

B2B videos can showcase thought leadership, humanize a brand and boost engagement with professional audiences. Read more at https://hubs.li/Q03JHvjm0 from Jennifer Jackson of Actian, Katie Jewett of UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations, Marie O'Riordan of The Croí Initiative, including Croí Impact and Croí Capital, Kerry McDonough of Zip Co, Cade Collister of Metova, Bob Pearson of The Next Practices Group, John Jorgenson of Cambium Learning Group, Rekha Thomas of Path Forward Marketing, Luciana Cemerka de Aguiar of TP, Kristin Russel of symplr, Rosie Guest of Apex Group Ltd., Toby Wong, CPACC, ADAC of Toby Wong Consulting, Jamie Elkaleh of Bitget Wallet, Regina Key of Destination Concepts inc, Kurt Allen, LSSBB, AINS, AIS of Notre Dame de Namur University, Patrick Ward of NanoGlobals, Alyssa Kopelman of Otsuka Precision Health (OPH), Kerry-Ann Betton Stimpson of JMMB Group, and Keith Bendes of Linqia

As with any powerful technology, there are risks to AI—including bias, misinformation and ethical issues—that can undermine trust and credibility if left unchecked. Read more at https://hubs.ly/Q03KVZhW0 from Nate Roy of Constructor, Heather K. Stickler, PMP, PCM, CDMP of Tidal Basin Group, ⛳️ John Schneider of Betterworks, Kimberly Osborne of Old Dominion University, Tom Wozniak of Optizmo Technologies, LLC, Saakshar Duggal of Artificial Intelligence Law Hub, Namita Tiwari of Namita Tiwari, Marie O'Riordan of The Croí Initiative, including Croí Impact and Croí Capital, Scott Morris of Sprout Social, Inc., Bob Pearson of The Next Practices Group, Leeron Walter Mendel 💡 of Teramind, Jennifer Best of AmICredible, Rekha Thomas of Path Forward Marketing, Cade Collister of Metova, Kelly Starman of MasterControl, and Cameron Partridge of HydraBlackline

This insightful piece in Forbes, “17 Ways Internal Comms Can Normalize Conversations Around Well-Being” is a powerful reminder that internal communication about actively shaping culture, supporting employee mental health, and fostering more human workplaces. A few points that stood out to me and make this a must-read: The emphasis on “micro-moments of care” — small, consistent gestures that signal we’re paying attention to well-being day to day. The idea of “comms nudges” (e.g. prompts, reminders, formats) to encourage conversations rather than waiting for big events or crises. How storytelling can humanize struggles and normalize vulnerabilities — giving colleagues permission to speak openly. The recommendation to embed well-being into existing channels (not just creating a new “wellness” channel) so it doesn’t feel siloed. The practical tip to measure impact — not just through engagement metrics, but through qualitative insights (e.g. “did someone feel more safe sharing?”). Thank you to everyone who collaborated on this. I’m grateful to be part of a Council that values balancing performance and humanity in internal communication — and this article demonstrates exactly how we can do that. Full read: https://shorturl.at/O58hG Forbes Communications Council #ForbesCommunicationCouncil Nisar Keshvani, AMIPRS (Northwestern University) Stephanie Bunnell (Azira) Shaun Walsh (Peak Nano) Camille Weleschuk, MBA (ATB Financial) Cody Gillund (Grounded Growth Studio) John Jorgenson (Cambium Learning Group) Kurt Allen, LSSBB, AINS, AIS (Notre Dame de Namur University) Katie Jewett (UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations) Rachel Gerber Kule (Pursuit PR) Cade Collister (Metova) Toby Wong, CPACC, ADAC (Toby Wong Consulting) Christina Mendel Namita Tiwari Rich Bornstein (Bornstein Media) Victoria Zelefsky (Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation (AAEDC)) Rob Robinson (Haystack)