// About
Leadership and Governance
We are governed by a board of directors that keeps the foundation accountable, transparent, and true to its mission.
Independence
Our relationship with The AI Cowboys
Full disclosure, in plain English.
The AI Cowboys Foundation shares its name and western spirit with The AI Cowboys, a for profit technology company based in San Antonio. The two are separate legal entities. The foundation is a Texas nonprofit with its own board, its own finances, and its own books and records. It is not owned or controlled by The AI Cowboys, and no part of the foundation's assets or earnings benefits the company or any private individual.
Some people serve both organizations, including a shared co-founder. We treat that overlap with care, under a conflict of interest policy the board applies to every decision:
- Directors and officers disclose any financial interest they hold in an organization the foundation does business with, including The AI Cowboys.
- A conflicted director does not vote on, and does not take part in the discussion of, any matter where their conflict exists.
- Any transaction with The AI Cowboys or another related party must serve the foundation's mission, be documented on arm's length terms, and be approved by the disinterested members of the board.
- Donations to the foundation fund the foundation's charitable and educational programs only. They are never passed through to The AI Cowboys.
Questions about our governance or independence are always welcome through our contact page.
Officer roles
Who is responsible for what
Three officer roles carry the core duties of the board.
President
Leads the board, sets the agenda, and is accountable for the foundation staying true to its mission.
Secretary
Keeps official records, documents board decisions, and safeguards the accuracy of our governance.
Treasurer
Oversees finances, ensures responsible stewardship of funds, and supports transparent reporting.
Our standard
Responsible AI is a governance commitment
Responsible AI is not a talking point for us. It is a governance commitment the board stands behind, with human oversight of every AI assisted decision that affects people.
We hold ourselves to the same responsible AI standard for our own operations that we ask of others.
Responsible AI
We hold ourselves to what we teach
Responsible AI is not a talking point for us. It is a governance commitment the board stands behind.
- Human oversight of every AI assisted decision that affects people.
- Clear governance, privacy, and risk practices that we teach and follow.
- Honest communication about what AI can and cannot do.
- The same responsible AI standard for our own operations that we ask of others.
Transparency
Governance you can see
Good governance means the public can understand how decisions are made and how funds are used.
We keep our governance structure, our responsible AI commitments, and our entity standing published and current. As we grow, we will add financial reporting and program outcomes so anyone can hold us to our word.
You can review our entity details and how we put funds to work across our programs and impact. If you have a governance question, our door is open through our shared inbox.
Take the next step
Governance built for trust
See the impact of our work, or reach out to learn more about how we are governed.