Sabeer Nelli: Building an AI-First Company with Empathy and Purpose

When Coinbase CEO recently made headlines for giving engineers a one-week deadline to learn AI coding tools or risk termination, it sparked debate about the future of work. Artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of productivity. In some corners of tech, CEOs are taking a heavy-handed approach —mandating employees to “use AI or leave.” But in the fintech world, one leader is proving there’s another way.

Sabeer Nelli, CEO of Zil Money Corporation, is integrating AI into his company’s culture and products with a philosophy rooted in empowerment, trust, and strategic alignment. Rather than forcing adoption through ultimatums, he’s guiding his workforce and customers toward a future where AI feels natural, valuable, and human-centered.

Empowerment Over Ultimatums

Employees often struggle with AI adoption not out of resistance, but because of limited training, unclear guidance, and fears of redundancy. A Microsoft survey found 53% of workers worry that using AI on important tasks could make them appear replaceable, and 45% fear AI might eventually take their jobs. The rapid pace of change adds pressure, leaving many unsure how to learn new systems while meeting daily expectations. Without proper support, AI feels less like an opportunity and more like a threat.

Sabeer Nelli offers a sharp contrast. At Zil Money, employees are not compelled by fear; they’re encouraged to explore, question, and experiment. Sabeer’s message is simple: AI is important, but adoption must be driven by curiosity, not coercion. By empowering employees to learn at their own interest, he fosters genuine innovation—innovation that sticks.

Trust, Safety, and Purpose in AI Adoption

AI brings productivity gains, but it also raises anxieties: Will this tool replace me? Am I still valued? Sabeer addresses these concerns by framing AI as an assistant rather than a replacement, giving employees confidence to work with it instead of fearing it.

At Zil Money, employees are encouraged to explore AI tools, share their insights, and suggest improvements. Many of the most impactful AI tools adoptions have come from collaborative problem-solving rather than top-down directives. Teams across departments contribute ideas, test prototypes, and refine features together. The company experiments with a wide range of AI platforms— from emerging agentic AI systems that can autonomously complete tasks, to smaller niche tools that serve specific functions.

New hires are paired with mentors and given interactive training in prompt engineering—the skill of writing effective AI prompts to get accurate, useful outputs. These hands-on sessions ensure employees are not just passive users of technology but confident operators who can make AI work for them.

For Sabeer, AI isn’t a buzzword but a way to solve everyday challenges like late payments, cash flow gaps, and risk exposure. Features such as automatic expense categorization are designed with that purpose, keeping AI tied to clear, useful outcomes.

AI Literacy as a Career Development Path

A common barrier to AI adoption is the perception that learning new tools benefits the company more than the individual. Sabeer Nelli addresses this by positioning AI training as an investment in employees’ long-term careers, not just immediate productivity. At Zil Money, AI is introduced as a transferable skill—something employees can carry forward in any professional setting.

This approach shifts motivation. When teams recognize that workshops on prompting, peer mentoring, and hands-on practice expand their future opportunities, they engage with AI more willingly. It is no longer just another workplace system to master, but a competency that enhances personal growth and career resilience.

By embedding AI literacy into professional development, Sabeer creates a workforce that views innovation as a source of opportunity. Employees see themselves gaining skills that strengthen both the company’s performance and their own long-term prospects, creating alignment between organizational goals and individual ambition.

Final Thought: AI-First at the Core

Under Sabeer Nelli, Zil Money has become an AI-first company in the truest sense—where AI is not an add-on, but part of the company’s DNA. Beyond integrating giving training on prompt engineering and agentic AI, he has redefined how teams learn, collaborate, and grow around technology.

In this model, adopting AI is not just about efficiency—it’s about building a workforce fluent in the future of work. By treating AI as both a cultural pillar and a competitive edge, Nelli shows how fintech can lead a transformation that empowers people while reshaping entire industries.