Leslie Tergas is Chief Practice Officer at ThinkPlace US and a systems designer working at the intersection of human-centered design, community-led systems change, and ethical technology practice. Over the past two decades, she has led design and learning efforts across rural and Tribal communities, supporting initiatives in child and family wellbeing, youth systems, climate resilience, and public-sector collaboration. Leslie’s recent work focuses on human-guided AI—using AI as an analytic and reflective tool while maintaining human judgment, cultural grounding, and accountability. She designed and led the AI-assisted synthesis process for the Resilient DNATL initiative, establishing governance structures and ethical guardrails to support trauma-informed, community-led decision-making. Her work emphasizes defining the role and limits of AI before deployment, ensuring technology serves human purpose rather than replacing human responsibility.