Nadia Carta is a catalyst for transformative growth and a Tech Executive at Google, where she serves as an AI Business Strategist and Head of AI Powered Data & Tech Partnerships. Born in Sardinia, Italy, she combines technical expertise with deep emotional intelligence to humanize the tech industry. Beyond her 17-year corporate career, Nadia is an ICF-certified executive coach, Author, TEDx speaker and founder of Spark Your Zeal®, a movement empowering spiritually curious leaders to achieve “Soul-Aligned Success” without burnout. She also co-hosts the 99 Humans podcast. Residing in Manhattan with her family, Nadia is dedicated to helping professionals ignite their passion and design their own destiny.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with CIO Magazine, Nadia shared insights into the future of AI and data technology, emphasizing the importance of aligning business strategies with human values. She also shared her personal hobbies and interests, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Nadia. What inspired you to pursue a career in AI and data technology?
My journey started when I was a teenager in a small modest house in Sardinia, the gorgeous island off the coast of Italy. I was 14 years old, attending a computer programming high school and learning all about computer logic and coding. That year, my mom bought a Commodore 64 so that I could study and work on building my programs in COBOL. During the day, I would attend classes, and late into the evenings, I would work on the computer for endless hours, which I loved.
At that time, my world felt very small. I was growing up in a strict Jehovah’s Witness community, and my future felt like it had already been written for me within very tight margins. That all changed one day when we became one of the early households to get access to the Internet. I was 16 and the moment I connected to the World Wide Web, everything changed. A window had been thrown open for me.
For the first time, I saw a world full of different people, ideas, and possibilities that I had never known existed. That glowing screen became my lifeline. It gave me the hope—and the practical tools—to dream of a life where I could escape the restrictions, go to college, and define who I wanted to be.
That early experience is the heartbeat of my career.
Today, I don’t love technology just because it’s “innovative.” I love it because I know, personally and deeply, that it is a force for individual agency. It gives us the power to design our own destiny. Whether I’m coding a program back then or leading an AI strategy session at Google today, my mission is the same: to use technology to give people the freedom to build the life and work they are truly capable of. Without limits.
What do you love the most about your current role?
I am about to enter my 17th year at Google, and I have never been more excited than I am at this very moment. I truly love that I get to be a guide in the middle of a platform shift that is so unique and revolutionary.
Right now, we are at an inflection point with AI, and I believe my role allows me to operate on three levels that I find incredibly energizing.
First, it’s the elevation of the work. I always tell my clients: we are done just building ‘better ads’ or ‘better marketing.’ We are here to build better businesses. I love working with clients to deploy cutting-edge AI solutions that don’t just optimize a metric, but actually solve complex business challenges. We are putting the consumer back at the center of the equation. When we get this right, we act as a growth engine that transforms how businesses operate.
Second, I love holding the space for that transformation. The AI shift is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming for leaders. My favorite moments are during my sessions—whether it’s a room of 500+ people at Adidas or a boardroom of five executives at Telecom Argentina—where I can actually feel the energy shift. My job is to take them from uncertainty to inspiration. I get to help them see AI not as a threat to be managed, but as a canvas for their creativity. Watching that lightbulb turn on—that spark of possibility—is addictive.
Finally, it’s about leading at the edge of excellence. I love leading teams that are running toward the highest standard of performance. We are navigating uncharted territory, which demands a level of agility and precision that is thrilling. Driving that high performance—helping my team achieve things they didn’t think were possible—is deeply fulfilling to me.
What role will AI play in shaping the future of data management, and how can organizations prepare for this shift?
We are witnessing the end of “data management” as we know it and the beginning of data activation.
For the last decade, organizations have been obsessed with building bigger libraries—collecting and storing massive amounts of data. But the reality is, most of that data sat gathering dust. AI changes the game because it doesn’t just organize the library; it reads the books and tells you the answer.
The future of data isn’t about storage; it’s about conversation. AI allows us to query our data in natural language, turning complex datasets into immediate business intelligence. It democratizes access, taking insights out of the hands of the few data scientists and putting them into the hands of the marketers, the creatives, and the decision-makers.
To prepare, organizations need to focus on two things:
- Get your house in order. There is no AI strategy without a data strategy. AI is an amplifier—if you feed it “messy” data, you will just get chaos at scale. The unsexy work of governance and privacy is now the most critical foundation for innovation.
- Shift the culture. You have to stop treating data like a guarded asset and start treating it like a shared language democratizing access. The companies that will win are the ones that train their teams not just to use new tools, but to ask better questions and leverage those insights for better and fester business decisions.
What is Spark Your Zeal®, and how does it help people?
Spark Your Zeal® is my answer to the epidemic I see in every boardroom and Zoom call: high-performing leaders who are successful on paper but empty on the inside.
Fundamentally, it is a movement dedicated to “Soul-Aligned Success.”
I founded it because I realized that we have optimized everything about our work—our data, our systems, our AI—except the human operating system running it all. People are burning out because they are trying to fuel their careers with adrenaline and stress, which is a non-renewable resource.
Spark Your Zeal® helps people switch their fuel source. We teach leaders how to tap into “Zeal”—that divine, intrinsic fire that motivates you not because you have to work, but because you love to create.
We do this through what I call “Spiritual Strategy.” This isn’t just about taking a bubble bath or a day off. It is a rigorous, practical toolkit—including frameworks like the Wheel of Zeal and the Infinite Zeal Toolkit—that helps professionals identify exactly where they are leaking energy and how to plug back into their source.
We help people realize that you don’t have to choose between being a powerhouse executive and being a happy, grounded human. You can be both. My mission with Spark Your Zeal® is to show people how to live on fire without burning out and magnetize what is meant for you.
What’s the most important thing people should know about reigniting their zeal, and how can they start today?
The most important thing to know is that Zeal is not excitement. Excitement is cheap; it burns out. Zeal is different. It is a deep, sustainable spiritual fire. It is your birthright. You are born with it.
Most people think they need to ‘find’ their passion, as if it’s lost under a rock somewhere. You don’t find it; you uncover it. It is already inside you, likely buried under years of ‘shoulds,’ obligations, and the relentless pursuit of other people’s definitions of success.
Zeal is not just a feeling—it is a frequency.
When your frequency is low, everything suffers—your decision-making, your creativity, your leadership. Most executives think the only way to fix this is to either quit their job or push harder. But that is a false choice. I believe in a ‘Third Path’: where ambition and alignment coexist.
The truth is, the next level of your leadership isn’t about more doing; it is about deeper being.
To start today, I recommend what I call the ‘Zeal Ritual.’ It doesn’t require a sabbatical; it just requires one intentional hour.
Start by closing your laptop and asking yourself one question: ‘Where am I operating on autopilot?’
We all have places where we are just going through the motions—in our meetings, our relationships, or even our self-care. Identify one area where you have lost your spark, and make a conscious decision to bring your full presence back to it.
Reigniting your zeal isn’t about changing your entire career overnight. It is about resetting your nervous system from survival mode to creation mode. When you do that, you don’t just feel better—you lead better. Overall is about showing up for yourself, with the highest self-love possible. Taking radical responsibility over your own life path and purpose.
Can you share a book or resource that inspires you and why?
It has to be The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer. This book didn’t just inspire me; it provided the spiritual blueprint for Spark Your Zeal®.
In the corporate world, we are conditioned to believe that “intention” is synonymous with “grit.” We think success comes from snapping a goal into existence through sheer force of will. We push, fight, and grind. That is the path of the Ego, and it is exactly why so many high-achievers burn out.
Dr. Dyer teaches the opposite. He reveals that Intention isn’t something you do; it’s a source you connect to.
This is the core principle behind Spark Your Zeal®. What Dr. Dyer calls “connecting to Source,” I call “Igniting your Zeal.” It is about plugging back into that divine, intrinsic fire that fuels you without draining you.
Reading this book confirmed for me that Soul-Aligned Success is the only sustainable kind. It taught me that we don’t attract what we want; we attract what we are. If I lead from a place of stress and scarcity, I create resistance. But if I align my frequency with abundance—if I spark my Zeal—I enter a state of flow where results happen with ease.
This book is essential for modern leaders because it reminds us that true power doesn’t come from forcing the world to bend to your will; it comes from aligning your energy with your vision and live by it. With unstoppable Zeal.
How do you stay current with the latest developments in AI and data technology?
I have a simple rule I live by: You cannot learn AI and technology just by reading about it; you have to get your hands dirty.
The pace of change is too fast for traditional learning. By the time a textbook is written, it is obsolete. I rely on a three-pronged approach to stay on the bleeding edge.
First, I leverage the power of proximity. Being at Google gives me a front-row seat. I make it a priority to spend time with the engineers and product leaders at DeepMind and Google Cloud who are actually building the models. I don’t just ask them what is new; I ask them why it matters.
Second, I believe in learning by teaching. As an AI Business Strategist I inspired over 5000 leaders with the power of AI. When you have to explain complex GenAI concepts to the CMO of a global beauty brand or the CTO of a financial firm, you are forced to master the material. My clients’ questions are actually my best research tool—they tell me where the real-world friction lies.
Finally, I look outside the echo chamber. If you only listen to technologists, you get a very narrow view of the future. I actively seek out artists, philosophers, and ethicists to understand the human implications of these tools.
To truly stay current, you can’t just track the code; you have to track the culture.
What are some of your passions outside of work? What do you like to do in your time off?
I spend my working days living in the future, dealing with AI and rapid transformation. So, when I am off, I go completely analog.
My sanctuary is our home in Upstate New York. I have a strict rule there: no computers and no phones. It is about reconnecting with the tangible world. You will usually find me taking long, meditative walks in the forest or horseback riding with my husband and my daughters. There is something incredibly grounding about being in the company of animals; they bring you right back to the present moment.
I also find deep therapy in the kitchen. For me, baking a cake or cooking a delicious meal isn’t a chore; it’s a ritual. It’s a way to create something with my hands that nourishes the people I love.
On a more personal level, I am unapologetic about embracing my spirituality. I love chanting Kirtan music, reading tarot and oracle cards, or simply sitting down to color and journal. These aren’t just hobbies; they are how I clear the static and reconnect with my spirit.
And, of course, I am always reading. Books are my constant companions. Right now, I am reading The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein. It’s a beautiful reminder to trust the flow of life rather than trying to control it—a lesson that serves me just as well in the boardroom as it does in the forest.
Last but not least I love writing. I just finished my first book, titled Spark Your Zeal®: Activate Your Fire and Reclaim the Life You Were Born For which will be released in 2026!
What is your biggest goal? Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
If you had asked me this ten years ago, I would have given you a job title. Today, my answer is radically different.
My biggest goal is not professional; it is biological and spiritual. I was born in a Blue Zone, where people live active, vibrant lives well into their hundreds. My ultimate goal is to honor that heritage—to cultivate a level of radical health and vitality that allows me to be fully alive for every moment of this journey.
In five years, I won’t measure my success by where I sit in an org chart, but by how I stand in my own truth, and how calm is my nervous system.
I also see myself living in total alignment with my Dharma—my cosmic purpose. That means waking up every day without that low-level hum of anxiety or ‘seeking,’ and instead feeling a deep, resonant peace with what I am doing. I see myself being a sanctuary for my family, my extended communities (at work and outside) and a point of reference for society. A spiritual guide so to say.
We spend so much of our lives building a resume. In the next chapter, I am building a legacy of love. I want to look back and say that I didn’t just work hard, but that I loved well, lived long, and stayed true to the spark within me.
What advice would Nadia give to someone looking to reignite their passion and purpose?
My advice is to stop looking outward for answers and start a conversation inward.
We spend our entire lives responding to emails, Slacks, and other people’s demands. But we rarely take the time to send a message to our own soul.
To reignite your passion, I recommend a practice I call the ‘Zeal Letter.’
This is not just journaling; it is a ritual rooted in both neuroscience and spirituality. The practice is simple but profound: you write a letter from your Spirit to your Self.
When you do this, something powerful happens physiologically. We know that practices like this can help stimulate the vagus nerve, which regulates your nervous system and moves you out of ‘fight or flight’ and into a state of connection and safety.
Most people feel lost because the voice of their ‘inner executive’—the one obsessed with deadlines and metrics—is shouting over the whisper of their ‘inner zeal.’ Writing this letter hands the microphone back to your spirit.
If you are feeling disconnected today, sit down for five minutes. Ask your spirit: ‘What have you been trying to tell me that I have been too busy to hear?’
Whatever comes out on that paper is your roadmap. That is where your passion is hiding.