Date of Conferral

9-7-2026

Date of Award

September 2026

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Marie Bakari

Abstract

Wellness entrepreneurs increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) to manage growing business demands, yet responsible use requires strategies that protect human judgment, trust, and care-centered wellness practice. The specific business problem was that some wellness entrepreneurs lacked effective strategies to practice stewardship while using AI as a supportive tool to reduce burnout. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective strategies wellness entrepreneurs used to practice stewardship while using AI to reduce burnout. The participants consisted of six wellness entrepreneurs in the Northeastern United States who used effective wellness strategies. Stewardship theory grounded the project through responsibility, trust, collective interest, and long-term orientation. Data were collected through semistructured interviews; member-checking documentation, researcher-developed data organization documents, and supplemental public-facing business artifacts were reviewed when available. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four primary themes were: (a) AI-supported leadership capacity, (b) self-leadership and care for others, (c) responsible and bounded AI use, and (d) sustainable human-centered wellness leadership. A specific recommendation is to use an AI review process to identify capacity-draining tasks, verify AI output, personalize content, and evaluate whether AI use protects well-being and human connection. The implications for positive social change include the potential for wellness entrepreneurs to use responsible AI practices that benefit stakeholders and communities.

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