Built to Accelerate: Practical AI For Non-Technical Founders

A 90-minute, demo-driven workshop on the practical building blocks of putting AI to work in a small business. Most founders feel pressure to “do something with AI,” but their customer info is scattered, their team isn’t sure which tools to trust, and nobody has thought about security or compliance. AI won’t fix a business that isn’t ready for it. It will accelerate whatever is already there…so making sure it’s accelerating good processes is important. In this session, local experts show you, step by step, how to get your data organized, put AI to work on everyday tasks, and adopt it safely. You’ll see each approach demonstrated live, then ask questions about how it applies to your business. THIS IS FOR YOU IF • You know you should be using AI but aren’t sure where to start • Your customer info lives in spreadsheets, inboxes, and a handful of different programs that don’t talk to each other • You’ve tried AI tools but haven’t seen real results • You want to adopt AI without putting your data, clients, or compliance at risk WHAT YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH • A clear picture of what “AI-ready” looks like for a small business • How to centralize and clean up your customer data so AI tools can actually use it • Practical ways to use AI for everyday work like documents, outreach, and admin • How AI can take repetitive processescompliance paperwork off your plate • The basic guardrails to put in place before your team starts using AI • Direct access to the experts who can help you implement WHAT TO EXPECT Each segment is a 10-minute live demo followed by 5 minutes of Q&A. • 5:30 PM | Welcome: AI is an accelerator, not a catalyst • 5:35 PM | Get Your Data in One Place, with Gokhan Erdogu • 5:50 PM | Putting AI to Work Day to Day, with Chance Xie • 6:05 PM | Networking break • 6:15 PM | Let AI Handle the Paperwork, with Francois Chargois • 6:30 PM | Adopting AI Safely, with Tina Williams • 6:45 PM | Open Q&A, wrap-up, and next steps DETAILS: • 📅 Wednesday, November 18, 2026 · 5:30 – 7:00 PM ET • 📍 Hybrid, Maryland Innovation Center, 6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046 • ⏱️ 90 minutes • 🎟️ Four live demos, Q&A with each expert, and networking • 💵 $35 in Person | $25 Virtual Disclaimer: By registering for this event, you agree that your contact information may be shared with the event sponsor(s) for follow-up communications related to the event or their services. If you prefer not to have your information shared, please contact the event organizer directly. Please note: Photos, videos and recordings may be taken during the event and used for marketing or promotional purposes by the organizers and sponsors. By attending, you consent to the use of your image and likeness in these materials.