From Curiosity to Capability: Everyday AI for South Elgin Businesses

What You’ll Learn

• The Foundation: A clear, jargon-free understanding of what AI is—and what it isn’t.
• The Toolkit: Walkthroughs of three powerful, easy-to-use AI tools you can start using right away.
• The Lab Live: Guided exercises where you’ll apply AI to a real task from your own business.

Why Attend
You won’t just learn about AI; you’ll use it. You’ll leave with:

• Hands-on experience solving a real business need.
• A printed resource with tool links, prompt templates, and a simple AI safety protocol.
• A clear understanding of where AI helps (and where it doesn’t).
• The confidence to start using AI in your business the very next day.

Plus, your input will help shape future workshops and advanced sessions.
What to Bring

• A laptop.
• A real business task, challenge, or workflow you want to improve.

Cost
Free for local businesses as part of SEED’s first educational session.
Future workshops are anticipated for a small cost based on participation and feedback.
Note
Space is limited to ensure a high-quality, interactive experience.
Professionals Leading This Workshop: Samantha Cocroft + Carl King
Samantha Cocroft and Carl King bring a rare combination of communication science and real-world business implementation to AI adoption.
Samantha, a speech-language pathologist and founder of Cognitive Velocity Consulting, specializes in how humans process language—and how to communicate effectively with AI. Her work helps business owners move beyond tools and into true AI fluency.
Carl, a Prosci-certified change management practitioner and founder of Carl King Consulting, focuses on what it actually takes to implement AI inside organizations. With experience in highly regulated environments, he brings a practical lens on adoption, workflow integration, and leadership.
Together, they bridge the gap between how AI works, how to use it, and how to make it stick inside your business.

Info: Introductions. Room pulse. Acknowledge real pressures: tariffs, labor, costs. Frame the series.

Info: "Fast intern" analogy. Hallucination. BCG brain fry: 1-3 tools good, 4+ drops productivity.

Info: ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini. "You already have this" moment. Get everyone logged in.

Info: Generic question, better prompt with their business, real task from six options spanning all industries.

Info: Data privacy by sector. Verify everything. AI scams + STOP-CALL-CONFIRM. Perplexity for verification. One tool, one task, 90 days.

Info: Recap. Homework: one real AI task. Group shapes Sessions 2-4.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

50 S Water St, 50 South Water Street, South Elgin, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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