ai skills lab
WHAT IS AI SKILLS LAB?
In 2026, we are rolling out no-fluff, hands-on AI workshops built specifically for small and midsized business owners who are tired of buzzwords and want real, usable skills. Led by local AI experts, these sessions cut through the hype and show business owners exactly how to put AI to work inside their operations. Every exercise is practical, guided, and focused on solving real problems that owners deal with every day.
Participants won’t sit back and listen - they will build, test, and implement as they go. By the end of each workshop, attendees walk out with ready-to-use prompts, clear AI strategies, and a stronger understanding of how to streamline tasks, improve output, and reclaim their time. It’s the kind of forward-thinking, roll-up-your-sleeves training that respects the way business has always been built: through real work, real tools, and real results that matter the moment you get back to the office.
These workshops will be limited to 25 total participants to ensure that the instructor can attend to everyone. Each participant must bring a laptop with access to the latest AI tools in order to participate in the hands-on portions.
UPCOMING AI SKILLS LAB HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS
BUILDING YOUR OWN AI ASSISTANTS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13TH, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Most people are still experimenting with prompts—this workshop shows you how to build real AI tools that drive your business forward. In this hands-on session, you’ll create your own custom AI assistants trained on your business, designed to handle marketing, operations, customer support, and more with consistency and precision. You’ll leave with a working AI assistant, a repeatable system to build more, and a clear path to using AI as a true operational advantage—not just a novelty.
YOUR MARKETING, POWERED BY AI
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20TH, 1:00PM - 4:00PM
Marketing today is fragmented, time-consuming, and often inconsistent—this workshop shows you how to fix that with AI. In this hands-on session, you’ll build a complete, repeatable marketing system that sharpens your message, fuels your content, and strengthens how you connect with customers—without adding more to your plate. You won’t just learn—you’ll leave with real assets, real clarity, and a practical AI-powered approach you can use every week to grow your business.
AGENTIC WORKFLOW CREATION FOR NON-TECHNICAL TEAMS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3RD, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Drag-and-drop automation platforms got you started. Agentic workflows are the upgrade. Instead of configuring triggers, filters, and connectors across a visual canvas, you describe what you want and AI builds the workflow for you. Faster to set up. Easier to change. No platform to learn. In this 3-hour workshop, you’ll use Claude Code to build your first agentic workflow from a template and create a personal dashboard to visualize everything - what’s running, what’s connected, and where things stand at a glance. Designed for operators, project managers, and anyone who builds the systems that keep a business running - not another slide deck about the future.
LEVERAGING AI TO MASTER THE SKILLS THAT REALLY MATTER
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17TH, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
AI is moving fast—but the founders and leaders who win will be the ones who know how to lead people, not just use tools. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to use AI to sharpen communication, strengthen relationships, and build the kind of trust and culture that actually drives growth. Walk away with practical workflows and real-world strategies you can apply immediately to lead more effectively and stand out in an AI-driven market.
AI SALES GROWTH ENGINE
Wednesday, JUNE 24th, 9:00am - 12:00pm
AI is already changing how sales get done - and the businesses adapting now are pulling ahead. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to use AI to sharpen your positioning, streamline your outreach, and build a custom AI Sales Agent that works alongside you to identify opportunities, engage prospects, and move deals forward. Walk away with a more focused, efficient sales process and tools you can put to work immediately.
MEET our instructors
AUDREY KERCHNER
Audrey Kerchner brings a rare mix of strategic depth and real-world practicality to AI adoption. As Founder of Inkyma, she helps small and midsized businesses cut through the noise and implement AI solutions that move the needle—without overcomplicating the process. With 20+ years in strategy and marketing, Audrey is known for turning complex technology into clear, actionable steps business owners can use immediately.
Her hands-on approach, shaped through trainings with organizations like the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and private advisory groups, ensures every session delivers real outcomes—not just ideas. Audrey doesn’t teach theory—she equips leaders with the tools, clarity, and confidence to use AI as a practical advantage in daily operations.
DR. RACHEL WOOD, PHD
Dr. Rachel Wood, PhD, brings a sharp and much-needed perspective to the conversation around AI and human behavior. As a Colorado Springs native, cyberpsychology researcher, and Founder of the AI Mental Health Collective, she works at the front lines of how technology is shaping the way we think, lead, and connect. Her strength lies in bridging deep research with practical application—helping founders and business owners understand not just what AI can do, but how it impacts people, culture, and decision-making.
Featured in outlets like TIME Magazine, ABC, and the American Psychological Association, Dr. Wood doesn’t deal in theory alone—she translates complex ideas into clear, usable strategies you can apply immediately. If you’re serious about building with AI in a way that actually works for humans, this is the kind of guidance you want in the room.
VIOLET RAINWATER, MBA
Violet Rainwater brings over 25 years of real-world sales experience—grounded in proven methods and sharpened by emerging technologies like AI. She doesn’t chase trends; she builds practical, repeatable systems that help businesses grow with clarity and consistency.
Her strength is aligning people, process, and technology into a sales approach that actually works—without losing the human element that builds trust. In this workshop, Violet delivers straightforward, actionable guidance you can apply immediately to strengthen your sales process and drive real results.
FRANCE Q. HOANG
Francis Q. Hoang, Co-Founder and CEO of BoodleBox, brings rare, high-level experience across AI, entrepreneurship, and national security - having helped build companies generating over $600 million in sales. He combines deep technical knowledge with a disciplined, mission-driven approach shaped by service in the White House and U.S. Army.
In this session, Francis delivers practical insight on how to apply AI and emerging technologies to real business challenges—cutting through the noise and focusing on what actually works.