Building Your AI Toolkit: Full-Day Workflow & Prompting Intensive

Event description

Artificial Intelligence tools are changing how small businesses handle daily tasks, but knowing where to start—and where to exercise caution—can be overwhelming. This full-day bootcamp is designed to help small business owners and managers move past the hype and develop a realistic, hands-on understanding of Generative AI.

Throughout the day, you will learn how Large Language Models work, how to protect your business data, and how to write clear, reliable instructions (prompts) to get better results from these systems. Rather than treating AI as a magical solution, we will focus on understanding system mechanics, mapping internal business processes, and safely incorporating AI tools where they add real value.

What We Will Cover:

· AI Essentials & Data Safety: Demystifying AI capabilities, establishing cybersecurity best practices, and evaluating tasks using a trust spectrum (when to use AI vs. when human oversight is mandatory).

· Applied Prompting & Practice: Learning structured prompting frameworks (Role, Task, Inputs, Format) through guided, watch-do-watch exercises on your own device.

· Reusable Workflows: Setting up custom instructions and standard tools (like Custom GPTs or Gemini Gems) to save time on routine tasks.

· Process Mapping Before Automation: Understanding why internal workflows must be documented before attempting any automation or future AI integrations.

· Hands-On Problem Sprint: Collaborating with peers and SBDC consultants to tackle real-world business challenges submitted by participants.

Please bring a Laptop or Tablet.

Lunch is on your own, and you are welcome to bring food into the classroom.

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact sbdc@svsu.edu.

Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.