Practical Skills for Small Businesses and Workforce Partners

This half-day summit is designed to help small business owners and community partners build practical digital and AI skills they can immediately apply to their work.

Participants will leave with tangible tools, simple workflows, and real outputs that support day-to-day operations, marketing, and decision-making.

Hosted in partnership with the Illinois SBDC at the Polsky Exchange, and Miss ChatGPT101, this experience brings together small business owners, workforce development organizations, and students to explore how AI can support both business growth and workforce readiness.

Aligned with the mission of the Small Business Development Center, this summit focuses on hands-on, accessible training that helps businesses operate more efficiently and competitively.

What to Expect

• Bring your laptop — this is a hands-on experience
• Live demos and guided walkthroughs
• Beginner-friendly sessions with optional deeper dives
• Real examples you can apply immediately