Grace Ahn, NVision co-founder, leads an interactive workshop about what she learned building an award-winning company from scratch.
2026 is the Year of AI when it comes to assessing and using technology to support plans for building and scaling a business. Several of the 12 sessions at GEWKC 2026 focused on Scale highlight AI as a tool that entrepreneurs and startups can deploy. AI can help redesign business operations, leverage data for growth and efficiently manage daily tasks.
Other Scale sessions focus on practical lessons learned from building a business from the ground up as well as building a brand based on community connection. Below we highlight a few of the sessions that can help entrepreneurs learn how to scale.
Register for GEWKC (Nov. 16-20) at Union Station and make plans to attend sessions that provide insight on smart, sustainable growth and scaling a business.
Tuesday, November 17
AI Doesn't Fix Chaos How Smart Entrepreneurs Are Redesigning Business Operations
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM, Planetarium
Jennifer Felten, fractional COO consultant and owner of Urban Prairie Consulting, squarely discusses how AI can help but also hinder.
“AI doesn't fix chaos. It multiplies it. Tasks that once took weeks can now be completed in hours, yet many business owners feel more overwhelmed than ever,” notes Felten.
The use of AI across industries has two fundamental implications for entrepreneurs. AI can make work faster to execute. It's also redefining what work belongs to the entrepreneur in the first place.
The key for businesses owners seeking to thrive against competition in an AI-focused climate is not to be the ones using the most AI. Rather, savvy entrepreneurs should apply clarity and discipline to use AI effectively.
In this presentation, explore how AI is reshaping the way entrepreneurs build, operate, and scale their businesses. Felten offers real-world examples, interactive exercises, and actionable frameworks. Attendees will learn how to identify operational bottlenecks, redesign repetitive work, and create leverage instead of complexity using AI. Gain access to practical templates and resources that can be implemented immediately.
“Great ideas start companies. Great operations scale them,” says Felten.
The Entrepreneur's Playbook: What I Learned Building an Award-Winning Company from Scratch
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM, Innovation Room 1 + 2
NvisionKC Co-founder and Technology Specialist Grace Ahn leads an interactive workshop and shares practical lessons learned while building an award-winning technology consulting company from the ground up. Participants will explore how to build trust before scaling, use listening as a business development advantage, evaluate opportunities more strategically, and create systems that reduce founder dependency.
“Every successful company has a public story, but the most valuable lessons are found in the difficult decisions, failed experiments, relationships, and systems behind the growth,” says Ahn.
Attendees will apply each lesson to their own businesses and leave with a practical 90-day growth plan focused on revenue, operations, and leadership.
Data as an Asset in the AI Era: Monetization, Compliance, and Competitive Advantage
10:15 AM – 11:30 AM, Chamber Board Room
“Data is one of the most valuable assets many businesses possess, and its value is only increasing as organizations explore AI tools, automated decision-making, and new ways to derive insights from existing information,” explains Reece Clark, Polsinelli, Shareholder-Tech Transactions and Data Privacy Attorney, who leads this panel discussion.
Data often remains underutilized, poorly governed, or disconnected from broader business strategy.
This session will focus on how organizations can responsibly leverage data to drive growth, enable AI readiness, and create competitive advantage while navigating privacy laws, contractual obligations, governance expectations, and ethical considerations.
The panel will explore regional and international perspectives on data-driven decision-making, AI adoption, partnerships, and the legal frameworks that support innovation while managing risk.
AI for Your Business Without Hiring a Tech Team
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM, Planetarium
“Most business owners know they should be using AI. Many don't know where to start, so they either ignore it or waste hours on tools that don't move the needle. This session cuts through that,” says Brandon Blackman, session leader and founder of BeBuilt.ai
Session participants will learn five specific, copy-and-paste AI workflows that any KC business owner can put to work the same week. Learn how to use AI to handle
· Customer follow-up
· Content creation
· Quoting
· Scheduling
· Administrative work
“No jargon, no theory, no expensive software required,” says Blackman. “We'll also cover a simple framework for deciding how to bring AI into your business whether that's doing it yourself, getting help setting it up, or having it built for you. You will leave knowing not just the tools, but your own next step. I'll share a few real (anonymized) examples from local businesses I've helped, including what worked and what didn't.”
Bonus: Every attendee receives a free AI Starter Kit containing the exact workflows and prompts from the session.
Wednesday, November 18
AI in the Real World: One Small Business’s Journey
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM, Planetarium
A behind-the-scenes look at how a Kansas City small business is putting AI to work." AI is everywhere, but what does it actually look like inside a small business?
Don Jalbert, president of Exhibit Associates, will share how his Kansas City company is using AI in its day-to-day operations, such as writing emails, developing marketing content, planning projects, improving workflows, training employees, supporting better decisions and daily reporting.
“We will walk through practical examples of what is working, what is still a work in progress, and what we have learned along the way,” says Jalbert. “This is not a technical presentation or a sales pitch for an AI product. It is an honest, behind-the-scenes look at how one small business is experimenting and utilizing AI to save time, communicate more effectively, and build better systems without adding a large technology team.”
Attendees will leave with:
· Practical examples of how a small business can use AI today
· Ideas they can adapt to their own companies
· Lessons about what AI does well and where human judgment is still essential
· A realistic way to start without trying to transform everything at once
Dulcinea Herrera, co-founder of Cafe Corazon
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM, Planetarium
What makes people choose one brand over another and keep coming back?
In today's marketplace, people want more than great products. They want meaningful experiences and authentic connections. In this session, Dulcinea Herrera, CEO and Co-Founder of Café Corazón, shares how an independent coffee company became an award-winning community brand by leading with purpose, culture, and strategic partnerships.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies to build customer loyalty, create memorable experiences, and develop a brand that people don't just buy from but also feel part of.
Thursday, November 19
Build the Business You're Meant to Lead: Using Feedback to Discover Your Entrepreneurial Advantage
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM, Innovation Room 2
Before launching Common Ground Advisors, Ithar Hassaballa asked a simple but transformative set of questions to colleagues, partners, mentors, friends, and clients. What are my greatest strengths? What problems do you see me solving better than others? What would you pay me to do if money weren't a barrier? When am I at my best? What makes me different?
“The answers became the foundation of my business strategy, service offerings, brand, and positioning,” said Hassaballa.
In this session, Hassaballa shares the feedback process he used to uncover hidden strengths, identify the unique value others already recognized in him, and build a business aligned with his authentic leadership rather than assumptions. Participants will learn how to use a structured strengths survey to gather meaningful information, recognize patterns in the feedback, and translate those findings into a clear business model, compelling messaging, and needed services.
Monetizing Social Media: Turning Your Scroll Time into a Business
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM, Innovation Room 1
Session leader Lara Bond of Bond-Bridges Consulting covers how to transform time spent on social media into a legitimate source of income in a step-by-step session.
This session is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to leverage social media to build a business but don't know where to begin. Participants will learn how to evaluate the major social media business models, identify the opportunities that best align with their interests and skills, and create a realistic roadmap for getting started. During the session, participants will
· Discover why social media has become one of today's most accessible and scalable business opportunities
· Learn about five of the primary models, including Print on Demand, Content Creation, Affiliate Marketing, Digital Marketing, and Influencer Marketing
· Identify which social media platforms best support each model
· Leave with practical resources -- including workshops, online communities, and mentorship opportunities