This no-cost session is being hosted as part of Forward Fest 2025! Learn more about all of the sessions offered for entrepreneurs – and register for the full Forward Fest event – at ForwardFest.org. Event registration will be available starting early summer 2025.
Click here for directions on how to sign up for your FREE Forward Festival pass! All SBDC-hosted sessions are offered at no cost with this pass option; other events may charge to attend.
You’ve heard plenty about Artificial Intelligence being a “game changer” across industries – but what does that mean for your day-to-day work? We asked ourselves this question – and how AI could level the playing field for small businesses – and did some investigating.
We know that as a small business owner, manager, or employee, there’s so much you need to keep up on – so when do you have time to learn how to use AI? Today is the day! In this beginner-focused session, join us as “AI Explorers” as we discuss the basics of Artificial Intelligence. In this “AI 101” session, we will:
- Give you a foundational understanding of how AI “thinks,” including common drawbacks and areas where the tools excel.
- Teach a framework for how to talk to AI using prompt engineering (and suggestions for improving prompts when something goes wonky!)
- Give you examples of how you might use a variety of free or low-cost tools – including, but not limited to ChatGPT! – to increase efficiency in tasks ranging from marketing to administrative tasks to operational planning
You will leave this session with sample prompts to try, tools and resources to explore, and the confidence to embrace being an AI Explorer – starting today!
Location: Online, Live virtual session via Zoom. Course link will be sent out shortly before the session.
Date: Session will take place during Forward Fest, the week of August 18-22. Date will be finalized once keystone Forward Fest events have been scheduled.
Fee: This course is being offered at no cost. Participants must reserve a free Forward Fest pass to register, and must register ahead of time for the event. While Forward Fest offers several pass types, all SBDC events are accessible with the free Forward Fest event pass.
Interesting in attending? fill out this interest form! We will let you know when the date has been solidified.
Interested in viewing other Forward Fest events? Check out the full calendar here!
Disability Statement: Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact the UW-Madison SBDC office at sbdc@bus.wisc.edu to request accommodations.
[I liked seeing] real-world examples with prompts, and how they were used in actual business examples. I appreciated the acknowledgement that AI isn't perfect and showing real-world examples with what worked AND what didn't work. Sometimes AI trainings have been so "pro-AI" it feels out of touch with the actuality of using these tools as a small business. Yours made it feel much more genuine and gave me more confidence to trust the information.
Marina Bloomer, Stellar Tech Girls
“Engaging and interesting while being informative. One of the better webinars I've attended.”
Stacey Lantagne, Crafters on Central, Florence, WI
“All the information is cutting edge and great for the small business owners.”
Maurice (Moe) Wince, Sherman Park Grocery Store, Milwaukee WI
Presenters
Amy Bruner Zimmerman
Amy Bruner Zimmerman brings more than two decades’ management experience to her role as a Business Consultant with the WI Small Business Development Center at UW-Madison. She seeks to help small- and mid-sized companies profitably pursue their passion by drawing on her own career in private, non-profit and public sectors from Fortune 500 to startups. She specializes in identifying and quantifying target markets, building strong financials and tapping cost effective resources to develop strong plans. Amy holds a BBA from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Heather Ferguson
Heather Ferguson is a dedicated learning and development professional with a proven track record of empowering entrepreneurs and busy professionals to transition into new roles, develop critical skills, and navigate complex topics with confidence. She excels at creating engaging and actionable learning experiences tailored to meet diverse learner needs. As Program Manager at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Heather works to design, deliver, and refine educational programs that address the evolving needs of adult learners.
Heather became an “AI Explorer” in spring 2023, seeking to develop a foundational understanding of game-changing artificial intelligence technology to help resource-strapped entrepreneurs work more efficiently. Focused on approachable, practical uses of the tools, she has since presented more than 15 AI 101 sessions for entrepreneurs and SBDC colleagues locally, statewide and nationally. She also received ASBDC AI U Certification, a program supported by Google.org for SBDC consultants, and has been part of the national ASBDC AI Interest Group to help set the course for SBDC AI consultant training.
Heather also received an inaugural national ASBDC 40 Under 40 award in 2022, and was nominated for Wisconsin SBDC State Star in 2021 and 2024. She has a B.A. in English and Journalism from Northern Illinois University and an M.S.Ed. in Higher Education from Western Illinois University.
The Wisconsin SBDC Network is a proud part of the Office of Business & Entrepreneurship within the Universities of Wisconsin.
It is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact us at sbdc@bus.wisc.edu or call (608) 263-2221.