8:45-9:10AM
Opening AnnouncementsDeSoto 1-4
Marly Q Casanova, TEDx Speaker and Founder of PARK Project
An event producer and kindness keynote speaker who has energized more than 100,000 people, Marly Q opens the day, runs through what you need to know, and gets the room ready to go.
9:15-10:00AM
KeynoteKeynoteDeSoto 1-4
David Solomon, Speaker and Entrepreneur
Pain is power. That is David's brand, and he earned it. His keynote sets the fire for the day: failure is nothing but a lesson on the way, and quitting was never an option. Come ready to never quit.
10:05-10:50AM
Build Strong. Prepare Well. Grow SmartDeSoto 1-4
Credas and GEMRT
An interactive workshop, not a lecture. GEMRT and Credas walk you through the numbers behind two questions every owner should be able to answer: are you making money or just generating revenue, and if income stopped tomorrow, how long could you keep going. You will see how banks and investors size up your business, which financing actually fits growth, and how smart tax moves protect what you earn. Leave with your Business Readiness Guide filled in and a 30-day action plan.
11:05-11:50AM
Intriguing Introductions That Open OpportunitiesDeSoto 1-4
Will and Shannon Dukes, Fecund Fig
Most introductions fall flat: say you sell solar panels and you get a nod, say you install off-grid power that does not raise the homeowner's insurance and you get a conversation. Will and Shannon are exceptional at this. They show you how to introduce yourself so people actually get what you do, then hand you a 5-second version for anywhere and a 30-second version you can use the same day. Come sharpen the thirty seconds that decide whether a stranger becomes a client.
11:50-12:00-
Group Photo
Before we break for lunch
Afternoon - Choose Your Track
Pick One Session Per Slot
Pick the room you want. Every session is recorded and sent to you, so you never lose the one you miss.
1
Friday · 1:00 - 2:00 PMSlot 1
DeSoto 1-4
Intro To AI
Christine Kieffer
This is your starting point. If you're only using AI to write emails or social posts, or if you're not using it at all, Christine takes you by the hand through practical first steps: how to customize your AI, how to move your ChatGPT history into Claude, how to structure your prompts for the best results, and more. She has built a few AI agents of her own, so she will also show you where this can go once you are comfortable, no pressure to keep up. Bring a Claude account at a minimum.
OR
Breakout · DeSoto 5
AI Advanced: Build Your Own AI Tool
Dr. Burak Cankaya, Associate Professor of AI and Analytics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Sit down with one idea and leave with a working tool for your own business, built live with Claude in about an hour. Dr. Cankaya, an AI and analytics professor and 2026 Fulbright Specialist, keeps it fast and hands-on: you steer, Claude builds. This is the advanced track, so you should already be comfortable using Claude. Bring a paid Claude plan, a laptop, and the phone you'll test on. Brand new to AI? Intro To AI runs in this same slot.
2
Friday · 2:05 - 2:35 PMSlot 2
DeSoto 1-4
Building Wealth Beyond Your Business
Charley Corbett, Eduardo Hornero and Juan Carlos Gonzalez
The financial decisions that help successful business owners protect, grow, and enjoy what they've built, and how to plan your path with confidence.
OR
Breakout · DeSoto 5
Getting Found in the AI Era
Franklin Hernandez
How to get found now that AI answers people before they ever click. Franklin explains, in plain English, how search really works today and what gets your local business seen, trusted, and recommended, so you get real leads instead of vanity metrics.
3
Friday · 2:40 - 3:20 PMSlot 3
DeSoto 1-4
Expert to Authority
Lorrie Thomas Ross, The Marketing Therapist®
CEO of Web Marketing Therapy and featured in Forbes, Inc., and Entrepreneur, Lorrie shows you how to turn your expertise into a personal brand clients know, trust, and remember, with practical ways to clarify your value and build the visibility that gets you chosen, referred, and remembered.
OR
Breakout · DeSoto 5
Smart Business, Safe Business: Navigating AI's Legal Traps
Diana Mederos, Esq., Patent and Business Attorney
A patent and business attorney named to Super Lawyers Rising Stars in IP law and admitted before the USPTO, Diana breaks down seven ways AI can quietly cost your business money, in plain English, even if you never touch it yourself. You'll leave with a simple checklist you can put to work Monday morning.
3:25-4:10PM
Profitability by Design:
Am I profitable in support of my life ... or at the expense of it?DeSoto 1-4
Michelle Jacobik, Business Profitability Strategist
Most owners end up overworked, underpaid, and unsure where the money went. Michelle, who grew a firm from $600,000 to over $12 million before exiting, runs an interactive session on the gap between revenue and real profit. You will find your true owner pay number and leave with a simple framework to build a business that funds your life instead of draining it.
4:15-4:30PM
ClosingDeSoto 1-4
Closing remarks, thank-yous to everyone who helped make this event happen, and Business Expo information
4:30PM
ExpoDo not missLafayette 1-3
Visit the vendor tables, enter the raffles, and network away. Immediately following in LaFayette 1-3.
