Hosted by OMEE and the Illinois Small Business Development Centers (IL SBDC) at the Chinese Mutual Aid Association, College of DuPage, Rockford, and The Joseph Center, please join us for an enlightening conversation in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, where we delve into the intersection of AI and small businesses. Discover, from experts, how AI technologies can empower your small business to thrive in today's digital landscape.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn, connect, and celebrate together! RSVP now to secure your spot and unlock the potential of AI for your small business! This FREE in-person event is open to all communities.

PRESENTATIONS

“Riding the Wave of AI Trends”
- Avani Patel, Managing Director | Retail Tax Technology, Systems Guild, Inc
“From Gen Z to Gen AI – Making it Work for You”
- Daniel Lee, Associate Director | Growth & Strategy, KPMG
"Mastering AI: Essential Skills in Prompt Engineering and Data Analysis for Small Businesses"

Melissa Duff Brown, Director of Strategy, Joseph Business Services

POST PRESENTATIONS PANEL DISCUSSION

Avani Patel | Panelist
- Avani is a Managing Director of Retail Tax Technology at Systems Guild Inc., offering strategic direction, and leveraging her extensive expertise in bleeding-edge technologies to drive business goals. With a background as a technical advisor and architect in blockchain, she's now diving into AI solutions for complex challenges.

Daniel Lee | Panelist
- Daniel is a market intelligence leader at KPMG, a global professional services firm, where he advises executives on how to harness generative AI to create and protect value in their organization. He’s also a lecturer at Northwestern University, where he teaches product management and AI strategy to graduate students.

Melissa Duff Brown | Panelist
- Melissa is the Director of Strategy for Joseph Business Services and All Related Entities, a business services and consulting company, Carver Cloud, a cloud services and cyber security company, and co-lead of the Operation Ten City Campaign. Previously, she was the Director of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives for the Joseph Center and All Related Entities.

Dr. Stacie Chana | Moderator
- With a career spanning over 20 years in urban education leadership, Dr. Stacie Chana serves at the forefront of TechEd Maven Consulting, where educational excellence meets cutting-edge technology. In the era of the fourth and soon to be fifth industrial revolutions, she passionately promotes Artificial Intelligence as a catalyst to advance educational equality and system enhancement.

CO-HOSTS

Edwin Tumlos, Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Business Development Manager
- Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) - Office of Minority Economic Empowerment (OMEE)
Matthew J. Simpson, African American Business Development Manager
- Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) - Office of Minority Economic Empowerment (OMEE)
Chettha Saetia, Director of SBDC & Business Advisor
- Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA) - Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Andy Pham, Director
- The Joseph Center - Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
David Lezondra, SBDC Director | Program Manager & Small Business Advisor
- College of DuPage - Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Nate Jordan, Center Director
- Rock Valley College - Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC)