KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
The Edge You Didn’t Have Yesterday: AI for Small Business Leaders
By Jason William Johnson, Entrepreneur & AI Educator
Presented by Verizon
• Keynote Theatre
You don't need a tech team or an innovation budget. You need a system.
This session breaks down agentic AI in plain language for founders and operators ready to stop dabbling and start building. We cover the four core components of agentic AI, the four most common adoption mistakes, and the practical shifts that separate businesses scaling with AI from the ones just using it to write emails.
You'll walk away with:
- A jargon-free breakdown of how agentic AI works for small businesses
- The four costliest AI adoption mistakes and how to avoid them
- A framework for becoming the director of your business, not just the operator
Presented by:
Jason William Johnson Entrepreneur, AI Educator & Economic Development Leader
Dr. Jason William Johnson is the AI Translator for the Nerds, the Leaders, and the Culture. He blends research, business strategy, and cultural fluency to help organizations, institutions, and Main Street businesses thrive in the age of AI.
With a PhD in Organizational Leadership, a Master's in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and 15+ years in economic development, Jason has facilitated over $326 million in capital and contracts and trained more than 10,000 business owners. His client and stage roster includes Verizon, McDonald's, Forbes, the National Urban League, and TEDx (60K+ views). He is the founder of SoundStrategies, an immersive e-learning agency; Ena Intelligence, a multili
Dr. Jason William Johnson is the AI Translator for the Nerds, the Leaders, and the Culture. He blends research, business strategy, and cultural fluency to help organizations, institutions, and Main Street businesses thrive in the age of AI.
With a PhD in Organizational Leadership, a Master's in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and 15+ years in economic development, Jason has facilitated over $326 million in capital and contracts and trained more than 10,000 business owners. His client and stage roster includes Verizon, McDonald's, Forbes, the National Urban League, and TEDx (60K+ views). He is the founder of SoundStrategies, an immersive e-learning agency; Ena Intelligence, a multilingual AI business coaching platform; and VIP AI Academy, where professionals learn to integrate AI into real work.
Jason is also a recording artist who uses original music and hip-hop pedagogy to teach complex business and AI concepts. Whether it's the corporate boardroom, the classroom, or the cookout, he shows up the same way. And that's exactly why his approach is so effective.