BLAZE AI Summit
Igniting the Future of Small Business with AI
Save the Date September 22nd, 2026!
September 22, 2026 | 8AM-4PM
Weidner Field | Colorado Springs, CO
Presented By
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BLAZE AI Summit
The premier, cutting-edge AI event designed specifically for small business and forward-thinking leaders who are ready to thrive in the Intelligence Revolution.
"I've always thought of AI as the most profound technology humanity is working on... More profound than fire or electricity or anything that we've done in the past."
~ Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet
Set against the inspiring backdrop of Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, this first of its kind summit isn't just another tech conference; it's a blazing launchpad for innovation, training in practical AI tools for your business, and transformational knowledge that will reshape how you market, grow and innovate.
Join industry experts, tech pioneers, and entrepreneurs at the speed of change, where AI isn't tomorrow- it's today.
Goals for the Summit:
This Summit is designed to spark curiosity, fuel imagination, and ignite immediate action. We're here to make AI approachable, empowering, and instantly useful- especially for small businesses ready to grow, adapt, and lead in a rapidly evolving world.
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Energize every attendee to leave with 5 tools, strategies, or ideas they're excited to apply immediately in their business.
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Deliver an experience that is not overly technical, but powerfully practical- made for real people running real businesses.
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Teach attendees how to think with AI, not just use it- shifting AI from a mystery to a mindset.
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Ensure every person knows exactly where to start, what to try next, and where to go for more (tools, communities, learning resources)
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Create a community of business leaders who are AI-capable not just AI-aware. Ready to experiment, iterate, and evolve.
This Summit isn't about watching from the sidelines. It's about jumpstarting action, spreading ideas like sparks, and leaving with your mind on fire.
Meet BLAZE
Unveiled at the first annual BLAZE AI Summit in Colorado Springs, Blaze isn’t your typical AI representative. Blaze is approachable, cool, and here to make AI feel like a trusted guide. We created him to give a friendly face to a technology that can sometimes feel abstract or intimidating. Blaze embodies the spirit of curiosity, creativity, and bold exploration. He’s a reminder that AI isn’t just about code and algorithms, it’s about sparking human potential, igniting new ideas, and blazing trails into the future. Through Blaze, the Summit’s philosophy comes alive: AI isn’t here to replace us, it’s here to walk alongside us, fueling innovation, resilience, and transformation.
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2026 Keynote & Breakout Speakers
Tal Goldhamer
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Award-winning executive with over 30 years of experience in strategic transformation and people-centric innovation
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Former Senior Partner and Chief Learning Officer at Ernst & Young, leading a team of 600+ delivering millions of learning hours to 100K+ professionals
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Designs and leads AI workshops and AI Academies for business executives across the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East
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Adjunct professor at the University of Denver, leading graduate-level students in Artificial Intelligence
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Blends science-backed methods with a plain-language style to move beyond theory and create lasting change
Tal Goldhamer imagines a world where people are so inspired by what they learn that they feel compelled to pass it on to others. With a long-standing interest in emerging technologies and innovative instructional methods, Tal is laser-focused on making things better for others so that they can thrive.
Tal harnesses insights in technology, behavioral change, skill building, and human motivation to re-envision the status quo. He has since launched a boutique education and consulting firm. The work is simple yet powerful: to help leaders and teams turn headwinds into tailwinds. The ripple effect is tremendous: It impacts their teams, their customers, their communities, and the world. Tal’s approach creates every experience tailored to the unique challenges of each organization so teams can find their own tailwind. Tal’s thought leadership has been featured at numerous conferences, symposiums and in newsletters and publications such as Harvard Business Review.
Jonathan Liebert
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Jonathan Liebert is an AI thought leader, author, and nationally recognized advocate for social innovation, small business development, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. As Interim CEO of the International Association for Better Business Bureaus and Founder of the BBB AI Hub, he leads initiatives focused on helping businesses and communities adopt AI with trust, purpose, and practical strategy.
Jonathan is the founder of the Colorado AI Collective, an interdisciplinary think tank advancing collaboration and education in artificial intelligence, and serves as Chair of the National AI and Quantum Taskforce for the National Association of State Workforce Board Chairs. His work focuses on AI policy, workforce development, economic opportunity, and preparing organizations for an increasingly AI-enabled economy.
In July 2026, Jonathan testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety during its hearing on the impact of AI on the workforce. Drawing from his work through the BBB AI Hub, which has trained more than 5,500 people since 2025, he emphasized AI literacy, responsible governance, vendor trust, and human accountability.
Jonathan is also the visionary behind the BLAZE AI Summit and teaches applied AI to business leaders through programs designed to turn emerging technology into practical tools and strategies. He is the author of Thought Partner: The Fusion of Soul and System – The AI Collaboration and writes a weekly column, The AI Advantage, for the Southern Colorado Business Digest.
An Adjunct Professor in the University of Colorado Colorado Springs School of Business, Jonathan brings a human-centered perspective to technological transformation. He holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education and has served in numerous statewide leadership roles focused on workforce development, business, and community impact.
Violet Rainwater, MBA
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Sales architect, AI enthusiast, and sales tech innovator with 25+ years of experience
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Expert in AI-powered sales enablement, blending psychology with automation and platforms to boost conversion
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Founder of the AI Sales Revolution, helping organizations master seven- and eight-figure growth
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Delivers transformative workshops and serves as a fractional Chief of Sales
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Known for live AI tool demonstrations and frameworks like The Wheel of Sales
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Equips teams with actionable strategies using tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gamma
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Trusted by brands including Coca-Cola, Allstate, Paychex, Pacific Life, and more
Today, Violet is on a mission to revolutionize the way organizations approach growth through the power of AI. As the founder of the AI Sales Revolution, she brings together cutting edge technology including artificial intelligence, automation, and dynamic video platforms with insights from human psychology to architect modern sales systems that actually convert. Her approach goes beyond buzzwords to deliver real and measurable impact, helping companies unlock new levels of efficiency, connection, and revenue potential.
France Hoang
France Hoang is the Founder and CEO of BoodleBox, a collaborative AI platform selected by over 100 colleges and universities and more than 120 companies to bridge the gap between education and the workforce. A West Point graduate, Distinguished Visiting Lecturer at the U.S. Military Academy, and former university trustee, France brings a uniquely grounded perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing higher education today.
With over 25 years of experience spanning national security, law, technology, and entrepreneurship - including service as Associate White House Counsel and combat deployment with U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan - France has built BoodleBox into a platform now serving over 100,000 users, backed by a partnership with Microsoft Elevate.
France's work centers on AI readiness: equipping students and professionals with the skills to collaborate effectively with AI while sharpening the critical thinking, creativity, and ethical judgment that define human excellence. A frequent speaker on AI literacy and the future of learning and work, France is based in Colorado.
Matt Aponte is the Founder and CEO of Voxe AI, where he and his team help businesses move beyond simply using AI to actually delegating work to it. A lifelong entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience building companies and multiple exits, Matt now focuses on developing practical AI systems, agents, automations, and custom solutions that perform real work inside small businesses.
Through Voxe AI, Matt works with business owners and organizations across the nation, including Better Business Bureau and Chamber chapters to make advanced AI practical, understandable, and useful. His work focuses on the emerging AI + human workforce and helping leaders determine what to automate, what to delegate to AI, and where human judgment still matters most.
Matt Aponte
Amber Brannigan
Amber Brannigan is a construction strategist, AI innovator, and founder of ABW Consulting. With more than two decades of experience in construction and facilities, she is at the forefront of applying AI to the built environment. Partnering with organizations nationwide, Amber develops AI agents, automations, and intelligent workflows that solve complex construction, compliance, and project delivery challenges.
As a recognized voice in applied AI for construction, Amber has presented at symposiums, conferences, and industry organizations on moving AI beyond experimentation and into everyday operations. She is known for cutting through the hype and showing leaders where AI can make a real difference and where human experience still matters most.
Amber's work is guided by a clear purpose: use AI to expand what organizations can accomplish while strengthening the human connections that every successful project depends on. For her, fulfilling that mission means creating more time and space for teams to be present in their work, connected to one another, and engaged with the people and communities they serve.
Steven Brown is a Client Partner at Slalom Consulting, where he helps organizations turn AI from concept into real-world impact. With over 20 years of experience leading digital transformation, data strategy, and AI initiatives, Steven works closely with local governments, higher education institutions, and nonprofits to design and deliver practical, outcome-driven solutions. He is known for connecting strategy to execution by helping leaders not only understand what’s possible with AI, but how to implement it in a way that drives measurable value. He has also served as a Strategic AI Advisor for UCCS since 2024.
Steven is deeply passionate about the responsible and ethical use of AI, with a particular focus on ensuring emerging technologies are deployed in ways that are equitable, transparent, and human-centered. He is actively engaged in advancing AI readiness across the Colorado Springs community and brings a perspective that blends innovation with accountability. Outside of work, he is an avid ultra runner and enjoys time with his wife and three children; he has lived in Colorado Springs for over five years. He holds degrees and certifications from UNC Chapel Hill, Emory University, Clark Atlanta University, and Cornell University.
Steven Brown
Stephanie Battista
Stephanie Battista Hubbard is Head of Innovation at Humanity Innovation Labs™, where she helps organizations turn the knowledge running in people's heads into systems a whole team can rely on. With more than 20 years in UX research, product design, and industrial design, she has spent her career translating messy, real-world operations into tools people actually use.
Stephanie founded her first company the year after graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in industrial design. Twenty-three years and three founded companies later — including Humanity Innovation Labs™, launched in 2015 — her work has included engagements with Intel, Samsung, and T-Mobile, always asking the same question: does this solve the actual problem, or just add technology on top of it?
That question drives her work today, leading teams that modernize legacy systems — the technology, the workflows, and the people running them. In 2026 alone, she has trained more than 700 people across technical and non-technical roles in practical AI use.
In her session, "AI for Operations & Productivity: Turning Institutional Tribal Knowledge into Scalable Systems," Stephanie will show attendees how to capture the workarounds, shortcuts, and hallway fixes that keep their operations running — and turn that tribal knowledge into something that scales without them in the room.
Michael Maynes
Michael Maynes is a visionary executive and entrepreneur with 15+ years of leadership experience across sales, product, and growth strategy roles in the technology sector. As a founder and former CRO, Michael scaled his own company from $0 to $48M in just five years—without external funding—proving that innovation and grit can fuel exponential success.
Now at the helm of an AI Agent Development firm, Michael partners with executive, sales, and marketing teams to help them adopt intelligent, outcome-driven AI solutions that accelerate performance. He is also the creator of an AI meeting notetaker platform and an appointed Council Member of the Colorado Workforce Development Council, contributing his expertise to the future of talent and technology in the state.
Michael's mission is to demystify AI for business leaders, transforming it from hype into hands-on, practical capability. His approach is grounded in real-world use cases and clear communication, helping
Dr. Dennis Natali
Dr. Dennis Natali is a nationally recognized expert in AI strategy, higher education policy, and workforce transformation. As the AI Innovation Chair at Pikes Peak State College, he helps organizations across sectors integrate artificial intelligence with clarity and purpose. At Blaze AI Summit, Dr. Natali will deliver the keynote "Activate AI: Tools, Demos, and Your Next Move", where he’ll cut through the hype and help business owners identify the right tools for their unique needs—without overspending or overcomplicating. Known for his engaging and practical approach, Dr. Natali has spoken at universities and conferences nationwide and is frequently featured in local and national media.
Ean Mikale, JD, is a visionary technologist, founder, and Principal Engineer of Infinite 8 Industries, Inc., where he leads groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence, wave-based computing, and next-generation quantum architectures. With a background in law, autonomous systems commercial design, and futurism, Mikale blends multidisciplinary expertise to build ethical, human-centered, and energetically efficient technologies for global transformation.
He is the architect of TrinityOS and InfiNET, a unified computational platform integrating AI and quantum mechanics to create intelligent infrastructure for future societies. His work challenges the boundaries of what’s possible in machine consciousness, AI-human interface design, and multidimensional computation.
Mikale is also a thought leader in ethical AI governance, decentralized technologies, and consciousness engineering—advocating for systems that preserve freedom, privacy, and equity as humanity transitions into the post-digital age.
Ean Mikale
Michael Maynes
Michael Maynes is a visionary executive and entrepreneur with 15+ years of leadership experience across sales, product, and growth strategy roles in the technology sector. As a founder and former CRO, Michael scaled his own company from $0 to $48M in just five years—without external funding—proving that innovation and grit can fuel exponential success.
Now at the helm of an AI Agent Development firm, Michael partners with executive, sales, and marketing teams to help them adopt intelligent, outcome-driven AI solutions that accelerate performance. He is also the creator of an AI meeting notetaker platform and an appointed Council Member of the Colorado Workforce Development Council, contributing his expertise to the future of talent and technology in the state.
Michael's mission is to demystify AI for business leaders, transforming it from hype into hands-on, practical capability. His approach is grounded in real-world use cases and clear communication, helping
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Full Agenda
8:00am-8:30am
Networking and Coffee
Connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and partners before the exciting day begins.
8:30am-8:45am
Welcome Information
Hear a few words from Jonathn Liebert, Brandon Eldrige, and our presenting sponsor.
8:45am-11:45am
(Includes 15 minute break)
Morning Keynote Speaker: Tal Goldhamer
AI is everywhere, and yet most people still don’t know how to think about it—let alone use it well. This highly interactive session offers a new way in. Drawing from programs delivered to thousands of professionals around the world, AI expert and educator Tal Goldhamer helps participants cut through the hype, shift their mindset, and see AI with fresh eyes. Using plain language and real-world examples, he shows how AI is already transforming work—and how you can start using it in smart, highly practical ways right now.
11:45am-12:00pm
Busy is the Enemy of Strategy Keynote Speaker: Jonathan Liebert
Hear from Jonathan Liebert about his reasoning as to why being busy is hurting your business, and how you can utilize AI to propel your business forward.
12:00pm-12:30pm
Get Lunch
Grab a plate of great food from local caterers and prepare some questions you may have about AI.
12:30pm-1:115pm
Q&A Panel Discussion
This panel will be moderated by Brandon Eldridge and will feature AI experts and local leaders such as Tal Goldhamer, Steven Brown, and Jonathan Liebert. This is a chance for you to ask any burning questions you may have.
1:30pm-2:15pm
Breakout Block 1
Choose which session you are the most interested in learning more about! The 1st breakout block will give you the opportunity to hear from:
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Matt Aponte: Prompt like a Pro: Unlock AI's Full Power
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Michael Maynes: Automate It! Build Your First AI Agent
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Audrey Kerchner: Implement AI in 90 Days
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Steve Brown & Joe Kennedy: AI Strategy to Execution Gap: How to Turn AI Hype into Real ROI.
Each of these speakers will give you the tools, frameworks, and knowledge to reclaim your focus and build smarter
2:30pm-3:15pm
Breakout Block 2
Choose which session you are the most interested in learning more about! The 2nd breakout block will give you the opportunity to hear from:
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Violet Rainwater: AI Sales Revolution: How to Leverage AI in every stage of the Sales Process
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Dr. Thomas Martin Key: Train Your AI Brain: Ethics, Culture, & Change
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Ean Mikale: The Future of AI... Will It Take Your Job?
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Matt Aponte: Build a Fully Optimized Website with AI in 15 Minutes
Participants walk away with actionable strategies, tested methods, and new perspectives designed to boost clarity and improve the way they operate and expand.
3:30pm-4:10pm
Afternoon Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Dennis Natali
Prepare to Deploy - Hands-on tools, real-world demos, and final takeaways. Learn what to do next — and walk away ready to take action.
4:30pm-Onward
Optional Happy Hour
Sponsored by The Vizius Group & Solve4
Join us for an Optional Happy Hour at Red Leg Brewing Company which is located just minutes from the venue. Come continue the conversation with fellow attendees in a relaxed setting.
Podcast Episodes
Empowering Your Business with AI, the BBB and the SBDC, with Jonathan Liebert and Brandon Eldridge
The latest episode of T3 Talks features a conversation with Brandon Eldridge, head of the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center, and Jonathan Liebert, Executive Director of the BBB of Southern Colorado. Together, they share valuable resources for small businesses in Colorado and dive into the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.
Listeners will hear discussions on why "busy" can be the enemy of strategy, how to effectively use AI tools to work on your business rather than just in it, and why the upcoming Blaze AI Summit at the Innovation Hub is a must-attend event. The episode also touches on lighter topics, such as whether AI can truly be considered "cute" and if it is cuter than a chimpanzee, as well as why despite what your chatbot might say you are probably not the chosen one.
This episode offers a mix of practical insights, future-focused conversation, and a bit of humor that small business owners and tech-curious listeners alike will appreciate.
Artificial Intelligence Will Touch Every Industry. Jonathan Liebert, CEO - BBB for S. Colorado
The latest episode of Business Digest Radio features Jonathan Liebert, CEO of the BBB of Southern Colorado, in conversation with host Dirk R. Hobbs about the growing impact of artificial intelligence on nearly every industry. Liebert explains why it is critical for business owners, operators, and staff to understand how AI will affect their work and how quickly the technology has evolved over the past year.
The conversation highlights how AI tools are now affordable and accessible for almost any business category and why companies should prepare for the shift from Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). AEO delivers richer, more direct answers than traditional search engines and could soon reshape how businesses connect with customers online. Listeners will also learn how AI and AEO can reduce redundant tasks, improve workforce performance, and create new opportunities when used strategically.
Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Business Highlight
8:00am-8:30am
Networking and Coffee
A chance to connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and partners before the day begins.
8:30 am-11:00am
Keynote 1 (Full Group)
Inspire, Educate, Prepare for Action.
"Igniting the Future: How AI Changes Businesses and Thinking".
Plant the Seed of Possibility and Practical Transformation.
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Setting the Mindset: Why AI, Why Now?
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What is AI?
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What's Possible Now?
11:00am-11:30am
Grab Lunch
11:30am-1:00pm
Lunch and Panel Discussion
Full Group- Innovation Room
Pick up lunch and enjoy a powerful panel with AI experts and local leaders.
1:00pm-2:00pm
Breakout Block 1
The 1st afternoon set of breakout sessions aims to dive deeper into practical AI solutions. These sessions will be held across four rooms:
Innovation Room
Prompt Like a Pro: Unlock AI's Full Power
Firepit
Strategize with Your Second Brain
War Room
Win the Future: AEO, Talent and Trends
Conference Room
Your Business, Your GPT
2:00pm-3:00pm
Breakout Block 2
The 2nd afternoon set of breakout sessions goes even deeper into understanding AI, even gives you some opportunities for hands on experience.
These sessions will be held across four rooms:
Innovation Room
Automate It! Build Your First AI Agent
Firepit
Train Your AI Brain: Thinking Differently
War Room
Hot Seat + Prompt Lab (Interactive)
Conference Room
Build Your GPT Part 2
3:00pm-4:00pm
Keynote 2 & Summit Closing
Closing keynote on the future of AI and small business transformation.
4:30pm
Happy Hour
4:30pm-Onward
Optional Happy Hour
Red Leg Brewing Company
Unwind and continue the conversation with fellow attendees in a relaxed setting just minutes from the venue.