Led by Community Futures Central Island in partnership with Hufnagel Consulting and Jennifer Hufnagel, AI Educator, have designed this program for people just like you, small business owners and leaders juggling limited resources, tight margins, and relentless demands. Through tailored support and practical learning, we’ll help you cut through the noise and start using AI tools that make an immediate impact.
Consider this: Netflix took 3.5 years to reach 1 million subscribers. ChatGPT did it in just 5 days. The pace of change is staggering. Learning AI isn’t optional anymore. It’s your step toward building a stronger, more resilient business.
Be Part of Vancouver Island’s Future
By embracing AI today, you’re not only preparing your business for what’s next. You’re helping spark a wave of innovation and resilience across our region. As more local organizations adopt AI and digital strategies, everyone benefits from a network effect of shared success and collective learning.
This is your moment for action. Don’t wait for the competition to figure it out first.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
Workshop 1 – AI Awareness: Learn the essentials of AI and its impact on workplace productivity
This workshop is designed for professionals, nonprofits, solopreneurs, business owners, and their teams who want to understand how AI and digital tools can help transform their business. Whether you’re completely new to AI or have a basic understanding, this introductory session will help you get comfortable with the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, explore practical use cases, and understand its impact across industries.
We’ll focus on how AI and digital adoption can support, not replace, human decision-making. Through real-world examples, hands-on demonstrations, and guided reflection, you’ll start identifying where AI could add value within your roles, workflows, and organization. We’ll also share basic digital safety tips to support secure exploration.
This session is about sparking curiosity and building your “AI intuition.” It lays the groundwork for confident, informed use in future workshops.
Learning Outcomes:
- Explain the foundational concepts of artificial intelligence
- Explore different AI tools available to small businesses
- Identify opportunities to use AI for efficiency and productivity
- Build your AI intuition
- Initiate your AI Community of Practice (AI CoP) to foster collaboration and shared learning
Workshop 2 – AI Awareness & Business Efficiency: Exploring the Possibilities of Generative AI (2 hours)
Prerequisite: Workshop # 1
Building on the foundation from Workshop 1, this session dives deeper into the practical applications of Generative AI tools like ChatGPT. You’ll explore how to use AI in low-risk, high-value areas to test its potential and build confidence.
We’ll show you how AI can enhance customer support, marketing, knowledge sharing, content creation, and overall workplace efficiency. With real-world business examples, you’ll see how these tools can streamline operations and free up time for growth.
You’ll also learn best practices for crafting effective prompts to get accurate, relevant results and maximize AI’s value in your daily operations.
Finally, you’ll be invited to join a supportive AI learning community where you can share insights, ask questions, and collaborate with other local business leaders.
Learning Outcomes:
- Develop skills for effective AI prompting
- Practice using Generative AI to solve specific business challenges
- Implement 1–2 AI “quick wins” in your operations
- Identify areas where AI can save time and improve workflows
Workshop 3 – AI Readiness: Laying the Groundwork for Implementation (2 hours)
Prerequisites: Workshop # 1 and # 2
This final session marks the shift from awareness to action Exploring strategically how to plan AI integration into your business. You’ll take a close look at your business operations, software, workflows, systems, tasks, data, and online presence, to understand your starting point for AI adoption. By identifying inefficiencies and gaps, you’ll begin to see where digital tools and AI can deliver the most value.
This final workshop helps you shift from learning about AI tools to thinking strategically about how AI can fit into your business. You’ll be introduced to key concepts and planning frameworks that set the stage for successful AI adoption.
What We’ll Cover:
- Operational Readiness: Learn how to evaluate your current business systems, workflows, and capacity to understand where AI could deliver value.
- AI Disruption Awareness: Explore how AI is reshaping industries and consider what it means for your business, risks, opportunities, and areas for innovation.
- Current Workflow mapping: See how mapping workflows can reveal opportunities for AI to enhance customer experience and streamline processes.
- Laying the Groundwork: Discover practical steps to prepare your business for AI, including digital hygiene and change readiness.
Learning Outcomes:
- Assess your current state of operations for AI Readiness
- Explore potential AI disruptions in your industry and how to prepare strategically
- Develop a customized AI Readiness Plan to guide implementation
AI Upskilling Office Hours – 4 hours
AI Upskilling Office Hours – Flexible support and live updates as you learn
Starting in October, after the first set of workshops, participants will gain access to AI Upskilling Office Hours. These drop-in sessions create a supportive environment to:
- Bring your questions and challenges from applying AI tools in your business
- Practice with guidance and build confidence in real-world use cases
- Explore new AI updates, features, and emerging trends
- Connect with peers and share insights in a collaborative learning space
- Each facilitated session is designed to give participants time, space, and expert support to integrate AI into your workflows at your own pace. Whether you need help refining prompts, exploring advanced features, or brainstorming use cases, these office hours are your dedicated learning and practice