AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not a silver bullet. Many entrepreneurs get caught up in the allure of automation and data-driven decision-making, only to realize that AI is just a technology—not a comprehensive business strategy. When used correctly, AI can streamline operations, improve efficiency, and enhance customer experiences, but overconfidence and blind adoption can lead to wasted resources, ethical dilemmas, and poor execution.
This session, led by seasoned entrepreneur Eric Veal (MBA, MS Information Systems, UW Foster School of Business) and copywriter Angela Starson, will provide a reality check on AI in business. They’ll share critical tips and tricks to help startups leverage AI effectively while avoiding the 5 most common pitfalls:
The tech ecosystem offers incredible opportunities to integrate AI in business, but it’s essential to use it strategically, not blindly. This session will arm startup founders with a grounded, practical approach to AI, ensuring they make smart, sustainable decisions without getting seduced by the latest buzzwords.
Starting a business without outside funding is both challenging and rewarding—but knowing how to navigate the leap from idea to success is critical. Many entrepreneurs struggle with the transition from scrappy beginnings to sustainable growth, often focusing on the wrong milestones or failing to optimize their resources.
This session, led by seasoned entrepreneur Eric Veal (MBA, MS Information Systems, UW Foster School of Business) and Opportunity Maker Berry Zimmerman, breaks down the three essential conversions every bootstrapper must master to move from vision to viability:
Success in bootstrapping is about strategy, adaptability, and smart execution. This talk will provide practical insights, real-world examples, and actionable takeaways to help founders build resilient businesses from the ground up.
Enterprise Architect Richard Webb and the panel discuss modern business models and the potential of thinking outside of the traditional box.
Guests: Richard Webb, Reuben Ortega, Ralph Kliem
The four-member panel discusses the importance and reality of compliance according the laws of customers, markets and regulatory bodies.
Guests: Webb, Ortega, Kliem
Eric shares stories about risk taking in snowboarding and business. The group talks talks about ways to encourage more calculated risk taking.
Guests: Webb, Ortega, Kliem, Veal
The panel talks about business resiliency and success as achieved through excellence in risk management, compliance and remediation.
Guests: Webb, Ortega, Kliem
The group shares ideas, tips and tricks for CEOs and entrepreneurs to think about their businesses from the perspectives of assets, how to protect and grow them.
Guests: Niederkrome, Wallin, Olson
Startup law attorney Joe Wallin leads the group through a conversation about asset valuation including perceptual differences between large and small businesses.
Guests: Niederkrome, Wallin, Olson
Seattle-based patent attorney Jonathan Olson leads the guests in an exploratory discussion of intellectual property, trade secrets and the like.
Guests: Niederkrome, Wallin, Olson
Guests, led by finance wiz and serial entrepreneur Dave Niederkrome, introduce methods of thinking about businesses from the frames of assets and liabilities.
Guests: Niederkrome, Wallin, Olson
Eric and guests explore common challenges and pitfalls of raising capital in today's business climate. Part four of a four-part series on Financial Resource Management for businesses.
Guests: Mueller-Eberstein, De Noia, Munjeli
Eric and guests discuss what an ideal future would look like regarding money, finance, currency and regulation in part three of a four-part series on Financial Resource Management for businesses.
Guests: Mueller-Eberstein, De Noia, Munjeli
Eric and guests talk about the idea of "David and Goliath" in the context of the little plays and big players in the world of finance. This is part two in a four-part collection on Financial Resource Management for businesses.
Guests: Mueller-Eberstein, De Noia, Munjeli
Eric and guests talk about the history and current state of finance in part one of a four-part series about Financial Resource Management for businesses.
Guests: Mueller-Eberstein, De Noia, Munjeli
Josh Barrow, owner of J-2 LLC, a cyberSecurity firm, shares information and practices that can help businesses prepare for issues.
Guests: Josh Barrow
The group talks about the ideal role of the CIO and how they can help an organization be successful through the use of information technology.
Guests: De Noia, Dawud
Don Alvarez teaches us about modern techniques and issues in security architecture.
Guests: De Noia, Alvarez, Dawud
The importance and role of distributed systems in modern computing is discussed by the expert panel.
Guests: De Noia, Alvarez, Dawud
Dave De Noia leads the group of business professionals in a discussion about modern Business Intelligence and Big Data practices.
Guests: De Noia, Alvarez, Dawud
The group delves into Conflict at work. They cover ways to avoid, cope and manage through types of conflict as expert and author Rachel Alexandria leads the discussion.
Guests: Kubacki, Alexandria, Carter, OKonek, Cremese