Most AI upskilling advice skips the one thing that actually opens doors: community.
Juan Faisal talks with Rita Sargsyan, IDEAS Program Director and VC Startups Ambassador at AI LA, about what real access looks like for people outside the usual pipeline (especially creatives, students, and anyone without a traditional tech background).
🤖 Why it matters
AI tools are accessible. Real access isn’t.
Without networks, mentorship, and real-world feedback, most people stall or stay overwhelmed.
🤖 You’ll learn
- How the IDEAS program trains community college students in AI
- Why self-doubt holds back non-technical creatives
- What to do when you feel “late” to AI
- Why confidence comes faster through action than online certs
🤖 Guest: Rita Sargsyan
IDEAS Program Director and VC Startups Ambassador, AI LA
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritasargsyan
- IDEAS Program: https://www.joinai.la/ideas
- AI LA Events: https://lu.ma/aila-events
- AI on the Lot 2025: https://www.aionthelot.com/
🤖 Host: Juan Faisal
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akajuanfaisal/
- Newsletter: https://juanfaisal.substack.com/
- Website: https://juanfaisal.com/
🤖 Timestamps
00:00 Rita Sargsyan’s background in AI and access
01:31 Why AI needs diverse, non-technical talent
03:24 Getting started with ChatGPT and AI tools
05:55 Overcoming fear and shyness around tech
09:46 Inside the IDEAS program for college students
13:20 How networking builds confidence
16:14 Creatives and the tension with AI
18:56 Learning to use AI as a creative superpower
20:01 Prompt engineering and emerging roles
21:54 What to expect at AI on the Lot 2025
24:33 Where to find Rita and how to get involved