Wondering what to do with artificial intelligence? Do you wish to find out how artificial intelligence will help your business grow?
Join 760 WJR AND StartupNation Tuesday, April 30, o free, quick and stimulating seminar: “.”
The seminar, which can happen at StartupNation’s headquarters in Birmingham, will feature experts from various industries who will share their insights on the applications of artificial intelligence and its potential impact on corporations of all sizes.
Learn how artificial intelligence guarantees to improve decision-making, automate production, and speed up marketing and communications. Understand the critical importance of cybersecurity in data protection and AI integration operations.
Join hosts and moderators 760 WJR host Guy Gordon and StartupNation founder and CEO Jeff Sloan for this insightful and informative event.
We’ll start at 8 a.m. Tuesday with coffee and networking at StartupNation, 34300 Woodward Ave., Birmingham, MI. Then a panel discussion and keynote speech, and the event ends before noon.
ABOUT THE MODERATORS AND PRESENTERS:
Guy Gordon
Host, “”
760 WJR
Guy Gordon, an experienced television journalist, celebrates over 40 years of labor as a reporter, presenter and talk show host. It has been awarded two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Television Series and six Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing, Reporting and Documentary.
His work has also won quite a few Michigan Association of Broadcasters awards for breaking news and investigative reporting.
Previously, Gordon was a news anchor for WDIV Local 4 News in Detroit for nine years, after 13 years as an anchor for Channel 7 Action News in Detroit.
He is an energetic community activist and has raised over $1.5 million for Oakland Family Services during his annual charity golf outing. In 2019, Guy was named host of the ITC Golf Classic as a part of the March of Dimes. This event at Oak Pointe Country Club in Brighton raises nearly $200,000 annually.
Jeff Sloan
founder and president
StartupNation
Jeff Sloan Jeff is the founder and CEO of StartupNation, LLC, a multimedia company that gives educational and inspirational resources to aspiring entrepreneurs and established small business owners. In his leadership role at StartupNation, Jeff hosted the award-winning show “” on 760 WJR in Detroit, which aired from 2004 to 2021 in over 85 markets nationwide. Jeff headed to the revitalized “” where he took over the distinguished position of the WJR program, which featured interviews with legendary Michigan businessmen. Jeff also hosts a day by day live segment during the morning drive’s primetime hours, where he covers news of interest to the entrepreneurial, startup and technology communities.
Jeff is also the founder and CEO of StartupNation Ventures, LLC, an incubator/accelerator that turns business concepts into profitable enterprises. Jeff has been instrumental in leading the development, launch, growth and successful exit of his portfolio startups: Clarity Technologies, LLC, GeneGo, LLC and Rubicon Genomics, LLC. Additionally, Jeff founded and runs a startup often known as FanLabel, a music gamification platform.
Jeff has been a keynote speaker at entrepreneurship and business conferences, including the Microsoft Small Business Conference and the Small Business Administration of America Annual Conference. He was recognized as one of DBusiness magazine’s 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders and honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Brianna Fritz
Director of presidency and social affairs
Verizon Digital Ready for Small Business
Brianna Fritz leads Verizon’s philanthropic and community engagement efforts in Michigan. Prior to joining Verizon, she worked in higher education and the public sector, working for Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and later serving in community engagement and legislative advocacy roles in academia.
While attending Wayne State University, Brianna became a recognized leader in the field of external affairs and community relations. She was recognized by the WSU Student Senate with the 2020 Student Ally Award.
Brianna is the founding father of Michigan Women Forward Power of 100 Women 2.0, an energetic member of the Detroit Junior League, and an enthusiastic Winning Futures mentor at Cass Tech High School.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in public administration from Wayne State University.
Hillary Doe
Director of Development and Marketing
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Hilary Doe is Michigan’s Chief Growth Officer, charged with growing the state’s population, economy and status. He leads the Growing Michigan Together Council’s initiative to position Michigan as an ideal location to live and do business. With a background in citizen engagement and organizational development, Hilary was president of NationBuilder and founding father of Scout, a Detroit-based political group. Her profession includes key roles at the Roosevelt Institute and her articles have appeared in major media outlets. Hilary, a graduate of the University of Michigan who continued her studies at Princeton, returned to Detroit after a stay in New York.
Brian Calley
President and CEO
Michigan Small Business Association
Brian Calley As president and CEO of the Michigan Small Business Association, Calley brings his passion for small businesses to life in Michigan. He serves as a director of a publicly traded bank and a member of the board of directors of Oakland University. Additionally, he serves on various boards including Special Olympics Michigan, Sparrow Health System, Disability Rights Michigan, and Autism Alliance of Michigan.
Calley served as Michigan’s 63rd Lieutenant Governor from 2011 to 2018. Previously, Calley served two terms in the Michigan House of Representatives, served two terms as an Ionia County Commissioner and worked in community banking for over a decade. He holds a BA from Michigan State University, an MBA from Grand Valley State University, and an MPA from Harvard University.
Monika Pszenica
Managing director
Techstars Detroit Powered by JP Morgan
Monica Wheat is Executive Director of Venture Catalysts, Managing Director of Detroit-based Backstage Capital.
Wheat is a strategist, educator and developer. She is the founder and executive director of Venture Catalysts, a nonprofit and ecosystem development group focused on investor and founder education, in addition to an innovation hub, seed fund, and large-scale entrepreneurial initiatives with over 30,000 participants.
Wheat is also the managing director of Backstage Capital’s Detroit Startup Accelerator, a four-city global tech accelerator investing three months and $100,000 to scale startups for underrepresented founders. Additionally, he is a Techstars startup program leader, directing programs in Detroit and around the world. Her work has been published in Crain’s Detroit Business, Huffington Post, Black Enterprise and Forbes.
Jayson Cavendish
Chief of security
State of Michigan
Jayson Cavendish is the Chief Security Officer (CSO) and Deputy Director for Information Technology (IT) in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Division of the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB).
Jayson is committed to serving the state of Michigan and brings enthusiasm to his role as CSO and a helpful combination of strengths including leadership, vision and strategic planning. Distinguishes itself by collaborating at all levels to support key, high-level projects across the state to successful completion. He has several years of state government experience and continues to expand his in-depth knowledge of IT/security architecture through various leadership positions throughout his extensive profession, which incorporates roles in information security management, data warehouse management/architecture, and as director of technical services.
Jayson is a graduate of Campbell University and Northwood University, with an associate’s degree in accounting and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management. Additionally, he has quite a few certificates, including: CISSP, CISA, PMP, and is a licensed Professional Investigator in the State of Michigan.