Black Tech Symposium Workshop: From Curiosity to Capability with Tonya Edmonds

#### Workshop - Generative AI in Action: From Curiosity to Capability

• BRING YOUR LAPTOPS TO THIS WORKING SESSION

Generative AI has quickly shifted from buzzword to business essential — but many professionals still struggle to move beyond curiosity into real, impactful use. This interactive workshop bridges that gap by giving attendees the tools, strategies, and confidence to integrate AI into their everyday work.

Drawing from my experience as a corporate leader at Johnson & Johnson and founder of SmartGrowth AI, I’ll guide participants through the fundamentals of generative AI, with a focus on practical, results-driven applications for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and corporate teams.

In this session, attendees will learn:

• How to craft effective prompts to get high-quality, actionable output from AI tools.
• Ways to design simple AI-assisted workflows that save time, reduce errors, and increase productivity.
• How to identify the right AI tools for specific business needs without overcomplicating operations.

This is not a passive lecture — participants will follow along with live demonstrations, practice exercises, and real-world examples that show exactly how to go from “What can AI do?” to “Here’s how I’m using it to achieve measurable results.”

Whether you’re a tech professional, entrepreneur, or corporate leader, you’ll leave with ready-to-use AI templates, a clear implementation framework, and the confidence to start applying AI in ways that immediately move your business or career forward.

Generative AI isn’t the future — it’s the present. This workshop will help you harness it.
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The 2nd Annual DC Metro Black Tech Symposium highlights the success and possibilities of Black technologists and their allies. This learning, networking, and empowerment event is packed with six keynote presenters, 45 learning sessions, 5 evening 2.5 hour workshops, and multiple virtual “speed-networking” sessions.

Three-day attendance passes range from $47.50 to $57.50 for FULL ACCESS. All tickets support our 501(c)3 nonprofit purpose.
https://bit.ly/DCMII-BTS

Session presentations include:
- Starting and succeeding as a consultant with government contracting
- Interviewing at your best
- Resilient leadership
- Model based system engineering
- Breaking into tech
- Getting your first customer
- Influence strategies for tech leaders
- Building applications with no or low code
- AI: embracing agents, mitigating prejudice and crafting effective prompts
- Threat detection using Splunk
- Upskilling as a project manager
- Why Black voices matter in cybersecurity
- Multiplying your success through mentor advocacy