A hands-on workshop for small business owners and operators who want to use ChatGPT for real work—and leave with one useful workflow they can reuse.

Running a small business means moving constantly between marketing, customer communication, operations, hiring, data, and planning. This beginner-friendly OpenAI Academy workshop, presented with the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and the Silicon Valley Small Business Development Center, is built around those real operating needs.

Throughout the workshop, you’ll move from practical foundations into hands-on application. In the first part, you’ll build confidence using ChatGPT for everyday business work and see examples grounded in common small-business needs.

In the second, you’ll apply those ideas to a task that matters to your business. Facilitators and student mentors from San Jose State University will be available to answer questions, help you troubleshoot, and provide individual guidance as you develop your work. You’ll leave with something useful that you can continue building after the event.

What you’ll do

1. Build practical confidence using ChatGPT for business.
2. See how AI can support common small-business needs.
3. Apply what you learn to a task relevant to your work.
4. Leave with a useful starting point and resources for continuing.

Who should attend

San Jose-area small business owners, operators, founders, and team leads who want practical ways to use AI in their daily work. No technical background is required.

Exact venue location will be sent 48 hours before the event.

Bring a laptop and sign in to your ChatGPT account before arriving.

All confirmed attendees will receive one year of ChatGPT Plus.