{"id":9631,"global_id":"investinhamilton.ca\/hamilton-business-centre?id=9631","global_id_lineage":["investinhamilton.ca\/hamilton-business-centre?id=9631"],"author":"8","status":"publish","date":"2026-11-02 12:12:07","date_utc":"2026-11-02 17:12:07","modified":"2026-11-02 12:13:15","modified_utc":"2026-11-02 17:13:15","url":"https:\/\/investinhamilton.ca\/hamilton-business-centre\/event\/intro-to-ai-for-brick-and-mortar\/","rest_url":"https:\/\/investinhamilton.ca\/hamilton-business-centre\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/events\/9631","title":"Intro to AI for Brick-and-Mortar","description":"<div  class=\"tribe-events-schedule tribe-clearfix\" >\n\t<p class=\"tribe-events-schedule__datetime\">\n\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__date tribe-events-schedule__date--start\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__separator tribe-events-schedule__separator--date\">\n\t\t\t\t @ \t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__time tribe-events-schedule__time--start\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Location:<\/strong> Online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session for brick-and-mortar owners: a clear, no-hype intro to AI &#8211; what it is, where it fits, and how to start without disruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What We\u2019ll Cover<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The AI tools most relevant to physical retail, food service, trades, and service-based businesses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where AI creates the most immediate impact: customer communication, scheduling, and operations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to evaluate AI tools without a tech background &#8211; and avoid the most common mistakes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Real examples of brick-and-mortar businesses using AI to save time and increase revenue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A simple framework for identifying your first AI use case and getting started in under 30 days<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This session is practical, accessible, and built for operators &#8211; not tech teams. If you own or manage a physical business and want to understand how AI can reduce friction and improve performance without a massive investment, this is the right starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>About the Speaker: Vyona Ma<\/strong>, <strong>Director, Professional Services at Change Connect<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With over a decade at Change Connect and 10+ years driving revenue transformation for small and mid-sized businesses, Vyona Ma is the rare consultant who bridges sharp business strategy with hands-on execution. She doesn\u2019t just advise &#8211; she builds, deploys, and delivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before joining Change Connect, Vyona honed her expertise in Revenue Planning and Strategy at two of Canada\u2019s most recognizable media companies &#8211; Rogers Media and Shaw Media. That foundation gave her something most consultants lack: a deep, operator-level understanding of how revenue actually works inside complex organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, Vyona leads Change Connect\u2019s applied AI practice, helping SMB owners and sales leaders cut through the hype and put AI to work. From sales bots and automation workflows to AI-assisted customer engagement, she specializes in making emerging technology practical, affordable, and actionable &#8211; especially for teams without a dedicated tech function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the intersection of sales leadership, business development, and emerging technology, Vyona is the kind of advisor entrepreneurs trust when the stakes are real &#8211; and results matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t<div  class=\"tribe-block tribe-block__events-link\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"tribe-events tribe-common\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tribe-common-c-btn-border tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg\n\t class=\"tribe-common-c-svgicon tribe-common-c-svgicon--cal-export tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__export-icon\" \taria-hidden=\"true\"\n\tviewBox=\"0 0 23 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