WT Enterprise Center Offers Free AI and Growth Seminars for Panhandle Businesses

The WT Enterprise Center will run six free business seminars in Amarillo during Global Entrepreneurship Week, Nov. 16-20, covering artificial intelligence, leadership, operations and social media. Registration is required for every session, and all workshops take place at the WTEC, 2300 N. Western St. in Amarillo.

"Global Entrepreneurship Week will bring together entrepreneurs, business owners, students and community members through events that provide opportunities to learn a new skill and network with others," said Zaida Cordova, WT Enterprise Center community manager. "The seminars will cover a variety of topics that will be valuable to businesses at different stages and highlight the resources and partnerships available through WTEC."

WTEC, a department of WT's Paul and Virginia College of Business, is partnering with America's Small Business Development Center at WTAMU and several community partners to serve entrepreneurs, small business owners and professionals across the Texas Panhandle.

What's on the schedule?

• Noon to 1:30 p.m., Nov. 16 — Designing a Business That Fits Your Life. Tracy Shea, business consultant at America's Small Business Development Center at WTAMU, teaches practical ways to set boundaries and protect personal priorities while growing a business. Register at wtenterprisecenter.com/designing-a-business.
• 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Nov. 18 — Building the Business Behind the Business. Aaron Soto, founder of Sueño & Co., offers tips on workflows, SOPs, automation and artificial intelligence for smoother operations. Register at wtenterprisecenter.com/building-the-business.
• 2 to 4 p.m., Nov. 18 — Practical AI for Productivity and Problem Solving. Dusty Delano, senior manufacturing specialist at the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center, shows hands-on ways to use AI to streamline repetitive tasks, organize information and solve everyday problems. Register at wtenterprisecenter.com/ai-for-productivity.
• 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Nov. 19 — Coffee with the Chamber. Denise Lynch, project principal at Lynch Architects, and Joe Dan Wilson, founder of [email protected], discuss how they use AI in their operations and what entrepreneurs should know. The session runs in partnership with the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce. Register at wtenterprisecenter.com/coffee-chamber.
• 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Nov. 19 — From Boss to Coach: Managing Performance, Engagement, and Discipline. Annie Sandifer, regional director at America's Small Business Development Center at WTAMU, leads practice in coaching conversations, employee performance management and corrective feedback. Register at wtenterprisecenter.com/boss-to-coach.
• 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., Nov. 20 — The Social Media Lab. Students from the Engler College of Business and AmTech Career Academy offer individualized social media guidance in working sessions matched to each business. Registration alone does not reserve a session time. Register at wtenterprisecenter.com/media-lab.

What does the women's leadership conference add?

WTEC will also host The Next Chapter: Women's Leadership Conference during the week. The daylong event brings together women from across the Panhandle for leadership, professional development, entrepreneurship, connection and personal growth. Maureen Zappala, an author and former NASA propulsion engineer, delivers the keynote on imposter syndrome.

Registration opens at 9 a.m. and programming starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive. Cost is $150, plus fees. That makes it the week's only paid event alongside six free workshops.

For information, call 806-651-8500 or visit wtenterprisecenter.com. The lineup signals how heavily regional business support organizations now lean on AI literacy, with three of the six free sessions dedicated to the topic.