How Local Businesses Are Using AI

AI isn’t just for tech giants and global enterprises — it’s already being used by local businesses in practical, creative, and sometimes unexpected ways.

In this informal, conversation-style session, we’ll hear directly from local business leaders about how they’re integrating AI into their day-to-day operations. From marketing and customer service to workflow automation and decision-making, this session focuses on real-world applications — not theory.

Expect a candid discussion about:

• Where AI is actually making a difference
• What tools are being used
• What’s working (and what isn’t)
• Lessons learned along the way

We’ll leave plenty of time for open conversation and networking, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions, share their own experiences, and connect with others exploring AI in their organizations.

Whether you’re AI-curious or already experimenting, this session is designed to provide practical insight, peer learning, and meaningful connection.

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MEET THE SPEAKERS

Marcos Castillo

Marcos is the CEO and Founder of Bizont and has spent most of his career building technology inside constrained environments, primarily government and small market systems. His role spans technical direction, system design, and navigating the trade offs required to ship and sustain complex platforms. He works alongside teams where procurement, governance, scale, and risk tolerance shape real decisions.

Bethany Ryan

Bethany leads sales and marketing at Bizont and brings over a decade of experience in technology focused business development and sales, including nine years at a SaaS company through its private equity acquisition in 2024. She holds a Master of Management from the University of British Columbia and a certificate in Customer Experience Strategy from Columbia University.

Taryn Ellens

Taryn Ellens is the founder of AInome, a systems-focused initiative advancing Indigenous-aligned AI and data governance in Canada. Her work focuses on how artificial intelligence, data infrastructure, and governance systems intersect, with an emphasis on ensuring Indigenous Nations and public institutions can participate in the AI era in ways that respect sovereignty, jurisdiction, and long-term trust.

She is a doctoral student in Psychiatry at the University of Alberta, where her research examines how complex human and institutional systems generate patterns that shape policy, services, and societal outcomes.

Taryn works across First Nations, public sector, and technology contexts to translate emerging AI and data capabilities into governance-aligned approaches that strengthen decision-making and institutional capacity.