ABOUT | AI Action Lab

ABOUT AI ACTION LAB

The AI Action lab is a roll-up-your-sleeves work session built for manufacturers, trades, heavy industry, and other “real economy” businesses. Instead of keynote speeches and buzzwords, this Lab is organized around four practical tracks that mirror how you actually run your business:

Tell People What We’ll Do

AI for marketing, quoting, and customer education
Turning tribal knowledge into clear, repeatable messaging and proposals

Agree on What We’ll Do

AI-assisted scoping, estimating, and contract generation
Reducing risk and misalignment between customers, field teams, and management

Do It

AI tools that support planning, scheduling, safety checks, and on-the-job guidance
Helping workers do more, faster, with fewer mistakes without replacing them

Get Paid

Automating billing, collections, and reporting while preserving audit and compliance
Linking field work, job costing, and finance so the numbers always match the work

The AI Action Lab is where workers, business owners, integrators, and investors meet in the same room to design a future where AI works for people, not against them.

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Why this event is important now?

Blue-collar and industrial businesses are under pressure – labor shortages, aging workforces, and rising expectations from customers. AI can help, but only if it respects the people doing the work.

Most AI events aren’t built for the shop floor. They’re built for software companies and tech buyers, not plant managers, foremen, or owners who still live in spreadsheets and clipboards.

Human-centric AI is a competitive advantage. Companies that use AI to augment their workforce—capturing know-how from senior workers, guiding new hires, and removing busywork—will retain talent, reduce errors, and build stronger customer relationships.

Investors and integrators need to see where the real demand is. The Lab puts the people who do the work at the center of design, exposing real pain points and real opportunities—without the hype.

What actually happens in the room?

This is NOT a sit down and listen conference. This is a day of four "micro-hackathons" where users, integrators, investors - anyone who is looking to solve a REAL problem - collaborate with providers in real time to create working AI solutions for each phase of business.

Live team builds: Real companies bring real problems. Vendors, developers, and integrators sit with them to sketch solutions, build prototypes, and demo working flows before the end of each session.

Guidance, safety, and responsibility insight: Experts in AI safety, law, and operations challenge each build there in the room: Is it safe? Fair? Understandable to the crew using it?

Take-home artifacts: Each company has the ability to leave with:
- Prototype workflows or tools based on demos
- Draft internal AI use policies and design guidelines
- A prioritized roadmap for “what to do next Monday,” not “someday”

Bring Your Laptop, Come Ready to Work

9:30–10:00 AM - Arrival & Light Refreshments

Guest check-in, coffee, and informal networking to set the tone for the day.

10:00–10:30 AM - Welcome, Agenda Review, Sponsor Highlight

Brief welcome, breakdown of the days agenda, then a 2 min each introduction of our sponsors.

10:30–11:00 AM - Personal Introductions

Introduce yourself! Share with the room your name, what your an expert in, what you hope to experience at the Lab.

11:00–12:00 - Micro-Demo By Presenting Sponsor morriganAI & Claude Code Demo

Chris Draper, founder and CEO of morriganAI, will demonstrate the Crow and Raven 'shadow AI' tool. An expert will demonstrate Claude Code and share ways to use the tool for beginners.

12:00–1:00 PM - Networking Lunch

Let's all take a break, chat and enjoy some Jimmy John's

1:00–2:00 PM - Round Robin Brainstorm Sessions

Everyone gets to meet everyone. Individuals jump around the room in a round robin

style format to network with peers. You will meet new connections, brainstorm

tech challenges and work with experts to solve real issues.

2:00–2:30 PM - Idea Board Session

What challenges did you uncover? What do you want to see demonstrated? Place your ideas on the board and lets discuss.

2:30–4:00 PM - Demo Builds

This is where the experts take the lead. We have your challenges now watch the experts work to solve them. Weather its AI agents, compliance tools, or LLM help; this is where you learn what's happening in the Kansas City tech market.

4:00 - 4:15PM - Full Day Take Aways

Share exciting new findings or important policy notes that help the larger group

4:15–4:30 PM - Card Swap, Phone Bump, and Get Out

Final insights, key takeaways, and an overview of post-event resources, follow-up opportunities, and continued collaboration.

4:30–7:00 PM - After-hours networking

You built with the best, come party with the best. Join us, Kansas City style, at Zoo Bar

Networking lunch catered by Jimmy John's