AI Day: Practical Tools for Small Business

Thursday, July 16 | 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Tulloch Business Building Room 211 at the University of Nevada, Reno
Cost: Free

Join Nevada SBDC for a full day of learning, networking, and hands-on exploration of the artificial intelligence tools that are helping small businesses work smarter, move faster, and turn ideas into action.This event is designed for entrepreneurs, small business owners, students, advisors, and community partners who want practical, real-world ways to use AI. Whether you are looking to improve your marketing, automate repetitive tasks, build a simple website, organize customer information, generate new ideas, or better understand what AI means for your business, AI Day will give you takeaways you can start using right away.

The day begins with the national America’s SBDC AI Day Livestream, featuring expert conversations, small business success stories, student project highlights, and a featured speaker on the future of AI and small business.

In the afternoon, attendees will shift from learning to building during a beginner-friendly Lovable Vibe-Coding Hackathon. No coding experience is required. Participants will use plain-English prompts to create simple AI-powered business tools, websites, landing pages, forms, dashboards, and prototypes.

Come for the ideas. Stay for the community. Leave with something you actually built.

What to Expect

Attendees will have the opportunity to:

• Network with entrepreneurs, business owners, students, advisors, and innovation partners from across Nevada
• Watch live sessions from the America’s SBDC AI Day Summit
• Learn how AI is changing small business marketing, operations, customer service, and product development
• Enjoy lunch while connecting with Nevada’s entrepreneurial community
• Participate in a hands-on Lovable vibe-coding hackathon
• Build a simple prototype, landing page, intake form, workflow, or AI-powered business tool
• Learn how Nevada SBDC can support your next steps after the event

Who Should Attend

This event is a great fit for:

• Small business owners curious about AI
• Entrepreneurs looking for practical tools to save time or grow
• Students interested in AI, entrepreneurship, and innovation
• Non-technical founders who want to prototype ideas quickly
• Community partners supporting Nevada’s business ecosystem
• Anyone who wants to better understand how AI can be used in real businesses

You do not need coding experience or a technical background to participate.

Event Schedule

10:30 – 11:00 AM | Check-In, Coffee & Networking

Guests arrive, check in, grab coffee, and meet fellow entrepreneurs, small business owners, students, advisors, and community partners.

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | America’s SBDC AI Day Livestream

Attendees will watch the national America’s SBDC AI Day Livestream featuring:

• Opening remarks
• AI Transforming Main Street: Small Business Panel
• Student Project Highlights
• Featured Speaker: AI & the Future of Small Business — An Outside Perspective
• Closing remarks

1:00 – 1:45 PM | Lunch & Networking

Lunch is provided. Attendees will have time to connect with fellow entrepreneurs, advisors, students, and local innovation partners.

1:45 – 2:00 PM | Local Welcome Back: What Can You Build Today?

Nevada SBDC will frame the afternoon around practical AI use cases for small businesses, including marketing, automation, customer intake, websites, internal workflows, and simple business tools.

This short session will help attendees think about what they want to build during the hackathon.

2:00 – 2:15 PM | Lovable Hackathon Orientation

Participants will be introduced to the beginner-friendly Lovable vibe-coding hackathon.
No coding experience is required. Attendees will use plain-English prompts to turn a business idea into a working prototype.

2:15 – 4:15 PM | Lovable Vibe-Coding Hackathon

Participants will roll up their sleeves and build an AI-powered business tool using simple prompts instead of traditional coding.

Attendees may work individually or in small teams, with support available throughout the session.

Example projects could include:

• A landing page for a new product or service
• A customer intake form
• A lead capture page
• A quote, booking, or FAQ tool
• An internal workflow or dashboard
• A prototype for a new business idea
• A simple website for a business, event, or campaign

4:15 – 4:30 PM | Show & Tell, Wrap-Up & Next Steps

Volunteers will share what they created during the hackathon.

The day will close with next steps, Nevada SBDC advising resources, and practical ways attendees can continue using AI in their businesses.

What You’ll Leave With

By the end of AI Day, attendees will leave with:

• A better understanding of how AI is being used by small businesses
• Practical ideas for applying AI to marketing, operations, customer service, and product development
• Hands-on experience using Lovable to create a working prototype
• New connections across Nevada’s entrepreneurial community
• Clear next steps for continuing to build with support from Nevada SBDC

About the Lovable Vibe-Coding Hackathon

Vibe coding is a new way to build digital tools using natural language prompts instead of traditional code.

During the hackathon, participants will use Lovable to create simple prototypes, websites, workflows, and business tools. The goal is not to build something perfect. The goal is to learn what is possible, experiment with new tools, and leave with something tangible that can be improved after the event.

This session is designed for beginners, non-technical founders, and anyone who wants to explore how AI can help turn business ideas into working prototypes.

Cost

This event is free to attend.
Space may be limited, and registration is encouraged.

Register Today

Join Nevada SBDC on Thursday, July 16, at the Tulloch Business Building at the University of Nevada, Reno for a full day of AI learning, networking, and hands-on building.
Explore what AI can do for your business — and leave with something you built yourself.