FGCU’s Dendritic Institute and SBDC Host AI Summit on
Human-Centered Business Strategies
FORT MYERS, FL — JANUARY 14, 2026 — The Florida Small Business Development
Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and the FGCU Dendritic Institute for Human-Centered
AI and Data Science will present AI in Action: Strategies for Business Growth, a regional
forum examining how artificial intelligence is already reshaping business decision-making,
operations, capital access, and competitive strategy. Sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, the
event brings together academic leadership, industry practitioners, investors, and
technologists for a focused, execution-driven discussion grounded in actionable real-world
applications for small businesses.
The program frames artificial intelligence through the lenses of engineering, business
strategy, and organizational innovation, moving fluidly between academic insight and
applied industry experience. Discussion topics include operational automation, data informed decision-making, customer experience optimization, risk modeling, and workforce augmentation, with an emphasis on tools and approaches that scale realistically for small
and mid-sized enterprises. For local businesses, these perspectives translate into clearer
processes, better use of existing data, reduced operational friction, and more confident
strategic planning, without requiring enterprise-level teams or budgets. The forum also
explores AI’s expanding role in capital strategy and investment decision-making,
highlighting FGCU’s role as a regional convenor of applied research, workforce alignment,
and economic development. This event will provide local businesses with a clearer
framework for evaluating AI not as a trend, but as a practical component of long-term
operational planning.
AI in Action takes place Thursday, February 26, 2026, from 4:00 PM — 8:00 PM
FGCU Academic Building 9 (The Water School), Room AB9 138.
Tickets are $49 and include dinner
SPACE IS LIMITED
Registration: AI in Action: Strategies for Business Growth
About the Florida SBDC at FGCU:
The FSBDC at FGCU offers one-on-one, confidential, no-cost consulting and low-cost workshops for businesses throughout Lee, Collier, Charlotte,
Hendry, and Glades counties. The state designates the Florida SBDC Network as Florida’s principal provider of business assistance. The FSBDC at FGCU
is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business
Administration, Department of Defense, State of Florida, various private and public partners, and is hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University and
nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. For more information, visit sbdc.fgcu.edu.
The Florida SBDC at FGCU is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide partnership program nationally accredited by the Association of
America’s SBDCs and funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, State of Florida, and other private and public
partners, with the University of West Florida serving as the network’s headquarters. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding