AI Emergence Conference

Presented By

The Organizations Behind the Event

Open Innovation Centers (OIC)

OIC builds hands-on learning and entrepreneurship programs across San Joaquin County — from the OIC Incubator to FuturePlay Academy — helping residents and business owners build real skills and real ventures.

Lodi Chamber of Commerce

The Lodi Chamber champions local business growth and connection, advocating for the Lodi business community and helping members access the resources, partnerships, and opportunities they need to thrive.

AWS & AWS Partners

Amazon Web Services and its partner network provide the cloud infrastructure and AI services behind the conference, plus the Partner Proof of Concept funding at the center of the Day 2 Pitch Event.

Overview

AI is changing how business gets done.

Hosted by Open Innovation Centers (OIC) and the Lodi Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) partners, the AI Emergence Conference brings together business leaders, technology experts, and our regional community to explore what AI can do today and where it is headed next.

Whether you are just beginning to explore AI or are already using it in your organization, you'll have opportunities to learn, experiment, see real-world applications, and gain ideas you can take back to your business.

Our goal is simple: move beyond the hype. We want to help businesses take practical first steps with AI, explore what comes next, and do it without feeling overwhelmed by the growing number of tools, platforms, and possibilities.

Two Days. Practical AI. Real Business Opportunities.
Learn and get hands-on with AI on Day 1, then put ideas into action through the Day 2 Proof of Concept Pitch Event.

Business professional exploring AI tools on a tablet

Who Should Attend

Is This Conference Right for You?

The AI Emergence Conference is built for the San Joaquin County business community — no technical background required.

Business Owners & Entrepreneurs

Looking for practical ways to put AI to work in your business.

Chamber & Community Members

Connecting with the Lodi business community and regional partners.

Team Leaders & Managers

Exploring how AI tools could support your team's day-to-day work.

Builders & Innovators

Bringing an AI or tech-focused idea you want to pitch on Day 2.

Conference Breakdown

Two Paths, Two Days

Every attendee starts with Day 1. From there, Day 1 attendance opens the door to a second path on Day 2 — taking your idea in front of judges and funders.

Business owners, leaders & teams new to AI — no coding required

Learn, Explore & Get Hands-On

Hear from business and technology leaders, explore practical AI use cases, and learn how organizations are putting AI to work today. Multiple hands-on tracks let you engage with AI tools at a pace and depth that fits where you're starting from.

Keynotes from business & technology leaders
A live look at real-world AI use cases
Hands-on AI tracks matched to your experience level
Guided practice working directly with AI tools
Networking reception to close out the day, with AWS & AWS partners

Format

Full day, in person at Hutchins Street Square.

What You'll Walk Away With

Practical experience with AI tools, a clearer picture of where AI fits in your business, and next steps you can act on right away.

Bring

Your laptop — Day 1 is hands-on.

Featured Sessions

The Regional AI Pulse: What Business Leaders Are Seeing

Local Chamber of Commerce leaders share what they're seeing as AI begins to reshape business across the region — where adoption is happening, where businesses are getting stuck, and what training, resources, and support will help the regional economy navigate the AI era.

AI in Action: How Businesses Are Putting AI to Work

Business leaders and practitioners take us inside their organizations to show how AI is actually being adopted today — real-world use cases, implementation strategies, lessons learned, and how AI is changing the way their teams work.

Business Resources & Training Opportunities

Presented by WorkNet and the Economic Development Association, this session walks through the business resources available through the county — including the Employment Training Panel (ETP) program and other funding opportunities to help your business grow.

Day 1 attendees with an AI or tech-focused idea ready to pitch

Proof of Concept Pitch Event

Day 2 opens with a morning round of qualifying pitches, where judges select the strongest ideas to advance. Those finalists take the stage that afternoon at the Pitch Event, presenting an AI or technology-focused idea they want to bring to life — a real shot at moving from concept toward a funded, partner-built proof of concept.

Morning: qualifying pitches, judged to select the finalists
Afternoon: the Pitch Event, finalists present to judges
Judged by leaders from OIC, the Lodi Chamber & AWS partners
Winners receive AWS Partner POC funding
Networking session to close out the day

Eligibility

Day 1 attendance is required. Participation in the Day 2 POC Pitch Event is available to qualifying Day 1 attendees.

Total Funding

$40,000

Day 2 Opportunity

Up to $40,000 in Partner POC Funding

Winners can receive Partner Proof of Concept Funding to support the development and build of their proposed solution with an AWS Partner.

1st Place

Up to $25,000

AWS Partner POC Funding

2nd Place

Up to $10,000

AWS Partner POC Funding

3rd Place

Up to $5,000

AWS Partner POC Funding

Partner POC Funding is not a cash prize and is not intended to cover AWS usage or cloud bills. Funding is intended to support the development and build of an approved proof of concept with an AWS Partner.

In Collaboration With

Thank You to Our Partners

Day 2 winners work directly with an experienced AWS Partner to bring their proof of concept to life. Meet the partners supporting this year's conference.

AWS Premier Tier Services Partner

Minfy Technologies is an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner that helps organizations modernize, innovate, and grow through cloud and artificial intelligence solutions. Their expertise includes generative and agentic AI, cloud migration and modernization, data analytics, application development, cost optimization, cybersecurity, and managed services. They work closely with AWS to deliver secure, scalable solutions and help eligible customers access AWS funding programs that can reduce the upfront cost of assessments, proofs of concept, and implementation.

AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner · AWS AI Services Competency

Emumba is an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner with the AWS AI Services Competency, helping SMBs build, modernize, and scale with AI and cloud on AWS. For over 15 years, they have turned technology into measurable results through world-class engineering and a design-first mindset. Today, they pair that foundation with practical AI expertise — meeting businesses wherever they are, helping define where they want to go, and working backward from there.

Additional Event Partners & Sponsors