Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce launched a new educational initiative last month with an artificial intelligence workshop designed to help local business owners better understand emerging technology and apply it to their day-to-day operations.
Held at the Valley Stream Community Center, at Hendrickson Park, on June 9, the event was the first in a planned series of quarterly workshops that the chamber is organizing in partnership with Hofstra University’s Entrepreneurship Assistance Center.
The inaugural session, “Using AI to Accelerate Your Business,” introduced attendees to practical ways in which artificial intelligence can improve productivity, marketing, customer engagement and business operations.
According to chamber board member Lauri LoQuercio, the workshop exceeded expectations for its first offering, with strong attendance.
“It was not only people in the chamber, but there were also business people who were not in the chamber, as well as just some citizens who were interested in it,” LoQuercio said. “As always, the chamber tries to involve everybody.”
The program was organized by LoQuercio and Glenore Anderson, of Dime Savings Bank, with Hofstra serving as the educational partner. A.I. expert Mitch Tobol led the two-hour session, which combined presentations with hands-on exercises and one-on-one guidance for participants working on their own businesses.
Rather than focusing on A.I. as a replacement for employees, the workshop emphasized using it as a business tool that can support owners by handling time-consuming tasks and generating ideas. Participants learned how to write effective prompts, explored A.I.-generated recommendations tailored to their businesses and learned about strategies they could begin using immediately.
One key lesson centered on treating A.I. as a collaborative business resource. By entering detailed prompts about their companies, participants received customized suggestions related to sales, marketing and other business goals. That approach helped demonstrate A.I.’s practical value while showing business owners how the technology can complement, rather than replace, their own expertise.
“If you are able to lean on the A.I. and get resources that make you more available to do other things — especially for a small business that can only afford to have a couple of employees — this is an added resource that allows them to do more with the same amount of help,” LoQuercio said.
She noted that while A.I. can save time and increase efficiency, business owners must still review and verify any information it produces. Human judgment, she said, remains essential to ensure that content is accurate and reflects the business owner’s voice and experience.
The positive response to the workshop has already prompted discussions about offering a follow-up A.I. session, recognizing that the technology continues to evolve rapidly and can’t be fully covered in a single workshop.
The event aligned with the mission of Hofstra’s Entrepreneur Assistance Center to help entrepreneurs launch, grow and strengthen their businesses through education, coaching and community partnerships.
Joy Williams, the EAC’s director, said the workshop focused on giving participants practical tools they could use immediately rather than simply explaining A.I. concepts. Attendees worked on their own laptops throughout the session, experimenting with prompts that helped define their customer base, evaluate branding and better understand their businesses.
Williams said that A.I. can benefit businesses of all sizes by completing research, organizing information, identifying trends and helping with planning and marketing.
“I think when we have a new technology, there are people who are hesitant to start using that technology, and there are potential negatives,” she said. “But at the same time, we’ve been using A.I., even when people aren’t really paying attention to it, so spell-checkers and all those things, and they’re A.I. — we’ve been using it. So, how can we use and maintain it safely? To make sure you’re safe, you need a basic understanding of how it works and what you should and shouldn’t do.”
Looking ahead, Williams said, future workshops will be guided by the needs expressed by local businesses. While A.I. served as the first topic because of its growing relevance, other programs could cover areas such as intellectual property, taxation, marketing and other issues that impact business growth.
Maribel Padin, of Valley Stream, program manager for the EAC, said that the partnership reflects the center’s commitment to connecting entrepreneurs with education, resources and support.
“We have built strong relationships with the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce as well as other chambers and community organizations to connect small-business owners with valuable education, resources and support,” Padin said. “Because every business has unique challenges, our workshops provide entrepreneurs with the knowledge, confidence and connections they need to succeed, especially as they navigate today’s evolving business landscape and the growing impact of A.I.”
For LoQuercio, the workshop series reflects the chamber’s broader goal of serving as a resource for both businesses and residents. By offering educational opportunities and strengthening community partnerships, the organization hopes to help local businesses adapt, grow and remain successful while continuing to welcome community participation.
