St. Petersburg Chamber hosts first AI seminar for small businesses

By AI, Created 10:31 PM UTC, May 27, 2026, /AGP/ – Rene Clayton and the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce held a free AI lunch-and-learn for nearly 50 local small business owners, marking the Chamber’s first AI-focused program in 127 years. The event focused on practical ways small businesses can use AI without large budgets or deep technical skills.

Why it matters: - Small businesses are under pressure to figure out AI fast as larger companies embed it into daily operations. - The seminar aimed to make AI more practical for local owners who need help with marketing, customer service, productivity and decision-making. - The event showed growing demand for plain-language AI education in the small business community.

What happened: - Rene Clayton, founder and CEO of Byte Strategy AI LLC, partnered with the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce to host a free AI lunch-and-learn in St. Petersburg, Florida. - Almost 50 local small business owners attended. - The Chamber said the event was its first AI-focused program in its 127-year history. - Candace Hulcher, vice president of investor and membership development at the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, said many business owners knew AI mattered but did not know how it applied to their companies.

The details: - Clayton has more than 25 years of experience in technology and digital transformation. - The seminar covered a framework for AI strategy and governance. - The session also covered ways to move from experimentation to implementation. - The program included risk-reduction strategies for compliance-driven industries. - Attendees reviewed real-world examples of AI producing measurable business results. - The seminar gave participants an execution-ready roadmap to take back to their teams. - Clayton said AI adoption should happen strategically and responsibly, with the human element kept at the center. - Hulcher said the Chamber created the event in response to concerns from local owners who felt overwhelmed by the pace of technological change. - Hani Bakir of World Franchise Group Inc. said the session made AI feel understandable and practical and that he was already implementing some of the strategies discussed. - More information is available at ByteStrategy.ai. - Clayton’s LinkedIn profile is available here.

Between the lines: - Clayton’s pitch reflects a broader shift in AI adoption from enterprise experimentation to small-business survival planning. - The Chamber’s turnout suggests local business leaders want guidance that is practical, low-cost and non-intimidating. - Education, not just technology, may become the key barrier to AI adoption for smaller firms.

What’s next: - Clayton plans to keep helping organizations adopt AI strategically, ethically and responsibly. - The Chamber may have more room to expand AI programming after the strong response to its first event. - Small businesses that attended now face the next step: turning AI concepts into operating changes.