I’m sitting here at my desk on Thursday morning the 10th of September, at 9:11 AM, two days before the You x AI = Unstoppable Summit.
Staring at the speaker page with 25 amazing speakers.
And then I’ve got the MAICON conference on another tab.
Do you know what MAICON is? It’s only the most prestigious AI conference in the world.
They’re featuring 32 speakers Oct. 13-15 in Cleveland Ohio. Ticket prices range from $1999 to $2899 per person.
Am I comparing the YouXAI summit, to be held in Waco this Saturday, to the reference conference in the industry?
Why yes, I am.
And I’m totally amazed at what we’ve put together.
25 speakers, ranging from
marketing thought leaders
to AI startup founders
to small business owners who have figured out how to 100X themselves with AI
to major academics who study and research this stuff.
All for only $99.
And as my eyes dart back and forth between the YouXAI page and the MAICON page, I dare to believe that our David can compete with the MAICON Goliath.
What does this mean for you
If you live in:
Austin, San Antonio, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, Buda, Kyle, Round Rock, Cedar Park Killeen, Leander, Temple, Bellton, West, and all points in between (or even Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mexico, Lubbock, Amarillo, New Mexico, etc.),
…you should make an effort to come to Waco this Saturday.
This is is a truly unique opportunity to learn how to automate your marketing, build your agentic AI workforce, create your own SaaS, expand your reach….or even just use AI for something simple like planning your book.
Overview of the speakers
Here’s a quick overview of the speakers and sessions:
Bryan Eisenberg, the OG of digital marketing, opens at 8:20 AM
Bryan Eisenberg, who thirty years ago coined the term ‘conversion rate optimization’ (a term digital marketers use in their day-to-day), will open with the speech, “Before the Algorithm, There Was Your Story. That Hasn’t Changed”. Bryan said, “[People] buy stories they can see themselves in. AI didn’t change that. It just removed the friction standing between the story you have and the person who needs to hear it.” In this session you’ll learn exactly where that line sits. What AI can carry for you, and what it can never decide on your behalf. You’ll leave knowing how to use AI to get your story found, understood and chosen faster, without losing the thing that made it worth telling in the first place. View the interview with Bryan here.
Jermaine Malcolm, Waco’s skills-gap builder, on the Main Stage at 9:05 AM
Jermaine Malcolm, CEO of Skills Gap Advocate, has helped more than 500 builders and partners turn ideas into real programs and businesses. His session is “Mine Your Business - Find Money in Your Daily Work With AI”. Jermaine said, “It doesn’t feel like you’re building something new. It actually feels like you’re building you.” Most small business owners are sitting on revenue they don’t know they have. Jermaine will walk you through a three-step audit of the skills, knowledge and daily work you already do, and show you how to use AI to package, price and sell it faster. It’s built on a real story of $70K generated in year one of using AI. You’ll fill out the audit during the session and walk out with a money-making idea tied to what you already know, plus your next step. No technical background required. View the interview with Jermaine here.
Kennisha Thornton, KWTX News producer and storyteller, in Room 1 at 9:05 AM
Kennisha Thornton is the founder of Create & Blossom, host of the podcast Beneath the Surface, and a KWTX News producer with nearly 20 years of experience. Her session is “The Human Story in an AI World”. Kennisha said, “My AI probably knows me like the back of its hand. I’ve groomed it to know how I think.” She’ll share real examples from journalism, publishing, branding and podcasting. You’ll learn practical ways to use AI to create content faster while keeping the human connection that makes a story worth hearing. View the interview with Kennisha here.
Bonnie Caver, global voice on responsible AI, in Room 2 at 9:05 AM
Bonnie Caver is the founder and CEO of Reputation Lighthouse, where she advises boards, CEOs and leadership teams on trust and reputation. She leads the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management’s Responsible AI Guiding Principles, the only global responsible AI guidelines written for an industry. Her session is “Rethink AI: A Leadership Framework for Responsible AI Implementation”. Bonnie created the Responsible AI Implementation Compass and is the author of the forthcoming book Reputation Currency: Creating Enterprise Value in a World Powered by AI. If you lead a team, this is the session on putting AI to work responsibly, from the person who leads her industry’s global guidelines on it.
Tim Hayden, CEO of BrainTrust Partners, on the Main Stage at 9:50 AM
Tim Hayden is CEO of BrainTrust Partners and our title sponsor. He has spent a decade helping brands grow revenue with first-party data, machine learning and applied AI, and he has led change inside companies like Ford, Dell, McDonald’s, Hilton and Walmart. His session is “Your Data, Your AI, and Your Future...”. Tim says that as of February 2026, more than half of all internet traffic is coming from AI agents. In this session you’ll learn how the data you’ve collected over the past two decades can become your ticket to customer and business intelligence. He’ll also cover how you can influence what the big AI models say about your brand and your competitors, and the laws and rules you’ll have to navigate along the way.
Sara Lohse, award-winning podcast producer, in Room 1 at 9:50 AM
Sara Lohse, founder of Branded Media, is a Signal Award-winning podcast producer and the author of Open This Book: The Art of Storytelling for Aspiring Thought Leaders. Her session is “Unpromptable: Using Your Story to Stand Out and Connect”. Sara said, “You can get anything from Google, you can get anything from ChatGPT, but you can’t get somebody’s story.” She’ll give you two frameworks. The first builds a three-part origin story that tells people who you are and why you do what you do. The second uncovers the “little stories” hiding in everyday moments that make your message memorable. You’ll leave knowing how to find the stories only you can tell, and how to use AI to strengthen them without losing what makes them yours. View the interview with Sara here.
Joseph Scaramucci, retired detective, in Room 2 at 9:50 AM
Joseph Scaramucci is a retired Sheriff’s Office detective and HSI Task Force Officer. Today he’s Director of Law Enforcement Training and Operations for Skull Games Solutions, and he has trained more than 800 agencies across 45 states. His session is “AI, Crime & Community: What You Need to Know”. Joseph said, “The AI’s not bad. The human eyes weren’t put on it and confirmed this. That’s the problem. The AI just sped the process up.” You’ll learn how law enforcement, criminals and everyday citizens are all using AI right now, and what it means for the safety of your community. View the interview with Joseph here.
Tommy Landry, AI visibility expert, on the Main Stage at 11:00 AM
Tommy Landry, founder and president of Return On Now, has more than 30 years in marketing and business strategy. He’s the author of seven books, including From SEO to AEO to GEO. His session is “The Signals That Shape What AI Says About You”. Tommy said, “AI can be amazing in the right hands, but the hands have to be there.” He’ll show you how AI uses signals to form a picture of your business, and why consistency matters, from your internal decisions to your public content. He’ll explain his Human + AI Framework (HAIF), AEO and GEO in plain English. Then he’ll give you five practical actions you can take the very next day. View the interview with Tommy here.
Dr. Mito Diaz-Espinoza, CEO of the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber, in Room 1 at 11:00 AM
Dr. Mito Diaz-Espinoza is President and CEO of the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He’s a Waco native who spent more than 20 years in higher education. His session is “From the Pen to the Prompt: Making AI Work for You”. Mito will take you from pens and typewriters to telegraphs, telephones, computers and smartphones, and show you AI as the next step in that same line. Then he’ll show you how to build a personal AI system that understands your goals, your preferences and the way you work. You’ll leave with practical ideas for moving past one-off prompts to an AI that’s actually useful in your work and your daily life.
Katie Selman-Green and April Leman, hands-on workshop, in Room 2 at 11:00 AM
Katie Selman-Green is a Talent Partner at Muck Rack who builds AI tools and workflows, then gets teams to adopt them. April Leman, owner of April Leman Consulting in Waco, is a communications and marketing strategist with more than 15 years across health systems, the public sector and SaaS. Their workshop is “Dangerously Skip Permissions: A hands-on workshop to leverage AI for maximum output”. Katie and April said, “Most people are using 10% of what AI can actually do for them. This hour fixes that.” Bring your laptop. You’ll leave with a workflow that saves you time, built with skills, Cowork and real automation. It’s an intermediate session, and some prompting experience helps. And neither of them codes for a living.
Dariia Isyk and SJ Juraboeva, Baylor student founders, on the Main Stage at 11:45 AM
Dariia Isyk and SJ Juraboeva are Baylor University students and co-founders of AdmitAI, an AI-powered admissions mentor that has grown to hundreds of daily users. Their session is “Beating Admission Inflation: How We Built an AI Mentor for Every Student”. SJ said, “In the world of AI, we can learn anything from zero, or create anything we want from zero. The only thing we need is an idea.” They’ll walk you through how two students with no engineering background shipped a working AI product that matches students to universities, gives feedback on essays and surfaces scholarships. You’ll also hear what they learned about the admissions crisis, and why they think AI is one of the only ways to bring the cost of good guidance down. View the interview with Dariia and SJ here.
Dr. Renee Blackshear, TSTC professor, in Room 1 at 11:45 AM
Dr. Renee Blackshear is a professor at Texas State Technical College. She builds workforce training programs across information technology, advanced manufacturing, industrial automation and business. Her session is “AI Across Industries: Transforming Work, Skills & Innovation”. She’ll cover practical AI uses in manufacturing, healthcare, education, IT, business, transportation and more, and how AI is changing the skills people need at work. You’ll leave with practical strategies and an AI Integration Action Plan you can put to work right away.
Mike Hamilton, founder of Rogue Media Network, in Room 2 at 11:45 AM
Mike Hamilton is the founder of Rogue Media Network, Waco’s creator economy infrastructure company, and my co-producer on this summit. His session is “AI for People Who Remember Dial-Up”. If you remember the sound of a dial-up modem, this session is for you. View Mike and me talking about bringing YouXAI to Waco here.
Liz Fraley, Baylor Law professor, on the Main Stage at 1:40 PM
Liz Fraley spent 30 years as a defense lawyer before moving to Baylor Law School, where she became the first woman in 100 years to teach in the Practice Court program. She took over as its Director in 2025. She also chairs the AI committee for ABOTA, the American Board of Trial Advocates. Her session is “The Human Is Still on the Hook: Using AI Without Outsourcing Judgment, Ethics or Trust”. Generative AI seems to offer free legal advice. But no AI tool can promise accurate advice, and every tool talks as if it’s always right. You’ll learn when AI can help you with a legal question, and when you need a human being who is legally and ethically accountable.
D. Scott Smith and Mark Senefsky, AI-first builders, in Room 1 at 1:40 PM
D. Scott Smith hosts The WACO Experience, An American Story on KBBW and is a co-founder of Present Gifting. Mark Senefsky spent 30 years building digital solutions for businesses, then rebuilt his firm, MODEFORGE, around AI. Their session is “Build an AI-First Company”. AI is excellent at smart automation. So what else can it do? Scott and Mark will explore how to build an AI-first company, using PresentGifting.com as their case study.
Andrew Lane, founder of Brand Builder Pros, on the Main Stage at 2:25 PM
Andrew Lane has spent 15 years building online brands and business systems. He has done more than $5M in his own digital product sales, served more than 50,000 entrepreneurs, and helped Copy.ai scale from 28K to 10 million users. His session is “Build Your Brand with AI”. Most entrepreneurs are too busy to build a system, so they keep improvising. Andrew said, “AI just gives them a faster way to improvise. Instead of leverage, they get faster chaos.” He says the entrepreneurs who are winning with AI have a clear brand, a content system and a strategy in place. Watch my interview with Andrew Lane.
Me, in Room 1 at 2:25 PM
I’m speaking too. My session is “Uncovering Your Unique Genius: The Key to AI Visibility”. AI made average free, so competent content stopped working. Buyers tune out the slop. And the same thing is now true of the machines. An AI engine recommends you only when it can’t make the point without you. I’ll run real businesses through ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity, and show you what the engines know, what they get wrong, and who wins instead. Then I’ll walk you through how I find the one unforgettable idea a founder has spent years developing without noticing, and how to turn it into the thing AI cites. View Mike and me talking about bringing YouXAI to Waco here.
Sam Harper, founder of The Waco Buzz, in Room 2 at 2:25 PM
Sam Harper started The Waco Buzz as a simple email to friends. Today it’s a newsletter reaching more than 15,000 local subscribers, plus a growing events community. His workshop is “Building Out Loud”. Sam said, “A lever could get pulled, the algorithm changes, and all of your revenue could be gone overnight.” He’ll share the lessons he learned building The Waco Buzz from zero into a trusted local brand. You’ll learn how to find your audience, create content that earns attention, build trust before you ask for a sale, and turn followers into customers and advocates. View the interview with Sam here.
Journalism Round Table with J.B. Smith, D. Scott Smith and Sam Harper, on the Main Stage at 3:25 PM
J.B. Smith is editor-in-chief of The Waco Bridge. He has spent 33 years in Texas journalism, 27 of them at the Waco Tribune-Herald, and his reporting has won statewide recognition, including a Headliners award. He joins D. Scott Smith and Sam Harper on the Main Stage for the Journalism Round Table.
Jackye Clayton, founder of PeoplePuzzles, in Room 1 at 3:25 PM
Jackye Clayton is the founder of PeoplePuzzles and has more than 20 years in HR technology, AI and talent strategy. Her session is “From Pizza Prompt to Practical AI”. Jackye said, “It will just help you do exactly what you’re asking it to do.” She’ll start with something familiar, a vague prompt for the perfect pizza crust. Then she’ll turn it into a reusable AI workflow that asks better questions, works within real limits, creates a plan, identifies assumptions and improves from human feedback. She’ll connect the same method to tools she’s built, like Momager and Who Do I Work For? You’ll leave knowing AI isn’t magic, and it isn’t just for technical people. View the interview with Jackye here.
Chrissy McDannell, founder of The AI Implementation Club, in Room 2 at 3:25 PM
Chrissy McDannell hosts The AI Implementation Club, a weekly in-person build session in Austin. She also runs The Magnolia Firm, an M&A brokerage for tech companies. Her workshop is “Build an AI Assistant”. Chrissy said, “Everybody was talking about AI, learning AI, talking, learning, but nobody was doing AI.” So bring your laptop, because you’re going to build. You’ll walk out with an AI that knows your priorities and projects, one real workflow saved as a reusable skill, an AI that triages your email and drafts replies in your voice (you still hit send), a morning brief of your day, and more. If you’ve used Claude Cowork at least once, you’re ready. View the interview with Chrissy here.
Dr. Hope Koch closes the day on the Main Stage at 4:10 PM
Dr. Hope Koch holds the Godfrey Sullivan Endowed Chair of Information Systems and Business Analytics at Baylor University. In 2026 the Lieutenant Governor of Texas appointed her to the Texas Artificial Intelligence Council. Her closing keynote is “Human Opportunity and a Period of Exponential Change”. Yes, that spells HOPE. Hope said, “A person plus AI can do so much better than AI by itself, or so much better than two people by themselves.” Through research, stories and practical examples, she’ll show why AI won’t replace what’s most valuable about you, your experience or your business. It can amplify it. She’ll also show how people without technical backgrounds are turning their business knowledge into useful tools, better workflows and new solutions. View the interview with Hope here.
Doors open Saturday at 7:30 AM
The You x AI = Unstoppable Summit is this Saturday, September 12, at the PACC, 924 Austin Ave in Waco.
Check-in starts at 7:30 AM. We wrap at 5:15 PM and head to the networking after-party at Cultivate, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
When I interviewed Hope, she said, “SXSW costs me $2,500 plus very expensive hotel rooms. This is a really good deal.”
MAICON starts at $1,999. Our ticket is $99.
Get your ticket at youxai.live.
See you in Waco! And hit reply if you want to know which session is right for you.
Value.Delivered!