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A one-day summit at the University of Rochester sends small and mid-sized organizations home with a written 90-day AI plan, a draft of AI use guidelines, and increased confidence and AI Discernment. There will also be a pre-conference webinar to help answer any questions for those new to AI.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (October 6, 2026) — Main Street Event will host the Main Street Event AI Summit on Friday, November 13, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Richard Feldman Ballroom on the University of Rochester's River Campus, in partnership with the Center of Excellence (CoE) in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, with a virtual option for remote attendees. The one-day working conference helps owners, leaders, operators, and nonprofit leaders move from AI curiosity to practical action. Attendees leave with a written 90-day AI plan, draft AI use guidelines, and a clearer sense of when AI does and does not make sense for their organization.

The Summit is built for organizations of roughly 1 to 500 employees that may not have a large technology team but still need to make informed decisions about AI. No AI experience or technical background is required.

Throughout the day, attendees will explore practical uses of AI in communication, productivity, decision support, workflow improvement, and operations. They will also build skills in prompting and in using AI as a thinking partner to generate ideas, challenge assumptions, and work more effectively.

Rather than leaving with only notes and inspiration, participants will work through facilitated sessions to start their own AI adoption plan, including:

• An operational inventory to identify potential AI opportunities
• A realistic first use case to explore
• Practical guardrails for responsible use
• A comparison of AI tools based on business fit, cost, learning curve and data handling

The event is framed as an investment in Rochester's small-business and nonprofit community, not just a tech event. Speakers from local businesses, academia, and the community will share real-world experience.

"We wanted to build a community where business owners could ask questions and figure out if, how, and where AI makes sense for them," said Quinn Karley, co-founder of Main Street Event. "Then they can walk out at 4 p.m. with something they could actually use the next day."

The Summit is presented by Main Street Event with support from the New York State Center of Excellence in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Rochester.

Attendees will also gain access to ongoing meetups, social events, and a community of local businesses growing and building with AI.

Confirmed speakers

• Josh Reynolds, Global Director, Software Development Companies, Microsoft
• Brian Piper, Founder, AIreFlow Solutions
• Quinn Karley, EdM, Founder, Mountain Rise Partners
• Megan Crawford, MBA, Marketing Technology Manager, ESL Federal Credit Union
• Demika Jackson, Founder and CEO, ReInVentU, LLC
• Deb Ross, CEO, Kids Out and About
• Tal Aizen, Consultant, Strategic Interests, LLC
• Donald LaFlam, Vice President of Operations, Palmer Food
• Tondreka Robles, Founder Pathway Illumination, LLC
• William Hart, Platform Engineer, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Dave Ghidiu, AI ThinkTank Leader, Finger Lakes Community College

Event details
When: Friday, November 13, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: Richard Feldman Ballroom, Frederick Douglass Building, University of Rochester River Campus, Rochester, NY — or virtual
Who: Owners, operators, leaders, and decision-makers from organizations of about 1–500 employees; nonprofit leaders, economic development partners, and students are also welcome
Cost: $300 in person, $200 virtual; includes breakfast, lunch, all-day coffee, and the AI Starter Playbook
Capacity: 200 in-person seats, 1,000 virtual seats
Registration: Open now at mainstreetevent.com

About Main Street Event
Main Street Event is a business founded by a veteran (Brian Piper) and a woman (Quinn Karley) that creates practical, community-centered programs to help Rochester-area small businesses and nonprofits put new technology to work. They host monthly AI Meetups, and events throughout the year.