Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
September 03, 2026
Waco's First AI Summit: BrainTrust Sponsors, Tim Hayden Keynotes
TLDR
- BrainTrust Partners sponsors Waco's first AI summit to help businesses gain a competitive edge with private, branded AI systems.
- The YOU × AI Summit details structured data readiness, open-weight models, and hands-on workshops for practical AI implementation.
- The summit emphasizes human stories and empowerment, showing how AI can amplify human potential and create opportunity for all.
- Did you know AI is a multiplier, not an equalizer? A 10 becomes 20 while a 1 only becomes 2, widening gaps.
Impact - Why it Matters
This matters because AI is rapidly transforming industries, and events like the YOU × AI Summit provide a roadmap for businesses to leverage AI without losing their human edge. For Waco and similar communities, it democratizes access to AI knowledge, helping local enterprises compete with larger corporations. The emphasis on data readiness and open-weight models could save companies significant costs while ensuring their AI implementations are secure and aligned with their brand. By learning from experts like Tim Hayden and Dr. Hope Koch, attendees can avoid common pitfalls and harness AI to multiply their strengths, rather than letting generic tools dilute their unique value. In an era where AI can widen gaps between businesses, this summit offers a chance to level the playing field through education and practical application.
Summary
BrainTrust Partners has stepped up as the Founding Title Sponsor of the YOU × AI Summit, Waco's first-ever AI conference, scheduled for Saturday, September 12, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Performing Arts & Community Center. The summit aims to demystify AI for businesses, with a focus on practical applications and the importance of human creativity in the AI age. CEO Tim Hayden will deliver a keynote titled "Your Data, Your AI, and Your Future" at 9:50 a.m., where he'll emphasize that companies must first organize their data before investing in AI tools. He argues that many businesses are overpaying for generic AI models when open-weight alternatives can be trained on proprietary data for a fraction of the cost, ensuring privacy and brand voice consistency. Hayden founded BrainTrust in 2016 to help companies leverage their first-party data, and he stresses that unresolved data will lead to inflated budgets and inaccurate AI outcomes.
The summit features a robust lineup of 23 speakers across four tracks: Build, Get Found, Sound Like You, and AI Safety. Bryan Eisenberg, a pioneer in conversion rate optimization, opens the day at 8:20 a.m. with a keynote on storytelling's enduring power, while Dr. Hope Koch, a Baylor professor and member of the Texas Artificial Intelligence Council, closes at 4:05 p.m. with a session on making AI accessible to non-technical professionals. Notable sessions include Joseph Scaramucci on AI and crime, Dariia Isyk on AI mentorship for students, and hands-on workshops where attendees can build an AI assistant. The event is co-organized by Fernando Labastida of the Viral Genius Institute and Mike Hamilton of Rogue Media Network, who highlight that AI is a multiplier, not an equalizer, widening gaps between businesses with and without a clear vision.
Tickets are $99, with discounted rates for teams of 10 or more, and registration is available at youxai.live. The summit's premise underscores that the most powerful asset in the AI era is human ingenuity. As Dr. Koch notes, "AI plus humans is better than AI alone," a sentiment that encapsulates the event's mission. BrainTrust Partners, led by Hayden, brings its expertise in helping brands like Ford and Walmart navigate AI, ensuring attendees leave with actionable strategies to harness AI securely and effectively.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content distributed by Newsworthy.ai. Read the original source here, Waco's First AI Summit: BrainTrust Sponsors, Tim Hayden Keynotes
