Beyond the Hype: A Practical Guide to AI That Actually Works

Artificial intelligence is everywhere — but not all of it is built to last.

In a landscape filled with bold promises and constant change, it's hard to know what actually matters.

• What's worth your time and investment?

• What will still be relevant a year from now?

• And how do you make smart, confident decisions when the technology keeps shifting under your feet?

Whether you're just starting to explore AI or already integrating it into your organization, this event is for you.

Join a panel of KC's leading AI experts for a candid, no-nonsense conversation that cuts through the noise. We'll explore which AI technologies have already come and gone, what's proving to deliver real business value, and how leaders at every stage of the adoption curve can evaluate tools and strategies with confidence

What You'll Walk Away With

• A clearer picture of the AI landscape — what's here to stay and what's already fading

• Frameworks for evaluating AI tools and making smarter implementation decisions

• Real-world perspectives from leaders who are actively doing this work

• Confidence to lead AI conversations in your own organization

Meet the Speakers

Heather Gerdes, based in Overland Park and Co-Founder at ProMode.ai has shifted her marketing agency experience and knowledge to the AI space. In 2024, she partnered with Matt Scanlon, a seasoned software founder and AI engineer, to build an AI native platform that offers mid-market and enterprise content teams a 70-90% time savings and significant cost savings to their organizations.

Heather and her team are obsessed with two things: 1) content production workflow optimization: this creates the bandwidth teams need to get back to the basics: creativity, strategic thinking and innovation. And 2) the efficient management of tokens. As data center build-outs stall and energy concerns rise, ProMode is on the leading edge of smart, responsible AI use from an environmental standpoint. 

Kelly Byrnes is a former Chief Talent Officer, founder of Voyage Consulting Group, adjunct MBA professor at Rockhurst University, and Amazon best-selling author with work published in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal.

Through Voyage Consulting Group, she advises executives across healthcare, technology, financial services, and more — helping them solve challenges at the intersection of leadership, culture, and performance.

Kelly is the author of The Basics of Gen AI, founding leader of the AI Collective Kansas City, and host of The AI Roundtable. She has spoken on AI strategy and facilitated panels more than a dozen times, including for Global Entrepreneur Week and NAWBO. She holds an MBA, Harvard's Certificate in Disruptive Strategy, and multiple HR and executive coaching certifications, and currently serves on the board for the Ignatian Spirituality Center.

Maria Singh is a Director of the Quantum AI Innovation Lab at Brilliancy Deep Tech, an ISACA Board Member, and Regional Director for SE Asia at The AI Collective.

A past President of Women in Security KC, she mentors women in cybersecurity and builds communities that move women from interested to in demand—in AI, security, and leadership. She writes and speaks on responsible AI, cybersecurity risk, and how we build real pathways for women to lead (not just show up).  

Kristina Sorrelli is a Fractional Chief AI Officer, AI Strategist, and LinkedIn ghostwriter who helps organizations and executives adopt artificial intelligence in practical, responsible, and results-driven ways.

With over 15 years of executive leadership experience across operations, marketing technology, and client services, she specializes in streamlining workflows and building frameworks that drive measurable value. She is passionate about making AI accessible, ethical, and empowering, particularly for women navigating digital transformation.

Jill Groebl is a marketing and media strategist with 25+ years of experience across consumer and B2B marketing, working with global agencies and leading brands in hospitality, healthcare, retail, and technology.

Her agency career includes senior leadership roles at VML, MMGY Global, and Intouch Group/Eversana, where she built integrated marketing and media strategies and helped establish early digital marketing disciplines at both VML and MMGY. In 2019, she founded JCG Marketing, a consultancy delivering marketing strategy, media planning, and measurement solutions for brands and agencies across the Midwest and West Coast.

Jill is passionate about using data, insights, and technology to solve complex marketing challenges — and about building the collaborative, trust-based teams that make those solutions stick. She is an active member of DWKC, KCIMA, KC Ad Club, AI Collective, and Central Exchange.