The JAX Bridges entrepreneurial development program has added a new team member to the person-to-person counseling and coaching it provides to small- and medium-size businesses in Jacksonville.
The newcomer is artificial intelligence.
“For the last 50-plus years, the way we’ve supported entrepreneurs, human-to-human, has not changed,” said Carlton Robinson, chief innovation officer at JAX Chamber and head of JAX Bridges.
“But when we integrate AI into that process, we’re transforming entrepreneur support, because what we’re doing is giving you a cognitive companion that you didn’t have before.”
In classes held twice a year, JAX Bridges provides information and coaching for entrepreneurs on enhancing their businesses. There is no fee for the program, and participants need not be chamber members. The program is funded by the state of Florida, grants and donations from area businesses.
Robinson began developing JAX Bridges’ AI capability in 2022. It was incorporated into the program last year.
Working through ChatGPT, Robinson built his own subset on that platform that allows AI to use his knowledge to advise and make problem-solving recommendations to businesses. The customized AI interface is accessible to businesses and program staff alike.
After a JAX Bridges class is assembled and before its first meeting, the participants call a phone number that connects them with an AI interface. The student will have a conversation about the business with the AI software.
At the first meeting, AI-assisted individualized business and marketing plans are given to the participants.
The plans vary by business but may include suggestions for streamlining operations, forming new client partnerships or product markets, improving production processes and obtaining capital.
Writing individual 10-page business plans takes time and effort. Staff work that would have taken 75 hours has been reduced to four hours through use of the new technology, Robinson said.
Later, the entrepreneurs meet individually with staff to discuss implementing the plan.
“We’re not eliminating the human element,” Robinson said.
The incorporation of AI also benefits the JAX Bridges staff. Instead of spending more than a year training new hires about entrepreneurial counseling, they can be taught how to interpret and advise based on the AI data in a matter of weeks.
“You have a business idea and you see a 25-year-old staff member, and you’re like, there’s nothing they can do to help me with their experience, right? But if you know that 25-year-old has been trained on a quality system, and they’re utilizing AI, even the experienced business owner now is going to go, OK, show me what you got,” Robinson said.
Another part of JAX Bridges is peer-to-peer counseling. Chris Kennelly, owner of Kennetic Productions, is a graduate of the first JAX Bridges class. He is still involved in the program as a peer counselor.
Before meeting a new entrepreneur, he will ask the participant to provide a relationship map and issue statement. This information is reviewed by AI software, which produces a report for Kennelly.
After reading the AI document, Kennelly has a greater understanding of the company and its problems, he said.
“I can understand how I can be of the most value to this entrepreneur. I usually do that with the ChatGPT for about 30 to 45 minutes in preparation for a meeting with the entrepreneur. That way, when we are meeting, I’m caught up and we are just getting to the heart of the issue,” he said.
This information does away with what he calls “the get to know you” portion of that first meeting.
Jacksonville is a leader in using the new technology for entrepreneurial development. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently visited the city with representatives of 25 companies to see JAX Bridges’ use of AI. They left impressed, Robinson said.
“One of those companies was a Porsche racing team. The level of their revenues was between $5 and $50 million. It was pretty cool for us,” he said.
Later this year, area entrepreneurial resource providers like SCORE, the Beaver Street Enterprise Center and the Small Business Development Center will see a demonstration of the technology.
Robinson’s immediate goals are to introduce the program to area chambers of commerce in hopes that, in turn, they can service their counties with the technology and save businesses from having to make long round trips to Downtown Jacksonville.
“We don’t have a JAX Chamber in Clay County. We have a Clay chamber, but not the same level of resources,” he said.
“What if we were able to provide this resource in those counties, in multiple places? Now we have more entrepreneurs with access to quality entrepreneur support.”
Entrepreneurs may have difficulty carving out time during business hours to discuss a concern. But they can engage with AI anytime with a question and receive a suggested solution.
AI was a hit with program participants from the beginning, Robinson said. Before the first meeting, he asked that members engage with AI and explain their businesses.
“Only half of them did it. Several of them hung up, but when they realized that there was a transcript and all of the summaries, everybody wanted to make the call,” he said.
“They were like, oh my gosh, they got all of this just off of that short call. So we’ve had lots of people inquiring about coming into the next JAX Bridges, because they’re saying, if I can get all of that, you’re saving me time.”