Miami-Dade business owners had a free opportunity on Oct. 14 to consider where artificial intelligence fits in their companies. eMerge Americas' SMB Growth Lab Fall Workshop took place Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time, at Miami Dade College's Idea Center. Registration ran through Luma, with an RSVP required and limited space advertised.
Hajj Flemings and Cynthia Respert of RebrandX led the session. Its focus was the human side of AI adoption, including judgment, creativity, empathy and trust. For an owner deciding how much customer communication or everyday work to automate, those are operating questions with consequences for the business's reputation.
Where it was held
The workshop ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time. The Idea Center lists its Wolfson location at 315 NE Second Avenue, Building 8, fifth floor, Miami, FL 33132.
The organizer described the workshop as built for Miami-Dade small and midsize businesses, and attendees were asked to complete the RSVP rather than rely on walk-in admission.
Start with one business problem
The most useful takeaway from a session like this starts with a specific question from your own operation. Choose a recurring task, such as preparing a first draft of a customer response, organizing inquiries or developing promotional ideas. Write down who handles it, how long it takes and where mistakes would create extra work.
That gives you a way to evaluate AI advice. Ask where a person should review the output, what the review should cover and who remains responsible when a customer needs an exception. A draft response may save typing while still needing an employee to check accuracy, tone and the promised next step.
Use a fictional or anonymized example when discussing a workflow. There is no need to expose customer records to explain a bottleneck. Also decide what would make a small test worthwhile: fewer revisions, faster turnaround or less time spent repeating the same task. A clear measure makes the next decision easier.
Afterward, choose one manageable experiment and set a review date. Include the time spent checking and correcting the work when deciding whether the change helped. That discipline can turn an event takeaway into an operating improvement you can actually assess.
Consider the broader Growth Lab
The workshop is one entry point into a larger initiative. According to eMerge's program page, the SMB Growth Lab is powered by JPMorganChase and Momentum Miami. Its separate cohort application closes November 22, 2026, with a six-week hybrid bootcamp scheduled for January and February 2027.
The cohort criteria include a Miami-Dade business location, fewer than 200 employees, active operations and readiness to adopt digital tools. Owners considering that longer commitment could have used the Oct. 14 session to ask about workload, mentorship and how the program fits their current needs. Workshop registration and a cohort application are separate steps.
Sources
eMerge Americas event registration and session details; SMB Growth Lab program and application calendar; The Idea Center's official location information.
Key Facts for Owners and Search
When was the eMerge SMB workshop?
The eMerge SMB workshop took place on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time at the Idea Center at Miami Dade College in downtown Miami. It was a free session on the human side of AI adoption for Miami-Dade small and midsize businesses.
Where was it held?
The workshop was held at the Idea Center at Miami Dade College's Wolfson location, 315 NE Second Avenue, Building 8, fifth floor, in downtown Miami. The session ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, and the organizer described it as built for Miami-Dade small and midsize businesses considering how AI fits their operations.
How much did it cost, and how did owners register?
Admission was free with an RSVP through the official Luma listing, and space was limited. Workshop registration was separate from the SMB Growth Lab cohort application, which eMerge's program page lists as closing November 22, 2026. Owners interested in the longer program, a six-week hybrid bootcamp in January and February 2027, apply through that separate process.
Who was the workshop designed for?
The workshop was designed for Miami-Dade small and midsize businesses, including owners and team leaders considering AI's role in their work. Hajj Flemings and Cynthia Respert of RebrandX led the session, which focused on the human side of AI adoption, including judgment, creativity, empathy and trust.
Does attending enroll a business in the full Growth Lab?
No. Attending the free workshop did not enroll a business in the SMB Growth Lab. The cohort, a six-week hybrid bootcamp in January and February 2027, has a separate application process and eligibility requirements, and eMerge's program page lists applications as closing November 22, 2026.
