Most AI upskilling advice skips the one thing that actually opens doors: community.

Juan Faisal talks with Rita Sargsyan, IDEAS Program Director and VC Startups Ambassador at AI LA, about what real access looks like for people outside the usual pipeline (especially creatives, students, and anyone without a traditional tech background).

🤖 Why it matters

AI tools are accessible. Real access isn’t.

Without networks, mentorship, and real-world feedback, most people stall or stay overwhelmed.

🤖 You’ll learn

- How the IDEAS program trains community college students in AI

- Why self-doubt holds back non-technical creatives

- What to do when you feel “late” to AI

- Why confidence comes faster through action than online certs

🤖 Guest: Rita Sargsyan

IDEAS Program Director and VC Startups Ambassador, AI LA

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritasargsyan

- IDEAS Program: https://www.joinai.la/ideas

- AI LA Events: https://lu.ma/aila-events

- AI on the Lot 2025: https://www.aionthelot.com/

🤖 Host: Juan Faisal

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akajuanfaisal/

- Newsletter: https://juanfaisal.substack.com/

- Website: https://juanfaisal.com/

🤖 Timestamps

00:00 Rita Sargsyan’s background in AI and access

01:31 Why AI needs diverse, non-technical talent

03:24 Getting started with ChatGPT and AI tools

05:55 Overcoming fear and shyness around tech

09:46 Inside the IDEAS program for college students

13:20 How networking builds confidence

16:14 Creatives and the tension with AI

18:56 Learning to use AI as a creative superpower

20:01 Prompt engineering and emerging roles

21:54 What to expect at AI on the Lot 2025

24:33 Where to find Rita and how to get involved

Most AI tools are trained on what’s considered “normal.” Everyone else is an afterthought (if they’re included at all).

Juan Faisal talks with Verena Weber, AI consultant and founder of Women in Tech, about how bias shows up in tools, teams, and leadership. From invisible labor to the myth of confidence, they unpack what keeps women and non-technical professionals out of the loop — and how to change it without waiting for permission.

🤖 Why it matters

Only 22 percent of global AI talent is female.

That’s not just underrepresentation. It’s a design flaw.

🤖 You’ll learn

- How male-first defaults shape tools and workplaces

- What confidence actually looks like in tech

- Why creatives don’t need to code to lead AI work

- How to track change beyond DEI performance

🤖 Guest: Verena Weber

AI consultant, former Amazon data scientist, founder of Women in Tech

- Website: https://www.verenaweber.de/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verena-weber-134178b9/

- Women in Tech Newsletter: https://verenas-newsletter-63558b.beehiiv.com/

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/viaviawe/

- UNESCO: https://www.interface-eu.org/publications/ai-gender-gap

- Interface Report: https://interface-eu.org/publications/ai-gender-gap

- McKinsey: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters

🤖 Host: Juan Faisal

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akajuanfaisal/

- Newsletter: https://juanfaisal.substack.com/

- Website: https://juanfaisal.com/

🤖 Timestamps

00:00 Verena Weber's background

01:09 Why tech and AI workplaces exclude women

02:34 The cost of gender-blind tech

04:19 The confidence code for women in AI

06:59 Embodiment work to build confidence

09:32 AI enablement for non-technical roles

11:17 Why AI outputs still need human oversight

12:20 Protecting sensitive data in AI tools

14:03 DEI as a driver of innovation

15:27 Flexibility, coaching, and inclusive workstyles

18:36 Where to follow Verena

Jacques Potts teaches AI like it’s a survival skill — because for a lot of kids, it is.

In this episode, Juan Faisal talks with Jacques about what access really means, how to make AI land in under-resourced classrooms, and why cultural fluency matters more than certifications. From local games to data ethics, this is about building confidence, not just competence.

🤖 Why it matters

The next generation is already surrounded by AI.

If we don’t make it make sense — in their language, on their terms — we’re not building access. We’re building another gate.

🤖 You’ll learn

- How to make AI feel relevant with “boots on the ground” teaching

- What “vibe coding” looks like in real classrooms

- How to explain data ethics in a way kids actually care about

- Why parents need to stop outsourcing AI fluency

🤖 Guest: Jacques Potts

AI educator, technologist, and founder

- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jackybang1212

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquespotts/

🤖 Host: Juan Faisal

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akajuanfaisal/

- Newsletter: https://juanfaisal.substack.com/

- Website: https://juanfaisal.com/

🤖 Timestamps

00:00 Jacques’s path from the East Side to AI education

05:12 Teaching AI in ways that actually connect

10:33 Vibe coding, local culture, and creative tech

15:49 Ethics, privacy, and teaching critical AI thinking

21:18 What parents and companies can do right now