Waco is set to host its first-ever artificial intelligence conference, the YOU × AI Summit, on September 12, 2026, with BrainTrust Partners as the founding title sponsor. The event, held at the Performing Arts & Community Center, aims to bring together business leaders, technologists, and educators to explore the practical applications and implications of AI in the modern enterprise.
Tim Hayden, CEO of BrainTrust Partners, will be a keynote speaker at the summit. His talk, titled "Your Data, Your AI, and Your Future," is scheduled for 9:50 a.m. Hayden emphasizes that many companies have untapped intelligence within their operational data, which he describes as "brand DNA" that can shape AI to reflect a company's unique voice and values. He argues that the key to successful AI implementation lies in data readiness—resolving, unifying, structuring, and labeling data to make AI more effective and cost-efficient.
Hayden founded BrainTrust in 2016 to assist companies in organizing their data for personalization and analytics. He notes that nearly a decade later, most organizations still have not fully accomplished this foundational step. Without it, he warns, companies will face higher costs and reduced accuracy when deploying AI systems. He also cautions against over-reliance on generic AI models like ChatGPT or Claude, suggesting that open-weight models trained on proprietary data can offer more secure, private, and cost-effective alternatives.
The summit will feature 23 speakers across four tracks: Build, Get Found, Sound Like You, and AI Safety. Bryan Eisenberg, a pioneer in conversion rate optimization and a bestselling author, will open the event at 8:20 a.m. with his keynote "Before the Algorithm, There Was Your Story. That Hasn't Changed." Dr. Hope Koch, who holds the Godfrey Sullivan Endowed Chair at Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business and serves on the Texas Artificial Intelligence Council, will close the day at 4:05 p.m. with her session "HOPE: Human Opportunity and a Period of Exponential Change."
Among the diverse sessions, Joseph Scaramucci will address "AI, Crime & Community: What You Need to Know," while Dariia Isyk will present on building an AI mentor for students. Other talks cover topics such as using AI for marketing, creating AI assistants, and the importance of storytelling in an AI-driven world. Several sessions are hands-on workshops, encouraging attendees to bring laptops and leave with working tools.
The summit's name, YOU × AI, reflects the organizers' belief that AI is a multiplier, not an equalizer. Fernando Labastida, co-organizer and founder of the Viral Genius Institute, explains, "A business with nothing to say brings a 1, and AI takes it to 2. The competitor with a real point of view brings a 10, and the same AI takes them to 20. Same tools. Bigger gap." This perspective aligns with Dr. Koch's assertion that AI combined with human insight outperforms AI alone or humans alone.
Tickets are priced at $99, with a reduced rate of $69 per person for teams of ten or more if purchased by September 10. Session recordings are available as a $99 add-on. For more information and registration, visit youxai.live.
