SkillSpout<\/a>, an AI training program designed specifically for small and mid-sized businesses struggling to understand artificial intelligence.<\/p>\nThe adoption tipping point<\/p>\n
Small business AI adoption has reached a critical moment. In 2025, usage of generative AI among small firms jumped from 40% to 58%, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Now, 76% of small businesses are either actively using AI or exploring it, according to Goldman Sachs research.<\/p>\n
The gap between small and large businesses is closing faster than in any previous technology cycle \u2014 a shift that reflects both opportunity and urgency.<\/p>\n
But rapid adoption does not mean mastery. Businesses are moving fast, but understanding is lagging.<\/p>\n
Melanie McGee, CEO and co-founder of SkillSpout, launched her company in 2024 after 30 years in software development. AI can handle invoices, customer service, IT management \u2014 the list goes on. But McGee says there is a critical gap: many small business owners do not know what is possible \u2014 or who to trust.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Melanie McGee, CEO and co-founder of SkillSpout. (Spectrum News 1\/Taylor Bruck)<\/p>\n
The long history of AI<\/p>\n
Despite recent headlines, artificial intelligence is not new. McGee points out that AI has been around for decades, taking different forms as technology develops.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been in software development for nearly 30 years; over 20 years of my career I\u2019ve spent using AI. So it\u2019s been around for a long time. It\u2019s just taking a different shape. With large language models like ChatGPT, Anthropic\u2019s Claude,\u201d McGee said.<\/p>\n
The technology has existed since the 1950s, but what has changed is the accessibility and power of modern large language models like ChatGPT and Claude \u2014 tools that suddenly put advanced AI in the hands of everyday users.<\/p>\n
The skills gap persists<\/p>\n
Despite rapid adoption, the learning curve remains steep. According to DataCamp\u2019s 2026 State of Data and AI Literacy Report, nearly 60% of organizational leaders report their company has an AI skills gap, even though they are already investing in training.<\/p>\n
Many businesses are implementing tools they do not fully understand, creating potential risks around data security, accuracy and client trust.<\/p>\n
What surprised Stotzer is that AI doesn\u2019t have to replace human work \u2014 it freed her employees to do more of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest opportunity is to take the mental load off the transactional work so that we can really focus our energy on the people,\u201d Stotzer said. \u201cThe work that we do, leadership coaching, career coaching, requires a lot of emotional awareness and energy. So if our coaches can do some of the work that is more transactional by leveraging a tool like AI, then they just have more capacity to be present, to really do the research, to really be there for our clients.\u201d<\/p>\n
So far, she said, her team has learned how to set up AI agents, use prompt templates, and validate the information AI generates \u2014 critical for a coaching company where trustworthiness is paramount.<\/p>\n
Real training, real results<\/p>\n
SkillSpout\u2019s approach differs from generic online courses. The program offers personalized training tailored to each organization\u2019s specific needs and roles. Sessions are delivered in two-hour increments spread over several weeks, making the learning manageable for busy business owners.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe provide strategy based on where they want to go with AI,\u201d McGee said. \u201cAlways maintaining human judgment and making sure humans are leading.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company has trained hundreds of organizations and worked with thousands of individual employees since its founding. Many participants come from companies with no dedicated AI teams \u2014 just leaders trying to figure out how to keep up.<\/p>\n
Doris Korda leads the Korda Institute for Teaching, an Ohio-based nonprofit that partners with educators globally to reimagine how schools teach and learn. Despite her background as a systems engineer and software developer, she knew she needed help to master AI so she could guide the schools she works with through proper implementation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a background in technology and engineering, but that doesn\u2019t mean I am an expert in AI,\u201d Korda said. \u201cOur work is on education. We work with teachers. We work with schools. I desperately needed someone to help us with everything we needed to know about AI without ourselves having to become experts.\u201d<\/p>\n
The controversy factor<\/p>\n
AI does not come without controversy. Concerns about data security, energy consumption and the ethics of the technology are legitimate. Plus, many Americans worry AI will replace their jobs. And they\u2019re not wrong to be concerned. The World Economic Forum\u2019s Future of Jobs Report 2025 projects that 92 million roles will be displaced by 2030, while 170 million new roles are expected to emerge \u2014 a net gain of 78 million jobs.<\/p>\n
Goldman Sachs research shows many jobs will be \u201cexposed to automation,\u201d meaning a portion of the workload\u2014often between 25% and 50%\u2014could be completed by AI, leaving the rest to humans. So many experts predict that the jobs aren\u2019t disappearing; the work inside them is changing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we do learn how to use it properly, we do have more control over it and keeping up to date on the different issues that exist and governance of AI and making sure humans stay in the loop. All of that is of utmost importance as we enter this AI era,\u201d McGee said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_1888.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Shelly Stotzer (left) with Mel McGee (middle) and Doris Korda (right). (Spectrum News 1\/Taylor Bruck)<\/p>\n
The stakes keep rising<\/p>\n
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce calls this year a \u201cdefining era\u201d for small business. They say those who implement AI wisely can work smarter, cut costs and compete with much larger competitors. Those who fall behind risk being left behind entirely.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s unavoidable. So avoiding it is probably not going to get you where you want to be long-term,\u201d Stotzer said. \u201cThere are lots of opportunities to keep the people who do good work for you, but streamline their work and make it easier on them. We\u2019re all a little overworked and have competing priorities, so if we can take some of these things off our plate, it benefits everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Stotzer, she says the training transformed her from uncertain to confident. When she returns to her office, she\u2019s ready to act.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel definitely more confident and, if anything, I feel excited about how to go back to my office and start applying it immediately,\u201d Stotzer said. \u201cWe do human work. So I do know that certain people on my team are feeling more overwhelmed. Other people are very excited. But across the board, we all recognize that it\u2019s important to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information about SkillSpout, visit here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"COLUMBUS, Ohio \u2014 Shelly Stotzer coaches leaders for a living. For nearly 50 years, her company Crosworks has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":53946,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[24,11298,1828,25,309,11885,66,468,11886,31688,134,1829,65],"class_list":["post-53945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ai","tag-ai","tag-app-local-business","tag-app-top-stories","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-business","tag-ctv","tag-news","tag-ohio","tag-ohio-what-you-need-to-know","tag-taylor-bruck","tag-technology","tag-top-stories","tag-vod"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53945"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53945\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}