Breakfast Lab: AI for Startups

As a startup founder, you're constantly juggling priorities—fundraising, product development, marketing, operations, and more. You know ChatGPT can help you write an email, but how do you unlock the real promise of AI? 

This interactive, hands-on workshop will move beyond the obvious AI use cases, providing real-world strategies for small, high-performing startup teams. Adam Lorton, an independent consultant in AI, will guide founders through hands-on exercises, showcasing how to integrate AI into daily workflows. Attendees will learn how to offload repetitive tasks, improve decision-making, and streamline operations—without needing deep technical skills.

You’ll walk away with practical techniques to integrate AI into your daily operations, helping you scale smarter—not harder.

By the end of this session, attendees will:

1. Understand a practical mental model for AI, so they know where it fits (and where it doesn’t)  

2. Get hands-on experience with custom AI assistants designed for startup founders  

3. Participate in a “hot seat” coaching format, applying AI to real-world startup challenges  

4. Gain access to the AI & Deep Work Library—a collection of prompts, tools, and strategies 

Breakfast Lab is a weekly event at 20Fathoms where you’ll get expert guidance to help meet your most pressing startup needs, providing access to the right tools and the right people at the right time.

These events are held in person and there is no cost to attend. Coffee and a light breakfast are provided. Walk-ins are welcome.

There are two parts to each Breakfast Lab:

• Startup Workshop: 9 – 10:30 am

• Startup Coaching: 10:30 am – noon

Attend both parts, or just one.

Learn more about Breakfast Lab.

Early and idea stage entrepreneurs who are looking for help with tasks and could use AI to get more things done. 

Adam Lorton is an independent consultant who helps startup founders and small teams work faster with AI assistance. With a background in analytics and workflow optimization, Adam specializes in practical, no-nonsense applications of AI—helping entrepreneurs get more done without scaling up headcount. 

Since the release of ChatGPT, Adam has been on a mission to push AI tools to their limits—not for gimmicks, but for real business value. He has been invited to speak on AI-assisted work by organizations including Mochary Method Coaching, among others. 

When he’s not experimenting with AI, Adam is a competitive speedgolfer. He represented Team USA at the Speedgolf World Championships in Japan in 2024. 

20Fathoms is the home of entrepreneurship and innovation in Northwest Michigan. Based in Traverse City and serving all of Northwest Lower Michigan, 20Fathoms is a nonprofit startup incubator and resource center for entrepreneurs and growing businesses. The organization works with entrepreneurs of all stages and industries, and specializes in working with technology-focused companies. Programs include startup education, business coaching, connections, funding, and general support. 

Also check out other Business events in Traverse City, Workshops in Traverse City, Performances in Traverse City.