New pilot program will certify SBDC advisors and deliver hands-on AI workshops to small business owners across the country

WARRENTON, Va., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — America’s SBDC, the nonprofit association representing the nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers, today announced a new partnership with OpenAI to expand access to practical AI training for small business owners across the United States.

The pilot will equip SBDC advisors with OpenAI training, enabling them to deliver hands-on workshops directly to small-business clients in states across the country. The initiative is designed to help entrepreneurs build practical AI skills they can put to work immediately, from streamlining daily operations to improving customer service and decision-making.

Under the pilot, America’s SBDC will recruit SBDC advisors, who will, in turn, be trained by OpenAI Academy to lead local in-person workshops reaching more than 1,000 small businesses. Advisors and clients who complete the in-person workshops will receive free access to ChatGPT Plus. Beyond the initial rollout, the two organizations will co-develop playbooks and sector-specific resources designed to help the SBDC network scale AI training well beyond the pilot’s initial states.

“Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and they deserve the same access to AI tools that large companies already have,” said Charles “Tee” Rowe, President and CEO of America’s SBDC. “This partnership with OpenAI gives our advisors additional training and resources to bring usable AI skills directly to the entrepreneurs we serve every day, in communities across the country. We’re proud to be working with OpenAI to make sure small businesses aren’t left behind in this next wave of technology.”

“Small businesses are the beating hearts of their communities: the local family-owned restaurant where you celebrate birthdays, the neighborhood hardware store that helps you think through a home repair, the coffee shop that remembers your order,” said Chris Lehane, OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer. “AI can help small businesses punch above their weight and compete, and we want to make sure they have access to the same powerful tools as bigger companies. Teaming up with America’s SBDC means we can pair these tools with training and local advisors who know their communities and can help owners put them to work, so small businesses get a fair slice of the economic pie.”

The partnership builds on America’s SBDC’s broader push to bring emerging technology to the small businesses it serves, following the launch of its AI U certification program, which has already trained more than 500 advisors network-wide, and the recent AI Ready Challenge with Google. Together, these initiatives reflect America’s SBDC’s ongoing push to expand strategic, revenue-diversifying partnerships that extend the network’s reach without adding burden to local centers.

The pilot will roll out in phases over the coming months, with additional details announced as the program moves toward launch.

America’s SBDC represents 63 member organizations and nearly 1,000 local SBDC centers nationwide, providing free, confidential business advising and training to entrepreneurs across the country. In its most recent annual report, the network helped clients secure more than $5.53 billion in capital, delivering a tenfold return on the federal, state, and local investment that supports it.

For more information about America’s SBDC and its network of centers, visit americassbdc.org.

Media Contact:
Gretchen Kuhsel
Communications Coordinator
America’s SBDC
gretchen@americassbdc.org

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SOURCE America’s SBDC