“Zero to App: AI Innovation Principles in Action”

“Zero to App: AI Innovation Principles in Action”

A person in a red jacket connects plugs between a light bulb and an AI chip.

Event Details

When:

Thu, Feb 12, 2026, 4pm - 5pm

Location:

In-Person at WWU:
Academic West 210

Price:

Free

Brought to you by:

Center for Economic and Financial Education (CEFE), Department of Economics, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni

Description

In this engaging one-hour session, Soren Kaplan (AI entrepreneur, founder of InnovationPoint, and author of Experiential Intelligence) bridges the gap between traditional career advice and the cutting-edge reality of the AI revolution. He illustrates how the fundamental principles of entrepreneurship remain “tried and true” even in a tech-saturated market. The core of the talk focuses on two distinct competitive advantages for today's job seekers:

  • Experiential Intelligence (XQ): Soren introduces concepts from his newest book, explaining how human skills like “reading the room,” navigating ambiguity, and leveraging personal experience are the ultimate differentiator in an AI-driven world.
  • AI Fluency: Moving beyond a basic “AI 101,” Soren provides a practical landscape of current tools. The session features a live, real-time demonstration using Replit, where he builds a functional AI app from scratch.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to combine their unique human experiences with powerful AI tools to stand out in the job market.

Featuring:

Questions and Accommodations

  • Your point of contact for this event is The Foundation for WWU & Alumni. Call (360) 650-3353 or email Alumni@wwu.edu.
  • Advance notice for disability accommodations and special needs is appreciated. Please mention your needs when registering.

Visitor Parking at WWU on Weekdays

  • Mon-Fri, 7:00am-4:30pm: limited paid parking is available at the south C lots and north 6V and 7G lots.
  • Purchase your permit at the lot pay stations or use the Parkmobile app.
  • More parking details for campus visitors are available online.

Parking at WWU on Weekdays for Visitors with Disabilities

  • Mon-Fri, 7:00am-4:30pm: both a WWU permit and state disability placard are needed.
  • Purchase your permit at the pay stations in lot C or 6V or use the Parkmobile app (use Zone 1200). This allows parking in any disability space. If these are full, you can use a non-reserved space nearby.
  • More parking details for campus visitors with disabilities are available online.

The views expressed by our speakers do not necessarily reflect those of Western Washington University.