Sam Keller of Gen AI Academy tells the story of how a family project grew into an AI training company. In early 2023, his 12-year-old son Kaz was running lemonade stands in Mill Valley to earn money for a mountain bike. After the boy discovered ChatGPT, the two began teaching neighbors about generative AI at $20 a head around their dining room table. Those sessions sold out, moved to a community center boardroom, and eventually grew into a team of about 12 that has taught well over 800 CEOs. Keller explains how he configures large language models with custom instructions so they act as independent, critical thought partners. He describes the gap between company AI plans and daily practice, the lesson of a workshop that used unready beta features, and the shift from one-off workshops to programmatic education. He also covers a train-the-trainer program, growth through CEO peer networks including Vistage International, and the personal motivation behind the venture, which began during a health scare.
A 12-year-old's lemonade stand and a dining room table became an AI training business that has taught over 800 CEOs.
What were you trying to build at that dining room table?
In early 2023 my 12-year-old son was running lemonade stands in Mill Valley to buy a mountain bike. He found ChatGPT, and we realized he could earn the money by teaching neighbors generative AI for $20 each. Those sessions sold out, moved to a community center boardroom, and grew into a team of about 12.
What is the most common gap between a company's AI slide deck and what people do on Monday?
Most companies haven't set up their language model platform, whether Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini, in an optimal way. The biggest gap is dialing it in as an independent, critical thought partner for each role, then giving people hands-on skills to build agents, automations and projects.
What belief about AI adoption from 2023 have you changed your mind on?
We started with one-off workshops and got good at creating moments of awe and laughter within a few hours. But turning that into sustained habits and new workflows is harder. I've learned it needs a programmatic approach over time so the initial shock becomes a real new way of working.
Did a workshop ever go sideways, and what did you learn?
With a wealth management firm we'd trained before, we included brand-new beta features that OpenAI had released a week earlier. They weren't ready for prime time, and the demos and exercises struggled. We learned to kick the tires and judge carefully when beta features are truly ready for an enterprise.
How do most people find you today?
Mostly referrals. Our go-to-market has been through partnerships with major CEO and other C-level peer networks. A volunteer named Steve, a Vistage International member, connected us to that group, and it has grown organically from there across North America and beyond.
If every leader you trained became fluent overnight, what would the next problem be?
Keeping them fluent. We lead people through what we call the AI adeptness pyramid, but models, features and interfaces change constantly. Enterprises have ways to keep software updated. The challenge now is keeping the humans up to date with their AI knowledge and skills.
What do you hear beneath a CEO's fear of AI?
It can be discomfort with technology, worry about what AI means for their industry and growth, or doubt that IT or HR can drive training. What fascinates me is that none of these CEOs push back on tuning AI to challenge their thinking, blind spots and biases.
What has building this with your son taught you about being a father?
When this began I was having a health scare and thought I might not be around long. I wanted to help my techie son get on a good path. Tapping into that profound love of a father for his boy seems to be rewarded.
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