The following is a press release written by Lucas González for the City of Bloomington.
Amplify Bloomington and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce will hold an info session on Tuesday, August 4, at 6 p.m. at The Mill classroom, 642 N. Madison St., to introduce The Builder’s Room. The Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association (BUEA) is supporting seven spots in the cohort located within the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Zone to participate in this new hands-on cohort program that helps local businesses use AI-assisted tools to solve real operational challenges.
The Builder’s Room is for established Bloomington area businesses looking to go beyond AI awareness and develop practical tools. No coding or technical experience is needed. Participants will identify a business challenge, map workflows, and prototype a tool to support operations.
Potential project areas include customer intake forms, AI-assisted FAQ or chatbot tools, marketing and website visibility improvements, internal dashboards, staff training tools, inventory or back-office workflows, customer follow-up systems, and automations for repetitive tasks.
The information session will explain The Builder’s Room, target participants, suitable businesses, learning outcomes, time commitment, application process, and tips for developing a strong project idea.
Business owners facing operational challenges, repetitive tasks, customer communication issues, or marketing and visibility problems are encouraged to attend.
Program Overview
The Builder’s Room is a free, grant-funded program for Bloomington businesses that requires no developer resources or coding. Over six weeks, participants learn to make simple tools to save time and improve efficiency. It ends with a community showcase.
Key Dates
All sessions will be held in The Mill classroom.
Information Session: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 6 p.m.
Applications Due: Friday, Aug. 7
Cohort Finalized: Friday, Aug. 14
First Session: Tuesday, Sept. 8; sessions held Tuesdays, 6 – 8 p.m.
The Builder’s Room is presented by Amplify Bloomington and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.
