--- title: "Foro IA para PYMES | Innovation Case Study | New Discovery" description: "The first AI forum for small businesses in Ciudad Juárez, delivered with CANACO and Microsoft." url: https://newdiscovery.agency/case-studies/foro-ia-pymes-canaco/ language: en --- Innovation Commerce · SMEs # The first AI forum built for SMEs in Juarez, designed to make artificial intelligence feel practical, not theoretical. NDA helped shape and deliver the Foro IA para PYMES alongside CANACO Juarez, Microsoft, and the Specialized Software Section, turning a two-hour event into a working proof point for regional AI adoption. CANACO Juarez · Microsoft · Seccion de Software A coalition-led AI awareness forum for small and medium enterprises in Ciudad Juarez. Industry [Commerce · SMEs](https://newdiscovery.agency/industries/b2b/) Business Unit Innovation Market Mexico · Ciudad Juarez · Regional commerce and SME ecosystem Engagement Forum design and flash talk delivery · Completed Services Delivered Flash Talk Delivery Forum Content Design Applied AI Demonstration Ecosystem Positioning Browse Related Case Studies [AI Training](https://newdiscovery.agency/case-studies/?unit=innovation&tags=ai-training) [AI Consulting](https://newdiscovery.agency/case-studies/?unit=innovation&tags=ai-consulting) 5 flash talks delivered 1 Microsoft keynote 1st AI forum for SMEs in Juarez [Back to Case Studies](https://newdiscovery.agency/case-studies/) Mentions & Resources ## The institutional actors behind the forum. [ Organizer CANACO Juarez Chamber of commerce Institutional host, logistics, and SME network access Open link ](https://www.canacojuarez.com.mx/) [ Strategic partner Microsoft TechPark Technology partner Keynote delivery and enterprise AI credibility Open link ](https://www.microsoft.com/) Co-organizer Seccion Especializada de Software CANACO specialized section Program design and technology-sector curation [ Press Ser Empresario Regional business media Post-event press coverage amplifying reach beyond attendees Open link ](https://serempresario.com.mx/) [ Institutional partner Desarrollo Economico de Ciudad Juarez Economic development Regional economic development alignment Open link ](https://desarrolloeconomico.org/about) [ Ecosystem partner FUNAX Innovation network Startup and innovation ecosystem bridge Open link ](https://funax.org/) Overview The Foro IA para PYMES was the first AI-focused event designed specifically for small and medium enterprises in Ciudad Juarez. It was built to make artificial intelligence feel accessible, practical, and immediately relevant to business owners who had heard about AI but had not yet seen a clear path to using it. The event was organized by [CANACO Juarez](https://www.canacojuarez.com.mx/) in collaboration with [Microsoft](https://www.microsoft.com/) and the Specialized Software Section, which is presided by Liz Pasillas. Innovation participated as a flash talk presenter and contributed to the content design, helping bridge the gap between enterprise AI capabilities and the operational reality of local SMEs. The format mattered: one keynote from **Omar Saucedo**, Regional Manager at Microsoft TechPark, followed by five focused flash talks with tools, real cases, and ideas that attendees could act on immediately. The forum was not a lecture series. It was designed as a conversational format where business owners could share doubts, explore ideas, and leave with a clearer understanding of where AI fits inside their operations. That approach connects directly to how [Innovation AI Training](https://newdiscovery.agency/innovation/ai-training/) and [AI Consulting](https://newdiscovery.agency/innovation/ai-consulting/) work in practice: making complex capability feel usable for organizations that need practical entry points, not abstract innovation talk. Her account of the day names the room. Perla Mayte Tarín hosted the forum; Iván Pérez, CANACO's president, and Fernando Ávila Ortega, its director general, backed it, with Karla García coordinating the training side. Tania Maldonado and Álvaro Raúl Gutiérrez Gómez attended for the city's Dirección General de Desarrollo Económico, and Lennys Sánchez, director of Funax, came with them. The Specialized Software Section itself was represented by Rafael Rucobo, Memo Asiain, Javier Venegas and Inés Velasco alongside Jonalex Herrera. The Challenge ## Make AI feel like a business tool, _not a corporate luxury._ Large enterprises already use AI. The most agile companies are already integrating it. But for most small and medium businesses in the region, AI still feels distant, expensive, or irrelevant to their day-to-day operations. The challenge was not to explain what AI is, but to show what it can do for a business with 10 employees, a tight budget, and no dedicated technology team. That required a format that avoided jargon, kept presentations short and applied, and created space for real conversation instead of passive consumption. The audience needed to leave with specific next steps, not just enthusiasm. The Approach ## One keynote. Five flash talks. _Tools you can use on Monday._ The forum opened with Omar Saucedo sharing Microsoft's perspective on how AI is already reshaping business operations and how SMEs can begin using it without requiring enterprise-level budgets or infrastructure. His role gave the event credibility and framed AI adoption as something within reach. Five flash talks followed, each focused on a specific angle: automation, cost reduction, smarter decision-making, and competitive positioning. NDA contributed content that translated the kind of applied AI methodology used in the [AI Fluency Program](https://newdiscovery.agency/case-studies/ai-fluency-program/) into a format digestible for business owners encountering these ideas for the first time. The event was held at [CANACO Juarez](https://www.canacojuarez.com.mx/) facilities, keeping it inside the institutional environment where local business owners already operate. That choice mattered because it signaled that AI adoption is a business conversation, not a tech conference. Field Evidence ## The images show a packed room _of business owners paying attention._ - ![Omar Saucedo delivering keynote at Foro IA para PYMES](https://newdiscovery.agency/assets/case-media/foro-ia-pymes-canaco/foro-keynote-stage.jpg) Omar Saucedo, Microsoft TechPark Regional Manager, opening the forum with a keynote on AI accessibility for SMEs. - ![Full audience at the AI Forum for SMEs in CANACO Juarez](https://newdiscovery.agency/assets/case-media/foro-ia-pymes-canaco/foro-audience-full.jpg) A full room of SME owners and operators. The attendance matters because it shows genuine demand for practical AI guidance in the region. - ![Wide shot of keynote presentation with audience at Foro IA PYMES](https://newdiscovery.agency/assets/case-media/foro-ia-pymes-canaco/foro-keynote-wide.jpg) Wide angle showing the scale of engagement. This was not a panel for insiders but a room full of working business owners. - ![Speakers and organizers group photo at Foro IA para PYMES](https://newdiscovery.agency/assets/case-media/foro-ia-pymes-canaco/foro-speakers-group.jpg) The speaker and organizer group, including representatives from CANACO, Microsoft, the Specialized Software Section, Desarrollo Economico, and FUNAX. - ![Ser Empresario press coverage of CANACO and Microsoft AI Forum](https://newdiscovery.agency/assets/case-media/foro-ia-pymes-canaco/foro-press-coverage.jpg) Post-event press coverage from [Ser Empresario](https://serempresario.com.mx/) amplified the forum's message beyond the room, reaching the broader regional business community. - ![Official poster for Foro IA para PYMES at CANACO Juarez](https://newdiscovery.agency/assets/case-media/foro-ia-pymes-canaco/foro-poster.jpg) The official event poster showing the institutional backing from CANACO, Microsoft, and the flash talk lineup. Slide 1 of 6 Results & Impact ## A first step for the region. _Not the last._ 5 flash talks delivered each focused on applied, immediately actionable AI tools and strategies 1st AI forum for SMEs in Juarez creating a precedent for practical AI education in the local business community 3 institutional partners aligned CANACO, Microsoft, and the Software Section working as a coalition The strongest outcome was not a number but a shift. As Liz Pasillas, president of the Specialized Software Section, wrote after the event: _"When we talk about technology from a human place, incredible things happen. Everyone agreed on something: AI is already here and can be a close, practical tool ready to help us transform our businesses."_ The forum proved that regional AI adoption does not need to start with expensive pilots or enterprise contracts. It can start with a room full of business owners, a credible speaker, five focused presentations, and the institutional backing to make it feel real. That is exactly the kind of entry point [Innovation](https://newdiscovery.agency/innovation/ai-training/) is designed to create. Capability Signal ## What this engagement reveals _about Innovation._ Innovation can operate inside institutional coalitions to deliver AI education that lands with non-technical audiences. This case shows content design, applied demonstration, and ecosystem positioning working together to make AI adoption feel achievable for small businesses. That matters because AI readiness at the SME level is where the largest gap exists. Enterprise companies have budgets and teams. SMEs need someone to translate the opportunity into their language, inside their institutions, with their constraints in mind. This forum proved that model works. Related to this project [ Appointment Liz Pasillas took office at CANACO's software section The chamber's specialised software section elected her president in early 2025, with a mandate to push digital transformation in local firms. Read ](https://newdiscovery.agency/news/liz-pasillas-canaco-software-section-president-2025/) [ Arts & Culture The Promise | Innovation Case Study An immersive migration installation built from documentary storytelling and volumetric capture, recognised on the festival circuit. Read ](https://newdiscovery.agency/case-studies/la-promesa/) [ Manufacturing Trainlight | Innovation Case Study Trainlight combined no-code immersive training, manufacturing use cases, and accelerator momentum into a clearer product narrative for the market. Read ](https://newdiscovery.agency/case-studies/trainlight/) ## Related questions What does an AI consulting engagement with NDA actually look like? It starts with an AI readiness assessment: current tooling, workflow analysis, data infrastructure, and team capability. From there, NDA designs an implementation roadmap scoped to the use cases with the highest ROI — typically starting with one or two workflows where AI can produce measurable improvement within 90 days. Implementation, integration, and training follow the roadmap on a defined cadence. What is the difference between AI strategy consulting and AI implementation? Strategy consulting produces a plan: use case prioritization, build-vs-buy recommendations, roadmap, and governance framework. Implementation executes it: tool configuration, integration development, workflow redesign, and team training. Many organizations get a strategy document and stall at implementation. NDA scopes both together because strategy without implementation produces PowerPoint decks, not capability. What is a CONOCER-certified AI training program? CONOCER (Consejo Nacional de Normalización y Certificación de Competencias Laborales) is Mexico's federal authority for labor competency standards and certification. A CONOCER-certified AI program meets defined competency standards, uses a structured assessment methodology, and produces certifications recognized by Mexico's education and labor systems — not just a certificate of attendance. How is NDA's AI training different from a standard online course? Standard online AI courses teach concepts and tools in isolation. NDA designs programs around what participants need to do after training — in their specific role, with the tools their organization already uses. Programs include practical application exercises, real-use-case design, and assessment against defined competency outcomes. Certification is tied to demonstrated performance, not completion. [See all FAQs →](https://newdiscovery.agency/faqs/) Focused Partnerships ## Results like this _start with a conversation._ If your organization is ready to build this properly, the next step is a conversation about scope, goals, and fit. [Start an Engagement](https://newdiscovery.agency/contact/)