By David Porcaro, President & CEO at Learning Design Alliance
I had the opportunity to speak at Entrepreneurship in the Age of AI, a World Learning–hosted forum convened in Phuket, Thailand and supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Citizen Exchanges. The forum brought together 40 leaders from the United States and across the Indo-Pacific region to examine how AI and Web 3.0 technologies are reshaping small business, entrepreneurship education, and cross-border collaboration at a pivotal moment for the global economy.
I delivered a keynote address titled “Designing Learning for Measurable ROI,” where I shared current work on how Lazuli is helping organizations move beyond abstract learning outcomes toward capturing real-world learning impact. The session focused on designing learning experiences that align directly with business performance, workforce adaptability, and long-term innovation—especially critical as AI accelerates change faster than education systems typically respond.
Beyond the keynote, the forum created space for substantive conversations with small and medium-sized business owners, entrepreneurs, government officials, academic leaders, and investors from across the Indo-Pacific. These discussions reinforced both the urgency and the opportunity of using AI thoughtfully in entrepreneurship: not simply as a tool for efficiency, but as an enabler of smarter learning systems, more resilient enterprises, and deeper international collaboration. I’m grateful to World Learning and the participants for the chance to contribute to a dialogue that sits at the intersection of education, innovation, and shared economic growth.