AI Made Simple at Newark Tech Week
Updated: 1 day ago
October 15, 2026 · =SPACE · Newark, New Jersey
Two-hour workshop · 15 participants · Nonprofit leaders, small business owners, and more.
What belongs in an AI prompt? What should stay private?
At Newark Tech Week, Audris B. Torres, founder of Y.S.S. Network, designed and led a two-hour workshop around choices people face when using generative AI at work.
Audris introduces her work in business and community programs. Photo by Malaika Muindi, Captured Canvas.
Inside the workshop
Audris introduced large language models and the CRAFT method for writing prompts. The session paired practical instruction with questions about judgment:
What information does a tool need?
When should a person review the answer?
The discussion also connected AI use to privacy and water consumption.
A workshop slide brings the environmental cost of AI into the discussion. Photo by Crystal L. Woods, Cali Woods Productions.
A tool to take back to work
Audris developed the YSS AI Playbook and a pocket-sized “Prompt Smarter with CRAFT” card. The card gives participants a reference for their next prompt, with a QR code leading back to the playbook. The YSS AI Playbook includes the Digital Prompt Resource Guide.
The YSS AI Playbook connects the live session to an everyday reference. Photo by Malaika Muindi, Captured Canvas.
The Newark Tech Week workshop group at =SPACE. Photo by Malaika Muindi, Captured Canvas.
What participants said
“Audris B. Torres' AI Made Simple session was easily a highlight of Newark Tech Week 2026! As a business owner who uses AI regularly, I appreciated the conversation around responsible use, environmental impact and how to make these tools work smarter for us.”
“Seeing AI usage broken down into real-world measurements was a real eye-opener. I left rethinking how I approach my own prompts and follow-up questions.”
“What stood out most was Audris' ability to make the information practical and engaging, regardless of age, industry or experience with technology. Whether you're just getting comfortable with AI or already using it daily, there was something valuable to take away. This is the kind of programming that makes emerging technology more accessible and helps people use it with greater confidence and intention.”
Denise L. Goodman, Managing Principal, Good Haus Group LLC
Workshop credits
Newark Tech Week sponsor and venue: Equal Space (=SPACE). Andrew Hoilett of Sativa Papi, Incorporated sponsored the food. YUPPY Patties of South Orange, New Jersey provided it. Malaika Muindi of Captured Canvas and Crystal L. Woods of Cali Woods Productions photographed the workshop.
Use code NWKTECH at checkout for a holiday discount.
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