First Movers AI’s Julia McCoy speaks to business owners at the inaugural AI AZ Claude & Cloning 101 Bootcamp Night. May 8, 2026 at Tokaya Modern Mexican at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Her slide reads: “AI doesn’t replace humans; it replaces the right humans.
Tucson Business Magazine covers the inaugural AI AZ event in Scottsdale. The event brought together more than 80 executives to learn how AI can transform their businesses.
— Julia McCoy
SCOTTSDALE, AZ, USA, May 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — More than 80 executives gathered in Scottsdale for the 1st Annual AI AZ Cloding & Cloning 101 Bootcamp Night. National AI experts, including Omaha-based 316 Strategic Group, also participated to support Arizona’s growing AI community.
On the evening of May 8, 2026, more than 80 Arizona business owners packed into Tocaya Modern Mexican at Scottsdale Fashion Square for the inaugural event hosted by AI AZ, a fast-growing Facebook community that already has 500 members. The reservation-only event, titled “Claude & Cloning 101 Bootcamp Night,” was hosted by world-renowned AI expert Julia McCoy of First Movers AI and Matt Leitz, founder of BotBuilders, whose client roster includes Robert Kiyosaki and Grant Cardone. Tucson Business Magazine was on site to cover the event, which signals a defining moment in how Arizona businesses approach artificial intelligence.
Widely known as one of the most talented content strategists of her generation, McCoy has taken on a leading role in AI integration and what she calls “clones,” systems that operate around the clock to create and engage audiences with AI trained on human knowledge and voice. Her own AI clone has amassed more than 2 million views on YouTube, more than 250,000 subscribers, and generates more than $15,000 in advertising revenue per month. In the meantime, McCoy is focusing on his family and personal life. Her company, First Movers AI, has partnered with Leitz and the BotBuilders studio in the Phoenix metropolitan area to help businesses around the world build similar systems through a done-for-you model.
“AI is not going to replace humans. AI will not be able to stop the right humans,” McCoy told the audience, a message that was displayed prominently on the screen during the presentation. She added, “We don’t believe in autonomous, non-human AI. AI that delights audiences is AI done right.”
Among those in attendance specifically for the event were Joseph Kenney, founder of award-winning Omaha-based agency 316 Strategy Group and Bullseye AI, a nationally recognized leader in AI visibility. Kenney and his colleagues traveled from Nebraska to emphasize the national importance of the rally. 316 Strategy Group specializes in helping companies get discovered and have a competitive advantage in AI-driven markets (an area Kenney calls AI Visibility) and works with clients across the country, including the Omaha and Phoenix metro markets.
“Events like this are exactly what the business community needs right now,” Kenney said. “AI is no longer the future. It’s happening in every industry and every market, including Omaha. My mentor, the late Tony Hsieh from Zappos, always told me: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. That’s what AI AZ is building, the kind of community that really drives business forward.”
The night also featured Hyflos founder and neuroperformance scientist Jake Bollig. His patent-pending brainwave performance tools for elite athletes represent the kind of niche business AI AZ is built to serve.
At the end of the night, Matt Reitz announced that AI AZ will be hosting an event once a month from now on. The AI AZ Facebook community already has 500 members and is open to business owners across Arizona looking for connection, education, and support as they navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
About Tucson Business Magazine
Tucson Business Magazine is the leading regional publication covering business news, innovation and entrepreneurship from across Arizona. For more information, visit tucsonbusinessmagazine.com.
About AIAZ
AI AZ is a fast-growing Arizona-based business community dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and business owners understand and implement artificial intelligence. With over 500 members and monthly events planned, AI AZ connects local business owners with world-class AI experts and with each other. Find AI AZ by searching “AI AZ” on Facebook.
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