Business Tech Lab

Helping solopreneurs and nonprofits close the digital divide and grow online.

Business Tech Lab was born from two decades of hands-on business building. After producing 150+ virtual events and launching a global product brand, I now help others apply the same tech strategies to grow revenue, visibility, and capacity—without burnout.

Highlights:

🧩 Partnered with NGOs to deliver marketing and technical assistance to small businesses
🏛️ Lead the Bridge Program—guiding entrepreneurs through actionable growth plans
🔧 Provide consulting and white-glove SaaS implementation (email, e-com, scheduling, etc.)
🎙️ Host of Business Tech Unraveled podcast
📢 Speaker at entrepreneurship and innovation conferences

Founder & Tech Educator

Live Soap School

Empowering makers and students through the creator economy and digital entrepreneurship.

What started with a bar of soap and a livestream has grown into a global platform for maker education. I created Live Soap School to help others turn handcrafted products into profitable brands—while also introducing students to tech-based entrepreneurship.

Highlights:

🌍 Shipped products to 17 countries and across the U.S.
📚 Published 4 books in The New Soap Makers Cookbook series
💻 Launched Learning Management system to include online courses, tutorials, and free recipes accessed by thousands
📈 Blog reaches ~10,000 monthly views
🎤 Host of the Soap Makers Tale Podcast to share lessons learned and stories of Soap Makers around the world
👩🏽‍💻Creator and host of Handcrafted Live, an annual global virtual soap makers conference
🧠 Develop and Facilitate the Introduction to Creator Economy Through Handmade Skincare & Digital Literacy curriculum
🏫 Teach STEAM-based workshops in middle/high schools and after-school programs
💡 Core lessons include: Soap Making, Candle Making, Lotion Making, online presence, product development, social media, affiliate marketing, live streaming, and podcasting

Founder

Virtual Experience Design Agency

Partnering with learning leaders and business owners to craft unique virtual and digital experiences that drive results.

Small Business Owner

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Leadership & Professional Development Partner

My primary role is to partner with leadership to design, develop, implement and evaluate role-based clinical and administrative blended education experiences to include: eLearning, Instructor Led training, informal learning, performance support and social learning communities. 

As Strategic Learning and Performance Program Manager I lead the education and change management initiatives for enterprise-wide initiatives to include vendor partnerships, training deployment strategies and curriculum design for 18,000 individual contributors and leaders.

As the functional lead and SME for the SuccessFactors Learning Management System I provide counsel on best practices for aligning the capabilities of the LMS with our integrated talent suite, overall talent strategy and workforce development initiatives. 

In one sentence, I partner with the business and appropriate stakeholders to design measurable education solutions to drive business results with a focus on program management, adult learning and instructional design while leveraging learning technology for optimal solutions.

Strategic Learning and Performance Program Manager

Partner with clients to identify root-causes of performance issues and desired strategic outcomes to craft blended training solutions leveraging technology

Design, develop, deploy and evaluate education supporting the learning and development needs of hospital operating plan initiatives and nursing population consistently exceeding expectations with measurable results

Leverage the enterprise Learning Management System (SumTotal) to design innovative custom solutions to assign, track and report education programs, gaps and outcomes

Principal Learning & Performance Consultant

Public Health Management Corporation

Configure and implement a corporate Learning Management System, partner with executive stakeholders and develop a network of administrators and SMEs to automate, streamline and standardize all delivery and tracking of compliance and professional development training

Partner with Human Resources business partners to develop compensation, performance management, corporate policy and on-boarding curriculum. Collaborate with C-level through front-line practitioners to influence change during implementation 

Develop and execute multiple communications strategies to inform, engage, support and promote acceptance of new technology and organizational development process improvement initiatives.

Systems Director Organizational Development & Training

Dilworth Paxson LLP

Collaborate with stakeholders and perform end-user needs assessments to gather requirements, develop and implement learning plans, technical solutions and process improvement initiatives

Implement and maintain training management software to track course assignment, automate course registration, and provide reporting for Bar Association compliance and Firm mandates 

Research and Initiate in-house social network in development of social learning communities to improve collaboration, knowledge sharing and distribution of targeted training communications

Manage consistent and frequent communication efforts with user community to evaluate expectations, identify needs, and to provide solutions for improvements to IT related issues and internal processes

Senior Training Manager

🧼 From Soap Maker to Tech Educator | Live Soap School
What started as a hobby—making soap in my basement—turned into a global business. I didn’t have a plan; I had a bar of soap and a live stream. That moment sparked a community, and I shipped handmade products across the U.S. and to 17 countries. Along the way, I mastered digital tools for growth—tools I now teach other small business owners to use with confidence.

🎥 150+ Virtual Events During the Pandemic | Bridging Communities
When the world shut down in 2020, I pivoted. Over 3 years, I led 150+ virtual events for libraries, universities, and nonprofits to keep communities connected. With a team of producers, I managed event tech, speaker coordination, sponsor outreach, and attendee engagement—using immersive platforms like Airmeet to go far beyond Zoom.

🌐 Business Tech Lab | Bridging the Digital Divide
As the world reopened, many small businesses still lacked the systems needed to grow online. I realized my journey—from handmade goods to global shipping to virtual production—could empower others. Business Tech Lab was born to help entrepreneurs thrive with e-commerce, email, social media, and automation.

✨ How We Work Together

🧠 Small Business Owners
You don’t need to be tech-savvy—just the right systems.
✔ E-commerce strategy
✔ Social media marketing
✔ Live streaming & podcasting
✔ Email automation
✔ AI-powered content creation

🎓 Schools & Youth Programs
STEAM-based workshops using soap making to teach:
✔ Entrepreneurship
✔ Creator economy
✔ Financial literacy
✔ Digital skills & leadership

🏢 Corporate Wellness & Team Building
Hands-on soap workshops for:
✔ Stress relief
✔ Team connection
✔ Wellness takeaways

🎤 Speaker & Educator
Topics: Live Streaming & Podcasting For Business, Creative Economy, Generative AI for Marketing & Customer Support, E-Commerce For Beginners, Going From Hobby to Business and Soap Making.

📩 Let’s connect if you're:
✔ A business ready to grow online
✔ A school bringing entrepreneurship to students
✔ An organization planning a creative team event
✔ A non-profit looking to host a virtual event but need help with the tech
✔ Booking a speaker for innovation or education

I stopped updating my resume. I started architecting my legacy. 🏗️✨

In the world of Generative AI, the static PDF resume feels like a fossil. It lists our past, but it fails to capture our potential.

I wanted to explore a use case for Generative AI that went beyond "polishing bullet points." I wanted to see if I could use tools like Google Gemini to transform my career history into a living, interactive digital asset.

The Experiment: 
I fed my LinkedIn Profile into Gemini and asked it to re-imagine my career not as a list, but as a voyage. We built "Innovation Eternal"—a React-based interactive timeline that tracks my evolution.

This isn't just a "cool portfolio" It’s a demonstration of AI-Augmented Personal Branding.  I’m not just talking about digital transformation; I’m building it.
You can explore the flow of my career, not just the dates.

This entire application was conceptualized and coded with AI assistance in 20 minutes.

If you are a leader or entrepreneur, are you still using analog tools to tell your digital story? The tools to build your own world are right at your fingertips.
Explore the timeline with the link in comments
#Innovation #FutureOfWork #GenerativeAI #DigitalTransformation #ThoughtLeadership #ExecutiveStrategy #BusinessTechLab #TheresAnAIForThat

Zakia Ringgold

Soap, Streams & Systems 💻 | Helping Entrepreneurs & Students Grow with Tech, E-commerce & Digital Skills

Use AI without losing your voice | A clip from my Substack post, Before You Add Another AI Tool, Build This First.

Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/eZXKG9fk

Want to see how I turned a LinkedIn profile into an interactive APP using my LinkedIn profile and Google Gemini?

I’m breaking down the exact prompt and workflow LIVE.
Join me to learn: 
✅ Why static portfolios are dying. 
✅ How to use AI to architect your digital legacy. 
✅ Why showing is so much stronger than telling

Let AI Rebrand Your Resume | A clip from my Substack post, Need a Portfolio? There's an AI for That....

Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/ekPDm72X

Build a brand Bible — don’t start blank | A clip from my Substack post, Before You Add Another AI Tool, Build This First.

Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/eZXKG9fk

Build a portfolio with Google Gemini | A clip from my Substack post, Need a Portfolio? There's an AI for That....

Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/ekPDm72X

What does it look like when access to AI becomes a community effort instead of a luxury?

Earlier today I sat down with Nasser Jones, the founder of AI Should Be For All and MyAppyPlace, for a powerful conversation about digital equity, free AI tools, and what it really means to “Bend the AI curve.” From building a free AI app store to launching Saturday School and a multi-city youth AI academy, this work is about closing gaps before they become permanent.

We talked honestly about fear, access, job disruption, and why communities can’t wait for permission to prepare for what’s already here. This rebroadcast is more than a tech interview—it’s a call to participate in shaping what AI becomes for everyday people.

Join the live replay and drop your questions in the comments.

Chief Digital Officer | AI & Automation Strategist | Vibe Coding Expert - Builder of over 70 Professional Grade App - ALL FOR FREE | Speaker | Making People Appy Everywhere

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Zakia Ringgold

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Zakia Ringgold's LinkedIn Performance

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Zakia Ringgold's Linkedin Analytics

Performance ScoreZakia Ringgold's LinkedIn Performance

Zakia Ringgold's Best Posts (last 30 days)