Evangel University and “AI Jimmy” Ledbetter

Evangel University and the Schmidgall Lecture Series Welcomes Nationally Known Speaker “AI Jimmy” Ledbetter.

Nationally recognized AI thought leader to speak to students, faculty, staff, administration and the community on Thursday, November 5 at 6:00 PM

Contact: Dr. Jeremy Harris, Chair – Department of Business

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Evangel University and the Schmidgall Lecture Series will welcome Jimmy Ledbetter, AI thought leader, GenAI mentor, author and keynote speaker, to campus on Thursday, November 5, for a full day of sessions on the future of artificial intelligence.

Known as “AI Jimmy,” Ledbetter brings more than 20 years of experience in data-driven transformation and has worked with generative AI since its commercial availability. He has consulted for organizations including the NFL, the NBA, PwC and Microsoft, and sits on multiple data science advisory boards, including Microsoft’s Partner Advisory Committee. He is a frequent international speaker and is featured on the October 2026 cover of CIO Views Magazine as one of the 2026 AI Visionaries.

Ledbetter is recognized for making AI approachable and actionable through creative storytelling. He is the author of the popular newsletter “AI Thoughts From My Run,” which blends practical AI advice with real-life experience and the Six Dimensional Framework, a primer on successfully using context engineering. He has also pioneered agentic AI workflows and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to automate business processes and elevate data culture. A frequent theme of his work is encouraging teams to “just take the next step,” while advocating for responsible AI, collaboration and collective intelligence.

Ledbetter’s roots are in Missouri as he holds a master’s degree in Data Science from the University of Missouri, which also named him its data science Alumni of the Year for 2026.

“We are honored to have AI Jimmy on Evangel University’s campus to speak individually to our students and then to our faculty and leadership. We recognize the importance of this topic and want our community to learn from an industry expert. EU considers it our privilege to open the doors to the Springfield community that evening so that they can learn from him as well.” –Dr. Jeremy Harris, Business Department Chair

Schedule of Sessions

• 9:45 AM – Students: “AI and Your Future,” Spence Chapel
• 12:00 PM – Faculty and Staff: Valor Dining 115AB
• 3:30 PM – University Planning Council: Valor Dining 115AB
• 6:00 PM – Community Session: Open to the Springfield community, alumni, community members, faculty, staff and students: Barnett Recital Hall, followed by a reception.

Community members can arrive on campus at 5:15 PM. Evangel’s FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) students will welcome you into the event. The event will also be a fundraiser to support Evangel FBLA: their projects, travels, and competitions.

To learn more about Jimmy Ledbetter, visit his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-ledbetter/.

About the Schmidgall Lecture Series

The Schmidgall Lecture Series was created through a generous donation by Dr. Ray and Barbara Schmidgall. The Schmidgall Lecture Series sponsors special speakers and panel discussions each semester with topics that have included Real Estate Investment, Healthcare Management, AI and Business, Job Interview Prep for students, and many other applicable topics. Thank you to Dr. and Mrs. Schmidgall for their generous contribution!