EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT AI. NO ONE'S EXPLAINING IT.
REAL TALK AI
This isn't inevitable, and it isn't happening to you. You get a say in this, but only if you understand what's in front of you first. Wherever you are on the spectrum, from avoiding AI completely to using it every day, this was built for you.
Zócalo developed REAL TALK AI to ensure that people who are usually left out of the room get the full picture, not a recycled script. This field is evolving by the second, so what you learn here reflects what's true right now and where we see it going.
FREE CAN COST YOU
With AI increasingly part of daily life, it's only natural to look for the most effective and affordable way to learn it. Free AI courses are everywhere (some of them literally created by AI itself), but I believe the better approach is real training and real engagement, at a price that's community-friendly.
WHAT THIS IS NOT
X A lead magnet
X An upsell tool
X Generic content
WHAT THIS IS
✓ Real guidance
✓ Real questions
✓ Real answers
You can find some helpful information in free courses, but scattered bits of information are no substitute for the confidence that comes from real understanding.
THREE WAYS IN
REAL TALK AI Cohort: 3 Weeks
Week 1: What AI actually is, in plain language: the real history and the fundamentals, no jargon.
Week 2: The parts nobody else covers: ethics, copyright, and who this technology actually helps or harms.
Week 3: Practical, safe ways to use it in your work, without losing your edge or becoming dependent on it.
Hands-On
AI Trainings
Learn by doing, not watching. Three hands-on sessions:
Start: Claude 101 basics, set up right and solve one real problem live.
Sharpen: Get real, useful answers out of every conversation.
Build: Make your first simple AI tool, zero code required.
Bring it to
Your Team
The gap: Your team doesn't have an AI problem, it has an AI literacy gap, showing up in risk, workflows, and confusion.
The fix: Get your people genuinely fluent before you ask them to adopt anything.
What's next: A clear path into deeper strategy and custom builds when you're ready.
ABOUT YOUR FACILITATOR
I’m Marisa “Ritzy” Estrada Rivera, a first-generation Mexican American emerging tech strategist and the founder of Zócalo. My mission is to empower people, expand access to new technologies, and help create a sustainable future by bridging tech, art, social impact, and community. Before this, I spent years in the music and visual art industries, so I know firsthand the importance of cross-cultural engagement and communication.
Too many people from marginalized communities have experienced being the person in the room who isn’t expected to be there. That’s exactly who Zócalo built REAL TALK AI for.
Presented at the United Nations General Assembly Science Summit
Delegate and presenter at the 6th Congressional Briefing of Women of Color in Blockchain in Washington, DC
Contributor to the Crypto Council for Innovation & W.K. Kellogg Foundation report, Building a More Equitable Web3
Co-author of Women in Web3: Inclusive Futures
