Speaking · May 2026
UNC Kenan-Flagler AI Panel
Monica Tomasso, founder of Monic AI Systems, was invited to speak at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Triangle Speaker Series AI panel in the Research Triangle, North Carolina.
The panel brought together AI practitioners and business leaders to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way businesses are discovered, evaluated, and recommended — and what that means for the next decade of go-to-market strategy.
Key themes from the panel
Search is shifting from ranking to selection
AI assistants no longer return ten blue links. They pick one or two answers. For SMBs, being the recommended business now matters more than ranking on page one.
AI is changing how buyers evaluate companies
Buyers ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity for shortlists before they ever visit a website. The entity that AI trusts wins the consideration set.
SMBs can compete with enterprises on AI visibility
Unlike traditional search, where enterprise SEO budgets dominate, AI recommendation is won by clarity, consistency, and credible entity signals — areas where SMBs can move fast.
About the panelist
Monica Tomasso is the founder of Monic AI Systems, an AI consultancy helping small and mid-sized businesses get recommended by large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity.
With 20+ years in digital transformation at Fortune 500 companies (ExxonMobil, BP, NTT Data/Kantar) combined with three founder exits, Monica brings both enterprise rigor and operator instincts to AI strategy for SMBs. Monic AI Systems is an OpenAI SMB Channel Partner.
She has been recognized by Marquis Who's Who Top American Women 2026, featured in USA Today, and named among the leading voices on AI Visibility and recommendation strategy for SMBs.