Meet Yang Yanyan

Yang Yanyan, born in a small town in China, encountered a variety of challenges in her life due to a physical disability. In search of support and a community, she joined the NPO Dian Ai Hui Disabled Entrepreneurship Base, an organization dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities in entrepreneurship and crafts.

While collaborating with over 40 associates there, she discovered the IBM SkillsBuild program, recommended by Beijing Le Zhi, an IBM partner focused on enhancing opportunities for individuals with disabilities. “After discovering IBM SkillsBuild, our lives have taken on new meaning. We engage with the online platform to learn about cutting-edge technologies, and through this journey, we felt empowered, inspired, gaining the confidence to tackle future challenges,” Yang shares.

Yang and her associates used assertive and well-written prompts, which are questions or commands given to artificial intelligence (AI) tools to obtain answers or perform tasks that helped them make strategic decisions for their business. For example, by asking targeted questions to AI assistants, they identified emerging market trends, customer preferences, and successful competitor strategies, which ultimately led them to develop thirty new products.

These products resonated with consumers, as this strategic approach resulted in an impressive 200% boost in monthly sales, raising their revenue from 5,000 yuan to 15,000 yuan. “Through prompting, we found new product ideas that significantly grew our range. Our ability to meet more market demands is reflected in our sales growth,” she reflects. She concludes, “Analyzing data has also helped us understand customer feedback better, improving customer satisfaction.”

This journey has unveiled to Yang the profound impact that technology can have on entrepreneurship. She recognizes the importance of learning about artificial intelligence, seeing it as a key component for the future of business. Yang is committed to advocating for the integration of technology into entrepreneurship, especially for those facing challenges, believing that AI can help people adapt and succeed.

Through her story, Yang highlights the importance of staying curious and embracing new technologies. She emphasizes the need to utilize available resources and take ownership of one’s educational path. Yang’s journey is not just a personal triumph; it showcases the transformative power of technology in facilitating positive change, and creating value for businesses of all sizes.