Applied AI Speakers — Feature Profile
John Hefty
Founder of Create-A-Book
“I built a business that puts a child's name on the cover of a book. AI is helping us put it in the hands of every child on earth.”
— John Hefty, Founder of Create-A-Book
01 — The Human Story
The Business
of Making
Every Child the Hero
John Hefty built Create-A-Book on a simple but powerful idea: every child deserves to be the star of their own story. What started as a personalized publishing concept became a thriving e-commerce business that has put millions of children's names on the cover of a book — and sparked a lifelong love of reading.
As an e-commerce and marketing innovator, John has navigated every wave of digital transformation — from early internet retail to social media marketing — and emerged with hard-won lessons about building businesses that scale without losing their soul.
“Personalization at scale is the future of every business. AI just made it possible for everyone.”
Personalized Publishing & E-Commerce
02 — The AI Application
AI-Powered
Hyper-Personalization
John Chmela demonstrates how AI is taking personalization to an entirely new level — from AI-generated custom content and dynamic product recommendations to predictive marketing that anticipates what each customer wants before they know it themselves. The same principle that made Create-A-Book magical is now available to every business at scale.
This tandem keynote shows how AI-powered personalization is the ultimate competitive advantage in the attention economy — and gives audiences the specific tools and frameworks to implement it in their own organizations immediately.
Key Topics
- 01AI-generated personalized books and products
- 02From manual personalization to AI-powered mass customization
- 03The future of the 'personalized anything' industry
- 04Entrepreneurship lessons across 45 years of innovation
03 — Ideal For
Who Should
Book This Talk
Publishing conferences, e-commerce events, marketing summits, entrepreneurship forums, retail innovation conferences
E-Commerce
Retail & online marketplaces
Marketing Teams
Brand & growth leaders
Entrepreneurs
Founders & startup events
Publishing
Media & content companies
04 — The Tandem Partnership
Two Voices.
One Unforgettable Keynote.
John Hefty
Founder of Create-A-Book
John Chmela
Certified AI Strategist & Applied AI Expert
John brings certified, battle-tested AI expertise to every engagement — no hype, no jargon. Just actionable intelligence on AI Ethics, governance, and the practical tools reshaping every industry.
AI Ethics • AI-Jacking Methodology • Governance