AI Office Hours at the Innovation Hub
Fifteen minutes, one question, no slides and nothing to buy.
Happening right now — come on over.
Book a 15-minute slotWhat this is
Most useful conversations about technology are short. Someone has one real question — is this tool worth paying for, is our data in a state where any of this works, did we just agree to something in a vendor contract we should not have — and what they need is a straight answer from someone with no stake in it.
That is what this is. Every Thursday during the semester, Dr. Dominik Kalisch sits in the commons at the Innovation Hub for ninety minutes. Book one of the five fifteen-minute slots or just come by. Bring one question. There are no slides, no discovery process and no product to demo — Alephnet is independent and does not resell software, so there is nothing anyone can sell you in fifteen minutes anyway.
Fifteen minutes is short on purpose. It is long enough for one real question and an honest answer, and short enough that booking it costs you nothing to reconsider. If the honest answer is "this is bigger than one sitting", you will get that too, along with what we would look at first. Plenty of conversations end with "you do not need us for this", and that is a fine outcome.
What you'll leave with
- A straight answer to one question, from someone with no product in the game
- An outside read on whatever your team has already started using, approved or not
- If it is bigger than one sitting: what we would look at first, and in what order
Who it's for
- Owners and operators around Lubbock and West Texas with one specific question, not a project
- Founders and teams at the Innovation Hub deciding whether AI belongs in what they are building
- Anyone whose team has already started using these tools and who would like an outside read on it
This season
13 Thursdays, September 10 through December 10, 2026. Each session runs 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM CT, with 5 bookable 15-minute slots — and walk-ins in whatever time is left.
- Sep 10 Thursday
- Sep 17 Thursday
- Sep 24 Thursday
- Oct 1 Thursday
- Oct 8 Thursday
- Oct 15 Thursday
- Oct 22 Thursday
- Oct 29 Thursday
- Nov 5 Thursday
- Nov 12 Thursday
- Nov 19 Thursday
- Dec 3 Thursday
- Dec 10 Thursday
All times CT. No session on November 26.
Who you'll be talking to
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Dr. Dominik Kalisch Co-Founder & CEO, Alephnet · Adjunct Professor, Texas Tech University — Rawls College of Business
Take a slot, or just turn up
Appointments have priority, so booking is the way to be sure of the time — it takes about thirty seconds and needs nothing but a name, an email and your one question. Walk-ins are genuinely welcome; you may just wait a few minutes if a slot is taken.
Questions
Do I need an appointment?
No, but appointments have priority. There are five bookable slots each week, and if someone has booked the one you walk in on you may wait a few minutes. Booking takes about thirty seconds and guarantees the time is yours.
Is this a sales meeting in disguise?
No. There is nothing to buy, no follow-up sequence, and no obligation of any kind. If you want to keep talking afterwards you know where to find us — and if you do not, you will not hear from us.
What if my question is confidential?
Say so when you book, or when you sit down, and we will move to a private room instead of the commons. Nothing you say is recorded, repeated or written down.
What counts as a good question?
A specific one. "Should we be using AI?" is hard to answer in fifteen minutes; "we are about to pay for this tool, is it worth it?" or "our data lives in four places, where do we start?" is exactly right.
Do I have to be affiliated with Texas Tech?
Not at all. The Innovation Hub is simply a neutral, easy place to meet. The sessions are open to anyone running a business in the area.
Can I book more than one slot?
One at a time, please — there are only five a week and they are meant to go round. Come back the following Thursday if a question turns into another one, or book a longer call if it turns out to need the room.
What if I need to cancel?
Your confirmation email has a link that releases the slot for someone else — one click, no explanation needed, and there is nothing to pay either way. Replying to the email works too.
Then let's take the time it needs.
Some questions do not fit in a slot in the commons. A short, no-obligation call covers the same ground with room to actually dig in — independent and vendor-neutral, same as office hours.