Today on the Invest In Her podcast, host Catherine Gray talks with entrepreneur and AI innovator Bethany Crystal, founder and CEO of Build First, an AI learning lab and product studio focused on helping people turn ideas into working products—often in under an hour. With a background spanning startups, venture capital, workforce development, and leadership roles at organizations including Union Square Ventures, Tech:NYC, and Stack Overflow, Bethany has spent more than a decade helping people adapt to major technology shifts. She is passionate about making AI approachable and practical for everyday people, and has already trained more than 1,500 individuals through hands-on workshops, hackathons, and live build sessions.
In this episode, Bethany and Catherine dive into the rapidly evolving world of AI and what it means for entrepreneurs, creators, and the future of work. Bethany shares how she unexpectedly began building AI-powered mini apps for her own family and how that experience led her to launch Build First. The conversation explores why learning to “build” with AI is becoming an essential skill, how non-technical founders can use AI tools to bring ideas to life faster than ever before, and why experimentation is more important than perfection in today’s business landscape. Bethany also discusses balancing entrepreneurship with motherhood, her grassroots leadership work in New York City, and her belief that the future belongs to people willing to adapt, create, and embrace emerging technology.
Websites Mentioned: https://buildfirst.ai/
