[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":352},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-teacher-launches-distillarc-to-help-craft-distilleries-teach-sales":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":340,"dateModified":340,"description":341,"extension":13,"meta":342,"navigation":21,"path":343,"rawbody":344,"seo":345,"sitemap":346,"stem":347,"tags":348,"__hash__":351},"news\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-teacher-launches-distillarc-to-help-craft-distilleries-teach-sales.md","Fresno teacher launches Distillarc to help craft distilleries, teach sales",false,"CVAI Education Desk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":333},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,282,286,289,292,296,299,302,305,320,323,327],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"fresno-teacher-launches-distillarc-to-help-craft-distilleries-teach-sales",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Patiño School teacher Sean Begen launched Distillarc, an AI sales tool for craft distilleries.",[254,258,259],{},"He started the platform in January 2026 and is seeking 8–10 pilot partners this year.",[254,261,262],{},"Begen has contacted about 40 distilleries and received five responses to date.",[254,264,265],{},"He plans to use Distillarc’s real-world work as part of his Fresno Unified classes.",[66,267,268],{},"Sean Begen teaches entrepreneurship at Patiño School of Entrepreneurship in Fresno. This winter he built something for his own market research itch, then realized it doubled as a classroom case study. The product is Distillarc, an AI-powered sales platform aimed at helping small distilleries find and grow accounts. That matters here because Begen says the work will live in his high school classes in Fresno Unified, giving kids a window into how sales pipelines actually move.",[66,270,271],{},"\"I like learning the science, the business, the stories,\" Begen said. He has spent the last few years studying spirits, watching how whiskey is made in the U.S. and abroad, and how tequila gets to market. A half-empty can of Dr Pepper sat by the projector.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-distillarc-does","What Distillarc does",[66,277,278],{},"Distillarc is built to identify accounts that match a distillery’s brand and goals, then track outreach and market activity so owners can spend time on the right leads. Begen said the pilot will include help with day-to-day sales and compliance, plus reporting that gives owners a clear view of where each bottle might sell. He wants the tool to be customized for each shop, not a one-size list.",[66,280,281],{},"The platform started in January as a side project. Begen is now turning it into a business, with education still in the frame. Eight to ten by December, he hopes.",[61,283,285],{"id":284},"why-a-teacher-built-it","Why a teacher built it",[66,287,288],{},"Begen teaches teenagers to pitch, test, and revise. Distillarc gives him a live case to pull apart, from first-contact emails to whether a sales message lands with a buyer. He says students will see how market data turns into a weekly plan, how follow-ups improve conversion, and how a founder changes course when the numbers argue for it. And they’ll see that sales is a system, not a guess.",[66,290,291],{},"He’s already reached out to about 40 distilleries and heard back from five. The industry headwind is real, he said, with younger drinkers buying less, so owners need better targeting and clearer stories to grow.",[61,293,295],{"id":294},"where-this-lands-in-the-valley","Where this lands in the Valley",[66,297,298],{},"There aren’t many distilleries in the Central Valley, though Maple & Copper Distilling opened in Fresno this year next to the Golden Hour bar. Begen is looking across California for the pilot, roughly 200 distilleries by his count, but the classroom is here. If Distillarc works, Patiño students will see negotiations, setbacks, and small wins in real time, which is the point for a K-12 program built around entrepreneurship.",[66,300,301],{},"Begen said he will start in California and is open to out-of-state partners later. He wants feedback that helps shape the tool and gives his students a cleaner look at what buyers actually say when the pitch is over.",[66,303,304],{},"\"Distilleries can work with their current demographic and whoever their customer is to try to fix that issue and they’re going to have to get creative and think outside the box,\" Begen said.",[66,306,307],{},[308,309,310,311,313,314,319],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,312,239],{}," team and developed by ",[315,316,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":317},[318],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[321,322],"hr",{},[61,324,326],{"id":325},"source","Source",[66,328,329],{},[315,330,331],{"href":331,"rel":332},"https:\u002F\u002Fthebusinessjournal.com\u002Ffresno-teacher-builds-ai-platform-to-help-craft-distilleries-grow\u002F",[318],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":334},[335,336,337,338,339],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":274,"depth":11,"text":275},{"id":284,"depth":11,"text":285},{"id":294,"depth":11,"text":295},{"id":325,"depth":11,"text":326},"2026-07-21","Sean Begen of Patiño School of Entrepreneurship built Distillarc, an AI sales platform for craft distilleries, and plans a pilot while folding the work into his high school classroom.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-teacher-launches-distillarc-to-help-craft-distilleries-teach-sales","---\nauthor: CVAI Education Desk\ndate: '2026-07-21'\ndateModified: '2026-07-21'\ndescription: Sean Begen of Patiño School of Entrepreneurship built Distillarc, an\n  AI sales platform for craft distilleries, and plans a pilot while folding the work\n  into his high school classroom.\ntags:\n- education\n- fresno\n- business\ntitle: Fresno teacher launches Distillarc to help craft distilleries, teach sales\n---\n\n# Fresno teacher launches Distillarc to help craft distilleries, teach sales\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Patiño School teacher Sean Begen launched Distillarc, an AI sales tool for craft distilleries.\n2. He started the platform in January 2026 and is seeking 8–10 pilot partners this year.\n3. Begen has contacted about 40 distilleries and received five responses to date.\n4. He plans to use Distillarc’s real-world work as part of his Fresno Unified classes.\n\nSean Begen teaches entrepreneurship at Patiño School of Entrepreneurship in Fresno. This winter he built something for his own market research itch, then realized it doubled as a classroom case study. The product is Distillarc, an AI-powered sales platform aimed at helping small distilleries find and grow accounts. That matters here because Begen says the work will live in his high school classes in Fresno Unified, giving kids a window into how sales pipelines actually move.\n\n\"I like learning the science, the business, the stories,\" Begen said. He has spent the last few years studying spirits, watching how whiskey is made in the U.S. and abroad, and how tequila gets to market. A half-empty can of Dr Pepper sat by the projector.\n\n## What Distillarc does\n\nDistillarc is built to identify accounts that match a distillery’s brand and goals, then track outreach and market activity so owners can spend time on the right leads. Begen said the pilot will include help with day-to-day sales and compliance, plus reporting that gives owners a clear view of where each bottle might sell. He wants the tool to be customized for each shop, not a one-size list.\n\nThe platform started in January as a side project. Begen is now turning it into a business, with education still in the frame. Eight to ten by December, he hopes.\n\n## Why a teacher built it\n\nBegen teaches teenagers to pitch, test, and revise. Distillarc gives him a live case to pull apart, from first-contact emails to whether a sales message lands with a buyer. He says students will see how market data turns into a weekly plan, how follow-ups improve conversion, and how a founder changes course when the numbers argue for it. And they’ll see that sales is a system, not a guess.\n\nHe’s already reached out to about 40 distilleries and heard back from five. The industry headwind is real, he said, with younger drinkers buying less, so owners need better targeting and clearer stories to grow.\n\n## Where this lands in the Valley\n\nThere aren’t many distilleries in the Central Valley, though Maple & Copper Distilling opened in Fresno this year next to the Golden Hour bar. Begen is looking across California for the pilot, roughly 200 distilleries by his count, but the classroom is here. If Distillarc works, Patiño students will see negotiations, setbacks, and small wins in real time, which is the point for a K-12 program built around entrepreneurship.\n\nBegen said he will start in California and is open to out-of-state partners later. He wants feedback that helps shape the tool and gives his students a cleaner look at what buyers actually say when the pitch is over.\n\n\"Distilleries can work with their current demographic and whoever their customer is to try to fix that issue and they’re going to have to get creative and think outside the box,\" Begen said.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Education Desk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fthebusinessjournal.com\u002Ffresno-teacher-builds-ai-platform-to-help-craft-distilleries-grow\u002F\n",{"title":237,"description":341},{"loc":343},"news\u002Ffresno-teacher-launches-distillarc-to-help-craft-distilleries-teach-sales",[349,121,350],"education","business","Ceq8O-C-ARlp4KTdIZlq_j6vLP_J96susP2AX42-5fw",1784637511810]