Inc. lately launched its 2025 record of America’s 5,000 Quickest-Rising Non-public Firms, and Advertising AI Institute made the record. Attaining greater than 12x development in simply three years and incomes a spot at #320, this marks the Institute’s first look on the Inc. 5000 record.
When you’re unfamiliar, the Inc. 5000 is a data-driven snapshot of probably the most profitable firms within the financial system’s most dynamic phase: unbiased, entrepreneurial companies. Previous honorees embrace Microsoft, Meta, Chobani, Below Armour, Timberland, Oracle, and Patagonia.
Firms on the 2025 Inc. 5000 are ranked based on proportion income development from 2021 to 2024. To qualify, firms should have been based and producing income by March 31, 2021. They should be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and unbiased—not subsidiaries or divisions of different firms—as of December 31, 2024. (Since then, some on the record could have gone public or been acquired.) The minimal income required for 2021 is $100,000; the minimal for 2024 is $2 million.
To mark the event, I had the pleasure of sitting down with the Institute’s founder, Paul Roetzer, to speak about what this recognition means to him—and to mirror on the journey it took to get right here.
“This award is a tribute to how a lot work the group has put in,” he mentioned. “And to the assumption in our imaginative and prescient of the place AI would take the enterprise world and the larger position we may play in it.”
He added: “We’re nonetheless on the entrance of an intelligence explosion, and we have to hold doing what we’re doing to assist people and firms drive transformation of their careers and organizations.”
However, earlier than we glance forward, let’s return to the start…
The Journey: A Imaginative and prescient Realized
With a deep perception within the transformative energy of AI, Paul based the Advertising AI Institute in 2016 as an initiative inside his former advertising and marketing company. It began modestly, as a weblog and e-newsletter exploring the intersection of promoting and AI. This was one yr earlier than the Google Mind group invented the transformer structure, and 6 years earlier than the launch of ChatGPT—a wholly totally different period in AI understanding and adoption. Nonetheless, Paul was satisfied of AI’s potential to reshape enterprise, even when most others couldn’t but see the trail forward.
By the tip of 2018, nevertheless, the Institute was consuming vital company assets. Paul made a daring transfer: he spun the Institute out as its personal entity and personally funded its operations.
In 2019, the Institute launched the inaugural Marketing AI Conference (MAICON). Paul continued investing his personal cash into the enterprise, regardless of shedding a whole bunch of hundreds of {dollars}. It was painful, however seeing 300 professionals from greater than 12 international locations attend that first occasion in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, reaffirmed his perception that he was constructing one thing significant.
After which COVID hit, and every part was in danger.
By this level, although, the Institute had developed far past a weblog. It had grown right into a media, occasions, and on-line schooling firm with a subscriber base of greater than 15,000. Recognizing that worth, Paul efficiently raised a $1 million seed spherical to maintain the enterprise afloat and create a multi-year runway.
In 2021, he bought his company to focus full-time on the Institute. By November of that yr, he had contingency plans in place to boost further funding.
After which—every part modified, once more.
The discharge of ChatGPT in late 2022 ignited a seismic shift. Paul began getting calls from VCs, college and authorities leaders, CEOs, and analysts asking the identical questions: What is that this, and what does it imply to enterprise and the way forward for work?
Out of the blue, the enterprise world started to understand what Paul had seen all alongside.
In February 2023, the Institute noticed explosive development. By March, it recorded its first worthwhile month in firm historical past. Later that yr, MAICON 2023 welcomed greater than 700 professionals, and Paul’s talking schedule started to quickly fill with new alternatives.
Right now, the Institute is a thriving hub for AI schooling and insights, with a passionate group of greater than 100,000 subscribers—and rising.
Wanting Forward: Charting What Comes Subsequent
Since 2023, Paul has described the Institute as a “rocketship.”
Over the previous yr, he’s spent appreciable time asking a essential query: What precisely are we constructing? Will the Institute evolve right into a analysis agency? A consulting powerhouse? One thing completely new?
On the core of this exploration was a single driving focus: How can we drive the best impression and transformation as quick as attainable?
That’s when Paul crystallized a brand new imaginative and prescient. The end result: AI Academy 3.0 and the AI Literacy Challenge, launched by the Institute’s mum or dad firm, SmarterX.
Now in movement, The AI Literacy Project is designed to arrange people and organizations for the way forward for work by making AI schooling accessible and personalised.
“Daily, our group reveals up prepared to assist, pushed by the assumption that AI can rework lives and careers,” mentioned Paul. “By way of our occasions, schooling, content material, and group, we’ve seen individuals make actual breakthroughs of their work and their organizations. Being a part of that journey with this group is probably the most gratifying a part of what we do.”
Able to Speed up Your AI Literacy?
We’re introducing the model new AI Academy throughout a particular upcoming launch occasion.
Be part of Paul Roetzer and the SmarterX group on Aug. 19 for the AI Academy by SmarterX 3.0 launch event, the place you may find out about our new on-demand programs and certifications, in addition to get a primary have a look at the imaginative and prescient and roadmap forward.
Register today for reside or on-demand entry.
