Part 2: My Work In Artificial Intelligence For The Home Related Industries
AI: Part 2. This is Part 2 of a post I’ve been writing since 2023, which tells the chronological story of my work in AI and metaverses [ virtual worlds ] which started when I ran the first product development experiment for a furniture brand in the virtual world of Second Life.
If you missed Part 1 of this post, which details my work in artificial intelligence and metaverse spaces from 2008 through September of 2026, I invite you to read that on this link:
https://www.savourpartnership.com/blog//artificial-intelligence-and-metaverse-activations-a-summary
So moving forward now to October of 2026.
At the start of October of 2026, I was honored to have been named to the 2026 Innovators List by Kitchen and Bath Design News Magazine for my work in the kitchen and bath industry in AI.
Being named amongst so many designers and other industry service providers I admire [ including Savour Partnership client, Lori Carpenter, founder of The 3rd Phase ] was a genuine thrill.
You can read the entire article, here:
https://www.kitchenbathdesign.com/innovators-2026/
October 2026 was a big month.
I was very honored to speak in conversation with Alex Shuford, III, the CEO of RHF Investments, owner of Century Furniture, Hickory Chair, Hancock & Moore, Highland House, etc. at his Century Furniture showroom during Fall 2026 High Point Market.
Alex and I spoke together on this topic: What Happens When The Customer Isn’t Always Human: Preparing Your Business For MUSE And Other Agentic AI Buyers.
Below is a short REEL that was created for me by Agha Mo, who was there. The entire conversation can be heard on Century Furniture’s YouTube channel, here:
https://youtu.be/zW014tIhodA?si=GmYzWn-RRsEbO2xT
As you can see from the opening image of this post, I was doubly honored when Dennis Scully, host of Business of Home’s The Thursday Show podcast, listened to the entire conversation and then gave a very nice shoutout to our conversation and invited Business of Home’s audience to listen to it.
You can hear Dennis’s comment here, on the Business Of Home podcast on Spotify, starting at 59:31:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/71AefEdpto6tnOj4oPckTd?si=Jxw-X8YzScCpM0tLhmWX6w
At the beginning of November 2026, I was invited to speak again about AI for the NKBA’s Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, but this time on a panel. None of us knew each other ahead of time, but we had a great conversation.
In the first image below, on the left, was our excellent moderator, Jennifer Cope, publisher of Modern Luxury Interiors Texas magazine. Next to her is celebrity interior designer and one of my fellow panelists, Julee Ireland, who joined us from her home in LA.
Next to Julee is Mo, the volunteer communications chair for our local NKBA chapter and the business development manager for Floor & Decor, then interior designer Christine Cook [ a friend of ours ], then Rima, our NKBA TGCC President and then me.
Below this one is an image of me with Rachelle, 1/2 of the couple that hosted all of us in their beautiful Amodo European Collections kitchen and bath showroom at the Decorative Center of Houston.
The attendees were thinking…and engaged. Here they are listening to Rima introducing us before our talk.
My company is a new Industry Partner member of the NKBA. Having opportunities like this to help educate the local Houston area community on AI is wonderful, as I loved meeting so many new designers I didn’t know.
After we all spoke, Liz Lane, who works at Hilltop Stone, came up to me and said she no longer feels scared about AI. That made me feel like our panel’s mission was accomplished.
Thank you, Liz!
Also in November of 2026, Design Ops launches next Monday, November 16th at 7 pm ET via Zoom webinar.
Get a preview of it and register here: https://getdesignops.ai .
As many designers know, I’ve been working on this for a year, in collaboration with the AI development team at https://shurutech.com and 15 designers, our Founders Circle, who have been giving Shuru their suggestions, feedback on early iterations and workflows for the past 7 months, ever since they first saw the preview presentation at Spring High Point Market.
Shea Pumarejo, award winning kitchen and bath designer and owner of https://www.instagram.com/studio__pumarejo/ has been SHURU’s beta tester and we are so honored to have had her involvement from the very beginning.
Without Shea, DesignOps would not be happening. Thank you for everything, Shea.
As you can see in the below graphic, Agha Mo is also involved in helping us launch it. Thank you for your support in all ways, Mo. We all appreciate you!
What I am personally most proud of re: DesignOps is stated on the two images below.
Again, if you’re seeing this post before the launch, I invite you to get a preview of DesignOps on this link and then, if you like what you see, to register to join in for the Zoom webinar.
https://getdesignops.ai
If you’re seeing this post after the launch, please get in touch with Shea or Agha or me for more information on how to subscribe.
To the 100+ of you who have registered so far to join us next Monday, Nov. 16th, 2026, thank you.
Your fellow designers, shown below, have worked hard with me and the team at SHURU over the past 7 months to bring you a new agentic AI CRM that will give you the backend workflow support you need.
That concludes Part 2 of this post, for now.
Again, if you missed Part 1 and would like to read it, please click here:
https://www.savourpartnership.com/blog//artificial-intelligence-and-metaverse-activations-a-summary
As for my own business?
1/ If you’d like to hire me to speak to your audience about AI, please contact me here.
2/ I invite you to connect with me on Linked In, here:
https://linkedin.com/in/lesliecarothers
3/If you’re interested in working with me professionally on an innovative digital marketing activation for your business or tradeshow, please also use the above link to contact me.
4/ Lastly, please share this post with anyone you may know in your own circles who would find the information I’ve shared in all of these talks, articles and interviews useful.
Thank you,
Leslie Carothers
Principal, Savour Partnership
Named One of Home Furnishing Business Magazine’s Top 40 Most Inspiring Women In Home
Named to the 2026 Innovators List by Kitchen and Bath Design News Magazine
https://instagram.com/lesliemcarothers