Kickdrum and Eliza Launch OpenAI Technical Training Academy to Address Enterprise AI Execution Gaps

As enterprise adoption of OpenAI technologies accelerates, many organizations are encountering a critical challenge: moving from AI experimentation to reliable, production-grade deployment.

To respond to this need, Eliza and Kickdrum have announced a strategic partnership to launch OpenAI Technical Training Academy, a six-month practitioner program that trains engineers to build, deploy, and operate enterprise-ready AI systems under real-world operational constraints.

Enterprise AI adoption is outpacing operational readiness

OpenAI’s expanding platform, which includes ChatGPT Enterprise, agent frameworks, and developer APIs, has lowered the barrier for building enterprise-grade AI-powered applications. However, scaling those initiatives into production remains difficult. Common challenges include managing cost and latency, meeting enterprise security and governance requirements, and operating AI systems reliably over time as models and tooling evolve.

These challenges highlight a broader industry gap: AI capabilities are advancing faster than the talent pipelines needed to operate them at scale.

A practitioner-led approach to AI training

OpenAI Technical Training Academy is designed to close this execution gap through hands-on training, rather than short-term instruction or theoretical coursework.

The Academy will challenge computer science graduates to build, deploy, and operate AI-powered systems using OpenAI technologies, ensuring that their work is aligned with enterprise delivery standards and production-grade requirements.

Ryan Kennedy, Principal and Co-Founder of Kickdrum, will serve as Chief AI and Technology Officer for Eliza, guiding the Academy’s technical strategy, curriculum rigor, and execution standards.

To learn more about the OpenAI Technical Training Academy, see Eliza’s press release.