Closing the AI Enablement Gap: Tina Saul on Building KINTAL for Smaller Creative Businesses

Access to AI tools does not automatically change how people work. That is the lesson Tina Saul took from her time at Meta, where early access to AI came without the practical training, visible sponsorship or protected time that teams needed to actually learn. It was only after she did the hands-on training herself, starting with something as simple as crafting a better prompt, that she could pass the learning on to her team.

That experience led her to found KINTAL, which brings the kind of practical AI thinking and support she had seen in larger organisations to smaller creative businesses that cannot afford a corporate consultancy. Hearing Mark Zuckerberg predict in January 2025 that AI could write code at the level of a mid-level engineer sharpened her sense of urgency. KINTAL focuses on protected time to experiment together, less admin, and the harder questions around intellectual property, ethics and responsibility, because good use does not necessarily equal responsible use.

In this Q&A, Tina shares what her time at Meta revealed, what pushed her to start KINTAL, and her advice for women building a business around a problem they have spotted: find your people, do not wait for permission, and give yourself the space to try, even when the system was not built for you.

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Q: What did your experience working at Meta reveal?

For me, the gap was enablement. Working at Meta, I had early access to AI tools, but in my experience the practical training and guidance initially weren't there. The people sponsoring adoption weren't visibly using the tools or encouraging teams to experiment, and there was no protected time or incentive to learn.

I was trying to help my team, but it was only when I did practical training myself that I understood how to get better results, even through something as simple as crafting a prompt. Then I could pass that learning on.

That experience stayed with me. Access alone doesn't change how people work. They need practical help, encouragement and space to try things. Otherwise, you can lose months of opportunity while the tools are already available.

Q: What led you to start KINTAL?

I wanted smaller creative businesses to have access to the practical thinking and support I'd seen in larger organisations, without needing a corporate consultancy budget.

Hearing Mark Zuckerberg predict in January 2025 that AI could write code at the level of a mid-level engineer sharpened that urgency for me. I kept thinking about how smaller businesses would navigate that pace of change.

KINTAL grew from wanting to bring my hands-on experience to that problem. Training matters, but people also need protected time to experiment together and rethink how work gets done. Reducing the admin can create space for that, and for understanding the harder questions around intellectual property, ethics and responsibility. Good use doesn't necessarily equal responsible use.

I wanted to make that support accessible to businesses that might otherwise be left to figure it out alone.

Q: What advice would you give other women building a business around a problem they've spotted?

Find your people. Not everyone will understand what you're trying to build or support it straight away. Having people around you who help you stand by what you want to achieve makes a real difference.

Don't expect it to happen immediately. Women face additional barriers, including around funding, and confidence alone doesn't remove them. Find people who will help you navigate the business world, and use AI where it can help you learn and manage the practical side.

Find your people, don't wait for permission, and give yourself the space to try, even when the system isn't built for you.

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