Summerfest Tech 2026
Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (MWF) is excited to announce the dates and content themes for the eighth annual Summerfest Tech, Milwaukee’s premiere tech event. The conference will take place in person Tuesday, June 23 - Friday, June 26, 2026, and core programming will remain FREE of charge with access to additional paid content. To register, visit Summerfest Tech.
The 2026 conference will focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), along with the following content tracks:
Coroporate Innovation
- Advanced Manufacturing, sponsored by AWS/Syntax
- Healthcare/Biohealth, sponsored by JBS Dev
- Fin/InsurTech, sponsored by Potawatomi Ventures
- Food/Bev/Ag, sponsored by Molson Coors Beverage Company
- Trending & Cross-Industry, sponsored by Michels
- MarTech
Entrepreneur Alley
- Founder Feature
- Ecosystem Builder
- Pitch Competition, sponsored by The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
The Summerfest TechAI agenda now lives on the Summerfest app! Just go to the menu on the top left-hand corner, then tap “SUMMERFEST TECH” Download the Summerfest App
More details on speakers and agenda information will be forthcoming. Pitch competition application timelines and other information can be found on our Pitch Competition page.
To learn more about how to sponsor or get involved in programming, please contact Lena DeLaet at summerfesttech@summerfest.com.
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Select the red arrows on the right to expand programming details.
Event Schedule
Jun
Opening Event: Registration & Badge Pickup Opens
Join us for the opening event at Summerfest Tech! This panel and networking event will take place at 3rd Street Market Hall and their event space "The Venue" (275 W Wisconsin Ave Suite 100, Milwaukee, WI 53203).
Discounted parking will be available onsite!
Pre-register for this event through our website and your badge will be available to be printed and picked up onsite for ease and efficiency! You may also register onsite.
Opening Panel: Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab, UW-Milwaukee's Connected Systems Institute and TitletownTech
Location: 3rd Street Market Hall event space "The Venue" (275 W Wisconsin Ave Suite 100, Milwaukee, WI 53203)
This conference opening panel will feature the Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab and how it helps companies utilize AI to solve operational challenges. The lab is an engine of applied AI unique to Wisconsin, operated in partnership with UW-Milwaukee's Connected Systems Institute and TitletownTech. The panel will also feature companies who have built solutions in the lab, highlighting how Wisconsin has become a hub for applied AI innovation.
Speakers Coming Soon
Jun
Registration Opens & Breakfast
Sponsored by T-Mobile for Business
The Westin Milwaukee is located at 550 N Van Buren St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Registration will be located on the first floor
Breakfast will be located outside of The Grand Ballroom on the third floor
Join us ahead of the keynote to explore our Exhibit Hall, networking with attendees, and snag a quick bite before the day!
Evening badge pickup available at Discourse at Radio Milwaukee from 5-7pm.
Keynote - Return on Intelligence: A Strategic Enterprise Playbook for Scalable AI Agents
Keynote Presentation
Kristin will keynote on her book, “Return on Intelligence: A Strategic Enterprise Playbook for Scalable AI Agents.” The first 100 attendees will receive a free copy of Kristin's book and have the ability to have her sign the book and attend a meet and greet immediately following her keynote.
Kristin Milchanowski, Chief AI and Data Officer, BMO Financial Group
Advanced Manufacturing Track - Software-Defined Vehicles
Rewriting the Rules of Mobility: Software‑Defined Vehicles, Built Through Engineering Innovation
Sponsored by Husco
Software‑defined vehicles (SDVs) are reshaping the future of wheeled machinery, where engineering‑led innovation and the people behind it are the true driving force. Built to evolve through software rather than remain locked at launch, SDVs unlock new capabilities, features, and performance over time. Off‑highway machines are entering a software‑defined era and this session explores how a Wisconsin‑based team is applying software‑driven thinking across engineering and manufacturing to accelerate innovation and scale next‑generation machine platforms.
Ben Holter, Director of Mechatronics, Husco
Sarah Iselin, Design Engineer, Husco
Theo Kachelski, Electrical Engineer, Husco
Healthcare/Biotech Track - Chemistry Powering Medicine
The Invisible Infrastructure of Innovation: How AI and Advanced Chemistry Are Accelerating Medicine
Every breakthrough drug, diagnostic test and cell therapy depend on an invisible layer of chemistry and biology that most people never see. In this session, Chris Wozniak, Head of Production Materials at MilliporeSigma, brings the audience inside the invisible infrastructure of modern medicine. Together we'll explore how AI, smart manufacturing, and predictive supply chains are accelerating drug discovery and what this means for organizations, companies, and patients.
Chris Wozniak, Executive Director and Head of Production Materials, MilliporeSigma (the life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany)
Open Block - Currently No Programming
Please feel free to use this open block to network with other attendees and meet with our exhibit tables!
Food, Beverage, Agriculture Track - Profiting Through Volatility
Math, Not Magic...
Sponsored by Vadar Alpha
How does an $8B food maker rewire its pricing and risk decisions for an era of higher volatility? Most companies treat their P&L as a eulogy: merely a story on last month's performance. We will discuss the shift to a system where procurement, production, and pricing decisions link directly to relevant market signals to drive future profits. This talk examines how a global enterprise, based in Wisconsin, moves beyond AI demos to actually upgrade its commercial intelligence.
Kathleen Gallagher, Executive Director, 5 Lakes Institute
Stephen Pounds, President and CEO, Vadar Alpha, Inc.
Sriraj Kantemneni, CDIO, Schreiber Foods
Trending & Cross-Industry Track - Applied AI Blueprint
The WCTC AI Blueprint: From Internal Strategy to External Opportunity
Sponsored by WCTC
In this session, WCTC's enterprise leadership will pull back the curtain on a real, operational AI strategy, and the Applied AI Lab will show you exactly how to turn that inspiration into action at your own organization. Leave with a blueprint, not just a vision.
Sarah J. Buszka, Executive Director, Applied AI Lab, Waukesha County Technical College
Segun Onilude, AI Project Manager, Waukesha County Technical College
MarTech Track - Secure AI Adoption
Not All AI Risk Is Created Equal
Most AI security conversations talk past the people who need them most, either too technical for marketers or too business-casual for IT. This session takes a different approach. Brian Kohlmann, Director of AI and Emerging Technology at Bader Rutter, introduces a practical, three-tier classification framework that helps marketing and IT teams answer the same question together: what can we actually use AI for, and what does responsible use actually require? Drawing on BR's own AI infrastructure investment (including a local model processor purpose-built for the most sensitive work) Brian gives both sides of the room a shared vocabulary, a clear decision-making structure, and a concrete case for why IT and Marketing are each other's strongest allies in getting this right.
Brian Kohlmann, Director of AI and Emerging Technology, Bader Rutter
Ecosystem Builder - Midwest Momentum
Midwest Momentum: The New Investment Landscape in Wisconsin and Beyond
The startup capital map is shifting—and the Midwest is on the rise. This session unpacks how investors, accelerators, and founders are fueling a new wave of innovation across Wisconsin and neighboring markets. Learn what’s driving this regional growth, where the funding opportunities are emerging, and how startups can tap into the Midwest’s expanding entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Dr. Bryce P. Nelson, Executive in Residence, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Mason Cook, Founding Partner, Mastercraft Ventures
Founder Feature - The Founder’s Exit
The Founder’s Exit: What Comes Next When You Sell, Merge, or Step Away
After the deal closes, a new chapter begins. From navigating identity shifts and financial decisions to exploring new ventures, investing, or taking time to reset, this session offers an honest look at what really happens next. Hear lessons learned, unexpected challenges, and how to approach your own transition with clarity and intention.
RJ Taylor, Founder, Backstroke
John Khazraee, CEO/Founder, MayimFlow
Advanced Manufacturing Track - AI-Powered Smart Manufacturing
AI powered Industry 4.0 technologies @ Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA)
Sponsored by Step CG
SIA utilizes hybrid network infrastructure enabling IoT, digital industrial applications, and predictive analytics to monitor production, ensuring high quality and increasing uptime.
Ed Walton, Chief Executive Officer, STEP CG
Todd Kelly, Chief Technology Officer, STEP CG
Dale Hawkins, Senior Manage of Information Systems, Subaru of Indiana Automotive
Healthcare/Biotech Track - Agentic Healthcare Intelligence
Beyond Copilot: Architecting Agentic AI for Healthcare Impact
Sponsored by JBS Dev
Healthcare organizations are experimenting with AI, but few are delivering clinical and operational outcomes. The next evolution is agentic AI that moves beyond insights to intelligent action in patient care and operations. JBS Dev shares how we've embedded AI into healthcare data systems to streamline clinical workflows, support care decisions, and improve patient outcomes. Learn how to avoid common pitfalls, integrate AI with existing EHR/data infrastructure, and turn healthcare data into intelligent, outcome-driven care systems.
Joseph Rose, President, JBS Dev
FinTech Track - AI Governance Strategy
The Alignment Bottleneck: Why AI Value Stalls and How to Fix It
Every organization is racing to adopt AI. Far fewer are aligned on how. As technology becomes commoditized, the real constraint on AI value is no longer access; it's getting teams, departments, and executives to move in the same direction.
In this session, Notoane R. Russell, a cybersecurity executive who has defended the Department of Defense's global networks, argues that organizational alignment, not technology, is the true bottleneck to AI value. Drawing on a career spanning military cyberspace operations and Fortune 100 financial services, he shows why well-resourced teams still stall, duplicate effort, and quietly introduce risk through their AI initiatives. Attendees will leave with a practical operating model, a "battle rhythm" proven at enterprise scale—for keeping AI investment, governance, security, and strategy connected, whether they lead a startup or a global enterprise.
Notoane R. Russell, Vice President of Cybersecurity Architecture, Morgan Stanley
Food, Beverage, Agriculture Track - Human-Led AI Growth
What to Automate, What to Keep Human, and How to Use AI for Innovation & Growth
AI is changing how teams move, market, sell, and make decisions, but the companies that win will not be the ones that automate everything. They will be the ones that know what to automate, what to keep human, and how to use AI to amplify judgment, creativity, and connection.
In this session, Lotza Founder & CEO Laura Markewicz shares how a lean consumer brand is using AI to move faster, understand customers more deeply, sharpen messaging, prepare for investor and buyer conversations, and identify growth opportunities without outsourcing the human instincts that make a brand resonate. Attendees will walk away with a practical framework for using AI as a growth tool in their own work, whether they are leading a team, launching a new idea, selling into a new market, or trying to build buy-in for innovation.
Laura Markewicz, Founder & CEO, Lotza
Trending & Cross-Industry Track - AI Transforming Lead Generation
From Data to Deal: How AI Is Transforming Lead Generation
Sponsored by Customertimes
Sales teams are flooded with noise and starved for signal. In this session, Customertimes will share how they built an AI-powered Lead Engine that turns unstructured, third-party market data into a prioritized, scored pipeline of high-value opportunities, delivered directly inside your existing CRM.
This is not a concept. This is a live pilot, in production, with real results.
Attendees will learn how:
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AI continuously scans external data sources to surface demand signals before competitors act
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A proprietary scoring model ranks every lead, so sales reps focus on the opportunities most likely to convert rather than sorting through a spreadsheet of cold names
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An SMS-based AI assistant quietly handles unassigned leads in the background, nudging reps and warming prospects without adding to anyone's workload
Whether you're in manufacturing, distribution, or any industry where timing and targeting drive revenue, this session will show you what it looks like when AI stops being a slide deck and starts closing deals.
Leena Sharma, VP & Global CIO, Enerpac Tool Group
MarTech Track - AI's Customer Impact
The AI-Powered Customer Journey: How Buying Behavior Is Changing Faster Than Most Businesses Realize
The customer journey has fundamentally changed. Today’s buyers are researching through AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and AI-powered search experiences long before they ever visit your website or contact your team.
In this session, Lori Highby will break down how artificial intelligence is reshaping discovery, trust, decision-making, and customer expectations across the entire buying journey. Attendees will learn how AI influences search visibility, content strategy, customer experience and conversion paths.
Through real-world examples, practical insights and actionable strategies, this session will help marketers and business leaders better understand:
- How the customer journey has evolved in the age of AI
- Where AI is influencing buyer decisions before brands even know they exist
- Why traditional SEO alone is no longer enough
- How AI tools evaluate trust, authority and credibility
- What businesses can do to improve visibility in AI-powered discovery experiences
Lori Highby, CEO & Founder, Keystone Click
Ecosystem Builder - A Gathering for the Investors Shaping What’s Next
Sponsored by BMO
This exclusive gathering convenes venture capitalists, angel investors, corporate innovation leaders, and emerging fund managers driving momentum across the Midwest. Designed as a high-signal, low-friction environment, the session creates space for investors to engage with peers, exchange insights, and gain visibility into a curated pipeline of opportunities—without the noise of a traditional conference setting. The experience is structured to move beyond networking and toward actionable outcomes—from deal syndication and co-investment to shared diligence pipelines and strategic collaboration.
At its core, the meetup strengthens the relationships that drive meaningful capital deployment.
Garett Poston, Managing Director – Regional Investmenet Bank, BMO Capital Markets
Derek Garland, Head of Business Transition Advisory, BMO Wealth
Andrew Harrison, Head - Emerging Partnerships & Innovation Fund, BMO Financial Group
Amy Chou, Co-Founder and CEO, Additional Wealth
Nisha Gandhi, Venture Partner, Growth & Operations, AccelerOnc Studio
Denise S. Brown, President + General Partner, AND Capital
Grady Buchanan, Co-Founder & Managing Director, NVNG
Jon Nordby, General Partner, Anthropy Partners
Elijah May, Co-Founder & CEO, Funded House
Aaron Towns, Director, BMO Commercial Bank
Founder Feature - The Soft Landing: Navigating Global Expansion
Why gamble on global expansion when you can orchestrate it? Utilizing the "Soft Landing" framework, we discuss how US-based scaling businesses can tap into global communities and ecosystems to de-risk entry and accelerate fundraising. This is a session for ambitious leaders ready to swap the "go-it-alone" mentality for a collaborative high impact pathway to global success. Learn how to stop "launching" into the unknown and start "landing" with precision.
Thomas Fisher, Head of Operations & Center Manager, Platform 94
Jennifer Manchester, Chief Human Resources Officer, Fiserv
Shayna Hetzel, VP of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
Gubernatorial Tech Town Hall
MKE Tech & Wisconsin Technology Council: Gubernatorial Tech Town Hall
Wednesday, June 24, 12:00–1:30 pm
Wisconsin is at a pivotal moment for tech, talent, and economic growth – and now is the time for our political leaders to engage deeply with the community building our tech-powered economy.
This partnered forum features questions from a diverse group of local changemakers representing the corporate, higher education, entrepreneurial, investor, and technologist perspectives. They will cover topics like AI adoption, talent pipelines, startup ecosystems, and what it takes to build a thriving, inclusive tech economy in Wisconsin.
Pre-register for the event here
Supported by the Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition and the Wisconsin Technology Council
Also onsite this year!
MKE Tech: FUSE Demo Day
Wednesday, June 24, 10:00am–12:00pm
Teams of diverse, rising talent from local educational institutions have spent two weeks participating in the FUSE Summer AI Sprint, collaborating on industry challenges to create some innovative, AI-powered concepts.
Demo Day is the grand finale, bringing together student teams to showcase their innovations and connect with the people making up our vibrant tech ecosystem. Join us in celebrating these talented students and network with Milwaukee’s new emerging leaders!
Stick around afterwards to hear from Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidates participating in an insightful forum focused on our tech ecosystem.
Speaker Lunch - Invite Only
Sponsored by Arista
Lunch Break
Sponsored by The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education
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Stay close with onsite options:
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Downtown Kitchen - in the U.S. Bank/Baird tower lobby
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All-In and Entertainment badges receive $10 lunch voucher
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Colectivo - in the U.S. Bank/Baird tower lobby
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Stella Van Buren - in the Westin
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- Explore offsite options nearby!
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Uncle Wolfie’s - 600 N Broadway
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Swingin’ Door Exchange - 219 E Michigan St
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Grassroots Salad Company - 607 N Water St
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Smoke Shack - 332 N Milwaukee St
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Milwaukee Public Market - 400 N Water St
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East Town Kitchen and Bar (located in the Marriott) - 625 N Milwaukee St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
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Tupelo Honey - 511 N Broadway #100, Milwaukee, WI 53202
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Advanced Manufacturing Track - Manufacturing IOT Journey
Session info coming soon!
Healthcare/BioTech Track - AI Data Infrastructure
Beyond the AI Hype: The Reality of Building Sustainable AI in Life Sciences
Sponsored by Hitachi-Vantara
Large-scale multi-omics and clinical imaging pipelines routinely outpace traditional cloud-first strategies. Organizations often face a clear operational mismatch: high-performance GPU clusters sit underutilized due to data starvation, while budgets are consumed by manual staging and unpredictable egress fees.
Building an operationally and financially sustainable platform requires a structural shift.
This session details a pragmatic blueprint to resolve these bottlenecks. We will examine how this data factory blueprint leverages a Global Namespace to present files natively across secure environments without manual copying. Crucially, we will demonstrate how an Intelligent Data Governance Engine operationalizes critical, often overlooked metadata, transforming isolated datasets and clinical context into compliant, pipeline-ready assets.
Dia Ali, Global Lead for Unstructured Data Platforms, Hitachi Vantara
Deepak Nagpal, CEO, Audax Labs
Open Block - Currently No Programming
Please feel free to use this open block to network with other attendees and meet with our exhibit tables!
Food, Beverage, Agriculture Track - AI on Tap
The Perfect Brew: Key Ingredients for a Smart, Scalable, and Secure Global AI Ecosystem
Sponsored by Molson Coors Brewing Company
Join your hometown host and premier track sponsor for a refreshing recipe to transform local experiments into enterprise assets that fuel business growth. Throughout this interactive discussion, IT leaders from Data & Analytics, Product Management, and Cybersecurity unpack the strategic frameworks and fluency programs required to scale AI capabilities across a global beverage company.
David Parks (Presenter), Director of Data Science and AI Solutions, Molson Coors Beverage Company
Jonah Turner (Moderator), Director of Integrated Business Planning, Molson Coors Beverage Company
Jeremy Bauer (Panelist), VP of IT and CISO, Molson Coors Beverage Company
Kristen Benbazza (Panelist), VP of Data, Analytics, and AI, Molson Coors Beverage Company
Meghan Tomanek (Panelist), Director of Marketing Technology, Molson Coors Beverage Company
Trending & Cross-Industry Track - Tech in Sports
Innovating Sports Through AI: Insights from the Bucks & Brewers
Sponsored by Regal Rexnord
Join technology leaders from two of Milwaukee’s premier sports franchises for a dynamic discussion on how AI is transforming professional sports. Derek Hyde, CIO of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Robert Cordova, Head of Strategy and Innovation for the Milwaukee Bucks, will share real‑world examples of how emerging technologies and AI are driving performance, fan experience, and operational excellence. This session explores how data, analytics, and intelligent platforms are redefining what it means to compete—and win—both on and off the field.
Tim Dickson (Moderator), CDIO, Regal Rexnord
Derek Hyde, CIO, Milwaukee Brewers
Robert Cordova, Head of Strategy and Innovation, Milwaukee Bucks
MarTech Track - Build, Buy, or AI
Build, Buy, Vibe or Agent?
The question of build or buy has gotten complicated in 2026 for marketers. Let's break down how to think about your options and provoke some discussion. In the process, it will become clear why I bet the farm on building my SaaS startup, Path3, while the media is spouting claims that SaaS is cooked.
Steve Robinson, Co-Founder & CEO, Path3
Ecosystem Builder - From Small Town to Scale-Up
From Small Town to Scale-Up: Midwest Startup Success Stories
Innovation is thriving across the Midwest—not only in major metros, but in smaller communities often overlooked in the national conversation. This session brings together founders who have built and scaled successful startups from small towns, navigating limited resources, attracting and retaining talent, and accessing capital beyond traditional hubs. Speakers will share candid insights on leveraging regional strengths, building resilient networks, and growing nationally while remaining rooted in their communities. Attendees will gain practical strategies and inspiration for scaling ambitious ventures from anywhere.
Anthony Molzahn, CEO, Devii
Lisa Morales-Hellebo, Founder & Managing General Partner, REFASHIOND Ventures
Founder Feature – Funding Fearlessly
Funding Fearlessly: Investment Strategies for Female Founders
Women entrepreneurs are reshaping the startup landscape—but the funding gap persists. Join this session to explore smart, actionable strategies for raising capital, building investor confidence, and leveraging networks that champion women-led ventures. Learn how today’s female founders are redefining success through intentional growth, strategic partnerships, and bold financial leadership.
Jennifer Abele, General Partner, VC14
Kate Brodock, General Partner, The W Fund & CEO, SWITCH
Amy Chou, CPO/COO, Addition Wealth
Hafeezah Muhammad, CEO, Backpack Health
Advanced Manufacturing Track - AI Driven Manufacturing
From Factory Floor to AI Value: How Manufacturers Turn Industrial Data into Competitive Advantage with AWS
Sponsored by Syntax & AWS
Manufacturing is at an inflection point. Supply chain disruptions, margin compression, and a widening skilled labor shortage are pushing industrial organizations past incremental efficiency gains toward fundamentally smarter operations. For most manufacturers, the data required to drive that transformation already exists. It's trapped in disconnected ERP systems, MES platforms, shopfloor controllers, and IoT sensors.
This session explores how to unlock the competitive value buried in industrial data and bridge IT and OT environments through a scalable AWS cloud foundation. We move quickly from architecture to application: predictive maintenance, AI-assisted quality control, production planning optimization, and generative AI copilots that augment engineering teams. We also tackle the pilot-to-scale gap explaining what separates manufacturers running successful POCs from those achieving enterprise-wide impact.
Attendees will leave with a framework for assessing data readiness, a realistic view of where AI delivers near-term ROI, and actionable lessons from manufacturers already making the transition.
Roman Freidel, Manufacturing Industry Principal, Syntax
Sanjukta Mukherjee, Senior Solution Architect, AWS
Healthcare/Biotech Track - Behavior Over Algorithms
Behavior Over Algorithms
Every digital health company is rushing to add AI. But the real bottleneck isn't intelligence; it's behavior. The average American is already juggling virtual care, a wearable, a digital health tracker, and patient portals. Seven in ten health apps are abandoned within 90 days. A common mistake is adding a smarter algorithm to the mix. What matters is earning a reply. In this session you will learn proven tactics that drive real health outcomes. You'll leave with best practices you can implement right away and a case for retiring vanity metrics like MAU, CTR, session length, and NPS.
Billy Daniels, Director of Product, Wearlinq
FinTech Track - Building the AI-Enabled Firm
You Can't Spell B-AI-RD Without AI – Building the AI-Enabled Firm: Baird's AI Journey
At Baird, AI isn't a side project bolted onto IT – it's owned by business leaders, championed from the top, and governed at the board level. In this two-part session, Tim Byrne first shares the firm-wide playbook: how a four-year journey went from "first time we asked the question" to clear ROI woven into business-unit strategy, built on federated ownership, cross-functional tiger teams, and a serious bet on talent. Then Ryan Burwell brings it down to the ground – the applied Private Wealth Management story, with real-world examples of AI delivering value for our Financial Advisors and clients today. If you're an applied-AI builder in Milwaukee looking for where business-led AI is actually working in financial services, this is your session. Spoiler: Baird is hiring. June 24, 2026
Tim Byrne, Chief Information Officer, Baird
Ryan Burwell, Director PWM Technology Strategy, Baird
Food, Beverage, Agriculture Track - Dough to Data and Back Again
From Dough to Data and Back Again: An Innovator’s Tale of Technology, AI, and the Future Factory
From a small bakery on Milwaukee’s east side to one of the largest privately held frozen pizza companies in America, this session explores the real ingredients behind successful transformation. Learn why processes, people, and training matter more than technology alone, and how AI serves as a powerful accelerator, amplifying what’s already working and exposing what isn’t. Innovation isn’t just the food we make but everything we do.
Nick Fallucca, Chief Product & Innovation Officer, Palermo's
Trending & Cross-Industry Track - AI-driven Identity Verification
When AI Attacks Trust: Identity-First Strategies to Stop Modern Fraud
Sponsored by Ping Identity & SDG
Generative AI is accelerating fraud at every stage of the digital journey—from synthetic identities and deepfake impersonation to account takeover and abuse of recovery flows. In this session, Steve Giovannetti will break down how security and identity teams can respond with an identity-first approach that shifts fraud prevention earlier in the user journey. Attendees will learn how high-assurance identity verification, real-time risk signals, and continuous trust decisions can help reduce fraud without adding unnecessary friction to customer experiences.
Steve Giovannetti, Field CTO, SDG
Scott Thobe, Director - Global Sales Engineering, Ping Identity
MarTech - Feedback to Innovation
Listening in the Age of AI, What Are We Really Looking For?
Organizations have never collected more feedback or trusted it less. Response rates are falling and single-number metrics tell us how much people feel, not why. This session asks what we're really after when we say we want to "listen," and what genuinely changes when AI turns feedback from a form into a conversation. Drawing on PrismScope's conversational survey work, you'll leave able to separate real understanding from sophisticated noise.
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Learning Objectives / Takeaways
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Why declining response rates and single-number metrics leave organizations data-rich but insight-poor
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The difference between measuring sentiment and understanding it and why "the why" rarely survives a Likert scale
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How conversational, adaptive AI changes what's possible to ask and to hear, including at scale and across languages
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What fault detection in complex systems teaches us about organizational listening — that the signal worth acting on is the quiet, early one
Who should attend: Leaders and practitioners in CX, research and insights, HR/people analytics, and product. Anyone responsible for the voice of the customer or employee.
Christopher Harrison, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, PrismScope
Pitch Competition: Advanced Manufacturing, Food/Bev/Ag, & FinTech
Okkanti
Shamel Studio
Ternwheel Inc.
ticker
eGrowth Corp
Green Steel Environmental
Maize
MayimFlow
Raffle Winner Announcement - Molson Coors
Join us prior to the 4pm keynote for housekeeping details and to see if you've won today's Molson Coors raffle item!
Keynote - UW–Madison: Shaping an AI-Driven Future
Sponsored by University of Wisconsin-Madison
During an interactive panel discussion, three University of Wisconsin–Madison deans will share how AI is shaping the professional landscape and the future workforce. You’ll also learn how UW is leading in AI education, innovation, and thoughtful implementation—and giving today’s leaders the technical tools to sharpen their competitive edge.
Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau, Incoming founding dean, College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Devesh Ranjan, Grainger Dean, College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Vallabh “Samba” Sambamurthy, Albert O. Nicholas Dean, Wisconsin School of Business, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Milwaukee Innovation District Bar Hop
Shuttle information:
- 5-6pm from the Westin to the 4 locations below
- 6-10pm between all 4 locations
Boone & Crockett
Sponsored by Bayforce
Boone & Crockett located at 818 S Water St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
Station 1846
Sponsored by Light the Hoan Powered by Color Kinetics
Station 1846 located at 215 W Bruce St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
Great Lakes Distillery
Sponsored by Concurrency
Great Lakes Distillery located at 616 W Virginia St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
Discourse Coffee — Radio Milwaukee
Sponsored by Xorbix
Discourse Coffee located at 158 S Barclay St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
NOTE: Badge pickup available here from 5-7pm
Summer Sideshow Concert Series
Milwaukee's best in rock/punk/emo head to the Harborfront for Summerfest Tech adjacent evening of fun and tunes!
A night of fun and music to run alongside the Summerfest Tech festival. Milwaukee's own Gold Step's, Outpacer, Barely Civil, Alley Eyes and Fakeout will bring the entertainment while Taco Moto provides the food and the vibes provided by you.
This one is free to Summerfest Tech attendees/badge holders. Doors at 6, Music at 7, party forever.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-side-show-presented-by-mkemo-jbp-tickets-1991808047488?aff=oddtdtcreator
Jun
Registration Opens & Breakfast
Sponsored by Rehlko
The Westin Milwaukee is located at 550 N Van Buren St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Registration will be located on the first floor
Breakfast will be located outside of The Grand Ballroom on the third floor
Join us ahead of the keynote to explore our vendor tables, networking with attendees, and snag a quick bite before the day!
Just before the keynote, Ryan Baumann, VP of Direct Sales, Power Systems will be representing Rehlko
Keynote - Southeast Wisconsin and Microsoft: Defining a Template for Durable Tech Ecosystems
General Manager of Datacenter Operations for Microsoft’s U.S. Central Region will review the capabilities of our AI super factory here, will discuss how southeast Wisconsin is uniquely positioned to be a tech leader and how it fits into Microsoft’s growth.
Christa Markgraff, Central Region Leader, Data Center Operations AMER, Microsoft
Advanced Manufacturing Track - Industrializing AI
Industrializing AI Across the Manufacturing Enterprise
Sponsored by Slalom
AI is rapidly reshaping how manufacturers operate, compete, and make decisions across the enterprise. From supply chain and operations to customer experience and commercial strategy, organizations are looking for practical ways to move beyond experimentation and apply AI where it can deliver measurable business value. In this session, Slalom will share perspectives on the emerging AI landscape in manufacturing, common challenges organizations face when scaling adoption, and examples of how companies are embedding AI into core business processes. The session will also feature a live demonstration of AI-enabled solutions and capabilities that showcase how these technologies can support smarter decision-making, operational efficiency, and more connected customer experiences. Designed for both business and technology leaders, the conversation will focus on practical opportunities, lessons learned, and what it takes to turn AI ambition into enterprise impact.
Agenda
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How manufacturers are applying AI across operations, supply chain, customer experience, and commercial functions to drive measurable business value
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Lessons learned from scaling AI beyond pilots, including governance, workforce adoption, and enterprise integration
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Live demonstration of AI-enabled solutions and real-world use cases
Don Rogers, Global Manufacturing Industry Lead, Slalom
Healthcare/Biotech Track - Food as Healthcare
Reimagining Healthcare Through Personalized Nutrition and Predictive Data
Positioning nutrition as a foundational layer in lifelong health and wellness —integrating genomics, other biomarkers, AI, and self-care to empower individuals to take control of their metabolic health.
Asif Naseem, Chairman of the Board, CEO & President, Genopalate
FinTech Track - AI Security Strategy
AI Security Strategy
Sponsored by Guidepoint
Fintech is one of the most targeted industries for email-based attacks. BEC, phishing, and vendor fraud are constant threats against teams that cannot afford slow response times. In this session, GuidePoint Security, Sublime and Torq break down how AI is transforming security operations. Sublime covers how modern email threat detection works, and Torq shows how AI-driven automation closes the loop from detection to full response without manual work. Real fintech use cases, real outcomes.
Nico Bartolomeo, Technical Account Manager, GuidePoint Security
Eric Groce, Sales Engineer, Sublime Security
Chris Kudulis, Sales Engineer, Torq
Food, Beverage, Agriculture Track - Upskilling for Industry 4.0
People First, Models Second: Value Guaranteed
The fastest way to get no value from AI is to start with the technology. This session flips the order: train and enable your people, and the value follows. Drawing on his work leading enterprise AI enablement efforts at Sub-Zero Group and directing AI professional education at UW–Madison's Interdisciplinary Professional Programs (InterPro), Steve Nackers shows how to engage employees across every level and function — engineering, operations, quality, the front line — so AI becomes an enabler and amplifier of the work they already do, not a disruption done to them. A central move: stop conflating AI metrics with business metrics. Logins counted and prompts run are not outcomes. Anchor instead on how your business wins today, then use AI to accelerate into what the next industry demands. Expect a working session, not a lecture — live polls and open discussion will surface where the room is stuck, and we'll work through it together. You'll leave with a practical way to enable your teams and a clearer line between AI activity and real results.
Three takeaways:
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A people-first way to roll AI out across levels and functions so teams treat it as an amplifier, not a threat
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How to separate AI metrics from business metrics and keep focus on the outcomes that move the business
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How to build on what already makes your business work and use AI to accelerate into Industry 4.0
Steve Nackers, Director of Electronics and Connectivity, Sub-Zero Group, Inc.
Trending & Cross Industry Track - Immersive Talent Pipeline
Immersive Safety: How Michels Recruits and Scales the Next Generation of Talent
Sponsored by Michels
Michels Corporation is using immersive technology to attract, engage, and prepare the next generation of infrastructure professionals, before they ever set foot on a job site. Hear from ChaChi Gallo, Vice President of Information Technology at Michels; Richard Ratcliffe, Director of Information Solutions at Michels and Dominic Starr, VP of Digital Transformation at Customertimes, to find out what it means to recruit in an industry where the stakes are real, the equipment is massive, and the talent pipeline has never been more critical.
ChaChi Gallo, Vice President of Information Technology, Michels
Dylan Burk, Application Administrator, Michels
Dominic Starr, VP of Digital Transformation, Customertimes
MarTech Track - Revenue Systems Alignment
Bridging the Gap Between Data, Tech, and Teams
Companies have more data and more marketing technology than ever before, yet many still struggle to translate insights into revenue impact. Why? Because data, technology, and revenue teams often operate in silos.
In this session, we’ll challenge that model. We’ll explore how data becomes more valuable when it directly informs workflows, and how technology plays a critical role in scaling and improving those workflows, ultimately changing how organizations make decisions and drive results.
Rather than focusing on tools or tactics, this session offers a practical lens on how to break the silos and connect data and technology to revenue strategy in a way that actually influences outcomes.
Dr. Mike Dairyko, Senior Director of Business Strategy & Analytics, Milwaukee Bucks
Brooke Casazza, Director of Sales and Marketing Enablement, Milwaukee Bucks
Ecosystem Builder – Collaboration Over Competition
Collaboration Over Competition: Building Regional Startup Corridors
Sponsored by WEDC
The next great startup ecosystems won't be built by a single city - they'll be built by regions that learn to act like one. But that kind of coordination doesn't happen organically. It requires intentional architecture: investors who see their role as ecosystem builders, institutions that treat talent development as an economic output, and cities willing to compete on collaboration rather than isolation.
This session examines how venture firms, anchor universities, and regional stakeholders can work together to create the flywheel conditions that keep talent, capital, and opportunity circulating within a corridor rather than leaking to the coasts. Drawing on the emerging Columbus model, panelists will unpack what it actually takes to turn a promising regional ecosystem into a durable one.
Bryce Carpenter, EVP, Chief Operating and Strategy Officer, Conexus Indiana
Elaine Coughlin, Startup Ecosystem Director, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
Gwen Hammes, Co-CEO, Cro Metrics
John Roach, President, Resultant
Founder Feature – Capital Confidence
Capital Confidence: Fundraising in the Modern Midwest
Raising capital in today’s Midwest requires more than a great idea—it takes strategy, storytelling, and resilience. Hear from founders who share firsthand experiences navigating early checks, institutional rounds, and everything in between. From building investor relationships to overcoming regional biases, this session unpacks what it really takes to secure funding now. Walk away with practical insights, hard-earned lessons, and the confidence to fundraise on your own terms.
Danyel O’Connor, Founder, Umami
Denise S. Brown, MD, President + General Partner, AND Capital, Health + Wellness Innovation Fund
Advanced Manufacturing Track - Customer Intelligence
AI's Blind Spot: Why Winners Start with the Customer
Sponsored by Generac Power Systems
AI doesn’t fail because of bad models—it fails because companies rush past the step that actually makes it work. This practitioner-led panel explores the tension between speed and intelligence, showing how real-world leaders define the right problems first—and why that’s the difference between AI that ships and AI that sticks.
Five Key Takeaways:
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Failure starts upstream: Most AI misses the mark because it solves the wrong problem—not because the model is flawed.
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Intelligence is a system: Winning organizations build continuous feedback loops, not one-time research snapshots.
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Speed is misleading: Slowing down upfront to understand the customer ultimately accelerates outcomes.
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Reframe the question: The unlock isn’t “what can AI do?”—it’s “what does the customer actually struggle with?”
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Practitioner reality check: Real-world leaders share where they got it wrong—and what they’d do differently.
Speakers Coming Soon
Healthcare/Biotech Track - Defending Email Threats
Sponsored by AEBS & Proofpoint
AI is now executing 80-90% of email threats. These campaigns are no longer “spray-and-pray.” They’re precision operations with automated reconnaissance and tailored narratives delivered faster, cheaper, and at massive scale. Healthcare organizations and their valuable data are top targets for these modern attackers. This session will dive into what trends the Proofpoint research team is seeing in email attacks in 2026, and how organizations can directly combat these attacks to keep their data safe.
Speakers Coming Soon
FinTech Track - Community Lender Transformation
This Is the Community Lender's AI Moment
Sponsored by Potawatomi Ventures
Understand it. Execute Correctly. Own the moment.
The technology gap between big banks and community lenders just closed. This session explains what AI actually is, what it takes to execute correctly, and why community lenders are uniquely positioned to capitalize right now.
Aaron Colcord, Founder and CEO, Voyager AI
Food, Beverage, Agriculture Track - Hallucinations Welcome Here
Building AI-Driven IoT Emulators with Claude Code
Sponsored by Red Foundry/i.c.stars
What happens when you let an AI "hallucinate" your hardware? You build better software, faster, with zero physical risk.
In traditional IoT development, engineering teams are constantly bottlenecked by hardware lead times, scarce prototype units, and the logistical nightmare of testing physical edge devices. The solution isn’t waiting on the factory floor – it's building a Simulation-First architecture.
Red Foundry pulls back the curtain on how they leverage Claude Code to rapidly architect advanced, synthetic IoT environments. By leaning into generative AI to build smart emulators, developers can intentionally prompt failure states, edge-case telemetry, and erratic hardware behaviors long before deploying to production.
Through real-world case studies, Red Foundry will demonstrate how they used AI-assisted simulation to transform development lifecycles. From MQTT messaging protocols to scaffolding a virtual HVAC test bench to automatically validate mobile apps against faulty Bluetooth pairings and real-world environmental spikes.
Whether you are an engineering leader looking to de-risk your product pipeline or a developer curious about agentic AI workflows, you’ll walk away with a blueprint for using Claude Code to build robust, synthetic testing sandboxes.
Fake it before you make it – a hallucination in a simulated environment is a breakthrough, but a hallucination in production is a recall.
Kerri Klun, President & CEO, Red Foundry
Ron Franczyk, CPO, Red Foundry
Trending & Cross-Industry Track - AI Identity Security
Your Biggest Blind Spot: Governing the Rise of AI Agents and Shadow AI
Sponsored by SailPoint Technologies
Your enterprise has a growing non-human workforce. While AI agents are driving innovation, their autonomy and scale can break traditional security controls, creating a rapidly expanding attack surface. This risk is compounded by the spread of "Shadow AI," where 75% of workers share sensitive company data with AI tools, creating even more critical security gaps.
Join this essential session to learn how to extend modern identity security to this autonomous workforce. You'll leave with a focused strategy to protect your business and innovate with confidence.
In this session, you will learn how to:
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Discover the true scope of non-human identities operating in your environment.
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Apply trusted security controls like ownership and lifecycle management to AI agents.
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Enforce smart policies to stop data leaks and ensure compliant AI use.
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Unify your security approach to govern every identity, human and non-human, under one cohesive strategy.
Jeff Purrington, Identity Strategist, SailPoint
MarTech Track - AI Brand Visibility
To AI, You're Average.
To an AI, your brand is a number. It's the average of everything the internet has said about you, and most brands look just like their competitors. Ask AI for the best companies in your category. It names a few brands. Most companies have never checked whether they're one of them, or whether what it says is even right. And a lot of what shapes that answer lives outside your marketing team's control. Tyler Einberger co-founded Momentic and runs AI search for Fortune 100 brands. He came up as a process engineer and built his own tests, tools, and AI agents to measure how AI sees a company. He'll break down the three things that decide which brands AI recommends, and how to get named more often. Bonus: The same mechanics decide whether the AI systems you build inside your own company work at all.
Tyler Einberger, Co-founder & COO, Momentic | Co-founder & President, MKE DMC
Ecosystem Builder – A Gathering for Investors & Founders Shaping What's Next
Sponsored by BMO
This curated session brings together venture-backed founders, emerging innovators, and active capital partners for a focused, high-value dialogue on growth, strategy, and capital alignment. Founders gain direct access to investors deploying capital, while investors engage with a curated pipeline of companies shaping the region’s next wave of innovation. Through intentional matching and a structured conversation format, the experience prioritizes substance over surface—enabling candid discussions on traction, fundraising readiness, and partnership fit. Each exchange is designed to move beyond introductions and toward actionable next steps.
At its core, the gathering strengthens the connection between capital and innovation across the Midwest—turning high-quality conversations into lasting partnerships and measurable growth.
Andreas Bubenzer Paim, Head of Technology Banking, BMO Commercial
Derek Garland, Head of Business Transition Advisory, BMO Wealth
Andrew Harrison, Head - Emerging Partnerships & Digital Innovation Fund, BMO Financial Group
Tori Apkarian, Regional Sales Manager, BMO Retail
Sheldon Cuffie, CEO & Founder, Cream City Cyber
Nisha Gandhi, Venture Partner, Growth & Operations, AccelerOnc Studio
Denise S. Brown, President + General Partner, AND Capital, Health + Wellness Innovation Fund
Grady Buchanan, Co-Founder & Managing Director, NVNG
Jason Hoffer, Business Design Lead, Crowe X-Design Lab
Elijah May, Co-Founder & CEO, Funded House
Aaron Towns, Director, BMO Commercial Bank
Founder Feature – Beyond the City Bias
Beyond the City Bias: Rural Entrepreneurship as Strategy
Innovation doesn’t belong to cities—or universities. It happens wherever people are solving real problems. Rural communities are quietly building strong, impactful businesses, offering a powerful counterpoint to urban-centric models of entrepreneurship. This session explores how rural founders lead with tenacity, resilience, and place-based values, leveraging trusted networks, lean operations, and access to markets well beyond their zip code. Join us to learn how rural approaches to business design and scaling from any geography turn place into a strategic advantage—not a constraint.
Delaney Keating, Operations Director, Michigan Founders Fund
Will Kitchen, Special Advisor, AquaAction
Graham Klemme, Executive Director, StartUp Hutch
Speaker Lunch - Invite Only
Sponsored by Dell
Lunch Break
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Stay close with onsite options:
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Downtown Kitchen - in the U.S. Bank/Baird tower lobby
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All-In and Entertainment badges receive $10 lunch voucher
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Colectivo - in the U.S. Bank/Baird tower lobby
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Stella Van Buren - in the Westin
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- Explore offsite options nearby!
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Uncle Wolfie’s - 600 N Broadway
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Swingin’ Door Exchange - 219 E Michigan St
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Grassroots Salad Company - 607 N Water St
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Smoke Shack - 332 N Milwaukee St
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Milwaukee Public Market - 400 N Water St
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East Town Kitchen and Bar (located in the Marriott) - 625 N Milwaukee St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
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Tupelo Honey - 511 N Broadway #100, Milwaukee, WI 53202
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Advanced Manufacturing Track - Practical Tech ROI
Leveraging Technology to Create Value in a Tight Environment
Sponsored by Aleysian
Manufacturers face a familiar tension: pressure to grow value while resources stay tight. In this panel discussion, operators, industry experts, and technology leaders get practical about where technology actually moves the needle - and where it doesn’t. Walk away with real-world insight for prioritizing tech investment when every dollar has to justify itself.
Jon Klinepeter, CEO, Aleysian
Brian Olsson, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer and Corporate Services, Briggs & Stratton
Laura Perz, SVP of Revnue, Aleysian
Rob Prosser, CCO, TAPCO
Mark Willford, Board Member, Concentrix Equity Partners
Healthcare/BioTech Track - Actualizing Biohealth Careers
Actualizing Biohealth Careers
Sponsored by ABC Pathways
Join representatives from MATC, Madison College, Employ Milwaukee, the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, and the University of Wisconsin as they showcase how the Actualizing Biohealth Career (ABC) Pathways initiative is strengthening Wisconsin’s biohealth workforce pipeline. ABC Pathways is one of five strategic projects supported by the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub, an initiative funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and supported by BioForward to advance the state’s leadership in precision medicine and biohealth innovation. This collaborative presentation will highlight innovative education, training, and workforce development programs that prepare students and job seekers for careers in precision medicine and the broader biohealth industry. Attendees will learn how cross-sector partnerships are creating accessible career pathways, meeting employer needs, and supporting the growth of Wisconsin’s rapidly expanding biohealth ecosystem.
Dr. Abigail Cannon, Director of Biohealth Career Pathways, MATC
Sheldon Garrison, Program Chair of Biotechnology, MATC
Becky Kikkert, Development Director, Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin (WDBSCW)
Seth Lentz, Executive Director and CEO, Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin (WDBSCW)
Verionica Murphy Sotelo Muñoz, Founder & Principal Consultant, Northbeam Consulting
FinTech Track - BMO Banking Panel
Information Coming Soon
Andrew Harrison, Head - Emerging Partnerships & Digital Innovation Fund, BMO Financial Group
Amy Chou, Co-Founder and CEO, Additional Wealth
Shannon McGhee, CEO, SEED SPOT
Open Block - Currently No Programming
Please feel free to use this open block to network with other attendees and meet with our exhibit tables!
Trending & Cross-Industry Track - Modernization Readiness Roadmap
Modernization Readiness Roadmap
Sponsored by Werner
Many manufacturers want to modernize but are stuck at the starting line because the options feel endless and the basics like secure connectivity and foundational systems are not in place. This session will walk through a simple phased approach to modernization, helping teams identify the first practical steps to take on the plant floor and how to build a realistic roadmap over time. It positions Werner as a consultative guide and invites attendees to schedule a free consultation and continue the conversation after the conference.
Speakers Coming Soon
Open Block - Currently No Programming
Please feel free to use this open block to network with other attendees and meet with our exhibit tables!
Ecosystem Builder – From Red Tape to Real Opportunity
From Red Tape to Real Opportunity: Navigating Government Collaboration
Building strong partnerships with government agencies can unlock powerful opportunities for entrepreneurs—from funding and pilot programs to new markets. This session dives into how founders can navigate public-sector relationships effectively. Learn how to identify the right partners, align with community goals, and create collaborations that drive both business growth and public good.
Paul Campbell, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Brown Venture Group
Amy Hiltabidel, Chief of the Technology Transfer Office, NASA’s Glenn Research Center (GRC)
Founder Feature – Heartland Energy Frontier
Heartland Energy Frontier: Building and Scaling in the Fusion Ecosystem
The race to commercial fusion is accelerating, and the Midwest is uniquely positioned to lead. With deep industrial roots and a growing innovation ecosystem, the region offers fertile ground for entrepreneurs to plug into the fusion value chain. This session unpacks where opportunities are forming—from advanced materials to workforce development—and how startups can collaborate, build, and scale alongside this next-generation energy frontier.
Dominick Bindl, VP of Technical Development, Realta Fusion
Kathleen Gallagher, Executive Director, 5 Lakes Institute
Eli Moll, COO, Shine Technologies
Advanced Manufacturing Track - Industrial Cybersecurity Strategy
Securing the AI-Powered Manufacturing Environment: From Zero Trust to SASE
Sponsored by Heartland Business Systems (HBS)
Explore how zero trust, SSE/SASE, and cross-vendor integration protect modern manufacturing environments—from plant floors to enterprise systems. Learn how to secure OT and IT convergence, reduce risk across industrial networks, and implement a practical roadmap that strengthens security without disrupting production or operational efficiency.
Tom Larson, Director of Engineering, HBS
Matt Cross, Director of Field Engineering, HBS
Healthcare/BioTech Track - Scaling Clinical Intelligence
Scaling Clinical Intelligence in Patient Physiological Monitoring and Therapy
Scaling Clinical Intelligence charts the shift of patient monitoring from isolated boxes to a patient-centric ecosystem. The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) anchors this vision with a cloud-extended, wireless, and wearable architecture connecting devices, edge compute, and AI at enterprise scale. A hybrid compute model distributes containerized services from patient room to cloud, allocating workloads as mission critical, mission important, and mission support. Together they tackle staff shortages, alarm fatigue, and preventable adverse events to drive earlier intervention and better outcomes.
Matthew Grubis, Executive Chief Engineer – Patient Care Solutions, GE HealthCare
FinTech Track - Governed AI Integration
Beyond the Chatbot: Securely Connecting AI to Enterprise Data and Workflows
Most people are already familiar with AI chatbots, but the real value of artificial intelligence emerges when it can securely interact with an organization’s internal data, systems, and business processes. By connecting AI to knowledge bases, business applications, and operational workflows, organizations can dramatically improve employee productivity, accelerate decision-making, and unlock new opportunities for innovation.
In this session, Kevin Bong, Director at Ghostscale, and Aaron Hurt, Vice President of Information Technology at Summit Credit Union, will explore practical approaches for enabling AI access to enterprise data while maintaining strong security, governance, privacy, and compliance controls. Drawing from both cybersecurity and financial services perspectives, they will discuss the challenges organizations face when moving beyond public AI tools and integrating AI into day-to-day business operations.
Attendees will gain insight into how Summit Credit Union and Ghostscale are leveraging AI within a regulated environment to enhance employee efficiency, improve access to institutional knowledge, and support business processes while managing the unique security, regulatory, and data protection requirements of the financial services industry. Whether your organization is just beginning its AI journey or looking to expand existing capabilities, this session will provide practical guidance for securely connecting AI to the systems and information that drive business value.
Kevin Bong, Director, Ghostscale
Open Block - Currently No Programming
Please feel free to use this open block to network with other attendees and meet with our exhibit tables!
Trending & Cross-Industry Track - Safeguarding Tomorrow's AI
Sponsored by Palo Alto Networks
Information Coming Soon
Open Block - Currently No Programming
Please feel free to use this open block to network with other attendees and meet with our exhibit tables!
Pitch Competition: Healthcare/Biotech & Disruptive Tech
Finalists:
Disruptive Tech
2DaLoop
KeeperSpace Inc
Licube, Inc.
Xena Intelligence
Visalaw AI
Healthcare/Biotech
Persperion
Phoenix
TinyMoves
Veera
Vibrant Medical
Keynote - Power Generation and Grid Resilience in the Era of AI and the Gigawatt Data Center Explosion
Sponsored by Generac Power Systems
Erik Wilde from Generac Power Systems will discuss the unprecedented demand for backup power and energy solutions for data centers, how data center growth expands manufacturing in the Midwest and how access to reliable power is more critical than ever before.
Erik Wilde, Executive Vice President, Generac Power Systems
Summerfest Music Festival
Thursday Headliners
- 7:00PM | The Mountain Goats @ Aurora Pavilion
- 7:30PM | Ed Sheeran, Myles Smith, and Aaron Rowe @ American Family Insurance Ampitheater
- NOTE: A separate ticket is needed to see concerts in the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, but your Amphitheater ticket also includes admission to Summerfest on the day of your show
- 9:00PM | The Roots @ BMO Pavilion
- 9:30PM | Subtronics @ Generac Power Stage
- 9:30PM | Halestorm @ Uline Warehouse Stage
- 10:00PM | Kim Gordon @ Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard
- 10:15PM | Tucker Wetmore @ T-Mobile Stage
- 10:30PM | Kaleo @ Miller Lite Oasis Stage
Raffle Winner Announcement - Molson Coors
Join us prior to the 4pm keynote for housekeeping details and to see if you've won today's Molson Coors raffle item!
Summerfest Tech Week – Private Founder & Investor Mixer
Summerfest Tech Week – Private Founder & Investor Experience
Sponsored by BMO
BMO Tower 790 N Water St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
This exclusive gathering brings together a select group of founders, investors, operators, and ecosystem leaders for a focused, high-value evening centered on strategic access, venture intelligence, and meaningful outcomes.
The evening is designed to foster impactful dialogue around:
- Founder–investor alignment
- Strategic growth and scaling
- Commercialization and ecosystem access
- Building toward long-term value and exit
What you’ll gain:
- High-quality relationships that lead to real partnerships
- Curated introductions aligned to capital and growth opportunities
- Practical insights on scaling from experienced leaders
- Access to a trusted, ongoing network
Select founders and investors will be invited into private Venture Architecture Sessions—high-impact working conversations designed to unlock growth, refine strategy, and accelerate the path from momentum to scale.
Participation:
Pre-register [here] to be considered for this Founder + Investor Experience.
Please note, pre-registration does not guarantee acceptance—final participation is subject to approval to ensure a highly curated experience. Limited capacity: 75 spots.
Jun
Registration Opens
Badges will be available for pickup before during the marquee keynote and panel. This will be the last opportunity to pickup your badge!
Marquee Keynote - Bring Impossible Ideas to Life
Technology & AI are dramatically changing what’s possible in our world. Our challenge as we create new things is to dislodge from the comfort of what we already know. Chris created Shazam after being told by every “expert” that his outlandish idea was impossible. It was an idea far ahead of its time – eight years before iPhone apps even existed. In this presentation, Chris helps audiences imagine and then create new visions for the future. He inspires with jaw-dropping stories about creating Shazam and shows how innovation comes from not just an idea but from a series of insights to overcome obstacles along the way.
Chris Barton, Founder, Shazam and Guard
Closing Panel: From Vision to Execution: Making Innovation a Business Strategy
Event for Marquee and All-In tickerholders
An emerging theme of the conference is the growing recognition that technology and innovation are no longer simply an IT function, but a core business strategy shaped by leadership. This session will follow the marquee keynote from Chris Barton, Founder and Former CEO of Shazam, who will explore how bold ideas and purposeful AI can unlock transformative innovation across entire organizations. Building on that perspective, this conversation will ground the discussion in real-world examples from growth-minded companies that understand this shift and are actively using technology across their operations, putting it into practice right here in Southeast Wisconsin.
Speakers:
Rebecca Gries, Executive Director, Milwaukee 7 Regional Partnership (M7)
Polo Paredes, Global EPC Business Director, Rockwell Automation
Wilfred Mascarenhas, Executive Director-Data Engineering, Eli Lilly
Yollande Tchouapi, Regional Vice President – Central, Johnson Controls
Networking Event
Sponsored by University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
All Summerfest TechAI badge holders are welcome! Must have picked up badge prior at these registration dates, times, and locations:
- June 23 4-7p at Venue 3 at Third Street Market Hall
- June 24 & 25 9a-5p at The Westin Downtown Milwaukee
- 5-7p at Discourse Coffee — Radio Milwaukee
- June 26 9-11a at Italian Community Center
Summerfest Music Festival
Friday Headliners
- 7:00PM | Sudan Archives @ Aurora Pavilion
- 7:00PM | Cody Johnson, and Jessie Murph @ American Family Insurance Ampitheater
- NOTE: A separate ticket is needed to see concerts in the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, but your Amphitheater ticket also includes admission to Summerfest on the day of your show
- 9:00PM | Louis Tomlinson @ BMO Pavilion
- 7:30PM | Big Wild @ Generac Power Stage
- 9:30PM | The Revivalists @ Uline Warehouse Stage
- 10:00PM | Petey USA @ Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard
- 10:15PM | Marcus King Band @ T-Mobile Stage
- 10:30PM | Goldfinger @ Miller Lite Oasis Stage
Jun
Summerfest Music Festival
Join us at the lakefront in downtown Milwaukee for Summerfest! Hundreds of performances on 12 stages, featuring all genres ranging from local artist to the world’s biggest headliners. Also enjoy local eats & drinks, shopping, day-time family-friendly activities and exciting brand activations that include product sampling and immersive installations. Summerfest tickets purchased separately (except All-In or Entertainment Badge holders).
Find the full lineup on the Summerfest website!
Organized by stage:
Amphitheater
- Post Malone, with special guest Carter Faith, 7:30, American Family Insurance Amphitheater (requires a separate ticket)
Grounds Stages
- Pepper, 10:30, Miller Lite Oasis Stage
- Russell Dickerson, 9:00, BMO Pavilion
- Wolfmother, 9:30, Generac Power Stage
- Audrey Nuna, 10:15, T-Mobile Stage
- Little Feat, 9:30, Uline Warehouse Stage
- Børns, 10:00, Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard
Find the full range of activities on the Summerfest website!