Update (September 2026): Columbus AI Week 2026 has concluded, and Columbus AI Week returns September 14-16, 2027 (dates subject to change), and pre-registration is live. Next up: Great Lakes AI Week, November 10-12, 2026 in Northwest Ohio.
Skip to article Ohio AI Congress /// Program preview Preview the Columbus AI Week Program Agenda Two summits, three stages and more than sixty-five sessions. Here is the full program for September 10 and 11 at Vitria on the Square, plus the special programming happening around it. Enterprise Technology Association · Agenda current as of August 27, 2026 September 10 & 11, 2026Dates Vitria on the SquareVenue Columbus, OhioCity ETA + JobsOhioPowered by 2Days 3Stages 65+Sessions 90+Speakers 3Certificate tiers What is Columbus AI Week Two summits. Three stages. One state getting AI ready. Columbus AI Week brings the Ohio AI Congress to Vitria on the Square for two days of leadership programming, hands-on workshops and applied case studies. Day One is the AI Leadership Summit, built for the executives, policymakers and ecosystem builders setting Ohio's direction. Day Two is the AI for Business Summit, built for the teams putting AI to work inside real organizations. Both days run three concurrent stages, and every attendee moves freely between them. Speakers come from across the state and around the country, spanning Ohio's research universities, its fastest-growing AI companies and the global technology firms investing in the region. Programming is produced by the Enterprise Technology Association in partnership with JobsOhio as part of the AI Ready Ohio initiative. Day One AI Leadership Summit Thursday, September 10 Policy, capital, workforce and ecosystem strategy, closing with the invitation-only Speaker, Sponsor and VIP Reception. Day Two AI for Business Summit Friday, September 11 Agents, operating models and enterprise deployment, opening with the Women in AI and Business Breakfast. How the program is organized The three tracks AI LeadershipMain StagePolicy, capital, workforce and ecosystem strategy. Keynotes and firesides with the people building Ohio's AI super sector, from the statehouse to the shop floor. AI Learning LabStage TwoHands-on workshops you can act on Monday morning. Copilot masterclasses, agent-building labs, upskilling frameworks and the human side of AI transformation. Applied AIStage ThreeWorking systems and real deployments. Retail and commerce, healthcare, identity, governance, edge computing and enterprise agents, told by the teams who shipped them. Beyond the main stage Special programming Columbus AI Week opens the evening before the conference and keeps going after the last session each day. These are the rooms where the introductions happen. Community Happy HourWednesday, September 9, 5:00 PMColumbus AI Week opens the night before the conference. Doors open wide as the broader Columbus tech, startup and workforce community gathers with speakers and attendees for an open evening of conversation. Women in AI and Business BreakfastFriday, 8:00 AM, Main StageA two-hour networking breakfast presented by JobsOhio, convening women leading AI adoption across Ohio business, government and education. Hosted by Summer Crenshaw with Elise Meyers, Tracey Sigers, Nicole McCain, Connie Matthews and Cecilia Chiderski. Speaker, Sponsor and VIP ReceptionThursday, 5:00 PMAn invitation-only reception for speakers, sponsors, partners and VIP guests immediately following Day One programming. The room where introductions turn into partnerships. CAIO Luncheon and RoundtableThursday, 11:30 AM, Stage ThreeA closed-door working lunch for Chief AI Officers and senior AI leaders, hosted by Big Kitty Labs with Jon Salisbury and Tushar Kulkarni. On the floor Interactive experiences on site TeslaFeatured presentation plus an on-site vehicle and technology experience. Path RoboticsPhysical AI on display. See how adaptive robotics is changing Ohio manufacturing, alongside a Main Stage keynote from Matthew Randle. Sponsor ShowcaseDemos, live agent builds and hands-on stations across the venue throughout both days. Who is on stage Featured keynotes and presentations Day OneFrom Automated to Adaptive: Bringing Physical AI to ManufacturingMatthew Randle · Path Robotics Day OneBuilding Ohio's AI Super Sector and AI Ready OhioPayal Thakur · JobsOhio Day OneThe State of AI Policy in Ohio and Across the United StatesZachary Heck · Taft Day OneConfidence Is the ROI: What Happened When We Taught AI to People Who Were Told It Was Coming for Their JobsTom Bush · Actual Reality Day OneSecuring the Cognitive AI Era: Cybersecurity Beyond Generative AIDr. Zag ElSayed · ETA Day TwoBuilding Operational Agents Using Claude CodeChris Thomas · YNDR Day TwoThe Future of Enterprise AI and Agentic SystemsTodd James · Aurora Insights Day TwoAI Is Changing the Team. Is It Changing the Leader?Alejandro Azuola The full program Both days, all three stages Sessions run concurrently on the Main Stage, in the AI Learning Lab and in Applied AI. Pick a day to see everything scheduled on it. Day One · Thursday, September 10AI Leadership SummitMain StageAI Leadership8:00 AMWelcome Reception, Coffee and NetworkingOpen Networking 9:00 AMWelcome to the Ohio AI Congress @ Columbus AI WeekSummer Crenshaw, Zack Huhn, Jon SalisburyWelcome · ETA 9:10 AMThe State of AI Policy in Ohio and Across the United StatesZachary HeckFeatured Speaker · Taft 9:20 AMFrom Automated to Adaptive: Bringing Physical AI to ManufacturingMatthew RandleKeynote · Path Robotics 9:40 AMBuilding Ohio's AI Super Sector and AI Ready OhioPayal ThakurKeynote · JobsOhio 10:10 AMAI, Workforce, and Ohio's Path ForwardElise Meyers, Matt WaldoFeatured Fireside · JobsOhio 10:50 AMBuilding Ohio's AI Ecosystems: One Region At A TimeJosette Riep, Payal Thakur, Ray Waite, Tom BushFeatured Fireside · ETA 11:20 AMOpen Networking BreakOpen Networking 11:30 AMOpen Networking LuncheonLunch 12:15 PMAI Access, Impact, and Action in Central OhioArjun Kaarat, Swarna Solanki, Tracey Sigers, Hope YinFeatured Fireside 12:45 PMConfidence Is the ROI: What Happened When We Taught AI to People Who Were Told It Was Coming for Their JobsTom BushKeynote · Actual Reality 1:15 PMAI and the Future of Education in OhioJosette Riep, Ravi Tenati, additional panelists to be announcedFeatured Fireside · ETA 1:45 PMAI for Nonprofits and Impact Driven OrganizationsNick Davis, additional panelists to be announcedFeatured Fireside · ETA 2:15 PMNavigating AI Governance, Security, and Trust Across the EnterpriseJim Ford, Jack Jin, Eric Zielinski, Connie MatthewsFeatured Fireside 2:45 PMAI, IP, and What You Own in the AI AgeVance VanDrake, Shannon VillalbaFeatured Fireside · Frost Brown Todd 3:15 PMAI Governance Featured Presentation and FiresideConnie MatthewsFeatured Presentation · ETA 3:45 PMSecuring the Cognitive AI Era: Cybersecurity Beyond Generative AIDr. Zag ElSayedFeatured Presentation · ETA 4:15 PMBeyond the Chatbot: Deploying Autonomous, Zero-Trust AI Agent Fleets in Mission-Critical Healthcare Supply ChainsMukul AgochiyaFeatured Presentation 4:30 PMMain Stage Programming Concludes 5:00 PMSpeaker, Sponsor and VIP ReceptionSpecial ProgrammingStage TwoAI Learning Lab11:30 AMWho Grades the AI? Building Enterprise AI You Can Actually TrustSurbhi JhaLunch and Learn · NVIDIA 12:15 PMMicrosoft Copilot Masterclass: Level OneScott PhillipsWorkshop · Nexigen 1:15 PMMicrosoft Copilot Masterclass: Level TwoScott PhillipsWorkshop · Nexigen 2:15 PMThe AI Operating Model: How CEOs Should Really Run an AI-Native EnterpriseMike WalkerWorkshop · ETA 2:45 PMUpskilling Your AI Playlist: Mixing Yesterday's Skills with Tomorrow's TechnologyTracey SigersWorkshop · ETA 3:15 PMBeyond the Training: A Framework for Leading the Human Side of AI TransformationJP GraultyWorkshop · Skillspot 3:45 PMWhose Job Is It Now? Redesigning Roles After AI, Not Just WorkflowsSarah SlavikWorkshop · Skillspot 4:15 PMAI Isn't Replacing You. Someone Using AI Might.Ebony HallBreakout Session · ETAStage ThreeApplied AI11:30 AMCAIO Luncheon and RoundtableJon Salisbury, Tushar KulkarniLunch and Learn · Big Kitty Labs 12:15 PMAgentic Commerce: How AI Is Transforming Retail and eCommerceRyan LunkaBreakout Session 12:35 PMFrom Generative AI to Intelligent Commerce: The Next Evolution of RetailAshish KeshriBreakout Session · Salesforce 12:55 PMScaling AI in RetailCharisma GlassmanBreakout Session · ETA 1:15 PMLead AI to Business ImpactBen NussbaumWorkshop · Overlook AI 2:15 PMInside the AI Rocket Ship: The Humans, Data, and Decisions Shaping AISarah MarilynBreakout Session 2:45 PMWho Dunnit: AI Identity AttributionRuchi BatraBreakout Session · US Bank 3:15 PMThe Model Did Exactly What It Was Asked: What Two Real Breaches Just Taught Us About Governing AIEric ZielinskiBreakout Session 3:45 PMBuilding an AI Healthcare Guide: Enforcing Determinism in a High-Risk DomainRohan BhandariBreakout Session 4:15 PMThe Architecture of Motion: Harnessing Physical AI for Next-Era Bio-RoboticsDr. Yishay FalickBreakout Session Day Two · Friday, September 11AI for Business SummitMain StageAI Leadership8:00 AMCheck-In, Welcome Reception, Coffee and NetworkingOpen Networking 8:00 AMWomen in AI and Business BreakfastSummer Crenshaw, Elise Meyers, Tracey Sigers, Nicole McCain, Connie Matthews, Cecilia ChiderskiNetworking Breakfast · JobsOhio 10:00 AMWelcome to the AI for Business SummitZack Huhn, Summer Crenshaw, Jon SalisburyWelcome · ETA 10:15 AMAI Agents That Grow Your Bottom LineMaddie BellFeatured Speaker · Synapsa 10:30 AMBuilding Operational Agents Using Claude CodeChris ThomasKeynote · YNDR 11:00 AMAI Is Changing the Team. Is It Changing the Leader?Alejandro AzuolaKeynote 11:30 AMOpen Networking LuncheonLunch 12:15 PMFeatured Presentation to be announcedJim FordFeatured Speaker 12:30 PMFeatured Presentation to be announcedJack JinFeatured Speaker 12:45 PMThe Future of Enterprise AI and Agentic SystemsTodd JamesKeynote · Aurora Insights 1:15 PMEnterprise AI Use Cases: The Good, The Bad, and the UglyTushar Kulkarni, Ryan Lunka, additional panelists to be announcedFeatured Fireside · Big Kitty Labs 1:45 PMDelivery Before and After the Machines: What the Data Showed and What Made It StickLiz RettingFeatured Speaker · ETA 2:00 PMComputer Vision: Lessons from the Past, Signals from the FutureCole SutyakFeatured Speaker · ETA 2:15 PMFrom PRs to Performance: Using Metrics and AI to Coach Stronger Engineering TeamsEric MartinFeatured Speaker 2:45 PMEngineering the Learning Loop: Context, Feedback, and Compound Engineering for AI-Native TeamsJustin BeaudryFeatured Speaker · Actual Reality 3:00 PMHarness Engineering for Production-Ready Enterprise AISourav SahaFeatured Speaker · US Bank 3:15 PMBeyond the Pilot: How to Give an AI Employee a Real JobRyan McManusFeatured Speaker 3:30 PMThe AI Opportunity Already Inside Your BusinessRaksha HukkeriFeatured Speaker 3:45 PMAI Doesn't Fail. Operating Models Do. Preparing Your Workforce for the AI EconomyDavid FriedsonFeatured Speaker · USAII 4:00 PMThe Layer, Not the Replacement: Pricing Human Judgment in the Age of AIJack MaherFeatured Speaker 4:15 PMClosing Networking ReceptionOpen Networking 5:00 PMEvent ConcludesStage TwoAI Learning Lab11:30 AMFrom Signals to Closed Deals: How Gemini Enterprise Supercharges the Modern Sales ExecutiveMahesh GurramLunch and Learn · Google 12:15 PMHow To Build AI Agent Teams Using ClaudeChris ThomasWorkshop · YNDR 1:15 PMBuild AI Agents and Automations That Grow Sales and Convert LeadsMaddie Bell, Mike BellWorkshop · Synapsa 2:15 PMWhen the Brand Speaks Back: Conversational Robots for MarketingRupesh SawantWorkshop 2:45 PMHow Agents Remember and ForgetMichael GeigerWorkshop 3:15 PMRaising Agents, Not Just Building AIChris SleeWorkshop 3:45 PMWhy Is AI Software Development for Enterprises Still Stuck in Neutral?Labeeb IsmailWorkshop 4:15 PMAbliteration for Improved Performance of Large Language ModelsBryan HarrisWorkshopStage ThreeApplied AI11:30 AMSay Yes Faster: Approving AI Without an AI CommitteeJerod BrennanLunch and Learn 12:15 PMPutting AI to Work: Building Your AI Workflows and CompetenciesRay WaiteBreakout Session · ETA 12:45 PMEdge Computing and Decentralized Processing: Reducing Cloud Data Consumption Costs by 90%Eric FordBreakout Session 1:15 PMThe Human Advantage: Use AI to Reclaim Time Without Outsourcing the Thinking That Makes You ValuableNicole McCainBreakout Session · ETA 1:45 PMBuilding AI Literacy for Responsible, High-Impact WorkVasiliki StamouliBreakout Session 2:15 PMFeatured Presentation to be announcedBreakout Session · LogicMonitor 2:45 PMThe Invisible Layer Between AI and Business ValueRavi TenatiBreakout Session 3:15 PMChatbots vs Backend: The AI That Gets Adopted Is the One Nobody SeesCecilia ChiderskiBreakout Session · ETA 3:45 PMWhen AI Listens, Who Is Responsible? The Promise, Risks, and Responsible Adoption of Speech-to-TextNelly ElSayedBreakout Session · ETA 4:15 PMYou Don't Need More or Better AI Dev ToolsMatthew JoratBreakout Session · AWS AI Ready Ohio certificates Earn credit hours while you attend. Every session and workshop at Columbus AI Week carries credit hours toward an AI Ready Ohio certificate. Check in, attend, and your hours are tracked automatically. ExplorerFoundational AI literacy. Earned through general session attendance. ProfessionalApplied skills and workflow competency. Earned through Learning Lab and Applied AI workshops. LeaderStrategy, governance and organizational readiness. Earned through leadership track programming. Speakers From across the state and around the country More than ninety speakers join the Ohio AI Congress across two days, drawn from Ohio's research universities, its public sector and economic development institutions, its startup and services community, and the global technology companies investing in the region. Ohio research universities The Ohio State University University of Cincinnati Bowling Green State University Ohio University Miami University Technology and industry leaders NVIDIA Google Microsoft Salesforce Tesla AWS US Bank Path Robotics JobsOhio Taft Frost Brown Todd Plus founders, chief AI officers, general counsel, workforce leaders and public sector executives from Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton and beyond. Thank you to our partners Columbus AI Week is built by its community Columbus AI Week 2026 is powered by the Enterprise Technology Association and JobsOhio, with special thanks to our presenting sponsors and to the many partners, universities and community organizations making this program possible. Presenting sponsors Big Kitty Labs Nexigen Tesla Path Robotics Overlook AI Frost Brown Todd YNDR LogicMonitor Partners and supporting sponsors JobsOhio Taft NVIDIA Google Salesforce AWS US Bank Actual Reality Skillspot Synapsa Aurora Insights USAII Enterprise Technology Association and many more. Join us in Columbus The program is live and the agenda is still growing. Sessions, speakers and times are subject to change as we confirm the remaining slots, so check back before you build your schedule. Register for Columbus AI Week September 10 & 11, 2026 · Vitria on the Square, Columbus, Ohio · hello@joineta.org