Senator Eric Schmitt

David Karandish

Rahul Deshpande

Greg Robinson

Tim Marczewski

Ajay Iyer

Shawn Ivy

Joe Kirby

Ashley Pyle

Jason Carter

Erin Sucher-O'Grady

Amy Heger

Saint Louis AI Summit (STL TechWeek 2026)

TechSTL

The 4th Annual STL TechWeek is taking over St. Louis on April 13 - 17, 2026 with free events all over the region. Hosted by TechSTL.

America's Center Convention Complex

STL TechWeek 2026

The 4th Annual STL TechWeek is taking over St. Louis on April 13 - 17, 2026 with free events all over the region. Attend one of the technical conferences or innovation gatherings hosted for free at venues across St. Louis.

The Saint Louis AI Summit is a two-day, city-scale convening that launches the <a href="https://techstl.com/techweek/" title="https://techstl.com/techweek/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">4th Annual STL TechWeek</a>, positioning St. Louis as a geographic and strategic center of the nation’s AI economy. Located at the crossroads of industry, logistics, research, and talent, St. Louis serves as a natural hub for convening leaders from across the Midwest and beyond to shape the future of artificial intelligence.Hosted at the America’s Center in Downtown St. Louis, the Summit brings together industry, government, academia, startups, and the public sector for one of the largest tech events in Missouri. <h3>DAY ONE - Opening Ceremony</h3>Doors Open at 9:00 AM in the Ferrara Theatre at the America's Center<ul><li>9:30 AM - 9:40 AM Welcome by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyhemingway/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyhemingway/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Emily Hemingway</a>, Founder &amp; CEO, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/techstl/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/techstl/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">TechSTL</a></li><li>9:40 AM - 9:45 AM Welcome by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-d-dean/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-d-dean/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Brad Dean</a>, CEO, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/explorestlouis/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/explorestlouis/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Explore St. Louis</a></li><li>9:45 AM - 9:50 AM "Winning the AI Race: National Security, Innovation &amp; the Role of St. Louis" a message from United States Senator for the State of Missouri, Eric Schmitt</li><li>9:50 AM - 10:25 AM "AI in 2026" by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkarandish/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkarandish/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">David Karandish</a>, Founder &amp; CEO, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamcapacity/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamcapacity/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Capacity</a></li><li>10:25 AM - 11:00 AM "Signals Shaping the Future" by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-deshpande-9ba54/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-deshpande-9ba54/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Rahul Deshpande</a>, EVP Global Head of Research and Development, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/mastercard" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/mastercard" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Mastercard</a></li><li>11:00 AM - 11:30 AM "From PowerPoint to Product in 240 Days: How Edward Jones Ventures Built a Founder-Friendly Innovation Platform" by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-robinson-01725420/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-robinson-01725420/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Greg Robinson</a>, Partner, Head of Corporate Development and Edward Jones Ventures, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/edward-jones/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/edward-jones/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Edward Jones</a></li><li>11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Special Announcement by<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyhemingway/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyhemingway/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"> Emily Hemingway</a>, Founder &amp; CEO, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/techstl/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/techstl/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">TechSTL</a></li><li>12:00 PM- 1:30 PM Lunch</li><li>1:30 PM - 2:15 PM "TechWeek Reassembled: Insights, Impact &amp; What's Next" (Panel) with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleypyle/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleypyle/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Ashley Pyle</a>, CXO of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/gadellnet/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/gadellnet/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">GadellNet</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonwcarter/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonwcarter/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Jason Carter</a>, CEO of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncomn" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncomn" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">UNCOMN</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-sucher-ogradya59/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-sucher-ogradya59/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Erin Sucher-O'Grady</a>, CXO of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/integrity" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/integrity" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Integrity</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-heger/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-heger/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Amy Heger</a>, Microsoft User Experience Researcher in Responsible AI, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/jeffreym-consulting/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/jeffreym-consulting/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">JefferyM Consulting</a></li><li>2:15 PM - 2:45 PM "Turning AI into a Core Operating Capability with Intelligence + Trust" by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajayiyer1/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajayiyer1/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Ajay Iyer</a>, Principal Technical Architect at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Microsoft</a> Innovation Hub St. Louis</li><li>2:45 PM - 3:30 PM “Rebuilding in Real Time: Leadership, Data &amp; AI in Tornado Recovery” with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/clayco" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/clayco" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Clayco</a> leadership: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-moeckel-8a79b244/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-moeckel-8a79b244/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Rick Moeckel</a>, Executive Vice President, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katielanestl/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katielanestl/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Katie Lane</a>, Chief Talent Officer, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-marks-065712179/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-marks-065712179/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Sandra Marks</a>, Senior Vice President, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-roth-6b5b7a13/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-roth-6b5b7a13/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Leslie Roth</a>, Principal at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ljc-design-and-engineering/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ljc-design-and-engineering/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">LJC</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-nicks/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-nicks/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Julian Nicks</a>, Chief Recovery Officer for the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/city-of-st.-louis/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/city-of-st.-louis/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">City of St. Louis</a></li><li>3:30 PM - 4:00 PM "Governing AI: Risk, Responsibility &amp; the Future of Missouri's State Systems (Panel)" Moderated by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/wcovington/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/wcovington/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Wendell Covington</a>, Executive Director of the VP Community Impact Foundation, with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmarczew/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmarczew/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Tim Marczewski</a>, Director of AI and Innovation with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/state-of-missouri/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/state-of-missouri/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">State of Missouri</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-ivy-720611198/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-ivy-720611198/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Shawn Ivy,</a> Chief Information Security Officer with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/state-of-missouri/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/state-of-missouri/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">State of Missouri,</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyforsee/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyforsee/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Amy Forsee</a>, AI and Innovation Senior Architect for the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/state-of-missouri/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/state-of-missouri/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">State of Missouri</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-kirby-2521a68/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-kirby-2521a68/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Joe Kirby</a>, Director of Data &amp; Analytics, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/state-of-missouri/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/state-of-missouri/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">State of Missouri</a></li></ul> <h3>DAY TWO - AI TeXpo &amp; Innovation Sessions</h3>9:30 AM - 4:00 PM (Doors Open at 8:00 AM) in Banquet Rooms at the America's CenterApril 14 expands into a large-scale TeXpo, hosting 100 tech vendors, as well as, industry speakers across 50 breakout sessions organized into 10 innovation tracks. Attendees will engage in product demos, applied case studies, expert panels, research discussions, and hands-on AI workshops—highlighting how AI is being built, deployed, and scaled across real-world Midwest industries and global markets alike.<h4>Breakout Tracks Include (Agenda listed below):</h4><ul><li>Track A: AI-First Ventures (Business &amp; Startup Scaling)</li><li>Track B: Life Sciences AI (Health, Bio &amp; Ag)</li><li>Track C: CyberAI (Defensive AI &amp; Security)</li><li>Track D: Digital Transformation (The Generative Enterprise)</li><li>Track E: GrowthAI (Marketing, Sales &amp; Operations)</li><li>Track F: FintechAI (Trust, Risk &amp; Financial Infrastructure)</li><li>Track G: GeoAI (Spatial Data &amp; Imagery)</li><li>Track H: Mission-Critical Intelligence (Defense, Logistics &amp; Supply Chain)</li><li>Track I: Physical AI &amp; Autonomous Industry (Manufacturing &amp; Construction)</li><li>Track J: Future-Ready Workforce (Human–AI Teaming, Education &amp; Workforce Development)</li></ul> The Saint Louis AI Summit is free to attend (registration required) and serves as the capstone opening event of STL TechWeek, reinforcing St. Louis’ role as a Midwest leader in applied innovation, talent development, and AI-driven economic growth. Whether you’re building AI systems, deploying them at scale, shaping policy, or preparing the future-ready workforce, this is where the Midwest’s AI ecosystem comes together—at the center of the country.Parking is available in the America Center garage, in the nearby Marriott garage, or along the street. <h4>Sponsorship Opportunities</h4>Would you like to be a sponsor of STL TechWeek or the Saint Louis AI Expo?<ul><li><a href="https://techstl.com/wp-content/uploads/TechSTL-Sponsorship-Kit-2025-2026.pdf" title="https://techstl.com/wp-content/uploads/TechSTL-Sponsorship-Kit-2025-2026.pdf" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Download</a> the Sponsorship Kit to review options</li><li><a href="https://airtable.com/appGifEM2tBmW8dIA/paglaWWqoycXmRnSZ/form" title="https://airtable.com/appGifEM2tBmW8dIA/paglaWWqoycXmRnSZ/form" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Register</a> for a Vendor Table in the TeXpo</li><li>Email Emily@TechSTL.com with questions</li></ul>

4/14 - Session 1

Win-Win: People- and Client-First AI That Actually Delivers -- You’ll learn our delivery methodology that wows clients and delivers scalable AI products: with client-focused kickoffs, trust-building rituals, transparent communication, and measuring outcomes over outputs.

Session 1 | Track A: AI - First Ventures

AI Foundation Model-Based Home Video Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder -- This invention introduces a multimodal diagnostic framework applying foundation models—specifically multimodal large language models (MLLMs)—to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) assessment. Unlike conventional methods that require lengthy clinician-administered instruments, the invention enables rapid, scalable, and interpretable screening from short home video recordings. Household clips are analyzed through a prompt-engineered, few-shot pipeline embedding exemplar annotations and glossary features from ADOS-2 and DSM-5. The system automatically detects and timestamps behavioral events, labels them with glossary terms, provides rationale-backed annotations with confidence scores, and generates an overall ASD vs. control classification within minutes. By leveraging the multimodal reasoning strengths of foundation models, this approach addresses critical challenges of cost, specialist shortages, and limited acces

Session 1 | Track B: Life Sciences AI

The Evolution to Multi-Agent Agentic AI: Cybersecurity, Responsible Use, and the Race to Protect -- This keynote explores the evolution to multi-agent agentic AI in cybersecurity, the responsible use of AI, and the race to protect our organizations from new AI threat vectors. Attendees will gain actionable insights into responsible AI oversight allowing organizations to unleash AI innovation.

Session 1 | Track C: Cybersecurity

The Next Phase of Enterprise AI: People, Platform, and Guardrails-- As generative AI adoption accelerates, many enterprises are discovering a new problem: AI sprawl. Models, agents, copilots, and experiments are appearing across teams faster than organizations can govern or operationalize them.

This session focuses on how enterprises can scale AI responsibly without losing control. We’ll explore how organizational structure, technology platforms, and governance  must evolve together to support widespread AI use while maintaining security, compliance, and trust. Topics include how to build an innovation‑focused workforce, when to use AI agents vs automation, how coding agents are changing how software is built and operated, and why governance with evals is not a blocker—but a force multiplier for adoption.

Session 1 | Track D: Digital Transformation

Cheat Codes for Slaying Corporate Bureaucracy -- Your big AI project – or any other large IT initiative - can increase the likelihood of success with a better digital foundation – this isn’t something you buy from a vendor, it’s something you create and own.

Like most gifted IT leaders, you probably know that half of all IT projects fail. How do you keep yours from doing so? Failure isn’t always because of the leader, it’s most often because the enterprise your project will serve is really systems of many systems. Most of these are out of your control. You aren’t helpless, though. Learn how a systems of systems perspective offers a path forward, laying the digital foundation for IT leaders and the systems they build to really make a difference. Whether you’re deploying a new ERP, or exploring generative AI at scale, you can learn how the best leaders are making critical IT infrastructure responsive, resilient, and value creating.

Session 1 | Track E: Growth AI

AI Agents in the FinTech QA Pipeline: Accelerators or Attack Vectors? -- As AI agents become embedded in FinTech testing pipelines—from test generation to defect prediction—they promise unmatched speed and efficiency. But are these autonomous tools truly reliable in high-stakes financial systems? This session explores the double-edged nature of AI in QA: how agents can accelerate development, yet introduce hidden risks like biased logic, false positives, and exploitable vulnerabilities. Learn how to strike the right balance between automation and accountability in a domain where trust, compliance, and precision are non-negotiable.

Session 1 | Track F: Fintech AI

Pixels, Petabytes, and Predictions: The Supercomputing Demands of Modern Geospatial AI and How St. Louis Is the Center of Gravity -- The rapid expansion of GeoAI is driving unprecedented demand for high-performance computing. Training Earth observation models on massive satellite datasets, running multi-modal inference at global scale, and generating vector products such as building footprints and field boundaries require advanced supercomputing strategies.

These mission-critical workloads—spanning commercial and national security applications—are pushing the limits of data management, model parallelism, and distributed processing.

St. Louis has emerged as a key hub in this convergence. This session will highlight how GeoAI innovation in the region is bridging precision agriculture and national security use cases, accelerating next-generation geospatial capabilities and positioning St. Louis as a leader in solving planetary-scale challenges through supercomputing.

Session 1 | Track G: GeoAI

In a Life-or-Death Decision Who Wins : Your Gut…Or AI -- Would you trust an AI recommendation when the stakes are real? We hear the term 'trustworthy AI', but what does it mean in a defense intelligence context? We have to have the answers to why an AI system flagged something, trust it under pressure, and act on those insights when the environment is complex or contested. It’s easy to say the AI will generate decision advantage and elevate the analyst, it’s another thing to trust the AI recommendation in a life-or-death decision when your gut tells you something else. In this talk we’ll examine look at the current landscape of building 'trustworthy AI' and ask if it is good enough for D&I needs.

Session 1 | Track H: Mission Critical Intel

Bridging Business Goals and Physical AI in Construction & Manufacturing -- The construction industry is undergoing a major technological transformation. Long considered one of the least digitized sectors of the economy, construction is now rapidly adopting artificial intelligence, automation, and advanced data systems to improve productivity, address labor shortages, and modernize how complex projects are delivered.

In this session, Jesse Sanders, IT Director at Clayco, explores how emerging technologies are reshaping the future of construction—from AI-powered project planning and predictive analytics to digital collaboration platforms and smart infrastructure systems. Drawing from real-world industry experience, the discussion will highlight how technology is helping construction firms operate more efficiently, reduce risk, and make better decisions across the lifecycle of a project.

Session 1 | Track I: Physical AI

AI at Enterprise Scale - A panel discussion between Launchcode and AI leaders at regional corporations on how artificial intelligence is shaping global strategy, regional hiring, and operational direction in 2026.

Session 1 | Track J: Future-Ready Workforce

4/14 - Session 2

You Can't Grow Tech Without People: The TPI 3 Keys to Empowering Your Team -- Imagine building a startup where your team's unique strengths become the ultimate catalyst for your company's growth. Join this uplifting, high-energy session designed to inspire how you build your startup culture. We will reveal the TPI 3 Keys to Success—a proprietary, strengths-based strategy that transforms how founders leverage their existing resources and cultivate a team of confident problem-solvers. Grounded in positive psychology this session will show you how to build a resilient infrastructure and empower everyday staff to become proactive innovators. Walk away with a concrete action plan to elevate your people, accelerate your venture's growth, and lead with strength.

Session 2 | Track A: AI-First Ventures

From Soil to Supply Chain: AI in Modern Agriculture & Plant Science

Session 2 | Track B: Life Sciences AI

AI and Nation State: A Panel -- Consider the major shifts and challenges in cybersecurity over the past year—from the rise of AI-driven threats to increasingly sophisticated nation-state attacks. The panel will focus on what these developments mean for businesses & where leaders should be directing their resources in the year ahead.

Session 2 | Track C: Cybersecurity

From Pilot to Practice: WashU’s GatewayAI and the AI Curriculum Corps in Action -- Washington University’s Digital Intelligence & Innovation (DI2) Accelerator and the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) are advancing the practical integration of AI in higher education. Through a formal partnership, CTL leads a semester-long AI Learning Community where faculty and staff use DI2’s GatewayAI platform to build and manage custom chatbots for teaching, research, and operations. GatewayAI provides a secure, HIPAA-compliant environment for designing and testing large language models. The AI Learning Community uses the platform to explore best practices, share feedback, and create a repository of faculty-designed chatbots.

The AI Curriculum Corps – a collaboration among DI2, CTL, and WashU Libraries – further supports this work by expanding AI literacy in the classroom, helping faculty redesign courses, and cultivating a community of practice.

Session 2 | Track D: Digital Transformation

Session 2 | Track E: Growth AI

Beyond the Transaction: Securing Intent, Identity and Trust in the Agentic Commerce Stack -- AI agents are no longer just answering questions — they are acting on them. Major payment networks have already delivered infrastructure for autonomous AI agents to complete transactions on your behalf. The payment layer is live. The open commerce layer above it is being built right now.
Google's Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), backed by 60+ orgs, governs how agents represent your intent and authorize payments autonomously across an open ecosystem.
Above the payment layer, the ecosystem is actively innovating on three frontiers: cryptographic proof that an agent honored your intent, decentralized agent identity verification & clear accountability across buyers, agents, developers & merchants.
This talk explores the agentic commerce stack and open-source innovations on AP2 to make autonomous commerce secure and interoperable — drawing from independent security analysis of the AP2 specification.

Session 2 | Track F: Fintech AI

Grounding Intelligence in Reality: The Strategic Case for Overture Maps + AI -- AI systems depend on high-quality geospatial data — yet today’s spatial datasets are fragmented, inconsistent, and costly to integrate, often leading to inefficiencies and even AI hallucinations. This session explores how the Overture Maps Foundation provides an open, interoperable foundation layer that improves data consistency, reduces cost, and strengthens the reliability of AI built on location intelligence.

Session 2 | Track G: GeoAI

Unlocking Innovation: How Hackathon Models Solve Complex Problems -- The weight of day-to-day operations often leads organizations to default to “how it’s always been done,” rather than pursuing more efficient or effective approaches. Innovation events such as hackathons provide a structured opportunity to challenge these routines by creating a low-risk environment for experimentation.

By enabling teams to take multiple micro-bets on new ideas—without the consequences of deploying directly into production—hackathons unlock faster learning and more creative problem solving. These events also introduce diverse perspectives by bringing in contributors from outside the immediate business unit, surfacing insights that might otherwise remain hidden. In many ways, this functions as a no-cost internal consulting mechanism.

This session will explore how hackathon models can be used to reassess workflows and improve business operations, supported by real-world examples from the U.S. military.

Session 2 | Track H: Mission Critical Intel

The AI Landlord: How Automation Is Reshaping Property Management for the Next Decade -- Attendees will see how conversational AI, automation workflows, and predictive maintenance are reshaping the real estate landscape. These tools help landlords cut costs, save time, and scale efficiently. By the end of the session, participants will understand how to modernize their operations, deliver better tenant experiences, and compete with larger operators through the power of AI-driven automation.

Session 2 | Track I: Physical AI

From Classroom to Career: High School Programs Powering the Tech Workforce -- As demand for tech talent accelerates, high schools are becoming a critical launch point for the next generation of developers, analysts, and technologists. This panel explores how innovative programs are bridging the gap between education and employment—through software development apprenticeships, geospatial training pathways, STEM-focused job fairs, and industry-recognized tech certifications. Speakers will share how these initiatives are equipping students with real-world skills, direct employer connections, and clear pathways into high-growth careers. Join us for a conversation on how educators, workforce leaders, and industry partners are working together to build a future-ready talent pipeline, starting in the classroom.

Session 2 | Track J: Future-Ready Workforce

4/14 - Session 3

Traction Studio AI -- Traction Studio AI guides founders from first customer conversation to validated business model, market-ready product, and investor-ready pitch — one integrated system across three waves.

Session 3 | Track A: AI - First Ventures

Session 3 | Track B: Life Sciences AI

Cybersecurity is Ready for Local Models -- Cybersecurity has long relied on global models—threat intel feeds, vulnerability rankings, behavior baselines—built on the aggregation of telemetry across organizations. But the shift to cloud-native architectures, the explosion of software supply chains, and the operational limits of probabilistic prioritization (e.g., CVSS and even EPSS) are exposing the brittleness of these global models. The next frontier in defensible security decision-making is the integration of local models—statistical and causal models grounded in the specific configurations, assets, behaviors, and exposures of an individual environment.

Session 3 | Track C: Cybersecurity

AI Won't Ask Why: How GenAI Supercharges Teams That Know What to Build -- Generative AI is remarkably good at solving problems but it can't figure out what should be solved—or more importantly, why. In this talk, we'll share practical lessons from our consulting experiences on how we're using GenAI tools to supercharge software development without surrendering the judgment that makes it work. From automating tedious tasks and building custom tooling nobody had time for before, to surfacing requirements questions you hadn't thought to ask, replacing bloated dependencies, and writing tests that enable fearless refactoring, GenAI is a force multiplier for teams that bring clear intent, sound engineering discipline, and thoughtful user advocacy. Walk away with concrete ideas you can put to work on Monday morning.

Session 3 | Track D: Digital Transformation

You Can go Viral: How AI and Accounts with Zero Followers Unlock Millions of Views and Penny Installs -- In this session, Nic will break down the viral playbooks Noise has used to generate 4 billion views on TikTok/Instagram in the last year while driving millions of installs at insanely low CPAs across many niches and brands. He'll detail how this is a repeatable system that outperforms typical performance marketing for a fraction of the cost.

Expect to get all the secrets for exactly how to find, create, analyze, and improve on creating viral content that works for any brand. Learn about the viral theories behind Noise's really unique experience. Get many examples and breakdowns of viral content that converted, and walk away with the exact recipe to do it for your own brands.

Session 3 | Track E: Growth AI

What the BridgePay Outage Revealed About Modern System Failure -- This talk uses the BridgePay outage as a case study to explore a broader trend: as systems become more interconnected and AI increases operational complexity, failures become harder to contain, more disruptive to businesses, and more important for leaders to understand.

Session 3 | Track F: Fintech AI

Beyond the Data Lake: Federated Architecture for OSINT and Geospatial AI -- Cloud-native geospatial platforms proved that large-scale analytics could move to the cloud. But most implementations still rely on centralized aggregation models that duplicate data, inflate cost, and complicate security.

Cortex represents the next step: a federated intelligence architecture that coordinates data where it already lives. Rather than pulling everything into a warehouse, Cortex aligns meaning across vendors and systems, fuses context in motion, and delivers intelligence on demand.

This talk presents the architectural crosswalk from legacy cloud-native geospatial analytics to a decentralized intelligence fabric. We’ll cover semantic alignment, vendor integration surfaces, and AI integration through Synapse — showing how distributed coordination unlocks new analytic workflows without expanding infrastructure footprint.
Geospatial intelligence doesn’t need bigger lakes. It needs smarter bridges.

Session 3 | Track G: GeoAI

Control the Chaos of AI -- Control the Chaos of AI is a practical session for SMB leaders who know AI can drive growth, but are struggling with the complexity, risk, and uncertainty that often come with of adoption.

This demonstration will provide clear frameworks, grounded in governance, security, ethics, and strategic roadmaps, that small and mid-sized businesses can use to move beyond scattered experimentation. Attendees will learn
Techniques to bring structure to their AI journey
How to reduce risk
Determine where AI can create real business value

The session is designed for organizations that are either exploring AI or already using it, but want a more confident, controlled, and sustainable path forward.

Session 3 | Track H: Mission Critical Intel

From Chaos to Clarity: Systems Thinking, AI Tools, and the Future of Real Estate Efficiency  -- This interactive workshop teaches real estate agents how to leverage systems thinking, automation, and client experience frameworks to scale their business with less effort and more consistency. We’ll walk attendees through our proprietary C.O.R.E. Strategies Framework covering: ● Conversions: Capturing and nurturing leads without manual follow-up ● Operations: Streamlining transactions and listings with workflows ● Retention: Delivering consistent value post-close to drive repeat and referral business ● Experience: Creating memorable, personalized moments at scale Attendees will also complete a self-audit, identifying the biggest time and revenue leaks in their business. We’ll then showcase how simple, repeatable systems can resolve these challenges using modern tools like AI-powered routines and communication automations.

Session 3 | Track: I Physical AI

100,000 Pathways: Unlocking Tech Careers with Google & Coursera -- TechSTL, in partnership with Grow with Google and Coursera, is launching a region-wide initiative to unlock up to 100,000 tech career pathways for St. Louis residents through access to industry-recognized certificates in fields like AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, project management, and more. This session will explore how the program is being deployed across nonprofits, schools, and workforce partners to expand access, reduce barriers, and create clear, scalable pathways into high-growth careers. Attendees will learn how these scholarships are not just about training—but about connecting learners to real opportunities, employers, and long-term economic mobility across the St. Louis region.

Session 3 | Track J: Future-Ready Workforce

4/14 - Session 4

Funding the Future: Navigating State-Sponsored Venture Capital in Missouri (The IDEA Fund)

Session 4 | Track A: AI-First Ventures

From Pilot Purgatory to Patient Impact: Delivering Value from AI in Healthcare -- Let's roll up our sleeves! In this session, we're going to take a real healthcare process—one you'll recognize from your own hallways—and put AI to work on it live. You'll see how AI can contribute at every stage of the innovation lifecycle, from mapping the opportunity, to aligning the right capabilities, to running tests and scaling organization-wide. Along the way, we'll use a practical framework and concrete healthcare examples to address the very real barriers you'll encounter,  and give you the confidence to move your AI initiatives from pilot purgatory to patient impact.

Session 4 | Track B: Life Sciences AI

Automation, AI, and Trust -- As organizations adopt AI and automation, the biggest barrier is trust. This session explores how to ensure systems are transparent, auditable, and aligned with risk tolerance to enable confident deployment at scale.

Session 4 | Track C: Cybersecurity

AI Transformation: Replacing McKinsey and Bain with a Laptop -- What if the way everyone is building agents and workflows is backwards? Extracting data, summarizing what happened, digging for insights. That is automating the rear view mirror. This session presents a perspective on forward-looking agents that produce the same work McKinsey charges $200K for — in minutes, not months.

You'll learn:
- How forward-looking agents differ from the extraction patterns everyone is building
- The headwinds and tailwinds facing AI implementations right now
- What happens when your tools are 10x faster than your organization
- Live demo: investment-grade strategic analysis on an audience-submitted company

Session 4 | Track D: Digital Transformation

Developing AI Hyperscale Infrastructure Framework for Integrity, Compliance, and Social Trust --  As AI adoption accelerates, the need for scalable, compliant, and trustworthy infrastructure is becoming critical. In this session, Elizabeth Kayser and Keith Mertens will share insights from their leadership in a newly formed Missouri AI Roundtable—a cross-sector group of state legislators, academic leaders, and technical experts shaping the future of AI governance.

The Roundtable brings together Missouri State Representatives, a State Senator, Washington University leadership, the State of Missouri’s Office of Administration, AI developers, and the author of the state’s non-sentient AI bill—creating a coordinated approach to policy and implementation.

This discussion will explore how to design AI infrastructure frameworks that balance innovation with integrity, focusing on governance, compliance, and public trust, while positioning Missouri as a leader in responsible AI.

Session 4 | Track E: Growth AI

Agentic AI in Practice: A Product Management Framework for Scalable Fintech Implementation -- Agentic AI is transforming fintech, but scaling it requires more than technology—it needs strong product discipline. This session introduces a practical framework for moving from pilots to production in regulated financial environments. Learn how to identify high-value use cases, design modular and auditable AI systems, orchestrate agents across workflows, and embed governance and risk controls from day one. Ideal for product and engineering leaders, this session provides clear, actionable steps to build scalable, compliant, and high-impact agentic AI solutions in financial services.

Session 4 | Track F: Fintech AI

Lessons in Creating Geospatial MCP Wrappers -- As the Geospatial industry has embraced AI, it has not been without its challenges. While MCP has enabled geospatial analysis tools to be discovered and called by agentic workflows, there are literally thousands of tools that need to be available to support format conversion, projection transformation, cartographic design and spatial analysis for any given geospatial system. This session will highlight our journey into automating our spatial workflows, and the lessons learned in applying MCP and LLMs to the niche world of geospatial data.

Session 4 | Track G: GeoAI

 USTRANSCOM J6: Leaning into the Future of Artificial Intelligence -- Join USTRANSCOM's J6 for an insightful session on their pioneering work in Artificial Intelligence. This briefing will update the community on the innovative processes and technologies being leveraged to meet the Department of War's directive to integrate AI at every level of the organization. From traditional Predictive analytics to modern Generative and Agentic workflow development, you will learn about the types of projects USTRANSCOM has selected to pave the way into AI readiness, and see highlighted the most impactful lessons learned from a year of AI Operations at USTRANSCOM. 

Session 4 | Track H: Mission Critical Intel

AI is Reshaping Construction: Are You Being Left Behind? The hardest part is starting. (Moderated by Chris Dornfeld, EVP of Product Strategy, One10)

Most construction firms know AI is changing the industry - but don't know where to begin. Meanwhile, the gap between early adopters and everyone else keeps growing. This 45-minute session at AGC Missouri and St. Louis Tech Week cuts through the noise. A panel of real-world construction tech experts will share practical first steps and honest answers to your toughest questions - no jargon, no sales pitch. Don't let another day pass while your competition pulls ahead. Come ready to ask questions. Leave ready to act.

Session 4 | Track I: Physical AI

Missouri Workforce Panel - How Missouri is building a workforce of the future through tech skills.

Session 4 | Track J: Future-Ready Workforce

4/14  - Session 5

Building an AI Strategy That Protects Your IP -- Discover practical strategies to safeguard your innovations and brand, and reduce legal risks in this rapidly evolving landscape. We'll cover essential topics such as copyright, patents, and trade secrets in the AI space, as well as potential pitfalls and best practices for securing your IP as technology and regulations evolve.

Session 5 | Track A: AI-First Ventures

From Field to Fork to You: How AI Is Personalizing the Future of Food -- AI is transforming the food ecosystem from production to consumption, while also making it possible to create more personalized experiences tied to health, wellness, and nutrition. This session will explore how AI is driving value across food and agriculture, where personalized nutrition is emerging as a key frontier, and how leaders can move from experimentation to meaningful, scalable impact.

Session 5 | Track B: Life Sciences AI

The AI Liability Chain: From Code to Close - As AI adoption grows, governance and regulation are shaping how organizations deploy and scale these technologies. This session will break down key regulations, risks, and compliance strategies to help organizations align innovation with legal and ethical standards.

Session 5 | Track C: Cybersecurity

Make Selling Effortless and Supercharge Your SEO: Unlock the Hidden Power of FAQs with AI -- What if every sales rep could instantly access your company’s best answers to the toughest questions? What if prospects found you when they search for solutions at midnight?

This workshop reveals how companies can use AI-powered FAQ libraries to:

Onboard reps faster
Win more deals
Dominate search rankings
…all without hiring a content team.

You’ll leave with practical templates, tools, and a clear plan to start building your own FAQ library immediately.

Session 5 | Track D: Digital Transformation

How to Build Something People Use -- How I built an AI app people actually use, and how I keep it running with minimal human intervention.

Session 5 | Track E: GrowthAI

Garbage In, AI Out: Why Your ERP Data Isn't Ready for AI (And How to Fix It) -- "Garbage In, AI Out: Why Your ERP Data Isn't Ready for AI (And How to Fix It)" most mid-market companies have dirty, duplicated, inconsistent ERP data that will make any AI initiative fail before it starts. Covers the most common data hygiene problems in Business Central and Acumatica (duplicate vendors, inconsistent item descriptions, orphaned records, miscoded GL accounts) and a practical cleanup roadmap.

Session 5 | Track F: Fintech AI

From Surveillance to Solidarity: Reclaiming AI for the Public Good -- As AI and Earth Observation technologies become more powerful, the question is no longer just what they can do, but who they serve.

This session explores how cutting-edge tools like AI and geospatial intelligence (EO) can be shifted from centralized control toward community-driven impact. Rather than reinforcing systems of surveillance, these technologies have the potential to empower communities to better understand, respond to, and solve real-world challenges.

Drawing from insights in a Community Demand Report, this session will highlight where interest is emerging and what communities are actually asking for when it comes to access, education, and application of advanced technologies. Attendees will also explore real-world use cases where AI + EO are already being applied to drive measurable social impact—from local challenges to broader systemic issues.

Session 5 | Track G: GeoAI

AI Doesn’t Start with AI:  From Data to Decisions to Outcomes -- AI is more accessible than ever, yet many organizations struggle to turn it into real outcomes. This session explores why AI success doesn’t start with tools—it starts with aligning data, process, and people.
Through real-world examples, we’ll highlight the key bottlenecks slowing adoption and how organizations can move from data to decisions—and ultimately to outcomes—while preparing for a future of autonomous, agent-driven work.

Session 5 | Track H: Mission Critical Intel

Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center St. Louis: Activating Research and Development for St. Louis Manufacturers

Session 5 | Track I: Physical AI

Learning by Building: Hackathons, AI & the Future of Tech Leadership -- As AI reshapes how technology is built, the most effective way to develop talent is no longer passive learning—it’s hands-on creation in real-world environments. This panel explores how a new generation of hackathon models & “AI vibe coding” experiences are accelerating the path from learner to leader by immersing participants in rapid, collaborative problem-solving.

-- Moderated by Alison Hillman, Photographer & Brand Strategist
James Stapleton, Founder, Codefi & Vibeathon
Darren Jackson, Founder, Civic City
Mike Seper, Director IP Commercialization, UMSL
Paul Boal, Arch Data Network & Snowflake
Troy Soileau, Founder Air Force Test Center Data Hackathon, Member, Songbird Innovations LLC
James Le, Head of Developer Experience, Twelve Labs

Session 5 | Track J: Future-Ready Workforce

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Saint Louis AI Summit (STL TechWeek 2026)

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Saint Louis AI Summit (STL TechWeek 2026)

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