See the Agenda for the Roanoke-Blacksburg Region’s Annual Emerging Technologies Conference
November 14-15, 2024
Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke, VA
The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC) is launching an annual conference to share global knowledge and resources with the ecosystem surrounding emerging technologies.
Explore the full agenda for the event, featuring keynotes, speakers, panelists, and moderators from various corners of the tech industry.
What To Expect
Agenda
DAY 1- NOVEMBER 14, 2024
8:00am – 8:45am — Registration Opens, Breakfast Served
8:45am – 9:30am — Welcome Keynote Kickoff ft. Dr. Frederic “Dr. B” Bertley
Frederic Bertley, PhD
Keynote Speaker
Center of Science and Industry (COSI)
9:30am – 10:00am — AI Trends: Disruption in Transformation
David Townsend, PhD
Virginia Tech
Eddie Amos
GO Virginia
Nikki Hastings, PhD
CvilleBioHub
Brett Malone
Moderator
UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm
10:15am – 11:00am — From Lab to Launch
Shawn Gomez, PhD
UNC Chapel Hill & NC State
Stephen Morgan, MD
Carilion Clinic
Jeff Pompeo
Caretaker Medical Corp
Ryan King, PhD
Moderator
Carilion Clinic, VTCSOM
10:15am – 11:00am — Beyond the Curtain: Creating Interactive Experiences with Hardware and Software
David Bates
Ozmo
10:15am – 11:00am — AI in Great Power Competition, a Fireside Chat
Jack Shanahan
DoD Joint AI Center
John Hagy
RAMP
11:00am – 11:45am — Drive Change with Data: AI Business Tools
Anthony Young
Marty Martin
LOCOMOTIVE Agency
Charlie O’Brien
757 Collab
12:00pm – 1:00pm — Lunch & How to Think About GenAI… Safely
Richard Ford, PhD
Keynote Speaker
Independent Consultant
2:00pm – 2:45pm — AI & Security Panel
Jack Shanahan
DoD Joint AI Center
Drew Hunt
Dreamit Ventures
Jesse Schibilia
2:00pm – 2:45pm — AI-Driven Biotech: Drug Discovery and Devices with Orados and CareTaker Medical
David Longo
Ordaōs
Jeff Pompeo
Caretaker Medical Corp
2:00pm – 2:45pm — Unlocking the Power of GPU-Accelerated Analytics with HEAVY.AI
Todd Mostak
HEAVY.AI
DAY 2 – NOVEMBER 15, 2024
8:30am – 9:30am — Policy with Purpose: Driving Virginia’s Innovative Future
Michelle Maldonado
Keynote Speaker
Virginia House of Delegates
9:45am – 10:20am — Real Intelligence: How AI is Being Practically and Positively Applied to Advance Business
Lee Adcock
Capital One
Todd Dube
CarMax
Nick Serfass
Moderator
Richmond Technology Council
9:45am – 10:20am — The Path to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Efforts to Ensure Advanced AI Safety
Guy DeCorte
Gravy Analytics
9:45am – 10:20am — Translational AI: Bridging the Gap from Basic Research to Life-Saving Treatments
Shawn Gomez, PhD
UNC Chapel Hill & NC State
11:00am – 11:45am — The Algorithm of Blackness
Amethyst Edmond
BIT SWVA Member
11:00am – 11:45am — Finding the Alpha in AI: A Startup Panel
Drew Hunt
Dreamit Ventures
James Ramey
Middleland Capital
Ollie Howie
John Hagy
Moderator
RAMP