Program Schedule

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Fall 2026 Digital Leadership Conference

Friday, October 9, 2026 • 8:00 am – 2:00 pm • University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management

A preliminary program appears below. Additional speaker and session information will be added as it becomes available.

7:30 am

Breakfast and Registration

Carlson School of Management Glenn & Kay Hasse Atrium

8:30 am

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Gautam Ray, Chair of the Information & Decision Sciences Department, shares academic insights from current Minnesota Carlson research.

8:50 am

AI in Practice

Land O’Lakes and Ecolab showcase their AI solutions, sharing successes and challenges. Followed by a Q&A session moderated by Associate Professor Soumya Sen.

9:50 am

State of Work in the Age of AI

Students share what their peers are excited and concerned about.
Dr. Galin Jones, Vice Provost of the AI Hub at the University of Minnesota, provides an overview of the challenges the university is witness to and how this land-grant institution will leverage AI for good.
Joel Crandall, CEO of the MN Tech Association, presents their latest findings from the 2026 State of Tech Talent Report.

10:30 am

Break

11:00 am

Q&A: State of Work in the Age of AI

Moderated by De Liu, professor at Minnesota Carlson.

11:20 am

Thought Leaders on Workforce Development in the Age of AI

Thought leaders will present what they see as the future of work, followed by a Q&A session moderated by Professor Alok Gupta. Hear from a professional services firm partner, chief information officer, and chief HR officer.

12:45 pm