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

The program schedule 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, challenges, and perspectives on how these initiatives will impact the future of work. Followed by a Q&A session moderated by Associate Professor Soumya Sen.

9:50 am

State of Work in the Age of AI

What is top of mind regarding the workplace based on all the pressures that AI brings? Students and industry thought leaders share perspectives followed by Q&A.

Students share what their peers are excited and concerned about.
Joel Crandall, CEO of the MN Tech Association, presents findings from the 2026 State of Tech Talent Report.
Breck Marshall, principal at PwC, shares findings from PwC’s survey regarding the hopes and fears of the global work force and the insights he has gained from the firm’s client projects.

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 share perspectives on where organizations are going and what this will mean for the workforce. This session will feature three presenters followed by a Q&A session moderated by Minnesota Carlson Professor Alok Gupta.

Dr. Galin Jones, vice provost of the University of Minnesota AI Hub, discusses what the future of work in the age of AI looks like from the University-wide perspective.
Marc Kermisch, Protolabs CIO, touches on the challenges facing today’s technology leaders and how they need to think about the future of work.
Amy McPhillips, Kyndryl HR/IT lead, shares a perspective at the intersection of HR and IT for what needs to be addressed as the future of work.

12:45 pm