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Ascend Charlotte - 2026 AI Summit

  • Central Piedmont Community College - Parr Center 1201 Elizabeth Avenue Charlotte, NC, 28204 United States (map)

Join us for our 2026 AI Summit.

AI + Opportunity: Innovation, Leadership + Human Impact
Innovation. Access. Leadership.

The Charlotte AI Summit brings together business leaders, founders, innovators, educators, and community builders for a full day of practical conversations around Artificial Intelligence, innovation, and economic growth across the Carolinas. Designed to be accessible, actionable, and community-driven, this summit helps local professionals understand how AI is shaping industries and how to lead in that future.


Event Schedule

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM: Executive Breakfast + Registration


9:30 AM – 9:45 AM: Opening Remarks

  • Brett Fansler—Executive Director for Corporate Engagement, Central Piedmont Community College


9:45 AM – 10:25 AM: AI + Human Care

Women in Leadership + AI in Surgery

  • Mireille Truong, MD—MedStar Health

  • Sirisha “Siri” Swahari—CGI | Women Executives Circle


10:35 AM – 11:15 AM: The Future of Work Is Already Here

Jobs, Teams + Leadership in the AI Economy

  • Alex Cena—LEAP

  • Celestine Pressley—Gartner

  • Dr. Camelia Taheri Protzel—TIAA


11:35 AM – 12:00 PM: Money, Fraud + Trust

AI in Finance, Risk + Consumer Protection

  • Katherine Wong—ProdZenAI

  • Rafi Menachem—Syntari AI


12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Networking Lunch + Investor Connections


1:00 PM – 1:40 PM: Who Owns the Future?

Copyright, Privacy + AI Rights

  • Michael T. Abramson—Jordan IP Law

  • Lena Chun Lee—Linville Law Office

  • Rachel Di Martino—Hatfield Lange Consulting


1:50 PM – 2:30 PM: Build What Matters

Neuroglove + Product Design + Innovation

  • Monish Pemmasani—Neuroglove

  • Torrence Reed—Battery Xchange


2:40 PM – 3:20 PM: Your Next Team Member Is AI

Agentic AI + The New Workplace

  • Dr. Camelia Taheri Protzel—TIAA

  • Michael Schreiber—Proactive Technology Management


3:30 PM – 3:40 PM: Collective Impact

Workforce Development + Digital Literacy

  • Dr. John Chen—CAACC & AAFC


3:40 PM – 3:50 PM: State of AI

  • Charles D’Andrea—AI Innovation Council


3:50 PM – 4:20 PM: Can Charlotte Lead the Southeast?

Building the Region’s AI Innovation Economy

  • Hiren Deliwala—AWS

  • Kaiwen Chen—LaunchWorks

  • Vishal Bhalla—AnalytAIX


4:20 PM – 5:30 PM: Innovation Social Hour

Continue networking with speakers, executives, founders, sponsors, students, investors, and community leaders from across the Carolinas.


Time Zone: Eastern

Please read the Ascend Terms of Registration and Participation carefully.

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June 17

Ascend New Jersey - AI for Work & Life

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June 23

Ascend New York Metro - The Art of Personal Branding Student Workshop