Innovation Summit 2026

The Future of Work: Reimagining Talent, Technology & the Modern Organization in the era of AI


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Innovation Summit Co-Chairs

     Matt Benson                                      Marc Eichenberger

                             


8:00 AM Registration Opens & Networking

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8:45 AM Welcome Remarks

9:00 AM Keynote Presentation: General Purpose Robots and the Future of Work

  • Chad Wright, Chief Information Officer, Boston Dynamics

Description

The future of work is not defined by the exclusion of human labor, but by its expansion through new forms of collaboration. Tomorrow’s enterprise will be powered by three distinct categories of coworkers: humans, virtual agents, and autonomous, mobile robots. While virtual agents dominate screens, the most profound shift in industrial productivity is happening in the physical world—across manufacturing plants, warehouses, hospitals, and construction sites—where robots are learning in real time how to navigate, perceive, and interact. Morgan Stanley forecasts that the humanoid robot market will surpass $5 trillion by 2050, signaling a structural transformation from science fiction to an essential driver of global economic resilience.

In this presentation, you will hear how general-purpose humanoid robots represent the true inflection point for industry as we scale this new workforce. They possess the physical flexibility to integrate seamlessly into environments built by humans, for humans. However, realizing this future requires overcoming the defining engineering challenge of this decade: building an internet-scale dataset for the physical world so robots can intuitively understand weight, force, and materiality. Modern AI is accelerating this process, turning robots into the physical embodiment of artificial intelligence and reducing development timelines from months to hours.

Ultimately, the goal of automation is not a workforce without humans, but one where humans are liberated from dangerous, repetitive, or backbreaking tasks so they can focus on more meaningful, strategic work. To maintain competitive advantage and protect against global disruption, industry and government must urgently align on a national robotics strategy. By combining healthy market competition with robust investments in workforce reskilling, we can ensure a safe, collaborative future where technology protects and elevates human potential.

9:45 AM Featured Speaker

  • TBD

    Description

    TBD

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10:15 AM Vendor Tables, Networking & Coffee

Please visit our vendor and partner tables throughout the day.

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10:35 AM Workforce: The Future of Work in an AI Economy 

Moderator: Brian Bouchard, Shareholder, Attorney, Sheehan Phinney

  • Vince Berk, CTO on the intersection of Startups, Cyber Security, and AI, Apprentis Ventures
  • Sam Pause, Chief Innovation and Brand Officer, Mascoma Bank
  • Crystal Pee Bowman, PhD, External Affairs Manager, Integer Technologies

11:15 AM NH AI Task Force Report

  • Phil Magnuszewski, Chair, NH AI Task Force, Chief Innovation Officer, Infused Innovations
  • Maggie Allard, MD, MPH, Healthcare Sector Lead, NH AI Task Force, Founder & CEO, Community Health Design Corps
  • Dave Gerry, AI Safety Cross-Sector Lead, NH AI Task Force, CEO, Bugcrowd
  • Melanie McDonough, Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Sector Lead, NH AI Task Force, Chief Innovation and AI Officer, City of Lebanon, NH

12:00 PM Lunch

Please visit our vendor and partner tables throughout the day.


12:45- 2:15 PM Breakout Sessions, select Track 1 or Track 2

Track 1: Applied Innovation (Main Room)

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12:45 PM Reindustrialization & Advanced Manufacturing in New England

Moderator: Melissa Florio, President, AMBIX Manufacturing

1:30 PM Human + Machine: Redesigning Leadership for the AI Era

Moderator: Scott Weller, CTO & Founder, EnFi Inc.

Track 2: Emerging Tech (Breakout Room)

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12:45 PM Startup Survival in 2026

Moderator: Jeff Chu, Managing Partner, Features Capital

1:30 PM Agentic AI

Moderator: Phil Magnuszewski, Chair, NH AI Task Force, Chief Innovation Officer, Infused Innovations


2:15 PM Vendor Tables, Networking & Coffee

Please visit our vendor and partner tables throughout the day.

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2:35 PM Startup Showcase

The following companies will give a 5-minute pitch to the audience.


3:30 PM A Rising Tide: How Federal Catalytic Capital Is Powering Innovation and New England’s Seafood Engine

  • Jake Kritzer, CEO, National Science Foundation (NSF) Seafood Engine in New England

4:00 PM Entrepreneur of the Year Award Presentation

Please join us in celebrating Nick Grewal, our 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year Award recipient. This year’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award will be presented by Lucy Lange, Commissioner of BEA, New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs.

4:30- 6:30 PM Entrepreneur of the Year Celebration and Reception

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  • Please note, your Innovation Summit ticket includes the Entrepreneur of the Year Presentation and Reception. 
  • If you would only like to attend the Entrepreneur of the Year Presentation and Reception you may purchase a ticket just for those times. This ticket would allow you access to the event starting at 4:00 PM for the presentation of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. 

Please visit our vendor and partner tables throughout the day:

 

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