DANC Science & Technology (S&T) Forum in partnership with 

* Michael Best Consulting
* Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
* University of North Carolina, Wilmington

AI Roundtable Theme: 
Deploying AI:
"North Carolina's Innovators and Creators"
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AI Roundtable Theme: 

"Deploying AI: North Carolina's Innovators and Creators"

AGENDA

12:30PM-12:55 PM - EARLY CHECK-IN,  ATTENDEE & NETWORKING
12:55PM - CALL TO SEATS 
1:00PM-1:20 PM - WELCOME REMARKS & RECOGNITION OF
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, Sponsors:
Phil Williams, Chair, Science & Technology Committe
Defense Alliance of North Carolina
Phil Williams LLC 

1:30 PM-3:15 PM - Moderators: Roundtable Interactive Conversation
:Lyle Gravatt, Kyle Snyder, Dr. Ron Vetter, Dr. John Hardin, DoD Guests
 Invited: Army Research Office, Marine Corps
3:15 PM-3:30 PM - QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION, NEXT STEPS
3:30 PM- CLOSING REMARKS, ADJOURN
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM - NETWORKING
* Registration will close once max capacity is reached
* No cost to attend.
* Sponsorsships availablem, Consider a low-investment

Moderators
 Kyle Snyder
Principal 
Michael Best Consultin
"Deploying AI: North Carolina's Innovators and Creators"

https://www.michaelbest.com/People/Kyle-Snyder

Kyle leverages more than 25 years of experience in the autonomous systems, unmanned technology, and aerospace sectors to provide business strategy guidance, regulatory compliance, and industry insights to clients who are developing or implementing autonomous technology solutions.

Kyle has been a driving force in the burgeoning unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry for decades. He brings a wealth of experience in both technological innovation and business strategy, from his early engineering and research roles at NASA and Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, to spearheading research and commercialization programs at several universities, to key private industry and trade organization management roles.

Before joining Michael Best Consulting to lead the Autonomous Insights advisory program, Kyle founded his own consulting firm, Flyabout Strategies, which served the aviation industry with a focus in unmanned systems. Kyle provided clients with strategic planning, analytics, development, integration, and technology transfer assistance.

During that time, Kyle also served as the Robotics Program Manager for Cherokee Nation Strategic Programs, where he managed a $10 million robotics integration program supporting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Kyle led the testing and evaluation of air, ground, and maritime robotics systems to transfer technologies from industry and research laboratories to DHS routine operations. He had responsibility for product evaluation, project management, industry engagement, resource acquisition, and operational user interfacing.

Kyle’s deep industry experience also includes his prior roles with NASA and Lockheed Martin, and time spent at the intelligent software maker now known as Veloxiti. There, Kyle worked as an artificial intelligence (AI) product manager designing products for advanced aviation programs at NASA, Boeing, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

He also has significant experience in university research and commercialization settings. Kyle served as the first Director of North Carolina State University’s NextGen Air Transportation Consortium (NGAT), where he worked to establish and grow what is now a nation-leading drone ecosystem in North Carolina. Kyle was also the inaugural Program Director for Middle Tennessee University’s UAS Program, and was the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Technology Commercialization Manager at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Lyle Gravatt
  Lawyer - Intellectual Property,  Moderator

https://www.michaelbest.com/People/William-Gravatt

Lyle focuses his practice in the area of intellectual property, government procurement and artificial intelligence. He provides end-to-end counsel to help clients identify, protect, and commercialize IP assets, working closely with clients in a cross-collaborative matter with the firm’s practice groups and consulting and lobbying arms to meet business goals. Lyle is also part of the Michael Best AI Center of Excellence, providing leading-edge guidance for clients developing or implementing AI policies or solutions.

 Lyle assists numerous clients with a broad range of intellectual property services, from protecting trademarks and patents to licensing, acquisitions, and due diligence, across a number of industries. With a background in patent analytics and providing competitive intelligence to businesses, Lyle ensures that intellectual property is best utilized to achieve a company’s goals. Working in collaboration with other Michael Best teams providing consulting, lobbying and other non-legal services, he assists clients through the government procurement process while addressing technical, regulatory, and operational challenges with a specific focus on the defense sector.

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Dr. Karl Ricanek
Professor of Engineering and Computer Science
University of North Carolina, Wilmington

 

linkedin.com/in/dr-karl-ricanek-jr-b670501

Karl holds a Ph.D. in Engineering, as a NASA fellow he worked on computer vision guidance for the Mars Rover program, developed computer vision targeting solutions for overhead FLIR images, and developed AI-based face recognition technology. His master’s in engineering combined Software Engineering with Machine Learning for the control of power systems. In his Bachelor of Engineering, he focused on machine learning, fuzzy systems, and evolutionary and genetic algorithms

Additionally, Karl is CEO and co-founder of Lapetus Solutions, a health intelligence company that architects and deploys advanced AI/ML for the insurance and financial services industries. Lapetus Solutions has been featured in Forbes, Digital Insurance, and The Financial Times and is the technology behind the Selfie (Insurance) Quote.

Karl is a world-renowned speaker on AI, computer vision, biometrics, and face recognition. He is credited for developing the field of facial analytics and holds multiple patents in the area, as well as 80 referred articles and book chapters in AI/ML, computer vision, and biometrics. He has presented over 100 times on the topics, and leads the facial analytics, machine learning, and data science group, which focuses on developing novel solutions for the prediction of life events through deep analysis of the face and application data. Karl began his training in artificial intelligence and machine learning while working with the U.S. Department of Defense.

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Dr. John Hardin
NC Commerce Board of Science, Technology & Innovation

John Hardin is the Executive Director for the North Carolina Board of Science, Technology & Innovation, which is staffed by Office of Science, Technology & Innovation in the North Carolina Department of Commerce. He was appointed Acting Director in spring 2008 and Executive Director in fall 2009. From 2003 to 2008, he served as the Board's Deputy Director and Chief Policy Analyst.

The Board advises and makes recommendations to the North Carolina Governor, General Assembly, Secretary of Commerce, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina on the role of science, technology and innovation in the economic growth and development of the state. Created in 1963 (the first such organization in the US), the Board has been responsible for the creation of a number of internationally recognized initiatives to catalyze the transformation of the North Carolina economy by leveraging research & development, science, innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology-based economic development.

Hardin’s duties include developing and justifying legislation related to defining statewide research capacity and structure; implementing science, technology and innovation-related economic development policy and resource allocations; research, analysis, and review of substantive policy issues and proposals; preparing public policy and budget analyses; preparing and presenting high-level state policy briefings, assessments, and reports to policy makers and external constituencies; conducting strategic planning and making recommendations for technology-based economic development; directing and overseeing strategic initiatives with impact at the state level; and overseeing the administration of grant programs to support technology commercialization by North Carolina small businesses.

He currently serves as a board member for the State Science & Technology Institute (SSTI) and the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. He also serves as a member of the Governing Committee of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), the Executive Committee of the PowerAmerica Institute at North Carolina State University, the Executive Committee of the Research Triangle Environmental Health Collaborative, the Advisory Committee of the Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network, the Advisory Board for the North Carolina Science Festival, the External Advisory Board for the Center of Excellence in Product Design and Advanced Manufacturing at NC A&T State University, the Technical Advisory Committee of the Renewable Ocean Energy Program at the UNC Coastal Studies Institute, the State Supply Chain & Workforce Advisory Board for the Business Network for Offshore Wind, and the Steering Committee for the North Carolina Center for Optimizing Military Performance (NC-COMP). He previously served as a board member for the North Carolina Center of Innovation Network, the Kenan Fellows Program, Families Moving Forward in Durham, Triangle Day School in Durham, FIRST North Carolina, and as an External Advisory Board member of the Genetic Engineering & Society Program at North Carolina State University, and on the Industrial Advisory Board of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Revolutionalizing Metallic Biomaterials at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University.

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Invited Guests include:
Dr. Stephen Lee
Senior Scientist
Army Research Office

 

 

  

 

 

Tammy Everett
Executive Director
Defense Alliance of NC

 

Phil Williams
Chair, Defense Alliance of NC, Science and Technology Forums
CEO, Phil Williams LLC

Dr. Brandon Conover
Co-Chair, Defense Alliance of NC, Science & Technology Forums
CEO, Practical Scientific Soluions

 

 AGENDA

12:30PM-12:55 PM - EARLY CHECK-IN,   ATTENDEE ARRIVAL & NETWORKING

12:55PM - CALL TO SEATS 

1:00PM-1:25 PM - WELCOME REMARKS & RECOGNITION OF DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, SPONSO
Host -UNC Wilmington, Defense Alliance of NC S&
Phil Williams Chair, Science & Technology Committee & Forums
Defense Alliance of North Carolina, Phil Williams LLC
Dr. Brandon Conover Co-Chair, Science & Technology Committee
     Defense Alliance of North Carolina
     Practical Scientific Solutions, Inc. 

1:30 PM-3:15 PM - Moderators: Roundtable Interactive Conversation
Lyle Gravatt, Kyle Snyder,
 Dr. Karl Ricanek, Dr. Ron Vetter - UNCW
Dr. John Hardin, Executive Director Board of Science, Technology, Innovation NC Commerce                     

3:15 PM-3:30 PM - QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION, NEXT STEPS 

3:30 PM- CLOSING REMARKS, ADJOURN

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM - NETWORKING