Summer 2026 Built Here Microsummit

Overview

Agenda

8:00–8:30 AM: Registration + Networking Breakfast

8:30–8:40 AM: Summit Kickoff: The Vision for Tech Nebraska

8:40–8:55 AM: Opening Remarks from Chris Dill, EVP and CIO, Kiewit and Emily Allen, Executive Director, Tech Nebraska

8:55-9:45 AM: Panel 1: The Modern Industrial Economy: How Northeast Nebraska Manufacturing is Evolving

Moderator: Perry Severson, Chief Operating Officer, Pinnacle Bancorp
Panelist: Scott Volk, Vice President of Manufacturing, Weiland, Inc.
Panelist: Jordan Klute, President, Klute, Inc.
Panelist: Andrea Mcquaid, Digital Transformation Lead, FactoryXT

Manufacturing is no longer separate from technology. Robotics, automation, AI, digital systems, and advanced materials are transforming how industrial companies operate, compete, and grow.

In Northeast Nebraska, manufacturers are adopting new technologies while navigating workforce challenges and global competition—often faster than people realize.

This conversation will explore how regional manufacturers are integrating technology into operations, what skills the next generation workforce will need, and how traditional industries are becoming some of the most advanced technology environments in the state.

9:45–10:00 AM: Break

10:00 AM–10:50 AM: Panel 2: Built Here: Founders, Ecosystems & Scaling in Northeast Nebraska

Moderator: Dan Hoffman, CEO, InvestNebraska
Panelist: Angie Stenger, Executive Director, Growing Together
Panelist: Chris Gerardi, Founder & CEO, RealBricks
Panelist: Brandon Day, CEO, daycos
Panelist: Dan Spray, Founder and CEO, Precision IT

Innovation doesn’t only happen in major tech hubs. Across Nebraska, founders, operators, and ecosystem builders are creating companies, supporting entrepreneurs, and building infrastructure that allows businesses to grow locally.

From shared services and capital access to mentorship and regional collaboration, this conversation will explore what it takes to start and scale companies in communities like Norfolk—and how industry leaders can support one another to strengthen the broader innovation ecosystem.

10:50–11:40 AM: Panel 3: AI in the Real World: Agriculture, Automation & the Future of Work

Moderator: Ryan Wade, Director of Software Solutions, Lutz
Panelist: Santosh Pitla, Co-Director, NU AI Institute; Director of Graduate Programs, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Machine Automation and Agricultural Robotics Lab
Panelist: Hunter Bergman, President; Founder, XPM.Agency
Panelist: Tim Lemmons, FieldWise
Panelist: Jarod Dendinger, Vice President of Client Experience, Applied Connective Technologies

Artificial intelligence is already reshaping industries across Nebraska—from precision agriculture and logistics to manufacturing operations and data-driven decision making.

But many businesses are still asking practical questions: What can AI actually do today? Where should companies start? And how do we adopt these tools while supporting the workforce that powers our industries?

This conversation will focus on real-world applications of AI and automation, exploring how companies are using these technologies today and what they mean for the future of work.

11:40-12:00 PM: Closing conversation: Erin Sharpe, Director at iHub, and Katie Curtis, CIO, Great Plains Communications

12:00 PM: Grab-and-Go Lunch

12:30 PM: Optional BTS Tour at iHub before its Grand Opening in August 2026