brAIn Hub 2025
Pioneering AI Possibilities for Regional Growth
Continuing on the success from the previous summits (image below), the MAWDB and it’s partners are pleased to present the next Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit to be hosted at A-B Tech.
Register now:
https://brAInHub2025.eventbrite.com
Learn from AI experts and practitioners on how AI can enhance your personal and professional life, and fuel economic resilience and growth. Presentations and workshops will cover a wide array of topics relevant to healthcare, education, government and policy, technology, and more. The AI Summit aims to spark innovation, efficiencies, networking, and regional growth by leveraging the vast capabilities of AI.
Tickets for the 2-day event are only $100 and include breakfast and lunch on both days, as well as entrance to a networking event on Wednesday (post conference) at The Hi-Wire’s Tiki Bar.
Keynotes and Presentation Topics
- AI augmenting the workforce and economic development
- AI’s involvement in post-secondary school systems
- Government, policy, and actions related to AI
- Future-cast on AI
- Agentics – using AI to make computers take actions
- Llama to write code
- Computer vision
- Using AI to building apps with low or no coding
For details and information on speakers, presenters, and moderators, please check out the Speaker Highlights.
Agenda (2025)
WEDNESDAY, June 25th
TIME
TOPIC(S)
8:00a
Breakfast and registration
8:30
Introduction and warm-up by Steve Newman, Director of Business and Community Development at ERC Broadband
8:45
Welcome message by Dr. John Gossett, President of A-B Tech Community College
8:55
Keynote by Jeff DeBellis and Maggie Smith, NC Department of Commerce
AI and the Future of Work in North Carolina
10:00
Break
10:15
Dr. Beth Stewart & Dr. Cris Harshman
Ensuring every A-B Tech Graduate Understands AI
11:00
Dr. Tim Scapin, Instructor, Haywood Community College
AI in Action: Transforming the Community College Classroom in NC
11:45
Lunch (catered and in-house)
12:45p
Jim Brooks & James Everett, Brevard College
From Plagiarism to Potential: Harnessing AI’s Power in Education
1:45
Erica Anderson, Deputy Executive Director, Land of Sky Regional Council
Introduction to AI in Government and Polices
— 1:55
Robert Hiett, Executive Director, Upper Coastal Plans Council of Governments
2025 Public Sector AI Trends
— 2:30
Jonathan Feldman, Chief Information Officer, Wake County
Challenges of AI at the County Level
3:00
Break
3:15
Panel with Government Participants
3:50
Closing remarks
5:00
Networking Social at Hi-Wire’s Tiki Easy Bar on South Slope
(sponsored by ERC Broadband)
THURSDAY, June 26th
8:00a
Breakfast and registration
8:30
Opening remarks by Steve Newman and JeffreyGPT
8:40
Nathan Ramsey, Executive Director, Land of Sky Regional Council
Observations of changing workforce
8:55
Marc Hoit, CIO, NC State University
How will AI Support and Change Higher Ed
9:45
Drew Pollick, Founder & CEO, CraftHR Solutions
HR Utilization of AI
10:30
Break
10:45
Steve Weese, Instructor, Computer Technologies Department, A-B Tech Community College
The Technological Singularity: When AI Outperforms Humans
11:30
Lunch (catered and in-house)
12:15p
Jeffrey Kaplan, Director of Venture Asheville and CEO of Optimist Ventures,
Introduction to the technology working group
— 12:25
Dr. Abdallah S. Abdallah, Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering,
Western Carolina University
Pixels and Prompts: Exploring the Power and Pitfalls of AI in Computer Vision
— 12:50
Eli Etherton, Founder & Cat-herder, Silicon Dojo
How to build simple AI-powered applications
— 1:15
Aidan O’Brien, Co-Founder, Hellion Studios
Unlocking Your Potential with AI Agents and Vibes
1:40
Break
2:00
Panel with Technology Presenters
2:45
Closing remarks by Jeffrey & Steve
Special rate hotel packages available
Just tell them you’re with brAIn Hub 2025! That doesn’t actually work, but you can use these two links to book $120 a night room – right in downtown Asheville. These rates are only good with your registration to the summit.
This is only an in-person event.
Our educational and workforce planning partners for this event include:
- A-B Technical Community College
- Blue Ridge Community College
- Carolina Cyber Center-Montreat
- Land of Sky Regional Council
- Mountain Area Workforce Development Board
- UNCA – University of North Carolina at Asheville
- WCU – Western Carolina University
Become a Sponsor for the AI Summit
All sponsors will have logos on distributed materials (printed and digital).
Presenting ($3,000): [filled] A-B Tech Community College
8 Two-Day Summit Tickets
Significant Brand Exposure
Main Speaker during Opening Remarks
Exhibitor Booth
Platinum ($2,000): https://square.link/u/t75oMJjT
8 Two-Day Summit Tickets (including Social Event)
Significant Brand Exposure (website, printed and electronic media)
Exhibitor Booth
Gold ($1,000): https://square.link/u/Ikw2FZbP
6 Two-Day Summit Tickets (including Social Event)
Brand Exposure on printed materials at Summit
Exhibitor Booth
Silver ($500): https://square.link/u/yDzW5mZN
4 Two-Day Summit Tickets (including Social Event)
Brand Exposure on printed materials at Summit
Bronze ($250): https://square.link/u/RboR4TxM
2 Two-Day Summit Tickets (including Social Event)
Brand Exposure on printed materials at Summit
Education Partner ($1,500): https://square.link/u/bngN3gBO
8 Tickets Two-Day Summit Tickets (including Social Event)
Brand Exposure (website, printed and electronic media)
Exhibitor Booth
If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please reach out to Mark Sternal (mark@landofsky.org).
As the branch bends, so the sparrow sits… Grubredes, circa 420 AD
Thank you to our sponsors!
Why did students and business leaders attend the 2024 AI Summit?
Sarah Benoit – AI Summit Call to Action (2024)
Sarah Benoit of the JB Media Group, shares a call-to-action on the topic of artificial intelligence.
Julio Barros – on the AI Summit (2024)
Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, leaders from area educational institutes, and businesses are planning a 2025 event!
Please email barbarad@landofsky.org or mark@landofsky.org if you are interested in participating or sponsoring.
