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. Registration will begin on May 5, 2025 with details of the speakers, agenda, and sponsorship opportunities.

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
Practicals and Hands-on Demonstrations
- Agentics – using AI to make computers take actions
- Llama to write code
- Computer vision
- Building apps with AI without coding
Agenda (2025)
TUESDAY, June 25th
8:00a – Breakfast and registration
8:30a – Opening remarks (Jeff Kaplan, Barbara Darby, Dr. John Gossett)
8:55a – Keynote – Jeff Debillis and Maggie Smith, AI in workforce and economic development
10:00a – Break
10:15a – Beth Stewart and Cris Harshman, The Role of Community Colleges in AI Education
11:15 – Lunch
12:00 – Tim Scapin, Current education tools and efforts in AI
12:45 – Jim Brooks, Reform strategies at Liberal Arts Colleges
1:30 – Break
1:45 – Erika Anderson, Introduction to AI in Government and Polices
1:55 – Robert Heitt, Economic Development in Government Sector
2:20 – Jonathan Feldman, AI in County Governments
2:45 – TBD – AI at the State level
3:05 – Break
3:15 – Government Panel
3:45 – Jeff Kaplan’s closing remarks
5:00 – Happy Hour
WEDNESDAY, June 26th
8:00a – Breakfast and registration
8:30a – Jeff Kaplan, Opening remarks
8:40a – Nathan Ramsey, Observations of changing workforce
8:55a – Marc Hoit, AI today and how education is responding to workforce needs
9:45a – Drew Pollock, HR utilization of AI
10:30a – break
10:45a – Steve Weese, The AI Singularity and Future-case
11:30a – Lunch
12:15 – Jeff Kaplan, Introducing the technology working group
12:25 – Abdallah Abousheaisha, Computer vision with AI
12:50 – Aidan O’Brien, Agentics – using AI to make computers do cool things
1:15 – Eli Etherton, Using Llama to write code
1:40 – Break
2:00 – Technology work group panel
2:45 – Jeff Kaplan’s Closing remarks
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
Presenting | Platinum | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |
Contribution | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $500 | $250 |
Booth/Table | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
# Tickets | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – |
Why did students and business leaders attend the AI Summit?
Sarah Benoit – AI Summit Call to Action
Sarah Benoit of the JB Media Group, shares a call-to-action on the topic of artificial intelligence.
Julio Barros – on the AI Summit
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.