Agenda

Rockstar Insight:

Eric Free
Dallas Executive Experience Center Manager
Nokia

Why You Should Listen to Eric:
Eric’s been with Nokia for 29 years and currently manages the Dallas Executive Experience Center, where their team of network engineers showcase Nokia’s broad portfolio of solutions and products. The EEC consists of the Broadband Innovation Center with a Fixed Networks focus, and an Energy Innovation Center focused on energy and utilities. Both centers are capable of hosting laboratory Proof of Concepts.

Abstract:
Capitalizing on emerging technology to create new offerings is not an easy task, on the contrary, it is a constantly moving target of expectations and realities. This session is intended to help break down the “creation” process of new ideas in a hyper-complex and competitive space.

Action Items:

• Define what “Formative Innovation” means and the impact it can have across organizations
• Explore the “seed to sale” cycle of new innovation ideas
• Deep dive into how emerging technologies are changing the game on creating new concepts and customer experiences

Headliner:

Dakota Crow
Vice President, Head of Innovation Programs
US Bank
 
Why You Should Listen to Dakota:
Dakota leads a team focused on engaging and empowering the entire employee base or 80,000+ in and around innovation, across all U.S. and European operations. In his current role he acts as trainer, coach, therapist, advocate, connector and cheerleader. Prior to joining U.S. Bank in 2017, Dakota spent over four years as an Entrepreneur-In-Resident at Optum / UnitedHealth Group where he created multiple innovation products and led the design of the first ever employee innovation idea accelerator. Before his recent decade plus in corporate innovation, Dakota spent over twenty years as an entrepreneur and team leader in the sports and entertainment industries.

Abstract:

How can you lead with AI, not just keep up with it? This panel will explore how to proactively embed AI into your product strategy. Panelists will share real-world insights on integrating AI across the product lifecycle from ideation and design to go-to-market execution—while navigating ethical, operational, and competitive challenges.

Action Items:

• Incorporate strategies for integrating AI into product planning to accelerate innovation
• Identify common adoption challenges and how to navigate them
• Evaluate frameworks for scaling AI responsibly across product portfolios to drive differentiation and growth

Moderator:

Rebekah Griffiths
Vice President, Product Management & Strategy, Device Lifecycle Solutions
Assurant

Why You Should Listen to Rebekah:
Rebekah’s approach to business incorporates a diverse set of career experiences: consulting internationally, roles across the organization from accounting to sales and spanning company sizes from a 10-person startup to a fortune 100 company as well as being involved in 5 different merger and acquisitions along the way. Rebekah’s passion lies in bringing together business and technology to solve complex problems, enhance customer experience, and drive positive social and environmental change. Her large family upbringing ingrained in her at an early age the importance of balancing the needs of multiple parties to achieve the best outcomes.

Panelists Include:

Ravi Chandu Ummadisetti
Head of Product, Generative AI Technical Architect
Toyota North America

Why You Should Listen to Ravi:
Ravi is a seasoned Generative AI Architect and strategic leader with over a decade of experience delivering AI/ML initiatives across global enterprises. He currently leads product strategy and architecture as Product Owner for Toyota Generative AI applications, driving enterprise-grade Generative AI applications including RAG, model fine-tuning, and secure AI platforms. Formerly, Ravi spearheaded AI/ML and deep learning initiatives that transformed industries such as Automotive, Banking, Healthcare, and Telecommunications, enabling cost reductions, operational efficiencies, and better decision-making. Known for navigating complex, fast-paced environments, he excels at aligning AI innovation with business goals and collaborating with executive and technical stakeholders worldwide to deliver scalable, high-impact solutions.

Manu Cyriac
Head of Digital Product and Software Engineering
Harley-Davidson Motor Company

Why You Should Listen to Manu:
Manu is a senior technology executive with over a decade of experience in digital transformation, software engineering, and technology operations. As Head of Software and Product Engineering at Harley-Davidson, he leads platform scaling, cost optimization, and customer experience innovation. Manu has held leadership roles at BJ’s Wholesale Club, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and REI, specializing in omnichannel strategy and enterprise tech. A Harvard-trained expert in Digital Strategy, he excels at building high-performing teams and delivering data-driven digital solutions.

Ricky Houck
Creative Technologist
Arthur

Why You Should Listen to Ricky:
Ricky has advised over 200 executive teams from companies like Thermo Fisher, Pfizer, and Experian on how to use immersive technologies within enterprise companies. He hosts The MetaRick Podcast interviewing tech founders, and business leaders working with emerging technologies, and has been featured at many industry events including CES, Gathervesrse, and AWE, as well as in academic research regarding the Metaverse, Web3, and Artificial Intelligence. Additionally, he hosts local community events in San Diego where re-building an AI forward sales playbook has been one of the primary topics of discussion.

Brian Rowe
Vice President Information Technology
Rehrig Pacific Company

Why You Should Listen to Brian:
Brian has been leading technology and security teams across several industries for the last 15 years, heavily focused on adopting emerging capabilities, like AI, to drive business innovation and efficiency. He is passionate about the future of human capital augmented by AI to solve real-world challenges, but his deep background in data security allows him to balance innovation with managing the real risk of leveraging these capabilities.

Bilquise Sheikh
Former Vice President Innovation & Transformation
Swiss Re

Why You Should Listen to Bilquise:
Bilquise is a Strategic AI Board Member at Ashland University and a global transformation leader with deep expertise in driving digital adoption. She brings a values-driven approach to embedding AI into product strategy, ensuring strong governance, regulatory compliance, and sustainable growth.

Abstract:
Organizations today face heightened uncertainty driven by geopolitical shifts, disruptive technologies, evolving consumer behaviors, and fragile supply chains. Traditional portfolio management strategies are insufficient in this environment. To future-proof, leaders must adopt a disciplined yet agile approach—one that balances resilience and innovation, mitigates risk, and positions the enterprise to seize emerging opportunities. This interactive session will examine actionable strategies to build portfolios capable of withstanding shocks while enabling sustainable long-term growth.

Action Items:

• Resilience Through Diversification – Balance near-term revenue streams with longer-horizon innovation bets
• Agility and Scenario Planning – Build agility into portfolio reviews with modular design and dynamic resource allocation
• Customer-Centric Innovation – Continuously adapt to shifting customer needs through data-driven insights
• Technology as a Portfolio Multiplier – Leverage AI, automation, and digital tools to improve forecasting and speed-to-market
• Governance and Culture of Adaptation – Establish governance that encourages experimentation and decisive portfolio shifts

Rockstar Insight:

John O’Grady
Director
Raytheon
 
Why You Should Listen to John:
John a retired, 30-year, U.S. Army officer and decorated combat veteran with multiple combat tours is responsible for developing relationships with key leaders and stakeholders within the MDA. He ensures Raytheon business units and senior leaders have a clear understanding of what they can provide to help support the MDA mission requirements ranging across a broad portfolio to include but not limited to: air and missile defense systems, long range precision weapons, and multidomains sensors and effectors.

Abstract:
The promise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in business extends far beyond customer-facing applications; its true transformative power lies in its ability to redefine and optimize internal processes. This roundtable will delve into the practical strategies and essential considerations for leveraging AI to achieve significant operational gains within an organization. We will move past theoretical concepts to focus on real-world implementation, discussing how organizations can identify high-impact areas for AI deployment, from streamlining workflows and automating repetitive tasks to enhancing data-driven decision-making and improving resource allocation. Join us for a focused discussion on building an intelligent, efficient, and future-proof internal operating model.

Action Items:

• Measure and quantify the return on investment (ROI) of internal AI projects
• Address ethical and change management challenges associated with process automation
• Scale successful pilot programs across the enterprise

Rockstar Insight:

Jaya Kandaswamy
Senior Vice President, Product, AI and Innovation
City National Bank
 
Why You Should Listen to Jaya:
Jaya is a seasoned product and technology executive specializing in AI-driven product development and strategic innovation. She focuses on integrating emerging technologies to enhance digital banking services and optimize core operational processes, driving both client experience and internal efficiency.

Abstract:
This session will explore a framework that empowers organizations to balance immediate priorities with future growth by making small, strategic bets across short-, mid-, and long-term horizons. Through shared insights and practical discussion, participants will discover ways to turn collaborative ideas into scalable innovations that create a lasting impact.

Action Items:

• Identify one low-risk, high-impact initiative within your organization and implement it as a pilot to test scalability and effectiveness
• Share examples of successful collaborative innovations from the roundtable with your internal teams to spark discussion and inspire similar approaches
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to build a framework for evaluating and scaling small bets into long-term growth initiatives

Rockstar Insight:

Mehul Udani
Vice President, Corporate Technology & Innovation
Murata Americas
 
Why You Should Listen to Mehul:
With 25+ years of experience in electronics, Mehul brings a strong track record in engineering, marketing, sales, business development, and innovation. He’s known for launching breakthrough product strategies, building university collaborations, and driving growth in emerging markets. Mehul also serves on the boards of HaiLa Technologies, EvoNexus, which is a DeepTech incubator, and the University of California San Diego’s Corporate Affiliates Program.
 

Abstract:
“Is your technology roadmap driving your business—or just following it?”

As hydrogen mobility moves from pilots to scale, aligning technology roadmaps with business strategy is critical to avoid stranded investments and missed opportunities. This session explores how to integrate tech planning with market strategy and leverage tech scouting to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

Action Items:

• Implement a roadmap integration framework that connects technology milestones (e.g., hydrogen infrastructure) to product and market-entry strategies
• Develop a tech scouting process with clear evaluation criteria to identify and prioritize emerging hydrogen technologies and partnerships
• Facilitate cross-functional governance between technology, product, and commercial teams to continuously adapt roadmaps as regulatory, market, and technology landscapes shift

Rockstar Insight:

Victoria Carette
Program Lead, H2 Mobility Deployment
H2 Utilization and Emerging Technologies
Shell
 
Why You Should Listen to Victoria:
Victoria is an impact-driven innovator with over 13 years of experience in systems engineering and product development, currently leading hydrogen mobility programs at Shell. She specializes in strategic product management, systems thinking, and commercial partnerships —turning bold ideas into market-ready solutions that decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors globally. Her expertise in aligning technology roadmaps with business strategy has enabled successful scaling of hydrogen infrastructure, including refuelling station archetype development, across multiple markets.

Abstract:
This interactive session will examine how portfolio-focused innovation drives growth through strategic new product commercialization. Using Aerospace and Semiconductor segments as case studies, it highlights the role of customer insights and stakeholder alignment in launching successful innovation programs. By streamlining portfolio planning and execution, organizations can better meet market needs and accelerate value delivery. The presentation concludes with key takeaways on how disciplined innovation practices can strengthen competitive advantage and enable scalable growth.

Action Items:

• Enhance Portfolio Planning with Customer Insights: Implement structured methods (e.g., VOC programs, customer journey mapping) to gather and integrate customer insights into portfolio planning
• Strengthen Stakeholder Alignment for Innovation Execution: Establish cross-functional collaboration frameworks (e.g., regular alignment meetings, shared KPIs) to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page during innovation initiatives
• Institutionalize Disciplined Innovation Practices: Develop and adopt standardized innovation processes (e.g., stage-gate models, agile development cycles) to drive scalable growth

Rockstar Insight:

Sandeep Singh
Global Product Portfolio Leader, Filtration and Separation
Thermo Fisher Scientific
 
Why You Should Listen to Sandeep:
Dr. Singh is a product strategy and innovation leader with a strong track record of driving growth through portfolio-led transformation. He brings a practical, customer-centric approach to solving complex business challenges and has successfully commercialized a wide range of technologies and products across diverse market segments. Sandeep excels at helping teams unlock new values by turning strategic vision into actionable execution.

Abstract:
Product development has always relied on human creativity and judgment. Today, AI-driven and data-driven innovation are accelerating change, requiring leaders to find the right balance of human ingenuity, AI scale, and trusted data to shape winning product strategies.

Action Items:

• Evaluate your organization’s current product strategy mix to identify where human judgment, AI acceleration, and data evidence are under- or over-weighted
• Implement a balanced decision-making model that ensures data quality, embeds AI responsibly, and keeps human oversight central
• Build cross-functional teams that integrate strategic thinkers, data experts, and AI practitioners to co-create product innovation

Rockstar Insight:

Ibrahim Itani
Head of Analytics & Innovation
Marathon Petroleum
 
Why You Should Listen to Ibrahim:
Ibrahim leads enterprise-wide data and AI transformation at Marathon Petroleum. He oversees the full data lifecycle, from ingestion and governance to advanced analytics and AI applications, with a focus on building reusable data products that deliver measurable business value. As Chair of the AI Governance Committee, he ensures AI is adopted responsibly, securely, and strategically. He is recognized for advancing innovation, data, and AI strategy to reshape how organizations interact with data and has extensive leadership experience across industries.
 

Abstract:
Today’s global business environment demands balancing current operations with future growth. So often is innovation and investment in tomorrow held at risk for managing the present. A compelling case study will illuminate how intentional actions taken now can drive innovation, growth, and longevity, ensuring businesses remain relevant both today and tomorrow.

Action Items:

• Identify new approaches for organizations to navigate uncertainty
• Cultivate purpose-driven foresight to frame and drive real innovation efforts
• Reimagine the metrics used to hold your organization accountable for driving future innovation and growth

Headliner:

Kara Cunzeman
Director, Enterprise Lab (eLab), Office of the Chief Technology Officer
The Aerospace Corporation
 
Why You Should Listen to Kara:
Kara is the founder and Director of Strategic Foresight within the Center for Space Policy and Strategy at The Aerospace Corporation. In her role, Cunzeman leads an “A” team of incredible thinkers who are focused on cultivating a formalized approach to futures thinking through the discipline of strategic foresight, helping the U.S. maintain competitiveness through building innovative approaches across strategy, acquisition, science, technology portfolio management, policy, and operations.