Agenda

During the free event, advocates, issue experts, and industry representatives will provide diverse insights and implications of current policies, identify gaps in legislation, and propose potential actionable solutions.

Lunch will be provided.

In the face of growing concerns that children are forming dangerous emotional attachments to AI companions—chatbots that show empathy, ask personal questions, and provide emotional support—many legislators are rushing to ban or severely limit children's access to these services. Proposals range from strict age verification to outright prohibition. While policymakers have a legitimate interest in protecting children, some of these policies would limit real opportunities to use these tools to benefit children.

US Ignite’s Supporting U.S. Regional Growth & Entrepreneurship (SURGE) program equips regional coalitions with the structure, guidance, and connections needed to move from planning to action. Powered by the National Science Foundation (NSF), SURGE supports ecosystem builders advancing regional innovation and economic growth efforts across the United States.

This SURGE Launch Party is designed for community leaders, regional coalition organizers, and innovation champions who are driving change across the country.

A major shift is coming to the E-Rate program, and preparation now is critical for success. The FCC recently approved the requirement of a new competitive bidding portal for FY 2028 that will significantly change how applicants and vendors manage and document the bidding process. In this webinar, our panel of experts will walk through what’s changing, how the new portal will work, and what steps you should expect prior to the portal’s rollout.

From landmark trials against social media companies to both proposed and enacted social media bans, this year has seen “a growing backlash against social media and its effects on young people.” Simultaneously, a growing body of research has raised concerns about social media’s impacts on all users, not just you

Seventy years after the term “artificial intelligence” was coined, AI has moved from research labs to everyday life, especially in business. AI isn’t just enabling businesses to become more efficient; businesses are adopting and changing AI to transform how they create value, operate, and compete. Are successful businesses the ones that reallocate human effort toward AI-enhanced judgment, oversight, and relationship-building? Or do they lead in technology innovation?