The Official #CLETechWeek26 Welcome Ceremony: Talent in the Age of AI
Official #CLETechWeek26 Welcome Ceremony
Cleveland's Innovation Ecosystem: Talent in the Age of AI
Cleveland Tech Week starts by bringing Cleveland's innovation ecosystem into one room.
Join founders, students, emerging talent, investors, industry leaders, educators, nonprofits, civic leaders, and innovators at Cleveland State University as we officially kick off #CLETechWeek26.
This year's Welcome Ceremony, hosted on the Cleveland State University Campus and with support from the CSU Talent Hub, explores one of the biggest questions facing our region:
How do we prepare Cleveland's talent pipeline for an AI-powered economy?
Before the Welcome Ceremony begins, teams of students, emerging talent, and industry leaders will spend the day together in the Official #CLETechWeek26 Buildathon, using emerging AI tools to build solutions at the intersection of education, workforce, and industry.
At 4 PM, the doors open.
Grab a beverage and light refreshments, meet people from across Cleveland's innovation community, and explore the Buildathon projects at demo tables.
At 5 PM, selected teams will take the stage to show us what they built, followed by our signature conversation:
Cleveland's Innovation Ecosystem: Education & Talent in the Age of AI
How do we prepare Cleveland's people — and our region — for a world being reshaped by AI?
We'll bring together leaders spanning education, entrepreneurship, technology, talent, and small business to explore how Cleveland can build stronger connections between education → experience → employment → entrepreneurship → opportunity.
Panelists
Myles Smith — Moderator
AI strategist, technologist, creative entrepreneur, and community connector exploring how emerging technology can drive innovation and opportunity.Matthew McKenna — Cleveland Institute of Art
Higher-education technology leader and CIO focused on digital strategy, emerging technology, and preparing creative talent for a rapidly changing future of work.Janine Kaiser — Cleveland State University Talent Hub
Talent and workforce leader building stronger connections between higher education, experiential learning, employers, and Northeast Ohio's future workforce.Seamus O'Hara — Ippy Dippy
Educator-turned-entrepreneur, former principal, and licensed superintendent building new ways for people to capture learning and translate it into lifelong opportunity.Nikita Collier — The Genius Code
Educator and entrepreneur focused on helping young people develop their talents, entrepreneurial mindset, and pathways to future opportunities.Ramana Bhavaraju — NCompas
Technologist, entrepreneur, and founder with 20+ years in enterprise technology, bringing a hands-on perspective on AI, digital transformation, and how businesses adopt emerging technology.
Together, they'll explore:
How is AI changing the skills employers need?
How should education evolve as technology changes faster than traditional curricula?
How can employers and entrepreneurs play a more active role in developing talent?
How do we give emerging talent more opportunities to learn by building and doing?
And how can Cleveland create an ecosystem where more people choose to learn, work, build, start companies, and create their futures here?
Because Cleveland's innovation ecosystem isn't built by any one university, company, startup, or organization.
We build it together.
📅 Agenda
4:00–5:00 PM → Buildathon project showcase, beverages, light refreshments & networking
5:00–6:00 PM → Selected project presentations + Cleveland's Innovation Ecosystem: Education, Talent, & AI panel
6:00–7:00 PM → Beverages, light refreshments & networking
Dress: Business casual
Location: Cleveland State University Student Center Atrium
Parking: Hourly street, Lot 22, or Central Garage.
Central Garage (CG) circled in blue and the Student Center (SC) circled in red
If parking in Central Garage, it is recommended to park on the top level and walk directly across the Plaza to the back entrance of the Student Center
Parking in the garage is $12/day
Come see what Cleveland's emerging talent and industry leaders can build together—and help us kick off a week dedicated to building what's next for Cleveland.
A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats
#ClevelandOnTheRise
#CLETechWeek26
#BuildTheTide
This event is part of Cleveland Tech Week 2026, a community-driven celebration of innovation across Greater Cleveland. Learn more and explore the full calendar at cletechweek.com.
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