2026 #IoTinOhio "On The Edge" Annual Meeting
Where the Midwest’s next wave of connected innovation gets decided—practically, not theoretically.
The #IoTinOhio "On The Edge" Annual Meeting brings together leaders from across industry, academia, and government to amplify the growing role of Ohio and the Midwest as a national center for connected device innovation, smart manufacturing, and intelligent infrastructure. Hosted by Lorain County Community College - College Center, a recognized leader in workforce development in applied technology, this event is designed to connect the people building, deploying, and supporting the next generation of connected systems.
Expect a highly cross-functional room of ~100 professionals from across the #IoT ecosystem, plus 30–40 professors, teachers, and students shaping the future workforce, plus 20–30 professionals from manufacturing, medical, government, aerospace, and agtech. The room will also include investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and technology leaders—creating a rare, practical environment where strategy, talent, capital, and execution come together.
What You’ll Get
Real-world insights on:
Smart Manufacturing
Workforce Development
Connectivity
Opening & Closing Keynotes from high-profile policy-makers and industry leaders
Direct access to manufacturers, technologists, educators, and capital sources in one room
Actionable connections that can lead to partnerships, projects, and talent pipelines
Additionally, for early arrivals, from 1-2pm, Jim Walborn, Director of LCCC's GLIDE and Co-Founder of Banyan Technology, "delivering intelligent freight management software for all over-the-road shipping", will guide a tour of the LCCC Desich SMART Center.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for organizations looking to engage directly with this growing ecosystem at the nerve center of the next wave of tech innovation across Manufacturing, Medtech, Aerospace, Military, Polymers, Govtech, and Agtech.
May 28th Agenda Outline:
10am-12pm - Doors Open, Exhibitor Setup
12-2:30pm - Arrive anytime, grab a Name Badge, take the Desich tour, find a spot to GSD, meet and greet, etc.
2:30-6:30pm - Main Event
6:30-7:30pm - Networking Reception
7:30-? - After-party across the street at The Dawg House
SPEAKER UPDATE -
MC: Alex Trader, Head of Sales, Tronix3D, Co-Founder, PGH | MFG Community, Pittsburgh
Building that bridge between Western PA and NE Ohio
Opening Fireside Chat:
"Ohio’s Moment: Build It Here. Build It Now."
Aligning capital, talent, and tech to build the next industrial economy in Ohio
James Ray, VP of Defense and Head of IoT, Nottingham Spirk
Moderator: Tim Zarkovacki, Board Chair, IoT Sandbox, Consultant, InTec Consulting
Panel 1: “From Classroom to Factory Floor: Rebuilding the Talent Pipeline”
- Amherst High School – John Agostinelli, M.Ed., Robotics and Automation Instructor
- Case Western Reserve University – William Tavel, Director of Veale Entrepreneurship Lab and LaunchNet Entrepreneur in Residence, CWRU Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship
- Cleveland State University – Chansu Yu, Ph.D., Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Co-Director, CSU T.E.C.H. Hub
One pending
Moderator: LCCC - Jim Walborn, Director of GLIDE and The Richard Desich Sales Institute
Special Address: "Cybersecurity Is Now a Product Feature"
Why security is shifting from compliance checkbox to competitive advantage, especially in today’s AI driven world.
by Ellen Boehm, SVP, Strategy & AI Innovation, Keyfactor
Panel 2: "What to Do on Monday: Smart Manufacturing That Moves the Needle"
- IoT Software – Rob Walker, Innovative Owl Technologies, President
- Edge AI – Chris Cole, Cole Design & Development, President
- OT Automation - Michael Harris, Bamboo Software, President
- IoT SaaS – Fabio Rosa, Tago.io, President
Moderator: Jillian Kupchella, Director of Marketing, CESMII - The Smart Manufacturing Institute
Panel 3: “From Water to Air to Orbit: The Future of Connectivity Is Here”
- Dr. Maximilian C. Scardelletti, Senior Research Engineer, Advanced High Frequency Branch (LCF), NASA Glenn Research Center
- Michael J. Frothingham, EVP Business Development, Intuicom/SEMTECH/Tarana
- Ebie Holst, Director, Data & Innovation, Cleveland Water Alliance
- Joshua Edmonds, CEO, Digital C – Canopy Home Internet
Moderator: Keri Zipay, Senior Director, Business Development - Aerospace & Defense, Team NEO
Closing Keynote: "The Origin Story of IoT — And Where It Still Gets Built"
A Closing Fireside Chat with Larry Sears, Case Western Sears Think[box], Hexagram
Moderator: Glenn Emelko, PhD, MBA, Director, Utility Operations Research Center, Hubbell Inc.
“Larry invented IoT.” — John Kerg, Arrow Electronics
Read more on Larry Sears:
https://case.edu/news/larry-sears-still-building-and-having-fun
"All boats rise with tide."