Innovate 2026
Bringing global attention & talent to the bluegrass
Louisville, Kentucky
The crossroads of global ideas and local opportunity.
The smart money around the country and world is looking for culture, work ethic, affordability, talent.
When:
May 26 – 28, 2026
Where
2026 Agenda
Check-in
11:00am – 2:30pm
Welcome Remarks / Leading Better with Psychological Safety
Don Woolridge Sr
2:30pm – 3:00pm
5 Keys to Greatness
Ari Gunzburg
3:00pm – 3:30pm
Israel Innovation
Brian Wallace, Nimrod-Avraham May, Segev Halfon // Dawn Marie Yankeelov Moderating
3:30pm – 4:00pm
Lessons Learned from Raising $400 Million and The Future of Cloud Security
Segev Halfon
4:00pm – 4:30pm
Appetizers available
4:15pm – 6:00pm
Connection Conductors
Drew Sutton
4:30pm – 5:00pm
Bourbon Pouring Featuring Kentucky Peerless
5:00pm – 6:00pm
Check-in
8:00am – 12:00pm
Podcast Lounge
8:00am – 5:00pm
Breakfast and Connection Conductors
8:00am – 8:30am
Book Signing
8:30am – 9:00am
The Vision of Innovate
Brian Wallace
9:00am – 9:10am
Unforgettable: Be Heard and Get Referred with Memory Darts
Steve Woodruff
9:10am – 10:00am
Melanie Love the (un)Block demonstration
10:00am – 10:15am
Responsible AI
Kelly Cohen
10:15am – 10:45am
Corporate Innovation
Rachael Schwartz, Chris Ritter, Patricia Bardin, Brian Wallace Moderating
10:45am – 11:15am
Volatility in food: a new take on how food gets to people
Jeremiah Chapman, Rhona Bowles Kamar, Dawn Riley | Joseph Lewin Moderating
11:15am – 11:45am
Lunch
11:45am – 12:45pm
The Animal in the Mirror: Closing the Gap Between How You Lead and How You Land
Alina Doran
1:00pm – 1:30pm
Why You Can’t Think Straight Right Now – Your Brain on 2026
Melanie Marshall, Dr. Heather Collins
1:30pm – 2:00pm
What it Takes to Win
Darryl Isaacs
2:00pm – 2:30pm
Fireside Chat: Where are We Going With AI?
Kelly Cohen, Chris Huber Reitz, Samuel Zaruba Smith, Bryan Guess moderating
2:30pm – 3:00pm
Supply Chain and Logistics Innovation
Allison Myers, David Lopez, Cody Stack, with Jacob Janofsky moderating
3:00pm – 3:30pm
Society Needs: Intellectual Property and Peace, Harmony, and Joy
Scott Frank
3:30pm – 4:00pm
Health Innovation
Ben Whitaker Nimrod-Avraham May Kwane Watson
4:00pm – 4:30pm
Shorty Awards Live Podcast
Jeff Barrett
4:30pm – 5:15pm
Bourbon Pouring Featuring Old Commonwealth
Pouring with John miller
4:30pm – 5:30pm
Have you heard about the Muslim, Christian, Jew and Hindu that walked into.. hilarious adventures saving the world – Together
Nimrod-Avraham May
1:15pm – 1:45pm
Breakfast & Connection Conductors
8:00am – 9:00am
Podcast Lounge Open
8:00am – 3:00pm
Harlem Globetrotter MC
Herb ‘flight-time’ Lang
9:00am – 9:15am
Investing in an AI World: The Case for Local Capital
Drew Sutton
9:15am – 9:45pm
Kentucky Success Stories
Sunny Dronawat, Dr. Quentin Young, Nick Mattingly, Rachel Kersten moderating
9:45am – 10:15am
The Long Game: How PR and Relationships Build the Kind of Authority Money Can’t Buy copy
Jeremy Knauff, Jessika Suter
10:15am – 10:45am
Break
10:45am – 11:00am
Connection Conductors
Drew Sutton
11:00am – 11:45am
Lunch
11:45am – 12:45pm
Why Working Less Like a Professional Makes You More Effective
Jeff Howell
12:45pm – 1:15pm
Comfort Zones: Awareness and Playful Expansion
Nicholas (Nickel) Wood
1:45pm – 2:15pm
Closing Remarks – Save the date
2:15pm – 2:30pm
2026 Speaker Lineup
