Registration and Morning Refreshments

Opening Remarks

Brian Tardiff, Chief Digital Officer, Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services, State of Rhode Island

Keynote – AI and the Octopus Organization™: Adapt or Fail

In an era defined by rapid technological change, organizations that fully embrace AI will pull decisively ahead of those that treat it as a side experiment. This keynote explores how leading organizations are moving beyond traditional hierarchies toward more agile, “Octopus Organization™” models - where centralized strategy is paired with empowered, decentralized teams that can think, decide, and act in real time. Drawing on extensive research and real-world transformations, this session will highlight how AI can be used not just to automate tasks, but to fundamentally redesign how work gets done - enabling faster decision-making, greater adaptability, and more innovative, high-performing teams. Attendees will leave with practical insights on building AI-driven organizations that are designed to evolve, compete, and thrive.

Jonathan Brill, Futurist, AI Inventor, HP Global Futurist, Bestselling Author

25 Years of Digital Government: How Technology, Policy and Public Service Evolved — and What Comes Next

In 2001, "digital government" meant moving paper forms to static PDF downloads. Today, it means real-time, AI-driven resident services, "whole-of-state" cybersecurity, and cloud-native infrastructure that never sleeps. As the Center for Digital Government (CDG) celebrates its 25th anniversary, we invite you to a high-energy retrospective and a forward-looking strategy session that tracks the evolution of the public sector’s digital DNA. We will walk through the "waves" of transformation we’ve navigated together and will provide a roadmap for the next quarter-century of innovation.

Zach Patton, Chief Editor, Content Studio, e.Republic

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Concurrent Sessions

Operationalizing Zero Trust in Government

Zero Trust has evolved from a cybersecurity concept to a strategic implementation priority for Rhode Island. This session explores how agencies are putting real process behind Zero Trust – aligning with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, strengthening third-party risk management, and integrating enterprise risk tools to improve visibility before, during, and after cyber incidents. Panelists will share practical lessons from implementation, crisis management, incident response modernization, and the technical and operational skillsets required to successfully implement and sustain a Zero Trust strategy.

Moderator: Nathan Loura, Chief Information Security Officer, Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services, State of Rhode Island

Building a Practical Cloud Strategy

As governments accelerate cloud adoption, leaders must balance innovation, cost, security, and operational risk. This session explores how to build a structured cloud adoption framework that helps agencies determine what should move to the cloud, where it should live, and how to manage fiscal and third-party risk. Panelists will examine public vs. commercial cloud models, cloud-agnostic strategy decisions, and how to avoid cloud sprawl while enabling modernization.

Moderator: Sanjay Gupta, Chief Technology Officer, Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services, State of Rhode Island

Ananda S. Murthy, Director, Cloud and AI Transformation, Smartronix, LLC (SMX)

Guardians of the Data Galaxy: Mastering Data Stewardship

In today’s data-driven environment, governments face growing challenges in managing, protecting, and effectively leveraging their information assets. This session highlights how data maturity models can help align data practices with strategy, risk, and compliance goals, alongside a real-world case study from Rhode Island’s Attendance Matters campaign. Learn how accessible, actionable data, including a widely used school Leader Board, drove improved attendance, and gain practical insights for scaling data initiatives and turning insights into outcomes.

Moderator: Scott Gausland, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services, State of Rhode Island

Andres Blanco, Data Management Coordinator, RI Department of Education (RIDE)

Mario Goncalves, Information Systems Specialist, RI Department of Education (RIDE)

Santiago Guerrero, Senior Finance Officer for Data and Analysis, Data & Technology Services, RI Department of Education (RIDE)

Peg Votta, Research Specialist, Data & Technology Services, RI Department of Education (RIDE)

Lunch

Rhode Island’s AI Action Plan (in Action)

Get an in-depth update on the Rhode Island’s AI Task Force and the development of the state’s AI Action Plan. Key leaders will share how the plan is moving from strategy to implementation, offering practical insights for states looking to operationalize responsible AI initiatives.

Moderator: Brian Tardiff, Chief Digital Officer, Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services, State of Rhode Island

Congressman Jim Langevin, Distinguished Chair, Institute for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies, Rhode Island College, and Chair, Governor’s AI Task Force

Tim Henry, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, Rhode Island College

Chris Parisi, Vice Chair, Governor’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force

Lightning Talks: AI in Action

IT leaders from across the state will deliver rapid-fire lightning talks showcasing real-world AI use cases. This fast-paced session highlights practical applications, early results, lessons learned, and emerging opportunities for scaling AI responsibly across the public-sector.

Moderator: Zach Patton, Chief Editor, Content Studio, e.Republic

Nick Craig, Director of Information Technology, City of Newport

Alan Dias, Deputy Chief, Data, Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Office, Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services, State of Rhode Island

Chuck LoCurto, Vice President for Information Services and Chief Information Officer, Bryant University

Short Break

Concurrent Sessions

Strengthening Enterprise Risk Management in Government

Effective risk management is essential to delivering secure, resilient, and fiscally responsible digital services, especially as governments adopt emerging technologies such as generative AI and expand cloud environments. This session explores how state and local leaders can modernize enterprise risk management practices to address operational, fiscal, cybersecurity, and third-party risks while maintaining accountability and public trust.

Moderator: Mike Tetreault, Cybersecurity Advisor for Rhode Island, Region 1 – New England, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Terrance Jackson, Director of Information Technology, eGov and IT, Rhode Island Department of State

Modernizing Through Strong IT Governance

Legacy system management and migration are among the most complex and persistent challenges facing state and local government IT teams, often complicated by security concerns and limited in-house resources and expertise. This session explores how strong IT governance and structured project management practices can reduce risk, improve oversight, and increase the success rate of modernization initiatives.

Moderator: Beth Tyler, Program and Contract Manager, RI Bridges Program, Agency and Enterprise Applications, State of Rhode Island

Sandy Furtado-Nardozza, Chief of IT, Agency and Enterprise Applications, Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services, State of Rhode Island

Arul Rangaraju, Chief of IT Portfolio and Projects, Office of Digital Excellence, Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services, State of Rhode Island

Exclusive Briefing for Industry Partners

Hosted by: State of Rhode Island

Michael Lombardi, Deputy Chief IT Vendor Management, State of Rhode Island

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Interactive Session – From Policy to Practice: Designing a Data Governance Playbook

While many agencies understand the importance of managing their data assets, turning strategy into day-to-day execution remains a challenge. This interactive workshop focuses on building a practical governance playbook – defining decision rights, establishing data ownership models, setting standards, and creating repeatable processes that work in real-world environments. Participants will leave with a blueprint that they can immediately adapt to strengthen accountability, consistency, and cross-agency collaboration.

The Rhode Island Excellence in Technology Awards

Closing Remarks

Brian Tardiff, Chief Digital Officer, Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services, State of Rhode Island

Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area

Network with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event exhibitors.

End of Conference

Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.