Register Now for our 3rd Annual MN Thought Leaders Summit!
Ryan Thomas
Vice President of Engineering and Technology
Geocomm
Clare Richards
Co-Founder and CEO
Impacks
Gail Cruikshank
Director of Talent & Community Impact
Greater St. Cloud Development
Director, SCSU Visualization Lab | Expert in Software Engineering Education
St. Cloud State University
Host
True North AI Services
GeoComm Board
SESSION DESCRIPTION
AI is reshaping how work gets done across industries. This moderated panel, led by John Bryant, brings together leaders from startups, manufacturing, healthcare, and academia to share how AI is being applied in real business settings—from workflow automation and predictive decision-making to augmenting frontline roles.
The discussion will also look ahead: What new skills are emerging? Where are the biggest workforce gaps? How should education and training evolve?
A local expert from True North will introduce the North Star AI Diagnostic Tool, which helps organizations assess readiness, identify gaps, and uncover high-impact opportunities. Attendees will engage with the tool in advance, with aggregated results highlighting key opportunities and challenges.
The session will also explore implications for curriculum, talent pipelines, and policy needed to support responsible, scalable AI adoption.