AI Day

About Chuck

Chuck Russell is a long-standing Central Pennsylvania tech entrepreneur, former CEO of the Technology Council of Central PA (TCCP), and a founder and Senior Partner at the local consulting firm Collective Intelligence Inc. With decades of thought leadership in collaborative, analytics, and machine learning technologies, his focus is on turning complex data processes into strategic business advantages.

Presentation Topic

Chuck is presenting on "Generative Development (Vibe Coding)", which he describes as the cutting edge of AI-enhanced software creation. He specializes in the practical application of generative AI tools to accelerate the entire development cycle—from initial ideation and business modeling to generating functional code and creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) roadmap—significantly speeding up concept validation and prototyping. His presentation will address how developers and product teams can move beyond simple "vibe coding" to leverage AI assistants for powerful, structured, and agile development, a topic that aligns closely with his deep technical background in advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI.

About Jamison

Jamison Rotz is the Founder and CEO of Nearly Human, a Harrisburg-based company specializing in responsible, high quality Enterprise AI software. His experience spans enterprise system design and software development, positioning him as a leader in transforming the way large corporations and government agencies integrate and scale Artificial Intelligence. Mr. Rotz is a long-time member of the Central PA tech community, operating his business out of Pursuit Coworking, and he is a proponent of leveraging AI to boost productivity in ways that were previously too expensive or technically complex.

Presentation Topic

A practical blueprint on achieving real-world AI success. This session speaks to the critical generative AI quality gap, offering strategies for building responsible, trustworthy AI systems. Discover how to overcome "pilot purgatory" and address model "hallucinations" through systems designed for seamless integration with existing systems and processes. Jamison will provide an actionable guide to deliver tangible, high-ROI results using the latest AI technologies.

About Jodi

Jodi Frank is the founder of Culineer, an AI-powered platform transforming how people discover and enjoy locally produced fresh food. Culineer personalizes the local food experience—helping consumers find, cook, and connect with food grown close to home - much like Spotify personalizes music, AllTrails curates hiking, and and Airbnb reshaped travel.

With deep and wide experience in sales, marketing, and business strategy across industries ranging from healthcare and consumer goods to technology and startups, Jodi brings a rare blend of business acumen and creative innovation to her work. In addition to her entrepreneurial leadership, she has taught business and marketing at HACC and Penn State University, and holds an MBA from Penn State.

Presentation Topics

Using AI to Reduce Development Costs: Discover how the Culineer team integrates AI tools to accelerate product development, automate communication, and efficiently deliver value to grassroots food communities.

Creating Intelligent Agents to Enhance Customer Experience: See how Culineer uses AI agents to strengthen connections between farmers and home cooks, elevating engagement and bringing the farm-to-table experience to life.

About Brandon

Brandon Teller is a seasoned technology founder and technical lead behind Bindr, the inclusive dating app, and ColdStart, an AI-powered content generation and LLM ranking startup. Brandon specializes in solving the "cold start" challenge for companies, using advanced AI-driven strategies to rapidly create, tailor, and optimize content for today's AI-powered discovery platforms.

With over a decade of experience scaling digital ventures, he's helped launch and grow communities from scratch, earning national recognition for innovation in AI content and user acquisition.

Presentation Topic

Brandon will demonstrate practical approaches for building AIO (AI-optimized) targeted content that perform well in conversational AI and search ecosystems. Drawing from ColdStart and Bindr, he'll share actionable insights on adapting your content for improved visibility, organic growth, and user engagement in the age of AI-driven discovery and the importance of being everywhere that your customers are asking for your product or services.

About Bryan

Bryan Speece is the founder of Vamp and CEO of Speece Technologies, a growing software development and integration firm. He is a Founder Institute alum with nearly two decades of industry experience. As a committed tech and startup community member, Bryan has a passion for developing innovative technology solutions.

Presentation Topic

Bryan Speece will present Vamp, a web application for conducting AI-driven research interviews. Vamp AI — built with Amazon Bedrock and OpenAI's Whisper — is guided by standardized research procedures and guardrails to conduct interviews like a PhD-level qualitative researcher. With minimal prompting, Vamp's AI can conduct an interview about virtually anything. Use Vamp for customer intelligence, employee outreach, academic research, and more.

About Ken

Ken Richard is the Head of Engineering at Okaya, a startup using AI to help high-stakes professionals—like pilots, firefighters, and healthcare workers—monitor and improve mental readiness. With over a decade of experience leading software and product teams, Ken has guided organizations through digital transformations, from EdTech to live streaming to AI-driven wellness platforms. He's passionate about bridging the gap between technical innovation and human trust, and about building products that are both responsible and impactful.

Presentation Topic

AI can help professionals in high-stakes roles—like pilots, firefighters, and healthcare workers—better understand and manage their mental readiness. In this talk, Ken Richard shares how his team at Okaya built and validated a custom model for mental-health insights, balancing technical design with trust, guardrails, and human oversight. The session highlights what it takes to move AI from concept to real-world use in sensitive, high-impact environments.

About Scott

Scott Davis is a renowned cybersecurity leader and educator with over 25 years of experience spanning private industry, government, and the military. Based in Central Pennsylvania, Scott currently serves as Vice President of IT Services at Everound and Chairman of the Cybersecurity Association of Pennsylvania.

His expertise includes cybersecurity strategy, compliance, cloud security, and critical infrastructure protection. As an executive, advisor, and sought-after international speaker, Scott has helped over 200 organizations secure their operations, navigate emerging threats, and build cyber-resilient cultures.

Presentation Topic

Cybersecurity expert Scott Davis cuts through the hype and explores how AI is directly improving security operations today. Learn how leading organizations deploy artificial intelligence for automated threat detection, advanced identity management, and real-time risk assessment. This session delivers clear, actionable insights for leveraging AI to strengthen defenses and reduce risk in any enterprise environment.

About Paul

Paul Endress is a Harrisburg-based entrepreneur, best-selling author, and nationally recognized expert in the science and strategy of effective workplace communication. As founder of Maximum Advantage and the architect behind Communication Styles 2.0™, Paul has helped tens of thousands of professionals—from Fortune 500 executives to local business leaders—bridge communication gaps and build high-performing teams. His work has been cited in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and The New York Times, and he's known for creating practical frameworks that turn understanding into action. With a background spanning software development, team consulting, and innovation, Paul is dedicated to helping organizations unlock the full potential of collaboration and AI-powered productivity.

Presentation Topic

From Punch Cards to Profits: How AI Helped Me Build a Commercial-Grade App on Replit

Discover how a lifelong programmer became an early adopter of AI-powered development. In this session, Paul Endress shares his journey from punch cards to AI-driven app creation, including the real-world strategies and lessons learned building a profitable enterprise application on Replit. He details how leveraging AI partners accelerated delivery—saving nine months and $75,000 in development cost—while launching a commercial-grade solution that's already creating cash flow. Attendees will walk away with two actionable methods for using Replit and AI tools to create revenue-generating applications within 60 days, regardless of coding experience. Whether you're curious about next-generation development or looking for your next big idea, this session shows how AI can turn inspiration into real business outcomes—faster than ever.