This free event is Sponsored by Daniel and Robyn Ives, American Inference, AristAI, BoodleBox, Gartner, and Penn State Applied Research Lab

About the Event

On March 19, 2026, The Dan and Robyn Ives AI Innovation Day & Case Competition will bring together students, faculty, staff, and industry leaders to explore the transformative impact of Generative AI in business education and beyond. Hosted at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, this event will offer keynote addresses, interactive sessions, networking opportunities, and an undergraduate case competition where student teams share pitches for their AI-driven solutions to a real-world business case. Throughout the day, attendees will gain insights from top industry experts.

The event culminates in the Student Case Competition, where teams pitch AI-driven business solutions to a panel of judges that include many of the day’s featured speakers.

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Event Schedule

Event Schedule
Item Time Location

Exclusive Student Sessions

  • Daniel Ives, Wedbush Securities
  • Robyn Ives, Accounting Advisor and Consultant
  • Carolyn Mulhern, Palantir
  • David Steinberg, Zeta Global
  • Daniel Berman, AlixPartners
  • Amanda Showers, Gartner
  • Mike Rollings, Gartner
  • France Hoang, BoodleBox
  • Jess Awtrey, BoodleBox
  • Tony Zhang, Arist AI
  • Tawnya Means, Inspire HigherEd
  • Raymond Kusch, American Inference
  • Clarke Moyer, Penn State Applied Research Lab
  • Alec Simin, Penn State Applied Research Lab
9:00 AM Various Locations

Welcome and Opening

Corey Phelps
John and Karen Arnold Dean, Smeal College of Business
10:15 AM Atrium

Speaker Session 1

Daniel Ives
Global Head of Technology Research at Wedbush Securities, and Smeal Alumnus
10:30 AM Atrium

Speaker Session 2

David Steinberg
CEO of Zeta Global
11:05 AM Atrium

Speaker Session 3

Carolyn Mulhern
Executive Vice President of Manufacturing at Palantir, and Smeal Alumna
11:40 AM Atrium

Lunch

12:15 PM Atrium

Speaker Session 4

Amit Kukreja
YouTube personality behind Amit Investing
12:35 PM Atrium (via Zoom)

Speaker Session 5

Mike Rollings
Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
12:55 PM Atrium

Women in AI Panel

Carolyn Mulhern
Executive Vice President of Manufacturing at Palantir, and Smeal Alumna
Amanda Showers
Enterprise Account Executive at Gartner
Tawnya Means
Founding Partner & Principal at Inspire HigherEd
Jess Awtrey
Senior VP Sales, BoodleBox
1:30 PM Atrium

Speaker Session 6

France Hoang
Founder & CEO, BoodleBox
2:15 PM Atrium

Speaker Session 7

Raymond Kusch
CEO and Founder, American Inference
3:00-3:30 PM Room 110

Case Competition

3:30-5:00 PM Room 110

Networking and AI Showcase

5:00-7:00 PM Atrium

Why Attend?

  • Network with AI Experts: Meet industry leaders in A.I.-related fields.
  • Explore AI Innovations: Learn how AI is transforming business education and industry applications.
  • Cheer on Future Leaders: Support top student teams as they present groundbreaking AI solutions.
  • Shape the Future: Be part of discussions that consider the impact and implications of AI beyond automation and into teaching, learning, and the future of business and industry.