HITEC

✨ We look forward to celebrating the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝟏𝟎𝟎 honorees at the 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 on 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐏𝐌𝐆. ✨ ⁣
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This special evening will bring together HITEC 100 award winners and guests to recognize leadership, excellence, and impact across the HITEC community.⁣
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The 2026 class includes top executives from Fortune 100 and global enterprises, spanning industries, disciplines, and geographies. Together, they represent the strength, breadth, and future direction of today’s technology landscape — and the continued impact of leaders serving as 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡.⁣
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Seating is reserved, and advance registration is required for each attendee.⁣
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Please register by 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟒 to confirm your participation.⁣
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We look forward to celebrating this year’s honorees and the leadership they represent across our community.⁣
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👉 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞: ⁣
https://hitecglobal.org/event/2026-hitec-100-awards-celebration-dinner =75a4b66d-d7c8-4022-b3ff-f3201ba10200

🚀The future of AI is not just generative—it is agentic, actionable, and full of possibility. That is where 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 step in. ⁣⁣
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At HITEC, we are working to 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬, helping leaders better understand how these technologies are reshaping work, decision-making, and opportunity.⁣⁣
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𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎, join 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚 and 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐨 from 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 and 𝐑𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐀𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞! and don’t miss “𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐀𝐈: 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.” Discover how organizations are using GenAI and Agentic AI to transform operations, improve customer experience, and unlock human potential in new ways. With real-world case studies and insights on building inclusive, future-ready teams, this session will offer practical inspiration for anyone looking to harness AI as a force for progress.⁣⁣
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👉 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!: https://hitecglobal.org/event/2026-HITEC-Live-3d84e0f3-d40e-421c-9a8c-ed7f36752e31⁣⁣

At the 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐈𝐁𝐌 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧, 𝐓𝐗, 𝐎𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐃𝐮𝐪𝐮𝐞, 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂, closed the day by grounding the conversation in both technology and human connection.⁣⁣
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Throughout the event, leaders explored how AI is reshaping work, leadership, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, and the enterprise stack. But Omar reminded the room that while AI may help us make decisions faster and access more information, what truly makes leaders stronger is what HITEC creates space for: connection, thoughtful questions, open-minded learning, and the willingness to challenge ourselves.⁣⁣
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As Omar shared, he was walking away from the conversations “𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.” He said sustaining that optimism requires action from the entire HITEC community.⁣⁣
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“𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘐𝘛𝘌𝘊 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩.”⁣⁣
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That challenge is at the heart of HITEC’s work: to grow our companies, our influence, our communities, and one another.⁣⁣
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At HITEC, we are working to integrate AI as a leadership capability lens — not only by examining the technology itself, but by asking what it demands of leaders: greater curiosity, stronger accountability, deeper connection, and a responsibility to create pathways for others.⁣⁣
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Omar also reminded attendees of the important role the HITEC Foundation plays in building the next generation of technology leaders through scholarships, mentorship, internships, externships, and employment opportunities.⁣⁣
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Because the future we discussed does not happen by accident.⁣⁣
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As Omar said, “𝐈𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧.”⁣⁣
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The day closed with 𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐁𝐌 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, thanking HITEC, its leadership, and the community for coming together at IBM. He reinforced that this gathering reflects what IBM values: leaders who reflect the clients and communities they serve, who are ready to lead from the front, and who help build from the ground up.⁣⁣
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Thank you to 𝐈𝐁𝐌 for hosting this meaningful gathering and for helping bring the HITEC community together in Austin. A special thank you to 𝐁𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐳, 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢ñ𝐨, 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧-𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐯𝐚, 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐚 𝐆𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐳 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚ñ𝐨𝐬 for their leadership and contributions in making this event possible.⁣⁣
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Thank you as well to our HITEC Board of Directors, speakers, attendees, and the 140+ participants who joined virtually. Together, we continue to learn, connect, and lead as 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡.⁣⁣
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At the 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐈𝐁𝐌 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧, 𝐓𝐗, the session 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 - ​𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐄𝐫𝐚 served as a powerful close to a day filled with conversations about AI, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, the evolving enterprise stack, and the human side of technology.⁣
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Rather than introduce another framework, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐈𝐎 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐓𝐎 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐁𝐌 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, positioned the session as a conversation about the leader behind the technology.⁣
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As Jason noted, by the time they took the stage, much had already been said throughout the day. So instead of repeating it, they opened the floor and invited the room to explore what it all means in practice: how leaders must adapt, how AI is changing the way work is managed, and how we stay grounded as the pace of change accelerates.⁣
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫: AI is not only changing systems, workflows, and business models. It is changing the expectations of leadership.⁣
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Maria framed the leader of the future as a 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 — someone who can connect technology to business value, profitability to customer impact, and innovation to human dignity. Jason offered a complementary lens: leaders must also become 𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, guiding collaboration across humans, digital workers, teams, and emerging technologies with clear intent.⁣
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At HITEC, we are working to 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬. This session reinforced why that matters. Leadership in this moment is not about knowing every answer. It is about building trust, creating clarity, setting guardrails, learning continuously, and understanding where human judgment must remain central.⁣
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As Maria shared:⁣
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🗣️ “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘈𝘐.”⁣
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For HITEC’s 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡, this conversation was a reminder that the future will not be shaped by technology alone. It will be shaped by leaders who are willing to learn, unlearn, ask better questions, and design organizations where people and AI can create meaningful impact together.

At the 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐈𝐁𝐌 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧, 𝐓𝐗, the session 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 – 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 brought together leaders for a timely conversation on how AI is reshaping the way enterprises build, operate, and lead.⁣⁣
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Moderated by 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐧, 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐀𝐈 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 & 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭, the discussion featured insights from 𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐀𝐥𝐢, 𝐂𝐏, 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 & 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩, 𝐈𝐁𝐌, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐳, 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞, 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.⁣⁣
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𝐀 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲: AI infrastructure and platform decisions are no longer just IT decisions. They are business strategy decisions.⁣⁣
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As organizations adopt agentic AI, leaders must think beyond tools and models. They must examine how work gets done, how workflows span the enterprise, who is accountable, and how humans remain central in increasingly automated systems.⁣⁣
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One of the most important reminders from the conversation was that enterprise AI cannot simply be layered on top of existing processes. To realize meaningful impact, organizations must rethink operating models, redesign workflows, and bring both technology and business leaders to the table.⁣⁣
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As Adan Hernandez shared:⁣⁣
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“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘵, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭.”⁣⁣
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The conversation also reinforced that accountability must remain clear as AI systems become more autonomous. Lorraine Bardeen captured this directly:⁣⁣
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“𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦.”⁣⁣
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At HITEC, we are working to 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬. This session made clear that the leaders who will shape the future are not only those who understand the technology, but those who can ask the right questions, manage risk, inspire change, and connect AI strategy to business outcomes.⁣⁣
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As 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to design the next enterprise stack with intention: grounded in traceability, accountability, human judgment, and enterprise-wide impact.⁣⁣
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Thank you to our speakers and to IBM for hosting this important conversation in Austin and for helping create space for the HITEC community to explore what leadership looks like in the AI era.⁣⁣

At the 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐈𝐁𝐌 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧, 𝐓𝐗, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 - 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 ​𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐈 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 explored a critical truth about AI transformation: this is not just a technology shift. It is an organizational, cultural, and leadership shift.⁣⁣
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Moderated by 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐳-𝐊𝐚𝐤𝐨𝐥, 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫, with insights from 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐳, 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧; 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐞, 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐏𝐚𝐥; 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫, 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐓&𝐓, the panel examined how AI is reshaping work, trust, customer experience, and the human skills leaders must protect and develop.⁣⁣
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One key takeaway: as routine work becomes automated, the work left for people is often more complex, more emotional, and more demanding. The panel named an emerging leadership challenge: 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞 — the pressure employees feel when AI raises expectations for speed and output without always creating the space people need to think, recover, and connect.⁣⁣
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The conversation also made clear that trust cannot be rebuilt through messaging alone. It requires visible listening, action on feedback, and leaders who stay close to the work.⁣⁣
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As Carlos Beltre challenged the room:⁣⁣
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“𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺?”⁣⁣
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That question sits at the heart of this moment. AI may change how work gets done, but leaders still determine how people are valued, supported, and inspired through that change.⁣⁣
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At HITEC, we are working to i𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬. As 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡, our responsibility is not simply to adopt AI, but to shape organizations where technology accelerates progress without losing the humanity, trust, and leadership that make progress sustainable.⁣⁣
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Thank you to Miriam, Jesse, Carlos, and Lynette for a thoughtful and grounded conversation.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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At the 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐈𝐁𝐌 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧, 𝐓𝐗, the 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 with 𝐉𝐞𝐬ú𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬, 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐁𝐌 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐫 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬, explored what it means to build, lead, and adapt in the age of AI.⁣⁣⁣
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The conversation moved beyond the idea that AI simply makes entrepreneurship easier. Instead, it challenged leaders to consider what happens when the cost of building drops, the speed of ex*****on accelerates, and the true constraint becomes less about access to tools — and more about clarity, courage, judgment, and responsibility.⁣⁣⁣
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Amir reflected on earlier eras of entrepreneurship, when founders had to invest heavily in hardware, software licenses, infrastructure, and development tools before they could even begin. Today, with open source platforms, cloud infrastructure, free development tools, and AI-enabled systems, many of those barriers have changed.⁣⁣⁣
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But as Amir made clear, lower barriers do not remove the hard parts of building.⁣⁣⁣
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“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦.”⁣⁣⁣
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That was one of the strongest takeaways from the session: AI may reduce friction, but it also raises the standard for leadership.⁣⁣⁣
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The conversation also offered a timely connection to Amir’s latest book, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, which expands on many of the themes discussed on stage: human-machine collaboration, societal change, and the leadership required in this next era of AI.⁣⁣⁣
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For today’s 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡, entrepreneurship is not limited to founding a company. It is a mindset leaders can bring into every organization — seeing opportunity, managing complexity, taking intelligent risks, and building with purpose.⁣⁣⁣
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At HITEC, we are working to 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬 — helping leaders examine not only what AI makes possible, but what it requires of us as builders, decision-makers, and stewards of change.⁣⁣⁣
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Thank you to 𝐈𝐁𝐌 for hosting this important conversation and creating space for the HITEC community to explore the future of entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership in the age of AI.⁣⁣⁣

At the 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐈𝐁𝐌 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧, 𝐓𝐗, 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚, 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤, joined 𝐍𝐞𝐡𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐫, 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫 & 𝐈𝐓 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤, for a timely fireside chat on elevating cyber risk to the boardroom and using automation to help solve the cybersecurity talent gap.⁣
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The conversation explored frontier AI, cybersecurity risk, governance, talent, and the leadership capabilities required in this next era of enterprise transformation.⁣
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At HITEC, we are working to integrate 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬 — helping our community think beyond the technology itself and focus on the judgment, governance, resilience, and accountability required to lead through this shift.⁣
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A few key takeaways from the conversation:⁣
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✨ 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤.⁣
Security frameworks and organizational structures built for yesterday’s environment will not be enough for the speed and scale of AI-enabled threats.⁣
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✨ 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.⁣
As AI becomes embedded across enterprise workflows, leaders need to assess models, manage access, strengthen incident response, and prepare for regulatory expectations before enforcement arrives.⁣
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✨ 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦.⁣
Technical fluency matters, but leaders must be able to translate cybersecurity and AI risk into business outcomes, strategic priorities, and board-level decision-making.⁣
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✨ 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞.⁣
As automation changes entry-level work, organizations must become more intentional about growing talent internally, building early pipelines, and identifying people with the discipline and curiosity to keep learning as the threat landscape evolves.⁣
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✨ 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 — it is a shared responsibility.⁣
The strongest leaders are building trusted peer networks, engaging industry groups, and sharing intelligence across the ecosystem.⁣
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One quote from Neha that stayed with us:⁣
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“𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”⁣
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That is the kind of leadership this moment requires.⁣
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As 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡, we have a responsibility to build organizations that are not only AI-enabled, but AI-ready — grounded in governance, resilience, trust, and the leadership capacity to move forward with both urgency and discipline.⁣
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Thank you to 𝐈𝐁𝐌 for hosting us in Austin and to 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐞𝐡𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐫 for a thoughtful and practical conversation on what it means to lead securely and responsibly in the age of AI.⁣
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The 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐈𝐁𝐌 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧, 𝐓𝐗 opened with a powerful reminder of what makes this community different: connection, visibility, growth, and shared responsibility.⁣
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𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨, 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 & 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 & 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐋𝐀 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐈𝐧𝐜. and event Emcee, set the tone by sharing the personal impact of HITEC’s network — a community where leaders are seen, supported, and encouraged to step into bigger roles. As she reflected, “𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘐𝘛𝘌𝘊, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.”⁣
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𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐳-𝐊𝐚𝐤𝐨𝐥, 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫, then welcomed the room with a call to recognize the urgency of this moment. As technology and AI continue to accelerate, leadership must evolve with it. 𝐀𝐭 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐂, 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬 — helping leaders understand not only the technology, but the organizational, human, and economic shifts it creates.⁣
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𝐀 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬:⁣
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✨ Growth is both personal and collective. The opportunities we receive become more meaningful when we use them to create pathways for others.⁣
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✨ AI is not just a tool — it is reshaping how companies operate, how talent is developed, and how leaders must prepare for the future.⁣
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✨ The HITEC community has a critical role to play in developing underleveraged talent, building new skills, and strengthening the leadership pipeline needed for this next era.⁣
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As Miriam reminded us, “𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯.”⁣
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As 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡, we are called to lead with excellence, innovation, inclusivity, and intentionality — and to help build a future where more leaders are prepared to shape what comes next.⁣
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