About this Event
CT OpenSource AI Connect 2026: Advancing Intelligence Together
Join Connecticut’s AI community for a full day of keynotes, panels and networking about where AI is headed, and what it means for people, organizations and society.
The four themes are Innovation · Ethics · Impact · Community.
📅 Friday, December 11, 2026 · 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 UConn (Uconn Cell and Genome Sciences Building), 400 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06032. All sessions are in the Auditorium.
🎟 Free registration. Only 100 spots left, so register soon!
Keynotes
- AI: Remedy and Poison by Mei Lin Fung, Vice Chair, UN AI for Good Impact Steering Committee
- Efficient Record Linkage in the Age of Large Language Models: The Critical Role of Blocking by Dr. Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, Director, School of Computing; Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor; Pratt & Whitney Chair Professor of CSE, University of Connecticut
- Only Humans Wonder Why: The Enduring Human Advantage in an AI-Accelerated World by Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Marimekala, STSM and Enterprise Architect, IBM; The Open Group Certified Distinguished Architect & Thought Leader
Program Highlights
DH50 AI Lab Inauguration
Lightning Talks:
Ramesh Kumar Kottapalli (IBM) on Multi-Agent Architecture for Observability-Driven Incident Analysis
Chandra Narayanaswami (IBM Research) on AI for FinOps & FinOps for AI
Panel: Future of AI, on opportunities, risks and impact, with Jeffrey Palermo (Founder & CTO, Clear Measure; Speaker & Author) and guests
Responsible AI Talk by Dr. Damian Valles (Texas State University) on the economic impact of AI-enhanced emergency response systems
Panel: Women Advancing in AI:
Moderator: Vasundhara (Vasu) Bhupathi, Enterprise Strategy, Digital Transformation – SAP & AI Leader | Industry Speaker
Panelists: Dr. Bhumika Shah (Enterprise Data & AI Solutions Engineer) and Vidya Wadkar (Technology Leader | AI & Cloud Visionary)
Youth View of AI Disruption by Diana Omar, Yale University
Author Book Signing:
Daniel Marimekala (Code to Competition)
Dr. John P. Lamb (Making Healthcare Green; Building an Energy Sustainable Enterprise)
Poster Competition
Poster setup is at 9:00 AM and judging is at 11:25 AM. Best and Runner-Up are announced at the closing session.
Judges: Dr. Chetan Jaiswal (Quinnipiac University),
Bob Epstein (Leader, CIO Hybrid Cloud Platforms, IBM),
Dr. Matt Ganis and Dr. John P. Lamb (Pace University).
Also Included
- 🍽 Free networking lunch
- ☕ Free refreshments and coffee all day
- 🎟 Free raffle ticket at registration, drawn at the closing session
- 🎓 Certificates of appreciation for all speakers
Agenda at a Glance
- 9:00 AM: Registration, breakfast and poster setup
- 9:45 AM: DH50 AI Lab Inauguration
- 10:15 AM: Opening remarks
- 10:25 AM: Opening keynote, Mei Lin Fung
- 10:55 AM: Lightning talks
- 11:25 AM: Coffee break and poster judging
- 11:45 AM: Panel: Future of AI
- 12:15 PM: Free networking lunch, sponsor booths and book signing
- 1:15 PM: Responsible AI talk, Dr. Damian Valles
- 1:45 PM: Panel: Women Advancing in AI
- 2:15 PM: Keynote, Dr. Sanguthevar Rajasekaran
- 2:45 PM: Youth View of AI Disruption, Diana Omar
- 3:15 PM: Closing keynote, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Marimekala
- 3:45 PM: Poster awards, raffle draw and vote of thanks
Who Should Attend
Students, researchers, engineers, architects, business leaders, and anyone curious about AI. No prior AI experience is needed.
Thank You to Our Sponsors & Supporters
- Food & refreshments sponsored by: Clear Measure (Gold), Texas State University (Silver), Quantum Alphas FTC Team #32703 (Bronze), Pace University (Bronze)
- Hosted by UConn · Supported by IBM, IEEE SSIT & IEEE Region 1
- Special thanks to our UConn hosts: Dr. Abhijit Banerjee (Associate Vice President, Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship) and Dr. Paul S. Parker (Director, TIP)
Questions or interested in sponsoring? Reach out to the Conference Chair, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Marimekala, through this page’s “Contact the organizer” button or on LinkedIn.
Event venue & nearby stays
400 Farmington Ave, 400 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.