About this Event
Ticket reservations close at 3:00 PM on the day of the event. NAU Community Music and Dance Academy will perform a ballet at 6:30 PM, prior to the Keynote Presentation which starts at 7 PM.
Parking: Free parking is located in the surface lot P13 behind Ardrey Auditorium.
The 2026 W. L. Gore & Associates Keynote Presentation: Speed, Science & Human Ingenuity.
Go behind the scenes of Formula 1 with technology leader Kirk Dunsavage (see more information about him below) as he explores how science, engineering, data, and human curiosity drive innovation. From 220+ mph race cars to the lessons of Route 66, discover how creativity, resilience, and teamwork transform bold ideas into reality.
Vroom, Vroom, Vroom! The NAU Community Dance Academy will perform a ballet inspired by the keynote address. An artistic adaptation of that explores cars and transportation through movement, music, and inventive choreography. Inspired by the ways we travel, dancers transform the stage into a playful landscape of motion, momentum, and connection.
Kirk Dunsavage believes the modern CTO operates at the intersection of business strategy, product vision, technology execution, artificial intelligence, and organizational leadership.
For more than 25 years, Kirk has helped organizations grow, innovate, and transform by aligning technology investments with business outcomes, customer value, and long-term strategic objectives. His experience spans healthcare technology, Formula One motorsports, automotive, AI, cloud computing, enterprise software, and high-performance computing.
Today, Kirk serves as Chief Technology Officer at PRC-Saltillo, where he leads technology strategy, product development, engineering, AI, research & development, and innovation initiatives focused on improving communication and quality of life for individuals with speech and language challenges. His work includes organizational transformation, product portfolio strategy, AI governance, cloud modernization, intellectual property development, and long-range technology planning.
Prior to PRC-Saltillo, Kirk led software transformation initiatives at Williams Racing Formula One, supporting aerodynamics, simulation, design, and race engineering organizations through modern software engineering, cloud adoption, and enterprise architecture initiatives.
Before Williams Racing, Kirk spent more than two decades at Intel Corporation in executive leadership, strategic planning, software engineering, cloud computing, AI, IoT, automotive, and high-performance computing roles. Highlights included helping grow Intel's automotive business to more than $2 billion in design wins, supporting major autonomous driving investments, and developing long-range technology roadmaps across cloud, AI, and software ecosystems.
What excites Kirk most is helping organizations navigate change. Whether the challenge involves AI adoption, product innovation, organizational transformation, market expansion, or leadership development, he enjoys connecting vision with execution and building environments where people and teams can do their best work.
Areas of Focus
• Technology, Product & AI Strategy
• Innovation, R&D & Portfolio Management
• Engineering Leadership & Organizational Transformation
• Cloud, Software & Platform Architecture
• M&A, Technology Due Diligence & Integration
• Executive, Board & Cross-Functional Leadership
• Leadership Development & Team Growth
Technology enables. People decide.
Kirk believes great technology organizations do more than build products. They create customer value, develop leaders, foster innovation, and transform vision into measurable business outcomes.
Agenda
🕑: 06:30 PM - 06:50 PM
Vroom, Vroom, Vroom! (Keynote Ballet)
Host: NAU Community Dance Academy
Info: Vroom, Vroom, Vroom! The NAU Community Dance Academy will perform a ballet inspired by the keynote address. An artistic adaptation of that explores cars and transportation through movement, music, and inventive choreography. Inspired by the ways we travel, dancers transform the stage into a playful landscape of motion, momentum, and connection.
🕑: 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM
W. L. Gore & Associates KeynotePresentation: Speed, Science, & Human Ingenuity
Info: Kirk Dunsavage is a technology executive and Chief Technology Officer at PRC-Saltillo, where he leads technology strategy, product development, engineering, AI, research and development, and innovation initiatives focused on improving communication and quality of life for individuals with speech and language challenges.
With more than 25 years of experience, Kirk has helped organizations grow, innovate, and transform by connecting technology investments with business outcomes and long-term strategy. His experience spans healthcare technology, Formula One motorsports, automotive, AI, cloud computing, enterprise software, and high-performance computing.
Before joining PRC-Saltillo, Kirk led software transformation initiatives at Williams Racing Formula One, supporting aerodynamics, simulation, design, and race engineering. He previously spent more than two decades at Intel Corporation in leadership, software engineering, AI, automotive, cloud, IoT, and high-performance computing roles.
Event venue & nearby stays
Ardrey Auditorium at Northern Arizona University, 1115 Knoles Dr, Flagstaff, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.