IEEE-USA IWRC AI Summit

Where: University of Southern Maine (Portland Campus) | Portland, Maine
When: 15 May 2025

On 15 May, the IEEE-USA Innovation, Workforce, and Research Conference (IWRC) will bring together stakeholders from industry, government, and academia for an AI Summit in Portland, Maine. We will meet, network, learn, and discuss federal and state technology initiatives and other government programs that promote innovation and small business in the northeast.

This event will provide opportunities to meet potential partners and learn more about how you can contribute to the innovation ecosystem in Maine and the northeast.

Who should attend?

Industry

Owners, C-Level, VP Level, Engineers, Legal Staff, R&D, Patent/Small Business Attorneys, Finance and VC

Industry - Why Attend?

Interface with potential partners in the federal, state, and local governments to learn about current federal and state technology initiatives related to technology transfer, AI, quantum and semiconductors, among other priorities.

Government officials are coming to Portland looking for partners — like you! Learn about programs to promote innovation and small business. Meet potential partners from colleges and universities in Maine. Discover federal technology initiatives and how they relate to Maine.

Academia

Presidents, Chancellors, Tech Transfer & Patent Offices, VPRs, Researchers

Academia - Why Attend?

Meet potential partners in the federal, state, and local governments, gain information on grant processes, make connections to future business partners, and learn more about federal technology and small business initiatives.

Learn about government resources and industry leaders in need of innovations. Government officials are coming to Maine to meet with the tech sector and engineers/entrepreneurs like you! IWRC will bring together business leaders large and small to connect with partners/researchers to innovate.

Government

Policymakers, Federal, State, and Local Program Officers, Economic Development Professionals, Incentive Managers, Entrepreneurial Support Organizations

Government - Why Attend?

Network with local engineers/entrepreneurs who are interested in learning more about federal and state government technology initiatives and how to better integrate into the Maine innovation economy. Help you to promote government programs in the northeast.

Venue & Hotel

Conference Venue

McGoldrick Center – University of Southern Maine (USM) Portland Campus

Multipurpose Room
35 Bedford St
Portland, ME 04101

FREE Parking

Please use code “IEEEGST” in the Promo Code/Validation Code field when you pay for parking and click “Apply.”

Hotel Block

Aloft Portland Downtown Waterfront ME

379 Commercial Street
Portland, Maine 04101

Agenda

Download PDF Schedule

Thursday, 15 May

Conference Venue

McGoldrick Center – University of Southern Maine (USM) Portland Campus

Multipurpose Room
35 Bedford St
Portland, ME 04101

FREE Parking

Please use code “IEEEGST” in the Promo Code/Validation Code field when you pay for parking and click “Apply.”

Thursday, 15 May 2025

McGoldrick Center – University of Southern Maine (USM) Portland Campus
Multipurpose Room
35 Bedford St
Portland, ME 04101

Time (ET)	Session	Speaker
8:30 AM	Registration
9:00 AM	Welcome & Kickoff	Ashanthi Maxworth, Ph.D. Chair, IEEE Maine Section Eduardo Palacio Past-President, IEEE-USA Bala Prasanna IEEE Region 1 Director Jacqueline Edmondson, Ph.D. President, University of Southern Maine The Honorable Susan Collins (R-ME) (video address) The Honorable Angus King (I-ME) (video address)
9:15 AM	How Can Maine Develop and Support its Technical Workforce?	David Daigler President, Maine Community College System (Moderator) Jennifer Fong Director, Continuing Education Products and Business Development, IEEE Phoenix McLaughlin Director of Strategy Implementation, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development Claire Sullivan, Ph.D. Assistant Vice Chancellor for Innovation in Digital Badges and Micro-Credentials, University of Maine System Brian Whitney President, Maine Technology Institute
10:00 AM	Case Studies: Putting AI to Work in Maine	Zach Newell Dean of Libraries and Learning and AI Task Force, University of Southern Maine Miriam Wilcox, M.S.Eng, CQE Principal Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Smith+Nephew
10:30 AM	Networking Break
11:00 AM	Breakout Sessions
	1) Small Business and Defense Partnerships	Eduardo Palacio Past-President, IEEE-USA (Moderator) Trevor Hehn, Esq. Founder, Hehn Law PLLC Thomas LaNigra Chief Technology Officer, Lanco Integrated Angela Gillespie COO, Howell Laboratories
	2) Small Business and Non-Defense Partnerships	Erik Heilman Director, IEEE-USA Government Relations (Moderator) Robert Zakon Founding Partner, Zakon Group, LLC Brian Conroy, P.E. Manager, Power Systems Studies, RLC Engineering Thomas Law Oak AI
12:00 PM	Networking Lunch
1:00 PM	State and Federal AI Policy Trends	Russell Harrison Managing Director, IEEE-USA (Moderator) Jim Isaak President Emeritus, IEEE Computer Society Scott Kleiman Policy Director, Economy and Workforce, Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, State of Maine
1:30 PM	Breakout Sessions
	1) Innovation and Intellectual Property	Erik Heilman Director, IEEE-USA Government Relations (Moderator) Elek Miller Attorney, Drummond Woodsum Daniel Modricker Director, Community Outreach Office, U.S. Patent and Trade Office Maura Moran Attorney at Law, Cambridge Technology Law Bruce Perens CEO, Post Open
	2) How Do Small Businesses in Maine Find Funding?	Quincy Hentzel CEO, Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce (Moderator) Brien Walton, Ed.D. Chairman, Maine Venture Fund Jonathan Poole Director of Strategic Growth, Finance Authority of Maine Diane L. Sturgeon District Director, Maine District Office, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Small Business Administration
2:30 PM	Break
3:00 PM	What's Next in AI?	Russell Harrison Managing Director, IEEE-USA The Honorable Mark Dion Mayor of Portland, Maine
4:00 PM	Wrap-Up and Adjourn	Ashanthi Maxworth, Ph.D. Chair, IEEE Maine Section Bala Prasanna IEEE Region 1 Director

Time (ET)
8:30 AM - Registration
9:00 AM - Welcome & Kickoff Ashanthi Maxworth, Ph.D. Chair, IEEE Maine Section Eduardo Palacio Past-President, IEEE-USA Bala Prasanna IEEE Region 1 Director Jacqueline Edmondson, Ph.D. President, University of Southern Maine The Honorable Susan Collins (R-ME) (video address) The Honorable Angus King (I-ME) (video address)
9:15 AM How Can Maine Develop and Support its Technical Workforce? David Daigler President, Maine Community College System (Moderator) Jennifer Fong Director, Continuing Education Products and Business Development, IEEE Phoenix McLaughlin Director of Strategy Implementation, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development Claire Sullivan, Ph.D. Assistant Vice Chancellor for Innovation in Digital Badges and Micro-Credentials, University of Maine System Brian Whitney President, Maine Technology Institute
10:00 AM Case Studies: Putting AI to Work in Maine Zach Newell Dean of Libraries and Learning and AI Task Force, University of Southern Maine Miriam Wilcox, M.S.Eng, CQE Principal Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Smith+Nephew
10:30 AM - Networking Break
11:00 AM - Breakout Sessions
Science Building - Ricci Hall - 165 1) Small Business and Defense Partnerships Eduardo Palacio Past-President, IEEE-USA (Moderator) Trevor Hehn, Esq. Founder, Hehn Law PLLC Thomas LaNigra Chief Technology Officer, Lanco Integrated Angela Gillespie COO, Howell Laboratories
McGoldrick Center - Multipurpose Room 2) Small Business and Non-Defense Partnerships Erik Heilman Director, IEEE-USA Government Relations (Moderator) Robert Zakon Founding Partner, Zakon Group, LLC Brian Conroy, P.E. Manager, Power Systems Studies, RLC Engineering Thomas Law Oak AI
12:00 PM - Networking Lunch
1:00 PM State and Federal AI Policy Trends Russell Harrison Managing Director, IEEE-USA (Moderator) Jim Isaak President Emeritus, IEEE Computer Society Scott Kleiman Policy Director, Economy and Workforce, Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, State of Maine
1:30 PM - Breakout Sessions
Science Building - Ricci Hall - 165 1) Innovation and Intellectual Property 1) Innovation and Intellectual Property Erik Heilman Director, IEEE-USA Government Relations (Moderator) Elek Miller Attorney, Drummond Woodsum Daniel Modricker Director, Community Outreach Office, U.S. Patent and Trade Office Maura Moran Attorney at Law, Cambridge Technology Law Bruce Perens CEO, Post Open
McGoldrick Center - Multipurpose Room 2) How Do Small Businesses in Maine Find Funding? Quincy Hentzel CEO, Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce (Moderator) Brien Walton, Ed.D. Chairman, Maine Venture Fund Jonathan Poole Director of Strategic Growth, Finance Authority of Maine Diane L. Sturgeon District Director, Maine District Office, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Small Business Administration
2:30 PM - Break
3:00 PM - What's Next in AI? Russell Harrison Managing Director, IEEE-USA The Honorable Mark Dion Mayor of Portland, Maine
4:00 PM - Wrap-Up and Adjourn Ashanthi Maxworth, Ph.D. Chair, IEEE Maine Section Bala Prasanna IEEE Region 1 Director

Video Addresses

Susan Collins
United States Senator (R-ME)
Angus King
United States Senator (I-ME)

Meet Our Speakers & Panelists

Brian Conroy, P.E.
Manager of Power System Studies, RLC Engineering
David Daigler
President, Maine Community College System
Mark Dion
Mayor of Portland, Maine
Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson
President, University of Southern Maine
Jennifer Fong
Director, Continuing Education Products and Business Development, IEEE Educational Activities
Angela Gillespie
Chief Operating Officer, Howell Laboratories, Inc.
Russell Harrison
Managing Director, IEEE-USA
Trevor C. Hehn, Esq.
Founder, Hehn Law PLLC
Erik Heilman
Director of Government Relations, IEEE-USA
Quincy Hentzel
President & CEO, Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce
Jim Isaak
President Emeritus, IEEE Computer Society
Scott Kleiman
Policy Director, Economy and Workforce, Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, State of Maine
Tom LaNigra
Chief Technology Officer,
Lanco Integrated
Thomas Law
Founder & CEO, Oak AI
Ashanthi Maxworth, Ph.D.
Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering, University of Southern Maine
Phoenix McLaughlin
Director of Strategy Implementation, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development
Elek Miller
Attorney, Drummond Woodsum
Daniel Modricker
Director of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Northern New England Community Outreach Office
Maura Moran
Attorney at Law, Cambridge Technology Law
Zach Newell
AI Taskforce, University of Southern Maine
Eduardo Palacio
2023 IEEE-USA President
Bruce Perens
CEO, Post Open
Jonathan Poole
Director of Strategic Growth, Finance Authority of Maine
Bala Prasanna
IEEE Region 1 Director
Diane L. Sturgeon
District Director, Maine District Office
U.S. Small Business Administration
Claire Sullivan, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Innovation in Digital Badges and Micro-Credentials, University of Maine System
Brien Walton, Ed.D.
Chairman, Maine Venture Fund
Brian Whitney
President, Maine Technology Institute
Miriam Wilcox, M.S.Eng, CQE
Principal Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Smith+Nephew
John Yaglenski
Director of Communications and Information Technology, IEEE-USA
Robert Zakon
Founding Partner, Zakon Group, LLC