This year’s lineup brings together manufacturing executives, operators, and industry leaders who are solving the same problems you are—supply chain uncertainty, workforce gaps, AI applications, and the pressure to move faster with fewer resources. From keynote to roundtable, each session is built around practical experience, not theory. Get to know the people speaking on the main stage and joining the CEO Roundtable below.
Expo Speakers
Beryl Stafford
BoBos | Main Stage
Beryl Stafford is the founder and visionary behind Bobo’s, a company dedicated to crafting delicious, wholesome oat snacks. With a passion for family and healthy living, Beryl started Bobo’s with her daughter, Bobo, in their home kitchen, in 2003. Bobo’s has since grown into an international snack brand known for its commitment to using simple non-gmo, whole grain, and sustainably sourced ingredients. Beryl’s mission, with Bobo’s, is to bring people home and feed them like family, one oat bar at a time. When not working on a Bobo’s project, you can find her in Boulder riding her ebike, or most likely on the pickleball court.
Eric Fitzsimons
CNE Creative Enterprises | Main Stage & CEO Roundtable
Eric Fitzsimons is the founder and director of CNE Creative Enterprises, a Northern Colorado-based research and product development firm that serves as an embedded technology partner for companies looking to innovate and scale. With over three decades of experience managing software development teams and advanced industrial operations, Eric operates a highly specialized facility that bridges the gap between digital innovation and physical fabrication. His facility houses a fully equipped CNC machine shop, automated PCB manufacturing lines, a 15-printer 3D printing lab, and comprehensive metal and plastics fabrication operations, allowing his team to rapidly transition complex concepts into production-ready realities. He also owns Pro Plastic Welding, a Northern Colorado-based steel and plastic fabrication company.
An expert in automation, sensor networks, and environmental control systems, Eric has spent nearly 30 years designing computer-controlled systems for diverse sectors, including water purification, oil and gas, and advanced agricultural automation. Driven by a pragmatic approach to cutting-edge technology, Eric’s team has successfully implemented pioneering machine learning algorithms for automated steel fabrication quoting systems. As an active advisor on multiple local advanced manufacturing and STEM education boards, he is dedicated to leveraging practical AI applications to optimize industrial workflows, streamline supply chains, and build the next generation of the manufacturing workforce. — or so his AI says when asked to describe himself.
Alec Vanden Brink
Interstates | Main Stage & CEO Roundtable
Alec Vanden Brink brings over 14 years of experience at Interstates, specializing in the design and implementation of manufacturing execution systems (MES) for complex process industries. He began his career as a database engineer, working closely with pet food, feed and milling, and flour production clients to integrate MES with QMS, ERP, and SCADA systems, helping organizations reduce manual data entry and improve operational visibility.
In 2018, Alec transitioned into a leadership role, guiding a team of developers and software engineers focused on MES solutions. His work has centered on building scalable, data-driven systems that bridge the gap between plant floor operations and enterprise-level decision-making, while also exploring the evolving role of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence in manufacturing. He is particularly interested in identifying practical, high-value applications of AI, cutting through the hype to determine where it can meaningfully enhance efficiency, quality, and insight across industrial environments.
Tim Singleton
Strive IT | Main Stage
Author, keynote speaker, and entrepreneur Tim Singleton began his career in IT in 1999. He quickly developed a reputation for being one of the best troubleshooters in the industry and was sought after by large and small IT companies alike. In 2006, he founded Strive Technology Consulting, an IT consulting firm working with companies that have a mission of making a positive impact on people’s lives. Since then, he and his company have worked with everyone from sole proprietors to Fortune 50 companies providing expert and nuanced advice. Tim has also developed a following in his side passion for human relations. After many years of studying human behavior and inter-personal dynamics, he began leading community organizations and teaching hundreds of people skills in emotional intelligence, communications, and personal relations. He now brings these skills to his staff at Strive, where the company has developed a reputation for its best-in-class technical offering, nuanced client relations, and high customer satisfaction.
Rylan Pyciak
Cleveland Automation | Main Stage
Rylan Pyciak is the Founder and Lead Engineer at Cleveland Automation Systems®, where he helps manufacturers modernize operations through robotics, controls integration, and retrofit-first automation strategies. His work focuses on solving operational and performance challenges by improving system design, reliability, and communication between leadership, engineering, and the shop floor. Passionate about workforce development and practical innovation, Rylan advocates for automation that strengthens both production and the people who support it.
Cassidy Davis and Hambir Chavan
Constellation Energy | Main Stage
Cassidy Davis and Hambir Chavan bring decades of combined experience helping commercial and industrial customers navigate energy markets, manage risk, and make informed procurement decisions. Their work also supports organizations in developing practical sustainability strategies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Alex Gorelik
mpaqt | CEO Roundtable
Alex Gorelik helps organizations apply AI to real operational challenges. With more than 20 years of experience in data, analytics, and business transformation—and over a decade applying machine learning, semantic technologies, and AI—he has led initiatives across manufacturing, supply chain, financial services, and media.
Alex’s work focuses on practical applications of AI that help organizations work smarter, from enabling employees to quickly find operating procedures and technical documentation to automating document processing, classification, and exception handling, improving customer intelligence, and supporting better operational decision-making. He is passionate about helping organizations cut through the AI hype to identify where the technology can deliver meaningful improvements in productivity, quality, and day-to-day operations.