Tech Talent Ecosystem Summit

ABOUT THIS EVENT

The September 19 Tech Talent Ecosystem Summit at Quinnipiac University’s North Haven Campus featured a series of inspiring discussions about cross-sector collaborations to cultivate talent for Connecticut’s evolving tech workforce. 

The summit brought together higher education leaders, tech industry leaders, policymakers, workforce development organizations, nonprofit organizations, and credential providers to share lessons learned from the Connecticut Tech Talent Accelerator, an initiative that enables strategic partnerships between local tech companies and higher education institutions to meet the evolving talent needs of the state. 

The summit highlighted promising initiatives and inspire cross-sector collaboration strategies to continue the development of a robust tech ecosystem. 

The event included national and top state leaders, including  Gov. Ned Lamont, Department of Economic and Community Development commissioner Dan O’Keefe, and chief workforce officer Kelli-Marie Vallieres

Stanley Black & Decker’s Marty Guay, the newly appointed chair of Connecticut’s Board of Regents for Higher Education, reviewed best practices for talent development and explored challenges and opportunities with higher education and business leaders. 

We looked at the race to attract and retain talent and Connecticut’s strategy to position itself as a national leader by building a robust talent pipeline, generating investments in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing, and driving economic growth. 

The summit also explored ways to identify and engage hidden talent, share strategies for developing diverse learners, highlight the value of work-based learning programs, and showcase best practices for expanding tech credentialing opportunities. 

And we addressed the essential networks, collaborations, and infrastructure required to drive the next phase of tech talent development in Connecticut. 

AGENDA

8 am | Check-in & Networking Breakfast 

9 am | Opening Remarks  

  • Gov. Ned Lamont 
  • Kelli-Marie Vallieres, Chief Workforce Officer, Office of Workforce Strategy  
  • Chris DiPentima, President & CEO, CBIA
  • Judy Olian, President, Quinnipiac University
  • Benito Kwadade, Student, Quinnipiac University

9:30 am | Bridging the Gap Between Education & Industry: Connecticut’s Tech Talent Accelerator  

  • Moderator:  Marty Guay, VP of Business Development, Stanley Black & Decker; Chair, Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education 
  • Kristen Fox, CEO, Business-Higher Education Forum
  • Gregg Haddad, State Representative, Connecticut General Assembly
  • Chris Lockery, Chief Information Security Officer & Head of IT Infrastructure, Help at Home
  • Bruce Soltys, VP, University Relations & Leadership Development Programs, Travelers 

10:45 am | Networking Break 

11 am | Building the Future: Connecticut’s Strategic Vision 

  • Dan O’Keefe, Commissioner, Department of Economic & Community Development 

11:20 am | Investing in the Future: Current & Future Tech Talent Initiatives 

  • Moderator: Elizabeth Tan Levy, Managing Director, Scaled Impact Laboratory, The Burning Glass Institute
  • Pamir Alpay, VP, Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, University of Connecticut; Co-Principal Investigator, QuantumCT  
  • Dan O’Keefe, Commissioner, DECD 
  • Carol Quinn Toomey, Managing Director, Accenture

12 pm | Networking Lunch 

1 pm | Concurrent Sessions 

Concurrent Session A | Welcoming Untapped Talent into the Tech Workforce  

  • Moderator: Martha LaCrosse, Business Partnership Coordinator-IT & Technology, Capital Workforce Partners
  • Karen Bellnier, Director of Digital Innovation, Mitchell College 
  • Julie Demers, Director of Instruction-Based & Sponsored Research, University of Bridgeport
  • Duncan Harris, CEO, Capital Campus, Connecticut State Community College

Concurrent Session B | Driving Success: Expanding Work-Based Learning Opportunities 

  • Moderator: Laura Love, SVP, Work-Based Learning, Strada Education Foundation
  • Fred Caserta, Founder & President, Pleiadian Systems
  • Ryan Gibbons, Student, University of New Haven
  • Steven Lacroix, VP, Consulting Services, CGI
  • Nick Schilling, Student, University of Saint Joseph
  • Adis Sulejmanovic, Software Engineer, CGI

Concurrent Session C | Expanding Tech Credentialing Opportunities  

  • Moderator: Kelvin Bentley, Program Manager, Texas Credentials for the Future, The University of Texas System
  • Lisa Lancor, Professor & Chair, Computer Science Department, Southern Connecticut State University  
  • Mehdi Mekni, Professor, Computer Science & Cybersecurity, University of New Haven  
  • Fred Scholl, Associate Teaching Professor of Cybersecurity, Quinnipiac University 

2 pm | Networking Break 

2:15 pm | Building Effective Networks Between Education & Industry  

  • Moderator: Jennifer Thornton, SVP & Chief Programs Officer, Business-Higher Education Forum 
  • Terrence Cheng, Chancellor, Connecticut State Colleges & Universities
  • Jason Pufahl, VP, Information Security Services, Vancord
  • Kelli-Marie Vallieres, Chief Workforce Officer, OWS
  • Jennifer Widness, President, Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges 

3:15 pm | Closing Remarks 

DATE

Thu, Sep 19, 2024
9:00am – 3:30pm

LOCATION

Quinnipiac University North Haven Campus

School of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, 370 Bassett Road, North Haven, CT 06473

OUR SPONSORS

The Tech Talent Ecosystem Summit was a collaboration between CBIA, the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy, the New England Board of Higher Education, and the Business-Higher Education Forum and is made possible through the generous support of CSCU with additional support from Stanley Black & Decker and Workforce Alliance.

For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact CBIA's Stacey Vendetta (860.244.1930).

Stay Connected with CBIA News Digests

The latest news and information delivered directly to your inbox.

CBIA IS FIGHTING TO MAKE CONNECTICUT A TOP STATE FOR BUSINESS, JOBS, AND ECONOMIC GROWTH. A BETTER BUSINESS CLIMATE MEANS A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR EVERYONE.