SmartSense LIVE26 • Austin, TX

LIVE26 Speakers

Name: SmartSense LIVE26 User Conference and Industry Summit
Start: 2026-10-07
End: 2026-10-09
Location: Hyatt Regency Austin

Industry leaders, innovators, and IoT pioneers sharing what's shaping the future of connected operations.

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October 7–9, 2026 Hyatt Regency Austin

Keynote Speaker

Ryan Minton

2X Bestselling Author

Former senior VP representing industry giants including Hilton and Marriott

Internationally recognized by Global Gurus as one of the World's Best Speakers in both Hospitality and Customer Experience categories, Ryan combines strategic vision with practical leadership insights. His expertise in creating exceptional customer and employee experiences has earned him positions on the Forbes Business Council and Newsweek's expert panel, establishing him as an influential voice in the industry.

SmartSense

Guy Yehiav

President & CEO

SmartSense by Digi

I’m a technology CEO and board director leader who scales SaaS, IoT, and analytics businesses through growth inflection points, strategic M&A, and regulated-industry compliance.
Over two decades, I’Ve scaled businesses from $5m to $200m in revenue, led multiple successful exits, and more than quadrupled ARR and operating margin at SmartSense.
My approach blends data-driven innovation with disciplined execution, developing talent, building cross-functional teams, and embedding governance practices that sustain long-term enterprise value.

Ron Konezny

President & CEO

Digi International

Ron Konezny is President and Chief Executive Officer of Digi International Inc. (Nasdaq: DGII), a Hopkins, Minnesota-based provider of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology. He has held the role, along with a seat on Digi's Board of Directors, since December 2014.

Sammy Kolt

Chief Product Officer

SmartSense by Digi

An application technologist and product visionary offering outstanding cross-functional team management, communication and presentation skills. High-energy, results-oriented leader with an entrepreneurial attitude. An accomplished executive with demonstrated ability to deliver mission-critical results. Product management, product strategy, product marketing and M&A integration leader.

Gil Dror

Chief Technology Officer

SmartSense by Digi

A seasoned technology executive who uses cloud, SaaS, microservices, and product innovation to drive growth across connected and regulated industries.

Leading Responsibly in the Age of AI - The Human Point of View

Operations Risk AI

Generated image_ Smiling Blonde Portrait Against Brick

Callin Godson

Head of Food Safety CS Manager

SmartSense by Digi

Food Safety and Quality Assurance specialist with a strong academic background, holding an MSc in Food Safety Management, a BSc in Food Innovation, and multiple associate degrees in Food Standards Auditing, HACCP Management, and Occupational Health & Safety. Further specialized with a Graduate Certificate in U.S. Food Regulation (MSU, 2025).

Would You Feed This to Your Child?

Food Safety

Healthcare — Speakers

Jacob Creel

Director of Practice Compliance - Multi-State Operations

Walmart

A pharmacy-compliance innovator who bridges regulation, patient safety, operations, and technology across complex multi-state healthcare environments.

The Compliance Blind Spot That Could Cost You

Compliance Regulatory Risk

Joel Vengco

SVP and Chief Information and Digital Officer

Hartford Healthcare

A recognized healthcare technology visionary advancing more accessible, equitable, personalized care through data, digital platforms, informatics, and AI.

The Physical Layer Is Your AI Governance Blind Spot

Digital Transformation Healthcare Access Health Equity

Brian Bailey

Clinical Compliance and Operations Director

Tekton Research

A clinical operations and compliance professional whose perspective is grounded in biomedical science, surgical care, and military medicine.

What Healthcare Leaders Can Learn from Clinical Research Operations

Compliance Political Transformation Healthcare Access

Veneta Anand

Senior Director Pharmacy Commercial Strategy & Payor Relations

Neighbourly Pharmacy

An established pharmacy strategy and operations leader whose work spans commercial growth, specialty services, retail execution, and patient-centered care across Canada.

The New Front Line of Healthcare: How Community Pharmacies Are Closing the Care Gap

Compliance Healthcare Access

Food Service — Speakers

Damon Cavasin

Founder

Cavasin Risk Advisory

A veteran asset-protection and security leader known for translating risk, investigations, and crisis preparedness into safer, more resilient operations.

The Loss You Accept Is Killing Your P&L - What Should You Do Differently?

Supply Chain Asset Protection Profit Optimization

Jen Crichfield

Franchise Owner

Chicken Salad Chick

An experienced franchise operator and relationship-focused business leader with a background spanning hospitality, client services, communications, and process improvement.

Growth Changes Everything: What Breaks When You Scale

Operations Franchising Growth

Drew Gardner

Director of Operations & Enterprise Resiliency

RaceTrac

A people-first retail operations leader who builds resilient programs and connects enterprise strategy with the realities of field execution.

From Innovation Theater to Operational Impact: What It Really Takes to Scale Technology in Convenience Retail

Convenience Retail Technology Innovation

Wayne Kennedy

IT Support Manager

Johnny's Markets

Retail IT leader with a proven ability to realize substantial improvements in operational KPIs and loss prevenetion.

The Compliance Gap: What Happens After the Inspector Leaves?

KPI Optimization Continuous Improvement

Stacey Klinzing

Director FSQA Systems

CookUnity

An enterprise FSQA leader who combines food science, regulatory rigor, supplier oversight, and systems thinking to strengthen safety across complex operations.

KPI Optimization Continuous Improvement

Michael Limauro

Head of Asset Protection / VP Global Asset Protection

Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores / Whole Foods

A leading asset-protection executive with more than 25 years of experience integrating safety, risk, food quality, and loss prevention with profitable retail growth.

The Loss You Accept Is Killing Your P&L - What Should You Do Differently?

Supply Chain Asset Protection Profit Optimization

Ryan Mikolaycik

Executive Director of Food Service & Warehouse Operations

Austin Independent School District

A nationally engaged school-nutrition leader modernizing large-scale meal programs through operational excellence, local sourcing, sustainability, and culturally responsive menus.

Operations Risk

Dr. Zahra Mohammad

Quality Assurance Manager

Tokyo Gardens Company

A food-safety and microbiology expert whose work bridges quality assurance, regulatory compliance, laboratory operations, applied research, and workforce training.

Your Employees Keep Leaving. Your Food Safety Standards Can't.

Food Safety Regulatory Microbiology

Drew Schmidt

Network Security Lead

Johnny's Markets

A hands-on network-security practitioner who blends enterprise IT support, automation, and real-world experimentation to build systems that simply work.

The Compliance Gap: What Happens After the Inspector Leaves?

Continuous Improvement Scaling Tech Governance

Josh Patrick

Vice President of Procurement and Culinary

Rock N Roll Sushi

A chef-operator who combines culinary craft, entrepreneurial experience, procurement strategy, and supply-chain discipline across the restaurant industry.

Growth Changes Everything: What Breaks When You Scale

Operations Franchising Growth

Shane Segur

Director of Guest Services & Store Process

Busch's Fresh Food Market

A seasoned retail operator and servant leader with more than two decades of experience guiding stores, teams, guest service, and process execution.

2027: What Retail Leaders Are Betting On

Retail Strategy AI & Optimization

JP Thomas

VP of Operations Services

Honeygrow

A seasoned restaurant operator known for scaling multi-unit teams while aligning operations, technology, supply chain, people culture, and guest experience.

Grow Without Losing What Made You Great

Operations Optimization Scaling

Lauren Long

Operational Efficiency Manager

Chicken Salad Chick

Lauren helps organizations turn complex challenges into simple, sustainable solutions. Whether she is leading cross-functional projects, driving organizational change, improving operational processes, or developing training programs. She enjoys bringing people, processes, and technology together to create measurable results.

Growth Changes Everything: What Breaks When You Scale

operations

Matt Bunker

Director of Safety & Asset Protection

Lowes Food Stores

Matt Bunker is Director of Safety & Asset Protection at Lowes Food Stores, LLC, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He has spent his career at Lowes Foods, building deep, long-term expertise in retail safety and loss prevention — a tenure that includes time as a Risk Management Specialist before stepping into his current director-level role overseeing safety and asset protection strategy across the company.

The Loss You Accept Is Killing Your P&L - What Should You Do Differently?

Loss Prevention Food Safety

K12 — Speakers

Generated image_ Confident Industrial Lab Portrait

Carmen Lerma

Sales Representative

LMS Associates

Carmen works closely with school nutrition professionals and kitchen equipment, she's excited to share ideas that make a difference in operations.

Equipment Procurement & Grant Strategies

Operations Nutrition

Generated image_ Elegant Corporate Portrait with Chandelier Earrings

Kimberly Keller

Local Foods Procurement

Region One Education Service Center

Kimberly Keller, MS, RD, LD, SNS, is a registered dietitian and school nutrition professional with Region One Education Service Center in Texas, where her work includes local foods procurement. She brings expertise in nutrition, food service operations, and programs that support healthy, safe meals for students.

Investing in Our Roots: The South Texas Local Foods Movement

Supply Chain

Lena Wilson

Assistant Commissioner for the Food and Nutrition

Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)

Lena, a registered dietitian, has more than 20 years of experience with federal nutrition programs. She has worked at the state and local level with every U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition assistance programs.

Strategies for Sustainable Success in a Nutrition Program

Supply Chain Nutrition

Maggie Mae Kennedy

Director of Operations, Student Engagement & Special Projects

Baltimore City Public Schools

A mission-driven school nutrition leader with more than 20 years of management experience, including 14 years dedicated to child nutrition leadership. She is committed to embedding sustainability, nutrition education, and wellness into school food systems.

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Nutrition

Industry Panels

The New Currency of Food Safety: Trust

Darin Detwiler

Founder and CEO

Detwiler Consulting Group, LLC

A nationally recognized food-safety advocate whose work connects public policy, academia, and industry prevention.

The New Currency of Food Safety: Trust

Food Safety Regulation AI

The New Currency of Food Safety: Trust

Richelle Toriyama

Founder and Principal

Toriyama Group

A hospitality food-safety strategist who bridges regulatory rigor and kitchen reality to protect brands without compromising the guest experience.

The New Currency of Food Safety: Trust

Food Safety Regulation AI

The New Currency of Food Safety: Trust

Patrick Quade

Founder and CEO

DineSafe

A public-health technology entrepreneur using AI and crowdsourced reporting to turn consumer experiences into earlier signals for food-safety action.

The New Currency of Food Safety: Trust

Food Safety Regulation AI

Leading Responsibly in the Age of AI - The Human Point of View

David Steck

President & Founder

Steck Consulting, LLC

A veteran retail-technology and infrastructure strategist with decades of experience turning complex systems, vendor relationships, and emerging tools into business value.

Leading Responsibly in the Age of AI - The Human Point of View

Operations Risk AI

The New Currency of Food Safety: Trust

Brian Ronholm

Director of Food Policy

Consumer Reports

A veteran food-policy and regulatory leader whose career bridges consumer advocacy, federal service, legislative affairs, and private-sector policy.

The New Currency of Food Safety: Trust

Food Safety Regulation AI

Leading Responsibly in the Age of AI - The Human Point of View

Anais Vaillant

Field Engineering

SpaceXAI

Anais Vaillant is building the Field Engineering function at SpaceXAI, based in Austin, Texas. She joined in August 2026 after more than five years at dbt Labs, where she grew from the company's first commercial Solutions Architect into a senior leader of its solutions architecture organization.

Leading Responsibly in the Age of AI - The Human Point of View

Featured

Daniel Harel

Mentalist & Speaker

Daniel brings a one-of-a-kind experience to LIVE26 — combining psychology, intuition, and live performance to close out the conference in a way attendees won't forget. Performing Wednesday evening and returning for the Friday closing session.

Thought-provoking Inspiration Mindset

Join us in Austin this October

Three days of education sessions, dynamic networking, and hands-on learning. Limited seats available.