United We Transform, an initiative organized by St. Paul software company Collaboration.Ai, will host its first AI-powered workshop May 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the St. Paul RiverCentre.
The workshop focuses on networking and making connections, forgoing the usual emcees, panels, PowerPoint presentations and other typical conference staples.
Workshop participants will discuss shifting to sustainable practices, technological advancements and collaborative approaches to leverage the state's strengths. Topics could range from product development and securing funding to everyday issues families face such as navigating the public school system for children with disabilities.
Event organizers said AI will help spot commonalities between people in the room, bringing people together for discussions and assisting them in developing pathways to solutions faster.
United We Transform was born out of wanting to get more collaboration between Minnesota businesses to bolster the economy in the wave of technology and AI creating new jobs, said Collaboration.Ai CEO Brennan Townley.
"The question was, 'How do we make this a region that attracts talent, capital and investors," Townley said. "I've seen so many founders have to raise funds outside of Minnesota. United We Transform is not about speeches or panels. It's a collaborative environment without limiting it to any specific business domain. It's a message that's about making the right connections."
Collaboration.Ai, founded in 2017, was able to grow its company over the years by establishing connections to gain contract work through the government, Townley said. Now, the company has been contracted by the U.S. Special Operations Command, Air Force, Space Force and NASA.
