Artificial Intelligence Series, Part 3. Future of AI

The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce’s Fort Bend Future Initiative will host an educational Zoom webinar titled, “Artificial Intelligence Series, Part 3. Future of AI” on Wednesday, July 14th from 12:00 – 1:00 PM. This panel discussion will feature futurists and experts in the Artificial Intelligence field and will be moderated by Chairman of the Fort Bend Future initiative, Mike Dobert. The AI Series is presented by our Series Sponsors, Houston Community College, HCSS and Page.

AI is growing increasingly important to businesses as it impacts so many different industries. In order for business owners to maintain a competitive advantage, it is important to understand how AI can impact markets. Our expert panel will discuss the future of Technology and predictions for where Artificial Intelligence is headed so you and your business can be prepared. Speakers include:

Dr. Andy Hines, is Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for the University of Houston’s Graduate Program in Foresight and is also speaking, workshopping, and consulting through his firm Hinesight. His 30 years of professional futurist experience includes a decade’s experience working inside first the Kellogg Company and later Dow Chemical, and consulting work with Coates & Jarratt, Inc. and Social Technologies/Innovaro. His books include The Knowledge Base of Futures Studies 2020Thinking about the Future (2nd edition), Teaching about the Future, ConsumerShift: How Changing Values Are Reshaping the Consumer Landscape, 2025: Science and Technology Reshapes US and Global Society, and his dissertation was “The Role of an Organizational Futurist in Integrating Foresight into Organizations.” He is a member and was Founding Chair of the Association of Professional Futurists. 

Peter Thomas, chief technology officer (CTO), leads Blue Lance’s software development and research division. His responsibilities include collaborating with business and technology leaders across the company, explores emerging technologies, assesses their impact on the company’s business, prototypes and evaluates new concepts, and recommends new strategies and solutions. Peter is also responsible for the company’s technical community programs. Previously, Peter served as General Manager for Softek, an IT software development house where he led multiple development teams for delivering solutions to global customers. Peter serves on the advisory board for the Eastwood Academy High School, a charter school serving under privileged students near downtown Houston. He is also a member of the Greater Houston Cybersecurity Council, an ISAO organization, committed to educating and promoting cybersecurity to small and medium businesses in Houston.

Dr. Sunny Zhang is the founding partner of Z LAB Ventures, a startup studio building and investing in software companies from scratch through a rigorous and repeatable process with minimized risk and maximized capital efficiency to achieve SDGs. She has been focused on the intersection of people, technology, and business for over 20 years. She is passionate about enabling under-resourced founders and connecting various stakeholders in the global innovation ecosystem. Dr. Zhang is also a tenured marketing professor at the University of St. Thomas. She obtained her Ph.D. in Marketing with a minor in Social Psychology and her Master of Business from the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University in Bloomington, and her M.S. in Applied Psychology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. She has been teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in marketing, management, entrepreneurship, and e-business for 17 years and received multiple awards for project-based action learning. She serves as the program advisor at Women in AI, an international nonprofit organization advocating diversity in AI that benefits global society. 

Registration is currently open. Session Sponsor: $500, includes company logo featured on marketing materials, social media platforms, and chamber website, a unique registration page branded with company logo, logo inclusion on confirmation email for all participants, recognition during the event, an invitation for a team member to join as a panelist during the webinar allowing face-time with all attendees and five attendee registrations. Register today at www.FortBendChamber.com or contact Ryan Husid at 281-566-2163 or Ryan@fortbendcc.org.

The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce’s Fort Bend Future Initiative, is comprised of a technology advisory council where the business and education communities collaborate to cultivate, attract, and retain a tech-savvy workforce. This initiative serves as a resource to advocate, educate, and support this effort. As the epicenter of growth and development for businesses and communities, Fort Bend is one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, a pro-business region with a population of over 800,000 encompassing seventeen cities and villages, each with its own unique flavor and characteristics offering a lifestyle with exceptional amenities.