2026 Headwaters Tech Hub Summit
About this Event
2026 Headwaters Tech Hub Summit
We're convening leaders from industry, higher education, economic development, nonprofit and government sectors to foster collaboration, spark innovation, and strengthen Montana’s tech ecosystem.
September 9, 2026
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Meet for Lubrecht Forest Testbed Demo
Info: Meet in the MonTec parking lot (1121 E Broadway St, Missoula, MT 59802) to hop on a bus to the Lubrecht Forest Testbed Demo. Due to limited capacity, registration for the Lubrecht Forest Testbed Demo is required when purchasing your Summit ticket. Registration is free and first come first serve. For ADA accommodation, email Tori Anderson ([email protected]).
🕑: 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Lubrecht Forest Testbed Demo
Info: Join us at Lubrecht Experimental Forest where we will showcase testbed capabilities and demonstrate technologies in the rugged forest environment. Due to limited capacity, registration for the Lubrecht Forest Testbed Demo is required when purchasing your Summit ticket. Registration is free and first come first serve.
🕑: 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Welcome Reception
Info: Join us at the Stadium Club at the University of Montana for our opening reception. Beverages and appetizers will be provided. Registration for the Welcome Reception is required when purchasing Summit ticket. Registration is free.
September 10, 2026
🕑: 07:30 AM - 08:30 AM
HTH Consortium Meeting
Info: University Center Room 225. Closed meeting for HTH Consortium Members.
🕑: 08:00 AM - 09:00 AM
Event Check-In & Breakfast
Info: The 2026 HTH Summit will take place at the University Center on the third floor. Check-in will be in the lobby outside of the main ballroom.
🕑: 09:00 AM - 09:30 AM
Welcome Remarks
Host: Dr. Tim VanReken, Headwaters Tech Hub
🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Industry Panel: Wicked Problems & Innovative Solutions
Host: Nancy Schlepp, Sandfire Resources Black Butte Copper
Info: Hear from a panel of industry leaders from across sectors that are creating technologies to tackle big challenges.
🕑: 10:15 AM - 10:30 AM
Break
🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
HTH Project Spotlight: STEP
Host: Dr. Antony Berthelote, Salish Kootenai College
Info: Updates from the team behind the Supporting Tribal Education Pathways (STEP) initiative.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Keynote Speaker
Host: Matt Dunne, Founder & Executive Director, CORI
Info: Matt Dunne is the founder of the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), a social enterprise dedicated to fostering economic prosperity in rural America by building inclusive tech ecosystems. CORI focuses on creating scalable startups and tech jobs, recognizing the vital role emerging technologies like AI can play in transforming rural economic opportunity.
A lifelong Vermonter, Matt previously served in the state legislature, ran marketing for a global SAAS software company, directed AmeriCorps VISTA, and built Google's Community Affairs division from rural Vermont. Through all of these roles, Matt has focused on empowering underserved communities through technology and innovation.
🕑: 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Lunch
Info: Lunch will be provided.
🕑: 12:45 PM - 01:00 PM
Remarks
Host: Dr. Jeremiah Shinn, President, University of Montana
🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:15 PM
Breakout Session: Resiliency in Action - Failure as a Steppingstone to Success
Host: Eric Harry, Wachholz Innovation & Entrepreneurship Ctr
Info: The entrepreneurial mindset isn’t just for founders—it’s a practiced way of navigating uncertainty anywhere people build something new.
This breakout session tackles the part of that mindset we handle worst: failure. We usually talk about mistakes only after they're neatly packaged into clean lessons. This time, we examine failure while it’s still uncomfortable and address a hard truth: failure teaches you nothing on its own.
What matters is how you make sense of it—and whether you can tell resilience from plain stubbornness. Together, we’ll work through that question with people who’ve lived it.
🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:15 PM
Breakout Session: Nurturing Tomorrow's Technology Innovators
Host: Jenny Harms, Accelerate Montana
Info: Montana's technology ecosystem is growing rapidly, creating a wide range of high-impact opportunities for the next generation. This session explores clear, actionable pathways into regional STEM careers. Attendees will learn how local educational pipelines, internships, and industry partnerships are bridging the gap between classroom learning and Montana's high-growth tech employers.
🕑: 02:15 PM - 02:30 PM
Break
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:00 PM
HTH Project Spotlight: SPEED
Host: Dr. Joseph Shaw, Montana State University
Info: Updates from the team behind the Smart Photonic Sensor Education for Economic Development (SPEED) initiative.
🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:45 PM
Panel: Peer Ecosystems - Resilience & Natural Resources
Host: Justin Carpenter, Tulsa Innovation Labs
Info: Regions across the country are leveraging opportunities like the EDA Tech Hubs and the NSF Engines to grow their innovation ecosystems, many in sectors that align with Montana industries and the Headwaters Tech Hub. This panel brings together leaders from peer ecosystems for a conversation about their regions’ successes and challenges, and opportunities to partner to leverage our respective strengths.
🕑: 03:45 PM - 04:00 PM
Break
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:30 PM
HTH Project Spotlight: IPE
Host: Jason Yager, Montana Photonics & Quantum Alliance
Info: Updates from the team behind the Integrated Photonics Ecosystem (IPE) project.
🕑: 04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Updates on the Federal Policy Landscape
Host: Jason Rittenberg, Excel Regional Solutions
🕑: 05:00 PM
Wrap Up Day 1
🕑: 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Small Group Dinners
Info: HTH has reserved tables at a variety of restaurants across Missoula to facilitate small-group networking opportunities. These informal gatherings are designed to help attendees connect over dinner in a relaxed setting. Each reservation will accommodate a small group, allowing for meaningful conversation and relationship building. Details about restaurant locations, times, and sign-up options will be shared during the Summit to help you choose a group that fits your interests and schedule.
*These dinners are not hosted, meaning participants will be responsible for covering their own costs.
September 11, 2026
🕑: 08:00 AM - 08:30 AM
Networking & Breakfast
Info: Breakfast will be provided.
🕑: 08:30 AM - 08:45 AM
Welcome Remarks
Host: Marta Bertoglio (Montana Dept. of Commerce)
🕑: 08:45 AM - 09:30 AM
Tech Translation Opportunities at the National Science Foundation
Host: Dr. Jessie DeAro, National Science Foundation
🕑: 09:30 AM - 09:45 AM
Break
🕑: 09:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Breakout Session: Policy Forum -Pathways to a Vibrant Tech Economy for Montana
Host: Jen Hensley, Hensley & Associates, LLC
Info: Join Jen Hensley, State Government Affairs Advisor, for a candid conversation with legislators, policy makers, and industry leaders about what's moving the needle for Montana's tech economy right now. We'll dig into concrete steps already underway, get a glimpse into what the 2027 Legislative Session will bring, then open the floor for discussion. Where do you see the next opportunity for policy to unlock growth? Bring your ideas!
🕑: 09:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Breakout Session: Building MT's Innovation & Economic Prosperity Ecosystem
Host: Sarah Truglio, University of Montana
Info: Join an interactive workshop to develop a shared vision and actionable roadmap for strengthening Montana's innovation ecosystem by identifying opportunities, gaps, and collaborative strategies across the three pillars of Talent, Place, and Innovation ensuring economic prosperity reaches every region and community across Montana.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Break
🕑: 11:15 AM - 11:45 AM
HTH Project Spotlight: ASSIST
Host: John Beltrone, Headwaters Tech Hub
Info: Updates from the team behind the Autonomous Smart Systems and Integrated Sensor Testbeds (ASSIST) initiative.
🕑: 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Closing Remarks
🕑: 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM
HTH Board Meeting
Info: The HTH Board Meeting will take place in Room 225 on the second floor of the University Center. This meeting is closed to members only.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00 to USD 225.00
