All Things AI Launchpad (Get Ready for All Things AI 2026)

Before the main stage. Before the thousands. Before All Things AI 2026 becomes the moment everyone will be talking about—there’s Launchpad.

This is where the magic starts. Where a conversation over pizza becomes your next co-founder. Where an idea scribbled on a napkin turns into next year's breakthrough. Where you stop being an attendee and become part of the story.

🚀 Launchpad Kickoff: December 3, 2025, The Durham Armory, Durham, NC

## 🔥 Got 5 Minutes? Take the Stage.

Ignition Talks are how we want YOU to kick off ATAI 2026. Five minutes. One idea. No fluff. You take the stage for five minutes and give an inspiring talk on how you are using AI.

Built something? Share it.
Learned something? Teach it.
See something everyone's missing? Call it out.
Did you start a group that helps others use AI? Tell us about it.

Here's the talks from experts with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives we have planned and more to come:

Abigail Merrill
GrowthUp Partners
AI for ROI in 3 Steps

Marc Sirkin
Founder, Marc Sirkin Consulting | Former CEO, Third Door Media (acquired by Semrush)| Host of Playbook Broken
Force Yourself to Experiment: How AI is Rewiring the Modern Marketer

Guoliang Cao
Research Triangle AI Society
Stop Learning, Start Building, Idea to product in one day!

Jen McFarland
Founder at Marit Digital | Writer for WRAL TechWire & Cary Magazine | Speaker & Trainer | Passionate about Sustainable & Ethical Tech
Green AI: Finding Your Sustainable AI Solution

Harsha Upadhyay
All About Data LLC
3 Simple Rules to Become an Agentic Polymath

Una Stevenson
Pinno Marketing & Business Development
The One Shift That Gets AI Out of Pilot Purgatory

Yassah Reed
Gridiron Survivor
Prescription for Change: Addressing AI’s Place in Healthcare

December 3rd. The spotlight's waiting. And we’ll support you. This is your chance to share your story and inspire others.

→ Apply now: Ignition Talks – Spark the Countdown