Speakers:
Get ready to immerse yourself in a day filled with opportunities to connect, learn and celebrate the vibrant business community of Vermont!
Explore our keynote speakers, moderators, panelists and
hosts that will engage you throughout the day.
Vermont business Growth Awards: Breakfast Keynote Speaker
Thomas Feltmate
Director & Senior Economist with TD Bank Group,
Thomas Feltmate is a Director & Senior Economist with TD Bank Group, where he monitors and provides analysis of Canadian and U.S. macroeconomic trends. Thomas has previously been involved in enterprise-wide risk management activities including the Federal Reserve’s annual stress test and is still involved with the bank’s quarterly IFRS9/CECL process.
Prior to joining TD Economics, Thomas worked in a research division at the Bank of Canada, where he focused on modelling economic and financial risk scenarios to determine potential implications for the global economy. Thomas holds an M.A. in Economics from Queen’s University.
Giancarlo Bernini
Award-winning magician Giancarlo Bernini has astounded international audiences with his incredible illusions. With multiple national radio and television appearances under his belt, Giancarlo was most recently a season 10 winner of the hit TV show “Penn & Teller: Fool Us”.
Session 1: Get This! Lessons (and Hope) from the Cyber Trenches
Phil Susmann
President, NUARI
Phil Susmann is the President of Norwich University Applied Research Institutes (NUARI). During his time at NUARI, Phil has led NUARI’s efforts in research, development, and education in the areas of cybersecurity, defense technologies, information advantage, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. These activities supported the development of the DECIDE® Platform, an immersive exercise design and participation tool that simulates cyber-attacks for organizations and decision-makers in critical infrastructure sectors and the government, allowing them to exercise their abilities to prepare for and respond to cyber incidents effectively. Phil has served Norwich University as Chief Information Officer, Computer Information Systems Department Chair, and Norwich faculty. He developed cybersecurity programs for Norwich University, leading the university to be designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence by the National Security Agency in 2002. Phil also served as the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and the senior leader responsible for the Senior Military Colleges Department of Defense Cyber Institutes in support of USCYBERCOMMAND. Phil has been a part of developing the Vermont Army National Guard Information Operations Schoolhouse and the Vermont Air National Guard 229th Cyber Operations Squadron. In December 2022, Phil was appointed by Vermont Governor Phil Scott to the State’s new Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council. Phil graduated from Norwich University in Business and earned an MBA from Clarkson University.
Session 2: Q&A — Utilizing AI In Business: Strategies and Practices for Business Resilience
Crystal L’Hôte
Chair and Professor of Philosophy and Ethics, Saint Michael’s College
Crystal L’Hôte is Chair and Professor of Philosophy and Ethics at Saint Michael’s College, named one of the top Green Colleges and one of the Best Northeast Colleges by the Princeton Review. She specializes in philosophy of technology, philosophy of mind, and neuroethics, always with an eye toward practical applications, and is currently teaching an AI Ethics and Policy course.
As a member of the Board of the Public Philosophy Network, L’Hôte is deeply committed to facilitating philosophical dialogue beyond academia. She is a longtime participant in Vermont’s Public Philosophy Week, during which she has brought philosophical conversation to venues like comedy clubs, wine bars, and libraries. L’Hôte created the Philosophy and Ethics Lab at Saint Michael’s, and has deeply enjoyed serving on panels hosted by local organizations such as Burlington City Arts (BCA) and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR). Media outlets like WCAX-TV, Vermont Public Radio, Seven Days, The Independent, Bustle Magazine, and the Lifetime Network, have invited her commentary on artificial intelligence, transhumanism, memory, and ethics, among other topics.
L’Hôte holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins University, and her research has been supported by the Center for Neuroscience and Society at the University of Pennsylvania, the Mind and Life Institute at Amherst College, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Heather Daniels
Founder, AdaZai Consulting
Heather Daniels is the Founder of AdaZai Consulting, a Vermont-based firm specializing in IT and business strategy for small and mid-sized organizations. With more than 20 years of experience spanning IT systems, business operations, and compliance, Heather has guided organizations through complex transformations and now serves as a trusted fractional CIO.
At AdaZai Consulting, Heather helps leaders align technology with business goals, streamline processes, and build strategies that drive sustainable growth. She also uses AI extensively in her own business and guides her clients in applying it strategically—whether through process optimization, workflow automation, or choosing AI-enabled tools that create measurable impact. By blending innovation with practicality, Heather shows businesses how to harness AI as a driver of clarity, efficiency, and success.
Grounded in a people-first philosophy, Heather believes technology should empower rather than overwhelm. She founded AdaZai Consulting—named after her children, Adalyn and Zaidyn—as a reflection of her commitment to creating smarter, simpler, and more sustainable ways of doing business. Deeply rooted in Vermont’s entrepreneurial community, Heather contributes thought leadership, mentors peers, and shares practical insights on how clarity, strategy, and innovation can lead to lasting success.
Mike Lannen
Founder, Eternity
Mike Lannen is the Founder of Eternity, a leading web design and AI consulting firm based in Burlington, Vermont. With over two decades of experience in digital innovation, Mike is a nationally recognized speaker, known for his engaging and insightful presentations on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. As an Eagle Scout and an openly neurodivergent professional, he brings unique perspectives to problem-solving and creative strategies. Mike is deeply committed to building user-friendly digital experiences and fostering authentic client relationships. Passionate about smart home technology and AI advancements, he remains at the forefront of innovation, empowering businesses to thrive in an increasingly automated world.
Miles Latham
Director of Artificial Intelligence, State of Vermont
Miles Latham is the Director of Artificial Intelligence for the State of Vermont. He leads the AI Division within the Agency of Digital Services and advises teams across the state on AI-related issues and implementation strategies. Previously, he worked as a Data Engineering Director for a Los Angeles-based quantitative consulting firm specializing in econometric analysis, and as a statistical consultant for the United Nations in Geneva. Miles grew up in Hartford, Vermont, and holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbia University.
U.S. Sen. Peter Welch Luncheon: Fireside Chat
Senator Rocket
Artist, Entrepreneur, Eat Vermont
Senator Rocket (né Ryan Kim) is an artist, entrepreneur and graduate of The Putney School, Middlebury College and Vermont Law School. He is the storyteller and driving force behind Eat Vermont, a technology platform and media channel with over 80,000 followers across the state. Senator Rocket previously served on the Hartford Selectboard and is passionate about history, food, and community.
Mikaela Lefrak
Host and Senior Producer, ’Vermont Edition,’ Vermont Public
Mikaela Lefrak is host and senior producer of “Vermont Edition,“ a daily news and information program broadcast by Vermont Public. Her stories have aired nationally on “Morning Edition,“ “All Things Considered,“ “Weekend Edition,“ “Marketplace,“ “The World “and “Here & Now.“
A seasoned local reporter, Lefrak has won two regional Edward R. Murrow awards and a Public Media Journalists Association award for her work.
Prior to joining Vermont Public in 2021, Lefrak was a reporter and host at WAMU, the NPR member station for the Washington, D.C., region. She has also worked at The New Republic, Public Radio International’s “The World“ and WGBH Boston, and served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in Oakland, California.
Lefrak is a graduate of Middlebury College and holds a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University.
Meg Little Reilly
Managing Director, Center for Community News
Meg Little Reilly has been working at the intersection of civic engagement, journalism and higher education for more than twenty years.
She is the managing director of the Center for Community News at the University of Vermont, a national organization that is transforming the role universities play in strengthening our news and information landscape.
Meg is a regular contributor to Forbes.com covering the future of journalism, information, and higher education. Her next book is a work of nonfiction titled SCAPEGOAT NATION: Sex, Backlash and American Insecurity.
Previously, Meg served under President Barack Obama in the U.S. White House as Deputy Associate Director for Communications and Strategy in the Office of Management and Budget and as Spokesperson at the Department of the Treasury. She has been a speechwriter to several university presidents and led communications at Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, a national think tank devoted to reducing toxic polarization in public life. Meg began her career at Vermont Public Radio. She has a B.A. from the University of Vermont and an M.A. from the George Washington University.
Meg’s work has appeared in the New York Times, McSweeney’s, Literary Hub, Boston Globe, Chronicle of Philanthropy, San Pedro River Review, Sojourners, Politico, Times Higher Education, and public radio stations around the country. She is the author of the novels THE MISFORTUNES OF FAMILY, EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS, and WE ARE UNPREPARED, which has been translated into several languages. Her fourth book HOW TO BE ALIVE was a finalist for the Black Lawrence Press Big Moose Prize and she was a short story finalist for the Bellingham Review Tobias Wolff Award. She has been a judge for the Lambda Literary Awards.
Meg lives outside Burlington, Vermont with her two children, her partner Heather and their dogs
Paula Routly
Co-founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Seven Days
Paula Routly is a self-described failed ballerina who found journalism by becoming a dance critic. She began publishing Seven Days newspaper in 1995 and has the grown the publication over the last 30 years. Since the start of the pandemic, Routly has been writing a weekly “From the Publisher“ column.
Michael Wood-Lewis
Co-founder and CEO, Front Porch Forum
Michael and his wife, Valerie took a gamble 20 years ago when they launched Front Porch Forum as a small family business focused on building community among neighbors. It was a new concept with no clear path to viability, but they believed in the mission, persisted and worked hard.
Today, FPF has 240,000 active members in Vermont (in a state with only 270,000 households) that our staff of 30 serve every day. Amazingly, 97% of our members find FPF valuable for their community, and, because of the trust neighbors feel using FPF, our work has attracted national awards and attention.