Event Highlights
About Event
Welcome to LISUG Horizons 2026, our flagship AI conference experience built for professionals, students, leaders, and innovators who want to move from curiosity to confidence in an AI-driven world. This year’s theme, From Code to Career: Thriving in an AI World, focuses on practical insight, career impact, and real-world strategies you can apply immediately.
Our featured sessions begin with Arup Das and a deep dive into Inference-First Agentic AI, including efficient token pipelines for long-horizon work, context engineering, token budgets, model routing, and observability patterns needed for reliable enterprise execution.
David Birdwell follows with a focused look at AI’s impact on the jobs market, while Jesse Gorzinski explores practical agentic workflows for IBM i systems management using MCP, BOB, and i Assist.
The evening continues with student innovation spotlights, a career-focused AI panel, and Aaron Magid's live demo on preserving institutional knowledge with AI coding agents that analyze existing applications, generate documentation, and accelerate ongoing enhancement.
If you want to understand where AI is going and how to turn that momentum into career growth and real execution, Horizons 2026 is where strategy, community, and action come together. Join us, connect with the LISUG community, and register today to secure your place.
Schedule
Check-In
Arrival, registration, and early networking before the main Horizons 2026 program begins.
1:30 PM
Opening
Welcome remarks that set the direction for Horizons 2026 and the evening's AI-focused program.
2:00 PM
Arup Das - Inference-First Agentic AI: Building Efficient Token Pipelines for Long-Horizon Work
A practical session on inference-first agentic AI, showing how to design efficient token pipelines, manage context for long-horizon workflows, and scale reliable enterprise automation.
2:10 PM
David Birdwell - AI's Impact on the Jobs Market
A clear look at how AI is changing roles, hiring expectations, and the skills professionals need next.
2:45 PM
Jesse Gorzinski - MCP, BOB, i Assist
How agentic workflows with MCP, BOB, and i Assist can improve IBM i operations and systems management.
3:15 PM
Break
Short break to recharge and connect before student presentations.
4:15 PM
Student Presentation - IBM Power Skills Academy iMPACT Student Challenge
Penn College challenge winners present practical AI and IBM Power projects in concise showcase talks.
4:30 PM
Cocktail Hour
Dedicated networking with speakers, peers, and community leaders.
5:15 PM
Panel - AI Impact on Jobs
Panel discussion on workforce shifts, opportunity areas, and practical strategies for adapting to AI.
6:15 PM
Dinner + Vendor Speed Rounds
Dinner service paired with quick vendor rounds featuring tools and implementation ideas.
7:00 PM
Aaron Magid - Live Demo of Agentic AI in Action
Live demo showing how AI agents can document legacy systems and accelerate ongoing enhancement work.
8:00 PM
Closing the Event
See you next time.
9:00 PM
What Will You Learn?
How AI Is Reshaping Careers and the Jobs Market
Learn how hiring trends, in-demand skills, and role expectations are changing in an AI-first economy, and how to position yourself for long-term career growth with practical, future-ready capabilities.
Practical Agentic AI for IBM i and Enterprise Workflows
See how agentic AI patterns can be applied to IBM i systems using tools like MCP, BOB, and i Assist to improve operational efficiency, system management, and modernization without disrupting core business workflows.
Preserving Knowledge and Accelerating Delivery with AI
Understand how AI coding agents can analyze legacy applications, generate living documentation, and use that context to help teams continue enhancing systems as experienced team members retire or transition.
Design Retrieval-First Context Architectures
Learn why larger context windows alone are not enough, and how retrieval-first patterns, compact state summaries, and structured case files keep agentic systems grounded, accurate, and cost-efficient.
Engineer Efficient Inference Pipelines
Build practical strategies for token budgeting, caching, KV-cache usage, and task-based model routing so long-horizon workflows remain performant under real enterprise load.
Measure Reliability with AI Workflow Observability
Track the metrics that matter, including token usage, tool-call rates, and tail latency, to continuously improve quality, speed, and cost across multi-step agentic processes.
Keynote Speakers
Jesse Gorzinski
STSM & Senior Business Architect at IBM
Jesse Gorzinski, a Senior Technical Staff Member and Senior Business Architect at IBM, has built a distinguished career over 17 years, focusing on open source software and AI solutions for the IBM i platform. His innovative work integrates AI with IBM's legacy systems, showcasing his dedication to technological progress, rooted in his education from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Jesse is known not only for his professional expertise but also for his engaging personality, culinary skills in making Liège waffles, prowess in Mario Kart, and a love for dogs, adding a unique blend of insight and personal charm to his professional endeavors. His sessions are highly anticipated for their ability to not just inform, but also inspire, presenting the future possibilities of AI and open source technology in an approachable and engaging manner.
Aaron Magid
Chief Architect at Eradani
Aaron Magid, Chief Architect at Eradani, has over a decade of experience in software development and technology. He specializes in modernizing legacy systems like IBM i/AS400 using Python, Node.js, and Javascript. Aaron excels in bridging old and new technologies together for clients, helping them connect modern solutions to existing systems. His previous roles include Lead Cloud Systems Engineer at CTI Smart Systems and Co-Owner and Director of Product Development at BigPie, Inc.
David Birdwell
National Vice President at Soni
David Birdwell is the National Vice President of Soni, where he leads national growth and strategy across 10 markets in the United States. A veteran of the technology recruiting industry, David began his career with one of the world’s largest human capital organizations focused on technology talent before shifting his focus to helping stagnant organizations reignite growth. Over the course of his career, he has partnered with executive teams to scale leadership organizations, including helping a Philadelphia-area company achieve recognition as one of the region’s fastest-growing companies. Today, David works directly with Soni’s CEO and Founder to launch new markets, build high-performance leadership teams, and help C-suite executives’ architect human capital strategies that fuel innovation and sustained growth.
Arup Das
Senior Director of Data Service & AI at Jackson Lewis P.C.
Arup Das is Senior Director of Data Service & AI at Jackson Lewis P.C., where he leads the firm's data and AI strategy and brings 20+ years of AI and machine-learning experience, including shaping strategies for Fortune 1000 organizations. He is also a Specialist Professor in Monmouth University's Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, with interests spanning AI and Generative AI. Previously, Arup served as Head of AI & GenAI Industry Specialists at UiPath, advancing AI- and GenAI-driven document and communication automation across sectors including financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and the public sector; experience he now translates into practical implementation playbooks. He is a co-author of The Generative AI Practitioner's Guide and was named ILTA's 2018 Innovative Thought Leader of the Year. At Horizons Day, Arup focuses on building practical, production-ready AI systems, with an emphasis on governance, security, and operational discipline that resonates with teams running mission-critical IBM Power environments.