AI & Workforce Impact Event Series
Join Our Three Part Series
The events gather a small group of corporate social‑impact leaders and workforce innovators to explore how emerging technologies are redefining jobs and opportunities across our region. We’ll come away with a plan to take collective action to address the challenges ahead.
Closed
Part 1: The Challenge
On August 7, 2025, leaders from various sectors gathered at the AI & Workforce Impact Summit to discuss how AI is changing the regional economy and what steps are needed to prepare the workforce.
-
About
On August 7th 2025, cross-sector leaders in workforce development, social impact, and higher education convened for the AI & Workforce Impact Summit to discuss the regional economic transformation, AI’s role in driving this change, and the readiness of the local workforce to navigate the storm. The Summit explored how industry leaders can help better prepare the workforce by supporting the integration of AI skills while avoiding economic exclusion and job displacement.
Discussions centered on two key questions:
1) How can AI be harnessed both as an economic accelerator and job enabler?
2) What role might the social impact community play in driving initiatives that support an inclusive, future-ready workforce?
-
Speakers
- Ron Vassallo, CEO, Kaptivate LLC
- Terry L. Clower, Ph.D. Director, Center for Regional Analysis Northern Virginia Chair and Professor of Public Policy Schar School of Policy & GovernmentGeorge Mason University
-
Pre-Reads
- Burning Glass - No Country for Young Grads
- NYT - A.I., the Electricians and the Boom Towns of Central Washington
- AEI - AI and the Future of Work Looks Bright
- ‘Winning The AI Race’ Is Not About Outpacing. It’s About Outlasting
- AI & Entry Level Employment: Emerging Crisis or Growing Pains
- The Expertise Upheaval: How GenAI Will Reshape the Workforce
- PwC 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer
- The Augmented Workforce for an Automated, AI-driven World | IBM
- Reimagine Human Potential in the Gen AI Era | IBM
Closed
Part 2: Promising Practices
On October 20, 2025, Kaptivate hosted the second AI & Workforce Impact event, where leaders from business, education, government, and social impact sectors discussed best practices and new ideas for using AI in the workforce and developing talent.
-
About
On October 20, 2025, cross-sector leaders convened in Arlington, Virginia for the second convening in the AI & Workforce Impact series, shifting the conversation from identifying challenges to spotlighting real-world solutions reshaping how people worked, learned, hired, and thrived in an increasingly AI-enabled economy.
The one-day event brought together employers, educators, workforce leaders, and community builders who were pioneering new strategies to support a rapidly transitioning workforce across the DMV region. Discussions acknowledged that while AI was transforming every sector—redefining roles, automating tasks, and accelerating demand for new skills—too often the dialogue remained focused on policy or technical advancements. This convening intentionally centered the people, practices, and partnerships shaping the future of work in real time.
The event explored several key themes, including:
• Workforce transformation trends and emerging strategies across the DMV region
• Companies building more inclusive and accessible hiring pipelines
• Disruptors providing talent at scale within the evolving gig economy
• Academic institutions redefining curricula to align with AI-driven workforce needs
• Local and state stakeholders rethinking workforce investments and long-term planning
• Civic leaders designing support ecosystems to enable equitable access to opportunityAttendance was by invitation and included a diverse group of stakeholders, such as:
• Employers across multiple DMV industries hiring or upskilling frontline, tech-enabled, backend operations, and customer-facing roles
• Community colleges and universities developing next-generation curricula
• State and regional leaders from workforce boards, chambers of commerce, and economic development agencies
• Nonprofit and community-based organizations supporting adult learners and displaced workers
• Human resources, talent, and learning and development leaders seeking innovative workforce solutions -
Speakers
- Dr. Terry Clower – Director, George Mason University’s Center for Regional Economic Analysis
- Jim Egenrieder – Research Faculty and Director, Virginia Tech Thinkabit Labs
- Cathy Fillare – Global Research Leader – HR and Talent Transformation, IBM
- Allison Forbes – Senior Vice President, Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC)
- Anthony Featherstone – Executive Director, WorkSource Montgomery
- Jenn Ji – Program Director – Public Partnerships, IBM
- Alex Orfinger – Managing Editor, Washington Business Journal
- David Remick - Executive Director, Alexandria/Arlington Regional Workforce Council
- Will Schmidt – Manager, Business Engagement and Industry Initiatives, Northern Virginia Community College
- Lisa Shapiro – Lead Managing Director, GO Virginia Northern Region Council
- Paula Sorrell – Associate Vice President – Innovation & Economic Development, George Mason University
- Mike Tadesse - Professor, Artificial Intelligence Application, George Washington University
- Yelena Vaynberg – Director, Maryland Apprenticeship Innovation Hub, BuildWithin
- Pre-Reads
Closed
Part 3: ForwardDMV™
On February 17, 2026, over 100 leaders from industry, higher education, workforce systems, and government came together to examine the data and define a path forward. Analysis highlighted the urgency facing the DMV region. We have seen the loss of 53,800 federal jobs over the past year, illustrating the need to shift from federal dependency toward a more diversified, employer-led economy.
-
About
ForwardDMV™ is building a future-ready economy in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. Our objective is to help the DMV workforce thrive in a changing world driven by AI.
On February 17, 2026, over 100 leaders from industry, higher education, workforce systems, and government came together to examine the data and define a path forward. Analysis highlighted the urgency facing the DMV region. We have seen the loss of 53,800 federal jobs over the past year, illustrating the need to shift from federal dependency toward a more diversified, employer-led economy.. -
Initiatives
- Gig Economy Accelerator - Supporting displaced federal professionals in transitioning to high-skill, project-based work and new ventures.
- Scaling Early-Career Pathways - The importance and potential for expanding pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and wraparound support models.
- Regional Talent Pipeline Development – A multi-jurisdiction, employer-led effort aligning workforce systems to industry demand.
About Kaptivate
Kaptivate helps organizations give voice to their vision of the future. We also help organizations act on it. That includes:
- Helping social impact leaders make the internal argument for why this issue should be part of your core social impact agenda;
- Crafting data narratives that bring national stakes into a regional focus;
- Launching prize competitions that mobilize innovation and investment in scalable solutions;
- And building lasting communities of action to partner, test, and implement real solutions.
