A New Era of AI in the Southwest: Academia and research organizations have entered a new era of innovation. AI-powered agents are not just automating tasks, but fundamentally reshaping how organizations operate, innovate and engage. Google Public Sector’s Head of Southwest Sales, Charlene Gorman, will set the stage by defining this new era of AI, previewing the hands-on learning opportunities attendees will participate in, and sitting down with a regional government leader to discuss how AI is already accelerating mission outcomes at their organization. 

As Southwest state, local, and higher education leaders accelerate AI adoption, the demand for secure, seamless digital experiences has never been higher. This opening session explores how Agentic AI and modern cloud platforms empower both government and higher education leaders to break down data silos. Join Google Public Sector and regional innovators to learn how they're transforming their communicites with AI and how discover how cross-sector collaboration can accelerate services, strengthen cybersecurity, and unlock new possibilities for groundbreaking research and public service.

As government agencies and academic institutions face increasingly complex demands, secure and reliable automation is essential. In this presentation and live demonstration, Charles Elliot, Senior Research Engineering Lead @ Google Public Sector, will explore how public sector leaders can leverage Gemini Enterprise to build and orchestrate intelligent AI agents tailored to their unique operational needs. By securely grounding these agents directly in your own proprietary data, organizations can guarantee highly accurate, compliant, and context-aware outcomes. Join us to see firsthand how to automate mission-critical workflows, safely reduce administrative burdens, accelerate decision-making, and securely transform service delivery without ever compromising data privacy. This foundational overview provides the strategic framework for our interactive afternoon lab.

Agentic AI represents the next frontier in artificial intelligence, empowering AI tools to autonomously complete complex, multi-step tasks. With this technology at a historic inflection point, government agencies and academic institutions have a unique opportunity to seize these capabilities to significantly expand staff and faculty capacity. In this hands-on GPS Leaders Connect workshop—a direct tactical follow-up to our morning session—participants will learn directly from Google experts how to build and leverage agentic AI to drive meaningful transformation across both civic and campus operations.

Cap off your day with a forward-looking discussion featuring state and local government leaders. Inspired by the day's hands-on AI Labs, these leaders will share their visions for the future of their cities, agencies, and institutions. This session will move beyond current challenges to explore the 'art of the possible,' showcasing how the agentic AI solutions explored today can be applied to real-world use cases to redefine public service and accelerate mission outcomes. Join us for a glimpse into the next generation of government innovation.