Berkshire State of Work Summit

AI for Education
AI for Hospitality and Tourism

Signature Series

AI for Education

Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
BCC Koussevitzky Arts Center, Room K111
Fee: $75

AI for Education summit overview
The We in AI: Teaching and Learning in the Age of AI

AI is already shaping our classrooms, but how do we shape it together?

Join educators, leaders, researchers, and workforce partners from across Massachusetts for a half-day, hands-on summit exploring how artificial intelligence can enhance teaching, empower learning, and strengthen our shared educational community.

From practical classroom tools and digital literacy frameworks to ethics, policy, and student voice, this summit moves beyond hype to real conversations that matter, rooted in Massachusetts guidance and local experience.

What to expect:

A keynote on the evolving relationship between teaching, learning and AI

State-level guidance from MA DESE leaders

Interactive workshops for K-12, higher ed, CTE and STEM educators

Research-driven insights and community college perspectives

A closing panel tackling the good and concerning uses of AI in education—Berkshire-style

Whether you're curious, cautious, or already experimenting, this summit is designed to meet you where you are and help chart where we go next.
AI for Education summit speakers
Torrey Trust

Professor of Learning Technology, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Dr. Torrey Trust, Professor of Learning Technology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, an acclaimed educator and one of the most important voices in AI and education today.

Dr. Trust's work centers on empowering educators and students to critically explore emerging technologies and make thoughtful, informed choices about their role in teaching and learning. She's been featured in Educational Leadership, WIRED, U.S. News and World Report, Ed Week, and more, and her teaching has been recognized at every level:

UMass Amherst Distinguished Teaching Award (2023), College of Education Outstanding Teaching Award (2020), ISTE Making IT Happen Award (2018)

She'll open our summit with her keynote: Teaching and Learning in the Age of AI.

Grounded. Ethical. Deeply practical. Exactly what Berkshire educators need right now.

Alva Laster

Digital Literacy and Computer Science Content Specialist, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

When it comes to AI in Massachusetts schools, the policy framework matters, and no one knows it better than Alva Laster.

Alva Laster, M.Ed., Ed.S., is the Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) Content Specialist at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, where she leads statewide efforts to expand equitable access to high-quality digital literacy, computer science, and emerging AI learning opportunities.

With more than 25 years in education, Alva’s work focuses on helping schools move from AI as a tool to AI as a discipline, ensuring students and educators understand how data, algorithms, and human decision-making shape the technologies that influence teaching and learning today.

AI Summit: AI in Massachusetts Education: DESE Perspective

Matt Mervis

Director of Skills21 and AI Strategy at EdAdvance

Matt is the Director of Skills21 and AI Strategy at EdAdvance, a PBL-focused AI speaker, builder, and co-host of the ChatEDU podcast. He cuts through the noise and helps schools build AI ecosystems that actually work. Matt works with schools, higher education, workforce organizations, and corporate partners to support the responsible adoption of generative AI. Matt brings experience as a teacher, district technology director, professional development leader, and product developer, and is a frequent national speaker to diverse audiences on AI and the future of education and work.

AI Summit: Beyond the Hype! Building a Practical AI Ecosystem for Your School, College, or Organization

Rachel Slama

Associate Director of the Future of Learning Lab, Cornell's Bowers College of Computing and Information Science

Dr. Rachel Slama supports an extraordinary team of students, faculty, and postdocs to build, deploy, and evaluate cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of learning and workforce development. She leads strategic partnerships, research initiatives, and global collaborations at the intersection of education, workforce development, technology, and AI.

AI Summit: AI-Enhanced Tutoring: Research and Best Practices

Carrie Wihbey

Director of Strategy and Innovation, WPS Institute

Carrie Wihbey works at the intersection of learning, community, and systems, helping strong, student-centered practice move beyond individual programs into durable partnerships and shared infrastructure.

Laura Tavares

Educator and Consultant

Laura Tavares is an educator and consultant with over 20 years of experience in schools and non-profits. She is a leader of transformative learning experiences for teachers, students, and organizations.

AI Summit: Centering Student Voice: Designing AI Experiences That Support Student Agency and Belonging

Julie Foss

Founder and Principal Consultant, True Nexus Consulting LLC

Julie Foss is the Founder and Principal Consultant at True Nexus Consulting LLC, which specializes in AI governance and implementation readiness for U.S. schools. She is especially passionate about supporting communities with the “people side” of AI adoption. Julie brings over 20 years of educational experience as a teacher, administrator, change-leadership coach and consultant. She is a certified AI Governance Officer and an affiliate partner of Kompass Education.

Julie Foss will be presenting on "From Purpose to Practice: Building an AI Adoption Roadmap for Schools."

Paula Moore

Paula Moore is an education policy leader and former Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) Content Lead at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, where she managed statewide initiatives to expand equitable access to high-quality DLCS education across the Commonwealth. She built cross-sector partnerships with districts, nonprofits, and state leaders to implement computer science policy and stewarded grant funding to support sustainable program growth. With a background spanning software engineering and middle school computer science instruction, Paula brings a rare systems-level perspective to AI and CS education, bridging technical expertise, classroom practice, and policy to strengthen teaching and learning in the age of AI.

Paula Moore will be presenting on "The Teachers Certificate": DESE AI training resources.

Andrea Tejedor

Dr. Andrea Tejedor is a researcher, author, adjunct professor, and strategic partnerships leader at the intersection of EdTech, digital transformation, and institutional leadership with over two decades of experience supporting educators in New York’s Hudson Valley, as a Spanish teacher, elementary school teacher, instructional tech specialist, director of innovation and instructional technology, principal, and assistant superintendent. She now focuses her work on Researcher and Author of Pedagogical Innovation, Strategic Partnership Consultant at NYSCATE, and Cybersecurity, Data Privacy and Emerging Tech Leadership.

Andrea Tejedor will be presenting on "Leading Through Disruption: Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Emerging Technology Leadership."

AI for Hospitality and Tourism

Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
BCC Koussevitzky Arts Center, Room K111
Fee: $75

AI for Hospitality and Tourism summit overview and programming
Overview

Practical AI Strategies to Elevate Guest Experience, Strengthen Operations and Drive Innovation and Efficiency

This half-day summit exploring how Artificial Intelligence is transforming the hospitality and tourism industry. As the Berkshires continue to thrive as a premier destination, renowned for world-class arts and culture, wellness retreats, outdoor recreation, farm-to-table dining, boutique lodging, and luxury spa experiences, this event will explore how Artificial Intelligence can help local businesses elevate guest service, strengthen operations, and remain competitive in an evolving marketplace.

Programming

Kate Fox - Opening Keynote

Dennis Iodice - Build a Custom Business App with AI
Dennis will guide the audience through his hands-on journey of building a custom operations app using the AI-assisted platform Base44. Faced with time-consuming manual workflows, he leveraged AI to design a solution tailored specifically to his team’s needs. The result was a streamlined system that significantly reduced repetitive tasks and improved overall efficiency. Remarkably, Dennis accomplished this at a fraction of the cost of implementing a comparable SaaS product. In this session, he will break down each step of his process, from identifying operational pain points to deploying a working solution. Attendees will gain practical insights into how AI-powered tools can unlock faster, more cost-effective application development.

Robert Botto - Automate Customer Responses with AI
Dive into practical AI implementation with a session focused on automating customer support responses for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs).This presentation demonstrates how to leverage cloud technology, specifically Claude Desktop, to draft automated replies through Gmail accounts. Attendees will watch a live, step-by-step demo showing how to connect Claude and set up routines to draft responses to dummy support information. The session includes a valuable, beginner-style section on prompting methodology, introducing the "three C's" framework to help attendees contextualize their prompts for better, more iterative outputs. This will be an interactive workshop, encouraging participants to follow along collectively and build their own automation using an example prompt displayed on a projector. Finally, participants will receive a handout with contact information to aid in troubleshooting and ongoing reference after the session.

Samuel Pascual - to be determined

Matt Mervis - Closing Keynote
AI for Hospitality and Tourism summit sponsor

Visitma.com
AI for Hospitality and Tourism summit speakers

Kate Fox

Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism

Kate Fox is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, where she leads statewide tourism marketing and industry strategy for the Commonwealth.

Since joining the agency in June 2023, Kate has revitalized key initiatives, including enhancing the agency’s domestic and international marketing strategy, bringing back the Massachusetts Conference on Travel and Tourism, and restoring the state’s presence in the group tour and sports marketing sectors. Kate also oversees the Massachusetts 250 campaign, which commemorates the history of the American Revolution in Massachusetts by amplifying lesser-known stories and celebrating the state as a revolutionary place to live, work, and visit today.

Prior to her statewide role, Kate spent nearly 20 years as Executive Director of Destination Salem, guiding one of the country’s most recognized cultural tourism destinations, an experience that continues to shape her leadership at MOTT. She lives in Beverly with her husband Matt and is a proud mom to grown sons George and Nicholas.

Dennis Iodice

Director of Operations at Berkshire Mountain Bakery

Dennis Iodice is the Director of Operations at Berkshire Mountain Bakery, a wholesale and retail sourdough bakery serving a diverse regional market. He brings a multidisciplinary background to his work, having previously built a career in interior design with projects across the country. For the past nine years, Dennis has lived in the Berkshires with his family, where he has become deeply engaged in the local food and business community. At the bakery, he oversees daily operations, sales channels, and process optimization, with a focus on efficiency and sustainable growth.

His perspective bridges craftsmanship and systems thinking, offering practical insight into how emerging technologies like AI can support workforce development and operational resilience in hospitality and tourism. Dennis manages the Great Barrington Farmers’ Market and has a digital marketing consultancy. He also serves on the board of directors for Community Development Corporation South Berkshire and as board president of BerkShares, our local Currency.

Samuel Pascual

Digital Navigator and Digital Equity Advocate, Pittsfield Community Television

Samuel Pascual is a Digital Navigator and Digital Equity Advocate at Pittsfield Community Television, where he works to bridge the digital divide through education and strategic infrastructure. Backed by funding from the Massachusetts Broadband Institute and the AI Hub, Samuel has become a leading voice for AI literacy in Western Massachusetts, delivering specialized training to both the next generation youth entrepreneurs and non-profit leaders.

Samuel’s approach to technology is rooted in ethics, safety and respect for human experience. He champions the use of locally hosted, specialized AI models to ensure community solutions remain secure and contextually relevant. His unique perspective is shaped by his tenure on the Dalton Redevelopment Authority, where he navigated the intricacies of municipal growth and business recruitment. An experienced community organizer, Samuel also co-founded the Berkshire Waterfront Festival, coordinating with regional athletic organizations to transform Pittsfield's Lake Onota into a New England-wide tourism draw.

Today, he joins us to explore how AI can be harnessed as a catalyst for creative tourism, powered by human-centric innovation.

Robert Botto

Bio coming soon.

Matt Mervis

Director of AI Strategy, EdAdvance

Matt Mervis is the Director of AI Strategy at EdAdvance and the creator of "The AI-Powered Hospitality Leader" in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University. As a consultant and instructor, Matt specializes in leveraging AI for routine tasks so teams can focus on high-value guest interactions.

Known for his wit and expert presentation skills, Matt is a sought-after speaker who makes complex technology accessible and actionable for every role in the industry. He balances technical expertise with a commitment to responsible innovation, ensuring that AI enhances rather than replaces the personal connections that make hospitality special.