BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Minnestar - ECPv6.14.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://minnestar.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Minnestar
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:-05:00
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=-05:00:20260402T180000
DTEND;TZID=-05:00:20260402T200000
DTSTAMP:20260415T091419
CREATED:20260316T212221Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260330T212216Z
UID:10000157-1775152800-1775160000@minnestar.org
SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: The Next AI Builders Are Already Here
DESCRIPTION:**Overview**\nOrganizations frequently discuss the skills they want from entry level AI talent. Far less often do we ask students what they are already building. \nThis panel shifts the focus from employer expectations to student reality. Moderated by [Jena Zangs](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenaz/)\, Chief Data and AI Officer at the University of St. Thomas\, the session features graduate and undergraduate students actively working with AI across disciplines. \nPanelists will share how they are using AI in coursework\, research\, internships\, entrepreneurship\, and personal projects. They will discuss what tools they rely on\, how they are learning beyond the classroom\, and how they view the evolving expectations of entry level roles. \nThis conversation offers Applied AI leaders a rare opportunity to hear directly from emerging AI builders and to better understand how student capabilities are developing in real time. \n**Agenda**\n6:00pm – 6:30pm: Networking – food & drinks\n6:30pm – 8:00pm: Presentation & discussion\n8:00pm: Networking at [Lake Monster Brewing](https://www.lakemonsterbrewing.com/) \n**Meet Our Featured Speakers**\n**Esse Komlanvi: Graduate Student**\n[Esse Komlanvi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/essekom/?locale=en_US) is an AI and business analytics professional building technology that expands opportunity in underserved communities. As a Graduate student at the University of St. Thomas she founded Nuse\, a voice-first AI platform designed to help women entrepreneurs in emerging economies manage their businesses\, access financial education\, and unlock funding. With a background in IT consulting\, data analytics\, and digital transformation\, Esse focuses on making artificial intelligence practical\, inclusive\, and human-centered. Her work sits at the intersection of AI\, financial inclusion\, and women’s economic empowerment. She is passionate about ensuring that AI is not only innovative\, but also equitable and accessible to those who are often left out of traditional tech systems. \n**Arthur Kennedy: Graduate Student**\n[Arthur A. Kennedy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurakennedy/) is a Master’s candidate in Artificial Intelligence at the University of St. Thomas\, where he builds applied AI solutions and collaborates on real-world projects across data analytics and machine learning. After completing his undergraduate degree in computer science\, Arthur chose the AI program to deepen his technical expertise and move beyond using tools to understand and develop intelligent systems. He has worked with proprietary datasets\, trained and fine-tuned models in specialized domains\, and contributed to campus hackathons and AI community events that connect industry challenges with student builders. Arthur is passionate about expanding what it means to be an AI practitioner and empowering his peers to translate academic learning into practical impact. \n**Jena (moderator): Chief Data& AI Officer**\n[Jena Zangs](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenaz/) is the first Chief Data & AI Officer at any higher ed institution in Minnesota\, she specializes in moving organizations beyond AI hype into production-ready\, governed\, and scalable systems. She leads enterprise AI strategy\, modern data platforms\, and applied innovation spanning infrastructure\, AI\, and machine learning\, with a focus on trust. Her work has been recognized with an AWS Education Champion Award and a Top 50 Data & Analytics Team honor. A Lovable Global Buildathon Winner\, Jena brings a builder’s mindset to every engagement\, bridging executive strategy with hands-on implementation. \n**Sponsors**\nThis event is sponsored by [Lab651](https://lab651.com/) & [Recursive Awesome](https://recursiveawesome.com/)
URL:https://minnestar.org/calendar2/panel-discussion-the-next-ai-builders-are-already-here/
LOCATION:Lab651\, 550 Vandalia St #231\, St Paul\, MN\, 55114\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://minnestar.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1024x576-1BaBDY.jpg
GEO:44.957947;-93.19087
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Lab651 550 Vandalia St #231 St Paul MN 55114 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=550 Vandalia St #231:geo:-93.19087,44.957947
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR