AI Summits 2026

Dennis Iodice: ChatGPT for market research

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: NotebookLM for personal RAG

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.

Stacey Schultze

Stacey leverages her strategic drive, creative processes, and intuitive leadership skills to promote collaboration across sectors. As a strategy, education, and research consultant, she supports nonprofits through data gathering, analysis, synthesis, and application of findings that connect proficient project management with goal realization. Always a lifelong learner, Stacey is currently developing a platform using Claude Code to help nonprofit organizations live their missions and achieve their goals with ease and efficiency.

As an experienced educator, she seeks to highlight others’ talents and promote their personal and professional growth. In her roles in higher education, Stacey has applied andragogical best practices to her collegiate course instruction, design, writing, and delivery. Her research centers on leadership and professional practices concerning collective efficacy, perceived insider status, job satisfaction, partnership trust, adult education, and lifelong learning. Her artistic practice as a non-objective abstract painter centers on creating shared meaning through memory recall mediated through the art object. She has curated several exhibitions along nature trails and in gallery settings.