AI4 Infrastructure Workforce Forum
AI 4 Infrastructure (AI4I) Workforce Forum
Where Colorado’s infrastructure leaders, innovators, and next-generation workforce meet AI head-on.
September 16, 2026 | Jake Jabs Event Center, CU Denver
The Infrastructure Workforce Is Changing. Be in the Room Where It’s Being Shaped.
AI is already reshaping how infrastructure gets planned, built, and maintained — and it’s rewriting what the workforce behind it needs to look like. The AI4I Workforce Forum brings together 100+ leaders from industry, government, and academia for one day of candid conversation, real solutions, and direct access to the people building what’s next.
This isn’t a vendor showcase or an academic exercise. It’s a working session for the people who have to actually solve this: infrastructure owners staring down workforce gaps, contractors and technology companies building the tools, and the students who will be our future workforce.
Sponsored by CU Denver, Colorado Smart Cities Alliance and WSB with partners Colorado State University, Trimble, and HDR.
Why Industry and Government Leaders Should Be There
You’re facing the workforce question from both ends — recruiting and retaining skilled talent while figuring out where AI actually fits into your infrastructure strategy. AI4I is built around that exact tension:
- Hear directly from infrastructure owners on the workforce challenges they’re navigating right now, and where they see the biggest opportunities ahead.
- Socialize your AI 4 Infrastructure ideas by applying to present in our Lightning Talks before August 14th!
- See winning AI4I solutions built by student teams as part of a statewide competition
- Compare notes with peer agencies and infrastructure owners on what’s actually working and what’s not
- Hear how industry partners are thinking about AI-driven workforce strategy — and what that means for public-sector partnerships
- Connect with the emerging talent pipeline coming out of Colorado’s universities
For Students: Your Work, In Front of the People Who Hire
Six finalist teams from the AI4I Challenge Student Competition will pitch AI-driven infrastructure solutions they’ve built — to real industry problems, in front of the people who could hire them next. Interested? Sign up here by September 3rd to compete.
Agenda at a Glance
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Arrival & Coffee |
| 9:30 AM | Welcoming Remarks — CU Denver + CSCA |
| 9:40 AM | Future Workforce Keynote — Jon Chiglo, COO, WSB |
| 10:00 AM | Owner Perspective Panel — Infrastructure owners on workforce challenges and opportunities |
| 10:45 AM | Break |
| 11:00 AM | AI4I Challenge Student Competition — 6 finalist teams pitch AI infrastructure solutions |
| 12:15 PM | Lunch & Tabletop Discussion |
| 1:00 PM | Solution Lightning Talks — 5-minute talks from infrastructure owners, academia, and industry |
| 2:00 PM | Industry Perspective Panel — Contractors and technology companies on current and future workforce needs |
| 2:45 PM | Networking Reception |
| 4:00 PM | Closing |
Reserve Your Seat
Spots are limited to keep the conversation working-session sized, not conference sized.
📍 Jake Jabs Event Center, CU Denver 📅 September 16, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
