Project leadership no longer follows a single path — and the future belongs to those who lead with intention.
Join professionals from across industries on how project leaders are evolving from accidental roles into strategic, value-driven leaders. Whether you stumbled onto project management or deliberately built your career on it, this conference will help you sharpen your influence, embrace emerging technologies, and design outcomes that matter.
- About
- Featured Topics
- Call For Proposals
- FAQs
- Sponsorship
- Schedule
Projecting the Future: From Accidental to Intentional Project Leadership
Why Attend?
Today’s project leaders sit at the intersection of strategy, technology, and people. This conference is designed to help you:
- Translate project work into measurable organizational value
- Navigate AI-enabled project environments with confidence and ethics
- Build influence, consensus, and trust—without formal authority
- Explore new tools, immersive technologies, and experiential learning
- Connect with peers across industries, career stages, and disciplines
Whether you manage projects, programs, portfolios — or simply get work done through others — this conference is for you.
Who Should Attend?
- Executives and sponsors seeking better project outcomes
- Accidental and aspiring project managers
- Experienced PMs, PgMs, and portfolio leaders
- Team leads, analysts, and product managers
- Students and early-career professionals
Featured Topics
The Accidental Advantage: Diverse Paths into Project Leadership
Not all project leaders start with a PM title—and that’s a strength.
- Career pivots into project leadership from healthcare, engineering, design, education, government, and more
- Alumni and student panels sharing nontraditional project journeys
- Case studies showing how project management skills translate across industries
The Project Manager as a Value Architect
Shift from delivering outputs to designing outcomes.
- Moving from task completion to value realization
- Project managers as strategic translators between leadership, teams, and stakeholders
- Using data, storytelling, and visualization to align on value
- Designing value across portfolios, programs, and products
Human + AI: The Future of Project Leadership
Discover how people and technology lead better—together.
- What should remain human-led vs. AI-enabled in project management
- AI as a co-pilot, analyst, and decision-support tool
- Human-in-the-loop leadership and ethical AI use
- Preparing project teams for AI-enabled workplaces
Consensus Building, Influence, and Stakeholder Alignment
Lead when authority isn’t guaranteed.
- Practical, real-world consensus-building tactics
- Influencing outcomes without formal authority
- Navigating conflict, competing priorities, and change fatigue
- Building trust and psychological safety on project teams
Tech-Forward and Experiential Project Management
See, touch, and experience the future of project work.
- Digital twins for planning, simulation, and learning
- Immersive technologies (VR/AR) for training and collaboration
- AI-enabled dashboards and decision intelligence
- Hands-on labs, demonstrations, and interactive classrooms
Experiential Learning
Digital twin or simulation visuals
VR or AR training in a professional setting
Interactive workshop or lab environment
Call For Proposals
The 2026 Project Management Innovation Conference Projecting the Future: From Accidental to Intentional Project Leadership
Project leadership no longer follows a single path—and the future belongs to those who lead with intention.
Share your expertise with professionals from across industries for a two-day conference exploring how project leaders are evolving from accidental roles into strategic, value-driven leaders. Whether you stumbled into project management or deliberately built your career, this conference will help you sharpen your influence, embrace emerging technologies, and design outcomes that matter.
Lead projects. Shape value. Project the future.
During this conference, we will explore:
- The Accidental Advantage: Diverse Paths into Project Leadership
- The Project Manager as a Value Architect
- Human + AI: The Future of Project Human-in-the-loop leadership and ethical use of AI
- Consensus Building, Influence, and Stakeholder Alignment
- Tech-Forward and Experiential Project Management
Call for Proposal have closed for 2026.
More information to come.
Experience Sponsorship Opportunities
Networking Reception Sponsor
$2,500
Position your organization at the center of attendee networking and engagement.
Includes:
- One 6′ exhibitor table
- Four (4) conference attendee registration
- Company listing on conference website
- Enhanced post event attendee list including:
- Name
- Title
- Organization
- Email Addresses
- Recognition as a Talent & Recruiting Partner
- Exclusive sponsorship of the Professional Headshot Booth
- Sponsor signage at headshot station
- Recognition in event communications and on-site materials
- Sponsor signage displayed throughout networking reception
- Verbal recognition during reception welcome remarks
- Opportunity to distribute promotional materials during reception
Professional Headshot Sponsor
$2,000
A highly visible opportunity that delivers value to every attendee.
Includes:
- One 6′ exhibitor table
- Two (2) conference attendee registration
- Company listing on conference website
- Enhanced post event attendee list including:
- Name
- Title
- Organization
- Email Addresses
- Recognition as a Talent & Recruiting Partner
- Exclusive sponsorship of the Professional Headshot Booth
- Sponsor signage at headshot station
- Recognition in event communications and on-site materials
Exhibitor Opportunities
Talent Access Exhibitor Package
$1,500
Ideal for organizations actively hiring project managers, business analysts, program managers, and related professionals.
Includes:
- One 6′ exhibitor table
- Two (2) conference attendee registration
- Company listing on conference website
- Enhanced post event attendee list including:
- Name
- Title
- Organization
- Email Addresses
- Recognition as a Talent & Recruiting Partner
Enhanced Exhibitor Package
$1,000
Ideal for organizations seeking additional networking opportunities and visibility.
Includes:
- One 6′ exhibitor table
- Two (2) conference attendee registration
- Company listing on conference website
- Post event attendee list including:
- Name
- Title
- Organization
Exhibitor Package
$500
Ideal for organizations looking to establish a presence and connect with attendees.
Includes:
- One 6′ exhibitor table
- One (1) conference attendee registration
- Company listing on conference website
Why Sponsor PMIC?
PMIC attendees include:
- Project Managers
- Program Managers
- Business Analysts
- PMO Leaders
- Organizational Change Professionals
- Technology Leaders
- Government Professionals
- Students and Emerging Talent
Benefits of participation:
- Increase brand visibility
- Build relationships with regional employers and professionals
- Connect with emerging and experienced talent
- Support workforce development and professional growth
- Demonstrate thought leadership within the project management community
For sponsorship information, contact:
Scott Misal, Executive Director, Career Services & Professional Development at smisal@harrisburgu.edu or 717.860.7921
| 8:00 am | Check-In – 1st Floor | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:40 am | Welcome & Opening Remarks | |||
| 9:00 am – 10:15 am | KEYNOTE SPEAKER “Human-Centered” Foundation Danielle Roberts, Anti-Career Coach®, Danielle Roberts Co. |
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| 10:15 am – 10:30 am (15 mins) | Break | |||
| Time | Track 1 The Accidental Advantage: Diverse Paths into Project Leadership |
Track 2 The Project Manager as a Value Architect |
Track 3 Human + AI: The Future of Project Leadership |
Track 4 Consensus Building, Influence, and Stakeholder Alignment |
| 10:30 am – 11:30 am | Artificial Intelligence Risk Management For Enhancing Regulatory Compliance in Pharmaceutical and Life Science Industry
Krurarth Patel |
From Triumph to Tragedy: The Tay Bridge Story Every Project Leadrer Should Know
Jim Benvie, PMP |
From Curious to Capable: How Flexible AI Thinking Transforms Project Managers into Value Architects
Rahcyne Omatete, MBA, MPH, PMP |
Strategies to build trust, credibility, and lead federal contracts as a PM with no formal “power”
Jaime Berten, MBA, MA, PMP |
| 11:30 am – 11:45 am (15 mins) | Break | |||
| 11:45 am – 12:45 pm | Observations for the future of project management: The case for intentional (and unintentional) career pivots
Jensen Chiu, MHA, CBC, SCPM |
From Delivery to Durability
Michael Sage |
NeuroAdvantage: AI as an Exoskeleton to Enhance the Skills of Neurodivergent Professionals in Project Management
Leticia Clemente |
Strategic Value Creation – Where Biomedical Device Business and Artificial Intelligence Meet Project Management
Dr. Leena Pattarkine |
| 12:45 pm – 2:00 pm | LUNCH / LUNCHTIME PANEL SESSION Panel Discussion: Beyond the Schedule: Managing Pressure, Burnout, and the Human Side of Project Leadership Facilitated by: Dr. John Clark Panelists: James Baity, Web Project Manager, Carlisle Construction Sarah Dyson, MS, PhD, Full-Time Faculty, Project Management, Harrisburg University Kristin Lovett, MA, FACHDM, ACSPO®, Director of Population Health Applications, Capital Blue Cross |
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| 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | The Accidental Project Manager
Charles Black, MS |
From Theory to Prototype: Explainable AI for Transparent Portfolio Prioritization
Fabricio Costa, MBA, MSc, PMP |
PM Don’t Just Manage the Tasks. Lead the Thinking in an AI World
Priyanka Gowda |
WE Matter – People-Centered Leadership & Alignment Beyond Frameworks
Matthew Christen, |
| 3:00 pm – 3:15 pm (15 mins) | Break | |||
| 3:15 pm – 4:15 pm | Turning Conflict into Collaboration: Practical Strategies for Improving Project Outcomes
Hassan Niaz, MS Project Management, MS Mechanical Engineering, EIT |
Human Intelligence, Amplified: Redefining Project Leadership with AI
Samant Kumar |
“The Augmented PM” – Leveraging AI, While Still Being Human
Myles Miller, PhD, MBA, MCSE, PMP, PPS |
Chefs as accidental leaders: Learning people skills on the fly
Brynne Thomas |
Platinum
