Hosted by
StarbridgeMeet innovative government & education leaders making AI work for the public.
Where AI-forward public- and private-sector leaders gather.
New York,
July 20-21st 2027
Registration
Be the first to know when tickets are released.
Join the most innovative government leaders, educators, companies, and investors
Join 500+ city managers, superintendents, CIOs, founders, revenue leaders, and investors, from around the U.S.
Who attends
Industry & attendee breakdown
Meet mayors, CIOs, presidents, provosts and superintendents, alongside the private-sector leaders building the fastest-moving AI companies.
2026 Sponsors
Trusted by the world's leading gov & edtech companies
Sponsorships here won't feel like sponsorships: they'll feel like the reason people came. That's what we're building.
Get live feedback from industry leaders. Grow your brand. And reach the right audience.
2026 Speakers
The biggest public sector names are speaking at BRIDGES
Public-sector leaders
Public-sector leader
Higher education
Dr. Justin H. Lonon
Chancellor, Dallas College
Public-sector leader
K-12
Dewayne McClary
Deputy State Superintendent,
Virginia Department of Education
Public-sector leader
K-12
Dr. Patrick Gittisriboongul Ed.D
Superintendent, Lynwood
Public-sector leader
K-12
Kris Hagel
CIO, Peninsula School District
Public-sector leader
Higher education
Carrie Pitts-Densmore
VP Enrollment, Johnston Community College
Public-sector leader
K-12
Wes Kriesel
AI Education Lead,
Orange County
Public-sector leader
Government
Viggo Forde
CIO, Snohomish County
Public-sector leader
K-12
Daniel Friedman
Director of Technology, Hicksville
Public-sector leader
Government
Andrew Ngui
Chief Digital Officer, Kansas City
Public-sector leader
Government
Jesse Marks
Director of Operations & Cabinet Affairs, Colorado
Public-sector leader
K-12
Chris Bell
Exec Director Technology, Huntington Beach
Public-sector leader
Higher education
Dr. Sadique Isahaku
Vice Provost, Milwaukee Area Technical College
Public-sector leader
K-12
Dr. Kip Glazer
Principal, Mountain View High School
Public-sector leader
Government
Dr. Peter Pirnejad
Director, Davenport Institute
Public-sector leader
Government
Steven Carter
City Manager, Portsmouth
Public-sector leader
K-12
Roberto Vargas
Managing Director of IT, Distinctive Schools
Enterprise CEOs
Enterprise CEO
Higher Ed
John Katzman
CEO, Noodle
Enterprise CEO
K-12
Adeel Khan
Founder & CEO, MagicSchool
Enterprise CEO
Government
Tom Spengler
CEO, SOVRA
Enterprise CEO
Government
Zac Bookman
CEO, OpenGov
Enterprise CEO
Government
Dustin Haisler
CAIO, Darwin AI
Enterprise CEO
Government
Erica Olsen
CEO, Madison AI
Enterprise CEO
Government
Anthony Jamison
CEO, CivStart
Enterprise CEO
Government
Shannon Beckham
CEO, Chief AI
Enterprise CEO
K-12
Jacob Kantor
CEO, JK K12
Investors & Associations
Investor
Government
Rachel Stern
Founder, GovTech Ventures
Investor
Higher education + K-12
Amit Patel
Founder, Owl Ventures
Investor
Government
Harrison Marks
Principal, Commonweal Ventures
Public-sector leader
K-12
Jenn Womble
Chair, FETC
2026 Agenda
Location & travel
Location
BRIDGES will take place at Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers on Manhattan’s west side overlooking the Hudson River.
Pier Sixty VenueHotel & travel
We recommend staying in Hudson Yards, Chelsea, or the Meatpacking District - all within a short ride of the venue.
Things to do
Walk the High Line, visit Hudson Yards, or grab dinner in the West Village - all minutes from the venue. The perfect spots for post-conference meetups!
ON THE WATERFRONT
- The High Line — elevated park a few blocks east of Chelsea Piers. Easy to hop on near Chelsea Piers and walk south toward Chelsea Market. Gansevoort St to W 34th St — thehighline.org
- Little Island — floating park on sculptural piers over the Hudson, just south of Chelsea Piers. Free entry, skyline and river views, occasional performances. Pier 55, W 13th St & the Hudson River — littleisland.org
- City Winery — Pier 57, a short walk south. Winery, restaurant, and live-music venue. 25 11th Ave — citywinery.com/nyc
MUSEUMS & CULTURE
- Whitney Museum of American Art — sits at the southern end of the High Line (~15–20 min walk). Strong contemporary American collection plus a rooftop view of the Hudson. 99 Gansevoort St — whitney.org
- Chelsea Gallery District — W 18th–28th St, betw. 10th & 11th Ave — chelseagallerymap.com
- Other NYC Museums — includes The Met, MoMA, American Museum of Natural History, and 9/11 Memorial & Museum. metmuseum.orgmoma.orgamnh.org911memorial.org
- Jazz Clubs — includes Village Vanguard, Blue Note, and The Django at the Roxy Hotel in Tribeca. villagevanguard.combluenotejazz.com/nycthedjangonyc.com
FOOD & MARKETS
- Chelsea Market — dozens of vendors — good for a casual lunch or grab-and-go. 75 9th Ave (~10–15 min walk) — chelseamarket.com
- The Standard Biergarten — open-air beer garden by the Whitney/High Line — sausages, pretzels, beer, and ping-pong year-round. 848 Washington St — standardhotels.com
☕ COFFEE:
- Urbana Cafe & Gallery
- Bluestone Lane (directly on the Piers)
- Fellini Coffee
- Bird & Branch
🥪 LUNCH:
- Chelsea Market (so many options)
- Pier 57
- Som Bo (the team's go-to lunch order)
🍽️ DINNER:
- Cookshop
- Hav & Mar
- Cucina Alba
- Konban Chelsea
NEARBY EXTRAS
- Edge / Hudson Yards — observation deck with the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere (~20 min walk or a quick cab). 30 Hudson Yards — edgenyc.com
- Meatpacking District — high-end shopping, bars, and restaurants clustered right by the Whitney Museum and Little Island. Btw. Gansevoort & W 15th St — meatpacking-district.com
- West Village, Greenwich Village, SoHo — tree-lined streets, shopping, and restaurants.
GETTING AROUND
On foot: Chelsea Piers (Pier 60) — W 23rd St & the Hudson River, along the Westside Highway pathway.
Rideshare / taxi: Uber/Lyft and metered yellow cabs are available at Chelsea Piers.
Citi Bike: Bike docks are available right outside Chelsea Piers.
Subway: Nearest station is at 23rd Street (C/E Line), about a 15-minute walk east along 23rd Street.
On foot: Chelsea Piers (Pier 60) — W 23rd St & the Hudson River, along the Westside Highway pathway.
Rideshare / taxi: Uber/Lyft and metered yellow cabs are available at Chelsea Piers.
Citi Bike: Bike docks are available right outside Chelsea Piers.
Subway: Nearest station is at 23rd Street (C/E Line), about a 15-minute walk east along 23rd Street.
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FAQ
Any questions?
We got you.
We got you.
Still have questions, contact us at
events@starbridge.aiWhat is BRIDGES?
BRIDGES is a conference for AI-forward public- and private-sector leaders. Hosted by Starbridge, it brings together government officials, education administrators, enterprise executives, and investors for two days of programming centered on real-world AI adoption in the public sector.
The conference is built around one core premise: the most important conversations about AI in government and education aren’t happening between technologists, they’re happening between the people responsible for actually implementing it. BRIDGES creates the room for those conversations.
The conference is built around one core premise: the most important conversations about AI in government and education aren’t happening between technologists, they’re happening between the people responsible for actually implementing it. BRIDGES creates the room for those conversations.
How do I register for the conference and what is included in the registration fee?
Register for the conference via the ''Save Your Spot' button at the top right of the page. The registration fee includes full access to two-days of collaborative workshops.
Who should attend BRIDGES?
BRIDGES is designed for government leaders: City and county admins, mayors, CIOs; K-12 leaders: superintendents, CTOs, CIOs; and higher ed leaders: chancellors, presidents, provosts and CIOs.
Alongside private sector CEOs/founders building for the public sector.
Alongside private sector CEOs/founders building for the public sector.
Who puts on BRIDGES?
BRIDGES is hosted by Starbridge, an AI platform built for public-sector teams with a mission to make it easier for businesses to engage with the public sector. BRIDGES is an extension of that mission, a convening of the leaders who are doing this work in the real world.
How big will BRIDGES be?
We’re targeting 1,000+ attendees across three verticals: state and local government, k-12, and higher ed. The goal is to have a 50/50 split within each vertical between public and private sector leaders.
I'm a revenue leader. Is BRIDGES for me?
100%. The corporate attendee experience at BRIDGES is specifically designed to be high-value:
The “Meet Your AI Match” program gives vendors and solution providers structured, vetted access to public-sector leaders who are actively evaluating tools.
Instead of having endless panels/presentations, the majority of our agenda will be centered on workshops and roundtables, all opportunities to engage in authentic conversations.
Founders get unfiltered feedback from the buyers they’re trying to reach and the chance to position their work in front of a highly qualified audience.
In addition, Starbridge will be hosting exclusive GTM insider sessions.
The Corporate pass is priced accordingly and includes full access to all two days of programming.
The “Meet Your AI Match” program gives vendors and solution providers structured, vetted access to public-sector leaders who are actively evaluating tools.
Instead of having endless panels/presentations, the majority of our agenda will be centered on workshops and roundtables, all opportunities to engage in authentic conversations.
Founders get unfiltered feedback from the buyers they’re trying to reach and the chance to position their work in front of a highly qualified audience.
In addition, Starbridge will be hosting exclusive GTM insider sessions.
The Corporate pass is priced accordingly and includes full access to all two days of programming.