TechFest Program
As a first-of-its-kind event in New Mexico, TechFest is co-built by a collaborative of 12 tech organizations across the state. This year's core event spans three venues across the Innovation District in Downtown Albuquerque.
See full agendaWhy build as a collaborative?
New Mexico is a uniquely majority-minority state, and by bringing together diverse perspectives and backgrounds, we can create programming that is more inclusive and serves the whole community. This proprietary way to build tech programming started with TechFest 2024, where Techqueria NM and Google Developer Group Albuquerque co-built the first TechFest.
TECHFEST 2026 PROGRAM
Tech programming by and for the New Mexican tech community.
Tech Access
Date: 10/29 @ Main Library
Get tech job support and learn about DE&I in tech.
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Software & AI
Date: 10/29 @ WESST
Learn about + get hands-on training in software and AI.
Climate & Advanced Energy
Date: 10/30 @ Main Library
Unlock the latest in the climate and energy industry in NM.
Entrepreneurship in New Mexico
Date: 10/30 @ Builders VC
Learn about how to start and grow a business in NM.
Tech Access
10/29 · Main LibraryGet tech job support and learn about DE&I in tech.
Software & AI
10/29 · WESSTLearn about + get hands-on training in software and AI.
Climate & Advanced Energy
10/30 · Main LibraryUnlock the latest in the climate and energy industry in NM.
Entrepreneurship in New Mexico
10/30 · Builders VCLearn about how to start and grow a business in NM.
Community Stage
Programming by guest organizations, selected by a community organizing committee within NM Tech Talks.
Date: 10/29
@ Builders VC
Date: 10/30
@ WESST
Applications now closed for the 2026 event. Stay tuned for 2027.
Full Agenda
Browse every session across all tracks, filter by track or venue, and search for a speaker or topic.
Track
Location
Doors Open, Check-In & Breakfast
Opening Keynote: From Vibe-Coded to Trusted: One Agent Through Build, Scale, Govern and Optimize on Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform
Jonathan Zhuo, Google Developer Expert (GDE) | Sr. Director at Capgemini
Building an agent is easy now. Trusting it is the hard part. Follow a real-world AI agent through four stages of the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform: Build, Scale, Govern, and Optimize. Explore how Google Cloud's Model Armor protects AI agents, how human oversight improves safety, and how testing and monitoring help create more trustworthy AI systems. Based on a real project with practical results, lessons learned, and live demonstrations.
Welcome to the Community Stage
Dr. Seethambal (Sita) Mani, Retired, Sandia National Laboratories
Establishing New Mexico's "Minimum Digital Living Standard"
Jennifer Nevarez and Jeff Lopez, New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE)
What's Your Knowledge Tax? Designing AI Intelligence Layers for Your Data
Jesus "Chuy" Ortega, CEO & Co-Founder, Dash2Labs
Tech as Infrastructure
Jeff Lopez, New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE)
Pattern Recognition for Extreme Environments/Climate Resilience
Vanessa Valore, Sandbox Life
Workshop: Beyond the Prompt: Building Scalable Web Applications with AI Governance
Matthew Christiansen, Google Developer Expert (GDE) | Founder and former CEO/CTO of Bright Bridge
Featuring a Hands-on Coding Jam: Build a Resume Optimization App with Angular + Gemma. Participants will get hands-on with Angular and Gemma to build a working resume optimization app. Bring your laptop and come ready to code!
Laptop required
Networking & Snacks
Next Frontier: New Mexico
Nora Meyers Sackett, Director, New Mexico Technology & Innovation Office
How New Mexico is fueling the next frontiers of advanced technology and innovation.
Digital Inclusion
Bo Ford (New Mexico State Library) and Catherine Nicolaou (City of Albuquerque)
Future Opportunities
Aida Roberts, VP of Operations, AREA
An overview of emerging industries, company expansions, and technology licensing and commercialization wins.
The Road to ADA Compliance is Paved with Tech: Putting Relationships Back into Relational Databases
Shatriece Lewis, Jan's Dreams
You Cannot Audit a Black Box: Making AI Accountability Real for the People Who Build and Use It
Tricia Diamond, Diamond PMO Consultants
AI Deepfakes & Digital DNA
McKenzie LaCroix, Hu-GPT
Lunch & Learn: Nobody Needs Software Developers Anymore
Marty Bonacci, Founder, Claude Code ABQ | Instructor, CNMI Deep Dive Coding
Grab your lunch and join us for a Lunch & Learn with Marty Bonacci, Founder of Claude Code ABQ and Instructor at CNMI Deep Dive Coding.
Tech Training Programs
Jesse Andrade (GoodWill NM), Kathy Steen (NewSpace Nexus), Garett “G” Watts (AFRL Scholars Program), Sara Boisvert (New Collar Network), Edward “EJ” Ishman (CNM Ingenuity), Philip Lister (Dean of MSE @ CNM)
Join a panel featuring educators, bootcamps, and apprenticeship programs focused on real time workforce training and upskilling.
Beyond RAG: The Future of AI Data Platforms
Carter Gache, Chief Engineer, Legaché
Why I Built a Quantum Tech Company in Santa Fe — and Why New Mexico Is Deep Tech's Best-Kept Secret
Stephen Buchanan, Bandelier Technologies
One User Works, a Thousand Don't: Scaling AI Products on Google Cloud
Kiruthika Subramani, Google Developer Expert (GDE) | Data Scientist, Bell Canada
Introduction to Quantinuum
Denise Holmquist, Quantinuum
Unique Career Paths
Ashley Richardson-Sequeira, John Hernandez, Joe Cotton (LANL), Arianne Palmer (Mantis Space)
Join a panel of professionals sharing nontraditional paths into tech, career pivots, and how curiosity shaped their growth.
When AI Is Wrong, How Do You Prove It?
Yen Kha, GammaLex AI Inc
The Future of AI and Cinema
Curt Doty, Founder & President, CurtDoty.co
Free Assistance for Startup Companies
Jessica Moore, Sandia National Labs
Founders Go-to-Market Playbook for the Age of AI Noise
Jackie Gutierrez, Bot Boundaries
Career Launchpad
Leah Pelletier, CAI
Discover actionable strategies into New Mexico's tech-driven market.
Your AI Remembers. But Can Your Knowledge Travel?
Randy P. Asselin, CEO, Wisdom Recall
Ideation to Impact
Wesley Espinoza, InnovaOps
Building Reliable AI: From Inference to Real-World Applications
Andrew Romero, Principal/Owner, InferenceFrame
Resumé Feedback Tables
Mentors: Monica Sandoval-Johnson (CEO, STEM Boomerang), Joshua Rivera (Principal Consultant, RESPEC), Stefanie Scanland (Talent Acquisition Coordinator, STEM Boomerang), Jett Metcalf (Lead Recruiter, Pacific Fusion), Leah Pelletier (Regional Program Manager, CAI), Jeff Maholtz (Program Manager, RESPEC), Kayla Mortensen (Program Manager, Indeed), Sue Anne Athens (CIO, NM Dept of Workforce Solutions)
Get 1:1 resumé feedback from a lineup of recruiters and talent leaders from across New Mexico's tech industry.
Beyond the Headset: Building Immersive Learning for the AI Era
Melinda Cuilty, DHE
Engineer by Day, Founder by Night
Isaac Garcia, NOBU Lock
Building an AI Robot with Gemma 3: Running AI Locally on Google Coral
Matthew Christiansen, Google Developer Expert (GDE) | Founder and former CEO/CTO of Bright Bridge
Overview of the New Mexico Geothermal Ecosystem
Jean-Lucien Fonquergne, New Mexico Tech
Innovation District
The core TechFest programming will span three venues across the Innovation District. The maximum walking distance will be 20 minutes from WESST Enterprise Center to the Albuquerque Main Library. We recommend taking a rideshare to the event, and either walking, scooting, or biking from venue to venue.
By building a program across venues, we are also bringing community awareness to the businesses and vendors across this district.
Click a pin for venue details · Max 20 min walk between venues
Food discounts
Show your TechFest badge at these local spots for a discount during the event.
Show your TechFest badge for 10% off any order at all 505 Food Hall vendors, valid October 29–30.
Show your TechFest badge for 10% off any drink at Michael Thomas Coffee's Wells Park or Silver location.
Show your TechFest badge at the counter, October 29–30, for a free can soda or small bottle water with any breakfast burrito or lunch item, or a $2 16oz hot or iced latte (vanilla, caramel, or hazelnut).
1 Civic Plaza NW, 1st Floor of City Hall · Mon–Fri, 7:30 AM–3:00 PM · in-person counter orders only.