8:00 AM 

8:30-9:30 AM | Pre-Conference Tours
Bitcoin Mining Center, Snyder

9:45 – 10:00 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast-Sponsored by: SkillCo

10:00 – 10:30 AM | Opening Remarks: “The Big Empty is a Blank Canvas”
Welcome Britt, CEN
Opening Speakers:
Brandon Williamson, SkillCo – Innovating Energy Use for Digital Infrastructure
Chandra Eggemeyer, Gov Office – AI & Data Centers: A Texas Opportunity

10:30 – 11:30 AM | Panel: Reframing the Narrative – Careers in AI & Data Centers (Framing the conversation for the cross-team work time)

11:30 – 12:30 PM | Lunch & Keynote: The Future of Rural Digital Infrastructure. Sponsored by: DCOS

12:30 – 2 PM | Cross-Teams Breakout Sessions
Team Design: Interdisciplinary Collaboration

2:00 – 3:00 PM | Panel: The Role of Apprenticeships & Upskilling in the Big Empty

Panelists:

• Moderator- Allymyr Atrero – CAEL
• CEN Edu-REACH (Brittany Williams) – The Role of RAPs in Training Rural Talent
• Cary Services (JT Cary – HVAC RAP) – How Rural Employers Can Shape Workforce Training
• Joey Cook – DOL Trailblazer Apprentice
• Cisco College (Heather McClure) – Building Higher Ed Partnerships for Growth
• Permian Workforce (Cherie Gallardo)

3:00 – 4:15 PM | Group Discussion & Action Planning

4:15 – 4:30 PM | Closing Remarks & Commitments