IOT Grand SLAM 2025 WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS
Session Abstract:
The IoT Grand Slam 2025 opens with a forward-looking executive briefing designed to set the narrative for a landmark year in the evolution of IoT, Edge, AI, and the emerging GenAIoT™ ecosystem. In this keynote welcome, the IoT Community leadership team will frame the major technology, business, and societal shifts shaping the global connected world as we enter 2026.
This opening session will spotlight the convergence of intelligent edge systems, real-time data fabrics, AI-driven automation, and secure, resilient digital infrastructure — and what these advancements mean for enterprises scaling IoT in complex, distributed environments. We will share insights drawn from our Centers of Excellence, industry partners, and community contributors across manufacturing, healthcare, telecoms, energy, mobility, smart infrastructure, and emerging AI-native sectors.
Attendees will hear updates on the IoT Community’s growth, new initiatives, CoE programs, member contributions, and the continued expansion of GenAIoT™ as a defining paradigm for the next generation of connected intelligence. We will also preview the agenda, highlight key panels and speakers, and outline the themes that will anchor this year’s discussions, including:
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Autonomous intelligence at the edge
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Responsible AI and secure-by-design architectures
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Industry 4.0 acceleration and digital operations modernization
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The shifting economics of IoT platforms, sensors, and networks
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The expanding role of data governance, privacy, and trust
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Opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and ecosystem partnerships
The Welcome & Opening Remarks will set the strategic tone for the day — energizing participants, contextualizing the technology landscape, and positioning the IoT Grand Slam as the premier gathering for practitioners, leaders, and innovators shaping the future of IoT and AI-powered transformation.
Join us as we open the IoT Grand Slam 2025 and step into a new era of intelligent, connected, and autonomous systems.
Speakers:
Kevin Grant is the CMO and a co-founder of the Internet of Things Community – IoT Community. He is an emerging and disruptive technology industry specialist, whose passion is to elevate brands, open new markets, enhance loyalty, improve business effectiveness, and motivate high performing teams. For over 8 years, Kevin has been the driving force of the IoT Community evolution, growth and continued success. He is a highly connected and seasoned IoT, cloud and next gen b2b executive. Prior to co-founding IoT Community Kevin spearheaded several clouds computing efforts, including running and managing global cloud communities. His specialties Include: Creating business collaborations on a global scale, Cultivating Thought leadership advocating IoT (Internet of Things), aligning Corporate Strategy, Integrated Marketing, Branding & Communications, Demand Generation Initiatives, Research & Intelligence.
Dr. Tom Bradicich, Chairman of the IoT Community Board of Advisors, began his career at IBM, where he was an IBM Fellow, R&D VP, Distinguish Engineer, and Server CTO. At National Instruments, an Operational Technologies (OT) company, he served as an NI Fellow and company officer, pioneering Big Analog Data™ solutions. While at HP and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Tom held various roles including R&D VP, HPE Fellow, Global Head of Edge & IoT Software Labs, and General Manager, As GM, he lead the global business unit, Servers and Edge Systems and Software, with P&L, worldwide sales, R&D, and customer experience ownership. Opening three global Innovation Labs, and exceeding salsas quotes by achieving revenue growth of over $250M, Tom’s business unit was the fastest growing in HPE. Tom and his team developed and launched dozens of systems and software products, such as advanced as-a-Service (aaS) software for cloud managed remote infrastructure, edge-as-a-service, and converged IT/Operational Technologies (OT). And the creation of several new product categories such as notebook computers, smartphones (IBM Simon™), Converged Systems (IBM BladeCenter™), Converged Edge Systems & Sofware (HPE Edgeline™), and OT and edge management software and platforms (HPE OTLink). Tom’s teams designed and launched the first 64 bit enterprise ARM server, the first x86 server with on-chip graphics, and IBM’s first prototype notebook computer. He incepted and directed the HPE Channel-to-Edge Institute partner program, and led company-wide strategies and venture/M&A assessments, and led HPE’s first corporate IoT & edge strategy.