Featured Guests
Patricia Panchak
President, Patricia Panchak LLC, Business Journalist & Editorial Consultant
The dictionary defines “manufacturing” as “the making or producing of anything.” This definition equally applies to providing clean hotel rooms, teaching in a classroom, building cars, or even brewing beer. In reality, most of us are manufacturers. Therefore, understanding and adapting the best-practices from traditional manufacturing sectors, provides the greatest gains in productivity and innovation for the rest of us.
As the former editor-in-chief of IndustryWeek, Patricia Panchak is a widely recognized authority on business management and leadership issues. Through extensive research, she provides a window into the best practices of world-class organizations and provides the knowledge companies need to put the challenge of global competition in perspective. An accomplished storyteller and an animated, articulate speaker, Patricia inspires optimism in her audiences by filling her presentations with an abundance of valuable data and successful case studies. Her recent work focuses on the following critical factors that drive innovation and sustainable growth:
The Digital Revolution: Leveraging the Latest Information and Production Technologies
The Innovation Imperative: Sustaining Product and Process Development
Transformational Talent Strategies: Transforming Employees into Entrepreneurs
Patricia is also often called upon to deliver her one-of-a-kind take on the state of U.S., North American, and/or global manufacturing, a thought-provoking review of current economic data, plus a challenge of the manufacturing myths that impede the growth of companies and countries. Patricia’s talks on global strategy explain how successful U.S. companies are surviving—even thriving—in today’s hyper-competitive, fast-changing, low-cost economy.
An engaging and insightful speaker, Panchak draws upon 20+ years of research, interviews and reporting to reveal the innovative strategies and best practices of the world’s top companies. These strategies and best practices will make an immediate impact on any organization--by cutting costs, boosting productivity and increasing profits—and will set your company on a path to strong sustainable growth.
Browse the 2023 Keynote Speakers


Jim Heppelmann
Chief Executive Officer, PTC

Steven Johnson
Bestselling Author & Host of PBS six-part series: How We Got To Now

Alex Honnold
Professional Climber & Environmentalist

Kelly Corrigan
Best-Selling Author, Breast Cancer Survivor, Host of the PBS series Tell Me More

Jimmy Chin
Professional Climber, Skier, Photographer, and Director

Dierks Bentley
Country Star & Double Platinum Album Artist