Collaboration will bring AI-focused STEM Talk and hands-on bootcamps to college students and professionals in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — August 14, 2026 — Great Minds in STEM (GMiS) today announced a new strategic partnership with Conectado to bring cutting-edge artificial intelligence programming and hands-on learning opportunities to the 38th Annual GMiS Conference, taking place September 17–19, 2026, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The collaboration will provide GMiS Conference attendees with opportunities to explore the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in education, the workplace, and everyday life. Conectado, an organization at the forefront of accelerating access to opportunities in immersive technologies and AI, will deliver a series of programs designed to help participants better understand, engage with, and prepare for an increasingly AI-driven future.
Conectado’s participation will complement the GMiS Conference’s established portfolio of professional development, technical education, networking, recruiting, competition, and recognition programs. It will also augment the A.I. and quantum computing programming championed by its co-location partners CAHSI and STARS Computing Core, and sessions by longtime sponsors Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
“Artificial intelligence is already reshaping the skills our students need, the careers they will pursue, and the way all of us will work,” said Peter Mellado, Executive Director of Great Minds in STEM. “Our responsibility is to make sure the students and professionals we serve are not watching that transformation from the sidelines. This partnership with Conectado allows us to put practical AI knowledge, tools, and experiences directly into their hands.”
As part of the partnership, Conectado CEO Guillermo Diaz Jr. will lead a one-hour STEM Talk focused on artificial intelligence and related emerging technologies. “With his unique background as both a former executive at Cisco Systems, one of Silicon Valley’s foundational technology companies, and a visionary who founded Conectado to expand AI readiness at the dawn of this next technological revolution, Guillermo is ideally positioned to address our conference,” Mellado adds. “Like few of his peers, he can provide the kind of insight, perspective, and analysis our attendees need to better understand—and navigate—this pivotal moment of technological transformation.”
Conectado will also deliver two customized, two-hour AI Bootcamp sessions, each accommodating up to 120 GMiS Conference participants. The interactive sessions will provide attendees with a deeper, hands-on opportunity to engage with Conectado’s AI curriculum and explore the practical applications of emerging technologies.
The partnership reflects GMiS’ broader effort to ensure its annual conference evolves alongside the rapidly changing STEM landscape. As artificial intelligence transforms industries, academic disciplines, and traditional career pathways, GMiS is expanding opportunities for students and young professionals to develop the technical knowledge, adaptability, and confidence necessary to navigate that change.
“For nearly four decades, GMiS has worked to connect talented students with the people, organizations, skills, and opportunities that can change the trajectory of their careers,” Mellado added. “AI represents one of the most significant technological shifts of our time. By working with partners like Conectado, we can help ensure our community is prepared not simply to adapt to that future, but to help shape it.”
Visit www.gmisconference.com to register today!
About Great Minds in STEM
Since 1989, Great Minds in STEM (GMiS) has worked to inspire and empower students and professionals to pursue and succeed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Through scholarships, educational programs, professional development, recognition programs, and its annual GMiS Conference, the organization connects students and professionals with opportunities across the STEM ecosystem while advancing its vision of “STEM for All.”
About Conectado
Conectado is at the forefront of accelerating access to opportunities in immersive technologies and artificial intelligence that are transforming how we learn, work, and play. Through innovative programming and educational experiences, Conectado works to connect individuals and communities with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities emerging from the next generation of technology.
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Great Minds in STEM