Commander, U.S. Space Command joins Extreme Programming creator Kent Beck and former federal CIO Suzette Kent among a growing roster of government and industry leaders for Rise8's three-day training event in Nashville this August
Tampa, Fla. — July 27, 2026 — Rise8, a leader in developing custom software for critical missions, announces Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, Commander of U.S. Space Command, as the opening keynote for Prodacity 2026. Gen. Whiting anchors a growing speaker lineup and programming built around delivering software in the age of AI. The three-day GovTech training event returns to Nashville August 25–27.
Gen. Whiting leads U.S. Space Command, responsible for defending U.S. and Allied interests in the space domain while providing space-enabled combat effects to Joint Warfighters around the globe. His keynote opens an event built for the government leaders, senior practitioners, acquisition officers, and industry partners navigating how their agencies deliver software as AI changes the work.
Alongside Gen. Whiting, the first wave of speakers includes:
- Kent Beck, creator of Extreme Programming and Test-Driven Development, on how AI changes the craft of building software.
- Mina Hsiang, former USDS Administrator, and Suzette Kent, former U.S. Federal CIO, in a fireside chat on the reality of shipping software in government today.
- Ryan Connell, Deputy of Rapid Acquisition Cell, Chief Digital and AI Office (CDAO), to address outcomes-based acquisitions.
- Josh Marcuse, Director of Defense Strategy and Growth at Google, on where AI moves the mission forward for the teams carrying the most critical work.
- Jonathan Mostowski, President of Agile Acquisitions, on writing contracts that buy mission impact instead of a fixed list of deliverables.
- Chris Hughes, VP of Security Strategy at Zenity, on the move from ATO to continuous authorization at delivery speed.
- Thomas Roderick, PhD, Founder and Chief AI Officer at Flamelit, on turning AI into better decisions and operational results for public sector teams.
- Steve Pereira, Lead Consultant at Visible Value Stream Consulting, on Flow Engineering and finding where delivery stalls.
- Lori-Ann Rissler, Founder of LASR Ops and a former contracting officer at Kessel Run, with Dr. Dolores Kuchina-Musina, CEO & Founder of REXOTA Solutions, specializing in Other Transaction Authorities and acquisition reform, on how agencies can buy outcomes.
- Paul Rayner, author of The EventStorming Handbook, on mapping how work flows through a mission.
More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Day one of the three-day event features keynotes and panels on the bottlenecks in government delivery and where AI-native work is changing what’s possible. Day two goes deep with sessions from people who have shipped in the most challenging environments, covering value stream mapping, AI in production, continuous authorization, and outcomes-based acquisition. On the final day, attendees pick one full-day workshop and turn the week into a playbook they can take back to their team. Every registration includes one of six workshops at no additional cost.
Prodacity is built as much for the room as for the stage. Peer networking runs through all three days, giving government and industry leaders time to trade what works and build a network they can call on long after Nashville.
“When the commander of U.S. Space Command and the person who created Extreme Programming both show up to teach, you know the people in the seats are getting the real playbook, not a highlight reel,” said Adam Furtado, VP of Enablement at Rise8. “The work ahead is genuinely uncharted. Leaders don’t need more inspiration. They need a shared methodology, a peer group, and the ability to deliver outcomes in production.”
Prodacity 2026 takes place August 25–27, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. CPE credits or CLP credits are available for attendees. Registration, the full agenda, and speaker updates are available at rise8.us/prodacity.
New and returning partners supporting Prodacity 2026 include Palantir, Infusion Points, Spectro Cloud, Red Hat, CODER, Accenture, Security Compass, SBIR Advisors, and Improvix, with additional partners to be announced. Organizations interested in sponsorship, or leaders with an experience report or AI framework to share from their work in GovTech, can reach the Prodacity team at prodacity@rise8.us.
About Rise8
Rise8 develops custom software for critical missions to create a future where fewer bad things happen because of bad software. Rise8 is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) with headquarters in Tampa, FL, and a fully remote workforce. Learn more at https://www.rise8.us/ and on LinkedIn.
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