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Unlock the Power of IBM i at POWERUp 2026!

Join us in New Orleans, Louisiana for POWERUp 2026, the premier conference for IBM i professionals. Whether you’re an experienced expert or just starting your IBM i journey, this event offers unparalleled education, hands-on workshops, and valuable networking opportunities. Stay ahead of the curve with insights from industry leaders, explore the latest innovations, and connect with a thriving community that shares your passion for IBM i. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge, grow your skills, and power up your career!

Venue: Mardi Gras Ballroom clear filter
Monday, April 27
 

8:00am CDT

Opening Session
Monday April 27, 2026 8:00am - 9:30am CDT

Speakers
avatar for Pete Massiello

Pete Massiello

IBM i Advisor, Massiello Holding Corp.
Pete Massiello has been working with the AS/400, iSeries, IBM i since 1989, focusing on systems management and technical support. He has held numerous technical positions through out his career. He is the President of iTech Solutions Group, an IBM Premier Business Partner delivering... Read More →
avatar for Steve Bradshaw

Steve Bradshaw

Friendly Techie, RowtonIT.com
My latest work as the Friendly Techie, includes assisting IBM i with the design and testing with IBM i 7.6 as both Beta Tester and Redbook Author, and as assistant in the design and testing of the new IBM i Migrate While Active tool and the AI based RPG Code Assistant.

I have worked in the IBM Business Partner world for over thirty years now and despite IBM's best attempts I still love them ;-) My career started as an RPG developer but for the last twenty years I have specialised in System Design, installation and management. In 2008 I founded my

... Read More →
avatar for Jack Woehr

Jack Woehr

Senior Engineer / Senior Consultant, Consulting to Procern Technology Solutions and Seiden Group LLC
40+ years development. IBM Champion 2021-2026.
IBM Qiskit Advocate since 2019. Secretary, OpenQASM Technical Steering Committee. MongoDB Creator status. Prolific Open Source creator/contributor. Former Contributing Editor, Dr. Dobb's Journal.
Consult on IBM i AI modernization... Read More →
avatar for Floyd Del Muro

Floyd Del Muro

Board President, COMMON

avatar for Hillery Hunter

Hillery Hunter

General Manager IBM Power, IBM
Hillery is the General Manager for IBM Power and serves as IBM Infrastructure CTO.  In this role, she is focused on setting the global strategy for both Power and Infrastructure Platform in addition to driving cross-functional innovation and growth across IBM's Infrastructure portfolio... Read More →
Monday April 27, 2026 8:00am - 9:30am CDT
Mardi Gras Ballroom

1:15pm CDT

Keynote: IBM Bob - Your IBM i AI Development Partner
Monday April 27, 2026 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
IBM Bob is an AI-powered development partner for IBM i. Your IBM i runs everything. Bob helps you run faster. Bob accelerates initiatives that traditionally take months like converting fixed-format RPG to free-form, migrating DDS to SQL DDL, refactoring monolithic programs into modular services, and generating comprehensive documentation and tests.  Bob bridges the skills gap and ensures the long-term viability of IBM i investments through intelligent, incremental modernization that preserves decades of business logic. The next era of IBM i development starts now.
Speakers
avatar for Tim Rowe

Tim Rowe

STSM - IBM i Business Architect, IBM USA
Tim Rowe is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Architect for Application Development and Systems Management. He has been working on the IBM i operating system since 1989. Tim is a frequent author, industry speaker and... Read More →
Monday April 27, 2026 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
Mardi Gras Ballroom

2:15pm CDT

COMMON Problem Solving
Monday April 27, 2026 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
Ready for problem-solving without the programming?Join us Monday for a laid-back, analog team challenge. Step away from the screens and work together to crack word puzzles and brain teasers. It’s a fun way to connect with the COMMON community while putting your teamwork skills to the test.
Monday April 27, 2026 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
Mardi Gras Ballroom
 
Tuesday, April 28
 

9:00am CDT

Student Job Fair
Tuesday April 28, 2026 9:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Don't miss the Student Job Fair if you are interested in hiring an intern, or your next colleague.

Over 40 students and educators are attending POWERUp 2026, many of whom are looking for employment opportunities, so don't miss out on your chance to meet with them and connect.

It will be set up in a Reverse Job Fair format, where each student will be assigned a table and potential employers can go from table-to-table and talk to each person.

If you are looking to connect with the next generation of IT talent, this is your chance to maximize your company's benefit of attending POWERUp 2026.
Speakers
avatar for Donna Del Muro

Donna Del Muro

Community Outreach Manager, COMMON
Retired IBM i solution‑based sales professional with over 25 years in the IBM i ecosystem. My career spans sales, sales management, and project management across both hardware and software environments, helping organizations align technology with real business needs. I’m currently... Read More →
Tuesday April 28, 2026 9:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Mardi Gras Ballroom

1:45pm CDT

Keynote: From Core to Catalyst: How IBM i Teams Can Lead the Next Wave of AI-Ready Modernization
Tuesday April 28, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
IBM i has been the backbone of enterprise stability, but shifting expectations now demand more. IT modernization has become a strategic priority, driving efficiency, innovation, and enhanced customer experiences. In the next two years, 25–30% of IT budgets will focus on AI readiness, cybersecurity, automation, and data optimization. For IBM i teams, this is both a challenge and an opportunity to turn barriers like legacy complexity and siloed data into catalysts for growth and innovation.


In this keynote, Rashmi Agrawal, VP of Engineering at Rocket Software, will reframe IBM i not as a legacy constraint but as a strategic advantage. With the right modernization roadmap—spanning applications, data, infrastructure, and security—IBM i teams can accelerate digital transformation, enable AI initiatives, and deliver measurable business outcomes that resonate with the C-suite.


In this session, you’ll discover:
  • How AI enhances human-driven decision-making in workload modernization. With 54% of enterprises expecting AI-assisted migration and optimization, IBM i teams can leverage AI to augment—not replace—human expertise.
  • Why modernization maturity drives business performance. Modernization leaders report significantly higher gains in efficiency, innovation, and customer satisfaction, proving the direct correlation between IT transformation and business success.
  • What RPG, COBOL, and CL developers need to prepare for. From data quality and integration to AI-augmented coding and secure-by-design practices, developers must evolve their skills to meet new demands. AI-assisted development, testing, and infrastructure readiness will be critical.
  • How technical leaders can overcome modernization blockers. Learn strategies to address data silos, compliance complexity, and talent gaps while preserving the resilience and reliability that make IBM i indispensable.
  • Join us to discover how to transform your IBM i environment into an AI-ready, modernization-driven foundation for the next decade of innovation.

Speakers
avatar for Jeroen van Dun

Jeroen van Dun

IBM Champion & Product Manager, Rocket Software
avatar for Rashmi Agrawal

Rashmi Agrawal

Vice President – Engineering, App Mod Vice President – Engineering, App Mod, Rocket Software
Rashmi is a highly accomplished Global R&D leader with 26 years of experience driving product innovation and execution at enterprise-grade companies like IBM, Dell/EMC, and Rocket Software. Her expertise spans a wide range of products, including datacenter, cloud, AI, storage, developer... Read More →
Tuesday April 28, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
Mardi Gras Ballroom
 
Wednesday, April 29
 

1:45pm CDT

Keynote: Agentic AI and IBM i
Wednesday April 29, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
IBM i has long been the backbone of mission-critical enterprise workloads, prized for its reliability, security, and integrated database. But as AI evolves beyond simple chat interfaces into autonomous, action-taking agents, the IBM i ecosystem stands at an inflection point. AI agents can now reason, plan, and execute multi-step tasks. Imagine the power when married to a platform with decades of business logic and operational knowledge!

This session explores the convergence of agentic AI and IBM i, covering the emerging architecture patterns that allow AI agents to interact directly with IBM i systems. Among other things, we will examine the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that gives AI agents a structured way to discover and invoke tools, query databases, and interact with system resources. Plus, we'll give a sneak peek of some exciting offerings that may be coming in the near future!
Speakers
avatar for Jesse Gorzinski

Jesse Gorzinski

STSM and Senior Business Architect - AI and Open Source, IBM
Experienced business architect from IBM and a specialist in the IBM i platform. My passion is enabling enterprises to adopt artificial intelligence and open source technologies.
Wednesday April 29, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
Mardi Gras Ballroom

6:00pm CDT

Trivia Night
Wednesday April 29, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm CDT
Staying in for the free night on Wednesday? Join usfor trivia! Gather a team and put your collectiveknowledge to the test as you compete forthe top spot.And don’t worry - we promise it’s not a quiz on yoursession notes.
Wednesday April 29, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm CDT
Mardi Gras Ballroom
 

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