2025 Symposium Speakers

Blain Newton is the Chief Information Officer at BETA Technologies, where he supports the scale-up of the company’s electric aviation platform from R&D to commercial operations through advanced, AI-enabled technologies. In previous leadership roles, he guided BETA’s commercialization strategy, expanded its manufacturing and operations infrastructure, and supported the company’s progress toward aircraft certification while helping to raise more than $1 billion in funding. Before BETA, Blain held senior leadership roles at IDX Systems, Allscripts, CapSite, and HIMSS Analytics, where he launched global products, expanded operations across four continents, and executed multiple M&A transactions. He holds a BS in Business Management & Accounting from SUNY Geneseo.

A lifelong aviation enthusiast and student pilot, Blain is particularly passionate about how low-cost, safe, sustainable aviation can expand access for rural communities by enabling affordable, efficient transport of passengers, packages, and medical supplies. Based in Vermont, he and his spouse co-founded the Unbuckled Foundation, which connects caregivers of children with acute illnesses to vital legal resources. Outside of work, is an avid fly fisherman and proud father of two boys who keep him and his wife busy exploring the mountains.

Ross Hughes is a leadership and organizational coach who has helped local and global companies build the capacity to adapt in times of rapid change.

He began his career in the software industry, where constant flux was the norm. As a software engineer, program manager, and development director, Ross became an early advocate for Agile practices and implemented them across diverse company cultures. Through these experiences, he saw firsthand how poorly most organizations handled uncertainty — and how much untapped potential lay in learning to navigate it effectively.

Three decades later, many organizations still rely on Industrial-era structures designed to minimize variability and maximize predictability. While those methods may work in stable environments, today's fast-moving markets, technologies, and social dynamics demand new ways of thinking. Ross has dedicated the second half of his career to helping leaders and teams reframe uncertainty — not as a threat to control, but as an opportunity to leverage.

His work focuses on enabling leaders to model the principles and values that foster adaptability, and on equipping teams to amplify one another's strengths when facing the unknown. In this role, Ross has inspired, taught, and coached within some of the world's most successful organizations.

Outside of work, Ross finds joy in nature — tending honeybees, gardening, fishing, and hiking in Vermont. Learn more at rosshughes.com and LinkedIn

Michael Joseph is a PMP-certified project and program portfolio manager with over 30 years of experience in IT software development, deployment, and organizational transformation. As the founder of True Vector Consulting, Mike is known for bringing clarity, strategic focus, and operational excellence to complex business and technology initiatives.

He combines deep expertise in project management, PMO formation, agile development, and cross-functional leadership with a cutting-edge understanding of artificial intelligence and its practical application in business. A passionate advocate for AI-enabled project delivery, Mike equips teams to drive innovation and efficiency through smart automation and prompt engineering.

As a certified Profit Coach and author of  “Pathway to Profits: Unlocking Your Business”, Mike also helps business leaders discover untapped revenue and profit opportunities using proven, actionable strategies.