UL Lafayette Opens StateChain Summit 2026

StateChain Summit ’26 will officially open with a little Ragin’ Cajun Southern hospitality from our hosting venue, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Day 1 | September 30 | 9:00 AM CT

Joining us for the opening address:

Dr. Ramesh Kolluru | President, UL Lafayette
Dr. Kumer Pial Das | Vice President for Research & Innovation, UL Lafayette
Dr. Henry Chu | Executive Director, Informatics Research Institute at UL Lafayette
Chris Kimmel | Chief Innovation Officer, Informatics Research Institute, UL Lafayette

Together, they represent an important part of why Lafayette is the right place to begin this conversation.

UL Lafayette brings together research, computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, innovation, workforce development, and deep connections with industry and the surrounding community.

Dr. Kolluru’s leadership has long connected research and innovation with economic development and public impact.

Dr. Das brings decades of experience across research, mathematics, analytics, and higher education.

Dr. Chu leads work spanning machine learning, data science, cybersecurity, disaster recovery, health informatics, and critical infrastructure.

And Chris Kimmel works directly at the intersection of university research, industry, startups, workforce, and commercialization.

This is exactly where StateChain Summit should begin: with the people, research, and innovation ecosystem helping shape what comes next.

We could not ask for a better welcome, or a better place to bring this national conversation together, than right here at UL Lafayette, along with the support of Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA), Opportunity Machine, and the broader Lafayette innovation ecosystem.

Louisiana Welcome
September 30 | 9:00 AM CT
LITE Center | University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana

StateChainSummit.org

Come get you some gumbo and beignets.

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