Advancing a Culture of Innovation
September 30, 2026 | 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Tickets: $100 | American Center for Mobility
Presented by Ann Arbor SPARK.
Advanced mobility is defined as technologies that enable the movement of people, goods, and information in safer, more sustainable, and more accessible ways. The Mobility Summit will highlight how sustained innovation is driven by integrated systems across industry, partnerships, and applied research. By showcasing regional capabilities and collaborative infrastructure, the summit aims to attract industry, talent, and investment to the region.
Mobility Summit 2026 Agenda
Doors Open
8:45 AM
Registration with Networking & Coffee
9:00 AM
SPARK Welcome
9:30 AM
- Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Keynote
9:50 – 10:20 AM
- Dushyant Wadivkar, Vice President and Global Head of AD/ADAS, Woven by Toyota
Space as Infrastructure
10:30 – 10:55 AM
- Jennifer Tisdale, Moderator, President, Secure Vision Consulting
- David Brewer, Retired Lieutenant Colonel (USAF), Aerospace Innovation
- Parker Boundy, CEO, General Orbit
As mobility expands beyond the reach of traditional terrestrial networks, space is becoming a critical layer of infrastructure for connected vehicles, autonomous systems, aviation, and defense applications. This panel will explore how satellite communications and emerging space technologies are enabling resilient mobility systems, the opportunities and challenges of commercializing these capabilities, and the role of cybersecurity and collaboration across industry, academia, and government in bringing new solutions to market. The discussion will examine how space-based infrastructure will complement terrestrial networks to support the next generation of connected and autonomous technologies.
Networking Break
10:55 – 11:10 AM
Shaping How Dangerous Work Gets Done
11:15 – 11:45 AM
- Cosima Boswell Koller, Assistant Vice President for Integrated Venture Development, The University of Alabama
- Bogdan Epureanu, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan
- Talia Marie Sebastian, National Science Foundation Fellow, US Army DEVCOM GVSC
- Joe Tenbusch, Senior Consultant, Boston Dynamics
Robotics and autonomous technologies are transforming dangerous work across defense, industry, and critical infrastructure. This panel explores how advances in AI, autonomy, sensing, and human-machine teaming are improving safety, extending human capabilities, and enabling operations in hazardous environments. Leaders from across the robotics ecosystem will discuss Department of Defense priorities, commercial applications, and the partnerships needed to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous systems.
Lunch
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
At the Wheel Live Podcast recording
1:00 – 1:40 PM
- Tu Le, Managing Director, Sino Auto Insights
- Joe White, Writer, High Speed Rodeo
Experience an unfiltered, high-octane analysis of the rapidly shifting global automotive landscape with industry experts Tu Le and Joe White, live from the 2026 Ann Arbor Mobility Summit. This exclusive keynote promises to break down the monumental forces, from EV dominance to legacy auto restructuring, that are shaping the future of transportation.
Coffee Break
1:45 – 2:00 PM
What is Safe Enough?
2:00 PM – 2:25 PM
- Gregg Brunner, COO, Michigan Department of Transportation
- Michael Woon, Founder, Retrospect
- Sara Bennett, Partner, Mobility, Regulatory, and Trade, Varnum
- Pete Bigelow, Public Relations Manager, Kodiak
This panel brings together public infrastructure leadership with commercial autonomy developers, validation software providers, and runtime safety analytics platforms. Together, they will discuss how physical AI, digital twin simulations, and public-private data sharing are driving the transition from closed-course testing to driverless freight corridors.
ACM tour and networking
2:45 PM
Closing
3:30 PM
Mobility Summit Speakers
Plus more being announced soon!
Dushyant Wadivkar
Vice President and Global Head of AD/ADAS
Woven by Toyota
Dushyant Wadivkar leads automated driving and driver assistance technology at Woven by Toyota, supporting next-generation Toyota and Lexus vehicles globally.
With over 20 years of experience working with teams in the U.S., Japan, and Germany, he specializes in transforming advanced vehicle systems into products for end-users.
Dushyant’s career has progressed with the evolution of safe autonomy. He has worked on stability control and conditional autonomy at Bosch and driverless technology at both Cruise and Torc. At Woven by Toyota, he is passionate about advancing autonomy that improves continuously, for the vision of zero accidents and mobility for all.
Keynote: Dushyant Wadivkar
Woven by Toyota
Tu Le
Founder and Managing Director
Sino Auto Insights
Tu Le is the Founder and Managing Director of Sino Auto Insights, a global mobility advisory firm helping organizations navigate the fast-evolving transportation landscape. He authors the widely followed SAI Weekly Newsletter and co-hosts China EVs & More and At The Wheel, breaking down the forces reshaping the global auto, transportation, and technology industries with a sharp focus on China.
Tu’s career spans more than two decades across Michigan, Silicon Valley, and China, including roles in Michigan’s auto industry, Apple and Logitech, and 13 years in China with Ford in Shanghai and at Chinese startups before founding Sino Auto Insights in Beijing in 2017.
A go-to source for major, global media outlets like Bloomberg, CNN, The Economist, Financial Times, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal to name a few, Tu is known for his candid insights on what’s next in mobility. Tu also mentors and scouts emerging mobility startups globally for investors.
Live Podcast: Tu Le
At The Wheel
Joe White
Writer
High Speed Rodeo
Joe White writes the High Speed Rodeo newsletter on Substack. He has followed the global auto industry for nearly 40 years, most of that time as an editor and writer for Reuters and the Wall Street Journal.
Joe joined Reuters in January 2015 as the transportation editor leading coverage of planes, trains and automobiles, and later became global automotive editor. He launched and wrote the Reuters Auto File newsletter before retiring from Reuters in 2024.
Before joining Reuters, Joe had a 28-year career at the Wall Street Journal, working as an auto beat reporter, Detroit bureau chief and in editorial roles in Brussels and Washington, DC.
Joe is co-author with Paul Ingrassia of Comeback: The Fall and Rise of the American Automobile Industry. He and Paul shared the Pulitzer Prize for beat reporting in 1993 and a Gerald Loeb award for their coverage of management turmoil at General Motors.
Live Podcast: Joe White
At The Wheel
Sara Bennett
Partner, Mobility, Regulatory, and Trade
Varnum LLP
Sara R. Bennett is a Partner at Varnum LLP where she works on complex regulatory and trade issues in the transportation sector. She advises clients on regulatory strategy, legal risks, and policy trends, with a particular focus on emerging technologies and international trade. Prior to Varnum, Sara served as a Senior Attorney for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Acting Division Chief for Trade and Investment for the Office of International Transportation and Trade. In these roles, she focused on AVs, ADAS, cybersecurity, AI, vehicle data, impaired driving technology, and other relevant areas. She also advised agency leadership and Congress on technical and legal matters and served as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, where she helped shape international vehicle safety and cybersecurity standards.
Sara Bennett
Varnum LLP
Rose Bellanca
President
Washtenaw Community College
Now in her second decade as president, Dr. Rose B. Bellanca, Ed.D., continues to embrace the opportunities of leading Washtenaw Community College, an institution that is nationally-recognized for delivering excellent programs and student success.
During a recent international symposium on transportation mobility, President Bellanca shared that in this warped-speed changing world, standing still is not an option: “If we stand still, we fail,” she told industry, business and academic leaders in attendance.
Dr. Bellanca’s remarks opened day two of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) Annual CCAT (Center for Connected and Automated Transportation) Global Symposium. WCC is the only community college on the CCAT team, joining the University of Michigan, Purdue University, the University of Illinois, the University of Akron and Central State University in Ohio.
At a time of declining college enrollment across the country, under Dr. Bellanca’s leadership, WCC has implemented numerous innovations in teaching and student services to steadily retain and attract students during an international pandemic.
Washtenaw Community College, located in Ann Arbor, Mi. and geographically only a few short miles from the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, serves more than 20,000 students annually.
Dr. Bellanca oversees a campus with nearly 1,500 full and part-time employees and whose facilities host more than 100,000 visitors a year. WCC truly is a “community” college.
In March 2020, nearly 78 percent of Washtenaw County voters approved a 10-year, $175 million millage renewal, illustrating the community’s support for WCC. This is believed to be the largest percentage of yes votes in the college’s 55 years. In 2016, in the fifth year of Dr. Bellanca’s tenure, county voters approved another large operating millage with a 70 percent approval rating.
Under Dr. Bellanca’s leadership, WCC has been awarded more than $30 million in grants through the State of Michigan, the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Dr. Bellanca has always responded proactively to challenges in higher education. This includes leading the college’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic –quickly adapting college programs and services for delivery in an online environment — to protect the health and safety of WCC’s faculty, students and staff.
In the space of one long weekend in March 2020, only days after the successful millage vote, WCC closed campus and moved to mostly online classes to “keep learning alive.” Through her leadership, WCC was more prepared for the transition because it had been offering and growing student enrollment through virtual formats for nearly 10 years.
In 2020, WCC was named the top community college in Michigan for distance learning by Affordable Colleges Online. In addition, WCC received the number one ranking as the best community college in Michigan by Schools.com. Most recently, MSN.com reported that Washtenaw Community College was rated the best community college in Michigan.
A pillar of WCC’s success under Dr. Bellanca is its affordability. In April 2021, the college’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved a tuition freeze for in-county students for the fourth consecutive year. In the 2021-22 academic year, tuition will remain at $95 per credit hour for in-district on- campus students and $108 per credit hour for online students.
In addition to keeping the college affordable, another pillar in the college’s mission is providing excellent educational opportunities.
In just the last year, WCC was designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The college currently offers six cyber security courses in what has become one of the most important educational programs offered today. Cybersecurity training at WCC prepares students for careers in cybersecurity with both degrees and non-credit options.
Another measure of WCC success under Dr. Bellanca’s leadership is its transfer record. Nearly 70 percent of WCC students transfer to four-year colleges and universities to complete a bachelor’s degree. And, no other college in Michigan comes close to WCC in sending students on to the University of Michigan.
A forward thinker, Dr. Bellanca has positioned the college to meet the needs of a global workforce, developing new curricula and programs related to jobs in mobility, intelligent transportation systems and the skilled trades sectors.
Students who have taken courses through the college’s Advanced Transportation Center have landed important and fulfilling jobs at research centers operated by GM, Ford, Toyota and others.
Dr. Bellanca frequently participates in panels and at conferences on behalf of the college. She is passionate about student success, access and affordability and serves on multiple national commissions through the American Association of Community Colleges to further those goals.
Additionally, she chairs the Region 9 Talent Council, which is part of the State of Michigan’s Prosperity Initiative; member of the Executive Committee of Ann Arbor SPARK; board member of the National Commission on Economic and Workforce Development, and member of the Licensure Committee for the American Association of Community Colleges.
She has engaged in numerous media interviews and was named a “Women Who Lead” honoree by News/Talk 760 WJR Radio. The acknowledgment recognizes women who are leaders in their industries and their communities and for their professional and personal accomplishments.
She is particularly proud of the of the college’s Foundation. Since its establishment nearly 40 years ago, the WCC Foundation has awarded more than 10,000 scholarships worth more than $6.2 million. In addition, the Foundation has provided more than $1.5 million in other educational emergency support, including child care assistance, food pantry access, transportation funds and text book vouchers.
Community colleges, you might say, are in Dr. Bellanca’s DNA. A graduate of Macomb Community College, she went on to earn bachelors, master’s and Doctor of Education degrees from Wayne State University. Later, she was provost at Macomb, president of Northwood University’s West Palm Beach Campus and president of St. Clair County Community College.
She is the fourth president to lead Washtenaw Community College.
Dr. Rose B. Bellanca, Ed.D.
Washtenaw Community College
Cosima Boswell-Koller
Assistant Vice President for Integrated Venture Development
The University of Alabama
Cosima Boswell-Koller, Ph.D., serves as Assistant Vice President for Integrated Venture Development (IVD) within The University of Alabama’s Division for Research. In this role, she leads the university’s unified strategy to accelerate interdisciplinary collaboration, advance tech commercialization, and build high-impact cross-sector partnerships. She also holds an appointment as an Adjunct Professor in UA’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Prior to joining UA, she served as a permanent NSF Program Director in the Division of Materials Research, overseeing a premier portfolio of multi-million-dollar centers and infrastructure programs, including Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC), Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP), and National Facilities and Instrumentation (NaFI). A recognized national strategist, she co-chaired the White House OSTP Interagency Working Group for the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI), co-chaired the NSF Semiconductor/Microelectronics Education and Workforce Development Working Group, and spearheaded visionary national workshops on autonomous, data-driven materials R&D that convened hundreds of top experts across academia, federal agencies, and industry.
Her federal expertise is complemented by extensive private-sector and industrial consortia experience as a Program Operations Manager at the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) responsible for the Advanced Manufacturing, Materials, and Processing (AMMP) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) and Cooperative Agreement (CA) with Army Research Laboratory. There, she led the AMMP Technology Advisory Board and developed and managed the AMMP Proving Grounds and an associated “Digital Proving Grounds” environment featuring end-to-end digital technology development and physical prototyping infrastructure.
Dr. Boswell-Koller earned her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida in 2008 and completed her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 2012.
Cosima Boswell-Koller
The University of Alabama
Parker Boundy
Founder & CEO
General Orbit
Parker has spent his career scaling organizations and leading complex, cross functional teams. He brings disciplined execution and a relentless focus on unit economics to building durable, scalable businesses.
Parker Boundy
General Orbit
David Brewer
Owner / Founder
InnoTECH Research & Consulting
David “Brew” Brewer is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, space operations strategist, University of Michigan lecturer, and founder of InnoTECH Research & Consulting. Across a 29-year military career, he served in senior roles spanning intelligence, space operations, emerging technology, innovation, and defense modernization. He currently supports the Michigan National Guard by integrating commercial space capabilities into military exercises and multi-domain operations, with emphasis on resilient communications, space-based sensing, and operational agility.
At the University of Michigan Center for Entrepreneurship, Brew teaches innovation, defense entrepreneurship, and space entrepreneurship, mentoring students and emerging founders working at the intersection of technology, national security, and commercialization. Through InnoTECH, he advises organizations on AI-enabled operations, innovation management, commercialization strategy, and technology modernization. Brew brings a practical operator’s perspective on how space-based infrastructure can support the next generation of mobility, autonomous systems, aviation, and defense applications.
David “Brew” Brewer
InnoTECH Research & Consulting
Gregg Brunner
Chief Operations Officer
Michigan Department of Transportation
Gregg D. Brunner, P.E., is Chief Operations Officer and Chief Engineer for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). He has held key leadership roles across MDOT and is a recognized advocate for traffic safety and innovation. Brunner co-leads the Michigan Liaison Committee for the Gordie Howe International Bridge, served on the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission, and represents MDOT on the Council of Future Mobility and Electrification. He is active with AASHTO, where he serves as liaison to the Transportation Association of Canada Chief Engineers’ Panel. He holds a civil engineering degree from Michigan State University.
Gregg Brunner
Michigan Department of Transportation
Bogdan Epureanu
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
Bogdan I. Epureanu is a distinguished researcher and academic leader currently serving as the Roger L. McCarthy Professor and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. He also holds a courtesy appointment as a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Prof. Epureanu is the Director of the U.S. Army Automotive Research Center of Excellence (ARC), where he manages a multi-university consortium focused on transforming ground vehicle systems through advanced modeling and simulation. The ARC leads the way in areas of autonomy of ground systems, including vehicle dynamics, control, and autonomous behavior, human-autonomy teaming, high performance structures and materials, intelligent power systems, and fleet operations and vehicle system of systems integration.
Prof. Epureanu’s research expertise lies in the nonlinear dynamics of complex multi-physical systems, with applications ranging from aerospace and automotive safety to energy systems and epidemiology. His research brings together interdisciplinary teams and consortia from the government, industry, and academia. He has authored over 340 publications, holds 10 patents, and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief for the ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics. He earned his Ph.D. from Duke University in 1999.
Bogdan Epureanu
University of Michigan
Justine Johnson
Chief Mobility Officer
Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
As Chief Mobility Officer for the state of Michigan, Justine leads the state’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification in working across state government, academia and private industry to enhance Michigan’s mobility ecosystem, including developing dynamic mobility and electrification policies and supporting the startup and scale up of emerging mobility technologies and businesses. Justine plays a critical role in driving a first-of-its-kind partnership between the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Department of Labor and Opportunity, Department of Transportation, Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and the Governor’s Office.
Justine Johnson is an accomplished economic development and mobility executive with more than 10 years of experience in external affairs, strategy and government and community relations. Prior to joining Team Michigan as Chief Mobility Officer, Justine was appointed to the Los Angeles County Aviation Commission to advise the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on the operations and development of the County’s five airports. In addition to this role, she served as the Director of Member Engagement at the California Mobility Center (CMC) which is a non-profit that promotes commercial interactions with new mobility companies and industry-leading entities to deploy new products, programs, and services in clean mobility in the State of California, and beyond.
Previously, Justine served as the Head of Mobility Engagement for the SoCal/Southwest Region at Ford Motor Company. This promotion was a result of her successful tenure as Ford’s Mobility Strategist. During her time in New York City, she served as Vice President of Government & Community Relations for the New York City Economic Development Corporation, managing government and community relations for Mayor de Blasio’s innovative commuter ferry system. However, her impact on transportation initiatives within NYC was initially established during her time with the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission where she worked on the “Boro Taxi” project, also known as the Green Taxi program, which created a new for-hire vehicle and driver classification.
While she spent many years in NYC, Justine is a native of Los Angeles, CA, and believes in giving back to her community through her service. She was the Board Co-Chair of BlackSpace Urbanist Collective, an organization that challenges urban designers, planners, artists, and architects to build spaces that honor the culture and cultivate the talent of Black people. She also served as Board Chair of Urban Movement Labs, an organization that focuses on bringing new mobility innovation to Los Angeles by working at the intersection of government, technology innovation, and community. Most notably, she served as an adjunct instructor at USC Sol Price School of Public Policy.
Justine holds two Master of Arts degrees from the University of Southern California in Urban Planning and Public Administration. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampton University in Political Science and Government.
Justine Johnson
OFME – MEDC
Talia Marie Sebastian
National Science Foundation Fellow
US Army DEVCOM GVSC
Dr. Talia Sebastian is a Fellow at the National Science Foundation for the U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC), serving the Chief Scientist’s Office to provide enterprise-level scientific leadership and stewardship of GVSC’s science and technology portfolio. She maintains authoritative awareness of intramural and extramural research activities, identifies cross-portfolio technical gaps, informs long-range research investment priorities, and enables strategic partnerships with the National Science Foundation to align foundational science with Army modernization priorities and accelerate transition pathways. Dr. Sebastian previously served as the Deputy Chief Scientist at GVSC, supporting enterprise research governance and providing strategic oversight across GVSC’s university partnerships, cooperative agreements, and basic research initiatives spanning Human-Machine Integration, Power and Mobility, Advanced Manufacturing, Survivability and Protection, and Modeling and Simulation. She also recently served as the Executive Fellow to the U.S. Army Research Office (ARO), contributing to the strategic alignment and stewardship of ARO’s extramural basic research investments addressing emerging operational challenges. Dr. Sebastian received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Oakland University. With more than 30 years of experience across industry, academia, and government, she has led and contributed to sustained research programs in both soft and hard matter materials, integrating experimental and theoretical modeling approaches. Her technical expertise centers on first-principles and molecular simulation methods applied to advanced material systems for Army ground applications.
Talia Marie Sebastian
US Army DEVCOM GVSC
Joe Tenbusch
Senior Consultant
Boston Dynamics
Joe is a Senior Consultant with Boston Dynamics Consulting (BDC), where he advises enterprise leadership on robotics strategy and humanoid readiness. His work centers on helping clients make disciplined, evidence-based decisions in a market defined by rapid capability shifts and significant capital exposure.
Joe’s background spans more than fifteen years across corporate venture capital, management consulting, and engineering. Prior to Boston Dynamics, he invested in startups and strategic venture funds at Magna International, built global deal pipelines, and supported technology integration across R&D, product, and corporate development teams. He previously advised the U.S. Department of Energy, Tier 1 automotive suppliers, and private equity funds at Plante Moran and held commercial and engineering roles at Tier 1 automotive suppliers.
He earned his MBA from Northwood University and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kettering University. Joe has twice been named a Global Corporate Venturing Rising Star and serves on the boards of the Society of Automotive Analysts and Walsh Ventures.
Joe Tenbusch
Boston Dynamics
Jennifer Tisdale
President
Secure Vision Consulting
Jennifer Tisdale is an accomplished executive, advisor, and the President of Secure Vision Consulting, where she drives market intelligence and strategic development for innovative technologies across the automotive, aerospace, critical infrastructure, cyber, and artificial intelligence sectors. Through her firm, Jennifer pioneers “techonomic development,” the strategic intersection where advanced technology, national security, and economic policy meet to stimulate regional business growth, secure critical supply chains, and build future-ready workforces.
Throughout her career, Jennifer has excelled at synthesizing complex technical concepts into actionable market strategies. Her leadership includes serving as CEO of the cyber research firm GRIMM and spearheading regional cyber-mobility benchmarks for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Deeply committed to public-private collaboration, she serves on the Board of Directors of NDIA Michigan, where she chairs subcommittees focused on cyber warfare. Demonstrating her long-standing vision for industry ecosystems, Jennifer founded the annual NDIA Cyber-Physical Systems Security Summit (CPS3) in 2015, creating a premier national platform for defense and mobility security.
Jennifer is also the founder of AI x Mobility, a highly influential community of interest that bridges the gap between artificial intelligence and the full mobility ecosystem, spanning connected infrastructure, production, and policy. A nationally recognized thought leader, she was named one of SC Magazine’s Women to Watch in Cybersecurity and featured in SME’s 25 Leaders Transforming Manufacturing. Jennifer frequently advises corporate boards on shifting threat landscapes and passionately advocates for STEAM education to prepare the next generation of leadership for a software-driven world.
Jennifer Tisdale
Secure Vision Consulting
Michael Woon
CEO and Co-Founder
Retrospect
Michael Woon is a co-founder of Retrospect, an autonomous vehicle safety company that gives public trust through transparency and delivers confidence in autonomous safety. Since its founding, seven years ago, Michael has been the lead developer of the core safety solutions and has consulted for major AV developers. Prior to founding Retrospect, Michael was a consultant at kVA, a firm specializing in functional safety, and before that he was a development engineer in GM hybrid controls and powertrains at the Milford Proving Grounds.
Michael Woon
Retrospect
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