OverdriveAI Summit Main Stage
Hosted by BetterFutureLabs & TechUnited:NJ + Jackie Anzaroot + MJ Durkin + Aaron Price + Hana Yackanich + Brandi Copeland
Register with organizer
What to look forward to
OverdriveAI will put AI’s biggest questions, jobs, the economy, energy, and education, on stage in live debates, alongside hands-on community and executive training and a startup pitch-and-comedy event. Main-stage voices will include Andrew Yang, Noble Mobile’s CEO and founder who helped bring automation and universal basic income into national debate, and Brian Distelburger, co-founder of Windmill and Yext.
Inside the event
Overdrive AI
Hosted by TechUnited:NJ, creators of Propelify, heralded by Forbes as the "SXSW of the Northeast," OverdriveAI is back, and this year it's a debate.
The hottest topics in AI, argued live, both sides on stage. Jobs, energy, education, and more. Sharp thinkers go head to head, you hear the case for and against, and you decide where you land.
Andrew Yang joins the main stage for the economy debate: will AI take our jobs or grow the economy? Andrew is the CEO and Founder of Noble Mobile. Years before ChatGPT, he was writing about how automation would reshape American work, and his 2020 presidential run made universal basic income a national conversation.
Brian Distelburger, co-founder of Windmill and Yext, joins the OverdriveAI main stage too.
Taking place this year at The Newark Museum of Art, where tech and culture share a roof, OverdriveAI brings together founders, operators, investors, and researchers from across the Northeast for a day built around one idea: the biggest questions in AI don't have easy answers, so let's actually argue about them.
TICKETS ARE NOW LIVE!
EXPLORE THE FULL OVERDRIVEAI EXPERIENCE
Community AI Training
Hands-on morning AI training at EqualSpace designed for all experience levels. No prior AI experience required.
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Executive AI Training
A focused, practical AI training designed for executives and business leaders ready to better understand and apply AI within their organizations.
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Pitch Roast Live
Startups pitch. Comedians roast. Everyone wins. Close out OverdriveAI with an evening of bold ideas, founder pitches, comedy, and connection.
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What to Expect
A hands-on morning (10a-12p ET) AI training at EqualSpace designed for all experience levels. Come ready to learn, explore, and put AI into practice. No prior experience required.
Turn AI into practical business advantage.
Start your morning with a focused AI training session designed for executives, business leaders, and decision-makers navigating the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
This interactive session will explore practical ways leaders can better understand, evaluate, and apply AI within their organizations helping you move from conversation to action.
The AI Debates
The main event at The Newark Museum of Art. Will AI take your job or grow the economy? Who pays for AI's energy appetite? Does AI belong in the classroom? Is AI humanity's next great leap or an existential threat? Startup demos will be featured between rounds and the afternoon will roll into TechUnited:NJ Birthday Party!
Final topics and speakers are still being locked in, ticket holders hear every name first. Here's what's on the table so far
- Will AI take our jobs or grow the economy? Andrew Yang takes the stage for this one.
- Is AI driving up our energy bills? The data center buildout is reshaping the grid, and New Jersey's in the middle of it.
- Does AI belong in our kids' classrooms? A tutor for every student, or the end of learning how to think.
- Is AI humanity's next great leap or an existential threat? Where this all goes, argued from both sides.
Got a debate we missed? Suggest it, and if it makes the stage, you'll know it was yours.
Live debates. Experts, opposing sides of one question, no hedging.
Hot takes. Short, sharp presentations from speakers with a strong point of view.
Networking. 300+ founders, researchers, and investors in one room, this year in a new venue built for it.
Closing the night at Newark Culture Club Close with startup pitches and a high-energy evening experience. Four founders pitch, three comedians and two investors roast. One walks out a winner!
Last Year, at Nokia Bell Labs
Speakers joined us from OpenAI, IBM, CoreWeave, Verizon, Perplexity, Nokia Bell Labs, BetterFutureLabs, NJEDA, and the NJ AI Hub. 16 speakers, 300+ attendees, a packed house. This year's lineup is coming together now, and it's bigger.
OverdriveAI is one of many events TechUnited:NJ runs for its 13,000+ member community, from AI Demo Night to Propelify. Inquire about membership to hear about what's next.
TechUnited:NJ members receive complimentary admission to OverdriveAI as part of their membership.
Not a member yet? Join TechUnited:NJ to unlock complimentary access to OverdriveAI, along with year-round member benefits and opportunities to connect with New Jersey’s innovation community.
The Newark Museum of Art
The Newark Museum of Art, 49 Washington St, Newark, NJ 07102, USA. Confirm the venue with the organizer before traveling.
Open in Google Maps ↗Discovered through Cerebral Valley. Details come from the event listing and the organizer page; registration is managed by the organizer.
Last checked: Oct 18, 2026. Confirm current availability before making plans.
Organizer page checked: Oct 18, 2026. Check registration for the latest details.