Past Events

Recent disruptions—from pandemics to infrastructure failures to (rapidly) changing trade policies —have exposed critical vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain. These challenges demand coordinated, data-informed responses that bridge the gap between siloed operations and system-wide visibility, and yet be privacy preserving. This workshop will convene experts from academia, industry, and government to address the vision laid out in the OKN Roadmap: an Open Knowledge Network (OKN) to enable real-time visibility and resilience across the national supply chain.

The workshop will be structured around three concrete supply chain scenarios: water supply, manufacturing contracts and freight transportation. For each of these scenarios, we will assess the state of practice and emerging challenges. We will use that information to formulate concrete project proposals to accelerate their solutions.

Registration fee is $215. Fee includes: AM Break and Snacks, Lunch on both days, PM Break and Snack and Dinner on March 9. Registration will close by COB March 3, 2026.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just for large tech companies — it’s a powerful, practical tool that small businesses can use today. This engaging and accessible webinar demystifies AI and shows entrepreneurs how it can serve as a true “force multiplier,” helping small teams operate like much larger organizations.

From machine learning and computer vision to generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, you’ll explore how AI is transforming industries, including retail, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation. More importantly, you’ll discover how these technologies can be applied to customer service, marketing, operations, data analysis, and workflow automation within your own business.

This session also addresses real-world concerns around AI bias, security, ethics, and data privacy — equipping you to adopt AI responsibly and strategically. Whether you’re an AI novice or ready to experiment with advanced tools, you’ll walk away with practical knowledge and clear next steps.

What You’ll Learn:

• The difference between AI and automation — and why it matters
• How machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI work in simple terms
• Real-world business use cases for AI across multiple industries
• How to use prompt engineering to get better results from tools like ChatGPT
• The role of data in AI accuracy, fairness, and performance
• How to evaluate AI tools (no-code vs. code-based solutions)
• Key risks including bias, hallucinations, and security concerns — and how to mitigate them
• How to start small and implement AI for immediate business impact

Project Spectrum is a U.S. Department of War (DoW) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) initiative that provides a free, online cybersecurity education + readiness platform—aimed mainly at small and mid-sized businesses in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB)

This webinar will showcase Project Spectrum’s impact and provide a vision for the future.

You will learn:

• What are the cybersecurity expectations for DoW contractors
• Use training, tools, and practical resources to help you build “cyber hygiene” and get ready for compliance expectations.
• Use self-assessments / risk assessments so you can see where you stand and what gaps to fix
• Prepare for CMMC-related requirements (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification)

Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT issue—it’s a business survival issue. This webinar introduces the core cybersecurity risks impacting small businesses in 2026 and what owners can do today to protect their operations.

Key topics include:

1. Common cyber-attacks affecting small businesses
2. Financial and operational impacts of cyber incidents
3. Data protection and privacy basics
4. Managing vendor and partner risk
5. Simple cybersecurity best practices that work

Designed for non-technical audiences, this session emphasizes clarity, confidence, and practical next steps.

This essential webinar will guide you through the complex strategic and legal challenges facing employee-owned businesses today. Learn to master critical areas, including effective Intellectual Property (IP) documentation tied to business management and navigating the IP concerns of owner-employees. We will also provide crucial strategies for integrating new hires, mitigating Artificial Intelligence (AI) risks, and balancing the demands of scaleability versus saleability to ensure your company maintains its competitive advantage.

Managing a business is more than managing an information technology department, but the threat of a cyberattack is both real and increasing. This webinar is intended for business leaders who recognize the risks posed by cybercriminals targeting small and medium enterprises, often exploiting outdated defenses or limited resources. The repercussions of a security breach can be severe, including operational disruptions, financial losses, and reputational damage.

But the positive news is that effective cybersecurity measures are attainable!

Join us for this IT SCC webinar, where cybersecurity experts from across the IT Sector will demystify complexities and offer a strategic approach to enhancing your organization’s security posture. Attendees will gain knowledge to transition from vulnerability to vigilance by improving their understanding of security frameworks and emerging threat trends. The session will feature a panel discussion with distinguished industry and government leaders.

Participants are encouraged to engage through questions. Please utilize the Q&A section to submit inquiries as they arise, or select the "raise hand" feature to be unmuted and ask your question directly.

**Please note that this event may be rescheduled should a lapse in government funding occur. Registered participants will be notified of any changes in the date and time** 

Join the UVI Information Services & Institutional Assessment team as they prepare USVI Small Businesses with the tools necessary to secure their data and electronic information. Learn common fallacies for small businesses regarding cybersecurity, the types of threats encountered, strategies for combating the threats, and how to get started. This interactive webinar is free of cost and includes a question-and-answer segment.

We will provide practical insights and actionable strategies to enhance your ability to effectively mitigate ransomware threats.

In this session, you will learn:

•            What is ransomware and how it works

•            Ransomware prevention

•            How to understand cyber threats and what to do about them

Ransomware is a persistent risk to organizations of all sizes and sectors, and addressing this risk requires collaboration across the public and private sectors to develop practical resources for organizations to reduce their ransomware risks.

Speakers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Center for Internet Security (CIS), and the Institute for Security and Technology (IST) will provide an overview of available ransomware risk management resources that help organizations get started with ransomware risk management by establishing foundational safeguards and building from there. Two resources that will be featured include: 

• NIST Ransomware Risk Management CSF 2.0 Community Profile—published as an Initial Public Draft on January 13, 2025, reflects changes made to the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) from CSF 1.1 to CSF 2.0 which identifies security objectives that support managing, detecting, responding to, and recovering from ransomware events. The publication can be used to gauge an organization’s readiness to counter ransomware threats, mitigate potential consequences of a ransomware event, and to develop a ransomware countermeasure playbook.
• The IST and the Ransomware Task Force Blueprint for Ransomware Defense—which provides small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with an actionable framework to defend against the most common attacks. It is comprised of a subset of Implementation Group 1 (IG1) Safeguards from the CIS Critical Security Controls (CIS Controls) v8 and aligned with NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, to help SMEs understand where they can get started with establishing a ransomware risk management strategy.

Speakers will provide an overview of the resources above, including how they were developed collaboratively, and will also discuss current and future efforts to address ransomware risk management.  Ample time will be saved audience questions, ideas, and discussion.

Join the UVI Information Services & Institutional Assessment team as they prepare USVI Small Businesses with the tools necessary to secure their data and electronic information. Learn common fallacies for small businesses regarding cybersecurity, the types of threats encountered, strategies for combating the threats, and how to get started. This interactive webinar is free of cost and includes a question-and-answer segment.

In today's digital age, phishing attacks have become increasingly sophisticated and prevalent. These deceptive tactics target individuals and organizations alike, aiming to compromise sensitive information, financial resources, and even the reputation of companies. It is imperative that we equip ourselves with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify and work to prevent these threats.  Our goal is that you leave the session with a heightened awareness and the ability to confidently navigate through potential phishing and other email threats.

This session’s topics will explain:

•            What is phishing and how it works

•            Different types of phishing attacks

•            Red flags to watch out for in suspicious emails

•           Best practices for protecting sensitive information

•            How to report phishing attempts

Join the NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) on January 14th, 2026, for a full-day hybrid workshop to discuss the Preliminary Draft of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework Profile for Artificial Intelligence (Cyber AI Profile). NIST will also provide an update regarding the Special Publication (SP) 800-53 Control Overlays for Securing AI Systems (COSAiS). 

This workshop will feature in-person and virtual presentations in the morning, followed by in-person only breakout sessions in the afternoon. The breakout sessions will allow in-person attendees to engage directly with the NIST Cyber AI Profile team and for in-depth discussion of the preliminary draft of the Profile.