Manufacturing faces a critical juncture. As retirements drain decades of hard-won expertise and new hire retention remains low, the strain on experienced workers continues to grow. This roundtable will explore how leaders use connected worker technologies—AR, mobile workflows, digital training, and AI—to scale institutional knowledge and empower new workers, preventing the loss of tribal knowledge.
Modern Industrialist Exchange | October 2025 dinner
The connected worker revolution: solving the skilled labor shortage
October 15, 2025 | 6:30–9pm
(CDT)
Eddie V's | Oak Brook, IL
About this dinner series
You are invited to this roundtable discussion
The Modern Industrialist Exchange is a community created by TXI to bring together industrial leaders for honest, strategic conversations about transformation, innovation, and the future of operations.
Each dinner features a rotating expert speaker and a focused topic—designed to spark dialogue and connection among forward-thinking peers. Come ready to share your voice and insights—this community thrives on the collective wisdom and real-world experiences of its members.
Agenda
An evening of real talk on transformation—paired with a curated dinner experience.
Dinner fare: Signature cocktails and elegant hors d’oeuvres set the tone, followed by a sophisticated dinner showcasing premium seafood and prime-aged steaks.
6:30 - 7:00 pm | Arrive and networking cocktail reception
7:00 - 7:30 pm | Ron’s remarks and introduction to the topic
7:30 - 9:00 pm | Dinner and roundtable discussion
Featured speaker
Ron Norris
Founder & President
Advanced Innovation Management (AIM)
Ron Norris is an Innovation & Transformation Leader and AI Visionary for industrial and manufacturing organizations. Ron helps others transform the way work happens. He is a results-driven leader with vast experience in leading high-performance cross-functional teams, organizational transformation, and applying technology (Ai/ML) to reduce variability and increase reliability. He is recognized for his leadership strength, opportunity-focused innovation, and his talent in translating difficult concepts into easy-tounderstand pathways.
His talk will explore:
Proven strategies to capture and scale institutional knowledge
Explore the “connected worker” ecosystem (hardware, software, and workflow design that make up a successful connected worker strategy)
Actionable guidance on how to align people, processes, and technology to combat the skilled labor shortage
January 2026
Coming soon
March 2026
Coming soon
Let’s start a conversation
Let's shape your insights into experience-led data products together.