On September 24, 2026, LAVA hosted the first annual as a Service World at the Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner. We brought together CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, procurement leaders and technology innovators for a full day of main stage panels, small-group breakouts and conversation about where enterprise technology is headed. Here’s a look back at the day.
- as a Service World 2026 was LAVA’s first annual summit for enterprise technology leaders, held September 24 in Tysons, Virginia.
- Main stage sessions covered technology spend, the end of legacy networking, AI workloads, network-as-a-service, AI in customer operations, global networking, security and the future of the tech executive.
- Five breakout rooms went deeper on procurement, AI readiness, customer experience, intelligent networks and AI agents.
- Different topics kept coming back to the same question: how do you modernize without adding complexity?
- Rohit Bhargava closed the day with a keynote on non-obvious thinking, followed by a champagne toast, book signing and closing party.
Why we built as a Service World
We started LAVA with a simple belief: enterprise leaders deserve better guidance as they navigate an increasingly complex technology landscape. as a Service World grew out of that same belief. We wanted a place where the people making high-stakes technology decisions could learn directly from one another, not just from a vendor pitch.
Jake Jansen, LAVA’s CEO and co-founder, opened the main stage with “You Are Shaping the Future.” From there, the morning moved quickly through the forces reshaping how enterprises buy and run technology.
What was on the main stage?
The main stage ran from 8:30 a.m. until the closing keynote, with short, focused panels instead of long presentations:
- Optimize Spend, Unlock Innovation with Chris Newsom (FMOL Health), Mike Schiappa (Green Cabbage) and Todd Smith (Calero), moderated by LAVA CRO and co-founder Billy Stowe.
- The End of Legacy Networking featuring Anil Varanasi, CEO of Meter.
- Powering the AI Enterprise: Where Will Your Workloads Live in 2027? with Rick Moore (Digital Realty) and Ari Weil (Akamai).
- Network-as-a-Service: Rebuilding the Network for the AI Era with Jason Viera (Cato Networks) and Chris Nein (Zayo).
- How AI Is Reinventing Customer Operations with Brad Grafton (SoundHound AI) and Lauren Jackson (Nextiva).
- The Future of Global Networking with Mason Miles (CommandLink) and Jeremy Anderson (TD SYNNEX), moderated by LAVA VP of Sales Doug Burr.
- Innovation Without Compromise with Mike Jin (Acentra Health), Ethan Harris (US Fertility) and Ben Eason (Apollo), moderated by Tony Robey (Walmart).
- Unifying the Workforce with AI featuring Gary Sorrentino, Global CIO of Zoom.
- The Tech Executive of the Future with Alexandra Guenther (Leidos), Will Landry (FMOL Health) and Christie Nader (Jet Aviation), moderated by Jake Jansen.
The question that kept coming up
The sessions covered AI, cybersecurity, infrastructure, customer experience and technology spend. Different topics, same tension: enterprise leaders have more options than ever and less time to evaluate them. Again and again, the conversation came back to one question: how do you modernize without adding complexity?
Breakouts built for real conversation
After lunch, attendees split into five smaller rooms for two rounds of breakout sessions:
- as-a-Service Procurement Strategies, moderated by Billy Stowe: how leading organizations are adapting the technology buying playbook and getting more out of every as-a-service investment.
- Building the AI-Ready Enterprise: how forward-thinking enterprises are preparing to support the next generation of AI-powered innovation.
- The Future of Customer Experience: how AI and intelligent communications are creating more seamless, personalized experiences.
- The Intelligent Network: how modern connectivity is helping enterprises increase security and resilience.
- The Rise of the AI Agent, moderated by Doug Burr: where AI agents are creating real value today and how to prepare for an agentic future.
The Innovator Lounge
Between sessions, the Innovator Lounge was where a lot of the day’s best conversations happened. Attendees met with our sponsors, saw live demos and caught up with peers facing the same decisions.
Closing keynote: Rohit Bhargava on non-obvious thinking
To close the main stage, trend expert and author Rohit Bhargava delivered a keynote on non-obvious thinking and the human side of seeing what’s next. His message came down to one big idea: “the people who understand people always win.” We share our full takeaways from his keynote in a separate post.
Toast, book signing and the closing party
After closing remarks from Jake Jansen and Billy Stowe, the day wrapped with a champagne toast and book signing in the Innovator Lounge, then moved to the closing party at Barrel & Bushel.
Thank you
To our attendees: thank you for taking time out of demanding schedules to be there. Your questions and willingness to engage openly are what made the day valuable for everyone in the room. To our sponsors: your partnership made this summit possible. And to every speaker who shared the stage with us, thank you.
If there’s a technology decision on your plate for 2027, talk with a LAVA Technology Consultant. Learn more about the event at aasworld.com.
