With change on the horizon, Federal organizations are re-evaluating legacy processes for software development in order to deliver new and better software to Americans. They’re taking bold action and transforming organizations into continuous software delivery innovators.
In honor of these government IT change agents, Rise8 is hosting Prodacity 2025 in Nashville, TN on February 4-6. Over three days, Prodacity will bring together technology leaders at every level to learn, discuss, experiment, problem-solve, and build transformative solutions that change constituents’ lives.
The agenda for Prodacity 2025 is packed with expert-led sessions and practical insights tailored to give attendees a complete perspective on effectively implementing continuous delivery. Software development requires more than development expertise; it calls for strategic thinking, an understanding of culture, sound governance, and product management skills. Prodacity 2025 attendees will learn about and experience all this and more.
Each day will focus on different phases of continuous delivery. On day one, attendees will learn about setting a strategic direction for continuous innovation. Day two will be all about mastering tactics for continuous improvement. On day three, attendees will identify where to start with practical steps to drive transformation.
Speaking of Transformation
Prodacity 2025 will feature an impressive lineup of speakers from both the private and public sectors. Notable speakers include:
- KEYNOTE: Barry O’Reilly, entrepreneur, business advisor, and author – Barry is an expert on model innovation, product development, cultural transformation, and organization design. At Prodacity 2025, he will speak on why we need a system for unlearning. He co-founded Nobody Studios, a venture studio to create 100 compelling companies over the next five years. His bestselling book, Lean Enterprise: How High-Performance Organizations Innovate at Scale, is the subject of a pre-conference book club.
- Justin Fanelli – Mr. Justin Fanelli is the Acting CTO for the Department of Navy and Technical Director of PEO Digital, driving mission-critical IT transformations and cost-efficient innovations. He has held key roles including Chief Data Architect for Defense Health and Technical Director for Navy MPTE, earning accolades like the Etter Award for impactful service delivery and multi-billion-dollar cost savings. A DARPA Service Chiefs Fellow, he has led groundbreaking advancements in healthcare data systems and Navy enterprise solutions. Outside work, Mr. Fanelli teaches at Georgetown, advises startups, and contributes to nonprofits like TechImpact.
- Paul Contoveros – Mr. Paul Controveros is the Chief of the Combat Force Enhancement Division at Space Operations Command in the for the U.S. Space Force where he leads all support to Deltas’ Combat Development Teams and Supra Coders. He also leads a team of professional software developers charged with delivering digital tools to the force. Upon retiring from the USAF with 26 years of military service, Mr. Contoveros worked as a contractor supporting the HQ AFSPC S5/9 Advanced Capabilities Team, which morphed into the Directorate of Innovation upon the standup of HQ SpOC. In this role he created the monthly Delta Innovation Collaboration Exchange (DICE), authored the Accelerated Delta Innovation Process (ADIP) and co-authored the command’s first ever, nearly completed, Innovation Operations Instruction. Mr. Contoveros joined the government team in July of 2023 as Director of Innovation, re-branded as the Combat Enhancement Division as part of the SpOC re-organization in 2024.
- Alistair Croll, author, founder, and chair – Alistair is the author of Lean Analytics, widely considered required reading for startups, and Just Evil Enough. He is also the chair of FWD50, a growing community of policymakers, technologists, and civic innovators. Drawing on his experience as the builder of web performance pioneer Coradiant and Year One Labs incubator, Alistair will educate Prodacity attendees on MVPs for enterprises.
- Edward Hieatt, Mechanical Orchard – Edward serves as Chief Customer Officer, helping enterprises overcome legacy modernization challenges. As a seasoned software engineer, Edward previously worked at Pivotal Labs and played a significant role in its growth, leading the rapid expansion of the technical field organization. His Prodacity talk will provide attendees with a perspective on real continuous delivery.
Join us at Prodacity
Carahsoft is thrilled to sponsor Prodacity 2025. We look forward to working alongside the speakers, representatives, attendees, and all change agents seeking to disrupt government technology’s status quo.
Please join us February 4-6, 2025, in Nashville, TN. Learn more and register here. Prodacity will be unlike any other government event you’ve attended—it is the GovTech symposium of the year.
