AI is changing how Government teams build and ship software. Acquisition models are shifting. The playbooks that worked last year are aging out fast.
That’s the backdrop for Prodacity 2026: Rise8’s three-day training event for GovTech leaders delivering software in the age of AI. It runs from August 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Day 1 establishes a common understanding for modern software delivery. Day 2 splits into tracks for strategic and technical leaders, organized around the real constraints Government programs operate within, from classified deployments to acquisition cycles. On Day 3, you pick one full-day workshop and leave with applied work in hand. Options include Impact Lab (vibe-code with AI-native tools and ship real software), outcomes-oriented acquisitions, value stream mapping and more. The full list lands in July.
Learn From the Leaders Who’ve Shaped Modern GovTech
Prodacity has the hardest stage in GovTech to earn, and the 2026 lineup shows it. These people have shaped how Government builds, buys and runs software:
- Kent Beck, creator of Test-Driven Development, author of Extreme Programming Explained and an original signatory of the Agile Manifesto
- Mina Hsiang, third Administrator of the USDS, who led the HealthCare.gov rescue and built HHS’s Digital Service from the ground up
- Suzette Kent, fourth Federal CIO of the United States, who set Federal IT policy across the executive branch
- Jonathan Mostowski, President of Agile Acquisitions, with more than 20 years leading Federal procurement strategy, including at USDS and NGA
- Bryon Kroger, Founder and CEO of Rise8 and co-founder of USAF’s Kessel Run, where he led DoD DevSecOps transformation at enterprise scale
- Lloyd Evans, Head of Cybersecurity at Rise8 and USAF Veteran, who has supported Federal agencies including CMS and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
From the front lines of Government technology, these leaders teach what it takes to deliver software, modernize acquisition and lead change in mission-critical environments. More speakers join the lineup soon.
What is Prodacity?
Hosted by Rise8, Prodacity is the GovTech training event for Government and industry leaders turning software delivery challenges into mission outcomes. Every session runs on one rule: teach what works in production, not theory.
The room includes senior Government executives, military leaders, acquisition and contracting professionals, product managers, software engineers and GovTech industry partners. Right-sized, Prodacity gives you space to build relationships with peers facing the same problems across Government.
The 2026 Theme: Uncharted
This year’s theme is Uncharted. Government teams are working in fast-changing conditions where the old maps and playbooks no longer hold.
Rather than wait for things to settle, Prodacity is built for the people finding the routes everyone else will follow. The focus is practical, not academic. You’ll work on how to lead teams to accelerate software delivery, apply modernized acquisition practices and put AI to work in production.
Across the three days, you’ll dig into how to:
- Ship mission-critical software in complex, compliance-heavy environments
- Handle AI-native delivery and emerging technology
- Modernize acquisition and contracting
- Build teams that can sustain delivery velocity
- Connect software delivery to measurable mission outcomes
- Turn organizational blockers into momentum
Keynotes, expert-led sessions, peer discussions and hands-on workshops send you home with lessons you can use right away.
Join the People Clearing the Path
Government’s hardest problems are getting more complex. The leaders making real progress aren’t waiting for perfect conditions. They’re comparing notes, trading hard-won lessons and cutting new routes through uncertain terrain.
Prodacity 2026 puts you alongside leaders, practitioners, acquisition professionals and industry partners who are shaping what comes next. Whether you’re modernizing acquisition, accelerating delivery, putting AI into production or leading change, you’ll leave with specific tactics, new contacts and a clearer route forward.
Join Rise8 at Prodacity 2026: Uncharted in Nashville, August 25–27. Register at rise8.us/prodacity.
Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Rise8, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.
