What happens when an AI project survives the hype cycle, funding shifts, team turnover, model drift, and six full years of production? Spoiler: it doesn't look anything like the demos from year one.
In this talk, I'll share the unfiltered story of a long-running AI initiative at one of my clients, an effort that started as a promising idea in manufacturing and has quietly become a core part of daily operations. Over six years, we've retrained models a ton of times, switched models, battled bad data, outlasted CI/CD pipelines, and learned to measure ROI not in flashy metrics but in sustained, compounding business value—by enabling business scale.
Expect candid war stories: the tools and architectures that aged gracefully (and the ones we had to euthanize), the technology shifts we needed to keep up with, and the small but critical tweaks that turned "it works… mostly" into "it just works."
This isn't a fairy tale of effortless AI magic—it's the messy, human, practical reality of making AI stick around and deliver for years. If you're tired of one-and-done pilots and want to build something that lasts, lets have some real talk.
Cameron Vetter – New Resources Consulting
AI Practice Director and Microsoft MVP
Cameron Vetter is a technology professional, recognized for his exceptional contributions to the Microsoft ecosystem as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in Artificial Intelligence. His MVP award, which he has earned seven years in a row, highlights his commitment to empowering developers, IT professionals, and organizations through education, mentorship, and thought leadership.
With over two decades of experience in AI/ML, cloud architecture, and technology leadership, Cameron has established himself as a trusted expert in leveraging Microsoft technologies to drive innovation and solve complex business challenges. Cameron specializes in areas such as Azure, .NET, DevOps, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence, helping businesses harness the power of technology to achieve their goals.
Cameron is the AI Practice Director at New Resources Consulting. His experience spans a wide range of roles, from hands-on software engineering to strategic consulting and technical evangelism. He has worked with organizations of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, guiding them through cloud initiatives and building AI strategies. His ability to bridge the gap between technical complexity and business value has made him a sought-after speaker, trainer, and advisor.
In addition to his professional work, Cameron is an active contributor to the tech community. He regularly shares his insights through blog posts and open-source projects. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and user groups. He has presented at Microsoft Ignite, Microsoft Build, Midwest Architect Community Conference, CodeMash, That Conference, AI DevWorld, and many other user groups and conferences.
Registration will be open soon!
Event Details:
- Thursday, September 24, 2026
- Doors open at 5:00 pm - Networking and food! Program begins at 5:45pm
- Holidays Pub & Grill, 1395 W. American Dr. Neenah, WI 54956
- Cost:
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- FREE for Members!
- $20 for Non-Members/Guests
- $10 for Students (with school ID)
