CloudOffix to lead IEDC lab on AI-ready infrastructure for economic development

CloudOffix CEO Gokhan Erdogdu will lead a Learning Lab at the IEDC 2026 Annual Conference in New Orleans on Oct. 26 about how connected data and workflows can help economic development organizations and entrepreneur support teams report outcomes with more confidence. The session will focus on what EDAs and ESOs need to put in place before AI can add value.

Why it matters: - Economic development organizations are under pressure to show measurable results to boards, funders and stakeholders. - Connected data systems can make it easier to track outcomes such as jobs created, capital raised, revenue growth and companies graduated. - The session will focus on infrastructure that can help EDAs and ESOs use AI without losing human oversight.

What happened: - CloudOffix will participate in the International Economic Development Council’s 2026 Annual Conference in New Orleans from Oct. 25–28. - CloudOffix Founder and CEO Gokhan Erdogdu will lead a Learning Lab on Oct. 26. - The session, “From Programs to Proof: Building AI-Ready Infrastructure for Economic Development and Entrepreneur Support,” is scheduled for 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. CT in Elite Hall.

The details: - The Learning Lab will examine how organizations can connect the full business support journey, from initial outreach and applications to programs, mentoring, follow-up and impact reporting. - The session will cover economic development activities such as business attraction, business retention and expansion, site selection, incentives, workforce initiatives and grants. - The session also will address entrepreneur support services such as memberships, mentor hours, room bookings, sponsorships, program applications, cohorts and founder support. - Some economic development authorities also operate or support entrepreneur support organizations, such as the Howard County Economic Development Authority and the Maryland Innovation Center. - In many organizations, business-support information is spread across websites, application systems, program tools and spreadsheets. - Disconnected systems can make it hard to maintain a continuous view of the businesses being served and to report outcomes consistently. - The session will use CloudOffix’s work with EDAs and ESOs as a practical example of connected workflows across the full lifecycle of support.

Between the lines: - The pitch is not just about AI features. It is about cleaning up the underlying data and workflow structure first. - CloudOffix is positioning AI as a layer that works best after organizations have reliable records, governance and human review in place. - The conference setting gives CloudOffix a direct audience of economic development leaders looking for reporting tools and operational systems.

What's next: - Attendees will look at where AI can assist today, where human oversight remains essential and what organizations need to establish before AI can deliver meaningful value. - The session is expected to help EDAs and ESOs think through how to prepare for year-over-year reporting and more connected operations. - CloudOffix is also promoting its broader platform, which brings people, data, workflows and AI onto one governed operational foundation.

The bottom line: - CloudOffix is using IEDC 2026 to make a case that better infrastructure, not just better AI, is the key to proving economic development impact.