45Drives, a company specializing in open-source data storage and compute, has released the complete agenda for its fourth annual Creator Summit, scheduled for October 20-22 in Wilmington, North Carolina. The event will gather independent technology creators, enterprise infrastructure leaders, open-source experts, AI researchers, academics, media figures, and film and VFX professionals to discuss the future of artificial intelligence, data ownership, and modern computing infrastructure. According to the announcement, the summit will feature dedicated Enterprise and Creative tracks. The Enterprise track will focus on private and on-premises AI, high-performance data systems, data sovereignty, cybersecurity, and open-source infrastructure. The Creative track will examine how AI is transforming production, editing, design, storytelling, and other creative workflows.
The speaker lineup includes prominent figures such as Tom Lawrence of Lawrence Systems, Wendell Wilson of Level1Techs, Jeff Geerling, Ed Rawlings of Unraid, and Brett Kelly of 45Drives, who also serves on the Ceph Foundation board. Other notable participants include Bob Henderson of Cass County, Ryan Walker of JR Automation, Dane Adams of Arista Networks, Allan Jude of Klara, Nicholas Wiczynski of NGW Post, Severine Erickson and Fenner Rockliffe of Niche VFX, Tyler Zibaie of Lighthouse Films, and Christos Makridis of Arizona State University. A remote session from Musora Media is also planned. Additionally, Harvard educator and United Nations Senior Expert Alexander Puutio and PhillComm Global Founder and CEO Jon Lindsay Phillips will join for a cross-disciplinary discussion on enterprise AI adoption, measurement, and communication.
“This is the strongest program we’ve assembled because it reflects how technology is actually moving,” said Dr. Doug Milburn, President of 45Drives. “Enterprise teams are bringing AI closer to their data, creators are building more of their workflows on infrastructure they control, and open-source communities are influencing both. Creator Summit puts those groups in the same room to work through the same questions and gives people something they can take back and use.”
The summit will kick off on Tuesday, October 20, at The Skyline Center in downtown Wilmington. After an introduction to the tracks, parallel sessions begin with Brett Kelly on the Enterprise side and Ed Rawlings on the Creative side. Afternoon sessions feature Tom Lawrence and a remote Musora Media presentation, followed by Wendell Wilson and Jeff Geerling. An invite-only Unraid event at Jengo’s Playhouse will include a livestream, food, and demonstrations of the 45HomeLab x Unraid Signature Series.
Wednesday’s programming continues at The Skyline Center with Bob Henderson and Nicholas Wiczynski, followed by Allan Jude and Severine Erickson. The afternoon includes Ryan Walker, Dane Adams, Tyler Zibaie, and Christos Makridis, who will connect AI research with creative production and education. The tracks then converge for a live 45Flow Stunt. On Thursday, October 22, at Union Station Auditorium, the day begins with an AI High Speed Stunt, followed by Enterprise AI Pulse, a cross-disciplinary session featuring Makridis, Puutio, and Phillips. The session will explore private and on-prem AI, data sovereignty, open source, workforce impact, business returns, and the evolving relationship between traditional tech media and independent creators. A panelist livestream and closing remarks will precede the official afterparty.
Sponsors and partners for this year’s event include Seagate, Unraid, Michael Best, and Cintas, with Seagate maintaining a presence throughout. The summit will also spotlight customers and ecosystem partners such as Cass County and JR Automation, alongside creators whose audiences are increasingly influential in enterprise technology. Now in its fourth year, Creator Summit aims to bring together communities that shape one another: enterprise IT teams deploying AI, open-source engineers building infrastructure, creators pushing digital workflows, academics studying implications, and media interpreting changes. The event can be attended in person or virtually, with key talks available via livestream. In-person seating is limited, and registration is available on the 45Drives Creator Summit page. For more information, visit 45Drives or view the original release on www.newmediawire.com.
