As a co-founder of an analytics firm, Mrinal Prasad—focused on cutting-edge AI and LLM solutions—found attending the O3 1682 Conference in Philadelphia both inspiring and affirming. The collaborative spirit that filled the event truly embodied the city’s ethos of brotherly love, bringing together business leaders, innovators, founders, and investors for in-depth conversations about the future of artificial intelligence.
The day began with insightful remarks from Ken Bull, CEO of Five Below, and Keith Scandone, CEO of O3, followed by a thought-provoking keynote from Mike Gadsby. The speaker lineup—featuring AI pioneers, CIOs, and cross-industry leaders—made for a dynamic and thought-rich experience.
A heartfelt thank you to Mike and Keith for hosting such a meaningful event, and to Mahesh Gaitonde for inviting our co-founder and CEO, Shikha Miglani, to participate in a panel discussion. Shikha did a phenomenal job sharing Saarthee’s journey and our proprietary 3I framework—Identify, Innovate, Institutionalize—which continues to drive practical, actionable innovation that powers real growth and enhances customer experience.
Leading a team dedicated to pushing the boundaries of AI, I found it particularly rewarding to exchange ideas with fellow trailblazers. Conversations around AI’s transformative power across industries sparked fresh ideas and new directions for our team at Saarthee.
Special shout-outs to:
Nate Gach – loved our conversation over lunch about the AI solutions we’re both working on.
Russ Kliman, Emily Foote, Omar Mencin, and Sushma Rajagopalan – your insights on creating real value through AI have already influenced a new internal initiative at Saarthee focused on proprietary data.
Amit Jhunjhunwala, John Collier, and Priya Serai – your CIO perspectives were a key takeaway: AI must be built into the design and development process, not bolted on afterward.
On a more personal note, I want to sincerely thank Five Below for a beautiful gesture. They created a special Founder badge for my daughter—who’s currently unwell but a proud Five Below fan. She had a joyful experience visiting their headquarters while I attended the conference. That kind of kindness speaks volumes about the community we’re building.
The future is indeed here. To quote a memorable panel on AI in sports by Anthony Brock and Jenna Kurath: Game On.
👉 Read more about our key takeaways here: www.saarthee.ai/blog/o3-1682-reflections
