2026 Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference Keynote Highlight


KEYNOTE ADDRESS: AI and the Future of Us & Landscaping: Navigating the Promise and Perils of Artificial Intelligence

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM


Few technological developments have fueled as much excitement and concern in the landscaping industry as AI. In this highly engaging, jargon-free presentation, Theresa unpacks AI’s transformative power for your business from predictive equipment maintenance and optimized routing/scheduling to smart irrigation, AI-assisted landscape design, and automated client communications. You are not going to be replaced by robots and AI but you will need to use them to assist you!

Theresa, an avid gardener and from a family of cattle ranchers and farmers, loves the outdoors. She’ll take that love and technology know how to create demonstrations for you on how AI can help you reshape and reimagine your landscaping businesses, field operations, client relationships and daily workflows.

With anonymized case studies and demos she’ll inspire you. She’ll also ensure you know how to ask the right questions to ensure your implementations are safe and secure.

Theresa equips attendees with practical actions to harness AI’s vast potential for efficiency and growth while protecting their company, employees, clients and assets from emerging threats.

Theresa Payton

Theresa Payton

Founder and CEO
Fortalice Solutions LLC

www.theresapayton.com

Theresa Payton is a trailblazer in technology and cybersecurity, making history as the first female White House Chief Information Officer, under President George W. Bush. She’s recognized as one of the world’s top advisors on secured digital transformation, AI and privacy, consulting Fortune 500 boards, CEOs, and technology executives to safeguard critical assets and navigate complex digital challenges. Theresa is the go-to expert among network television news programs and other major media outlets for her broad cybercrime-fighting knowledge, relatable persona and ability to make complex technology understandable, and recently starred as Deputy Commander of Intelligence on the CBS TV reality hideand- seek show, “Hunted.” She’s also CEO and chief advisor of a leading digital security firm, Fortalice.

EXPERIENCE

Today, as the CEO of Fortalice Solutions, Theresa is on the cutting edge of AI and innovative technologies to protect and secure what matters most - people. She is also a co-inventor of a U.S. patent holder in security design and a recognized thought leader on AI, privacy, safety, and security.