#Millenniumlive: Real-World Context Engineering: Live Context for AI Agents with Materialize

We’ve been talking about AI for years. Machine learning. Predictive analytics. Generative models. But something fundamental is changing. AI isn’t just generating content anymore — it’s taking action. Agents are moving from demo environments into production systems. They’re making decisions, triggering workflows, interacting with customers, and operating inside the core of the enterprise. So the big question becomes: are we looking at incremental progress, or a structural inflection point in enterprise architecture? Seth Wiesman, Field CTO at Materialize, joins the Millennium podcast — and he’s been vocal about a shift many organizations are just starting to grasp: most enterprise data platforms were designed for humans, not machines. In this episode, we’re digging into why traditional data lakes and warehouses may not be enough in an agentic world, why “time to trust in action” might become the defining leadership metric, and why stale context isn’t just a latency problem — it’s a business risk that touches revenue, resilience, and customer trust. Seth explores whether context infrastructure is becoming the next competitive moat, what it really means to build a “live digital twin” of your business, and how executives can take practical steps toward agent-scale systems — without ripping out everything they’ve already built. And perhaps most importantly: in the era of AI agents, why infrastructure discipline is so important.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.

About Materialize

Materialize is a real-time data integration platform for creating up-to-date, trustworthy views into any aspect of your business using just SQL. Build and adapt live, composable data products in minutes—with the team you already have. Use Materialize to power data-intensive UIs, deliver fresh context for AI/ML pipelines, and enable real-time process optimization. Trusted by General Mills, Ryder, and Fubo.tv to solve their most pressing real-time data challenges.

To learn more, visit www.materialize.com

Why B2B Mega Events Are Going Extinct – and What’s Replacing Them with Alex Sobol

Contributed by Sales & Marketing Management Magazine

Featuring Alex Sobol, Co-Founder at The Millennium Alliance

If you’re looking for evidence of sales and marketing’s obsession with hard numbers and ROI, consider the rapid rise of retail media networks (RMNs) within the ad tech sector. RMNs promise to get brands much closer to high-purchase intent consumers, both online and in-store, while providing direct line of sight into return on campaign spend. In a world where every marketing dollar needs to prove its value, brands are reallocating their spend in favor of highly targeted, measurable channels like this, versus more traditional, top-of-funnel approaches like linear TV and radio.

We’re seeing this trend play out similarly in in-person B2B event marketing. Even with the increased emphasis on digital channels like social selling, in-person interactions between buyers and sellers continue to be viewed as an irreplaceable piece of the sales puzzle. In fact, 87% of business managers believe in-person meetings are still central to strong business relationships.

However, the expectations for in-person B2B events are changing rapidly for both buyers and sellers. In many ways, the mega tradeshows that characterized Y2K and the early aughts are diminishing in influence, as today’s attendees seek more meaningful, intimate networking and personalized content over crowded, chaotic exhibition halls.

Not surprisingly, sales and marketing teams are now prioritizing these more intimate in-person events over the mega tradeshows, with one recent survey showing 34% year-over-year (1H 2024 – 1H 2025) growth in small (under 150 attendees) in-person gatherings. In contrast, the number of organizations planning more hosted large events fell 12% year over year from 2024 to 2025.

Curious what’s driving this shift and what it means for the future of B2B events? Read the full article to learn more here.

About Sales & Marketing Management

Sales & Marketing Management is the leading authority for executives in the B2B sales and marketing field. Our website, regular Web casts, e-newsletters, white papers, broadcasts and more, all provide our readers easy access to the most relevant trends, strategies, exclusive research, expert voices, and cutting-edge case studies designed to help them sell more, manage better, and market smarter.
Our website, regular Web casts, e-newsletters, white papers, broadcasts and more, all provide our readers easy access to the most relevant trends, strategies, exclusive research, expert voices, and cutting-edge case studies designed to help them sell more, manage better, and market smarter.

For more information, visit www.salesandmarketing.com.

Michaela Gifford, CFO at 7-Eleven International, Recognized with the Financial Leadership Award!

The Millennium Alliance is proud to announce that Michaela Gifford, Chief Financial Officer at 7-Eleven International, received the Financial Leadership Award at our Transformational CFO Assembly, held February 24–25 at The Four Seasons in Houston.

See the full list of winners and learn how you could be our next nominee—visit our Awards Page!

About Michaela Gifford

Michaela is a data-driven CFO with experience as a key member of executive management teams across fintech, financial services, medtech, and professional services organizations. She is known for thriving in fast growth, highly challenging environments, bringing structure, hands-on leadership, and strategic direction. Michaela is passionate about identifying innovative ways to integrate technology across the business and driving meaningful change through data and process.

Joe Sullivan, Former CSO at Facebook, Uber, and Cloudflare, Keynotes Our Transformational CISO Assembly May 6-7 in Fort Lauderdale!

The Millennium Alliance is excited to announce that Joe Sullivan, Former CSO at Facebook, Uber, and Cloudflare, will keynote our Transformational CISO Assembly on May 6-7 at The Omni in Fort Lauderdale!

Interested in joining this Assembly? Click here to request an invite

About Joe Sullivan

Joe is the CEO of Joe Sullivan Security LLC, where he advises companies of all sizes, leads security consulting projects, and mentors security leaders. He is also the CEO of Ukraine Friends, a nonprofit organization providing humanitarian aid to children striving to learn and grow in a war zone.

Joe has worked at the intersection of government, technology, and security since the mid-1990s. He spent 8 years working for the US DOJ, eventually 100% focused on technology-related crimes, received national recognition from the DOJ for outstanding service as a federal prosecutor, and worked on many first-of-their-kind cybercrime cases, including supporting the digital aspects of the 9/11 investigation. Joe was recruited to eBay in 2002 to build out their eCrime team, and later took on responsibilities at PayPal.

In 2008 Joe moved to Facebook where he became their CSO. He was recruited from there to join Uber in 2015, to be their first CSO. His experiences at Uber are well documented publicly, for better and for worse, including with a chapter dedicated to his life and time at the company in the bestselling book Super Pumped. After Uber Joe was the CSO at Cloudflare from 2018 through 2022. Joe has testified before the U.S. Congress twice and has long been active in international safety and cybersecurity policy efforts. He served on President Obama’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity, advised the Department of Homeland Security through both a formal task force and ongoing consulting efforts, and participated in a White House initiative to combat online bullying. Joe was a commissioner on the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, a board member of the National Cyber Security Alliance, and has contributed to several other nonprofit safety organizations. He was also a longtime opening plenary speaker at the Dallas Crimes Against Children Conference. In addition, Joe serves as an advisor to San Jose State University through its CAIC Industry Advisory Board and is a member of the Cloud Security Alliance’s Safe AI Non-Profit Leadership Council.

The Millennium Alliance Celebrates 12 Years of Transforming the Digital Enterprise with Record Growth and Strategic Investment

NEW YORK – March 3, 2026 – The Millennium Alliance proudly celebrates its 12th Anniversary this week, marking a defining year of accelerated growth, global expansion, and strategic advancement for the organization.

Over the past year, the company reached several transformative milestones, including receiving a majority investment from BV Investment Partners, successfully launching several new event brands, and surpassing 200 employees globally, a significant achievement that reflects the scale and momentum of the business entering its second decade.

The strategic partnership with BV Investment Partners represents a pivotal moment in the company’s evolution, positioning The Millennium Alliance for its next phase of accelerated growth, product innovation, and international expansion.

Since its founding in 2014, The Millennium Alliance has remained steadfast in its mission to connect senior-level executives and leading solution providers through highly curated, relationship-driven experiences. What began as an ambitious vision to modernize executive engagement has grown into a global platform delivering value through its Two-Day, Invite-Only Assemblies, Bespoke Executive Dinners, Digital Transformation Online Community, the fast-growing #MillenniumLive Podcast Series, and industry-leading Executive Education programs.

In its 12th year, the company continued to expand its event portfolio with the launch of several new brands, broadening its reach across industries and executive communities. This expansion, combined with disciplined operational growth and continued international development, has solidified Millennium’s position as a category leader in executive engagement.

“No matter how many years pass since Rob and I founded Millennium, each anniversary is incredibly meaningful,” said Alex Sobol, Co-Founder of The Millennium Alliance. “This past year was truly transformational. Welcoming BV Investment Partners as our majority investor, expanding our event portfolio, and surpassing 200 team members worldwide are milestones that reflect both the strength of our platform and the dedication of our people. What excites me most is that we are still in the early stages of what we believe Millennium can become. The foundation is stronger than ever, and the opportunity ahead is enormous.”

As The Millennium Alliance enters its 13th year, the organization remains focused on scaling its global executive network, deepening the value it delivers to members and partners, and continuing to redefine how senior leaders connect, learn, and grow in an increasingly complex digital economy.

For more information or to get in contact with The Millennium Alliance directly, contact

info@mill-all.com.

ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM ALLIANCE

The Millennium Alliance is a leading technology and business educational advisory firm with the sole mission of helping to transform the digital enterprise. Through our executive education platform, peer-to-peer learning model via our senior-level Assemblies, exclusive research projects conducted with world renowned academic institutions, and our numerous digital properties, we have become a trusted source for real-world tangible learning and engagement opportunities for senior executives and their technology partners.

This all started in 2014 when our founders, Alex Sobol & Rob Davis, decided to create the most intimate, high-level & exclusive in-person and online thinktank for leaders in a wide variety of industries within both the private and public sectors: The Millennium Alliance. Since its founding, Millennium has built a strong reputation nationwide, now with thousands of engaged Members, and is a three-time honoree of the Inc. 5000’s list of fastest-growing companies. The Millennium Alliance is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan with an office in London.

Building upon its award-winning conference and executive education businesses, today, The Millennium Alliance continues to stay connected with its C-Suite Members and partners through intimate In-Person Assemblies, industry-leading Executive Education Opportunities, and by providing exclusive industry insights from the nation’s leading academics, business leaders, and technology providers via our 70+ annual events and Digital Diary Content Platform as well as the rapidly growing Millennium Live Podcast Series.

How Proactive Injury Coverage Coordination Creates Value for Health Plans with Katch

Contributed by Katch

Health plans are under pressure to reduce medical costs without disrupting the member or provider experience. But often, payment responsibility isn’t verified until after claims have already been paid, leaving money on the table.

Katch’s latest whitepaper explores Proactive Injury Coverage Coordination (PICC), an approach that complements traditional subrogation by identifying the right payer before payment occurs. By coordinating responsibility sooner, PICC helps prevent incorrect payments, reduce unnecessary denials, and unlock real, measurable value.

Download the full whitepaper here to learn why PICC matters now, and how Katch can help health plans take a more proactive approach to cost containment.

About Katch

Katch delivers more from every claim—more value, more savings, and more confidence throughout the process.

By combining human insight with data and technology, Katch drives smarter outcomes before and after claims are paid. The team tailors strategies to each client’s unique needs, building partnerships that create measurable impact.

Katch finds what others miss—earlier, faster, and easier.

-35+ years of subrogation experience

-Supporting 100+ clients across all 50 states

-Scaled solutions for subrogation and Proactive Injury Coverage Coordination (PICC)

Learn more at KatchIQ.com.

2026 Fraud Trends and Phishing Predictions Report with Bolster AI

Contributed by Bolster AI

A closer look at how phishing and online fraud have evolved from isolated scams into large-scale, coordinated operations.

In 2025, attackers moved beyond isolated phishing emails and began building long-term infrastructure to manipulate search results, impersonate trusted brands, and harvest identities at scale.

Download the report now to uncover:

How phishing evolved from impersonation to infrastructure-driven campaigns
Why SEO poisoning and content farms are now dominant fraud tactics
The early signals that appear months before scams scale
Which industries are most targeted and why

Download the report here.

About Bolster AI

Bolster AI focuses on attacks that never touch your perimeter. They help security teams detect and disrupt phishing, impersonation, and fraud campaigns that exploit brand trust, not software vulnerabilities. By monitoring the external attack surface (domains, social platforms, marketplaces, apps, and email) Bolster surfaces threats most SOC tools never see and automates takedowns before customers are impacted. Many CISOs meet Bolster not because they’re shopping, but because they’re realizing this attack surface isn’t in their threat model yet.

To learn more, visit bolster.ai.

Connie Devine, Deputy CISO at Phillips 66, Recognized with the Cybersecurity Leadership Excellence Award!

The Millennium Alliance is proud to announce that Connie Devine, Deputy CISO at Phillips 66, received the Cybersecurity Leadership Excellence Award at our Transformational CISO Assembly, held February 10–11 at The JW Marriott in Atlanta.

See the full list of winners and learn how you could be our next nominee—visit our Awards Page!

About Connie Devine

Cybersecurity professional and leader with over 20 years of experience as senior manager reporting to the CISO in Fortune 5 company. Successfully managed large cybersecurity and GRC compliance teams. Demonstrated expertise in aligning security strategies with business objectives. Extensive background includes a strong focus on Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) management, ensuring adherence to industry standards and regulations such as NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, SOX, HIPPA, PCI and GDPR. With a proven track record of implementing robust security measures, effectively protecting critical infrastructure and sensitive data against evolving cyber threats. Leadership skills, technical proficiency, and comprehensive understanding of the oil and gas sector allow me to provide value safeguarding organizations and mitigating security risks. Experience communicating to boards, senior management and information security professionals on critical programs and strategies.

Sheila Jordan, SVP, Chief Digital Technology Officer at Honeywell, Recognized with the 2026 IT Leadership Award!

The Millennium Alliance is proud to announce that Sheila Jordan, SVP and Chief Digital Technology Officer at Honeywell, received the 2026 IT Leadership Award at our Digital Enterprise CIO Transformation Assembly, held February 4–5 at the Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami.

See the full list of winners and learn how you could be our next nominee—visit our Awards Page!

About Sheila Jordan

Sheila is an IT executive who excels at solving complex business problems enabled by technology – she understands how technology can add value to a business, and can define the IT vision and strategy to lead a team to successful execution. Her strengths: she is a change agent, and a passionate leader who successfully inspires and motivates a team, working collaboratively across an organization.

Specialties: Leader of transformational change—most recently at Symantec, the global leader in cyber security—driving the transformation of Symantec’s business through two large divestitures and six significant acquisitions. This included splitting IT operations when Symantec separated its security and information management operations—a highly successful, transformative initiative accomplished in nine months.

Melanie Tinto, CHRO at Grainger, Recognized with the HR Leadership Award!

The Millennium Alliance is proud to announce that Melanie Tinto, CHRO at Grainger, received the HR Leadership Award at our Transformational CHRO Assembly, held February 3–4 at the JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead.

See the full list of winners and learn how you could be our next nominee—visit our Awards Page!

About Melanie Tinto

Melanie Tinto, Chief Human Resources Officer at Grainger, is being nominated for the impact she has had on shaping Grainger’s people strategy at scale and ensuring it supports the company’s broader business goals. She has been instrumental in strengthening leadership development, modernizing HR practices, and building a culture that balances performance with genuine investment in employees. Melanie’s leadership has helped position Grainger to attract, retain, and develop talent in a way that supports long-term growth and resilience.