Mind & Machine Fort Worth: AI for Business Leaders - Nov 4, 2026

Mind & Machine unites Fort Worth leaders monthly to demystify AI through practical education, use cases, and ethical discussions. OVERVIEW Fort Worth's premier AI networking group Unites Fort Worth leaders monthly to demystify AI through practical education, use cases, and ethical discussions. Mind & Machine FW Presents: YOUR VENDOR'S AI IS YOUR RISK: REWRITING THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTS FOR THE MACHINE AGE Your vendors now touch your data with systems that learn, change, and rely on subcontractors you've never heard of. The contract decides who answers for it when something goes wrong. As Kristen puts it, "You can outsource the function, but not the accountability." Join Mind & Machine Fort Worth as we welcome Kristen Thomas, J.D., former Head of Information Security Compliance at JPMorgan Chase and author of From Chaos to Capability, for a session on keeping accountability where it belongs when your vendors use AI. Kristen brings more than 25 years of compliance leadership in financial services, including programs built to withstand OCC, FDIC, CFPB, and Federal Reserve scrutiny. She'll show business leaders how to write and negotiate vendor contracts that hold up when a vendor's AI is part of the work. What You'll Learn: ✅ The contract clauses that matter most when a vendor's AI touches your data, including training use, model changes, and hidden subprocessors ✅ How to set incident notification, audit rights, and liability caps that match the way breaches happen today ✅ What to ask vendors before you sign, and what to do when they won't negotiate ✅ Practical ways to tier vendors by risk so your diligence and your contract rigor match Whether you're a business owner, executive, marketer, consultant, or simply curious about the future of work, you'll leave with actionable ideas you can begin using immediately. About the Speaker Kristen Thomas, J.D., CRCM, is a Fractional Chief Compliance Officer with ComplyIQ, where she helps fintechs and financial institutions turn hidden compliance risk into operational readiness. With more than 25 years of compliance leadership in financial services, she has served as a Chief Compliance Officer, led 50-state licensing initiatives, and prepared organizations for regulatory exams. Before ComplyIQ, Kristen was Executive Director and Head of Information Security Compliance and Operational Risk at JPMorgan Chase, where she led a team of 25 to 30 technology and cybersecurity professionals and briefed the OCC, FDIC, and Federal Reserve. She is the author of From Chaos to Capability: Building an Effective Compliance Program, a #1 New Release in Regulatory Business Law on Amazon. When Wednesday, November 4, 2026 4:30 - 7:00 PM Where HopFusion Ale Works 200 East Broadway Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76104 Schedule 4:30 PM Arrivals and intros 5:00 PM Sponsor presentation 5:05 PM Main talk or panel, plus Q&A 5:45 PM Networking and snacks Sponsor an evening Sponsorship is $500 per event and covers snacks for the night. Sponsors get five minutes on stage, their logo on every event listing and LinkedIn promotion, and the option to sponsor our Plano chapter for twice the visibility. Reach out at [email protected] or [email protected]. At Mind and Machine, we believe AI works best when humans stay at the center. Follow Mind & Machine on LinkedIn for speaker announcements: Human first, AI forward.