Impruve at Future Proof: State of AI Research Reveal, The New AI Architecture, Anthropic's Latest, and more at the AI Stewardship Lab

Future Proof Festival returns to Huntington Beach September 14 through 17, and Impruve will be there all week. We’re on the main stage twice, hosting four Breakthru sessions, and running the AI Stewardship Lab throughout the conference. Here’s the full lineup.

If you’re attending and want time with our team, the AI Stewardship Lab is the easiest place to catch us, between headliner sessions as follows:

State of AI in Wealth Management: Research Unveiled

In the headliner event of Future Proof, Impruve CEO Mike Shannon joins Future Proof CEO Matt Middleton on the Ocean Stage to unveil the inaugural findings of the State of AI in Wealth Management research. As noted in the initial June press release, Impruve was selected as co-commissioner of this ongoing research effort “on the merit of its pioneering role in the emerging category of AI Stewardship.” Rooted in our vendor-neutral disposition and Future Proof’s unparalleled reach across all aspects of the wealth-tech landscape, the State of AI in Wealth Management emerges as the industry-defining benchmark for how wealth firms and the professionals inside them adopt, govern, deploy, and profit from artificial intelligence.

The study looks through two lenses at once: a Firm Lens measuring strategy, spend, governance, and outcomes, which powers an AI Maturity Index, and an Individual Lens measuring how professionals in every role are adopting AI, which powers a companion AI Champion Index. If you want to know where firms like yours actually stand, and who inside them is driving the change, this is the session.

Don’t miss the reveal on September 14! And if your firm’s executive team would benefit from an AI executive session with our team afterward, feel free to request a session with us.

Beyond Point Solutions: The New AI Architecture Every Firm Needs to Understand

AI adoption started with point solutions. The next phase is about how those tools work together. As firms move toward AI-native operating models, concepts like agent orchestration, control planes, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) are becoming the foundation of enterprise AI.

Cresset Head of AI Dr. Kelly Wagman holds a PhD in human-centered AI, and Impruve Chief Data Officer Jordan Campbell has spent his career deep in the weeds of the data infrastructure, warehousing, and strategy behind deploying enterprise-grade software in regulated environments. Together, they will break down the unsung layers of AI infrastructure through practical frameworks and diagrams that make complex ideas accessible. Rather than another product demo, this session gives you a clearer mental model for evaluating what’s next, whether you lead technology strategy or simply want to understand where AI is headed.

Claude in Practice: An Interactive Anthropic Workshop

With new major releases expected out of Anthropic throughout the remainder of 2026, what does it actually look like to put Claude to work inside a wealth management business? Whether you’re just getting started or looking to sharpen your prompting skills, this interactive session explores practical ways to use Claude for research, writing, analysis, and operational workflows. Bring your questions, test ideas live, and walk away with techniques you can apply across your firm the same day.

Enterprise Masterminds: AI’s Influence on the M&A Lifecycle (Private, Invite-Only)

This masterminds session brings together senior operators from the industry’s most active acquirers to examine the factors now influencing every phase of the deal lifecycle, with AI chief among them. Amy DeTolla, who has guided integrations from Focus Financial to today’s RIA aggregators, will map the path from pre-LOI assessment through diligence, integration, and acceleration, drawing on the friction points she has seen across hundreds of firms. The Impruve team will overlay the AI capability landscape against each phase: what creates real leverage today, what to skip, and what to watch as frontier models cross new thresholds.

Attendees leave with a phase-by-phase capability mental map and an invitation to Impruve’s quarterly AI capabilities briefing.

The AI Authenticity Paradox: Text vs. Video Content in the AI Era

AI has turned written content into white noise. When anyone can generate endless polished text, it’s harder for clients and prospects to tell who wrote what, and written thought leadership loses its power to differentiate.

The paradox is that the same AI that devalued text may be what finally makes video approachable, as both a thought leadership medium and an asynchronous way to form authentic connections with the people you want to reach. Impruve CEO Mike Shannon and Socialive CEO Dave Moricca will explore what that could look like in practice: where AI can help you figure out what’s worth saying and when, how it might lighten the lift of creation and compliance, and how to scale your presence without losing the authenticity that makes video work in the first place.

AI Architecture as a Valuation Multiplier

As AI becomes a defining capability for advisory firms, the quality of your technology architecture increasingly influences enterprise value. In this interactive session with One Wealth CEO Jeremy Dicker, we’ll unpack how One Wealth has built its bespoke AI foundation to improve operations, accelerate advisor productivity, and create a more scalable business. Through a behind-the-scenes look at the workflows and architectural decisions, attendees will gain practical insight into building an AI strategy that strengthens both day-to-day execution and long-term firm value.

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All Week: The AI Stewardship Lab

Throughout the conference, the AI Stewardship Lab is open inside the wider AI playground at Future Proof. Think of it as a vendor-neutral educational oasis with an “Apple Genius Bar” feel: grab a chair, take a meeting, or come talk through whatever AI question is on your mind.

Our team will be there all week with educational framework materials built around the four pillars of AI Stewardship:

• AI strategy and cohesion
• Forward-deployed engineering
• AI programs and training
• Vendor neutrality

No demo decks or sales pitches. Purely a place to think clearly about AI with the experts who do this work every day inside leading RIAs.

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We look forward to seeing you in Huntington Beach!

— The Impruve Team