DALLAS, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Focused discussions on how artificial intelligence, data and leadership judgment are shaping the future of care at home were featured at AGILE 2026, the Axxess Growth, Innovation and Leadership Experience, which brought together more than 800 leaders from across home health, hospice and home care.

“The future of care at home depends on how well we work together to apply technology in ways that truly help organizations grow and deliver better care,” Axxess Founder and Chief Executive Officer John Olajide emphasized in his conference opening remarks.

Artificial intelligence was a central theme across AGILE 2026, with speakers and panelists returning repeatedly to the need for responsible adoption, clear oversight and intentional use of AI to accelerate quality care delivery. Participants highlighted the value of AI tools that reduce administrative burden, improve visibility and support clinical and operational decision‑making, while reinforcing the continued importance of human judgment.

Axxess’ solution delivery team also unveiled new AI‑powered agents as part of the Axxess intelligence ecosystem, including an Ambient Agent, Intake Agent and Billing Agent, along with new business intelligence dashboards and enhancements to its interactive Ask Axxess feature. Together, these innovations are designed to support connected workflows, interoperability and insight generation across care at home operations.

Olajide underscored the role of Axxess intelligence® in supporting provider growth and reinforcing the importance of partnership across the industry.

 “Axxess intelligence® blends advanced AI with deep industry expertise to help our clients make smarter decisions, strengthen operations and continue raising the standard of care.”

The three‑day AGILE 2026 conference featured 13 educational sessions and six immersive workshops led by more than 60 faculty members, alongside participation from more than 60 sponsors representing the broader care at home industry.

“We bring together leaders from across the care at home continuum because progress requires partnership,” said Olajide. “Our sponsors support AGILE because they believe in working together to strengthen the industry and improve care delivery.”

Programming throughout the event emphasized practical execution, governance and collaboration at a time when providers are navigating rapid technological change alongside increasing operational complexity.

Attendees also engaged in discussions focused on data‑driven clinical decision‑making, with leaders exploring how connected systems and real‑time insight can help organizations anticipate risk, prioritize resources and coordinate care more effectively across teams and settings.

AGILE 2026 included the AGILE Distinction Awards, recognizing 11 organizations for leadership and excellence across the care at home continuum. The ceremony also honored Bill Dombi with the David Merk Enduring Legacy Award, recognizing his lasting contributions to advancing the industry and supporting providers nationwide.

AGILE 2027 is scheduled for May 3-5 in Dallas. Registration is open.

About Axxess 

Axxess is the leading global technology platform transforming how care is delivered in the home. Trusted by more than 10,000 organizations worldwide, its robust ecosystem empowers healthcare professionals to deliver exceptional care to more than 10 million patients. As a true partner committed to its clients’ success, Axxess listens, adapts and innovates alongside them to meet today’s challenges and prepare them for tomorrow’s opportunities. Recognized nationally as a “Best Place to Work,” Axxess fosters a collaborative culture that fuels innovation and excellence.

Contact: CorporateCommunications@axxess.com

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SOURCE Axxess

FLINT, Mich., May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kids and teens from 22 states are moving on to the final phase of the Mott Million Dollar Challenge after judges selected the top 60 business ideas and social solutions to advance. Each semifinalist submission — created by one to three students — will receive $5,000 and a chance to take home up to $25,000 in additional awards at the live pitch competition taking place June 15-16 in Flint.

See the full list of semifinalist submissions here.

More than 5,300 young people from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., submitted over 3,700 ideas to the Challenge. Of those, 1,500 submissions were selected to win $250 in the first round. From there, 60 top-scoring ideas were chosen in a second round of judging, and the individuals and teams behind those ideas will compete as semifinalists in Flint.

Funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation as part of its centennial celebration, the Mott Million Dollar Challenge is administered by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) in collaboration with VentureLab, Young Entrepreneur Institute (YEI), the Afterschool Alliance, Collaborative Communications and the 50 State Afterschool Network.

The 60 ideas advancing to the final phase of the Challenge reflect the creativity, determination and problem-solving mindset of a generation of leaders and builders.

“Every day at YEI, we see what’s possible when young people are given the opportunity to think, explore and create solutions to problems they see in the world,” said Ilene Frankel, YEI’s executive director. “These semifinalist ideas are a powerful snapshot of the innovation and ingenuity students show when given that opportunity.”

The 60 semifinalist submissions come from 84 young people in 22 states. Semifinalists were selected across business and social solution categories, as well as three grade levels (K-4, 5-8 and 9-12), with 10 ideas earning a spot in each category and grade level.

Projects advancing to the final round range from tools that support mental health and medical care to innovations that reduce waste, promote creativity, and strengthen schools and communities. The proposals highlight how young people are already stepping up with ideas that address real challenges and could create meaningful change.

“It was a great experience participating as a judge, and I truly appreciated the opportunity to contribute to the Mott Million Dollar Challenge,” said Padmanabham Venkiteela, a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and one of more than 200 volunteer judges who reviewed pitch videos in the first phase of the competition. “I was impressed by the creativity, effort and entrepreneurial thinking demonstrated by the students.”

Ahead of the final competition in Flint, the creators behind the 60 semifinalist submissions will prepare by connecting with mentors to help them expand their original ideas into more fully developed plans.

During the final event, the young entrepreneurs behind all 60 will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges. Eighteen ideas will advance to the final round of competition, and the top six — representing the two categories across three grade levels — each will earn a grand prize of $25,000.

“We’re really excited to bring this group to Flint,” said Arielle Milton, a program officer on the Mott Foundation’s Youth Engagement team. “This competition reflects the kind of learning experiences we believe are critical for young people: thinking creatively, responding to real challenges and knowing their voice matters.”

The Mott Million Dollar Challenge is more than a competition. It’s about encouraging kids of all ages to dream big and recognize the power of their own ideas. The Challenge also shines a light on entrepreneurship education as a meaningful way to help students build skills they need to navigate and shape the future.

Follow along at mottmillion.org as these young innovators prepare to take the national stage.

Funded by the Mott Foundation as part of its centennial celebration, the Mott Million Dollar Challenge reflects the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to empowering young people with hands-on learning experiences and problem-solving skills. Through this work, Mott is investing in the next generation of innovators while expanding access to high-quality entrepreneurship education through afterschool and community-based partnerships nationwide.

The Challenge is administered by NFTE in collaboration with VentureLab, YEI, the Afterschool Alliance, Collaborative Communications and the 50 State Afterschool Network. Together, they are making this work possible and helping young people turn ideas into impact every day.

Media Contact: Andrea Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick@collaborativecommunications.com

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SOURCE Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

New capability brings structured, AI-driven interviews directly into Ashby’s unified hiring platform

SAN FRANCISCO, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ashby, the all-in-one recruiting platform, today announced the upcoming  launch of its AI Interviewer at its annual Ashby One conference. The product builds on the acquisition of Talent Llama late last year, a startup focused on AI-powered interviewing technology.

The AI Interviewer lets teams run structured, conversational screening interviews directly in Ashby, with results feeding into the same workflows they already use for scheduling, evaluation, and decision-making.

“We were reasonably skeptical of AI interviewing at first,” said Benji Encz, CEO and co-founder of Ashby. “What changed was seeing it work in our own hiring process. When it’s designed to feel natural and useful for candidates, it becomes a lot more compelling — which is why we’re building it directly into our platform.”

Ashby’s move into AI interviewing came from using it internally in mid 2025 and hearing interest from customers. Speaking to over 600 talent and recruiting professionals during the Ashby One Product Keynote, Recruiting Manager Anna Hall shared how 36% of candidates opted into the AI experience when given the choice between a recruiter screen or an AI interview on their own time.

“We started using AI interviews to give candidates we might have passed on another chance to show their strengths,” shared Hall. “That approach is already working. We’ve extended offers to three candidates who came through that path.”

Why Talent Llama

Founded by Adam Stokar and Ben Chaikin, Talent Llama has spent the past two years building AI interviewing tools grounded in real hiring workflows.

“We weren’t planning to sell the company,” said Stokar. “But after working closely with the Ashby team, it became clear this was the right place to keep building. The product quality, the pace of shipping, and the focus on real hiring workflows all lined up with our vision while enabling us to move much faster.”

The Talent Llama team has joined Ashby and is rebuilding its technology directly on Ashby’s platform, ensuring all interview data, evaluations, and candidate context live within a single system. The resulting Ashby AI Interviewer is designed as part of the platform’s broader AI strategy, focused on embedding intelligence directly into workflows rather than layering on disconnected tools.

Because the feature is built on Ashby’s unified data model, teams can:

Launch AI interviews directly within their hiring plansEvaluate candidates using structured signals and full transcriptsIntegrate interview outputs into downstream decisions and reportingMaintain a consistent candidate experience across the hiring journey

The system is designed to prioritize transparency, human oversight, and clear evaluation criteria — principles Ashby has applied across its AI features.

A broader shift in recruiting

The launch reflects a broader shift in recruiting, where teams are balancing higher application volumes with the need to maintain quality and candidate experience.

“Tools like AI interviewers are becoming more relevant for certain types of hiring, especially higher-volume roles,” said Encz. “We’re still early, but the direction is clear.”

Ashby’s AI Interviewer is currently rolling out in private beta, with broader availability planned in the coming months.

About Ashby
Ashby All-in-One enables ambitious talent teams to run a data-driven talent acquisition process with the latest innovations in AI, automation, and quality of hire measurement at their fingertips. Ashby combines your ATS, CRM & sourcing, scheduling, and analytics into a single, scalable solution with a modern UI and customizations to empower your business, from startup to enterprise.

About Ashby One
Ashby One is a one-day conference designed for Talent Acquisition leaders and RecOps professionals to gain actionable insights and build meaningful connections through keynotes, deep dives, and hands-on workshops. Attendees will have opportunities to engage directly with Ashby’s Engineering, Customer Success, and Product teams through Ashby Labs, enjoy curated meals, and connect at an evening reception.

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SOURCE Ashby, Inc.