Labor Department CIO Mangala Kuppa to Keynote 2026 FedCiv Summit

• As CIO, Kuppa oversees the Department of Labor’s IT enterprise
• She led the development of the department’s AI roadmap
• Her 2026 FedCiv Summit keynote address is expected to provide insights into DOL’s IT investments in FY27

Mangala Kuppa, chief information officer of the Department of Labor, will deliver a keynote at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 FedCiv Summit on Oct. 29. 

A technology leader who has decades of leadership experience in government and industry, Kuppa has played a pivotal role in Labor’s modernization of legacy systems and adoption of artificial intelligence. 

With the White House proposing a record $75.7 billion funding for IT projects at federal civilian agencies in fiscal 2027, Kuppa’s keynote could provide clarity on where DOL plans to focus tech investments and allocate resources to achieve its digital transformation goals. 

Leaders behind the government’s modernization will convene at the 2026 FedCiv Summit to discuss how federal civilian agencies are leveraging emerging technologies, modernizing legacy infrastructure and strengthening cybersecurity. Tickets are now available here!

Who Is Mangala Kuppa?

Kuppa was appointed CIO in March, succeeding Thomas Shedd, a former Tesla engineer who has also served as head of the Technology Transformation Services at the General Services Administration.

Kuppa served as the department’s chief AI officer. Her bio on the Labor website credits her with advancing technology leadership by promoting the adoption of low-code/no-code tools. 

The technology leader joined DOL in May 2020 as director of case management. She also served as the department’s director of business applications services before moving up to chief technology officer and CAIO roles.

Prior to DOL, she held various leadership positions at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, where she led survey processing, business establishment systems, industrial price systems and federal-state monthly surveys. 

Before her government service, Kuppa spent nearly 15 years in the private sector. 

What Are Mangala Kuppa’s Achievements?

AI Efforts at the Labor Department

As CAIO, Kuppa is responsible for the procurement and deployment of safe and secure AI. 

She led the development of an AI roadmap that details how organizations can deploy the technology and boost job quality without harming workers’ rights. The 17-page document, published in October 2024, identified eight principles centered around worker empowerment, including ethical development of AI, maintaining human oversight, upholding transparency and ensuring responsible use of worker data. 

More recently, the department issued its AI Literacy Framework, which provides guidance for nationwide AI skill development across the workforce and education systems. According to DOL, the framework was crafted with input from employers, state and local agencies, training providers, and other stakeholders. 

AI efforts at DOL have received praise, with a 2024 White House fact sheet lauding the department for “leading by example” in mitigating the potential harms of AI to employees by consulting with federal workers and labor union to guide the development of principles, governance and use of the technology. 

In an interview with FedScoop, Kuppa explained why workforce investment is central to her approach to AI.

“I always said that AI is less about technology; it’s more about change management,” the official stated. “Because normally, if you compare with previous technologies, there was time to understand, adapt and react to it. In AI, the pace of technology is so fast that we don’t have that time.”

Establishing a Federal Open Data Portal

Kuppa also had a major hand in the department’s open data portal, which aggregates data from across the department to improve interoperability and AI readiness. Launched in early 2026, the platform provides access to federal data on unemployment insurance claims, contractor veteran employment, county-level childcare prices and other datasets.

The open data portal was a collaborative effort between the Office of the CIO and the Office of the Chief Data and Analytics Officer. It replaces DOL’s aging enforcement data page officially decommissioned in February.

Agency Modernization 

Kuppa’s technology-focused roles at Labor have made her the driving force behind the department’s digital transformation. 

As director of business application services, she managed DOL’s more than 500 business applications and was involved in the modernization of the foreign labor application gateway, turning processes that used to require manually filling out paper to a digital system.

As CIO, she was the architect behind the department’s digital transformation. At a recent event, she discussed her approach to modernization and explained why data migration is critical for any organization undergoing digital transformation.

“Your new system is not going to like your old data, and you can’t do it in the last minute,” she stated. 

She also mentioned that modernization is a continuous process, and emerging technologies like AI create opportunities for agencies to overcome traditional issues.

What Will Mangala Kuppa Talk About During Her Keynote?

Kuppa’s 2026 FedCiv Summit keynote comes as public and private sector organizations rapidly integrate automation and AI into daily operations. DOL is dedicating millions of dollars in its budget request for FY27 to support AI activities, including implementing the technology in high-impact use cases. 

Drawing from her experience modernizing the Labor Department and leadership in AI adoption, she might talk about:

• Responsible AI procurement and deployment at scale
• AI literacy and workforce readiness
• Building an AI-ready data infrastructure
• Labor’s budget request and planned IT investments for FY27
• Next steps for DOL’s modernization and how industry can support government digital transformation efforts

Her keynote could help GovCon firms align their capability development, teaming strategies and proposal approaches with priorities at DOL. 

Why GovCons Should Attend the 2026 FedCiv Summit

The 2026 FedCiv Summit on Oct. 29 is the place to be for GovCon firms that want to capture opportunities to support civilian missions. It will bring together government and industry leaders to discuss evolving regulatory requirements and national priorities. Conversations at the event could have an impact on future agency procurement plans. 

William Briggs, deputy administrator at the Small Business Administration, and Pavan Pidugu, chief digital and information officer at the Department of Transportation (pending confirmation), will also deliver keynote speeches at the event. 

Speakers from government include:

• Jeff Bardwell, senior adviser for human resources workforce programs at the Office of Personnel Management (pending confirmation)
• Andrea Brandon, deputy assistant secretary for budget, finance, grants and acquisition at the Department of the Interior
• Arron Helm, chief human capital officer at the General Services Administration
• Adam Nemethy, acting director of N-Wave at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• More will be announced in the coming weeks!

Panels will explore federal shared services, AI implementation to accelerate modernization and enhance mission impact, interoperability, and other topics critical to the FedCiv landscape. The event will also feature networking sessions, allowing attendees to engage with key agency decision-makers and connect with industry peers to build partnerships that move government innovation forward. Get your tickets today!