2024 Speakers

Vinay Singh

Chief AI Officer, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Mr. Vinay V. Singh is passionate about process and project management. He has held numerous leadership roles in the private sector for over 25 years, spanning accounting, finance, technology, and operations management spheres. He is a Certified Public Accountant. He joined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as Chief Financial Officer in July 2022 from the Small Business Administration where he helped implement a new mission for the Office of Disaster Assistance. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also selected Mr. Singh as the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer in November 2023. Prior to this he was a Partner and Chief Operating Officer for KPMG in India where he led many teams all aligned to achieving operational excellence.

Hon. Shana Broussard

Commissioner, Federal Election Commission

Commissioner Broussard of Louisiana joined the Commission in 2008 as an attorney in the Enforcement Division of the Office of General Counsel. Following her nomination on October 28, 2020, the U.S. Senate confirmed by a vote of 92-4 on December 9, 2020. She immediately assumed the position of Chair and led the agency’s effort to reduce an historic backlog of enforcement matters. She has also spearheaded rulemaking efforts on internet communication disclaimers, technological modernizations, and to expand eligibility for candidate salaries to increase opportunities for individuals from underrepresented communities to run for federal office. In addition to her official duties, Commissioner Broussard often speaks before industry groups, members of the Bar, and students about her work on the Commission.

Prior to her confirmation, Commissioner Broussard was Counsel for FEC Commissioner Steven T. Walther. Before joining the agency, she was Attorney Advisor at the Internal Revenue Service, Office of Professional Responsibility, and Deputy Disciplinary Counsel at the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board. She began her legal career as a New Orleans Assistant District Attorney and was appointed in that role to the Violent Offenders Strike Force.

Commissioner Broussard is a proud alumna of two historically black universities (HBCUs), earning her B.A. from Dillard University and her J.D. cum laude from Southern University Law Center. She is the recipient of the NAACP 2015 Juneteenth Celebration Trailblazer Award for Terrebonne Parish in recognition of her achievement as the first African American attorney from Gibson, LA.

Chris Kraft (Invited)

Deputy CTO, AI/Emerging Tech, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Chris Kraft is the Deputy Executive Director for Chief Technology Officer Directorate, in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), DHS Headquarters, Management Directorate, Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). Mr. Kraft Leads a wide range of complex architecture activities and provides vision, leadership, and advice in developing information technology (IT) strategies and approaches for the CTO. Mr. Kraft’s work efforts directly affect the formulation and execution of the strategic plans and best practices for AI and ML integration. Mr. Kraft serves as the OCIO representative for AI and Emerging Technology councils and/or boards to maintain Department-wide collaboration and
consensus on strategic direction.

Chris Kraft most recently served as the Assistant Administrator for Financial Systems in FEMA’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO). In this role, Mr. Kraft serves as the principal advisor to the CFO regarding the consolidation and integration of integrated mission-essential financial, acquisition, and asset management systems. The financial systems modernization initiative is a key strategy to achieve compliant financial management (FM) services and optimize FM operations across the diverse DHS systems. The OCFO ensures the funds necessary to carry out the Department’s mission are obtained, allocated, and spent in support of the Department’s priorities and in accordance with law and policies.

Togai Andrews

CISO, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, U.S. Department of the Treasury

Chief Information Security Officer with proven history of building and advancing Cyber Security programs. He utilizes his experience in achieving risk reduction and minimizing the cyber threat landscape to ensure that people, processes and technologies are working together to enable the business/mission.

Diane Staheli

Assistant Director, AI Applications, White House OSTP

Bio to come.

Karim Said

CISO, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA

Karim Said is a member of the cybersecurity community at NASA with an academic and professional background in software development and human-centered computing. Karim’s current interests include breaking and building code (and teaching others to do the same), the open-source community (and the lessons we can learn from it), and communicating effectively about cybersecurity risk.

Jennifer Franks

Director, Center for Advanced Cybersecurity, Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Jennifer R. Franks directs the Center for Enhanced Cybersecurity within GAO’s Information Technology and Cybersecurity team. She oversees reviews that primarily focus on emerging cybersecurity issues and assessing an agency’s ability to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of its sensitive data and computing infrastructure. Her multi-disciplinary teams actively review agencies’ computer security vulnerabilities across their enterprise-wide computing environment by assessing program management compliance and technical controls recommended for the agencies to follow in accordance with federal guidance and leading practices. In addition, Ms. Franks leads reviews in the areas of IT management and operations, financial management, data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, she is a certified facilitator of agency new hire and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) courses. Ms. Franks earned a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University in information security policy and management, and a bachelor’s degree
from Hampton University in computer information systems.

Sterling Thomas

Chief Scientist, U.S. Government Accountability Office

Sterling Thomas is GAO’s Chief Scientist. Sterling helps lead GAO’s science and technology work with GAO’s Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics (STAA) team. STAA provides Congress with foresight, oversight, and insight on the most pressing science and technology issues. The team assesses emerging and evolving technologies, evaluates their application in government, and examines their impact on society.

Prior to joining GAO in October 2023, Sterling was Chief Scientist at Noblis, a nonprofit research institute. He managed the institute’s applied research programs and conducted his own research projects, which included creating new methods for synthetic biology and methods for using artificial intelligence to detect sophisticated cyberattacks. Sterling also served as a principal investigator where his research was funded by the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, and other intelligence community partners.

Sterling earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Life Sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master’s in business administration from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Science from Old Dominion University. He also holds four patents for inventions related to analysis of genetic sequences without assembling, detecting low signals in high noise environments, and machine learning, and he has multiple patent applications pending.

Natalie Buda Smith

Director of Digital Strategy, Library of Congress

Natalie Buda Smith is the Director of Digital Strategy at the Library of Congress. She is a leader in digital transformation through data, emerging technologies, and human-centered design practices with over 30 years of experience in IT. She has built large teams at NavigationArts, IBM, and now the Library of Congress, and has worked for clients in the U.S., Europe, and India. She is strongly committed to ethical, human-centered products and services that adhere to best practices in inclusion, diversity, and accessibility.

Amy Henninger

Sr. Advisor for Advanced Computing, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Dr. Amy Henninger serves as Senior Advisor for Advanced Computing (AC) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) S&T Technology Centers, providing strategic vision and leadership to programs and policy makers in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Modeling and Simulation (M&S), and Quantum Information Science. 

Prior to joining DHS, Dr. Henninger’s work traversed the private/public defense sector space.  In the public sector, she has served in several special term appointment technology leadership positions in the DoD and IC that, cumulatively, span the RDT&E space.

Dr. Henninger earned a PhD in Computer Engineering with emphasis and dissertation work in AI.  She has taught undergraduate classes in computer science and graduate classes in AI, authored over 80 publications, and received multiple awards for her work.

Jason DeWitt

Operations Research Analyst, Social Security Administration

Jason DeWitt is Deputy Director of the Division of the Analytics Center of Excellence at the Social Security Administration. In this role, he leads a team providing innovative analytical, modeling, and reporting solutions to various components across SSA. Increasingly, this involves exploring use cases for newer AI technologies in addition to the improvement of various legacy models involving machine learning and predictive analytics. He is also playing a role in AI Governance and in adopting SSA’s AI Framework to existing models.

With over 20 years of experience in data analytics and business intelligence, Jason has seen the field of data science and related technologies evolve at an increasingly rapid pace. Through these changes he has maintained a human-centered approach, ensuring that technology is being utilized in support of claimants, staff, and adjudicators. Most recently, his team has been leveraging large language modeling to help provide insights and improve service related to the approximately 80 million calls that SSA receives annually on its national 800 number.

Prior to coming to SSA, Jason worked in higher education enrollment reporting as Research Manager with the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center and as a Senior Data and Reporting Analyst in Harvard University’s Office of the President and Provost. Jason has a Master’s Degree in Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh and received his Bachelor’s from Cornell University.

Sunil Madhugiri

CTO, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Mr. Madhugiri joined U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in 2019 as a Chief Architect. He was recently selected as the Acting Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for CBP’s Office of Information and Technology (OIT). The Office of the CTO, CBP’s dedicated hub for technological leadership, drives innovation through a variety of crucial activities such as managing vendor engagement, researching emerging technologies, and arranging proof-of-concept demonstrations.

As Acting CTO, Mr. Madhugiri is responsible for leading the creation and identification of novel technology products that are designed and developed iteratively using highly adaptable agile methodologies and open standards to strengthen CBP operations. Mr. Madhugiri also chairs the Technical Review Board, a governance body that focuses on improving the quality, cost effective-ness, sustainability, and resiliency of CBP’s IT solutions.

Madison Gooch

Vice President, watsonx, IBM

Madison currently serves IBM clients and partners as the Vice President of watsonx, IBM’s generative AI platform, across the Americas. She joined IBM in 2014 and has held several sales, client success, go-to-market and leadership roles throughout her tenure. 

Her former roles include being the Chief of Staff for the General Manager of Watson, leading the global sales organization for Conversational AI, AI and Data Science technologies, launching the first set of analytics cloud offerings in the Americas and many technical and sales leadership roles, where her primary responsibility was to empower, coach and grow IBMer’s and directly engage with clients to ensure they realize business and technical success with IBM technology.

Currently, Madison is responsible for IBM’s generative AI technology stack and the go-to-market across the Americas where she focuses on how generative AI will transform business through digital labor, productivity enhancements and revenue generation across use cases for customer care, conversational AI, employee experience transformation and application modernization. Madison is passionate about AI, technology innovation, AI ethics, and most importantly,
innovating with clients on how to solve their deepest business challenges. 

Madison received her BBA from the University of Kentucky, with a major in leadership and administration. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her husband, a commercial pilot, and two year old son.

Dan Wendling

MLS, Technical Information Specialist, National Library of Medicine

Bio to come.

Jill Reilly

Digital Engagement Director, National Archives and Records Administration

Bio to come.

Nichole Hyter

NGRMS Program Manager, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense

Ms. Nichole Hyter is an Army veteran and graduate of the Army’s Management Analyst Intern Program.  She has worked as a Budget Analyst at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management & Comptroller, Headquarters Department of the Army - Budget Formulation Division and as the Lead Financial Systems Analyst at Washington Headquarters Service – Accounting Division, where she championed and implemented the use of Robotics Process Automation across the Defense Agencies Initiatives (DAI) execution and formulation systems.  Nichole also led the DLA efforts to implement DAI Hyperion (the budget formulation tool for Defense Wide agencies).  She currently works as a Program Manager at the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) – Program & Financial Control Division and is the lead for the Next Generation Resource Management System (NGRMS) efforts, which is now the Department’s solution for the congressional mandate to modernize systems used to submit data to the Office of Management and Budget and to the Congress.

Tina Donbeck

CIO, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation

Ms. Donbeck joined the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) in January 2020 as the Deputy Chief Information Officer, and has served as Chief Information Officer since August 2021. She has been an IT strategist and innovator for more than 20 years in both the private and public sectors. Additionally, she spent six years on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Ms. Donbeck was instrumental in bringing DevOps and Agile methodologies to her former agency, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), where she successfully led a team that launched one of the first automated development pipelines in the federal government. Additionally, she participated in numerous grassroots efforts with other federal agencies, such as NASA and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as industry partners to promote the benefits of DevOps and Continuous Delivery methodologies.

As the Deputy Director of Trademark Acquisitions, Program & Planning at the USPTO, she led the establishment of a customer requirements gathering organization and instituted governance processes to promote improved long-term IT system delivery. Additionally, at USPTO, she served as the Director of the System Configuration & Automated Delivery Division, which focused on providing Continuous Delivery and Continuous Integration (CI/CD) development practices. Before coming to USPTO, Ms. Donbeck served as the Branch Head for the Enterprise Transformation Branch for the Department of the Navy CIO (N6). Her efforts there focused on public outreach with academia and the private sector to garner IT best practices for implementation within the Navy.

Howard Spira

CIO, EXIM

Howard Spira was named the Chief Information Officer of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) in December 2014.    He was promoted to Senior Vice President at the bank in 2016. Howard came to EXIM from the United States Treasury where he led the technology team for the Office of Financial Stability – the team that ran the rescue program in response to the financial crisis of 2008.

Prior to his federal service, Howard was a senior IT executive in the financial services industry with an extensive background in international and domestic commercial finance. His past employers include Goldman Sachs, General Electric, Smith Barney and Andersen Consulting.  He
brings to EXIM a wealth of industry technology experience. Howard’s responsibilities at EXIM include overseeing the complete information technology portfolio that support’s the Bank's $40 billion portfolio including infrastructure, networks and telecoms, office automation, mission systems, program management, information security, data quality and records management.  In addition, his area serves as the agency's representative for Privacy, Records and AI.

Mr. Spira holds a BS from Cornell University’s school of Agriculture and Life Sciences and an MBA from Cornell’s Johnson School of Business.

Bryna Helfer

Director, Employment Supports & Innovative Partnerships, U.S. Department of Labor, ODEP

In her current role at US DOL ODEP, Dr. Helfer leads efforts to ensure that necessary supports are available for employees with disabilities including accessible transportation, inclusive technology, emergency preparedness, accessible housing, and more. Under her leadership, her team also supports the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeships, the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT); and the State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED), working with states, cities, and counties to implement inclusive disability employment policies. 

Prior to joining ODEP,  Bryna served in leadership roles overseeing communications, public engagement, workforce development, and accessible transportation at both the local and national levels. Throughout her career, Bryna has worked to advance equitable policies for people with disabilities and collaborate on key policy initiatives across Federal government agencies. She has also helped strengthen government transparency, facilitate community partnerships, and implement engagement practices to inform government decision-making processes. 

Bryna holds a B.S. from Ohio University in Therapeutic Recreation, an M.A. in Rehabilitation Services from George Mason University, and an Ed.D. in Special Education from George Washington University. Since 1980, she has been a recreational therapist, teaching people with disabilities to swim. In her free time, she plays with an all-women’s fiddle band, called Malarkey.

Lucy Hyde

Data Scientist, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Lucy Hyde serves as a data scientist in the Office of Information and Technology, Chief Technology Office at Customs and Border Protection. She previously worked as the Senior Program Manager for open source projects, including PyTorch, LF AI&Data, and SONiC at the Linux Foundation. Ms. Hyde began her career within the Department of Defense as an active-duty service member and later as a government civilian working in multiple agencies. She led the mobile device exploitation team at the National Media Exploitation Center and served as the Chief Data Scientist at the Joint Inter Agency Task Force, Joint Special Operations Command.

Ms. Hyde graduated with undergraduate degrees in Psychology, the Arabic Language, and Intelligence Operations from multiple universities; a Master of Science Degree (MS) in Analytics from American University; and is pursuing dual postgraduate degrees in Computational Science and Artificial Intelligence.

Felipe Millon

Public Sector Sales Lead, OpenAI

Felipe Millon currently leads Government Sales at OpenAI, where he plays a pivotal role in driving the adoption of OpenAI's ChatGPT Enterprise Product and API across Federal, State, and Local Government sectors. His efforts are instrumental in integrating cutting-edge AI solutions within governmental operations, thereby enhancing efficiency and innovation.

Before joining OpenAI, Felipe worked for Amazon for 9 years most recently as the Senior Manager for the Housing Finance Business at Amazon Web Services (AWS). In this capacity, he led a dedicated team in supporting Government Sponsored Enterprises and US government housing agencies through their cloud transformation. He was also a founding member of the Public Sector Generative AI Task Force.

Felipe's rich background in technology and management also includes substantial roles at McMaster-Carr Supply Company and Lockheed Martin, where he worked in regional sales management, corporate development, venture capital, systems engineering, andprogram management. He holds an MBA from Duke University, where he was recognized as a Fuqua Scholar, in addition to a MS in Systems Engineering from the University of Florida and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Florida State University.

Jordan Kasper

Sr. Advisor for Technology & Delivery, Office of the CIO, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Jordan Kasper is an engineer, speaker, and open source zealot. He spent much of his career in private industry building systems for companies and organizations of all sizes. In 2017, he joined the U.S. Digital Service to help make technology better for all Americans. Since then, he has worked on systems that serve millions of people and has written policies and strategies that have shaped government information technology. He has developed in numerous languages from Natural on IBM mainframes to microservices in Node.js. Over the years he has spoken at over a hundred events worldwide on all things tech.

Reva Schwartz

Research Scientist, NIST

Reva Schwartz is a research scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). She serves as Principal Investigator on Bias in Artificial Intelligence and leads the NIST ARIA Program which seeks to improve the practices of AI risk and impact assessments.

A socio-technical researcher, her research focuses on real world testing methodologies and people-centered approaches for AI measurement. She has advised federal agencies about how experts interact with automation to make sense of information in high-stakes settings.

Her background includes a forensic science posting for almost 15 years at the United States Secret Service and adjunct researcher at the Johns Hopkins University Human Language Technology Center of Excellence. She has advised federal agencies about how experts interact with automation to make sense of information in high-stakes settings.

Yooyoung Lee

Supervisory Computer Scientist, NIST

Yooyoung Lee is a Computer Scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). Over the years, she has served as co-PI (Principal Investigator) and/or T&E team in programs initiated by government agencies, including IARPA (Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity), DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

Her research and evaluation experience cover biometrics, media forensics, image/video quality measures, sensitivity/robustness analysis, speaker/language recognition, video analytics, and AI evaluation-driven research. She currently leads the NIST GenAI program which supports research in Generative AI technologies.

Harold Booth

Computer Scientist, NIST

Harold is a Computer Scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the Computer Security Division. Current projects include Dioptra, an open source software platform for test and evaluation of machine learning systems. Past work includes serving as the Project Manager for the Cryptographic Algorithm Validation Program and the National Vulnerability Database at NIST.

Mark Wheeler

Director of Data & Analytics, General Services Administration

Mark Wheeler is a director of Data & Analytics at the Centers for Excellence at the Technology Transformation Services where he leads data transformation & governance projects for federal agencies. He also serves as liaison to local and state governments for the federal AI Community of Practice. Mark has over 20 years in IT leadership for the public sector. He served as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of Philadelphia where he set the strategy and execution of citywide IT operations including cybersecurity, software engineering, networking, data engineering, and digital services for a city of 1.56 million residents. During his tenure, he strengthened the city’s cybersecurity posture, launched Smart City PHL and the Office of Digital Equity, and oversaw the successful modernization of tax collection, licensing and code enforcement, voting machine and e-poll book, property appraisal, and financial/procurement ERP systems and the construction of $32M state-of-the-art public safety & E-911 operations center. He has served as a Chief Geographic Information Officer (GIO) where he stood up data governance and centralized data engineering & analytics programs. Prior to city leadership, Mark spent fifteen years working as a GIS consultant leading Dev/Ops teams to build geocentric web applications and as an urban planner focused on spatial data modeling and strategic plans. Mark has a master’s in regional planning from the University of Massachusetts and was a fellow at Drexel University’s Leading for Change program.

Brittany Bernard

Educational Technology Lead, DC Public Schools

Brittany Bernard, a dedicated Educational Technology Manager based in the District of Columbia, brings a dynamic spirit and passion for education to her role. Originating from Harrisburg, PA, she is committed to supporting educators and students in leveraging technology for enhanced learning experiences. She is an accomplished professional in the field of education, with a diverse background that includes media and technology. She graduated with a B.A. in Radio, Television, & Film, focusing on Telecommunications Management from Howard University. After starting her career in media as a Talk Programming Assistant at SiriusXM Satellite Radio and Producer/Board Operator for the Behind The Mind Radio Show on 1480AM, Brittany transitioned to education.

She served as a preschool Lead Teacher at AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. for five years. Eager to enhance her impact in education, Brittany pursued and earned her M.Ed in Instructional Technology from the University of Maryland Global Campus. This led her to become the Standards Coordinator at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), where she furthered her expertise in instructional technology. Currently, Brittany serves as an Educational Technology Manager for the District of Columbia, based at Central Office, where she supports educators by providing strategies on seamlessly integrating district-licensed apps and programs into instruction with fidelity. Brittany resides in Bowie, MD, with her husband Rejinal, sons Elijah and Xavier, and daughters Kerlande and Harper.

Craig Haseler

PARS Technical Lead, U.S. Department of Energy

Craig Haseler leads the technical team behind PARS, the Department of Energy's System of Record for Capital Asset Project Performance Information. With a background in software development and cybersecurity, Craig has led the expansion of PARS capabilities over the past several years as a new JSON upload format has been developed and the scope of the system has expanded. More recently, Craig and his team have spearheaded the Department of Energy's efforts to embrace safe, secure Artificial Intelligence tools to improve productivity and further the Department's mission.

Amber Young

Physical Scientist & PARS Lead, U.S. Department of Energy

Amber Young is the PARS System Owner at the Department of Energy's Office of Project Management, Project Controls and Policy (PM-30). An EVMS professional with extensive experience with both DOE and DOD data structures, she has been pivotal in leading review efforts using new tools like the IP2M METRR and is a pioneer in integrating detailed AI analysis into the Environment and Maturity Assessment process. Ms Young's background in physics and mathematics has allowed her to apply a spirit of scientific inquiry to understanding, analyzing, and teaching complex data structures in project management and Earned Value. Ms Young leads the DOE Office of Project Management AI Governance board and works closely with the other board members to review and approve PM's implementation of AI technologies.

Sam Runner

Technical Support Specialist, U.S. Department of Energy

Sam Runner serves as a Technical Support Specialist for the PARS Team, supporting the Department of Energy's Office of Project Management (PM-30). With an educational background in computer science, mathematics, and physics, and a professional background in IT and field operations, Sam is committed to the continuous improvement and refinement of business capabilities through a data-driven approach. Recently, he has taken on the role of PARS AI Lead and serves on the PM AI Governance Board, where he helps guide the strategic implementation of ethical AI. In this capacity, Sam has leveraged large language models (LLMs) to analyze IP2M data, transforming extensive unstructured comments into actionable summaries. He believes that these new tools can unlock qualitative analysis at scale, providing greater context and deeper insights that enhance existing quantitative measures.

Bianca Lochner

CIO, City of Scottsdale, AZ

Bianca Lochner, Ph.D., has over 20 years of experience in information technology and local government. As the Chief Information Officer for the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, she combines her passion for public service with technology to transform government services. Previously, she served as Assistant CIO for the City of Phoenix and CIO for two school districts, where she led digital transformations, Smart City strategies, and initiatives for transparent and innovative governance. Bianca co-founded and co-chairs the Cybersecurity Council of Arizona, and serves on the boards of ArizonaCIO, Girls in Tech, the Arizona Technology Council, and several other organizations.

Oki Mek

CISO (Federal Civilian), Microsoft

Oki Mek recently joined Microsoft as Chief Information Security Officer for the Federal Civilian Sector. His civil servant career spans nearly 20 years inside the federal government. Oki is also a veteran of the Army National Guard, who believes in service to others as a personal mission and purpose. Oki previously served as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Equideum Health. In his U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) roles, he served as the first appointed Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO), Acting Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Office of the Secretary, Senior Advisor to the HHS CIO, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Product Officer, and Senior Information Security Manager.

Bill Jewell

CIO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Bill Jewell, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s chief information officer, leads the organization’s technology and information security programs. In this role, Jewell focuses on building, securing, and maintaining technology platforms and services that enable the Chamber to thrive.

Previously, Jewell served as chief information security officer and vice president of technology at the College Board. There he built and led an information security program designed to protect the data of over 100 million students, parents, and educators. Jewell oversaw security engineering and operations, architecture and policy, vulnerability management, application security, and cyber defense. He was also responsible for infrastructure engineering, workforce technologies, and corporate systems, including financial, customer relations, and human resources management applications. Earlier, he led the College Board’s data management and governance teams.

Jewell earned his undergraduate degree with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master of Arts with distinction from Georgetown University, and a CISO Certificate from the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon. He graduated magna cum laude with a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Jordan Jasuta Fischer

Sr. Managing AI Director and Architect, IBM

Jordan Jasuta Fischer is a Lead AI developer and solutions architect in IBM’s public service division, designing and implementing integrated AI and machine learning systems for the US Government. She specializes in Advanced AI (LLMs and other foundation models), AI Governance, Responsible AI, and Adversarial AI Robustness. Her background in AI and data systems in the public sector has spanned topics as diverse as urban development, climate resiliency, public administration, public health and human rights. She holds a master’s degree in Business Analytics from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Utah.

Gretchen Forbush

Lead AI Developer, IBM

Gretchen Forbush is a Lead AI developer within IBM's Federal consulting division, developing state-of-the-art solutions for US government clients. She specializes in NLP tools for the automation of document processing, leveraging custom and open-source models for computer vision applications, and the ethical usage of AI. She graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a dual bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Mathematics and is currently seeking a master's degree in Applied Data Science at the University of Chicago.

Kamala Kodihally Nanjundeshaiah

Senior Manager, Quality Assurance, Pfizer

Morgan Reed

President, ACT | The App Association

Bio to come.

Bill Curtis-Davidson

Director, Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT)

Bill Curtis-Davidson is the Director of the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT), a policy initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. PEAT helps to create a future where accessible technology is standard in all workplaces. Bill advocates for equity, inclusion, and accessibility in public and private sector efforts to develop policies, standards, and practices. 

Bill is a ForHumanity Fellow and ForHumanity Certified Auditor (FHCA) in Disability Inclusion & Accessibility, a certified IAPP AI Governance Professional (IAPP-AIGP), and a member of the Partnership on AI’s Global Task Force on Inclusive AI. Bill received a 2022 Service to the Citizen: Champions of Change™ Award and was also named one of HDI’s Top 25 Thought Leaders of 2023, both recognizing his impact in removing barriers to workplace inclusion for people with disabilities through accessible technology initiatives. In his free time, 

Bill volunteers as a mentor in LGBT Tech’s PATHS Program, whose goal is to create visibility for LGBTQ+ individuals working in STEAM and empower LGBTQ+ youth and young adults to pursue their passions in STEAM fields. Bill has a master’s degree in digital media from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree from the Atlanta College of Art.

Martina Fongyen

Workforce Transformation Lead, Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT)

Martina Fongyen is a highly experienced collaborative leader who helps organizations evolve, aligning people, actions, and results. At PEAT, she elevates her team of experts to pave new paths to success in supporting the U.S. Department of Labor’s disability employment, inclusive workforce transformation, and workforce technology accessibility efforts. She uses her 20+ year career in global development, ed-tech, and consulting across multiple federal, private sector, and international partners to guide clients through complex change and come out stronger. 

Martina’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) permeates her work enabling organizations to move beyond performative actions into deep practice. Her passion for inclusion permeates everything she does, including mentoring others, coaching Girls on the Run, proudly serving as an NAACP-Parent Equity Representative, and being a dedicated mother. 

Kathy Gilsinan

Journalist and Contributing Writer, The Atlantic

Kathy Gilsinan is a journalist and author based in St. Louis. She previously spent six years at the Atlantic covering foreign policy and national security. She now covers the Midwest for POLITICO and other publications. She is the author of The Helpers: Profiles From the Front Lines of the Pandemic.

Matt Mandgroc

Head of Public Sector, Zoom

As Head of U.S. Public Sector, Matt leads Zoom’s U.S. Federal, State and Local governments and Education business segments. He has led Zoom for Government during a period of historic growth from launch to ubiquity. Matt’s leadership has allowed Zoom to provide frictionless communication and collaboration capabilities and continuity of operations during a time unprecedented impact to the Federal and Public Sector mission. Matt has over two decades of experience leading Federal and Public Sector units at Extreme Networks, Check Point Software Technologies, and Cisco.

Joseph Castle, PhD

Executive Advisor for Public Sector Technology, SAS Institute

Dr. Castle advises executives at SAS and the public sector about data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and open source software (OSS). He served over twenty years in the U.S. federal government at the U.S. General Services Administration, The White House, and the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division leading national and international information technology programs, creating and implementing polices and laws, and speaking to public sector, industry, and academic audiences. Dr. Castle holds numerous advanced academic degrees including an MBA, MS in information systems, and a PhD in public administration and public affairs.

Mary Osborne

Sr. Product Manager - Natural Language Processing, SAS Institute

Mary Osborne is a natural language processing and generative AI maven who shares her passions for human language by managing the natural language processing portfolio at SAS and teaching computational linguistics at Duke University. With over 25 years of experience helping organizations adopt and gain value from analytics, she's excited to be involved in shaping the next generation of artificial intelligence.

Matt Gillingham

Vice President, AI and Digital Innovation, Abt Global

Matt Gillingham (he/him) is a data science and AI executive on a mission to improve public health and well-being through innovative applications of data, AI, and digital technology. He leads Abt Global’s Responsible AI practice, where he brings 25 years of experience to public sector delivery of AI solutions like policy simulation, prediction and forecasting, and domain-specific LLMs.

Ricki Jarmon

Vice President, Abt Global

Ricki Jarmon has over 30 years' experience in working with hard-to-reach marginalized communities. More recently he has been exploring the use of AI to better engage and locate these communities.

Nora Connor

Director of Data Science, Abt Global

Nora Connor is the Director of Data Science at Abt Global where she uses Generative AI, cloud infrastructure, and automated workflows to improve data-driven decision making for federal clients. She holds a PhD in Computer Science, where her research focused on machine learning and network science.

Kristin Heck

Director, Global Digital Delivery and Digital Innovation, Abt Global

Kristin Heck has more than 10 years of experience managing and directing technical teams in the development of digital solutions. In her role at Abt Global, she manages the digital global team, which comprises skilled digital strategists, who craft bespoke solutions for clients such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and adept digital technologists, who provide project support to these clients. Her team is strategically dispersed, with regional talent hubs in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

Kathryn Lang

Real World Evidence and Research Lead, VaxCare

Dr Kathryn Lang is an MD leading real-world evidence and research for VaxCare with a specialist focus on outcomes research for organizations including Pfizer and Guardant.  She has designed and led registrational studies and observational research in oncology, diagnostics, and vaccines.  Her work with real-world data has led to novel regulatory approvals for drugs and reimbursement for devices globally.

Tim Akers

Associate Provost for Academic Research, California State University, San Bernadino

Dr. Tim Akers currently serves as Associate Provost for Academic Research and Professor at California State University, San Bernardino, and is the founder and CEO of the National Quantum Literacy Network, a volunteer nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to workforce development for underrepresented groups. He has held multiple leadership positions, including senior research administrator in the sciences and public health, and Assistant Vice President for Research Innovation and Advocacy.

Dr. Akers is a former Senior Behavioral Scientist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a Senior Research Scientist at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine. In addition, Dr. Akers was part of the inaugural cohort appointed by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the U.S. Department of Energy to the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee (NQIAC). He also serves as an NSF External Advisory Board member for MonArk, a collaboration between Montana State University and the University of Arkansas focusing on 2D quantum materials. Dr. Akers is a proud U.S. Air Force veteran who was honorably discharged after serving as a Security Police, specializing in the protection and security of nuclear and missile weapons.

Riya Jung

Director, Digital Transformation, CACI

With over 20 years of experience with the DoD’s Planning, Programming, Budgeting, Execution (PPBE) process, Ms. Riya Jung supports DoD customers in developing and executing Digital Transformation vision and roadmaps. She provides strategic oversight across various innovative PPBE programs including the Navy’s Program Budget Information System (PBIS) and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)’s Next Generation Resource Management System (NGRMS). Ms. Jung’s experiences include agile software development, generative AI, modernization, cloud migrations and hosting, data analytics, cyber security, audit, and operational support.  She combines extensive DoD PPBE functional and technical knowledge to deliver continuous innovations and a forward leaning approach to DoD customers.

Ken Huang

Co-Chair, AI Safety Working Groups, Cloud Security Alliance

Ken Huang is an acclaimed author of 8 books on AI and Web3. He is the Co-Chair of the AI Organizational Responsibility Working Group and AI Control Framework at the Cloud Security Alliance. Additionally, Huang acts as CEO of DistributedApps.ai, which provides training and consulting services for generative AI security.

In addition, Huang contributed extensively to key initiatives in the space. He is a core contributor to OWASP's Top 10 Risks for LLM Applications and heavily involved in the NIST Generative AI Public Working Group. He also provides feedback on publications like NIST SP 800-226.

Huang published the book "Generative AI Security: Theories and Practices" with Springer (https://link.springer.com/book/9783031542510) , which takes a systematic, principle-based approach to securing generative AI systems.

Shiron Lindsay

Instructional Technology Strategist, Baltimore City Public Schools

Shiron Lindsay, with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland College Park and an M.Ed. in Educational Technology from Loyola University, taught computer science and engineering in City Schools for 12 years, concluding her teaching career at her alma mater, the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. Two years ago, she transitioned to the Office of Special Education's Instructional Technology Team as an instructional technology strategist, with a focus on enhancing inclusive practices through the customization of tools and resources to meet the diverse needs of students.

Alex Hagen

Senior Data Scientist, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Alex is a senior data scientist and team leader in the Applied Artificial Intelligence Systems group at PNNL.  He serves as the Advisor on AI to PNNL’s DHS portfolio, and is a member of PNNL’s Center for AI. He specializes in applying and operationalizing computer vision for several different national security missions, including for the DHS S&T Emergency Management of Tomorrow project. In addition, he has received PNNL AI and Data Analytics’ division top award, and a DOE Innovations in Nuclear Technology Research and Development award. He received his PhD in Nuclear Engineering from Purdue University in 2018.

Emily Martuscello

Director of Emergency Management, City of Nashua, NH

Emily Martuscello, CEM, is the Director of Emergency Management for the City of Nashua, New Hampshire, where she leads the city’s comprehensive emergency management efforts, focusing on preparedness, response, and recovery. With extensive experience across local, state, and federal levels, Emily has held key leadership roles, including serving as the Continuous Improvement Advisor at FEMA Region I, where she established the agency’s Crowdsourcing Unit in response to Hurricane Maria. She has pioneered the integration of AI and emerging technologies in emergency management, spearheading innovative initiatives like the "EOC of the Future Exercise." 

Emily holds a Master of Science in Executive Leadership from Champlain College and a Bachelor's in Political Communications and Emergency Health Services from George Washington University. She is passionate about advancing the field of emergency management and fostering collaboration across sectors to enhance community resilience and crisis response

Arel Solie

Homeland Security Section Commander, Washington State Patrol

Bio to come.

Jill Misiewicz

Mission Support Supervisor, Wisconsin Emergency Management

Jill leads the Mission Support section at Wisconsin Emergency Management, focusing on enhancing critical systems for the State’s Emergency Operations Center and communication systems.

A graduate of the U.S. Department of Defense Civilian Emerging Leader Program and holder of a Leadership Education and Development Certificate from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, she has a degree in organizational management.

Her career is dedicated to process improvement and strategic planning, with a strong ability to solve complex problems and leverage information technology. Jill’s diverse experience includes her work with the U.S. Air Force Space Launch Programs, where she implemented efficiency-enhancing solutions. She also played a key role in Washington Mutual's transition to web-based risk management and developed SAAS that automated the Emergency Management Integrated Preparedness Planning Process.

Jill’s insights into operational excellence and technology-driven solutions have made a lasting impact across organizations.

Nelli Babayan

AI Director, Microsoft

Dr. Nelli Babayan is the AI Director at Microsoft, overseeing AI initiatives with all U.S. Federal Civilian agencies. She leads virtual cross-solution teams to advance mission outcomes, directing strategy and secure implementation of AI by fostering collaboration and developing mission-specific use-cases. Nelli supports government efforts with her extensive and diverse background, having managed research and policy projects at DC-based think-tanks, lectured at universities, published in peer-reviewed journals, and led international projects for USAID and the European Union.

Sachin Sinha

Director of Technology Strategy, Microsoft

Sachin Sinha is a Data Engineering leader who has been passionate about designing systems that help his customers make decisions based on data. He has helped startups in healthcare get off the ground by building a business on data and mature from seed to series funding. He has also helped organizations in the Public Sector achieve their mission by enabling them to make decisions based on data. Now at Microsoft, as Technology Strategy Director, he helps customers on their cloud journey with Microsoft Cloud offerings. His areas of expertise include Digital Transformation, Solution Architecture and Design, Data Platforms, Data Warehousing, Business Intelligence & Analytics and Artificial Intelligence focusing on the Healthcare and Public Sector domains.

Chris Gordon

Vice President, Federal Practice, Credo

With 25 years of sales and sales management experience in the Federal Space, Chris Gordon serves as vice president of the federal practice at Credo AI. Chris has held leadership roles at technology giants such as HPE and DellEMC,and has also spent time building startup technology companies from the ground up like Skyera (sold to Western Digital) and Nutanix (IPO).

Stuart Friedman

Senior Lead Technologist, Booz Allen Hamilton

Stuart is a Senior Lead Technologist on Booz Allen Hamilton’s Responsible AI Team where he supports client engagements in the areas of responsible AI, governance strategy and AI ethics. With a background in computer science and philosophy, his professional experience has been centered around helping leaders and companies to operationalize their cultural values - originally as a consultant, then for nearly 20 years working at Bridgewater Associates.

Jim Rice

Vice President, North America, Vantiq

Jim Rice is the Vice President of North America at Vantiq, a software platform leader based in Walnut Creek, California. Vantiq leverages AI and generative AI to transform real-time data into actionable intelligence, rapidly configuring intelligent systems. Rice focuses on Generative AI, IoT, sensor fusion, situational awareness, and 5G/edge technologies.

Sri Ambati

Founder and CEO, H2O.ai

Sri Ambati is the founder and CEO of H2O.ai. A product visionary who has assembled world-class teams throughout his career, Sri founded H2O.ai in 2012 with
a mission to democratize AI for anyone, anywhere, creating a movement of the world’s top data scientists, physicists, academics and technologists at more than
20,000 organizations worldwide. Sri also regularly partners with global business leaders to fund AI projects designed to solve compelling business, environmental
and societal challenges. Most recently, Sri led the initiative o2forindia.org, sourcing O2 concentrators for more than 200 public health organizations in Tier 2 cities and rural communities in India during the Delta wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to save thousands of lives. His strong “AI for Good” ethos for the responsible and fair use of AI to make the world a better place drives H2O.ai’s business model and corporate direction.

A sought-after speaker and thought-leader, Sri has presented at industry events including Ai4, Money2020, Red Hat Summit and more, is a frequent university guest speaker, and has been featured in publications including The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, IDG and the World Economic Forum and has been named a  Datanami Person to Watch .

Daniela Braga

Founder and CEO, Defined.ai

Dr. Daniela Braga is the Founder and CEO of Defined.ai, the largest marketplace of ethically sourced training data for AI. With a hybrid background as a linguist and an engineer and 20+ years of experience in AI, she has raised over $80 million of venture capital, making her the highest capital-raising female founder in the AI sector. Dr. Braga is also involved in shaping the AI strategy of the US through President Biden’s NAIRR Task force and is a member of WEF's AI Governance Alliance.

Ryan Dolan

Director of Data & Analytics, General Services Administration

Ryan Dolan is a Director in the AI and Data Centers of Excellence at the U.S. General Services Administration (TTS) in Washington, D.C., There, he spearheads initiatives to foster the adoption of artificial intelligence across federal agencies. In his role, he is also co-leading the AI Community of Practice, focused enhances collaboration and knowledge sharing among AI professionals across the government. Ryan brings over 14 years of federal experience, including pivotal roles at the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Census Bureau, where he led significant projects in data analytics and visualization. In his spare time, you will often find Ryan on the ice playing hockey, gardening, or pouring over sports statistics.

Lorelei Kelly

Research Faculty, Georgetown University, McCourt School of Public Policy

Lorelei Kelly is a founder or director of many projects and organizations in Washington, D.C. with the purpose of building a more informed, responsive and effective democracy, starting with the US Congress. She is on the Research Faculty at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy where she leads the Congressional Modernization portfolio. Lorelei was at the Stanford Center on Conflict and Negotiation before coming to work on nuclear security issues in Congress, where she led "Security for a New Century" a bipartisan study group in the House and Senate that convened for 14 years. Lorelei supported the liberation movements of Eastern Europe during 1988-89--living in West Berlin at the twilight of the Cold War. She attended Grinnell College, Stanford University and the Air Command and Staff College of the US Air Force. Lorelei grew up in Northern California and the Four Corners region of New Mexico.

Taylor Swift

Director of Government Capacity, POPVOX

Taylor J. Swift is the Director of Government Capacity at POPVOX Foundation. Taylor's passion for better working conditions and pay for Congressional staffers, stronger federal workforce pipelines, and greater public access to legislative information has led him to become Director of Government Capacity at POPVOX Foundation. Prior to joining the POPVOX Foundation, Taylor served as a senior policy advisor with Demand Progress, focusing on congressional transparency, capacity, and modernization. In 2022, Taylor led the outside effort to adopt the resolution in the House that granted collective bargaining rights for congressional staff for the first time in history. Prior to joining Demand Progress, Taylor worked for the House of Representatives Democratic Caucus where he focused on budget, appropriations, education, labor, environmental, and tax policy. During his time with House leadership, Taylor worked to help stand up the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress (ModCom). Taylor held over a dozen listening sessions with staff during ModCom’s inception, helping to provide critical insight into operational and technological shortcomings within Congress.

J.P. Auffret

Director, Center for Assurance Research & Engineering, George Mason University

J.P. Auffret is director, Center for Assurance Research and Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computing, and director, Research Partnerships in the School of Business at George Mason University, USA. He is also co-founder and current president of the International Academy of CIO (IAC), an NGO headquartered in Tokyo. Auffret’s work spans applied technology fields including CIO and ICT governance; cybersecurity; and innovation of emerging technologies including for medicine and healthcare. Auffret earned a B.S. from Duke University where he was an A.B. Duke Scholar, M.B.A. from the University of Virginia and Ph.D. in Physics from American University.

Joe Rohner

Vice President of Artificial Intelligence, Booz Allen Hamilton

Joe helps defense clients apply AI and advanced analytics to yield better mission outcomes through AI adoption and strategy, engineering, and model development; quantum services; and AI systems.

For more than 17 years, Joe has supported Booz Allen’s defense clients, first at the Department of the Navy before expanding his role across the services and promoting reuse to accelerate AI adoption and solutions. He is also the firm’s AI talent lead responsible for the strategy and execution of training, recruiting, and retaining the largest AI workforce supporting the federal government.

Since 2017, Joe has helped organizations use hackathons to crowdsource their data science challenges and unlock the true value of their data, including acting as the lead architect of the data science track at the Navy's HACKtheMACHINE. He also provides leadership for the world’s premier data science competition for social good, the Data Science Bowl®, presented by Booz Allen and Kaggle.

Recognized for his leadership, expertise, and contributions to the field, Joe received two “40 Under 40” awards in 2019: from the San Diego Business Journal and the Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association (AFCEA).

Erin Weiss Kaya

Senior Strategist, Innovation Group, Booz Allen Hamilton

Erin Weiss Kaya is an expert in cyber organization and talent strategy. She specializes in shaping and delivering transformative cyber solution adoption capabilities. Based out of our Falls Church, Virginia, office, she applies expertise in large-scale strategic transformation and human capital programs to help clients meet their cybersecurity missions.

With nearly 20 years of experience, Erin leads teams supporting both private sector companies and federal agencies, driving emerging service offerings to manage the people side of cybersecurity risk and resilience. Included among the projects she has led is Booz Allen’s work on the landmark development of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework, National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-151. She currently leads talent management for our work on the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program and the Veterans Affairs Information Technology Service Solutions and Modernizations program.

Erin’s passion is capacity and capability building across all sectors. She engages that passion at Booz Allen by helping clients execute on STEM-focused missions through large-scale engagement and talent impact.

Huralain Mohamed

Founder & CEO, Cytec Solutions

Huralain Mohamed is the Founder and CEO of Cytec Solutions, a Woman Veteran-Owned Minority Small Business based in Washington, DC offering cybersecurity solutions and training to government agencies and private organizations.

Huralain brings over 15 years of expertise in the InfoSec industry supporting and overseeing strategic security programs with various agencies including the DoD, DHS, DOE, CISA, DISA, USSOCOM, & AFSOC.

Kajhon Soyini

Senior Security Researcher, Microsoft

Bio to come.

Calaunte Winston Jr.

Founder and CEO, Anpu Labs

Calaunte Winston is the Founder and CEO of Anpu Labs, a leading technology firm specializing in Cloud Consulting, Modernization, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions. With a background in AWS DevOps and Software Engineering, Calaunte brings over nine years of experience in developing scalable cloud solutions and applying AI technologies to tackle complex challenges within government agencies and private enterprises. His expertise extends to crafting data strategies, application development, and ensuring robust cloud security. As a visionary leader in the field, Calaunte drives innovation and efficiency, making Anpu Labs the go-to partner for cutting-edge technology solutions in the public sector.

John Carthern

Innovation Engineer, Bowler Pons Solutions Consultants

John Carthern is a seasoned technology executive with over 10 years of expertise in driving Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning (AI/ML) initiatives in mission-critical environments. As a leader in technical engineering, John has spearheaded the delivery of value-driving capabilities at scale for the Department of Defense (DoD), ensuring compliance and security in classified settings. With hands-on experience in integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) to develop innovative cybersecurity solutions, John’s contributions have been instrumental in advancing product development and enhancing physical defense strategies. His technical prowess spans a wide array of cutting-edge technologies, including Penetration Testing, Threat Intelligence, sUAS, sUGV system and robotic automation, Computer Vision Systems, Facial Recognition Software, and Blockchain Technology.

Dan Clarke

President, Truyo

Dan Clarke, a former Intel® GM, has held multiple CEO roles over the past three decades, including at companies now part of Google®. Dan entered the privacy space when Intel® contacted him about GDPR, leading to his role as President of IntraEdge Products & Solutions, where he co-developed the Truyo platform with Intel®. Dan spearheaded Truyo’s AI Governance initiatives, developing the first comprehensive AI Governance Platform and creating a "5 Steps to Defensible AI Governance" workshop, conducted with enterprise companies across the U.S. Dan’s expertise includes operating Truyo's solutions for AI governance and privacy compliance, addressing current and emerging privacy laws. He is actively involved in privacy legislation in Arizona, Texas, and at the federal level.

Jeff Sizemore

Chief Strategy Officer and Head of GTM, Truyo

Jeff Sizemore, Chief Strategy Officer at Truyo, leads the company's strategic vision, focusing on innovative and compliant data privacy and AI Governance solutions. With expertise in data privacy compliance, privacy by design, cybersecurity, and information governance, Jeff has published extensively and holds certifications from respected institutions. He is passionate about creating solutions that enable organizations to manage and secure data while respecting user rights and preferences. Jeff views privacy as both a fundamental human right and a business advantage in today’s digital economy.

Dale Pfeifer

CEO, Giving Compass

As the CEO of Giving Compass and X4Impact, Dale leads the vision, strategy, and execution of these platforms, which leverage cutting-edge technology, data, and insights to empower philanthropists and changemakers to make informed and effective decisions. Dale also fosters strategic partnerships, leadership development, and global networks across the social sector, academia, government, and business. In 2020, she received the Inspired Leadership Award for my outstanding performance and contribution to the field of impact philanthropy. Her mission is to inspire and enable more people to do good together and create a better world for everyone.

Ugur Tigli

CTO, MinIO

Ugur Tigli is CTO at MinIO. In his current role, Ugur oversees enterprise strategy and interfaces with MinIO’s enterprise client base. He helps them architect and deploy API-driven, cloud native and scalable enterprise-grade data infrastructure using MinIO.

Ugur has almost two decades of experience building high performance data infrastructure for global financial institutions. Prior to MinIO, he was a technology leader at Bank of America, where he served as the Senior Vice President, Global Head of Hardware Engineering. Ugur joined BofA through the acquisition of Merrill Lynch where he was the Vice President for Storage Engineering. 

Ugur has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Lafayette College.

Cortney Weinbaum

Senior Management Scientist, RAND

Cortney Weinbaum (she/her) is a senior management scientist at RAND. She specializes in intelligence and space topics, and she has worked with the Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of Defense to improve policies, practices, and technologies. She has improved intelligence tradecraft; identified emerging technologies and their impact on space architectures, special operations, countering weapons of mass destruction, and intelligence; and examined new workforce models for intelligence agencies.

Weinbaum led two teams to receive the Director of National Intelligence's Meritorious Unit Citation for advancing the IC's knowledge of two intractable intelligence topics. Since joining RAND in 2014, she has published on scientific ethics, the ethics of artificial intelligence in lethal and nonlethal national security applications, and the new approaches for U.S. intelligence. She began her career as an intelligence officer developing radio frequency and electromagnetic MASINT collection systems.

Weinbaum earned her B.S. in physics from the University of Michigan. She serves on the Advisory Committee of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance.

Matt Howard

CMO, Virtru

Currently serving as the Senior Vice President and CMO at Virtru, Howard brings over 25 years of experience in developing high-growth software companies. At Virtru, he leads corporate development, strategic alliances, and all demand generation in support of the company's go-to-market motion. Howard has successfully positioned Virtru as a leading innovator, enabling a monumental shift in cybersecurity architecture – a transformation where policy and access controls are moving away from the traditional perimeter and closer to the data itself.

Howard's leadership at Virtru came at a pivotal time, following the company's $60 million growth financing round in early 2022. This substantial funding, led by ICONIQ Growth and Foundry Capital, underscores the increasing importance of data protection in today's digital landscape and positions Virtru to further its mission of establishing Trusted Data Format (TDF) as the open standard for enabling data centric security and granular policy control on sensitive information that must be shared with others.

Jerry Dotson

Vice President of U.S. Federal, Avaya

Jerry Dotson is Vice President of Avaya’s Government Solutions, a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions and a key technology partner for the US Federal, State, and Local Government. In his current role, Jerry oversees the business operations supporting the missions of all US Federal (Civilian & Intel) and Department of Defense customers. He joined Avaya in 2005, focusing on the Public Sector. Prior to his current position, Jerry served as the Regional Sales Lead for Avaya’s Foreign Account Module, managing key accounts such as HUD, NRC, and EPA, among others. With over 32 years of experience in the Information Technology industry, Jerry's expertise spans installation, operations, implementation, engineering, and proposal management. Throughout his entire career, Jerry has dedicated himself to supporting government entities, contributing to various challenging requirements, including pioneering the first VoIP implementation for the US Department of State. Jerry earned his PhD in 2011 from Kingsbury University. He is blessed with a wonderful wife of 24 years, a son who is currently attending Liberty University, and a daughter who is a senior in high school. Jerry and his wife are deeply committed to their community, having established and operated a food bank in Fairfax County, VA. This food bank has supported as many as 500 families a month over the past six years.

Jenifer Bond

Vice President of U.S. SLED, Avaya

Jenifer Bond is Vice President of Avaya’s US SLED (State, Local, and Education) sector, a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions and a key technology partner for the US Federal, State, and Local Government. In her current role, Jennifer is responsible for the overall business operations supporting the mission of all US SLED customers. Jennifer first joined Avaya in 2007 and is an accomplished, high-energy sales leader with over 20 years of proven success. She is consistently recognized for exceeding sales goals with a customer-centric approach. Jennifer is passionate about building high-performance sales teams. She is a strong communicator, strategic thinker, mentor, and coach. Jennifer graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1994.

Rana Gujral

CEO, Behavioral Signals

Rana Gujral is an entrepreneur, speaker, investor, and CEO at Behavioral Signals, an enterprise software company that excels at distinguishing behavioral signals in speech data with its proprietary deep-learning technology. As a thought leader in the AI/technology space, he often leads keynote sessions and joins panel discussions at industry events such as World Government Summit, VOICE Summit, The Next Web Conference, and Blockchain Economic Forum. His bylines are featured in publications such as Hacker Noon, Voicebot.ai, SpeechTechMagazine, and is a contributing columnist at TechCrunch and Forbes. He’s been recognized as ‘Entrepreneur of the Month’ by CIO Magazine, awarded ‘US-China Pioneer’ by IEIE, and listed as a Top 10 Entrepreneur to follow in 2017 by Huffington Post and an AI Entrepreneur to Watch in Inc. In 2020 he won “Contributor of the Year: Chatbots” in Hacker Noon’s Noonie’s Awards.

In 2014, Rana founded TiZE, a cloud software for specialty chemicals, and held the role of CEO until its acquisition in 2016. Prior to TiZE, He was recruited to be a part of the core turnaround team for Cricut Inc. At Cricut, Rana led the initiative to build a first-of-its-kind, innovative product for the DIY community and prompted the turnaround of Cricut’s EBITDA position from bankruptcy to profitability within a short span of 2 years. Previously, Rana held leadership positions at Logitech S.A. and Kronos Inc., where he was responsible for the development of best-in-class products generating billions in revenue and contributed towards several award-winning engineering innovations.

Juli Nixon

Founder, Social Work Expat

As the founder of Social Work Expat™, Juli Nixon, MSW, CH provides AI literacy and consulting services bridging social work and artificial intelligence. With a certificate from Berkeley Law's AI Institute, Juli is currently the only AI-certified professional social worker in the United States.

Juli is a proud graduate of the UConn School of Social Work and has over 15 years of cross-industry experience in social work, healthcare, education, law, and government. Social Work Expat's focus is on bridging technology and policy to foster responsible AI development and use.

Rijul Gupta

CEO & Founder, Deep Media

Named a Forbes Next 1,000 - 2021 award winner for his entrepreneurial innovations, Rijul leads Deep Media, a company specializing in Deepfake Detection and Media Intelligence. Serving clients like the US Department of Defense and top tech firms, Deep Media is positioned as the gold standard in AI security and fraud prevention, leading the burgeoning market.

Emma Brown

CMO & Co-Founder, Deep Media

Emma is an expert on geopolitics and foreign relations and joined Deep Media as a co-founder in 2020. She is currently the Chief Marketing Officer there and leads all the marketing and promotional efforts of Deep Media. She is fluent in 7 languages.

Rebecca Link

Consultant, Synthminds

Rebecca is an AI enthusiast and industry thought leader with over 13yrs supporting a variety of GovCons in Business Development and Federal Proposals. She is an Orals Coach and Public Speaker that enjoys mentoring and training fellow professionals on all things proposals and AI.

Meryl Angelicola

VP of Industry Solutions, GovDash

Meryl Angelicola is the VP of Industry Solutions at GovDash and founder of ProposalTeam Training. With over 15 years in capture, proposals, and contract management, she has helped secure over $1 billion in federal contracts. An APMP 40 Under 40 honoree, Meryl is known for her innovative approach, leveraging AI to optimize business development processes. At GovDash, she focuses on product-market fit and industry collaboration, driving GovCon innovation. Through ProposalTeam, she facilitates free 10-week training cohorts for individuals transitioning to GovCon from outside industries.

Laurie Attwood

Director & Senior Consultant, Key Solutions, Inc.

Laurie Attwood is a seasoned capture and proposal consultant with almost three decades of experience in Information Technology, Business Development, Data Management, and Government Contracting. She leverages her IT and Data background to drive AI solutions in Proposal Development which results in a high probability of winning. Her expertise sets a foundation for AI applications that enhance compliance and streamline processes. At the 2024 GovAI event, she will share insights on leveraging AI to improve the quality and impact of government proposals, showcasing AI's transformative potential in the GovCon industry.

Trent Bradberry

AI Lab Lead, Steampunk

Trent Bradberry is the AI Lab Lead at Steampunk, where he develops prototype-level federal AI use cases, showcasing the potential of innovative AI technologies. With over two decades of experience in data science and artificial intelligence, he has contributed to a wide range of projects across multiple agencies as a federal government contractor. He holds an MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech and a PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Maryland and is passionate about using AI to transform processes for both industry and government.

Shelby Hritz

Technology Advisor and Consultant,

Shelby Hritz leads customers in harnessing advanced technology for Government Missions. Previously, she served as strategic technical advisor for NASA Mission Support Directorate in an Excepted Service (NEX) appointment, focus AI, Data, and Cloud. Prior, she co-founded Google Space project, a team dedicated to fusing Silicon Valley innovation with the challenges of Space. Other notable AI projects include Google translate for Whales, AI for weather, finding minerals on the Moon, and Exoplanet discovery. In addition to NASA and Google, she’s held leadership roles at Collibra, Intel, Actifio (acquired by Google), Red Hat, VMware, NetApp, and EMC. She's a passionate advocate for diversity in technology and mentoring the next generation of leaders.

Dr. Umbereen Nahal

Former Chief Medical Officer, Medical Director and Clinical Lead, Massachusetts Medicaid

Bio to come.

Noble Ackerson

Director of Product Management, Ventera

Noble's professional career merges at the intersection of data ethics and emergent technology. His impact in product leadership spans industries Health, Edtech, International development, and media.

Day-to-day, he leads product strategy for enterprises looking to implement complex applications and responsible artificial intelligence solutions in a human-centered way, including AI bias mitigation, explainability, privacy-preserving approaches, and continuous learning automation to streamline software.

Mr. Ackerson is a Certified AI Product Manager, a Google Certified Design Sprint Master, and a former Google Developers Expert for Product Strategy.

Jenn Halweil

Chief Story Engineer, #GoBeyond

Originally, an electrical engineer focused on sustainability, Halweil became interested in digital health post-Covid after being diagnosed with the same autoimmune disorder as her cat. A Forbes Next1000 awardee and National Merit Scholar, Halweil is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully bootstrapped two companies. A graduate of Johns Hopkins’ CTY Program, Halweil is a contributor to over a hundred publications including Scientific American, LiveScience, and Interesting Engineering, and is featured in a Marvel comic "The Unstoppable Wasp" as a real life superhero. Halweil has worked with a number of top companies in the data and health tech sectors including Palantir, IBM, Nexthink, White Plains Hospital, and Deloitte.

Hallie Stern

Founder, Terra Optica

Bio to come.

Wes Shields

Founder, Synthminds

Wes Shields, Principal and founder of Synthminds.AI, leads a team of 15 experts, propelling clients' AI strategies and objectives with ethical and innovative solutions. Under his stewardship, his full-service Artificial Intelligence agency provides bespoke services that exceed their strategic needs to an extensive list of clientele from academia to various industries including aviation, customer service, legal, marketing, logistics, education and technology. He was named one of the first 18 global “OpenAI Experts”, an endorsement awarded and recognized formally by OpenAI. Shields' exemplary work has earned him and his Synthminds team the "Expert-Vetted" AI Consultant accolade from Upwork, a title conferred on the top 1% of the 18 million professionals on the platform.

Recognized as an accomplished strategist and speaker in the field of AI, he is also the host of the popular podcast, 'How to Talk to AI.' He has a notable presence on Promptbase.com, the premier prompt sales marketplace, where his prompts rank him amongst the top 200 worldwide.

Michael Novak

Sr. Responsible AI Advisor, InfinityOne.ai

Bio to come.

Jill Heinze

Research Director, WillowTree

Jill is a Research Director and a Lead of the Data and AI Research Team (DART) for a major digital consultancy. Her career in user research spans academic and industry settings where she advocates for accessible products and human-centered solutions. Most recently at WillowTree, she’s focused on guiding teams at Fortune 500 companies through identifying and proactively mitigating AI risks and establishing an internal AI Governance function.

Jill brings a background in UX, Library Science, Competitive Intelligence, and Marketing with more than 15 years experience doing and supporting research in higher education and in the private sector.

Jill is a frequent speaker in the technology and library/publishing communities, having addressed domestic and international audiences on myriad topics like service design, progressive web apps, doing UX research across the user journey, and how to integrate UX research with Agile.

Matthew Ross

Director of Government Solutions, Eduworks

Matthew is a former F-15E Instructor Pilot who implemented AI into fighter pilot training, and is now focused on bringing AI solutions to the warfighter at the edge.

M. Alejandra Parra-Orlandoni (mapo)

Advisor, Chimney Trail Health

Bio to come.

Rebecca Del Palazzo

VP of Business Development & Partnerships, Onsights.io

Bio to come.

Maili Neverosky

Chief Growth Officer, TopicLake Insights

Bio to come.

Genevieve Leveille

CEO and Founder, Agriledger

Genevieve Leveille is a social impact entrepreneur with over 25 years experience of in leading at the intersection of finance, supply chain optimization, and technology. She is currently the CEO and Principal Founder of AgriLedger, the award-winning blockchain solutions company. AgriLedger revolutionizes the agricultural supply chain, enabling greater trust, authenticity, and transparency through traceability.

In 2020, Genevieve implemented a blockchain solution in the fresh fruit value chain in Haiti in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and the World Bank. Participating small-holder farmers saw an increase of over 750% in their revenues. AgriLedger is building an extension of Reimagined Finance (ReFi) for the maize and peas value chains in Haiti.

Grazia Russo Lerner

Sr. Consultant of Natural Language AI Services, AWS

Grazia Russo Lassner is a Senior Consultant with the AWS Professional Services Natural Language AI team. She specializes in designing and developing conversational AI solutions using AWS technologies for customers in various industries. Outside of work, she enjoys beach weekends, reading the latest fiction books, and family.

Janet Waring

CEO, ArtForm Business Solutions

Janet Waring is CEO and co-founder at ArtForm Business Solutions. Janet’s career has spanned over two decades working for digital marketing and advertising agencies gaining experience with clients in the private and public sector including NTT Data, Carahsoft, The US Chamber of Commerce, The Smithsonian, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Uday Kumar

Senior Director of Solutions, Bixal

Uday is a product leader and strategist with a strong foundation in data and AI products and engineering. He currently serves as a Senior Director of Solutions at Bixal, a mission-driven federal consultancy, after roles as Chief Digital Officer at Akira Technologies and Platform Product Leader at Capital One. Uday is passionate about building solutions that leverage data and AI technologies to enhance both business operations and consumer experiences. This passion is driven by his curiosity, diverse industry experience, and a commitment to leading/growing dynamic tech teams. A lifelong learner, Uday speaks on various topics, including pathways to product management, the importance of diversity within teams, and Responsible AI. Beyond his professional endeavors, Uday mentors emerging startups, contributes to Loudoun County Public School’s Career and Technical Education program, and serves as a Payments Technology expert within Google’s Developer Experts (GDE) program.

Angela Polania

Principal, Elevate

I am very blessed to have over twenty years of professional services experience with hundreds of organizations in the areas of:

- Information Security, IT Audit and IT Compliance
-Privacy (GDPR, US, Asia, Canada)
- Business Process Auditing and Consulting
Most recently AI Governance and AI Risk Management

I most recently completed a 9 month program with the University of Texas-Austin in Advanced Machine Learning, Data Science and GenAI.

I have started working on ISO 42001 , NIST AI RMF assessments for Technology companies with AI embedded products and are working on developing an AI Governance and Risk Management Solution for the Government and Companies.

In the past I have worked extensively with many industries including Financial Services, Healthcare, Legal, Consumer Products, Technology B2B SAAS, Commercial Companies working with the Federal Government and others. I have lead and I have deep knowledge in frameworks, regulations and/or standards such as: SOX 404, PCI, HITRUST, FedRAMP, CMS EDE, HIPAA, GLBA, ISO 27001/2/17/18, 27701:2019, SOC, Privacy Law and what it takes to get ready, improve cyber security posture and pass these assessments/ audits.

Peng Wei

Associate Professor, The George Washington University

Peng Wei is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the George Washington University, with courtesy appointments at Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and Computer Science Department. By contributing to the intersection of control, optimization, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, he develops autonomous systems and decision support tools for aviation, aeronautics and aerial robotics. His current focuses are (1) safety, efficiency, and scalability of aircraft autonomy, multi-agent autonomy and human-autonomy teaming; and (2) AI safety, security and certification for safety-critical systems. He is leading the Intelligent Aerospace Systems Lab (IASL). Prof. Wei is an AIAA Associate Fellow. He serves as an associate editor for AIAA Journal of Aerospace Information Systems, and the chairman of the AIAA Air Transportation Systems Technical Committee. He received his Ph.D. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University in 2013.

Peichang Shi

Senior Lead AI Engineer, Booz Allen Hamilton

Mr. Peichang Shi holds a PhD in machine learning and health informatics, complemented by two master's degrees in computer science and applied statistics. With a rich background spanning over 15 years, he has cultivated extensive expertise in handling healthcare data. His professional journey has taken him through esteemed research institutions such as Washington University School of Social Work and University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, as well as engagements with private insurance companies. His proficiency shines in the realms of data analysis, modeling, and the integration of AI within healthcare contexts.

Kevin Shang

Senior Lead Scientist, Booz Allen Hamilton

Mr. Shang is a Senior Lead Scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton with over a decade of experience in healthcare policy research, statistics, and claims data analysis. His expertise includes program evaluation, survey and experimental design, clinical quality measure development, and health equity assessment. Additionally, Mr. Shang has significant experience using both traditional statistical methods and innovative machine learning, AI, and hybrid techniques to evaluate program impact.

Matthew Kilbane

Founder and CEO, Athena's Zephyr Consulting

Matthew Kilbane is a seasoned professional with two decades of distinguished service in the U.S. Army as a Non-Commissioned and Commissioned Officer and over seven years with the Dept. of Homeland Security. With a robust background in AI Governance, technology business management (TBM), and IT Program leadership; he is an AZURE AI Engineer holding an M.B.A. and advanced certifications from MIT, the University of Geneva, the United Nations Staff College, Northeastern, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (among others). Adept at building and leading high performing teams, he currently serves as a technology innovation advisor to the Dep. Asst. Secretary of the U.S. Airforce, the Marine Corps Installation Command, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Governance and Technology for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he authors legislative proposals for a legal framework for AI governance in the United States of America.

Beju Rao

Founder, President and CEO, Amruta

Beju is an experienced enterprise analytics executive with an ability to influence organizational executives and senior management to identify and implement data and information change management. His consultative approach involving situation assessment, precise needs identification, organizational readiness preparation, and information based strategies has enabled numerous enterprises to reap innovative and significant business benefits over the last 33+ years of his career. He founded Amruta Inc with a vision to expand and spread the benefits of AI/ML to contemporary organizations.

Wes Chaar

Strategic Advisor, datafuelX

Over the course of his 20+ years career, Wes brought his deep knowledge of mathematical modeling and computer science, establishing himself as a leading expert in the Analytics, Data Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Fusion fields. Over the course of his career, Wes has driven industry-leading innovations in the Airlines, Hospitality, CPG, Retail, Advertising, Media, Marketing, Private Equity, and Data Services sectors.

His work has been recognized, including receiving an Emmy for Engineering and Technology (Turner team), the INFORMS Innovative Applications of Analytics Award, the ANA Genius Awards for Marketing Analytics Science, the ANA Genius Awards for Excellence in Pioneering Analytics Innovation, the ARF Great Mind Award in Analytics Leadership, Corinium’s Top 100 Innovators in Data & Analytics for the Americas, finalist for the Wagner Prize, finalist for the Edelman Award, and more. Furthermore, he has published in numerous journals and proceedings, including IEEE Transactions, M&SOM, AAS, Interfaces, and others, and has presented at conferences around the globe. He is a member of AIAA, IEEE, and INFORMS.
 
Wes attained his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.

Ed Melick

, UMBC Training Centers

Ed Melick worked for 30 years in high-tech in various consulting, engineering, and sales/strategy roles. He then shifted into the media space for several years to share a profound personal lesson he learned by authoring three books and co-producing/hosting a radio program/podcast for over five years. He recently returned to high tech where he is focused on the responsible design, development, testing, deployment, use, and governance of AI systems. He currently works as the Director of Business Development and Responsible AI at the Center for Applied AI at UMBC Training Centers as well as a Contributing Fellow and Co-Lead of the Media and Tech team at AI and Faith.