360 Direct Access

Craig Radford is a nationally recognized figure, renowned for his expertise as a business leader, motivational speaker, and co-founder of 360 Direct Access. Over the past 25 years, Craig has become a household name as one of the pioneers who shaped the telecommunications industry for the Deaf and hard of hearing community. While Craig has made a lasting impact by driving accessibility, developing a ground-breaking telehealth program, and creating extensive job opportunities for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals, he continues to create change through initiatives like the Direct Video Calling program, endorsed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Furthermore, as Avodah’s Equity Partner, Craig is leading the newly formed accessibility business and strategizing ways for AI to profoundly impact the everyday lives of the Deaf and hard of hearing community. Craig’s work and leadership have been widely recognized with numerous accolades, including the Travelability Peoples Choice Award, Travelability Sharks Tank Top 3, Destinations International Top 4 Most Innovative, Tampa Bay Wave Top 15 Startups, Disability: IN Peoples Choice Winner, and Disability: IN Pitch Perfect Champion (out of over 500 Disability Owned Business Enterprises (DOBE). His company was also a Venture Atlanta Finalist, and 360 Direct Access has been certified by the FCC. Craig’s no-nonsense practical advice on diversity, equity, and inclusion in business has reached hundreds of thousands through diverse media channels, including Forbes, Business Insider, Sanctuary Magazine, CNN, and many others. A great communicator, Craig’s presence has lit up stages in front of audiences ranging from 50 to over 5,000 people, sharing the spotlight with several renowned visionaries. As a builder with an impressive portfolio of achievements, boasting his contributions to three successful business exits, including a record-breaking private equity acquisition valued at nearly $1 billion, Craig brings a distinctive blend of skills to the table. With his wealth of experience, he not only inspires but also ignites hope among aspiring leaders to unlock their full potential. When he is taking a break from reshaping our everyday lives, Craig loves attending his children’s sports games and events. Having been involved in sports his whole life as an athlete and coach, Craig has, alongside his coaching staff, helped lead the USA Deaflympics basketball team to gold in 2014 (Samsun, Turkey) and silver in 2015 (Taipei, Taiwan). He is currently the Executive Director for USA Deaf Basketball.

360 Direct Access

Vannessa LeBoss is the Chief Development Officer and co-founder at 360 Direct Video.

AIQ

Sharon Rogers serves as the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at AIQ, where she leads thecompany’s sales, business development, and revenue strategies. In her role, Rogersoversees AIQ’s partner and referral programs, driving growth and maximizing opportunitiesfor expansion and profitability.With a strong background in technical sales, strategic partnerships, and leadership, Rogershas a proven track record of driving revenue growth. Before joining AIQ, she was VicePresident of Strategic Alliances at Hyperion Partners, a telecommunications and mobilityconsultancy. There, she played a key role in developing a high-performing partnerecosystem that significantly contributed to the company’s rapid revenue growth. She alsoheld leadership roles at TeraGo, Insight, and CenturyLink, where she successfully scaledsales operations and delivered impactful business results.As a strategic sales leader, Rogers excels in identifying new market opportunities,optimizing sales processes, and cultivating strong relationships with key stakeholders. Herability to align sales, marketing, and product ensures that AIQ delivers a seamless,customer-centric experience, supporting sustained growth and expansion.Rogers holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science – Decision Science and ManagementInformation Systems for George Mason University. She resides in the Florida area, whereshe continues to drive AIQ’s revenue initiatives with a focus on long-term growth andinnovation.

Alright Solutions

Jeff Anderson, VP Workplace Technology , Alight Solutions [email protected] Jeffs career spans over two decades of diverse technical and leadership roles. With a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the tech landscape, Jeff has consistently delivered impactful solutions. Currently serving as VP of Workplace Technology Jeff is passionate about shifting from the basic building blocks to enabling a confident colleague experience by championing user centric approaches to leveraging the latest technologies. Jeff works to ensure every team member can thrive in a dynamic and supportive environment.

Atvis Group

Malvika Jethmalani is a 3x CHRO and the Co-Founder of Atvis Group – a human capitaladvisory firm driven by the core belief that to win in the marketplace, businesses must firstwin in the workplace. Learn more at www.atvisgroup.com.Malvika’s career has spanned over 15 years, and she possesses experience in theconsulting, manufacturing, CPG, healthcare technology, and mobile gaming industries.She has led global, distributed People teams across multiple geographies and supportedup to 5,000 employees in 50 countries. Her expertise includes HR strategy, talentmanagement, talent acquisition, performance management, and organizationaleffectiveness. Malvika adopts a data-oriented approach to solving people challenges suchas improving employee engagement, reducing turnover, developing leaders, transformingcultures, and developing talent strategies that power sustainable and profitable growth.Having served as Interim CFO and Interim COO, and given her extensive M&A (buy and sellside) and turnaround experience, she brings exceptional business acumen to her HR work.Malvika earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University ofIllinois at Chicago and her MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School ofManagement.

Capstone Partners

Allen Proithis is chief executive officer of GXC, a leading provider of an award-winning, private enterprise 5G networks, and the world’s only provider of private cellular mesh technology. In this capacity, he is responsible for all corporate strategy, product development, go-to-market activities and operations. Before joining GXC, he founded Capstone Partners, a strategic advisory firm for clients interested in Digital Transformation enabled by mobile, IoT, software and managed solutions. Among his successes at Capstone was the creation of 5G optimized applications for one of the first US Department of Defense private 5G network deployments. Prior to Capstone, Allen was president of Sigfox North America, where he formed a high-performance team that built a successful IoT business with top enterprises while providing wireless coverage for over 70M people across the US. In addition, Allen created Convida Wireless, a $155M IoT joint venture with Sony & InterDigital, serving as chairman. Before that, he oversaw the commercialization of IoT, Wi-Fi, shared spectrum and video content management solutions for InterDigital, and led strategy and business development for HP’s global Smartphone & Tablet division, which included the launch of HP’s first mobile app store.

CDW

Walt Powell is an accomplished cybersecurity leader, ethical hacker, author and certified executive coach with a passion for understanding cyber risk. As Lead Field CISO and a founding member of the Global Security Strategy Office at CDW, he and his team of former CISOs leverage their vast experience to offer executive direction on risk, governance, compliance, and IT security strategies. Walts expertise lies in translating complex cybersecurity concepts into business-focused language. His influential presence in the field is reinforced by his forthcoming book “The CISO 3.0 – Next generation Security Leadership” and his series of “CISOs Guide to…” articles, as well as, his many industry talks, white papers, and his active involvement in certification exam development committees. Prior to his CDW role, he was an educator and owner of the Left Brain Security consultancy. Walt has worked on both sides of the table as both a cybersecurity leader and a presales advisor, architect, & engineer. He also holds countless professional certifications, including Carnegie Mellon CISO, the Stanford Advanced Cybersecurity Certificate, CISSP, CISM, C|CISO, and numerous technical and sales certifications from leading cybersecurity firms. Beyond his professional life, Walt is a former professional musician and multi-instrumentalist who cherishes spending quality time with his children, traveling, and learning new languages.

CDW

Sheena Vojta has had a distinguished career at CDW, where she currently serves as the Director of Digital Experience. Based in Illinois, Sheena has been instrumental in driving the companys digital transformation initiatives related to technical presales. Sheena leads a team of managers and solution architects who are pivotal in enhancing CDWs digital experience practice, which includes Collaboration, Workspace, Customer Experience and Microsoft Professional and Managed Services solutions.Throughout her tenure, Sheena has been involved in driving innovation in a rapidly changing technical landscape, helping customers identify their business goals, and creating roadmaps related to organizational success.Her leadership and innovative thinking have been recognized across the organization, and she has played a key role in aligning the companys digital strategies with its overall business goals.Sheenas contributions extend beyond her immediate team, as she actively participates in mentoring and supporting other professionals within CDW. Her commitment to excellence and her ability to inspire those around her have made her a respected leader within the company & industry.

CDW

Cognigy

Hardy brings over two decades of experience in the Contact Center and Unified Communications software space to Cognigy. Previously, Hardy has held senior leadership positions with leading public and emerging private companies including Avaya, Intradiem and AVST. His areas of expertise include business and corporate development, strategy and business scaling and transformation.

Deepgram

Since joining Deepgram in 2020, Lauren Sypniewski has been tackling the complexity of conversational speech, aligning data labels and insights with the needs of machine learning models. With a unique background in communication and academia, she thrives at the intersection of messy voice data and technical application, combining creative problem-solving with the scaling of global labeling processes to drive success in data-driven environments. Lauren holds an MFA in Writing from Emerson College and is based in Deepgrams Ann Arbor, Michigan office.

Digitial Velocity

Roger started his career as a Reliability Engineer for proprietary DoD projects where he became an early adopter and practitioner of software reliability engineering practices, characterizing full system engineering reliability aspects of mission critical software. He has worked with several companies providing expertise in Software Quality, Release Management, DevOps, and automation with focus on regulatory assessment, tool migration and consolidation, process improvement, and organizational change efforts. Passionate about enabling robust strategies, Roger trained project teams and performed well over 100 assessments for various companies across many industries to achieve desired maturity or regulatory business goals. With a strong desire to demystify regulatory language and change perceptions of regulatory activities from hoops to be jumped through into springboards for organizations to gain efficiencies, Roger holds patented solutions in cross referencing and measuring compliance against multiple models such as CMMI, ISO, and Malcolm Baldrige. Roger engineered and was recognized with a special invention award for a developed solution to assess software safety integrity levels for flight navigation software that could be a physical safety risk.

Evolve IP

Fireflies.ai

Krish Ramineni is the Co-Founder and CEO of Fireflies.ai, an AI meeting assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and analyzes meetings. Named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, Krish was one of the youngest Product Managers at Microsoft, leading projects in customer voice. Fireflies is used by millions of users including those inside 75% of Fortune 500. Krish is an active angel investor in AI startups like Perplexity.

FloLIVE

Sara Brown is a strategic marketing professional dedicated to driving quantifiable business results with data-driven, integrated marketing communications that sell. With twenty-five years in technology marketing, including eighteen focused exclusively on the Internet of Things (IoT), she has a track record of delivering strong double-digit growth. Fluent in the entire IoT technology stack, with experience marketing hardware, connectivity and SaaS to myriad industry verticals, Sara has worked in both start-up and large enterprise environments. Over her career, she’s boosted the profile and, more importantly revenue, of organizations big and small; public, private and not-for-profit.

Focus GTS

Dave Fox is the President and Co-Founder of Focus GTS, a leading technology solutions andtalent optimization firm specializing in helping organizations unlock the full potential of theirtechnology ecosystems. With a deep focus on AI, Martech, and niche technologies, Dave hashelped evolve Focus GTS from a purely staffing and recruiting company into a trusted partnerthat bridges the gap between cutting-edge tools, expert talent, and operational excellence.Through their flagship service, Navigator™, Dave and his team provide subscription-basedexpert support and advisory services for Adobe Experience Cloud users, delivering high ROIand empowering businesses to maximize the value of their technology investments. At thesame time, Focus GTS continues to excel in staffing and recruiting, connecting top-tier talentwith organizations seeking to build world-class teams.Known for his entrepreneurial spirit and forward-thinking leadership, Dave has spent over adecade helping businesses transform challenges into opportunities. His speaking style isengaging and practical, drawing from his experience building successful businesses andimplementing innovative solutions.When he’s not driving business growth, Dave shares his insights on scalable systems,leadership, and the future of work. Outside of work, he’s a dedicated husband, father, andadventurer, committed to leading with authenticity and purpose.

HP

Masooma Naqvi is the VP of Product Management for HP Digital Services. Before joiningHP in 2024, she was the CPO of her own startup, focusing on TRiSM support for AI models.Prior to that, she led the Core product team at Dropbox. Masooma has also held significantroles in product and strategy at Google, Venmo/PayPal, and Amazon. Throughout hercareer, she has sought out complex problems, building solutions and leading teams with acustomer-first approach.

IgniteTech

Eric Vaughan, CEO of IgniteTech and GFI Software, is a visionary leader at the forefront of the AI revolution. With over 30 years of experience in the technology industry, Vaughan has founded and led three software companies, demonstrating a deep understanding of the transformative power of technology. In recent years, Vaughan has become a vocal advocate for AI-first thinking, recognizing the urgency of this paradigm shift for businesses. He believes that AI is not just an exciting development but a necessity for companies to remain relevant in the rapidly evolving technological landscape. His passion for AI is not driven by mere excitement but by a deep-seated belief that if businesses do not adapt, they risk being left behind. Vaughans commitment to AI transformation is evident in his bold initiative of AI Mondays, where the entire company dedicates one day solely to Gen AI—no calls, no visits, just pure innovation. This initiative is a testament to his belief in the transformative power of AI and his commitment to driving its adoption within his companies. Vaughans journey is a testament to the urgency of adopting AI-first thinking and the transformative power of AI in business. His leadership and vision have positioned IgniteTech and GFI Software at the vanguard of the AI revolution, demonstrating the potential of AI to transform businesses and industries.

IgniteTech

IgniteTech’s Chief Product Ocer, Thibault Bridel-Bertomeu, brings a unique blend of AI theoretical expertise, proven leadership in software team management, and entrepreneurial success as a founder of a SpaceTech start-up. With a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, his transition into the tech industry embodies a rare fusion of deep technical knowledge and practical application in cutting-edge software solutions. Thibaults visionary approach is further evidenced by his pivotal role in founding Re CAE, where he steered the development of autonomous space navigation technologies, demonstrating not only his innovative spirit but also his ability to lead complex projects from conception through to market delivery. His four years working with the French military as a software team leader and architect have imbued Thibault with a robust understanding of the strategic implications of technology in high-stakes environments. At IgniteTech, Thibaults leadership style, characterized by agility, foresight, and an unwavering commitment to product excellence, positions him uniquely to drive the companys product strategy forward. His work transcends traditional boundaries, merging theoretical insights with practical applications to shape the future of IT solutions. https://www.linkedin.com/in/thibaultbridel/

J Arnold & Associates

Jon Arnold is Principal of J Arnold & Associates, an independent analyst practice providing thought leadership and go-to-market counsel, with a focus on the business-level impact of digital transformation on the future of work. Core areas of expertise include unified communications, collaboration, cloud platforms (UCaaS, CCaaS and CPaaS) Artificial Intelligence, speech technologies, Internet of Things, contact centers and customer experience. He has been consulting in many of these areas since 2001, and his independent practice was founded in 2005. JAA is based in Toronto, Ontario, and serves clients across North America as well as in Europe. Jon’s thought leadership can be followed on his widely-read, award-winning JAA’s Analyst Blog, with ongoing commentary on Twitter and Linked in. In addition, Jon produces a monthly podcast with long-time colleague Chris Fine - Watch This Space – which is a regular feature in his monthly newsletter, JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review. In January 2023, Jon was named as a Top 100 United Comms Influencers 2023, and in 2022, was included in “16 UCaaS influencers to Follow”, “16 Hybrid Work Influencers to Follow” and “16 CCaaS Influencers to Follow”. In December 2021, Jon was listed in “Top 50 Contact Center Twitter Accounts to Follow”; also in 2021, Jon was included in “Who’s Who in Unified Communications?”, and “Who’s Who in Telecoms?”. During 2020, Jon was named a “Top 100 Unified Comms Influencer”, and a “Top 10 CX Contact Center Influencer You Need to Follow”; in 2019 a “Top 50 Unified Comms Influencer”, and a “Top 30 Contact Center Influencer”; and in 2018, Jon was included in a listing of “Top 10 Telecoms Influencers”, and “TOP VoIP Bloggers to Follow”. Previously, in both March 2017 and January 2016, Jon was cited among the Top Analysts Covering the Contact Center Industry. Also in 2017, Jon was cited as a Top 10 Telecom Expert, and Six Business Communications Thought Leaders to Follow. Before that, GetVoIP.com named Jon a Top 50 UC Experts to Follow in 2015, as well as a Top 100 Tech Podcaster in 2014. For JAA’s blog, it was recognized as a Top Tech Blog in 2016 and 2015, and has had other similar accolades going back to 2008. As an analyst, Jon regularly attends leading events in the tech space, often as a speaker, including Enterprise Connect, ITExpo, Future of Work Expo, Channel Partners, Cloud Conventions, SCTC and others. Additionally, Jon is a UC Expert with BCStrategies, is a long-serving Council Member with the Gerson Lehrman Group, and is regularly invited to judge industry awards events. He is frequently cited in both the trade press and mainstream business press, serves as an Advisor to emerging technology/telecom companies, is a board member of the U.S.-based SCTC, and an Advisory Board member for UCX USA.

J Arnold & Associates

Jon Arnold is Principal of J Arnold & Associates, an independent analyst practice providing thought leadership and go-to-market counsel, with a focus on the business-level impact of digital transformation on the future of work. Core areas of expertise include unified communications, collaboration, cloud platforms (UCaaS, CCaaS and CPaaS) Artificial Intelligence, speech technologies, Internet of Things, contact centers and customer experience. He has been consulting in many of these areas since 2001, and his independent practice was founded in 2005. JAA is based in Toronto, Ontario, and serves clients across North America as well as in Europe. Jon’s thought leadership can be followed on his widely-read, award-winning JAA’s Analyst Blog, with ongoing commentary on Twitter and Linked in. In addition, Jon produces a monthly podcast with long-time colleague Chris Fine - Watch This Space – which is a regular feature in his monthly newsletter, JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review. In January 2023, Jon was named as a Top 100 United Comms Influencers 2023, and in 2022, was included in “16 UCaaS influencers to Follow”, “16 Hybrid Work Influencers to Follow” and “16 CCaaS Influencers to Follow”. In December 2021, Jon was listed in “Top 50 Contact Center Twitter Accounts to Follow”; also in 2021, Jon was included in “Who’s Who in Unified Communications?”, and “Who’s Who in Telecoms?”. During 2020, Jon was named a “Top 100 Unified Comms Influencer”, and a “Top 10 CX Contact Center Influencer You Need to Follow”; in 2019 a “Top 50 Unified Comms Influencer”, and a “Top 30 Contact Center Influencer”; and in 2018, Jon was included in a listing of “Top 10 Telecoms Influencers”, and “TOP VoIP Bloggers to Follow”. Previously, in both March 2017 and January 2016, Jon was cited among the Top Analysts Covering the Contact Center Industry. Also in 2017, Jon was cited as a Top 10 Telecom Expert, and Six Business Communications Thought Leaders to Follow. Before that, GetVoIP.com named Jon a Top 50 UC Experts to Follow in 2015, as well as a Top 100 Tech Podcaster in 2014. For JAA’s blog, it was recognized as a Top Tech Blog in 2016 and 2015, and has had other similar accolades going back to 2008. As an analyst, Jon regularly attends leading events in the tech space, often as a speaker, including Enterprise Connect, ITExpo, Future of Work Expo, Channel Partners, Cloud Conventions, SCTC and others. Additionally, Jon is a UC Expert with BCStrategies, is a long-serving Council Member with the Gerson Lehrman Group, and is regularly invited to judge industry awards events. He is frequently cited in both the trade press and mainstream business press, serves as an Advisor to emerging technology/telecom companies, is a board member of the U.S.-based SCTC, and an Advisory Board member for UCX USA.

Jabra

A dynamic and enthusiastic storyteller, Michelle joined Jabra in July of 2021 with over 15years of product marketing experience. Michelle loves bringing Jabra’s products,solutions and use cases to life and advocating as the voice of the customer.

Jabra

With over 20 years of experience in providing voice and networking solutions at anenterprise level, Vern Fernandez provides thought leadership in audio, video and othercommunication devices and their role with hybrid work environments, contact centers,customer experiences, artificial intelligence and the future of work. He has been atJabra for 12 years and is a Senior Manager of Strategic Alliances for many of Jabra’sglobal partners.

James Moore and Co.

With over 30 years of strategic human resources leadership, Julie brings a wealth of experience indriving organizational success through innovative HR strategies. Throughout her career, she has workedextensively across all facets of human resources, including workforce planning, organizational design,talent management, mergers and acquisitions, employee relations and compliance. Her deep expertisein aligning HR initiatives with business goals has helped organizations optimize workforce structures,enhance employee engagement, and achieve sustainable growth.As leader of the JMA HR Solutions team, Julie has partnered with businesses across industries to tacklecritical workforce challenges, leveraging data-driven insights and best practices to deliver measurableresults. A trusted advisor and frequent speaker, Julie is passionate about fostering effectivecommunication and empowering organizations to unlock the full potential of their human capital.Julie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Toledo. She is a member of theSociety for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and is a certified SHRM Senior Certified Professional.

James Moore and Co.

A professional technical leader with previous CEO, CIO, CISO, and CTO titles, Tomas has spent nearly 30years working in IT compliance, management and cybersecurity in a wide range of industries andprojects. At James Moore Technology Solutions he leads strategic planning and business developmentoperations and supports his team as they provide more services and grow the company’s customerbase.Tomas has been on both the buying and selling sides of the equation, giving him a keen understandingof the balance between the right level of service and affordability. He measures his most memorableprojects by the results achieved, whether it was untangling failing efforts in service delivery or pushingthrough with new technologies or ways of working.

Journey

Brett Shockley is a tech industry executive, entrepreneur and keynote speaker with over 30 years of leadership in enterprise software at Journey, Avaya, Cisco, Calabrio and Spanlink Communications. Shockley is the cofounder and CEO of Journey, whose Trusted Identity Platform makes it simple for businesses to build Trusted Digital Relationships with their customers. He is a Director for eGain Corporation (NASDAQ: EGAN), a leading provider of cloud based customer engagement applications and SPOK (NASDAQ: SPOK), global leader in critical health care communications products and services. He also serves on the Virtual Hold Technology advisory board and is a startup mentor for Stanford’s Alchemist Accelerator. Previously Shockley was SVP of Strategy, Corporate Development & CTO of Avaya. He also served as SVP/GM of Avaya’s Contact Center and Unified Communications portfolios and led the Avaya Labs Research team. Earlier Shockley held senior leadership roles including VP/GM of Cisco’s Contact Center Business Unit where his team pioneered the industry’s first VoIP Contact Center. As Cofounder/CEO of Spanlink, he led the IPO and partnered with Bell Labs to pioneer innovations in speech recognition, computer telephony and call centers. As cofounder of Calabrio he led the development of industry leading Workforce Optimization software. In addition to holding patents in privacy, security, social networking & contact centers, Shockley was an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner, University of Minnesota Alumni Lifetime Achievement award winner and Minnesota High Tech Association Emerging Technology award winner. Brett previously held the Guinness World Record for the World’s Tallest Unicycle at 51’.

Kore.ai

Metric Sherpa

Justin Robbins is a seasoned expert in customer experience (CX) strategy, operations, andbusiness transformation. As the Founder and Principal Analyst at Metric Sherpa, Justin helpsCX solution providers and enterprise brands achieve measurable business outcomes byaligning their customer experience strategies with operational excellence and market needs.With over 20 years of experience in CX operations, training, and research, Justin has partneredwith Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders to design customer strategies that driverevenue, loyalty, and long-term growth. His approach emphasizes simplicity and scalability,helping organizations cut through complexity to deliver exceptional customer interactions thatmake a tangible impact.Justin’s career includes leadership roles at ICMI & HDI, where he directed global researchinitiatives, authored benchmarking studies, and provided consulting to improve CX and contactcenter performance. He has also worked closely with SaaS providers like Talkdesk, UJET, and8x8, advising on go-to-market strategies and content that resonates with CX leaders. Earlier inhis career, Justin managed front-line operations and led organizational transformations atcompanies like Hershey Entertainment & Resorts and Network Solutions.A dynamic and engaging speaker, Justin frequently presents at industry conferences andexecutive workshops, delivering actionable insights on performance metrics, CX innovation, andthe evolving role of customer experience in business success. He also serves on the CXAccelerator Board and advises the Quality Assurance & Training Connection (QATC),supporting leaders as they navigate challenges and seize opportunities in the CX landscape.When he’s not helping organizations optimize their customer strategies, Justin contributes to theindustry through thought leadership and mentoring emerging CX professionals

Mitel

Luiz Domingos is an innovative and passionate technology executive with more than 20 years of experience and an extensive record of leading global R&D, product management, and project teams to deliver disruptive and high-quality enterprise communication and collaboration solutions, contact center and network management products, and cloud services to the market.As Mitel Chief Technology Officer and Head of Large Enterprise R&D, Luiz leads the company’s technology vision and strategy, fostering introduction of new technologies, portfolio innovation, and implementation of highly reliable and scalable products.Throughout his career, Luiz has held key positions at Siemens, Unify, and Atos driving the delivery of new products, vertical offerings, and complex solutions across a wide range of technologies. Prior to Mitel, Luiz served as Chief Product and Technology officer for Unify, where he managed the complete Unify portfolio and was responsible for the development and launch of disruptive cloud solutions. Luiz holds a dual bachelor’s degree in electronics and telecommunications engineering from Parana Federal University UFPr in Curitiba, Brazil and executive education from INSEAD Paris. He also holds a PMP certification from the Project Management Institute as well as several patents with the US Patent office.

Myriad360

National University

Dr. Melody Rawlings is the Director of the Center for the Advancement of VirtualOrganizations. She has led remote teams for 10+ years and developed partnerships betweencorporations and higher education. Melody is also a doctoral chair in the School of Business &Economics at National University and holds a doctorate in leadership, and a master’s intechnology with a specialization in business management. She has authored peer-reviewedpublications and presented internationally on business topics including leadership, eServicelearning, emotional intelligence, and remote teamwork. She co-authored DeterminingLeadership Potential: Powerful Insights to Winning at the Talent Game, published by Routledge,and edited Winning in the Virtual Workplace, authored by 10 remote and hybrid work experts,available as a free download on Amazon.

NexusBlue

With over 35 years of experience in transforming, fixing, and future-proofing businesstechnology, Bill Magnuson is the visionary behind NexusBlue. Bill has consistently drivenlong-term growth for countless organizations, specializing in turning underperformingsystems into high-impact solutions. Through NexusBlue, he has helped clients overcomestalled technology projects, eliminate operational ineUiciencies, and build secure,scalable digital infrastructures that support the future of workforce transformation.Under Bill’s leadership, NexusBlue delivers cutting-edge solutions that include advancedAI assessments, the development of autonomous workplaces, and fractional CIO services.By aligning every project with clients’ strategic goals, Bill ensures business-focused, datadriven outcomes without the overhead of full-time leadership teams.As a trusted authority in AI strategies, automation, data management, IT security, and theevolving future of work, Bill empowers businesses to innovate and adapt for tomorrow’sworkforce needs. NexusBlue boasts an impressive 97% success rate in project recovery, a43% improvement in client satisfaction, and an average 26% increase in operationaleUiciency. Whether revitalizing delayed initiatives, optimizing processes, or enhancingexecutive leadership, Bills expertise guarantees impactful, measurable results.

NICE

Elizabeth Tobey is the Vice President of Marketing at NICE. Previously, she held leadership roles spanning marketing, communications, community, and CX departments at video game, social media, and cloud platform technology companies in both the B2C and B2B spaces. Over the course of her career, she has focused on identifying new and effective ways to create meaningful dialogue between a brand and its customers, and on developing products and programs that are built on relationships, outcomes, and impact.

PDI Security/Network Solutions

Amir Ahmed is a Sales Engineer at PDI Technologies, specializing in cybersecurity and network solutions. With over 20 years of experience providing enterprise-level security and networking solutions, he has been instrumental in delivering innovative security solutions across various industries. At PDI Technologies, Amir focuses on integrating human expertise with advanced AI to provide comprehensive protection across entire security ecosystems. He is passionate about helping organizations enhance their security posture through real-time threat detection, AI-powered automation, and unified visibility across their tech stacks. You’ll often find him at cybersecurity and networking events, doing what he loves—engaging with industry professionals, discussing PDI’s innovative cybersecurity platform, and demonstrating its real-time threat detection and response capabilities.

PDI Technologies

Pulver.com

Jeff Pulver is a Futurist and American Internet entrepreneur known for his work as founder of pulver.com, Free World Dialup and Vonage. Jeff is an Internet Pioneer whose work helped popularize the use and adoption of VoIP worldwide. He helped change the way the world communicates. The communication law issued by the Federal Communications Commission named after him known as The Pulver Order is the reason Internet based services like: FaceTime, Skype and Messenger are offered for free. Since 1997 he has invested in over 400 startups and has served as founder, co-founder and chairman of numerous startups. His most recent set of conferences started in 2016 is called MoNage, where he explores the future of communications.

SC Innovate

Sarah Cornett is a high-impact speaker, AI Strategist, and Founder CEO of SC Innovatewhich provides AI consulting services to help clients with every aspect of their AIjourney. With a decade in complex industries like banking and technology, Sarah leadswith deep expertise in AI software delivery and adoption, cloud computing, marketingCRM systems, data analysis, data modeling, quantitative analysis, and a variety ofemerging and enterprise technologies — combined with a keen awareness of thehuman factors that are critical for success. As both a CEO and a global visionary using AIto empower entrepreneurs and help local communities thrive, Sarah is passionate aboutusing emerging technologies and AI to positively impact people, business and the world.

TDG

Blima Ehrentreu is the Founder and CEO of The Designers Group (TDG), an interior designfirm transforming the industry with innovation, purpose, and impact. Her expertise spanshigh-end commercial, residential, and healthcare spaces, with a focus on creating environmentsthat are both functional and inspiring.Blima’s leadership has propelled TDG to remarkable success, earning Inc. Magazine’srecognition as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the New York Metro Area.She has also been honored as a GlobeSt. Women of Influence in 2020 and 2022 for hercommitment to design excellence, empowering women in the workforce, and giving back to thecommunity through TDG Gives Back.At the forefront of industry innovation, Blima continues to redefine modern interior design whilechampioning initiatives that create a lasting impact.

Thinkerland

With over 27 years of experience in IT leadership and consulting, OpoHerrera is a recognized expert in digital transformation and a passionateadvocate for the strategic integration of Generative AI (GenAI). Opospecializes in creating human-centered digital operations models thatempower teams, drive innovation, and deliver measurable businessoutcomes.As Senior Principal at Korn Ferry, Opo leads global digital solutionsinitiatives, integrating advanced technologies like Salesforce, MicrosoftDynamics, and AI-driven tools to redefine the future of digital salestransformation and data-driven operations. His work has directlyinfluenced $35M in closed deals and a 90% renewal rate in recent years.Beyond his corporate role, Opo is the founder of Thinkerland Inc., anonprofit dedicated to demystifying AI technologies and fostering a futurewhere AI amplifies human creativity, empathy, and productivity. He hasguided thousands of professionals and leaders through workshops andadvisory services, equipping them with the tools to adapt and excel in thedigital age.

Twilio

Khurum Shafi is a seasoned expert in contact center solutions and digital transformation withover a decade of experience in pre-sales engineering, cloud migration, and advanced customerengagement strategies. Currently serving as a Principal Solutions Engineer at Twilio, Khurumspecializes in developing innovative contact center solutions that leverage cutting-edge AItechnologies to deliver personalized customer experiences and actionable business insights.With a passion for innovation and customer-centric solutions, Khurum is an advocate for theevolving role of contact centers as the heartbeat of an organization, where communications,contextual data and AI can influence decision-making across the enterprise.

Unified Office

Michael has a diverse technical background developed over a 33 year career as a software engineer. Most recently he is contributing to Unified Offices quest to bring innovative and delightful experiences to their customers in both communications and franchise management systems verticals. His current focus is on an AI infrastructure for Sentiment Analysis. He is also working on the integration of Service Robots into Unified Office’s communications portal for the hotel and hospitality industries. Prior to Unified Office, Michael created solutions for Amazon Robotics, Amazon Alexa Devices, IBM/Netezza, Warner Media, and others.

Verint

Jason Valdina is an accomplished customer experience professional and is the Senior Director of Go To Market Strategy at Verint, a CX Automation software solutions provider based in New York. Jasons 20+ years of experience as a customer engagement leader has seen him develop solutions around every customer communication channel, from email, live chat and telephony to public social media and private messaging channels like SMS and WhatsApp. Mr. Valdina has received contact center industry recognition for product and CX innovation including a Webbie Award, a Digiday Technology Award and The Shorty Award.

Zoom Video Communications

With nearly two decades in the IT industry, Leo Boulton is Head of Product SolutionsIndustry Marketing at Zoom. His team crafts the stories behind Zoom solutions,launches new products, and develops strategies to help organizations maximize thevalue of Zoom innovative technologies. He lives in South Florida with his wife andfour children

Parallel Communications

Glenn serves as chief executive officer for Parallel Communications Group, and oversees the firm’s strategic direction and management, as well as client strategy and execution. Glenn has over 30 years of public relations experience, working in both agency and corporate environments. Before founding Parallel, he spent four years running the public relations practice for Scott Cooper Associates, a New York-based integrated marketing firm. Prior to that, he was executive vice president and chief operating officer for The Blankman Group, a New York-based public relations firm.

Parallel Communications

John has extensive expertise in a broad range of technology fields including telecommunications, IoT, AI and ML, AR/VR/XR, cybersecurity, holography, radiometric sensing, mobility, agriculture and environmental technology, semiconductors, and fintech. He serves on the DevNetwork AI/ML Advisory Board, as well as an advisor to multiple nonprofits. He has over 35 years of experience in engineering, product development, marketing, business development, and public relations in technology fields. Before joining Parallel, John was responsible for marketing and business development for a semiconductor startup, and was a divisional manager at NEC America where he successfully launched multiple product lines and managed new technology introductions. John holds a bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville.