In 2023, Tonya Thomas joined the Office of Learning and Teaching as Curriculum Development Consultant. She studied at WSU earlier in life, and began working with the institution in 2017. Ms. Thomas will be working with the team here in the Office of Learning and Teaching to manage the curriculum inventory as well as to support faculty with the integration of innovative educational technologies in the instructional design of their courses. She is also an adjunct professor at WSU in both Communications and Business Administration, as well as a mentor for the Wayne Women Lead Next Level Career Conversations Program.

Prior to joining the Office of Learning and Teaching, Ms. Thomas served as instructional design/performance improvement consultant and senior business systems analyst with Finance & Business Operations at WSU; as Director of Systems Innovation at TechTown (Detroit); as Director, Educational Technology & Innovation (ET+I), The College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI; and as instructional design lead, project manager, and Quality Matters Coordinator with the Academic Technologies Group at Oakland Community College, where she was responsible for establishing quality course development standards, review and approval processes, and mandatory faculty training required for the institution to obtain its HLC online learning accreditation. Before that, she served as Director, Staff Learning & Development with Teach For America, where her chief charge was to oversee the effort to transform classroom training to web-based learning and performance support resources. She has also held education leadership roles with UnitedHealth Group, The University of Michigan, and Trinity Health.

Ms. Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Instructional Design from Walden University and a Master of Arts degree in Educational Technology from the University of Michigan. She is certified in project management and Lean Six Sigma process improvement, and also has two decades of experience managing creative design work and corporate communications.

In 2023, Tonya Thomas joined the Office of Learning and Teaching as Curriculum Development Consultant. She studied at WSU earlier in life, and began working with the institution in 2017. Ms. Thomas will be working with the team here in the Office of ... Show more

Aletheia is currently Manager of Design Operations at Zapier, a tech leader in the no-code automation space. She is responsible for optimizing design teams’ workflows, building a strong design community, and championing design’s business impact across Zapier’s Product org and Brand Studio team. She formerly led the program management and helped drive an evolution of Ceridian’s new design system Everest, as well as established a new Design team focused on accessibility and research at the Government of Canada. In her logged off hours, Aletheia likes to play amateur tennis with her partner, hone her digital drawing skills on the iPad, and admire custom woodwork pieces. She currently lives in Quebec, Canada.

Aletheia is currently Manager of Design Operations at Zapier, a tech leader in the no-code automation space. She is responsible for optimizing design teams’ workflows, building a strong design community, and championing design’s business impact acros... Show more

With 20+ yrs of experience in education, nonprofits, & leadership, Nichole Myles weaves compelling storytelling together with experience & expertise to engage listeners in a journey of self-discovery – the ups & downs of growth – & what it really takes to come back personally & professionally. Nichole doesn’t just speak about post-traumatic growth, trauma-informed practices, & resilience: she’s lived it.
Myles has an M.A in i/o psychology, & certifications in Trauma and Resilience, Nonprofit Management, & DEI. She hones poignant stories into opportunities to reveal critical steps for growth, triumph, & how to lean into the future. Her frameworks, methods, & tools help participants turn trauma into transformation.
Nichole’s TEDx talk, ‘Lessons I’ve learned from the people who don’t like me’ has been viewed over 83,000 times. She works across industries as an ‘expert companion’ in the position of speaker, consultant, or coach, helping move clients from ‘survivorship’ to ‘thrivorship’.

With 20+ yrs of experience in education, nonprofits, & leadership, Nichole Myles weaves compelling storytelling together with experience & expertise to engage listeners in a journey of self-discovery – the ups & downs of growth – & what it really tak... Show more

Mieisha Musawwir, Licensed international educator and three time award winning makeup artist, with over twenty years of experience in the beauty industry. Returning 2nd place winner from 2015 Makeup competition.

Mieisha Musawwir, Licensed international educator and three time award winning makeup artist, with over twenty years of experience in the beauty industry. Returning 2nd place winner from 2015 Makeup competition. Show more

Android, Comedy, Design, People.

Android, Comedy, Design, People. Show more

Maryam (also known as Maz) has 9+ years of experience across sustainable fashion supply chain and brand creation (having started her first company in this space in 2011), startup-scale-up operations, product, growth and most recently VC investing in D2C, SaaS, Impact and Creator Economy verticals.​ Maryam has been involved in the Blockchain space since 2015, and is now building Crowdmuse, creator on-chain infrastructure for designers, brands and their communities. Get in touch via Twitter (https://twitter.com/mmazco) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryam-mazraei/)

Maryam (also known as Maz) has 9+ years of experience across sustainable fashion supply chain and brand creation (having started her first company in this space in 2011), startup-scale-up operations, product, growth and most recently VC investing in ... Show more

Enara is the Founder of ARMOAR and host of the Digital Fashion & Art Club. For the last 7 years she launched and scaled high-growth startups focused on building tools that empower creators to do what they do best: make things. She has recently been voted one of the Top 30 Voices in the Metaverse by ReadWrite. Today Enara is on a mission to inspire Web 3.0 technologies that will shape the future of digital fashion and allow people to express themselves online.

Enara is the Founder of ARMOAR and host of the Digital Fashion & Art Club. For the last 7 years she launched and scaled high-growth startups focused on building tools that empower creators to do what they do best: make things. She has recently been v... Show more

Growing up in a country with such a wide gap amongst income classes, I've always felt drawn to industries that offer a solution.

In pursuit of these solutions I've found my place in Web 3.0, allowing me direct access to an ever-changing landscape of innovation capable of closing the digital divide and acting as an engine of socio-economic change.

I have been an avid participant and builder in the NFT and wider Web3 space for almost 3 years. In that time I have helped multiple projects and platforms form and implement roadmaps that have consistently resulted in successful ventures.

I believe I have some value to share and I love nothing more than sharing what I know as well as learning what I don't.

Growing up in a country with such a wide gap amongst income classes, I've always felt drawn to industries that offer a solution. In pursuit of these solutions I've found my place in Web 3.0, allowing me direct access to an ever-changing landscape... Show more

Software engineer de formation, j'ai commencé mon aventure dans la data côté R&D avant de basculer du côté Ops-cure...

J'ai travaillé sur l'ensemble du pipeline ML et propose aujourd'hui mon expertise aux entreprises pour intégrer efficacement les principes du MLOps à leur organisation.

Software engineer de formation, j'ai commencé mon aventure dans la data côté R&D avant de basculer du côté Ops-cure... J'ai travaillé sur l'ensemble du pipeline ML et propose aujourd'hui mon expertise aux entreprises pour intégrer efficacement le... Show more

Rev. Dr. Michael Curcuru is Minister at Hi-Desert Center for Spiritual Living in Apple Valley, CA, and a staff minister at the Center for Spiritual Living in Palm Springs, CA.

His book Heartlight – Illusion to Illumination – Honoring Soul Whispers Within advocates, we become our own participant, preacher, and parachute. He is currently writing his second book Saying Hello to Goodbye – Befriending the Arc of Transition.

He and his husband, Ross live in Palm Springs, CA, with their dog J.J. They have a son, a daughter, and four grandchildren. They love traveling, mountain hiking, and exploring life. Rev. Michael’s favorite quote is from Emerson “The ancestor of every action is a thought.”

Rev. Dr. Michael Curcuru is Minister at Hi-Desert Center for Spiritual Living in Apple Valley, CA, and a staff minister at the Center for Spiritual Living in Palm Springs, CA. His book Heartlight – Illusion to Illumination – Honoring Soul Whisper... Show more

Ryan Kia is an investor with a background in technology and the capital markets (having made his first investment at just 11 years old).

A Twitter space (hosted by the Web3 legend, "Farokh") inspired Ryan to venture down the Web3 rabbit hole, serving as the COO of a successful Web3 project, raising over $12m.

He held an executive role at a UAE-based blockchain network, facilitating on-chain redemption of renewable energy certificates for large corporations.

In his Web2 life, Ryan was an early hire at a billion-dollar British FinTech (backed by SoftBank), empowering retail investors within the capital markets space.

Currently, Ryan leads strategy at Everbloom, the platform that allows people to invest in creators.

Ryan Kia is an investor with a background in technology and the capital markets (having made his first investment at just 11 years old). A Twitter space (hosted by the Web3 legend, "Farokh") inspired Ryan to venture down the Web3 rabbit hole, serv... Show more

Roy has over a decade of experience working in enterprise software sales, focusing on Microsoft collaboration and modern workplace solutions. Early on in his career, he fell in love with SharePoint, for better or worse, and that has evolved into a passion for Teams and M365 in general.

"My approach is centered on empowering organizations to unleash the full potential of Microsoft 365. By providing comprehensive training and support, implementing proven governance frameworks, and identifying potential security risks, I help organizations streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and improve productivity."

Roy has over a decade of experience working in enterprise software sales, focusing on Microsoft collaboration and modern workplace solutions. Early on in his career, he fell in love with SharePoint, for better or worse, and that has evolved into a pa... Show more

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional MVP AI | NASA Citizen Scientist; TCS Utilities Data and Analytics Practice Lead and Energy Trading and Risk Management Practice Lead | AWS Community Builder

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional MVP AI | NASA Citizen Scientist; TCS Utilities Data and Analytics Practice Lead and Energy Trading and Risk Management Practice Lead | AWS Community Builder Show more

I’m a mission-driven product designer focused on solving problems by experimenting with research, interaction design, and design system. I have experience building products from zero to one and scaling multiple products for fast-growing companies in Southeast Asia.

I’m a mission-driven product designer focused on solving problems by experimenting with research, interaction design, and design system. I have experience building products from zero to one and scaling multiple products for fast-growing companies in ... Show more

Danwen is a Design Manager at Vyond on the product team. Currently serving as a Design Manager at Vyond in Taiwan, where you lead a team of designers and user researchers, design product strategies based on user research, and ensure design quality and consistency across the product experience

She brings 10 years of experience in user experience (UX) and user research to her role.

She enjoys finding problems, discovering insights and setting the motion towards transformation that helps users. Sometimes she feels like a detective getting to hear people’s stories and put the pieces together to solve the case.

Danwen is a Design Manager at Vyond on the product team. Currently serving as a Design Manager at Vyond in Taiwan, where you lead a team of designers and user researchers, design product strategies based on user research, and ensure design quality an... Show more

Josue has been working in the software industry for the past 11 years as a developer, team leader, and business consultant. He is currently based in Germany and has worked for various companies creating and measuring mobile and web products for a range of industries such as real estate, retail, healthcare systems, consumer packaged goods, and animal health. He has used different technologies to track, analyze, and understand user behavior and markets.

Josue enjoys sharing his knowledge and has actively participated as an organizer in various developer communities across Mexico, the United States, and Germany. He has conducted workshops and written articles related to data analysis and technology, leveraging the Google Developer Experts platform to reach a wider audience and help people around the world access and learn in a practical way.

Josue has been working in the software industry for the past 11 years as a developer, team leader, and business consultant. He is currently based in Germany and has worked for various companies creating and measuring mobile and web products for a ran... Show more

With over twenty-five years affiliated with multiple not-for-profit organizations including Pitzer College and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Mr. Broidy currently is Director of Operations of Jewish Humanitarian Response and START-OPP. He also sits on the board of the Second Chance Foundation. He is an alum of Yale University, Pitzer College, and Harvard-Westlake School.

With over twenty-five years affiliated with multiple not-for-profit organizations including Pitzer College and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Mr. Broidy currently is Director of Operations of Jewish Humanitarian Response and START-OPP. He also sits on... Show more

Robin Arzon is a cultural icon, VP/Head Instructor at Peloton, MasterClass Instructor on Mental Strength, Fortune 40 Under 40, 27x marathoner, 2x New York Times Best Selling Author, and the first-ever recipient of Glamour Magazine’s “Daring to Disrupt” Award

Robin Arzon is a cultural icon, VP/Head Instructor at Peloton, MasterClass Instructor on Mental Strength, Fortune 40 Under 40, 27x marathoner, 2x New York Times Best Selling Author, and the first-ever recipient of Glamour Magazine’s “Daring to Disrup... Show more

Wesley Ellul is a serial entrepreneur, and technology consultant to Web2 companies on Digital marketing, Gamification, and Creator Economies in the Emerging tech space. MTV, Nickelodeon & Country Music Television founder, Nyhl Henson has likened him to “Ted Turner when he entered the cable business”. 



Wesley focuses on helping organisations understand how to make practical use of emerging technologies such as Blockchain, NFTs, and Metaverse to achieve real world results. Whether to improve business efficiency, create community or improve their bottom line. Clients include Light & Wonder, SiGMA, AIBC, MFC Global Films, Quizando as well as the University of Oxford. Wesley also an Advisor to DEGA and Jade City.

Wesley Ellul is a serial entrepreneur, and technology consultant to Web2 companies on Digital marketing, Gamification, and Creator Economies in the Emerging tech space. MTV, Nickelodeon & Country Music Television founder, Nyhl Henson has likened him ... Show more

Marc Moglen, MBA is a pioneer in Music NFT strategies. A former musicology researcher at the University of Leipzig, he is focused on advancing the music industry by developing next-generation strategies for music distribution via NFTs. He is the former SVP of Retail at a Music NFT Marketplace, and was Project Lead at Water & Music, authoring a 5000-word report on genres in Web3 Music, interviewing 20 prominent artists. He recently delivered a Masterclass on Music NFTs to a Palestine music incubator for 40 artists. He is currently being commissioned to write more articles in the Music NFT space. A seasoned business development professional for technology firms, he is a singer-songwriter and bassist, dedicated to onboarding high-caliber musicians to Web3 by supporting their NFT sales.

Marc Moglen, MBA is a pioneer in Music NFT strategies. A former musicology researcher at the University of Leipzig, he is focused on advancing the music industry by developing next-generation strategies for music distribution via NFTs. He is the fo... Show more

James is an experienced investor and entrepreneur in the digital assets space who founded DFG in 2015 and co-founded Jsquare in 2021. He is an early investor in companies like LedgerX, CoinList, and Circle. James is also an early investor and supporter of Polkadot and Kusama Network. In addition, he contributes substantially to the ecosystem through capital allocation, donations, and actively supporting the Parachain Auctions.

James is an experienced investor and entrepreneur in the digital assets space who founded DFG in 2015 and co-founded Jsquare in 2021. He is an early investor in companies like LedgerX, CoinList, and Circle. James is also an early investor and support... Show more

Bay Area Native. Grew up in Oakland Ca and graduated from Five Keys Charter School here in San Francisco. I am a current entrepreneur with my own business printing and designing apparel at Ship Tech Prints. I am also a software engineer at Accenture here in San Francisco. I focus on creating projects to uplift underrepresented communities. As the first one to break into tech in my family, I plan to use technology to help me create generational wealth.

Bay Area Native. Grew up in Oakland Ca and graduated from Five Keys Charter School here in San Francisco. I am a current entrepreneur with my own business printing and designing apparel at Ship Tech Prints. I am also a software engineer at Accenture ... Show more

I’m Sandra Sanz, the Head of Product Design at Equals Money.

My passion for product design stems from a desire to solve problems, bring people together and create high-impact solutions that make a real difference.I’ve worked in design for over 15 years and, in that time, have played an important role in every stage of bringing a new proposition to market - from research and development through to execution and launch. I’m curious and driven which is why I have been a key creative stakeholder throughout my career, helping to build the pillars of design culture and influence strategic direction.

An interesting fact about me is that my family and I have developed our own secret language. The three of us all grew up in different countries, which means how we talk at home is a blend of three languages that nobody else understands!

I’m Sandra Sanz, the Head of Product Design at Equals Money. My passion for product design stems from a desire to solve problems, bring people together and create high-impact solutions that make a real difference.I’ve worked in design for over 15... Show more

Astrid Pilla is Founder and Chief Metaverse Officer of Meta Fashion House, & Co-founder of 3DMetaDress.com. She is also a Web3 & Metaverse producer primarily for fashion and beauty brands. Astrid comes from a business/ entrepreneurial background & spent 15 years building a luxury orthodontic practice in the Washington, DC area. She is also a high-performance driving instructor.
Astrid has been educating and guiding brands and their teams for the past 2 years in understanding the technology of NFTs and how integrating web3 can benefit business and charitable goals long-term, and how to go about implementing a web3 plan in manageable steps.
The dialogue around fashion and beauty NFTs, and particularly digital fashion, beauty, and wellness, and building community around self expression and identity, are hot topics that Astrid is excited to explore during this year's NFT.NYC.
Astrid is also Co-Founder of 3DMetaDress.com, a sustainable 3d printed phygital fashion product honoring 300 women in Web3 and STEM, debuting at NFT.NYC 2023.

Astrid Pilla is Founder and Chief Metaverse Officer of Meta Fashion House, & Co-founder of 3DMetaDress.com. She is also a Web3 & Metaverse producer primarily for fashion and beauty brands. Astrid comes from a business/ entrepreneurial background & ... Show more

DesignOps Enthusiast with 10+ years of experience working in B2B and B2C industries in both SMBs and enterprise size organizations.

While at EPAM worked with design department heads to create DesignOps discipline that could be sold as an additional service offering of the company. Now working with the design leaders within the company to formulate this expertise stream and determine ways to introduce (and sell) it to the clients. This initiative has also been selected on Hack from Home Challenge by Arkadiy Dobkin.

Qualifications: essential practices of UX and prototyping with technical background, leading research activities to discover key user needs and business objectives, deep understanding of design management, and product management mindset.

Overall, I would describe myself as a team leader with a passion to simplify and automate processes. I strive for achieving product success with innovative ideas to address a wide range of user and business challenges. Driving new initiatives and lighting up people around.

DesignOps Enthusiast with 10+ years of experience working in B2B and B2C industries in both SMBs and enterprise size organizations. While at EPAM worked with design department heads to create DesignOps discipline that could be sold as an additiona... Show more

Alessandro S. Capezza aka @AlexNomads is a former community growth and partnership development at The Sandbox, currently Global Head of Ecosystem Partnerships at LandVault, the largest developer of the Metaverse (clients: MasterCard, Heineken World of Women, Standard Chartered). His goal: onboarding the next million people in the metaverse, blockchain and web3.

Alessandro S. Capezza aka @AlexNomads is a former community growth and partnership development at The Sandbox, currently Global Head of Ecosystem Partnerships at LandVault, the largest developer of the Metaverse (clients: MasterCard, Heineken World o... Show more

Kellyn Traenkenschuh is a Client Relationship Coordinator working at VFX Pick , a post-production studio. She works with clients to maintain strong connections and continue to coordinate projects from creation to completion. Previously, she has worked as a creative and technical writer, storyteller, speaking coach and PR specialist. She has a strong creative background in presentation, content creation and engaging her audiences. Leveraging her varied skills, Kellyn captivates her spectators and provides key lessons grounded in personal experience.

Kellyn Traenkenschuh is a Client Relationship Coordinator working at VFX Pick , a post-production studio. She works with clients to maintain strong connections and continue to coordinate projects from creation to completion. Previously, she has wor... Show more

A soul surfer riding the advertising market with 18-year career, Felipe recently built and managed the members experiential platform for Zé Delivery at ABInBev, but has already worked as a art director at Africa agency, broadcast production manager for the World Surf League, founded the Broou app - the pioneer surf forecast with 'mobile-first' mindset, 2x elected “app of the day” by Apple. Since December 2022 he's working full time at the Surf Junkies, a visionary surfing dream in the NFT world in partnership with Marcello Serpa, passionate surfer and one of the greatest designers in the history of advertising.

A soul surfer riding the advertising market with 18-year career, Felipe recently built and managed the members experiential platform for Zé Delivery at ABInBev, but has already worked as a art director at Africa agency, broadcast production manager f... Show more

Colombian journalist, Master in Political Communication from the Externado University. Strong focus and work towards human rights, with work experience in Non-Governmental Organizations and civil society defending human rigths through political advocacy to promote health public policies. Castro Pinzón also makes political advocacy to promote the video game development industry through her organization Tan Grande Y Jugando. Today she is a Project Manager in Timba Games, one of the biggest studios in Colombia.

In 2019 she was the Director of the Video Games Chapter and the Digital Entrepreneurship Chapter at FEDESOFT, the Colombian software federation. Today she is an ambassador in Colombia for the international organization Women In Games (2020), is the leader of Colombia Women In Games, strongly promoting the participation of women in this creative industry, and is the country Leader for Colombia in Latinx in gaming. She made her investigation for her master about the video game industry in Latam, and shares it with the community to promote the video game industry.
She is the organizer and representative of Women Game Jam for Colombia, was recognize by the Magazzine Game Industry Bizz in 2020 for being one of the 100 game changers and was recognise by Globant as the Local and international Game Changer for her job promoting the inclusion of women and girls in the game dev industry and technologies. in 2021 was recognice by Women in Games as one of the most outstanging ambassdors.

In 2021, Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming, Second Edition, was publish, a book were Castro Pinzón work in the investigation of Colombia and Uruguay Industry.

GAME CREDITS:
“Malu y los acertijos” - 2020, Shift Active, Production of Knowledge, Script and Narrative.
https://malu.app/game/
Brito in the Woods - 2020, Global Game Jam, Project Manage ang Narrative.
https://tangrandeyjugando.itch.io/brito-en-el-bosque
Nona's Christmas Carol - 2019, Bucaramanga Game Jam, Project Manager and Narrative.
https://eliecer-pinto.itch.io/nonas-christmas-carol

SPEAKER HISTORY:
2022 Encuentro LUPA from the Ministry of Culture “Cultura bit: inmersión a nuestras tierras” panelist.
2022 GFACT - “Creadoras Digitales, cada vez menos excepciones a la regla” en el marco del evento “Juntas y creando” de Cultura Bit.
2022 Feria del Libro de Bogotá (FILBO) “Apuestas en otros nichos de comunicación” - panelist.
2022 Colombia 4.0 “"Habilidades para diseñar videojuegos” - Panelist
2022 GDC “Women in Games in LATAM: Where Are We Standing?” - Advocacy Session.
2021 DEVCOM “As creative as its origin: Colombia Game Dev Industry”
2021 GDC, for the #1ReazonToBe panel - I'm Batman
2021 “Rompiendo la brecha de género” for the government of the Atlantic department of Colombia.
2020 Women in Games Online event “The Otter side of Gaming”
2020 Colombia 4.0 "Como se reinventan las empresas de la industria creativa digitales en tiempos de pandemia"
2019-2021 “La Unión hace la fuerza” Talk creae to expose her master 's thesis.

HOST
2021 Feria del Libro “La Industria Sueca de los videojuegos”, para la embajada de Suecia.
2020 - Now Game Jam Plus - Presentadora Inglés y español
Dic 2020 BAM LABS Host de “Caso de estudio: Creando un videojuego global desde Colombia - La historia de World War Doh”
2017 - Now: Tan Grande y Jugando - Main Host

TAN GRANDE Y JUGANDO
Mass media + Community that promote the game dev industry in Colombia and Latin America

We promote the industry by communicating news of the Latam industry, maiking interviews, organising workshops, meetups, talks, and Jams among other activities in advocacy such as speaking with governmental actors, and universities and academies.

WebpAGE: https://tangrandeyjugando.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tan-grande-y-jugando/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TGYJugando
Twitter: https://www.twitch.tv/tgyjugando
https://instagram.com/tgyjugando

Colombian journalist, Master in Political Communication from the Externado University. Strong focus and work towards human rights, with work experience in Non-Governmental Organizations and civil society defending human rigths through political advoc... Show more

Egle Karalyte is a brand strategis and creator of a Bloomerang Game (https://bloomeranggame.com)

She has been catching waves of creativity with other brands and creators on almost every continent for the last 15 years. She has lived and worked in the world’s most captivating cities such as NYC, London, Paris, Santiago de Chile, Casablanca, Barcelona, Beirut, and Vilnius.

She has worked with Adobe/Fotolia, Google Campus London, Paris Telecom, MTV Lebanon, The New School, Cooper/DesignIt, etc.

Egle Karalyte is a brand strategis and creator of a Bloomerang Game (https://bloomeranggame.com) She has been catching waves of creativity with other brands and creators on almost every continent for the last 15 years. She has lived and worked in ... Show more