Shawnta` Hooks is a Keynote Speaker and CEO of Mindful Culture Creators™. MCC's mission is to make work more human and present by bringing innovative, culturally connected mindfulness programs to people of color, women, and other underserved communities. She fuses her 20-year career in corporate strategy, technology, and risk management with her passion for music (specifically hip hop) to teach a new brand of relatable mindfulness.

Shawnta` Hooks is a Keynote Speaker and CEO of Mindful Culture Creators™. MCC's mission is to make work more human and present by bringing innovative, culturally connected mindfulness programs to people of color, women, and other underserved communit... Show more

Jason Plumb (he/him) is a hacker, artist, experimenter, polyglot programmer, and dad from Portland, OR, USA. He is co-maintainer of OpenTelemetry Android and an approver in various OpenTelemetry java projects. When not at work, Jason volunteers with Futel to install and maintain a network of free public payphones. He also builds synthesizers, experiments with sound, screens classic cult films, and rides steel-frame bicycles.

Jason Plumb (he/him) is a hacker, artist, experimenter, polyglot programmer, and dad from Portland, OR, USA. He is co-maintainer of OpenTelemetry Android and an approver in various OpenTelemetry java projects. When not at work, Jason volunteers with ... Show more

Hayleigh is the author of Lustre, Gleam's most popular frontend Web framework as well as an ecosystem of packages that support it. She is an experienced Web developer and Elm engineer. More recently, Hayleigh has spent the last few years acting as a developer evangelist; spreading the good word about types, the BEAM, and Gleam to anyone with the patience to listen to her.

Hayleigh is the author of Lustre, Gleam's most popular frontend Web framework as well as an ecosystem of packages that support it. She is an experienced Web developer and Elm engineer. More recently, Hayleigh has spent the last few years acting as a... Show more

Van Tran Nguyen (she/her) is a Vietnamese American artist-scholar, practicing filmmaker, curator, and multimedia artist. In 2017, Tran Nguyen earned a master's degree in fine arts from the State University of New York, at Buffalo. Then in 2021, she earned her doctorate in the Philosophy of Electronic Art at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

Her research investigates Asian American performance and media(tions) of the diaspora. Tran Nguyen’s monograph, No Bodies Home: Mediations of Performance in Exile explores Cold War technological advancement and argues that racialized and gendered bodies of the Asian diaspora are the material and technological output of warfare. Her first short film, ERIE COUNTY SMILE, was released in 2021 and is available for public access via the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Her first full-length feature film, THE MOTHERLOAD, premiered at the Hawaii International Film Festival with support from the Vilcek Foundation’s New American Perspectives.

In the fall of 2021, she was appointed the Maya Brin Institute for New Performance and Technology Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is currently an Early Career Fellow at the UCLA Center on Race & Digital Justice. In the fall of 2024, she joined the Department of Performing Arts at Georgetown University as the Assistant Professor of Performance and Media. Dr. Tran Nguyen teaches courses across theory and practice including performance, digital filmmaking, and film & media history.

Van Tran Nguyen (she/her) is a Vietnamese American artist-scholar, practicing filmmaker, curator, and multimedia artist. In 2017, Tran Nguyen earned a master's degree in fine arts from the State University of New York, at Buffalo. Then in 2021, she e... Show more

grace shinhae jun is a mother, wife, artist, educator, and scholar. The daughter of a South Korean immigrant and a North Korean refugee, she comes from a lineage of deep love and commitment to serve the people. She has performed nationally and internationally with bkSOUL performance collective which she founded in 2001. Her research and artistic practices are grounded in Hip Hop culture and cross cultural collaborations that challenge the systems of violence and oppression steeped in anti-Blackness. Her scholarship includes publications in the Oxford Handbook of Hip Hop Dance Studies, the International Association for the Study of Popular Music Journal, and is the co-editor for Dance Studies Association’s 2022 ​​Conversations Across the Field of Dance Studies. She is an Assistant Professor of Dance at San Diego City College, teaches with transcenDANCE Youth Arts, and at UCSD where she was the recipient of the 2022/2023 Barbara and Paul Saltman Distinguished Teaching Award. Ph.D. Drama & Theatre UCSD/UCI, MFA Dance Sarah Lawrence College.

grace shinhae jun is a mother, wife, artist, educator, and scholar. The daughter of a South Korean immigrant and a North Korean refugee, she comes from a lineage of deep love and commitment to serve the people. She has performed nationally and intern... Show more

I'm Miwok, with ancestral homelands surrounding Sacramento, California. Our stories and sovereignty are not relics of the past — they are the foundation for powerful futures. I believe technology should serve Native communities, not define us. My work focuses on using tech thoughtfully to amplify Indigenous knowledge, voices, and resilience.

Currently, I serve as President of Natives in Tech, a national nonprofit where I lead efforts to connect Native communities to technology through mentorship, education, and culturally-rooted innovation. I also work as a Cultural Technologist for a Federally Recognized Tribe, designing and implementing STEAM education initiatives, digital storytelling projects, and grant-funded programs that expand youth access to Tribal knowledge systems.

🔹 Core Values: Indigenous self-determination, ethical storytelling, cultural preservation, and community-driven innovation.
🔹 Key Strengths: Program development, digital education strategy, grant writing, cross-sector partnerships, cultural technology leadership, instructional design, eLearning technical development, learning management system integration, professional voice over coordination, evaluation and assessment, multimedia and document design

I am passionate about growing projects where Indigenous sovereignty, education, and technology converge. I’m seeking opportunities to scale my impact — leading broader initiatives that strengthen community agency, uplift Native voices, and build future-ready infrastructure for the next generations.

In my day job I am a Cultural Technologist with 15+ years of experience bridging journalism, technology, and Indigenous community leadership. My work lives where cultural preservation meets innovation: building pathways for Indigenous self-determination through education, storytelling, and digital solutions.

I'm Miwok, with ancestral homelands surrounding Sacramento, California. Our stories and sovereignty are not relics of the past — they are the foundation for powerful futures. I believe technology should serve Native communities, not define us. My wor... Show more

Hailing from the Maldives, Yaamin has been working in multiple fields for the past 10 years, ranging from UIUX Design, motion design & strategic marketing. He is currently working with LottieFiles, a global platform to discover and create animations, collaborate, testing among designers, stakeholders, and developers, as there Global Partnerships lead, working on there education and awareness initiatives across the globe.

In his free time, he works on his own startup called Sparkhub (https://www.sparkhub.mv), a company working on empowering the Maldives startup culture.

Hailing from the Maldives, Yaamin has been working in multiple fields for the past 10 years, ranging from UIUX Design, motion design & strategic marketing. He is currently working with LottieFiles, a global platform to discover and create animations,... Show more

Tom is an experienced digital product designer, speaker, mentor and stand up comedian, with over 14 years of experience across digital and organisational landscape. Currently working as a consultant with world leading brands in Out of home industry. He is a creative entrepreneur, freelance community leader, well organised problem solver and a storyteller.

Tom is an experienced digital product designer, speaker, mentor and stand up comedian, with over 14 years of experience across digital and organisational landscape. Currently working as a consultant with world leading brands in Out of home industry. ... Show more

Meet Kristiyan Nikolov, the cloud wizard behind innovative transitions to AWS and masterful Kubernetes deployments on MacOS. As a Terraform Certified Associate, AWS Solutions Architect, and Jenkins Engineer, Kristiyan crafts cloud solutions that not only solve complex problems but also push the boundaries of what's technologically possible. With deep expertise in infrastructure as code and container orchestration, he transforms complex cloud architectures into elegant, scalable solutions. Join him for a journey through the clouds where cutting-edge technology meets creative problem-solving, all delivered with a dash of fun and a passion for pushing the limits of what's possible in the cloud!

Meet Kristiyan Nikolov, the cloud wizard behind innovative transitions to AWS and masterful Kubernetes deployments on MacOS. As a Terraform Certified Associate, AWS Solutions Architect, and Jenkins Engineer, Kristiyan crafts cloud solutions that not ... Show more

I am the CEO of Aether Ink Studios, where we are disrupting the entertainment and tech industry by innovation. My journey is rooted in a passion for design, technology, entertainment, sustainability, and I am committed to pushing boundaries and shaping the future of tech and entertainment in general

I am the CEO of Aether Ink Studios, where we are disrupting the entertainment and tech industry by innovation. My journey is rooted in a passion for design, technology, entertainment, sustainability, and I am committed to pushing boundaries and shapi... Show more

Frank Schalkwijk is ecosystem architect en grondlegger van het foundation-denken binnen Instant Enterprise. Hij helpt organisaties bewegen van centrale sturing naar verbonden groei, en maakt complexe ecosystemen begrijpelijk via kaders, patronen en ritme, die systemisch en praktisch toepasbaar zijn. Directeur en kennisondernemer bij Polliance

Frank Schalkwijk is ecosystem architect en grondlegger van het foundation-denken binnen Instant Enterprise. Hij helpt organisaties bewegen van centrale sturing naar verbonden groei, en maakt complexe ecosystemen begrijpelijk via kaders, patronen en r... Show more

Viviane is a recent graduate of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Georgia State University and a full-time behavioral health clinician with Viewpoint Health. She also works part-time as a children and family play therapist at Gaia Counseling and is pursuing her LPC and RPT titles.

With over a year of experience, Viviane has worked extensively with the Latino population, addressing mood disorders, trauma, family transitions, and educational issues. Trained in play therapy, narrative exposure therapy, and adventure therapy, she integrates psychodrama techniques from her background in Brazil, where it is a significant field in psychology.

Currently, Viviane is dedicated to providing mental health services to the Latino and greater Decatur community, particularly helping families and children navigate transitions and school-related challenges.

Outside of her professional work, Viviane is a cinephile and an enthusiastic reader, allowing stories to bring a unique perspective to her therapeutic approach.

Viviane is a recent graduate of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Georgia State University and a full-time behavioral health clinician with Viewpoint Health. She also works part-time as a children and family play therapist at Gaia Coun... Show more

Chris Knox is a leader, consultant and speaker with award-winning success developing organizational learning programs, managing departments, teams, budgets, and projects. His skills include leading strategic business and operational imperative through the integration of people, process and technology; and building relationships with stakeholders and employees across all levels of an organization.

Chris employs a deep strategic insight and holistic approach to business planning, process innovation, organizational development, program/project management and sustainable operational excellence. His expertise also includes developing metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that demonstrate program effectiveness. Chris is Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certified; and expert with MS Office applications and process improvement tools. Chris is a seasoned communicator, facilitator and coach.

Industry experience includes: Energy/Utilities, Security (Cyber/Physical), Manufacturing, Sales, Healthcare, Military/Government, Management Consulting, Real Estate and Music.

Chris Knox is a leader, consultant and speaker with award-winning success developing organizational learning programs, managing departments, teams, budgets, and projects. His skills include leading strategic business and operational imperative throug... Show more

Ellen is a queer parent of 3 and an iOS developer with a passion for supporting others and taking long walks. An educator turned developer, Ellen discovered her passion for programming while teaching her students how to code. In 2016, she took the plunge and decided to follow her passion by embarking on an iOS apprenticeship. Since then, Ellen has worked on a variety of teams creating apps for e-commerce, banking, and automotive, among other fields. She spends her free time with her family going on adventures wherever and whenever they can.

Ellen is a queer parent of 3 and an iOS developer with a passion for supporting others and taking long walks. An educator turned developer, Ellen discovered her passion for programming while teaching her students how to code. In 2016, she took the pl... Show more

Kayla Daurio is a Marketing Specialist in the swiftly changing Fashion and Business Marketing sector. She embodies creativity and innovation. Hailing from New Jersey, her early life was characterized by a deep passion for the arts and a fascination with the structured dynamics of business.

Her academic record is distinguished. Graduating Cum Laude from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2022, she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Fashion Marketing and Management and a minor in Business Management/Entrepreneurship. These formative years set the stage for her future, further reinforced by obtaining an Inside LVMH Certificate, which gave her an essential understanding of luxury and its intricacies.

Currently, she channels her creativity at Bequest Funds in Sarasota, where she serves as a Marketing Specialist. She has carved out a niche in graphic design, styling, and multi-channel business marketing. Her professional journey began at Bealls Inc., where, fresh from graduation, she revitalized the team as a Creative Marketing Graphic Designer and Digital Marketing Assistant for a prominent wholesale fashion company.

With proficiency in Adobe Suite, Canva, and Procreate and an in-depth understanding of Color Theory and Product Styling, she brings imagination to life in every project. From concept to completion, her work produces compelling visuals that make a lasting impression in fashion, business, and design.

Her career highlights include leading customer-focused campaigns that significantly increased website and store traffic for Bealls Inc. By collaborating with diverse teams, she has developed innovative design concepts that conveyed a cohesive and impactful brand message. Additionally, her freelance work as a Digital Marketing Designer showcases her ability to craft engaging email campaigns and convert audiences into loyal subscribers through captivating designs and strategic social media posts.

Her love for the beach and her New Jersey roots influence her work, infusing it with a freshness and authenticity as invigorating as a morning sea breeze. Her hobbies—painting, crocheting, and creative writing—underscore her belief in expression beyond words, embodying her philosophy that design possibilities are endless.

Kayla Daurio is a Marketing Specialist in the swiftly changing Fashion and Business Marketing sector. She embodies creativity and innovation. Hailing from New Jersey, her early life was characterized by a deep passion for the arts and a fascination w... Show more

Virkein Dhar brings visionary ideas to life through a blend of strategic acumen and creative execution. With a training in architecture and a practice in the arts, she navigates complex challenges across sectors - from cultural programming and immersive storytelling to policy design and brand strategy.

Over 15 years, Virkein has developed a distinctive approach to problem-solving through design, that transcends traditional boundaries to create intuitive experiences. Her approach combines deep cultural sensitivity with systems-level innovation.

Virkein is a creative entrepreneur, brand strategist and design futurist. She is the founding partner at Poppy Seed Lab, an innovation consultancy that cross-pollinates approaches from strategic design, immersive storytelling, business & research, to seed resilient and climate positive futures in Asia.

Whether serving businesses, creative agencies, or social impact organisations, her work consistently delivers results that connect, resonate, and catalyse meaningful change. Her long-term interests include the future of Indian craft traditions, equitable digital public goods, narrative-driven city building, and sustainable food systems. More about her at virkein.com.

Virkein Dhar brings visionary ideas to life through a blend of strategic acumen and creative execution. With a training in architecture and a practice in the arts, she navigates complex challenges across sectors - from cultural programming and immers... Show more

I’m a software developer working at Stack Builders with about 6 years of experience in full-stack development. I enjoy writing code, looking for new technologies, and finding solutions to problems. Music, sports, functional programming, and business are also a great part of my life.

I’m a software developer working at Stack Builders with about 6 years of experience in full-stack development. I enjoy writing code, looking for new technologies, and finding solutions to problems. Music, sports, functional programming, and business ... Show more

Jonas Sorgenfrei has been a Senior FX/Pipeline TD at RISE FX in Berlin since 2020. With a strong passion for computer graphics and visual storytelling, his recent credits include The Last Voyage of the Demeter, The Matrix Resurrections, and Hawkeye. In addition to his role as Head of FX at RISE | Visual Effects Studios, Jonas shares his expertise as a Houdini and computer graphics instructor at institutions such as FH Salzburg and FH Wedel.

Jonas Sorgenfrei has been a Senior FX/Pipeline TD at RISE FX in Berlin since 2020. With a strong passion for computer graphics and visual storytelling, his recent credits include The Last Voyage of the Demeter, The Matrix Resurrections, and Hawkeye. ... Show more

Cedric Sookahet started his career as a graphic designer and today works at the 'Institut Français de Maurice'. He has always been a geek at heart and spent his childhood playing Sonic the Hedgehog on the Mega Drive, his early teen years playing strategic games on PC (age of empires, warcraft, starcraft to name a few) and most recently playing Indie games, esport titles and MMORPGs. In 2019, Cedric founded the first geek platform in Mauritius, Geekin’ Moris, which has now expanded internationally and is known as We are Geekin’. We are Geekin’ is an online media and community, dedicated to sharing gaming, tech and pop culture news. Cedric has had the opportunity to interview and speak to various gaming studio heads and publishers from the US, Canada, Spain and Lithuania.

Cedric Sookahet started his career as a graphic designer and today works at the 'Institut Français de Maurice'. He has always been a geek at heart and spent his childhood playing Sonic the Hedgehog on the Mega Drive, his early teen years playing stra... Show more

Yvette is a Front-End Engineer with a background in web design, illustration, and 10 years of experience in product support and leadership within the tech space. She's passionate about working with interesting and complex products and is also obsessed with drawing, painting, hoarding yarn, and pretending to be decent at rowing.

Yvette is a Front-End Engineer with a background in web design, illustration, and 10 years of experience in product support and leadership within the tech space. She's passionate about working with interesting and complex products and is also obsesse... Show more

At Logovent, we're committed to creating outstanding visual identities that powerfully represent your company. Being a leading supplier of Logo Design Services, we are aware of how important a logo is to establishing the identity of your company and making an impact on your target market.

At Logovent, we're committed to creating outstanding visual identities that powerfully represent your company. Being a leading supplier of Logo Design Services, we are aware of how important a logo is to establishing the identity of your company and ... Show more

Bala is playing the role of Global Engineering Platform Manager for Ford’s e-Commerce Marketing & Sales. Bala is an Engineering Growth mindset person with specialization in DevSecOps, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), Performance Engineering (PE) and Release Management along with various in depth IT leadership experience. More in LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/balachandarnatarajan/

Bala is playing the role of Global Engineering Platform Manager for Ford’s e-Commerce Marketing & Sales. Bala is an Engineering Growth mindset person with specialization in DevSecOps, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), Performance Engineering (PE) a... Show more

Nisanth has over 19 years of experience developing software stacks for processors in companies like Intel, AMD, Samsung, IBM, Dell and MIPS. He has worked on processor architectures such as x86, ARM, Power and RISC-V as well as DSP and GPU architectures. He has contributed to open source projects as well as holds patents.

Nisanth has over 19 years of experience developing software stacks for processors in companies like Intel, AMD, Samsung, IBM, Dell and MIPS. He has worked on processor architectures such as x86, ARM, Power and RISC-V as well as DSP and GPU architectu... Show more

Guzzo is a Brazilian designer, multimodal researcher, and community architect for TikTok Tech Innovation. Previously, he worked as the Program Designer for Harvard's Applied Social Media lab, building public interest social media technology. He draws on his background in filmmaking and storytelling to build socio-technical communities and systems for collaboration and public imagination. He holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of California San Diego in Speculative Design.

Guzzo is a Brazilian designer, multimodal researcher, and community architect for TikTok Tech Innovation. Previously, he worked as the Program Designer for Harvard's Applied Social Media lab, building public interest social media technology. He draws... Show more

Daniel is an event organizer and game enthusiast with a passion for creating immersive geek-themed quizzes, board game tournaments, and trading card game competitions including Disney Lorcana, Pokémon TCG, and more. With years of experience in project management, crowdfunding, and public speaking, Daniel brings a unique blend of strategic thinking and community energy to every event — from intimate game nights to large-scale competitions and nerdy pub quizzes.

The events Daniel organizes are open to everyone, with a focus on creating inclusive, welcoming spaces where geek culture becomes a platform for connection, creativity, and belonging. With a background in human rights work, Daniel approaches every gathering not just as entertainment, but as an opportunity to build empathy and shared joy.

Daniel is an event organizer and game enthusiast with a passion for creating immersive geek-themed quizzes, board game tournaments, and trading card game competitions including Disney Lorcana, Pokémon TCG, and more. With years of experience in projec... Show more

Victory Aghazie is a multidisciplinary designer with deep expertise in Product, Brand, and System Design. For over six years, I’ve collaborated with early-stage startups and growth-driven teams to design MVPs and shape experiments. My work spans industries like web3, real estate, wellness, and more, at companies like Andela and The Nigeria High Commission, United Kingdom. Etc.

I am developing an AI-powered tooling system designed to reduce the gap between design and code. The goal is to bring designers and developers closer together; not just in workflow, but in shared languages.

Victory Aghazie is a multidisciplinary designer with deep expertise in Product, Brand, and System Design. For over six years, I’ve collaborated with early-stage startups and growth-driven teams to design MVPs and shape experiments. My work spans indu... Show more

In the late 1970s, Scott Wagner telnetted on the Arpanet using punch cards at the age of 12. Computers have been part of his life ever since. Propelled into IT by the desire to meet people from all over the world and kill them inside multiplayer first person 3D shooting games, he eventually found his way into cybersecurity as a specialty. He has worked in Financial, Power Generation, Industrial, Military and most recently Academic roles. Currently he lives in Floyd County Virginia on a small farm and is the IT Auditor for Radford University. Classical studies, particularly the Roman Republic and its Imperial incarnations have also been a life long pursuit.

In the late 1970s, Scott Wagner telnetted on the Arpanet using punch cards at the age of 12. Computers have been part of his life ever since. Propelled into IT by the desire to meet people from all over the world and kill them inside multiplayer fi... Show more

Freelance story editor, all-around shtriga from Shtriga, alternative history writer, and lover of all things wild & queer.

Freelance story editor, all-around shtriga from Shtriga, alternative history writer, and lover of all things wild & queer. Show more

The name is Sanja, which in Croatian means a dreamer. Graphic design is my main quest, while gaming, cosplay, music, movies, shows and creating artworks are my side quests. I am but a young lass of 29 years who dreams of exploring the hidden secrets of the world, and one day creating a book of my adventures. If you know an elf or a dwarf or any magical creature out there in a need of assistance with graphic design or voice acting, don't hesitate to let me know! ;)

The name is Sanja, which in Croatian means a dreamer. Graphic design is my main quest, while gaming, cosplay, music, movies, shows and creating artworks are my side quests. I am but a young lass of 29 years who dreams of exploring the hidden secrets ... Show more