Arts

Talented creative individuals working in the field of visual, auditory and performance arts

Desiree Acosta

Desiree Acosta

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

Yaamin Mohamed

Yaamin Mohamed

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 Kozačinski

Tom Kozačinski

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

Kristiyan Nikolov

Kristiyan Nikolov

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

Margaret Lee

Margaret Lee

Margaret Juhae Lee is the author of Starry Field: A Memoir of Lost History (Melville House). A former editor at The Nation, she received a Bunting Fellowship from Harvard University and a Korean Studies Fellowship from the Korea Foundation. Her articles have been published in The Nation, Newsday, Elle, ARTnews, Writer's Digest and The Rumpus. She lives in Oakland with her family and Brownie, a rescue dog from Korea.

Margaret Juhae Lee is the author of Starry Field: A Memoir of Lost History (Melville House). A former editor at The Nation, she received a Bunting Fellowship from Harvard University and a Korean Studies Fellowship from the Korea Foundation. Her artic... Show more

Alexis Okechukwu

Alexis Okechukwu

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

Frank Schalkwijk

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 Papis

Viviane Papis

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

Chris Knox

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 Williams

Ellen Williams

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

Kayla Daurio

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

Virkein Dhar

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

Nataly Rocha

Nataly Rocha

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

Jonas Sorgenfrei

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

Joris Quarshie

Joris Quarshie

Cedric Sookahet

Cedric Sookahet

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 Johns

Yvette Johns

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

James Gambill

James Gambill

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

Balachandar Natarajan

Balachandar Natarajan

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 M P

Nisanth M P

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

Mateus Guzzo

Mateus Guzzo

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 Martinovic

Daniel Martinovic

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

Victory Aghazie

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

Scott Wagner

Scott Wagner

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

Vesna Kurilic

Vesna Kurilic

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

Sanja Blečić

Sanja Blečić

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

Amulet D20

Amulet D20

Amulet D20 is a Slovenian cultural and artistic association dedicated to fantasy, tabletop gaming, and creative storytelling. It grew into one of Slovenia’s largest and most vibrant fantasy communities.

Origins and Mission
Amulet D20 was formed as a fantasy subsection of the Fofité Arts and Culture Association, but officially became an independent association in 2023, merging with the D20 Association. Its core mission is to foster imagination, creativity, and community through fantasy role-playing games and related hobbies. Although based in Medvode, its influence spans across Slovenia, including events in Ljubljana, Koper, Maribor, Celje, Velenje, Kranj, and other cities in most regions of the country.

Weekly Thursday Meetups
Every Thursday, Amulet D20 hosts regular community meetups, which have become the beating heart of the association. Starting with just five people in a basement, these gatherings have grown into weekly events with over 100 attendees. Members from all over the country come together to paint miniatures, play D&D, wargames, board games, and more. These evenings are a cornerstone of Amulet’s mission: building a welcoming, creative, and social space for all fans of fantasy.

Events and Activities
Amulet D20 offers a rich array of events and initiatives, including:
Thematic evenings – Events organized every three months and visited by around 200 people as part of Amulet D20s four yearly themes. Decorations are crafted, dioramas built, and costumes made.
D&D Retreats – Weekend-long storytelling getaways.
Creative Workshops – For world-building, crafting, and hobby skill-building.
Amulet D20 Grand Tournament – A major wargaming event featuring titles like Conquest, Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, Star Wars: Legion, and Eldfall Chronicles.
Fantasy Ball – A majestic evening at a castle where guests dress in elaborate costumes inspired by fantasy worlds. With live music, performances, and immersive décor, the ball transforms the venue into an enchanting realm. It’s a celebration of creativity, elegance, and shared passion, drawing in both long-time members and new faces from across the country.

Community and Values
The association is built on values of inclusivity, playfulness, and shared imagination. It actively encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to explore fantasy worlds, create together, and form lasting friendships. Through its network of events, volunteer projects, and regional groups, Amulet D20 is helping shape a new generation of fantasy enthusiasts in Slovenia and beyond.

Amulet D20 is a Slovenian cultural and artistic association dedicated to fantasy, tabletop gaming, and creative storytelling. It grew into one of Slovenia’s largest and most vibrant fantasy communities. Origins and Mission Amulet D20 was formed a... Show more

Railey Molinario

Railey Molinario

Railey Molinario is an international speaker, Relationship Intelligence expert, and global thought leader on human connection. She is on a mission to create a world where Relationship Intelligence and genuine connection are the norm, not the exception.

Railey Molinario is an international speaker, Relationship Intelligence expert, and global thought leader on human connection. She is on a mission to create a world where Relationship Intelligence and genuine connection are the norm, not the exceptio... Show more

Sonja Dalseth

Sonja Dalseth

Sonja Dalseth er redaktør og forlegger i Måken forlag. Hun er også oversetter.

Sonja Dalseth er redaktør og forlegger i Måken forlag. Hun er også oversetter. Show more

Oscar Garcia-Caro

Oscar Garcia-Caro

Más de 20 años en areas de operacion de multinacionales en España, Colombia y México, con más de 10 años como especialista en PostgreSQL en entornos críticos y de alta disponibilidad.

Más de 20 años en areas de operacion de multinacionales en España, Colombia y México, con más de 10 años como especialista en PostgreSQL en entornos críticos y de alta disponibilidad. Show more

Please note that Sessionize is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the data provided by speakers.

Join Speakers Directory

Join our Speakers Directory today and amplify your reach! Showcase your expertise to a global audience hungry for your insights. Let your voice be heard!

Create Profile