CJ is a Strategic storyteller. Marketer. Innovator. Leader. Educational & inspirational speaker. Adventure, travel and “locally grown” enthusiast. Farm owner. Animal lover.

She leads with business strategy, consumer psychology, and unique short and long-term vision coupled with bespoke marketing through the art of storytelling. A great story takes years of experience to build, and CJ has over 25 years of that experience. Marketing experience. Business experience. Digital experience. Omnichannel experience. And beyond that, life experience. Learn how to take your business to new heights with a unique approach to integrating consumer sentiment with economic reality through one of CJ's sessions.

CJ is a Strategic storyteller. Marketer. Innovator. Leader. Educational & inspirational speaker. Adventure, travel and “locally grown” enthusiast. Farm owner. Animal lover. She leads with business strategy, consumer psychology, and unique short a... Show more

Rodrigo Groener has been working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform for more than ten years, delivering projects as a developer, project lead, and solution architect. His focus has ranged from building business applications on Dataverse and Dynamics 365 to designing scalable integration and governance architectures for enterprise customers.
Over the past two years, Rodrigo has been deeply focused on how Dataverse can serve as a robust platform for AI voice agents, especially in customer service scenarios where reliability, observability, and low-latency API design are critical. He enjoys translating real-world project experience into practical patterns and reusable templates that teams can apply immediately.

Rodrigo Groener has been working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform for more than ten years, delivering projects as a developer, project lead, and solution architect. His focus has ranged from building business applications on Dataver... Show more

A speech is a speech, and a presentation is a presentation. If Carlos is talking, it’s more than a speech or presentation. It’s energy, engagement, and entertainment all wrapped up around a passion to serve his audience before, during, and after he is on stage. Whether he’s speaking on networking, entrepreneurship, diversity, or any of his other areas of expertise, he is all about his audience! He is also the author of Open Says Me: THE System That Can Open Any And All Opportunities In Your Career, and conversations about it’s topics have been shared with folks around the globe.

His successes include: American Airlines, Microsoft, Clemson University, Black Enterprise, and CVS Pharmacy just to name a few.

In addition to his business endeavors, Carlos teaches a semester of professional networking skills development to PhD candidates of the University of North Carolina – Charlotte’s Urban Education Collaborative and serves on the Board of Directors of the Steele Creek YMCA.

A speech is a speech, and a presentation is a presentation. If Carlos is talking, it’s more than a speech or presentation. It’s energy, engagement, and entertainment all wrapped up around a passion to serve his audience before, during, and after he i... Show more

Taylor Sisco Maez is the Principal Product Manager at Capital Group, where she leads the end-user experience strategy for Enterprise Generative AI and core productivity platforms. With extensive expertise in implementing Microsoft 365 solutions, Taylor is dedicated to driving innovation, enhancing productivity, and fostering collaboration through cutting-edge technologies.

Outside of work, Taylor is an avid traveler who enjoys exploring new cultures and cuisines with her husband. She is also a devoted dog owner, cherishing time spent with her Havanese, Jack. Committed to sharing knowledge, Taylor helps others maximize their use of Microsoft technologies, believing that technology can unite people and create meaningful connections.

Taylor Sisco Maez is the Principal Product Manager at Capital Group, where she leads the end-user experience strategy for Enterprise Generative AI and core productivity platforms. With extensive expertise in implementing Microsoft 365 solutions, Tayl... Show more

Janell Harlow is a Certified Public Accountant and the Director of Operations at Step By Step Accounting, a fully cloud based, teaching-oriented accounting and advisory firm.

Step By Step Accounting has been named a Top 50 Woodard Accounting Firm since 2023.

Janell is an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and, as a part of Step By Step Accounting, provides outstanding accounting and Fractional CFO services to clients in the Midwest.
She lives in North Dakota, values family, living a balanced lifestyle, and lots of creamer in her coffee.

Janell Harlow is a Certified Public Accountant and the Director of Operations at Step By Step Accounting, a fully cloud based, teaching-oriented accounting and advisory firm. Step By Step Accounting has been named a Top 50 Woodard Accounting Fir... Show more

Arvind Lodaya is a seasoned design and innovation expert with over 30 years of experience shaping products, brands, and strategies. A National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad alumnus, he runs a design, innovation and branding consultancy in Bengaluru. His expertise lies in strategic branding, product and service design, and fostering innovation cultures in organizations.
Throughout his career, Arvind has held leadership positions, including Ogilvy Advertising’s design consulting unit in India, Co-Founder of Deccan Centre for Innovation & Design, Professor at IIT Kanpur, Ambedkar Univ Delhi, Srishti and Vidyashilp in Bengaluru. He led impactful projects such as the corporate rebranding of ICICI and strategic design for prominent brands across diverse industries. Beyond his consulting work, Arvind is deeply involved in education and advisory roles, teaching at leading institutes in India and abroad and contributing to the growth of several startups.
His current focus encompasses systemic practice and multisolving, impact entrepreneurship, design thinking and embedding deep values in design. He actively engages with organizations to deploy design and innovation for impact and address complex global challenges. He is currently leading a Systems Practice Fellowship for emerging social leaders for SELCO Foundation.

Arvind Lodaya is a seasoned design and innovation expert with over 30 years of experience shaping products, brands, and strategies. A National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad alumnus, he runs a design, innovation and branding consultancy in Benga... Show more

Gabriel Casals is Head of R&D Operations at a fully remote startup, where he leads cross‑functional teams on initiatives. His experience ranges from local pilots to global roll‑outs, drawing on over a decade of experience.

He holds a Master’s in Management from IAE Bordeaux, a Specialization in IT Strategic Management from FGV‑RJ, and a BBA from CEFET‑RJ.
Over the past eight years, Casals has delivered interactive lectures at conferences across Latin America & Europe, taught practical workshops for universities in Brazil, Mexico, and France, and facilitated sessions at startups, NGOs, and global enterprises on Agile, Innovation, Lean, Leadership, and Project Management.

He’s passionate about new ways of working and entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Gabriel Casals is Head of R&D Operations at a fully remote startup, where he leads cross‑functional teams on initiatives. His experience ranges from local pilots to global roll‑outs, drawing on over a decade of experience. He holds a Master’s in ... Show more

A software engineer with 15 years of experience, currently working as a hands-on Solutions Architect and consultant, helping development teams deliver better products. He focuses on collaboratively designing solutions with clients—evaluating ideas, assessing risks, and translating them into technical requirements aligned with business goals.

A software engineer with 15 years of experience, currently working as a hands-on Solutions Architect and consultant, helping development teams deliver better products. He focuses on collaboratively designing solutions with clients—evaluating ideas, a... Show more

Rafael is the Co‑Founder and Chief AI Architect at Adaptek, a human‑centered AI consultancy that builds accessible GenAI systems for healthcare and other high‑stakes environments. He blends 10+ years of enterprise AI and mobile engineering experience—including large‑scale deployments as a Senior Manager at Accenture—with a deep focus on responsible, production‑ready AI.

His work centers on designing Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) assistants, agentic workflows, and evaluation/guardrail pipelines that real teams can trust in day‑to‑day operations. At Adaptek, Rafael partners with his co‑founder, a cyberpsychology‑trained strategist with lived experience of disability, to make sure AI is not only technically robust but also psychologically safe and accessible for diverse users.

On stage, Rafael is known for translating complex architecture into clear, practical stories—showing how to move from demos to production, how to measure quality beyond “wow” moments, and how to design AI that fits clinical workflows, frontline staff, and people using assistive technologies. He speaks in English and Spanish on topics such as human‑centered GenAI in healthcare, building trustworthy RAG systems, AI accessibility in practice, and the real‑world psychology of AI adoption

Rafael is the Co‑Founder and Chief AI Architect at Adaptek, a human‑centered AI consultancy that builds accessible GenAI systems for healthcare and other high‑stakes environments. He blends 10+ years of enterprise AI and mobile engineering experience... Show more

With a broad, multidisciplinary background in software development, architecture, product ownership, and marketing, Fernandez is a gifted technology leader. He holds degrees in informatics and computer science and a Master’s in Finance, which shaped his combined expertise in technical and business realms.

Over the past 20 years, Fernandez has overseen more than 250 projects across four continents and 25 countries, delivering technical solutions in content, commerce, mobile, and martech for some of the world’s most renowned companies. From writing code as a developer and designing systems as an architect to training teams, serving as a CTO, advising global enterprises, defining product roadmaps, and developing marketing strategies, he has taken on nearly every role in technology and digital innovation.

Fernandez has led multicultural teams of managers, content experts, engineers, strategists, and architects (he is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English). His professional mission is to constantly close the gap between business vision and technical execution. His work in media, retail, banking, hospitality, telecoms, and technology has given him a comprehensive view of the possibilities and challenges businesses face in the digital age.

Currently serving as Executive Director of Technology in VML, Fernandez is focused on the future of content, marketing, and automation platforms, investigating how companies can produce, distribute, and profit from emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, composable architectures, and data-driven personalization.

With a broad, multidisciplinary background in software development, architecture, product ownership, and marketing, Fernandez is a gifted technology leader. He holds degrees in informatics and computer science and a Master’s in Finance, which shaped ... Show more