As a seasoned IT leader with over 30 years of experience, I specialize in project management and technology solutions across various industries, including retail, manufacturing, banking, telecommunications, and education. I excel in orchestrating transformative projects for major organizations, showcasing proficiency in implementations and global program management. Currently, I serve as Digital Platforms Senior Manager at Tec de Monterrey, where I drive innovative strategies in digital platforms. Here, I’ve found my true passion, combining my love for education with project management. I enjoy imparting knowledge through courses and training sessions, integrating education, technology, and agile practices to leave a lasting impact.

As a seasoned IT leader with over 30 years of experience, I specialize in project management and technology solutions across various industries, including retail, manufacturing, banking, telecommunications, and education. I excel in orchestrating tra... Show more

Seasoned Mathematician specialized in cryptography, father, Basketballer and tech enthusiast. Founder of PhygiCon, an independent consultancy focused on Web3 and Phygitals. He guides customer on any maturity level to understand, apply and leverage DLT, NFTs, Metaverse and AI in their businesses. Web3-native companies and start-ups are supported in their successful Business Development.
His final entry to the Crypto space was during the hackathon “We vs the virus” in the beginning of the Corona pandemic, where his team designed and developed the anonymous contact tracking app TrackCovidCluster based on IOTAs DLT. Impressed by the tech, he applied to become IOTA Foundation’s Partner Manager, to educate and onboard companies and organizations like Akkodis, starfinanz, EDAG, UN (FAO and WFP), GAIA-X and Amnesty International on how to use DLT efficiently. He also mentored many community driven startup projects like IOTAOrigin and contributed to DIN SPEC 32790 – A reference architecture for Blockchain architectures to establish transparency in supply chains.
After he left the IOTA Foundation, he established the usage of Authentic Vision’s unique holographic secure label as Meta Anchor to trustfully link physical products to digital assets, independent of the used DLT/Blockchain. He contributed to the design of ERC-6956 Asset Bound Non Fungible Token.

Seasoned Mathematician specialized in cryptography, father, Basketballer and tech enthusiast. Founder of PhygiCon, an independent consultancy focused on Web3 and Phygitals. He guides customer on any maturity level to understand, apply and leverage DL... Show more

With a background in architecture and a decade of leading digital transformations, Amber Robinson brings a unique people-centric approach to the tech world. Driven by the belief that successful projects don't just deliver new features, but also transform how we work and live, she excels at uncovering user needs and aligning them with business goals. A champion of collaboration, Amber thrives on turning challenges into opportunities.

With a background in architecture and a decade of leading digital transformations, Amber Robinson brings a unique people-centric approach to the tech world. Driven by the belief that successful projects don't just deliver new features, but also trans... Show more

Mark Weimann has over 23 years experience as a full time presales professional including the last 8 years with Microsoft as part of their Dynamics Enterprise Sales team. He is an acknowledged leader in Presales and Storytelling and has regularly conducted training events for Microsoft and Microsoft partners. During his time as a Microsoft Technical Specialist he was part of the teams that won many large deals and awards.

Mark Weimann has over 23 years experience as a full time presales professional including the last 8 years with Microsoft as part of their Dynamics Enterprise Sales team. He is an acknowledged leader in Presales and Storytelling and has regularly cond... Show more

Over 25 years of expertise in leading large-scale Agile transformations across diverse industries. With a background spanning Technology, financial services, hospitality, telecommunications, healthcare, and consumer goods, Ro has been deeply involved in Lean-Agile since 2006 and actively engaged in the Scaled Agile Framework since 2016.
Her proficiency extends to implementing Lean-Agile Centers of Excellence, collaborating with Organizational Change/Leadership, HR, and Finance to foster business agility. Ro is renowned for her exceptional relationship-building skills, excelling in breaking down organizational silos and ensuring alignment between business and IT. She is dedicated to realizing a unified vision for value delivery to customers.
Ro's professional journey began at IBM, where she applied Lean/Agile through Lean Six Sigma work, leading global restructuring, global platform implementations, and fostering collaboration between IT and business. Her commitment to continuous learning has been a driving force behind her success in leading Agile transformations. Ro has a proven track record of establishing cross-functional teams through organizational change, alignment, and collaborative efforts, all guided by a shared vision, mission, purpose, and goals.

Over 25 years of expertise in leading large-scale Agile transformations across diverse industries. With a background spanning Technology, financial services, hospitality, telecommunications, healthcare, and consumer goods, Ro has been deeply involved... Show more

Tomeka James was an international stylist/ based out of Northern NJ specializing but not limited to hair replacement, styling, and business. A young entrepreneur who is rapidly growing a reputation as an industry favorite for her innovative techniques, instructional skills and wealth of knowledge regarding the beauty industry. Tomeka has trained thousands of stylist with Hands on Instruction in many states and countries including but not limited to Paris, Bahamas, Haiti, Curacao, Canada, and more.

Tomeka James was an international stylist/ based out of Northern NJ specializing but not limited to hair replacement, styling, and business. A young entrepreneur who is rapidly growing a reputation as an industry favorite for her innovative technique... Show more

I’m the Product Manager for Telstra Outdoor Networks and Scrum Master for Telstra's Payphones mission. I'm also a coach and change professional. I am active in various communities of practice and always looking for new ways to grow my professional skills and take on new challenges. I’m passionate about using my expertise to drive innovation and deliver value. I am based in Sydney, Australia but travelling to Singapore, Denmark and Spain later this year (2024).

I’m the Product Manager for Telstra Outdoor Networks and Scrum Master for Telstra's Payphones mission. I'm also a coach and change professional. I am active in various communities of practice and always looking for new ways to grow my professional sk... Show more

With more than 17 years in the Microsoft space, doing almost exclusively data-related solutions. A dad with a heart for building oneself first before fixing anything else. A simple man.

With more than 17 years in the Microsoft space, doing almost exclusively data-related solutions. A dad with a heart for building oneself first before fixing anything else. A simple man. Show more

G. Kofi Annan is a Brand Strategist, Technologist, Advisor, and Investor with a 20+ year career spanning over 100 brand-building efforts. Kofi has an impressive track record that includes working with global companies like PUMA, Pfizer, and Mercedes Benz, and innovative startups. He distills insights, skills, and tools into actionable strategies to help executives, founders, and entrepreneurs stand out and grow their brands the smarter way. Kofi's ability to blend humor, insights, and thought-provoking stories inspires people into action.

Kofi has held senior positions at iconic advertising agencies such as Saatchi and Saatchi, Ogilvy, and McCann. Some of his work has been highlighted in the WSJ and Entrepreneur magazine, and he has presented to influential audiences at Google, the Smithsonian, SXSW Festival, Harvard, and the United Nations.

G. Kofi Annan is a Brand Strategist, Technologist, Advisor, and Investor with a 20+ year career spanning over 100 brand-building efforts. Kofi has an impressive track record that includes working with global companies like PUMA, Pfizer, and Mercedes ... Show more

Brian K. McDonald, Author of Pro SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services through Apress. Brian is a serial entrepreneur and currently is the CEO and CDA for Patriot Consulting. A Veteran owned business in Jacksonville, FL where we serve our clients with integrity & improve their organizational efficiencies with data management expertise and creating actionable insights into their data. Brian was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio but he currently lives in JAX with his beautiful wife and his two children; Bailey and Kylie.

Brian has over 25 years of expertise in Enterprise Data Management Strategy, Organizational Leadership, architecting data warehouses, data modeling, database administration, SQL Server Reporting Services/Power BI/Tableau/Microstrategy, Integration Services/Azure Data Factory, and has dabbled in Analysis Services. He has worked as an application developer, network administrator, and database administrator throughout his IT career. Brian takes pride in all his projects and diligently works to not only meet expectations, but greatly exceed them. All characteristics engrained in him while serving his country in the United States Marine Corps.

In addition to authoring a book, Brian has written for many industry websites (SQLServerCentral & the retired BIDN) and continually strives to improve his skill set both professionally and personally. Brian has presented for user groups, Code Camps, SQL Rally and many SQL Saturday events in the U.S. When not working, Brian enjoys "geeking" out with his wife Sherri and binge-watching Hallmark’s Christmas movies.

Brian K. McDonald, Author of Pro SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services through Apress. Brian is a serial entrepreneur and currently is the CEO and CDA for Patriot Consulting. A Veteran owned business in Jacksonville, FL where we serve our clients with i... Show more

For the past two decades, I've been deeply involved in the retail industry, working as a technical leader and developer. Alongside my roles, I've embarked on multiple entrepreneurial ventures, each with its own set of ups and downs. Despite the challenges, I've found fulfillment in my latest project, Lodago, which has gained traction globally and among clients in prestigious organizations like NASDAQ, NYSE, and Fortune 500 companies.

For the past two decades, I've been deeply involved in the retail industry, working as a technical leader and developer. Alongside my roles, I've embarked on multiple entrepreneurial ventures, each with its own set of ups and downs. Despite the chall... Show more

Candace Marquette is a fine commercial and applied artist who studied at the University of North Texas. While working toward a BFA in Graphic Design, she fell in love with using unconventional mediums for her artworks. For 20+ years, she has created a diverse portfolio of works from NFT's, murals, fashion, Illustration, home decor, and abstract art. Her inspirations include MC Escher, Salvador Dali, and Picasso. As an indigenous artist, Candace views her life as a masterpiece unfolding with every stroke of the brush to canvas. She hopes to inspire others to partake not only in the near future, but the complete future of humanity. For Candace, the world can be renewed through love, beauty, and wisdom. That beauty is also found in her amazing children, and Rob the handsome love of her life.

Candace Marquette is a fine commercial and applied artist who studied at the University of North Texas. While working toward a BFA in Graphic Design, she fell in love with using unconventional mediums for her artworks. For 20+ years, she has created... Show more

Entrepreneur, Executive Leader, Innovator, Visionary, and Creator. A disruptor of systemic barriers of poverty, inequality, and segregation. Providing accessibility of resources, opportunities, financial inclusion through the use of emerging technology such as digital finance, cryptocurrency, web 3, metaverse, blockchain, and financial literacy.

Entrepreneur, Executive Leader, Innovator, Visionary, and Creator. A disruptor of systemic barriers of poverty, inequality, and segregation. Providing accessibility of resources, opportunities, financial inclusion through the use of emerging technolo... Show more

Passionate of food, volleyball and everything than can be built, I'm an Italian with a past in web2 startup and currently building web3 for an Italian Bank. Back in 2014 I cofounded 2 startups , Moovenda and Offlunch, with the aim of building food delivery in Italy with a logistic-based approach. In 2019, after merging the company with another big Italian operator, I moved in the fintech sector, working as Partnership & Marketing Manager for Oval Money. Nowadays, as said, I'm building crypto and web3 solution for the most innovative Italian bank, Banca Sella.

Started my path in crypto in 2017 and purchased my first NFT in December 2020. Since then, I've started building my own network of people around NFT, with the aim of educating everyone and bringing them into web3.

Passionate of food, volleyball and everything than can be built, I'm an Italian with a past in web2 startup and currently building web3 for an Italian Bank. Back in 2014 I cofounded 2 startups , Moovenda and Offlunch, with the aim of building food de... Show more

Elevating Connections and Leadership: The Kristi Straw Experience

Bring a surge of energy and innovation to your conference with Kristi Straw, the powerhouse founder of Lighthouse Leadership Consultants. With a vibrant history of breaking barriers in Fortune 500 landscapes, Kristi embodies the essence of groundbreaking leadership and organizational metamorphosis. Her signature INSIGHT Method not only revolutionizes change management but also cements her status as a trailblazer in cultivating dynamic, resilient, and authentic leaders.

Kristi's keynote is a masterclass in intertwining leadership prowess with the art of strategic networking, designed to turbocharge personal and professional growth. She delves into the art of building and nurturing relationships that don’t just widen your network but deepen connections, transforming them into channels of increased sales, referrals, and unparalleled opportunities. Kristi teaches the secrets of becoming an indispensable resource, a connector who bridges gaps and fosters collaboration at every turn.

This session is more than just a talk; it's a transformative experience that equips attendees with the tools to navigate the complexities of today’s fast-paced world with strategic finesse. Kristi's insights into authentic leadership are paired with actionable strategies for expanding your influence, making every interaction count, and positioning yourself as a thought leader and a central node in your network.

Expect a journey filled with visionary insights, practical wisdom, and inspiring stories of transformation. Kristi doesn't just speak; she engages, challenges, and empowers her audience to embrace innovation, resilience, and the power of meaningful connections. Your conference will not just be an event but a pivotal moment of change, inspiring a renewed commitment to excellence, heart-centered leadership, and the strategic expansion of networks. Get ready for Kristi Straw to ignite a passion and purpose that will elevate your conference experience to new heights.

Elevating Connections and Leadership: The Kristi Straw Experience Bring a surge of energy and innovation to your conference with Kristi Straw, the powerhouse founder of Lighthouse Leadership Consultants. With a vibrant history of breaking barriers... Show more

John Halberstadt is Vice President, Consulting at LitheSpeed, providing strategic and tactical support to enterprises seeking to build and amplify their overall business agility and delivery of value.

He has over two decades of experience in leadership positions such as CIO, CTO, and Vice President of Technology, with a focus on Finance/FinTech and Insurance/InsurTech.

John's contributions to enhancing business agility extend beyond these industries. He has worked with a diverse range of sectors, including Healthcare, Retail, Utilities, and Artificial Intelligence, assisting organizations in their pursuit of greater agility and value realization from technology investments through Agile principles.

John Halberstadt is Vice President, Consulting at LitheSpeed, providing strategic and tactical support to enterprises seeking to build and amplify their overall business agility and delivery of value. He has over two decades of experience in leade... Show more

Dana Weaver is a leadership and workforce solutions consultant, coach, and speaker who works with healthcare and aging services executives, to improve their leadership around workforce. Dana focuses on driving retention, landing quality employees and developing leaders to maximize unparalleled service and profit in your organization – even if it feels like a pipe dream today.

With over 25 years in the senior living space, Dana is a proven leader who has trained hundreds of individuals on leadership and workforce solutions.

Her most recent role was focused on workforce and leadership at LeadingAge Kansas, an association of nonprofit aging services providers in Kansas. She was an integral part of creating the Center for Leadership.

She is a former nursing home administrator and is passionate about solving workforce problems in this space to create a sustainable future for anyone who may need these services in the future.

She received her bachelor’s degree in business management from Kansas State University and a Masters in nonprofit administration from MidAmerica Nazarene University.

She lives in Topeka, Kansas with her husband, two girls, and two fur babies.

Dana Weaver is a leadership and workforce solutions consultant, coach, and speaker who works with healthcare and aging services executives, to improve their leadership around workforce. Dana focuses on driving retention, landing quality employees and... Show more

Meet Bill Bensing, the tech guru who discovered the power of Notepad and hasn't stopped fueling the world with tech ever since. He's passionate about creating inclusive environments that allow anyone to develop software and takes pride in building Shadow IT organizations. Yes, you heard that right - he believes in the magic of Shadow IT and how it can drive real Business-IT alignment.

As if that weren't impressive enough, Bill is also a co-author of Investments Unlimited. The book describes bringing security, compliance, and audit into the software delivery lifecycle by automating governance. It's a novel that will make you want to trade your favorite book for it!

But that's not all. Bill's day job is the founder of Attestify and a Governance Engineering evangelist. By night, he's a dreamer, researcher, and creator of various open-source projects. You could say he's a tech superhero fighting for a better world!

Meet Bill Bensing, the tech guru who discovered the power of Notepad and hasn't stopped fueling the world with tech ever since. He's passionate about creating inclusive environments that allow anyone to develop software and takes pride in building Sh... Show more

Digital Transformation & Accessibility Expert

With over 23 years of expertise in product and brand design, Dana has a stellar reputation for applying forward-thinking transformation to digital solutions, particularly in the accessibility space. From deftly steering design, development, and execution to anticipating customer needs, she excels at navigating brands through incorporating innovation and a11y tools into their processes.

She has spoken at MIT, Wharton, CES, Shoptalk, Ad Week and many other high profile events globally.

In the earlier part of her career she was focused on digital creative direction and innovation. She won many awards and received global recognition for her work for some of the largest global retail brands. While always committed to inclusive design principals and human-centered designed, life took a sudden unexpected turn which forever changed her focus and mission as a designer.

In March of 2021 she became suddenly physically disabled due to a rare neurological condition triggered by a virus. In a flash her vision, hearing, balance & mobility and cognitive function was forever changed. She also learned late in life that she was neurodivergent, a life-changing revelation.

Dana's work includes speaking on the topics of disability inclusion and invisible disability awareness, she mentors designers, hosts workshops and trainings.

Digital Transformation & Accessibility Expert With over 23 years of expertise in product and brand design, Dana has a stellar reputation for applying forward-thinking transformation to digital solutions, particularly in the accessibility space. Fr... Show more

Zack Ritchie is a creative with a design and advertising background who has worked with brands such as Red Bull, Martini, and Campari. He's the founder of CactiCrew and co-founder of NFT Club. Ritchie's passion project is creating satire cartoon characters that capture his homeland Malta, with a focus on a cactus character called Beppe. This has led him to the web3 space where he has collaborated with key communities like Deadfellaz, Lirona’s Boiz, Des Lucrece, KidEight, Alphadogggs, 3landers, Jake the Degen and world-renowned fashion designers Charles & Ron. His latest project is creating a unique 1/1 cacti as an NFT daily for 300+days.

Zack Ritchie is a creative with a design and advertising background who has worked with brands such as Red Bull, Martini, and Campari. He's the founder of CactiCrew and co-founder of NFT Club. Ritchie's passion project is creating satire cartoon char... Show more

Scott Cullather is the President and Chief Executive Officer of [INVNT GROUP] ®, THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT™ operating across nine offices, in six countries and four continents.

For over 30 years Scott has led diverse teams driving innovative strategy, design, production, and executing thousands of large-scale live, virtual, and hybrid B2B and B2C brand experiences, in over 40 countries.

The GROUP consists of modern brand strategy firm, Folk Hero; creative-led culture consultancy, Meaning; production studio & creative agency, HEVE; events for colleges and universities, INVNT Higher Ed; digital innovation division, INVNT.ATOM; the original live brand storytelling agency, INVNT; and Hypnogram, the creative multimedia studio designing experiences that span physical and digital worlds.

Scott Cullather is the President and Chief Executive Officer of [INVNT GROUP] ®, THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT™ operating across nine offices, in six countries and four continents. For over 30 years Scott has led diverse teams driving innovative ... Show more

I am a professional and motivated web developer, community builder, and media producer looking to grow and build wonderful multimedia projects, interactive web experience, and develop new methods for problem-solving, data integration, and social interaction on the internet.

I love what I do and have a passion for web development.

I am a professional and motivated web developer, community builder, and media producer looking to grow and build wonderful multimedia projects, interactive web experience, and develop new methods for problem-solving, data integration, and social inte... Show more

Dr. Steve Martin is an industry-leading agile expert, consultant, coach, trainer (CST, CAL Educator), and facilitator with over 25 years of experience in multiple industries in companies from startups to the Fortune 500. Steve specializes in working with senior leadership (CxOs) and management teams, iterating on transformation strategies, organization design, and reengineering business processes using agile and lean startup principles. Steve is also an expert team coach, helping teams and organizations define and deliver amazing products and services to their customers.

Steve has served on several non-profit boards, including as COO of Agile Austin, as well as multiple board roles, including role of President, with the PMI Massachusetts Bay Chapter in Boston.

Lastly, Steve is also an Adjunct Professor at Franklin University in the Doctorate of Business Administration program.

Dr. Steve Martin is an industry-leading agile expert, consultant, coach, trainer (CST, CAL Educator), and facilitator with over 25 years of experience in multiple industries in companies from startups to the Fortune 500. Steve specializes in working ... Show more

Open Source and Open Standard Evangelist

Open Source and Open Standard Evangelist Show more

Software enthusiast, a fan of designing and developing platform and software as a service application for various cloud infrastructures. He’s a principal software developer, developer advocate at Oracle, concentrating on product development along with bringing well-designed and production-ready integration with cloud solutions, a contributor to various open-source projects, cloud-related technologies along with having fun with IoT devices and photography.
Blogger, photographer, traveler. Denis is a regular attendee and speaker at OpenStack summits (Atlanta, Austin, Paris, Barcelona, Boston) and PyCons (Hong Kong, Singapore, Italy), PyLondinium, Decompile.De. Co-author of OpenStack Application development, OpenStack Trove Essentials.

Software enthusiast, a fan of designing and developing platform and software as a service application for various cloud infrastructures. He’s a principal software developer, developer advocate at Oracle, concentrating on product development along wit... Show more

Community leader and supporter, educating NFT creators on developing meaningful content to support their brands.
Writer behind the character stories and series "Inxpression", a unique NFT collection bringing the journey of self-expression and acceptance to your fingertips.
My goal is to bring local business's access to NFT creators in collaboration to grow their online presence and reward active community members.

Community leader and supporter, educating NFT creators on developing meaningful content to support their brands. Writer behind the character stories and series "Inxpression", a unique NFT collection bringing the journey of self-expression and accep... Show more

– Cyber Security consulting to global clients with Secure by design - Use case Engineering for Transformation with SASE, ZTNA, Cloud Security, threat detection response with Infra Security (InfraSec, EDR, SIEM, SOAR, Threat Intel) Automation Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures. - Analytics, Situational-Awareness and Intelligence - Observables, Context and IOCs - Events and Flows

– Cyber Security consulting to global clients with Secure by design - Use case Engineering for Transformation with SASE, ZTNA, Cloud Security, threat detection response with Infra Security (InfraSec, EDR, SIEM, SOAR, Threat Intel) Automation Tactics,... Show more

Making it simple! This is what Christina's heart beats for in both senses: simplifying things and getting things done. For 8 years she has been working for METRO as a Change Manager, Agile & OKR Master, and Product Coach. She loves supporting and challenging people and the organization with her team. She is passionate about digital product development and thus creates solutions for customers that add value and solve actual problems. In her free time, she enjoys being in the mountains and on the water, cooking dishes with a maximum of five ingredients, and writing her first book on Objectives & Key Results.

Making it simple! This is what Christina's heart beats for in both senses: simplifying things and getting things done. For 8 years she has been working for METRO as a Change Manager, Agile & OKR Master, and Product Coach. She loves supporting and cha... Show more

Don Markland is the CEO and owner of Accountability Now™, an Executive Coaching and Business Strategy company out of Jacksonville, FL. As Forbes.com contributor for Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Sales, he has over 20 years of experience in the world of sales, marketing, and business growth. In addition to building businesses with clients, we works as the Chief Revenue Officer for MoneySolver™, a private equity company, where he leads the nationally recognized company of over 350 employees. As CRO, Don has spearheaded the radical growth of MoneySolver™ where they have become the nationally recognized and largest Tax Resolution digital marketing financial services company in the U.S.

Prior to TDN, Don spent time as a Global Customer Care Executive for Amazon in Jamaica. He has also managed $100M Care Centers for State Farm Insurance, All-State, and Geico. Don spent time in the startup world as an Owner and Chief Operating Officer for Launch Leads, a BPO startup in Salt Lake City, Utah where he helped them achieve record performance in both client and revenue growth and was named to Utah Business Magazine’s Top 40 under 40 for leading businesses executives in the entire state. Prior to Launch Leads, Don spent the previous 12 years with Focus Services, a BPO, helping them grow from $7M to over $45M in under five years.

Don Markland is the CEO and owner of Accountability Now™, an Executive Coaching and Business Strategy company out of Jacksonville, FL. As Forbes.com contributor for Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Sales, he has over 20 years of experience in the wo... Show more