I Teach K9 Handlers Everything K9 SAR Tracking, From Scent Cone, Scent Movement, how to get a scent article

I Teach K9 Handlers Everything K9 SAR Tracking, From Scent Cone, Scent Movement, how to get a scent article Show more

Ben Gould – Designing at the Edge of Innovation: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Bringing Ideas to Life

With over 15 years of experience as a senior industrial designer, Ben Gould has shaped the future of products across virtually every category—consumer packaged goods, toys, housewares, fashion, eVTOL, and beyond. Currently designing for Kickr Design, Ben is known not only for his deep technical mastery in CAD, prototyping, and 3D visualization, but for his rare talent: giving bold ideas form and soul through storytelling, sketching, and user-centered thinking.

Ben’s talk offers an unvarnished look at what it truly takes to get a product to market—from early napkin sketch to factory floor. Drawing on high-stakes experiences from both startups and global brands, he shares the trials, breakthroughs, and hidden lessons of industrial design in a competitive, fast-moving world.

Whether leading the development of award-winning STEM toys like Smart Circuits—used by thousands of families to teach electronics—or managing cross-functional teams to deliver durable, joyful, and market-ready products, Ben balances creativity with strategy, heart with rigor.

A passionate advocate for meaningful play and value-driven design, Ben also brings a personal lens to his work as a parent and toy expert. He believes every object has a story to tell—and that good design helps people discover it.

Ideal for audiences interested in design for manufacturing, product innovation, the toy industry, or the intersection of design and storytelling, Ben’s presentations inspire both aspiring designers and seasoned professionals to reimagine what’s possible.

Topics Include:

Designing for Manufacturing: From Sketch to Shelf

Creating Toys That Teach: Lessons from the STEM Aisle

Brainstorm Better: Techniques for Facilitating Ideation with Your Team

The Generalist: Learning the Skills to Become Recession-Proof

The Future of Industrial Design: Craft, Tech & Connection

Contact: ben.gould@brightblot.com
Keywords: #CPG #toys #industrialdesign #humancentereddesign #3Ddesign #solidworks

Ben Gould – Designing at the Edge of Innovation: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Bringing Ideas to Life With over 15 years of experience as a senior industrial designer, Ben Gould has shaped the future of products across virtually every category—consu... Show more

Beauty industry trailblazer and entrepreneur, Stephanie Luster, has made it her business to inspire others to use their platforms to walk in their purpose. Whether it’s expanding creativity behind the chair, mastering platform artistry and specific techniques, or scaling your business for maximum success, she is determined to provide the tools necessary to assist in creating legacy. Her reach spans internationally, having traveled all over the world educating stylists and consumers on one of the world’s most sought-after topics – hair. 



As President and Director of Education of the Chicagoland based Essations family brand, Stephanie not only handles the day-to-day operations, but she is also responsible for educating a team of stylists and professionals who work on behalf of the brand. With more than 27 years of experience in the industry, Stephanie uses her expertise to propel the brand and stylists to the next level. “My experience with making products (including the chemical compounds and structure), combined with my extensive knowledge of hair come together to make me an expert in the industry. I can analyze and understand both the product make up and the hair's potential reaction to it all at the same time. That's my edge.” She works side-by-side with chemists and suppliers to develop, test, and manufacture products that promote healthy hair.

In addition to product development, Stephanie has a passion for building industry leaders and is dedicated to sharing her expertise to assist stylists in reaching and maximizing their potential. She has worked relentlessly to develop several programs that not only reach back to up-and-coming stylists, but also assist veteran stylists with elevating their brands and increasing salon revenue. Stephanie looks forward to using her platform to continue motivating, educating, and mentoring others while building a legacy for her children.

Beauty industry trailblazer and entrepreneur, Stephanie Luster, has made it her business to inspire others to use their platforms to walk in their purpose. Whether it’s expanding creativity behind the chair, mastering platform artistry and specific t... Show more

A Master Stylist/Colorist with over 20 years behind the chair, getting my start as a shampoo girl in 1996, a loc expert and natural hair killer.
I hold 2 license Hairstylist 20yrs and
Nail Technician 2yrs. Salon owner for over 10 years in Denver Colorado, future Nail and Cosmetology Trade school ower.

A Master Stylist/Colorist with over 20 years behind the chair, getting my start as a shampoo girl in 1996, a loc expert and natural hair killer. I hold 2 license Hairstylist 20yrs and Nail Technician 2yrs. Salon owner for over 10 years in Denve... Show more

Great day Beauty Bosses, I’m Kayri (Kay-ree) I am a nail educator at a beauty school, I’m a celebrity nail artist and a beauty brand founder. I’m the host of the nail club which has live interactive weekly chats with a community of over 1.5 K. I bring you Edutainment which is education mixed with entertainment
to bring you a course that is jampacked with information that you can use and will retain. Join me as we take the nail portion of beauty shows to the next level.

Great day Beauty Bosses, I’m Kayri (Kay-ree) I am a nail educator at a beauty school, I’m a celebrity nail artist and a beauty brand founder. I’m the host of the nail club which has live interactive weekly chats with a community of over 1.5 K. I brin... Show more

Dr. Sherri Thomas an accomplished and master at her craft. As a licensed cosmetologist and instructor for over 27 years, with 15 years of experience in hair-loss, she has traveled internationally to places such as England, Germany, France, and Italy to name a few, leaving her footprints behind. Dr. Thomas retired in 2019 as a business owner of a St. Louis award winning Hair- Prosthetic Center and in 2018 she sold her Salon and Barbershop and focused on her career in education where she has experience as an International Educator in Perruquier and Hair Prosthetics.
Dr. Thomas is a credited hairstylist for Films, TV, and Fashion Videos also an excepted member of the IATSE UNION. She was featured as a humanitarian more once in the St. Louis Post Dispatch as well as several features in Deluxe Magazine. Dr. Thomas also wrote articles for St. Louis Community News, Insight Magazine and TCM Lifestyle Blog. She has a Business Degree, Master’s Degree in Holistic Nutrient and Doctor of Science Degree, Graduated Cum Laude in Integrative Healthcare with a personal concentration in hair and scalp science. Dr. Thomas has worked as an Educator for Bronner Brothers Hair Shows as well as other Hair Shows and events.
Having a great eye for detail Dr. Thomas brings to the industry her specialty in beauty professional coaching, business education, innovative styling, weaving, cutting, artistic vision and hair prosthetic educating. Dr. Thomas has been featured on many talk shows such as, Fox 2 News, St. Louis Corner and many more. With a host of other accomplishments and awards, she plans on continuing to bring new trends, creations and more education. The Best Is Yet to Come.

Dr. Sherri Thomas an accomplished and master at her craft. As a licensed cosmetologist and instructor for over 27 years, with 15 years of experience in hair-loss, she has traveled internationally to places such as England, Germany, France, and Italy ... Show more

Tonie Huizer is a Software, Data, and DevOps Consultant who believes good tech starts with understanding your people. A regular on international stages and a Microsoft Certified Azure Developer, Tonie loves helping teams simplify complex challenges; whether that’s modernizing database deployments, designing scalable systems, or just getting Dev and Ops to finally talk to each other.

Tonie is known for his clear, energetic presentation style and ability to make complex topics accessible and engaging. As a Redgate Community Ambassador, he advocates for database DevOps and contributes to open knowledge sharing through blogs, talks, and events across the globe. He also co-leads SeaQL, a community-driven event that blends education, networking, and Sammie, his Kooikerhondje mascot. (Because yes, even events are better with a dog.)

Whether he's discussing Azure DevOps workflows, database release automation, or the cultural shifts required to implement DevOps successfully, Tonie brings real-world experience, humor, and actionable insights. His goal is to inspire professionals not just to adopt new technologies, but to transform how teams collaborate and innovate.

And when he’s not speaking about tech, he might just be speaking about whisky. Tonie is a passionate whisky enthusiast who loves sharing stories, flavors, and the occasional tasting session with his fellow connoisseur of TasteWhisky. If you're into DevOps, data, and a well-aged dram on the side, Tonie’s your man!

Tonie Huizer is a Software, Data, and DevOps Consultant who believes good tech starts with understanding your people. A regular on international stages and a Microsoft Certified Azure Developer, Tonie loves helping teams simplify complex challenges; ... Show more

Marin Niehues is an independent consultant at the intersection of organizational design and delivery, helping companies build and operate structures that actually deliver. Across 20+ client projects with organizations from VC-backed scaleups to DAX40 companies, Marin works either embedded in line functions as a Delivery Lead or Business Analyst or strategically on organizational design, governance and process architecture.

In the past three years, Marin has spoken at conferences in more than twenty countries across six continents, including repeated invitations from Google and Microsoft.

Marin Niehues is an independent consultant at the intersection of organizational design and delivery, helping companies build and operate structures that actually deliver. Across 20+ client projects with organizations from VC-backed scaleups to DAX40... Show more

Abhilekh Verma is a founder, mentor and technical coach who has had a decade of experience in the IT industry working with Sales Teams and Corporate Training Roles. He was a corporate trainer at KPMG Gurugram and KPMG Hyderabad before jumping on the wagon of Entrepreneurship.
He is a mentor at Startupbootcamp, Wadhwani Foundation and runs Microsoft Azure Developer Community, ADP List, Omdena for Hyderabad. He is also a mentor at IIT Guwahati and Microsoft for Founders Hub. He is Microsoft MVP in AI.

Abhilekh Verma is a founder, mentor and technical coach who has had a decade of experience in the IT industry working with Sales Teams and Corporate Training Roles. He was a corporate trainer at KPMG Gurugram and KPMG Hyderabad before jumping on the ... Show more

Harshavardhan Bajoria is a Product Manager for AI & Innovation at Unstop, where he builds AI-driven products at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cloud computing. He is a GitHub Campus Expert Alumni, a LeetCode Knight, and holds 18 professional certifications — 7x Microsoft Certified, 5x Oracle Certified, 5x Google Certified, and GitHub Certified. A Top 5% Speaker on Sessionize, Harshavardhan is a regular voice at tech conferences and community meetups, sharing his experience building AI products and working with cloud platforms.

Harshavardhan Bajoria is a Product Manager for AI & Innovation at Unstop, where he builds AI-driven products at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cloud computing. He is a GitHub Campus Expert Alumni, a LeetCode Knight, and holds 18 prof... Show more

Alberto Acerbis is a hands-on software architect with a strong background in distributed systems. Recognized as a Microsoft MVP in .NET technologies, he actively contributes to the tech community.
In his role, Alberto helps customers transform their ideas into robust and scalable solutions. Beyond his professional work, he is a passionate technical speaker, having delivered numerous sessions at conferences over the years.
His dedication to knowledge-sharing extends to the communities he has founded and actively participates in, fostering collaboration and continuous learning in the tech ecosystem.
He is the co-author of Domain-Driven Refactoring (Packt), Cronache di Domain-Driven Design (Avanscoperta), and author of Architetture evolutive, DDD, microservizi (Mokabyte).
Outside of technology, Alberto enjoys mountain activities in all seasons and has a keen interest in philosophy and other disciplines beyond the tech world.

Alberto Acerbis is a hands-on software architect with a strong background in distributed systems. Recognized as a Microsoft MVP in .NET technologies, he actively contributes to the tech community. In his role, Alberto helps customers transform their... Show more

Leon Gordon is a data and AI leader, and the founder and Principal Data & AI Architect at Onyx Data, a Microsoft-focused data and AI consultancy and Microsoft Fabric Featured Partner. He is a six-time Microsoft MVP, a member of the Forbes Technology Council, a Gartner Peer Community Ambassador, and an alumnus of the Oxford Saïd AI Programme.

He writes on data and AI as a Forbes Technology Council member, an Executive Contributor to Brainz Magazine, a contributor to The AI Journal, and a Thought Leader in Data Science for the Global AI Hub, and is a member of AI4C.

He founded DataDNA, a global data community of more than 28,000 members across 50+ countries, and founded and organises the Microsoft Fabric UK User Group, now over 15,000 strong. For more than a decade he has helped organisations improve business performance, use data more intelligently, and navigate what artificial intelligence and large-scale data actually mean in practice. Self-taught and without a degree, he brings that route into his community and coaching work.

Leon speaks internationally on Microsoft Fabric, enterprise AI agents, and data governance, and publishes two LinkedIn newsletters on Microsoft AI and data and on AI governance for boards and data leaders.

Leon Gordon is a data and AI leader, and the founder and Principal Data & AI Architect at Onyx Data, a Microsoft-focused data and AI consultancy and Microsoft Fabric Featured Partner. He is a six-time Microsoft MVP, a member of the Forbes Technology ... Show more

I've been building on the Internet since 1999 😎 The most interesting problems are always the ones that cross the human/machine boundary.

I help large enterprises navigate the messy parts of digital transformation: data center exits, cloud migrations, and cloud-native modernization. Currently obsessed with what comes next: agentic AI, spec-driven design, and quantum computing.

When I'm offline, I'm chasing the Endless Summer: exploring surf spots around the world with my family, one break at a time.

I've been building on the Internet since 1999 😎 The most interesting problems are always the ones that cross the human/machine boundary. I help large enterprises navigate the messy parts of digital transformation: data center exits, cloud migrati... Show more

An engineer and ex-intrapreneur with over 15 years' experience in Product, Hugues is an expert in Product Strategy for AI Products and software platforms.

He passes on his know-how to the teams and customers of Theodo, a 700-strong Tech & AI consulting & delivery agency.

Last year, Hugues spoke at the UXDX conference in Dublin, the Product Management Festival in Zurich and Agile conferences in Lyon, Nantes and Lausanne.

An engineer and ex-intrapreneur with over 15 years' experience in Product, Hugues is an expert in Product Strategy for AI Products and software platforms. He passes on his know-how to the teams and customers of Theodo, a 700-strong Tech & AI consu... Show more

Hi there. I am Valerie Junk.
I am passionate about creating insights from data and designing dashboards using Power BI. With my expertise in data analytics and visualization, I support companies in developing effective data-driven strategies that yield results and take the business to the next level.
Microsoft Data Platform MVP

Hi there. I am Valerie Junk. I am passionate about creating insights from data and designing dashboards using Power BI. With my expertise in data analytics and visualization, I support companies in developing effective data-driven strategies that y... Show more

Paul Chin Jr is a Hampton Roads native and a curious human. He is passionate about exploring technology, art, and business. He advocates for making technology accessible and growing communities to help one another. He has created new markets, guided start-up validations, and architected enterprise platforms. The future is amazing, and he can't wait to help you build it.

Paul Chin Jr is a Hampton Roads native and a curious human. He is passionate about exploring technology, art, and business. He advocates for making technology accessible and growing communities to help one another. He has created new markets, guided ... Show more

Hi, I’m Kathrin Borchert, a Microsoft Data Platform MVP specializing in Power BI and Fabric—the only woman in Germany with this title. With over 9 years of experience in Power BI, I’ve worked with both small businesses and enterprise customers, helping them transform data into actionable insights. As Managing Partner at YoDaBI, I support organizations in leveraging Power BI and Microsoft Fabric to drive data-driven decisions. I’m passionate about sharing knowledge, which is why I organize the Female Fabricator User Group MeetUps as well as write on my blog YoDaBI.com, and engage with the community on LinkedIN and YouTube.

Hi, I’m Kathrin Borchert, a Microsoft Data Platform MVP specializing in Power BI and Fabric—the only woman in Germany with this title. With over 9 years of experience in Power BI, I’ve worked with both small businesses and enterprise customers, help... Show more

Passionate about Power BI in general and DAX in particular.
Based in Barcelona, I speak Catalan, Spanish, English, Japanese and some German.

Passionate about Power BI in general and DAX in particular. Based in Barcelona, I speak Catalan, Spanish, English, Japanese and some German. Show more

Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Solution Architect CRM Business Analysis

Dynamics 365 CE & Power Platform Solution Architect

For the past 13 years Joergen has been working in the CRM business area. Starting as a functional consultant with strong interest in new features and functionalities, he also presented the whole Dynamics 365 CE application stack as a presales consultant.
Moving forward he became a solution architect focusing on Dynamics 365 CE applications and possibilities to enhance the Model Driven application world with Power Platform functionalities.
Very early Joergen started participating in Microsoft, partner, and community events and since the beginning of 2020 he actively engages in the community by co-organizing events and sharing his knowledge on LinkedIn, blog posts and as a speaker.

Part of organizing teams:
- Deutschland Powerthon 2021-2023
- Global Power Platform Bootcamp 2022-2024
- Dynamics 365 Meetup Deutschland (monthly since 2020)

Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Solution Architect CRM Business Analysis Dynamics 365 CE & Power Platform Solution Architect For the past 13 years Joergen has been working in the CRM business area. Starting as a functional consultant with strong inte... Show more

Aakash is a seasoned Engineering Leader with experience in leading complex transformations in disruptive markets. Aakash is able to broker trusted relationships quickly, coupled with a strong executive presence to influence across organizations on how to build world-class product experiences. Having the opportunity to work across many industries like Retail, Healthcare and Financial Services, Aakash has led the innovation and experimentation of many new and modern practices. Aakash is always focused on taking a data-driven approach, learning from what has worked and what has failed before. Aakash solemnly believes that everyone in an organization is capable of delivering great outcomes and focuses on enabling high-performing nimble teams.

Aakash is a seasoned Engineering Leader with experience in leading complex transformations in disruptive markets. Aakash is able to broker trusted relationships quickly, coupled with a strong executive presence to influence across organizations on ho... Show more

I spend my days convincing data to behave — coaxing semantic models and Direct Lake datasets into doing what they're told, which, as any Power BI person will confirm, is not a given.

Simple is the whole point, for me. My real love is visualization: turning a pile of numbers into something a human can actually look at and understand, without needing a decoder ring. I'm a firm believer that if a DAX measure needs a flowchart to explain itself, something has gone wrong — give me a clean, simple formula and a good chart over a clever one-liner any day. I live somewhere in the Microsoft Fabric ecosystem — OneLake, Azure Databricks, and the Rayfin CLI/SDK are basically my neighbours at this point — and I'm usually the one in the room who can explain why your report is slow and fix it before the coffee gets cold, usually by making it simpler.

I started out as a certified accountant, a career that was going perfectly respectably until I fell in love with Excel a little too hard and followed that passion straight into IT. I've never looked back, and honestly, neither has my old calculator.

When I'm not wrangling semantic models, I'm probably turning someone's spreadsheet into a chart they didn't know they needed — the simpler, the better.

I spend my days convincing data to behave — coaxing semantic models and Direct Lake datasets into doing what they're told, which, as any Power BI person will confirm, is not a given. Simple is the whole point, for me. My real love is visualization... Show more

Clarissa Rodrigues is graduated by University of Vale dos Sinos (UNISINOS), specialist in Software Engineering by Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and master student in Applied Computing by UNISINOS. With more than 10 years of IT experience, she has been working in different roles and companies, such as a Business Analyst at SISPRO, ADP, SAP and most current Technical Quality & Program Manager at Uber. On her journey, she has been advocated for quality inside QAs work to make sure goods and services are designed, developed, and made to meet or exceed customers’ expectations and requirements.

Clarissa Rodrigues is graduated by University of Vale dos Sinos (UNISINOS), specialist in Software Engineering by Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and master student in Applied Computing by UNISINOS. With more than 10 years of IT exper... Show more

RAPHAEL KÖLLNER
Compliance Manager

Raphael Koellner combining the law and the information technology in particular the cloud computing. He worked for universities, Microsoft Germany (DX) and Microsoft Partner as consultant.

As CEO for KöllnService GmbH he works for huge international companies to migrate and implementate cloud solutions on a technical and a contract/law way.

Since 2019 Raphael Köllner is Microsoft Regional Director. He is the community guy, MVP for Office Server & Services, Windows 10 Insider MVP, MCT, Microsoft Student Partner Evangelist and become an attorney in Europe. He is the lead of the Office 365 Usergroup Germany, the Office 365 DACH, Leader of the Office 365 conference Germany, the SharePoint Saturday Cologne and one of 30 Windows 10 Top Insiders. Moreover he is member of the TEAMS Elite Team and the organizer of the TeamsCommunityDay. In this connection he leads the biggest Windows 10 Insider Community in Germany.

MVP: https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/mvp/Raphael%20%20Koellner-5000185

Microsoft Regional Director: https://rd.microsoft.com/en-us/raphael-koellner

RAPHAEL KÖLLNER Compliance Manager Raphael Koellner combining the law and the information technology in particular the cloud computing. He worked for universities, Microsoft Germany (DX) and Microsoft Partner as consultant. As CEO for KöllnSe... Show more

I am Nilanjan Chatterjee , a seasoned Data Engineering leader and architect at AMD, with extensive experience in rolling out 0-1 turn-key products and features across Fintech, Semiconductor and Telecom domains. With over 12 years of experience across Data Engineering , Data Science and Gen AI pipeline and MLOps, I assist business operationalise their data and ML strategy and find data driven solutions to problems.

I am Nilanjan Chatterjee , a seasoned Data Engineering leader and architect at AMD, with extensive experience in rolling out 0-1 turn-key products and features across Fintech, Semiconductor and Telecom domains. With over 12 years of experience across... Show more

I am a Father, International Speaker, Software Engineer, and Architect at Visionet Deutschland GmbH, currently living in Germany. My interests range from technology to travel. I am also interested in coaching, entrepreneurship, reading, vlogging and programming.

I am a Father, International Speaker, Software Engineer, and Architect at Visionet Deutschland GmbH, currently living in Germany. My interests range from technology to travel. I am also interested in coaching, entrepreneurship, reading, vlogging and ... Show more

Juho is the Head of Enterprise AI Services at Sofigate - the leading Nordic business technology company. With 15 years of experience in management consulting and digital development, Juho helps clients create continuous value and competitive advantage of technology and agentic AI by working as an advisor and strategist.

Juho shares lessons learned from his experience in management consulting for digital management across industries and across the Northern Europe. He uses customer references, case examples and technical demos to bring concrete stories around for the audience.

Juho is the Head of Enterprise AI Services at Sofigate - the leading Nordic business technology company. With 15 years of experience in management consulting and digital development, Juho helps clients create continuous value and competitive advantag... Show more

Ayoade Adegbite is a Senior Analytics Engineer, open-source builder, and technical speaker focused on the intersection of data, AI, and software engineering.

He builds practical tools that solve problems he encounters in real data teams—from data quality and governance to AI usage and developer experience. His open-source work includes AgentAbacus, a tool for interpreting and tracking AI agent usage and costs, and Governance Atlas, a practical guide to data protection and privacy for data professionals. He has also built developer tooling and extensions around technologies including dbt, Spark, and VS Code.

His work sits at an interesting intersection: understanding the business problem, translating it into a technical solution, and then building something people can actually use.

As a speaker, Ayoade focuses on practical, experience-driven talks that make complex topics understandable without stripping away the technical depth. His sessions explore data engineering, analytics engineering, AI, data governance, developer tooling, and the lessons that emerge when technology meets real-world constraints.

Ayoade Adegbite is a Senior Analytics Engineer, open-source builder, and technical speaker focused on the intersection of data, AI, and software engineering. He builds practical tools that solve problems he encounters in real data teams—from data ... Show more

Everyone has their niche in the world where they find the most joy and fulfillment. For me that has become Accessibility. Some of my experience comes from my personal ordeals I have gone through as I have steadily learned more about what makes my brain tick and what makes my joints throw a temper tantrum. My professional experience has helped me along the way because it is where I learned just how diverse the options were for accommodations, treatment, and more.

I was initially thrown into the deep end during my amazing journey with the American Printing House for the Blind's Internal IT department. I gained insight to some of the struggles caused when environments, processes, technology, and attitudes are not accessible. However, I also experienced great joy every time I managed to help make someone's day easier by helping them be more independent and confident in themselves. Since then, I have held many other Accessibility related roles and made it my mission to spread Accessibility awareness. I've done so through by improving Code Louisville's Accessibility policies and coursework as a mentor, speaking at domestic & international events, providing support online, and so much more. I plan to continue to do what I can for as long as I am able.

Everyone has their niche in the world where they find the most joy and fulfillment. For me that has become Accessibility. Some of my experience comes from my personal ordeals I have gone through as I have steadily learned more about what makes my bra... Show more

Rakia Finley is a strategist, founder, and systems thinker working at the intersection of AI governance, organizational transformation, and human-centered innovation.

As the Founder and CEO of Copper & Vine Studio, she advises startups, enterprises, public-sector organizations, and emerging leaders on how to responsibly scale technology, build resilient operating systems, and prepare institutions for the next era of AI-enabled business and society.

Her work focuses on translating complex innovation into practical implementation — helping organizations move from fragmented experimentation into scalable systems, governance frameworks, operational clarity, and measurable growth. She is especially known for her ability to bridge executive strategy, emerging technology, security, human behavior, and organizational design into conversations that are both visionary and deeply actionable.

Rakia’s speaking explores the future of AI adoption, trust, governance, workforce transformation, digital infrastructure, and institutional resilience. Her sessions challenge organizations to think beyond tools and automation toward the deeper question: what kind of systems, leadership, and human experience are we building for the future?

She has spoken on topics spanning responsible AI, organizational transformation, secure system design, inclusive innovation, and the future of work — with a focus on helping leaders navigate complexity while building systems people actually trust.

Rakia Finley is a strategist, founder, and systems thinker working at the intersection of AI governance, organizational transformation, and human-centered innovation. As the Founder and CEO of Copper & Vine Studio, she advises startups, enterprise... Show more

Emmanuel Acheampong is a Developer Advocate at Crusoe AI, where he is a founding member of the Developer Relations team for Managed AI — bridging the gap between managed inference infrastructure and the open-source developer ecosystem. He focuses on enabling engineers to leverage Crusoe's high-performance GPU infrastructure to build and deploy the next generation of AI agents and frontier models.

Before Crusoe, Emmanuel was Co-Founder and Head of AI at yShade.ai (Google for Startups Black Founders Accelerator '24), where he led development of proprietary computer vision algorithms trained on a 12M+ image dataset, shipping production AI systems across e-commerce, beauty, and vision-critical applications.

Emmanuel is passionate about open-source AI, agentic systems, machine learning, and the future of cloud infrastructure for AI workloads.

Emmanuel Acheampong is a Developer Advocate at Crusoe AI, where he is a founding member of the Developer Relations team for Managed AI — bridging the gap between managed inference infrastructure and the open-source developer ecosystem. He focuses on ... Show more