Government, Social Sector & Education

Valued individuals involved in shaping public policies, providing essential services, and promoting education, tirelessly looking to improve society and empower citizens

Diedre Downing

Diedre Downing

As the Chief Learning Officer at StoryIQ, Diedre combines her love of data and strategic thinking with creating engaging learning experiences. With over eighteen years of teaching and facilitating experience, Diedre brings enthusiasm and a unique ability to make complex concepts accessible and relatable to all. Diedre’s expertise allows her to call upon a deep knowledge of communicating data and data-driven strategy to senior leaders and key stakeholders across industries and verticals.

As the Chief Learning Officer at StoryIQ, Diedre combines her love of data and strategic thinking with creating engaging learning experiences. With over eighteen years of teaching and facilitating experience, Diedre brings enthusiasm and a unique abi... Show more

Claire Van Der Meulen

Claire Van Der Meulen

Claire is a seasoned Agile Coach with a passion for people and building relationships that matter. She has a creative mind in continuous search of new conundrums to master and solve.

With close to 2 decades of experience in project and program management, working in diverse sectors ranging from automotive to government, Claire has a down-to-earth approach when it comes to people, processes and challenges. Over the past decade, her focus grew more towards the people side, so she took the lead in setting up a mentorship program, mentoring & coaching coworkers.

She loves the outdoors, takes pleasure in the simple joys of life and recently grew her family with Tess, the German Shepherd, and Wolf, the Malinois. She firmly believes in mens sana in corpore sano. Her motto? Live. Love. Life!

Claire is a seasoned Agile Coach with a passion for people and building relationships that matter. She has a creative mind in continuous search of new conundrums to master and solve. With close to 2 decades of experience in project and program man... Show more

Frank Zeyda

Frank Zeyda

Frank Zeyda (Dipl.-Inform. BSc PhD PgCLTHE) feels at home in both the world of academia and industry. He has made sustained contributions to academic research in the fields of Formal Methods (FM), Semantic Foundations of Programming, and Automated Theorem Proving (ATP) on EPSRC/EC/DARPA-funded projects while also working in industry to apply formal techniques to real-world systems, such as safety-critical avionic systems under stringent certification standards such as DO-178C. Currently, he works as an independent consultant for Galois, Inc. and Free & Fair. In Guadalajara, he moreover organizes meetups of the Embedded Systems Geeks (ESG) group.

Frank Zeyda (Dipl.-Inform. BSc PhD PgCLTHE) feels at home in both the world of academia and industry. He has made sustained contributions to academic research in the fields of Formal Methods (FM), Semantic Foundations of Programming, and Automated Th... Show more

Patrick Diehl

Patrick Diehl

HPC, Quantum Computing, HPC education, and C++.

HPC, Quantum Computing, HPC education, and C++. Show more

Dr Neeti Tripathi

Dr Neeti Tripathi

Dr Neeti Tripathi is Principal of CIDER International School in Bangladesh, where she leads a large Cambridge and national-curriculum school with a strong focus on innovation, wellbeing, and professional learning.

With nearly two decades of experience across Indian, Cambridge, IB and international contexts, she works at the intersection of AI, pedagogy, and school leadership.

Neeti is a Cambridge Programme Leader and a British Council Action Research Mentor and awardee, guiding educators across South Asia to design evidence-informed, technology-enabled classroom practices. She has designed a gamified open educational resource on teacher professional development, used by educators to build AI-ready, student-centred pedagogy through practical “missions” rather than one-off workshops.

Her current work focuses on moving schools from scattered AI experiments to coherent, mission-aligned strategies that span teaching and learning, assessment, operations, and governance.

As an international speaker, she brings a Global South perspective—showing how schools can use AI responsibly and creatively even in resource-constrained contexts, without losing the human heart of education.

Dr Neeti Tripathi is Principal of CIDER International School in Bangladesh, where she leads a large Cambridge and national-curriculum school with a strong focus on innovation, wellbeing, and professional learning. With nearly two decades of exper... Show more

Patrick Henley

Patrick Henley

Patrick Henley has served as the Director of Human Resources and Risk Management with the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority for more than seven years. He has worked in various HR and Risk Management leadership roles for more than 20 years. Additionally, he teaches courses in HR, Management, & Technology at the college level. Patrick earned his bachelor’s in psychology from Kennesaw State University, a master’s in business administration from Troy University, and recently earned a doctorate in business administration at the Florida Institute of Technology. He holds both the SPHR & SHRM-SCP certifications.

Patrick Henley has served as the Director of Human Resources and Risk Management with the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority for more than seven years. He has worked in various HR and Risk Management leadership roles for more than 20 years. Additio... Show more

David Cruz

David Cruz

Mr. Cruz is an associate who provides planning and strategic services to colleges and universities. Mr. Cruz brings a diverse range of experiences from across the entire education sector, with expertise in business operations and information technology management. A strong collaborator and relationship developer, Mr. Cruz is driven toward identifying solutions that create a bridge between institutional knowledge, strategic partnership, and operational success.

Mr. Cruz is an associate who provides planning and strategic services to colleges and universities. Mr. Cruz brings a diverse range of experiences from across the entire education sector, with expertise in business operations and information technolo... Show more

Juan Bidini

Juan Bidini

Soy Juan Bidini, especialista en informática y ciberseguridad, analista de sistemas y docente desde hace más de veinte años. Mi camino comenzó a los 8 años, cuando conocí la consola ColecoVision. Después llegaron la Timex Sinclair 2068, la Commodore 64, la 128 y finalmente la PC, donde descubrí mi pasión por programar y entender cómo funciona todo por dentro.

Con el tiempo desarrollé un gran interés por la retroinformática y la historia del hardware, especialmente por los distintos soportes de almacenamiento usados en videojuegos.

Hoy soy Subsecretario de Tecnología de la Municipalidad de Carlos Casares y también dueño de SeguRoot, mi emprendimiento de servicios informáticos. Además, soy mago desde hace muchos años, una actividad que me recuerda que la tecnología y la magia comparten algo esencial: la capacidad de asombrar.

Soy Juan Bidini, especialista en informática y ciberseguridad, analista de sistemas y docente desde hace más de veinte años. Mi camino comenzó a los 8 años, cuando conocí la consola ColecoVision. Después llegaron la Timex Sinclair 2068, la Commodore ... Show more

Petar Georgiev

Petar Georgiev

Petar Georgiev is the Head of Strategic Alliances and Sustainability at AMPECO, a charging management platform for electric vehicles.

Petar is a seasoned and internationally-recognised expert in the ecosystem of electric mobility. At AMPECO he leads projects and strategic engagement in the context of more than 10 industry bodies in Europe, in North America and globally. Additionally, he spearheads AMPECO’s positioning on public policy matters as well as the company’s sustainability strategy.

Previous to his role at AMPECO, Petar has actively shaped Europe’s clean transportation policy during a four-year stint in Brussels. Through his understanding of macro-trends in the EV ecosystem, he has contributed to the finalisation of the EU Mobility Package and the formation of the EU Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy.

Petar has spoken at 100+ industry events in Europe, Asia and North America throughout his career - covering everything from roundtable discussions to major industry forums.

Petar Georgiev is the 2021 winner of the “EV Under 30 Star” award, which he received during the EV World Congress in Bristol (UK), and is also among the 2022 class of the Forbes Bulgaria "30 Under 30" ranking in the Science, Tech and Healthcare category. Petar has a MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from the College of Europe in Bruges with a focus on energy and environmental policy.

Petar Georgiev is the Head of Strategic Alliances and Sustainability at AMPECO, a charging management platform for electric vehicles. Petar is a seasoned and internationally-recognised expert in the ecosystem of electric mobility. At AMPECO he lea... Show more

Frances Sun

Frances Sun

Frances Sun is a Taiwanese UX/UI designer with almost 15 years of experience in UI/UX at some of the world’s biggest and most respected names in technology and entertainment.

In her current role at The Walt Disney Company, she leads the Ad Platforms team, overseeing UX for the flagship sales product used across Disney’s linear channels like ABC and ESPN.

Frances began her teaching career in 2020 at Austin Community College, where she taught UX/UI design, visual design, and portfolio design.

Frances Sun is a Taiwanese UX/UI designer with almost 15 years of experience in UI/UX at some of the world’s biggest and most respected names in technology and entertainment. In her current role at The Walt Disney Company, she leads the Ad Platfor... Show more

Ben Linders

Ben Linders

Ben Linders is an Independent Consultant in Agile, Lean, Quality, and Continuous Improvement, based in The Netherlands. Author of Getting Value out of Agile Retrospectives, Waardevolle Agile Retrospectives, What Drives Quality and Continuous Improvement. Creator of the Agile Self-assessment Game.

As an adviser, coach and trainer he helps organizations with deploying effective software development and management practices. He focuses on continuous improvement, collaboration and communication, and professional development, to deliver business value to customers.

Ben is an active member of networks on Agile, Lean, and Quality, and a well-known speaker and author. He shares his experiences in a bilingual blog (Dutch and English), as an editor for Culture and Methods at InfoQ, and as an expert in communities like Computable, Quora, DZone, and TechTarget. Follow him on twitter: @BenLinders.

For an overview of the presentation and mini-workshops that I have given, visit https://www.benlinders.com/presentations/

Ben Linders is an Independent Consultant in Agile, Lean, Quality, and Continuous Improvement, based in The Netherlands. Author of Getting Value out of Agile Retrospectives, Waardevolle Agile Retrospectives, What Drives Quality and Continuous Improvem... Show more

Nick Miller

Nick Miller

Nick Miller is a former CIO and current leading voice on emerging technologies, cloud software marketplaces, and how to leverage technology to drive digital transformation. He is also an avid coffee drinker. Today, Nick leads the AWS Marketplace business for US Federal Government, Healthcare, and Non-Profits customers. Prior to AWS, Nick spent six years at In-Q-Tel, Inc., a strategic venture investment firm supporting national security. Nick joined In-Q-Tel after 10 years of service in the US Army. There, Nick served as an Army Signal officer deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan where he led Soldiers providing communications in the harshest environment. In 2010, Nick led Arlington National Cemetery’s digital transformation as its first CIO moving the organization from typewriters and 3x5 index cards to a digital customer experience in 2 years. He led the launch of ANC Explorer, the DoD’s first iOS mobile app in the iTunes store. Nick frequently speaks at top vendor industry events including, AWS, Snowflake, Neo4j, and many more. Outside of work, Nick serves as a member of the Advisory Committee on Arlington National Cemetery and the Software in Defense Coalition. Nick holds masters degrees in finance and electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University and Lehigh University.

Nick Miller is a former CIO and current leading voice on emerging technologies, cloud software marketplaces, and how to leverage technology to drive digital transformation. He is also an avid coffee drinker. Today, Nick leads the AWS Marketplace busi... Show more

Devin Baldwin

Devin Baldwin

Devin Baldwin, a seasoned WebXR developer, educator, and innovative 3D content creator, brings a unique blend of technical proficiency and creative acumen to the digital realm. Specializing in harnessing technology to manifest creative visions, his work primarily focuses on redefining user experiences.

Devin's impressive career trajectory includes pivotal roles at industry titans like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Samsung Research of America, Intel, and Meta, leading groundbreaking projects that have left indelible marks.

As the Lead Instructor at STEM Tank, he empowers 6th to 12th-grade students with knowledge of emerging technologies like AR, VR, and MR. His enlightening presentations inspire future developers by interweaving technology, creativity, and education.

Passionate about bridging the digital divide, Devin is committed to addressing disparities within the Black and Brown Community, fostering an inclusive future for technology.

Devin Baldwin, a seasoned WebXR developer, educator, and innovative 3D content creator, brings a unique blend of technical proficiency and creative acumen to the digital realm. Specializing in harnessing technology to manifest creative visions, his w... Show more

Emeka Boris Ama

Emeka Boris Ama

Data Scientist enthusiast, Co-Organiser of Pydata Port Harcourt and Team Lead at Port Harcourt School of Ai

Data Scientist enthusiast, Co-Organiser of Pydata Port Harcourt and Team Lead at Port Harcourt School of Ai Show more

Shubhendu Shubham

Shubhendu Shubham

Shubhendu is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with a specialization in cloud security,Red Teaming. With five years of experience, he has honed his skills in threat hunting, drawing inspiration from his survival instincts developed while watching Bear Grylls shows. Shubhendu is an active open-source contributor to popular repositories like Docker Extensions and Microsoft Sentinel, DevSecOps Repo.

He holds five Azure certifications and has been recognized as a Kusto Golden Awardee, earning the title of Principal Detective Agent. His blog was ranked 24th in the Azure Blog-A-Thon 2021 by Microsoft.

Shubhendu is also a community leader, organizing multiple meetups such as Docker Bangalore and the Azure Developer Community. As a subject matter expert on Hack The Box, he enjoys playing Capture The Flag (CTF) challenges.

Shubhendu is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with a specialization in cloud security,Red Teaming. With five years of experience, he has honed his skills in threat hunting, drawing inspiration from his survival instincts developed while watchin... Show more

Justin Paluku Mbunzule

Justin Paluku Mbunzule

Justin Paluku is an IT Specialist and currently taking the MIT MacroMasters Data science course. Justin was born in May 1991, in Butembo, eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo where he was forced to flee to Uganda in 2012 looking for safety.

To support refugee and low income communities to access quality education and advanced technology in Africa, Justin has founded an organisation named Up With Africa based in Uganda.

About his work engagement, Justin has worked as a Research Enumerator with the University of Oxford - Refugee Study Center on a Refugee Economy Study in Uganda in 2018, where he successfully conducted interviews with 123 adult refugees from different slums and households.

Justin has also worked on many projects with the University of Toronto (for 6 years) in Uganda such as: refugees reproductive health, stress management and Virtual Reality as an mental health intervention, managing communication from online systems to refugees' WhatsApp massaging as part of the study.

Additionally, Justin has worked in refugee settlements in Uganda like Nakivale, Kyaka II, Bidibidi and Kiryandongo where he supported the creation of ICT, Entrepreneurship and Conflicts Resolution online course contents for refugees to learn remotely.

Justin Paluku is an IT Specialist and currently taking the MIT MacroMasters Data science course. Justin was born in May 1991, in Butembo, eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo where he was forced to flee to Uganda in 2012 looking for safet... Show more

Maristela de Carvalho

Maristela de Carvalho

Analista de Políticas Sociais, vencedora do Prêmio Espírito Público, engenheira e mestranda em Psicologia pela UnB. Egressa, ex-coordenadora e pesquisadora do Programa LideraGOV. Com 11 anos de experiência em políticas públicas relacionadas a trabalho, emprego, gestão governamental, educação e liderança, também atuou por outros 10 anos com automação industrial e mercado de energia. Com ampla experiência em relações internacionais, já integrou Assessorias Internacionais em diversas pastas governamentais, com destaque para o papel de Assessora Especial para Assuntos Internacionais no Ministério da Educação, onde contribuiu para o aprimoramento da educação e a promoção de boas práticas globais. Além disso, dedica-se à construção de redes estratégicas, é facilitadora de processos de transformação governamental, free-la no LA-BORA!gov e entusiasta da formação de lideranças públicas. Une competências técnicas à paixão por pessoas e inovação no serviço público.

Analista de Políticas Sociais, vencedora do Prêmio Espírito Público, engenheira e mestranda em Psicologia pela UnB. Egressa, ex-coordenadora e pesquisadora do Programa LideraGOV. Com 11 anos de experiência em políticas públicas relacionadas a trabalh... Show more

Francisca Márcia Gomes Sampaio

Francisca Márcia Gomes Sampaio

Apaixonada por pessoas, agilidade, gestão e conhecimento. Com mais de 20 anos de experiência em tecnologia e transformação organizacional, atuo no SERPRO — a maior empresa pública de TI do mundo — onde já contribuí em diversas frentes: transformação ágil, gestão ágil, experiência do usuário (UX), LGPD, técnicas de facilitação e, atualmente, como gestora do time Sinergia, apoiando o desenvolvimento de lideranças inspiradoras e a construção de times de alto desempenho.

Doutoranda em Engenharia de Software pela UFPE, sou também especialista em Gerência Estratégica da Informação (UNIFOR - 2004), mestre em Informática Aplicada (UNIFOR - 2008), MBA em Gerência de Projetos (FGV - 2012), pós-graduada em Psicologia Positiva, Ciência do Bem-Estar e Autorrealização (PUCRS - 2021), MBA em Liderança, Inovação e Gestão 4.0 (PUCRS - 2022) e pós-graduada em Psicologia Organizacional e Gestão de Pessoas (PUCRS - 2024).

Certificada PMP desde 2005 e Personal Coach pela SLAC, atuo também como professora em cursos de pós-graduação e palestrante em grandes eventos de agilidade, como Agile Trends, Agile Trends Gov, TDC, Agile Brazil, entre outros. Sou ainda partner do Coletivo Ação no Workshop Team Facilitator.

Movida por propósito, sigo em constante evolução pessoal e profissional, acreditando que ambientes de trabalho felizes, colaborativos e humanos geram, naturalmente, os melhores resultados.

Apaixonada por pessoas, agilidade, gestão e conhecimento. Com mais de 20 anos de experiência em tecnologia e transformação organizacional, atuo no SERPRO — a maior empresa pública de TI do mundo — onde já contribuí em diversas frentes: transformação ... Show more

Leonardo Teixeira

Leonardo Teixeira

Executivo da FORTINET, principal empresa de Cyber Segurança do mundo, participou da elaboração do primeiro curso DEVOPS PARA GESTORES do Brasil. Mais de 15 anos de experiência em TI, com MBA em Gestão de Projetos, Especialização em Direito Digital e Compliance, Programa Executivo em Digital Business Strategy pelo MIT SLOAN. Certificado PMP, atuou como docente em cursos de graduação e pós-graduação. Disseminador da cultura DevOps e Ágil, já trabalhou na Administração Pública Federal como funcionário público concursado.

Executivo da FORTINET, principal empresa de Cyber Segurança do mundo, participou da elaboração do primeiro curso DEVOPS PARA GESTORES do Brasil. Mais de 15 anos de experiência em TI, com MBA em Gestão de Projetos, Especialização em Direito Digital e ... Show more

Elle Younker

Elle Younker

Marine Corps Veteran, Storyteller, and Hackivist disrupting power-based violence through online access to education and community care with over eighteen years experience in the technical and operational program management of space and military intelligence federal contracts in the United States.

I made a promise to support and defend the United States Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I take that VERY seriously, and will fight for your right to hate me. I will not, however, tolerate acts of violence directed at individuals for simply taking up space, acts of coercion through threats of violence, or any attempt at using violence as a way to maintain power. I will speak out and take the defense for any victim of violence (in all of its forms) and all individuals impacted by the use of power-based violence.

I believe in the power of storytelling energy as a renewable resource capable of magic, the kindness of strangers, and ability to overcome hardship through communal care. I use the arts of satire, drag, and boudoir performance to make light of extremely controversial and traumatic but historical events that surround United States Post World War II Military History.

Marine Corps Veteran, Storyteller, and Hackivist disrupting power-based violence through online access to education and community care with over eighteen years experience in the technical and operational program management of space and military intel... Show more

Rachidi Djibo Issa

Rachidi Djibo Issa

Rachidi Djibo Issa est titulaire d’un Master en droit privé et possède des certificats en éducation en situation d’urgence et en prévention des violences basées sur le genre (VBG). Il cumule une expérience pratique significative dans le domaine de l’éducation et de la protection de l’enfance, ayant exercé en tant que superviseur éducation dans des contextes de crise.

Parallèlement, il s’engage activement dans le secteur associatif en tant que responsable d’association, et contribue à des initiatives internationales en ligne comme volontaire pour les Nations Unies, mettant ses compétences au service de projets de sensibilisation, de plaidoyer et de mobilisation communautaire.

Son parcours allie expertise juridique, gestion de programmes éducatifs et humanitaires, et engagement citoyen, avec un accent particulier sur l’inclusion, la protection des enfants et l’utilisation du numérique pour renforcer l’éducation en contexte difficile.

Rachidi Djibo Issa est titulaire d’un Master en droit privé et possède des certificats en éducation en situation d’urgence et en prévention des violences basées sur le genre (VBG). Il cumule une expérience pratique significative dans le domaine de l’... Show more

Megan Potter

Megan Potter

Megan is a career fundraiser with 20+ years international experience. Delivering growth strategies, programs and leading teams. Extensive experience in capital and capacity campaigns, mega and major gifts, bequests, partnerships, community and events fundraising.

Megan is a career fundraiser with 20+ years international experience. Delivering growth strategies, programs and leading teams. Extensive experience in capital and capacity campaigns, mega and major gifts, bequests, partnerships, community and events... Show more

Martin Brunke

Martin Brunke

Martin Brunke delivers powerful presentations that transcend traditional leadership insights, drawing on over two decades of experience coaching major college football and leading complex business transformations. He challenges organizations to cultivate the "Tom Brady Mindset"—a system he’s uniquely engineered and proven to instill—resulting in teams and leaders who operate with the unflappable confidence, profound trust, and crystal-clear clarity essential for today's complex demands. Martin's extensive background building and scaling PMOs underscores his ability to translate this system into practical, strategic impact, providing a tangible pathway for organizations of all sizes to achieve real agility and consistently turn uncertainty into opportunity.

Martin Brunke delivers powerful presentations that transcend traditional leadership insights, drawing on over two decades of experience coaching major college football and leading complex business transformations. He challenges organizations to culti... Show more

Victoria Ofuasia

Victoria Ofuasia

Victoria Ofuasia entered tech through web development, fell in love with backend engineering, and soon discovered the people side of technology. Since then, she hasn’t looked back on exploring the wonder of designing technology for and with people.

She is passionate about human-centered technologies, including open source and AI for social good. Victoria advances these passions through Open Source Nest, the initiative she co-founded to help everyday people learn, use, and contribute to open source in relatable ways. She further promotes human-centered tech through research and community-building initiatives. Victoria also serves as a Mozilla Common Voice community facilitator, supporting the creation of indigenous language datasets.

She has held several leadership roles, including Assistant Developer Community Lead at BlockchainUNN, Coordinator of APWEN UNN (Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, UNN Chapter), and Co-founder and Lead of NSK.AI, an AI community focused on learning and collaboration.

Her work reflects a deep belief in the people factor in technology and its power for lasting social impact. She loves to sing.

Victoria Ofuasia entered tech through web development, fell in love with backend engineering, and soon discovered the people side of technology. Since then, she hasn’t looked back on exploring the wonder of designing technology for and with people. ... Show more

Alec Kassin

Alec Kassin

PAST CLIENTS INCLUDE: Airbnb, Coca-Cola, ThermoFisher, Medable, PSL Group, & more!

"Alec is a fantastic speaker. I’ve worked with him since 2019, when he led LinkedIn’s Mindfulness & Compassion workshops in Europe. Alec consistently receives rave reviews from audiences in the US and Europe for his events." - Scott Shute, Award-Winning Author & Speaker & Former LinkedIn Global VP

"Alec is a fantastic facilitator and joy to work with! He gracefully translates personal experience into engaging and meaningful workshops." - Jennifer Leslie, SVP @ PSL Group

"Alec has a gift as a healer and coach. I am profoundly grateful for his help." - George Hoffmann, Kona Ironman Triathlete & Marketing Director @Medable

ABOUT ME: At age 18, I was a semi-pro cyclist diagnosed with a ruptured spinal disc.

Over two years, severe back pain ended my cycling career, pulled me out of college, left me partially bedridden, on strong painkillers, depressed, and with suicidal thoughts.

I tried every treatment I could find, but still endured constant pain - my recovery was uncertain.

Thankfully, I've been pain-free and unrestricted for over a decade.

Yet here's the thing: That ruptured spinal disc is still visible on my MRI.

The pain wasn’t 'all in my head.' It was real, severe, and in my body.

But the problem wasn't my disc. And the solution wasn't to fix it.

I’m not alone, either. More people are learning that some of the best athletes in the world with nagging injuries and structural abnormalities like bulging discs, torn meniscuses, and torn rotator cuffs have become pain-free without fixing their bodies.

I'm an Injury Comeback Coach, and I demystify how to do this for my clients and my audiences, empowering them to break through pain and injury, perform with a competitive advantage, and feel like themselves again.

I've trained with renowned chronic pain specialists, sports medicine physicians, and psychologists from Cedars Sinai, Michigan State, and Wayne State.

I've helped Kona triathletes, state champion cyclists, marathon runners, actors, American Ninja Warriors, and those who just want to enjoy movement again get back to their favorite activities in the face of scary injuries and persistent pain.

I've travelled around the world to present for the better part of a decade - from San Francisco, to Dublin, and Paris to Hong Kong. I've shared my story with organizations all over the world such as Airbnb, Coca-Cola, Medable, PSL Group, Esusu and LinkedIn, been featured on over a dozen podcasts, written for publications like RealGM, and co-authored the 2024 Best-Selling Book Leading with Self-Awareness.

Seeing so many people who thought they’d never recover make amazing comebacks has revealed an unshakable truth: Your biggest setback can become your greatest comeback.

PAST CLIENTS INCLUDE: Airbnb, Coca-Cola, ThermoFisher, Medable, PSL Group, & more! "Alec is a fantastic speaker. I’ve worked with him since 2019, when he led LinkedIn’s Mindfulness & Compassion workshops in Europe. Alec consistently receives rave ... Show more

Ambica Dixit

Ambica Dixit

Ambica Dixit is a Principal Partner for Data, AI & Robotics at VedArc, where she leads large-scale data modernisation and AI strategy initiatives across New Zealand and Australia. She specialises in enterprise AI, modern data platforms, and agentic systems, with a strong focus on the responsible, secure, and sustainable use of AI in complex organisations. Ambica is known for guiding enterprises from early experimentation toward safe, governed, and production-grade AI adoption, ensuring strategic alignment while enabling high-quality execution across multidisciplinary teams. She works extensively with regulated sectors including energy, forestry, finance, and public service agencies, bringing together strategy, technology, and governance to deliver measurable, real-world outcomes.

Ambica Dixit is a Principal Partner for Data, AI & Robotics at VedArc, where she leads large-scale data modernisation and AI strategy initiatives across New Zealand and Australia. She specialises in enterprise AI, modern data platforms, and agentic s... Show more

Nicholas Lavery

Nicholas Lavery

Nick Lavery (pronounced Nick Lay-Very) is an active-duty Green Beret in the United States Army Special Forces and the founder & CEO of Precision Components LLC.  After a life-altering injury sustained in combat, he transformed his challenges into a series of curriculums on leadership, resilience, and goal achievement. As one of the most sought-after speakers and mentors in the country, Nick and his team of assets share valuable insights on discipline, work ethic, and teamwork, in turn empowering others to unlock capacity and increase capability. 

Nick has a long and distinguished list of military awards, but to name a few, he has been awarded the Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star with Valor, three Bronze Stars for service, the Bruce Price Leadership award, and the Special Operations Command Excalibur award. 

Nick is the best selling author of Objective Secure- the battle-tested guide to goal achievement, and most significantly, he is a proud husband and father of two boys. 

Nick Lavery (pronounced Nick Lay-Very) is an active-duty Green Beret in the United States Army Special Forces and the founder & CEO of Precision Components LLC.  After a life-altering injury sustained in combat, he transformed his challenges into a s... Show more

Vered Robinzon

Vered Robinzon

Agile Organiziational leader and manager, Certified board facilitator with TAB (The Alternative Board) and a graduate of the StratPro leadership and strategy program, bringing over 20 years of experience in establishing and leading corporate training and education centers. Skilled in managing cross-cultural educational initiatives across Eastern Europe and North America, with a strong background in organizational development and leadership.

Currently serves as Deputy Head of the pioneering Education Authority and Director of Business Development at Sheba Medical Center, consistently ranked among the world’s Top 10 hospitals. Leads innovation processes, organizational learning and strategic growth initiatives and played a central role in establishing the Education Authority as a trailblazing organizational unit within the medical center.

Dedicated sports enthusiast with a particular passion for the English Premier League and an Executive Board Member of The Association of Independent Sport Organizations,
contributing energy, curiosity and a people-centered approach to every professional role.

Agile Organiziational leader and manager, Certified board facilitator with TAB (The Alternative Board) and a graduate of the StratPro leadership and strategy program, bringing over 20 years of experience in establishing and leading corporate training... Show more

Ildar Akhmetov

Ildar Akhmetov

Educator, systems thinker, and lifelong learner. I lead the Computing Programs at Northeastern University’s Vancouver campus, where I work at the intersection of teaching, leadership, and software development. I care deeply about building systems that scale — whether that’s a capstone project, a degree program, or a set of habits that help students grow.

My background blends academia, entrepreneurship, and international experience. Before joining Northeastern, I ran a publishing business in Russia for over a decade — leading a team, streamlining operations, and building internal tools long before low-code platforms became popular. These days, I bring that same bias toward clarity, efficiency, and real-world results into how I teach and lead.

As a computer science educator, I’ve mentored hundreds of students through project-based learning, often partnering with industry and nonprofit clients. I’ve designed and taught 60+ capstone projects, developed AI-focused pathways, and created structures to help students turn their academic work into something meaningful — sometimes even startup-worthy.

I’ve been lecturing, facilitating workshops, and giving talks for over two decades — in universities, industry settings, and more recently, on stage as a Toastmaster. What makes that meaningful to me is the personal journey: I used to stutter as a kid and avoided speaking up whenever I could. These days, I find joy in clarity — not just in what I say, but in helping others articulate ideas that matter. Whether I’m teaching a technical concept or sharing a story from the classroom, I aim for engagement over perfection.

I speak and write about computer science education in the age of AI, teaching across cultures, building entrepreneurial mindsets, and how to preserve cognitive rigor without burning people out. My talks are grounded in classroom experience but often go beyond pedagogy — into leadership, mindset, and systems design.

Outside of work, I’m into distance running, slow travel, strange programming languages, and learning Spanish (with a thick Argentinian accent, apparently). I’m also raising a curious and sporty teenager, which is probably the most humbling teaching gig of all.

Educator, systems thinker, and lifelong learner. I lead the Computing Programs at Northeastern University’s Vancouver campus, where I work at the intersection of teaching, leadership, and software development. I care deeply about building systems tha... Show more

Priyal Jain

Priyal Jain

Priyal is the Founder of Hirednex and a seasoned HR professional turned Employability Skills Trainer. With a solid background in Human Resources, Priyal brings deep insights into what employers seek in candidates beyond technical knowledge. As part of CSR initiatives like UN Women, Priyal has led impactful job fairs and soft skills training sessions across educational institutions. Currently championing the use of Microsoft Copilot in soft skills development, Priyal combines HR acumen with AI-powered tools to empower students and job seekers with essential, real-world workplace competencies.

Priyal is the Founder of Hirednex and a seasoned HR professional turned Employability Skills Trainer. With a solid background in Human Resources, Priyal brings deep insights into what employers seek in candidates beyond technical knowledge. As part o... Show more

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