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

Aline Malou Nüttgens

Aline Malou Nüttgens

Aline holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Würzburg and a Master’s degree from RWTH Aachen University. Since 2021, Aline is a Scientific Associate at the Center for Learning and Teaching Services, where she coordinated various Projects, including the "#Digitalkompetenz.nrw" project to enhance digital skills.

Aline holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Würzburg and a Master’s degree from RWTH Aachen University. Since 2021, Aline is a Scientific Associate at the Center for Learning and Teaching Services, where she coordinated various ... Show more

Carolina Greno

Carolina Greno

For the last 10 years, Carolina has worked as a clinical psychologist decoding the human mind; now, she’s using that expertise to revolutionize public speaking training.

Mixing her talent development knowledge, mindfulness, and her background in theatre, she creates transformational experiences that take individuals from shy and uncertain to confident and impactful speakers.

Her unique 4-personality framework has helped hundreds of professionals find their speaking zone of genius—whether they’re natural storytellers or data-driven thinkers. She has worked with global companies like Upwork and P&G, and specializes in training teams to communicate with clarity, confidence, and influence.

For the last 10 years, Carolina has worked as a clinical psychologist decoding the human mind; now, she’s using that expertise to revolutionize public speaking training. Mixing her talent development knowledge, mindfulness, and her background in ... Show more

Wanda Möller

Wanda Möller

Wanda Möller

Aktuell Themen: Zukunftsfähige Lehrprofessionalität

Wanda Möller Aktuell Themen: Zukunftsfähige Lehrprofessionalität Show more

Paul Onyekwelu

Paul Onyekwelu

Paul is a data and AI practitioner focused on how machine learning and intelligent automation can reshape the way organisations make decisions. His work centres on moving analytics beyond static reporting toward systems that anticipate outcomes, adapt to change, and support better decisions at scale.

He has contributed to initiatives where forecasting, automation, and decision-support systems reduced operational friction, improved planning accuracy, and enabled teams to respond more effectively to real-world constraints. Paul is particularly interested in how AI can be embedded into everyday processes so that insights translate directly into action, rather than living in dashboards or reports.

Drawing from experience across analytics, engineering, and system design, Paul approaches AI adoption with a strong emphasis on practicality and sustainability. He highlights the importance of building machine learning solutions that can operate reliably in production, evolve over time, and align with organisational realities rather than experimental ideals.

As a speaker, Paul shares grounded perspectives on applied AI and machine learning, focusing on lessons learned, architectural thinking, and the cultural and operational shifts required to make AI successful. His goal is to help audiences cut through hype and understand what meaningful, responsible AI impact looks like in practice.

Paul is a data and AI practitioner focused on how machine learning and intelligent automation can reshape the way organisations make decisions. His work centres on moving analytics beyond static reporting toward systems that anticipate outcomes, adap... Show more

Jon Harmeling

Jon Harmeling

Jon Harmeling is a leadership speaker, Chick-fil-A Operator, and West Point graduate who helps organizations build disciplined teams, stronger leaders, and consistent execution.

As a Chick-fil-A Operator, Jon leads high-performing teams daily in one of the most respected brands in the country. His leadership is not theoretical—it’s applied in real time through hiring, developing, and managing teams responsible for delivering consistent results under pressure.

Before business ownership, Jon served as an Army officer, leading soldiers in Afghanistan and developing leadership skills in high-stakes environments where clarity, accountability, and execution were critical.

Jon combines this real-world experience with a practical, no-fluff approach to leadership. His keynotes and training sessions focus on building culture, improving accountability, and helping teams execute at a higher level.

Organizations bring Jon in when they need to strengthen leadership, improve team performance, and create a culture of disciplined execution.

Jon Harmeling is a leadership speaker, Chick-fil-A Operator, and West Point graduate who helps organizations build disciplined teams, stronger leaders, and consistent execution. As a Chick-fil-A Operator, Jon leads high-performing teams daily in o... Show more

Chinni Krishna Abburi

Chinni Krishna Abburi

Chinni Krishna Abburi is a Business Intelligence Engineer with 6+ years of experience delivering scalable data solutions. He has led BI modernization, cloud migration, and data automation projects at enterprise scale. His work bridges the gap between data engineering and business insight, and he's actively involved in STEM mentorship and speaking engagements.

Chinni Krishna Abburi is a Business Intelligence Engineer with 6+ years of experience delivering scalable data solutions. He has led BI modernization, cloud migration, and data automation projects at enterprise scale. His work bridges the gap between... Show more

Amy Bordenave

Amy Bordenave

Amy Bordenave is the Mapping Program Specialist for the Taskar Center (TCAT) at the UW and co-chair of the OSM US Pedestrian Working Group, where she helps develop and document standards and best practices for mapping pedestrian infrastructure.

Amy Bordenave is the Mapping Program Specialist for the Taskar Center (TCAT) at the UW and co-chair of the OSM US Pedestrian Working Group, where she helps develop and document standards and best practices for mapping pedestrian infrastructure. Show more

Herbert Parente

Herbert Parente

Mestre em Comunicação pela UCB. Especialização em Gestão de TI para Administração Pública. Bacharel em Computação pela Unifor.

Gestor público desde 2010, liderando projetos de TI e IA em escala nacional no Poder Judiciário e no Executivo Federal. Pioneiro no uso de Métodos Ágeis em licitações públicas de desenvolvimento de software em 2010.

Atuando com projetos de software desde 1999 e com métodos ágeis — Scrum, Kanban e Lean — desde 2008.

Professor e palestrante sobre IA, Métodos Ágeis, Licitações e Gestão de Projetos de TI desde 2013.

Fundador da GovBridge — consultoria especializada em contratos públicos de TI. govbridge.com.br

Mestre em Comunicação pela UCB. Especialização em Gestão de TI para Administração Pública. Bacharel em Computação pela Unifor. Gestor público desde 2010, liderando projetos de TI e IA em escala nacional no Poder Judiciário e no Executivo Federal. ... Show more

Eddie Williams

Eddie Williams

Eddie James Williams III is a public sector cybersecurity executive operating in the Silicon Valley ecosystem, specializing in AI governance, enterprise risk, and security strategy. With more than 15 years of experience across healthcare, critical infrastructure, and government, he has led security and risk transformation aligned to frameworks such as NIST CSF, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, and HITRUST. A U.S. Army veteran and former HUMINT collection manager, he brings a distinctive perspective that combines behavioral risk, adversarial thinking, and enterprise control design.

Eddie James Williams III is a public sector cybersecurity executive operating in the Silicon Valley ecosystem, specializing in AI governance, enterprise risk, and security strategy. With more than 15 years of experience across healthcare, critical in... 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

Shivaram K R

Shivaram K R

Shivaram K R is an innovator, researcher, and serial entrepreneur. He focuses on the impact of emerging technologies on humanity through his key strengths: initiative, innovation and implementation. He has 20 years of hands-on experience in Artificial Intelligence. He is a domain expert in multiple emerging technologies and has built 11 tech startups to solve the world’s problems. He is currently the Co-founder and CEO of Hue Learn.

Alumni of IIT Delhi, he has 10 years of experience in algorithmic trading and quantitative research. He has built High Frequency Trading strategies and Cross Asset Investment Strategies during his tenure in Bank of America, Edelweiss and Societe Generale. He created a robotics lab to do research on AI, robotics, 3D printing, IoT and other emerging technologies. He started his entrepreneurial journey in 2014 from his lab. He uses the first principles approach to build his startups. He has built products that use AI to solve problems in the domain of commodity trading, genomics, education, drone delivery, high-frequency trading and healthcare. He has advised government bodies and the World Economic Forum on the impact of emerging technologies. He is a TEDx speaker and has spoken at various global forums such as Green Accelerator at Davos during the World Economic Forum Annual Event, COP28 on use of AI in Education.

Shivaram K R is an innovator, researcher, and serial entrepreneur. He focuses on the impact of emerging technologies on humanity through his key strengths: initiative, innovation and implementation. He has 20 years of hands-on experience in Artificia... Show more

Kenneth Fogel

Kenneth Fogel

Ken is a Java Champion and member of the java Community Process Executive Committee. He is also the organizer of the annual JChampions Conference, He retired from the classroom after 31 years teaching software development at Dawson College, 25 of those years as the chair and program coordinator of the Computer Science Technology Program. He is currently a Research Scholar in Residence at the college. His first book, Transitioning to Java, was recently published by Packt and he is hard at work on his second book. He has spoken at numerous conferences where his presentations have focused on simplicity.

Ken is a Java Champion and member of the java Community Process Executive Committee. He is also the organizer of the annual JChampions Conference, He retired from the classroom after 31 years teaching software development at Dawson College, 25 of tho... Show more

Tony Bai

Tony Bai

Tony Bai is a recognized cybersecurity leader and public sector compliance expert with over 30 years of experience across government and industry. A former United States Air Force cyber professional, he served at the Pentagon as a cybersecurity subject matter expert, helping shape Department of Defense policy and guidance for protecting sensitive information. Tony has led large scale compliance and assessment programs, including building and scaling CMMC and FedRAMP practices at one of the industry’s leading assessment firms. As a widely recognized CMMC professional, he brings a practical, assessor informed perspective on how organizations can achieve and sustain compliance. Currently serving as Chief Solutions Officer at RISCPoint Advisory Group, Tony advises organizations on CMMC, FedRAMP, and broader federal cybersecurity frameworks. Known for making complex requirements actionable, he is a frequent speaker on topics including FedRAMP and CMMC readiness, SSP development, and risk based compliance strategies.

Tony Bai is a recognized cybersecurity leader and public sector compliance expert with over 30 years of experience across government and industry. A former United States Air Force cyber professional, he served at the Pentagon as a cybersecurity subje... Show more

Elsa Ranjith

Elsa Ranjith

Elsa Ranjith champions human-centred digital transformation at Anglia Ruskin University, where she works at the intersection of learning technology, automation, and responsible AI. A passionate innovator, she founded ARU’s Elevate Maker Community to advance low-code automation and strengthen digital confidence across the institution. She also contributes to ARU’s responsible AI vision and has authored strategic proposals to help operationalise AI adoption across the university, including plans for an ARU AI Hub to coordinate AI expertise, governance, ethical oversight, and engagement.

Elsa is committed to practical, ethical innovation that improves the student and staff experience, and has delivered improvements across ARU’s learning technologies and wider digital tool ecosystem.

Elsa Ranjith champions human-centred digital transformation at Anglia Ruskin University, where she works at the intersection of learning technology, automation, and responsible AI. A passionate innovator, she founded ARU’s Elevate Maker Community to ... Show more

Dr Dillip Narayan Sahu

Dr Dillip Narayan Sahu

Dr. Dillip Narayan Sahu is a distinguished researcher, educator, inventor and international speaker in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Quantum Machine Learning. With over 13 years of academic and research experience, he has made significant contributions to the global research community through the publication of more than 80 peer-reviewed papers in reputed international journals and conferences, along with securing 30 national and international patents. He has also authored 10 international textbooks, reflecting his commitment to academic excellence and knowledge dissemination.
He is currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of MCA at Gangadhar Meher University, Sambalpur, Odisha, India. In addition, he plays an active role as IQAC Coordinator and is a member of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Cell, contributing to institutional development and research innovation initiatives.
Dr. Sahu’s research interests include Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, Hybrid Machine Learning Models, Quantum Machine Learning, and Data-Driven Intelligent Systems. His recent works focus on developing advanced predictive models for early disease detection and secure AI-driven ecosystems.
As a passionate educator and speaker, Dr. Sahu has been involved in mentoring students, guiding research scholars, and delivering lectures, workshops, and seminars at various academic platforms. His vision is to promote interdisciplinary research and foster innovation that addresses real-world societal challenges through intelligent technologies.
He is keenly interested in global academic collaborations and actively seeks opportunities to contribute as a keynote speaker, resource person, and research mentor in international conferences, workshops, and academic programs.

Dr. Dillip Narayan Sahu is a distinguished researcher, educator, inventor and international speaker in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Quantum Machine Learning. With over 13 years of academic and research experience, he has m... Show more

Mike Gifford

Mike Gifford

Mike Gifford is an open standards and practices lead at CivicActions and a thought leader on digital accessibility in the public sector. He is also a W3C Invited Expert and recognized authoring tool accessibility expert.

Previously, he was the Founder and President of OpenConcept Consulting Inc., a web development agency specializing in building open source solutions for the open web. Mike has served as a Drupal Core Accessibility Maintainer in 2012.

Mike Gifford is an open standards and practices lead at CivicActions and a thought leader on digital accessibility in the public sector. He is also a W3C Invited Expert and recognized authoring tool accessibility expert. Previously, he was the Fou... Show more

Jeff Harry

Jeff Harry

Jeff Harry combines positive psychology and play to heal workplaces, help teams build psychological safety and assist individuals in addressing their biggest challenges through embracing a play-oriented approach to work. Jeff was selected by BambooHR & Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers and has been featured in the NY Times, Mashable, Upworthy, Shondaland, & Wired. Jeff has worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day.

Jeff Harry combines positive psychology and play to heal workplaces, help teams build psychological safety and assist individuals in addressing their biggest challenges through embracing a play-oriented approach to work. Jeff was selected by BambooH... Show more

Judson Kauffman

Judson Kauffman

Judson Kauffman is a creator, an adventurer, and innovator. He started his career as a Navy SEAL and later transitioned into business, co-founding three successful companies with a combined value of over $300 million. Throughout his career, he has disrupted multiple industries and earned a reputation for thinking and acting differently. In addition to being an award-winning entrepreneur, he is an investor, personal coach, and keynote speaker. He is an expert on innovation, human potential, and personal fulfillment.

Judson Kauffman is a creator, an adventurer, and innovator. He started his career as a Navy SEAL and later transitioned into business, co-founding three successful companies with a combined value of over $300 million. Throughout his career, he has di... Show more

Sabrina Baes

Sabrina Baes

Especialista em Gestão de Pessoas, Liderança e Carreiras | Analista comportamental PI®️ | Professional OKR Coach e OKR Master | Palestrante e Escritora | Criadora de conteúdo | Host do NovoCast podcast| Meia maratonista | Esposa e mãe de 3 | Servidora publica há 16 anos e atualmente como Diretora de Planejamento e Gestão

Especialista em Gestão de Pessoas, Liderança e Carreiras | Analista comportamental PI®️ | Professional OKR Coach e OKR Master | Palestrante e Escritora | Criadora de conteúdo | Host do NovoCast podcast| Meia maratonista | Esposa e mãe de 3 | Servidor... Show more

Audrey Long

Audrey Long

Audrey Long is a Gaming Cloud Security Architect at Microsoft apart of the Microsoft Gaming Security team. With a keen eye for creating secure coding solutions and performing comprehensive security risk assessments, Audrey excels in threat modeling and evaluating security in architecture. Her expertise extends to implementing robust security practices that safeguard digital landscapes.
Passionate about making security accessible, Audrey is dedicated to empowering software engineers and inspiring girls to pursue careers in STEM. She holds a DoD secret clearance and a Master of Science degree in Cyber Security from Johns Hopkins. Additionally, Audrey is a proud ambassador for Google's Women Techmakers program, championing diversity and inclusion in tech.
As an international speaker, Audrey has shared her insights and expertise at conferences and events around the world, inspiring audiences with her knowledge and passion for cybersecurity.

Audrey Long is a Gaming Cloud Security Architect at Microsoft apart of the Microsoft Gaming Security team. With a keen eye for creating secure coding solutions and performing comprehensive security risk assessments, Audrey excels in threat modeling a... Show more

Arthur O'Connor

Arthur O'Connor

Dr. Arthur J. O’Connor is the academic director of the data science, generative AI, and information science degree programs at the CUNY School of Professional Studies, and author of the book, "Organizing for Generative AI and the Productivity Revolution" Apress Publishers, 2024. He has over 20 years of undergraduate and graduate-level teaching experience and over 20 years of experience as a senior corporate executive and IT management consultant. His background includes serving as a senior corporate officer of two Fortune 500 corporations (Loral and Continental) and, more recently, working in risk analytics and systems management roles at Reuters and Citigroup. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Journalism at Syracuse University, he earned his MBA in finance from Fordham University and his Doctorate of Professional Studies from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University.

Dr. Arthur J. O’Connor is the academic director of the data science, generative AI, and information science degree programs at the CUNY School of Professional Studies, and author of the book, "Organizing for Generative AI and the Productivity Revolut... Show more

Handz Valentin

Handz Valentin

Technical Writer y experto en la gestión de proyectos editoriales.
Miembro del staff de la Comunidad Técnica de Profesionales Microsoft. Capacitador técnico en eventos oficiales, cursos y/o diplomados enfocados a Microsoft 365, Office 2019, Microsoft Teams, Azure, Windows 10 y Windows Server. Trainer para cursos oficiales Microsoft enfocados en infraestructura. Mentoría para estudiantes de las carreras de tecnología y afines. Fundador de ValentinBook Publishing.

Technical Writer y experto en la gestión de proyectos editoriales. Miembro del staff de la Comunidad Técnica de Profesionales Microsoft. Capacitador técnico en eventos oficiales, cursos y/o diplomados enfocados a Microsoft 365, Office 2019, Microso... Show more

Caleb Roose

Caleb Roose

Caleb Roose (MDiv) is the founder and coach of Good Enough Dads (goodenoughdads.com), where he provides holistic life, career, and parenting coaching for fathers. In addition to his coaching and speaking on fatherhood, he also manages research and training at the Fuller Youth Institute and coauthors resources. Caleb lives with his wife and three young children near Pasadena, CA.

Caleb Roose (MDiv) is the founder and coach of Good Enough Dads (goodenoughdads.com), where he provides holistic life, career, and parenting coaching for fathers. In addition to his coaching and speaking on fatherhood, he also manages research and tr... Show more

Paulo Ambrozevicius

Paulo Ambrozevicius

Líder de squad, um dos pontos focais do estado no Grupo de Transformação Digital - GTD e integrante do time de gestão de portfólio na Secretaria de Gestão e Governo Digital.

Mestrando em gestão pública pela Fundação Getúlio Vargas, economista, com MBA em Liderança e Inovação também pela FGV e especialista em políticas públicas pela Universidade de São Paulo, além de ser gestor profissional de projetos certificado PMP e Scrum Master.

Líder de squad, um dos pontos focais do estado no Grupo de Transformação Digital - GTD e integrante do time de gestão de portfólio na Secretaria de Gestão e Governo Digital. Mestrando em gestão pública pela Fundação Getúlio Vargas, economista, com... Show more

Cody Barrow

Cody Barrow

Cody is a distinguished security leader with over 20 years of government and commercial experience in the US and Europe, with previous senior positions at The Pentagon and National Security Agency, Fortune 25 enterprise cybersecurity departments, and the world's leading cybersecurity product companies. He currently serves as CEO of EclecticIQ, a global threat intelligence software and services company based out of The Netherlands.

Cody is a distinguished security leader with over 20 years of government and commercial experience in the US and Europe, with previous senior positions at The Pentagon and National Security Agency, Fortune 25 enterprise cybersecurity departments, and... Show more

Connar McCasland

Connar McCasland

Connar McCasland is an instructor at the University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity. Her career spans public and private sectors, particularly excelling in cybersecurity for county and city government entities. Before her teaching career, she held a leadership role in local government, where she spearheaded a county’s cybersecurity program. There, she led and organized significant cybersecurity projects and assisted smaller government offices with their cybersecurity programs. While in this role, employees often told her that cybersecurity was “only IT’s problem” and “too difficult to understand.” Since then, she has made it her mission to show people how critical cybersecurity is in the current digital age and make it accessible and easy to understand. Before working for the Center, she worked for Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), where she traveled across the U.S. and its territories, training IT departments, emergency management, first responders, and average citizens in cybersecurity and cyber preparedness. Beyond her professional achievements, Connar actively works to empower and promote other IT and cybersecurity professionals, participating in international organizations such as ISACA and Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS). She holds a B.A.S. in Cybersecurity from Pensacola State College and an M.S. in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity with a specialization in Network Defense from Capella University. She serves on the Board of Directors for the nonprofit IT Gulf Coast and is the Social Media Coordinator for the WiCyS Florida Affiliate.

Connar McCasland is an instructor at the University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity. Her career spans public and private sectors, particularly excelling in cybersecurity for county and city government entities. Before her teaching career, sh... Show more

Susanne Iris Bauer

Susanne Iris Bauer

seit Feb 2026 Professur für Soziale Arbeit an der DHSH Kiel
2021- 2025 H³ - Projektkoordination HS Fulda
seit 2017 Lehre und Forschung Sozialwissenschaften
Systemische Organisationsentwicklerin
Doktorandin HS Fulda, M.A. Social Works

seit Feb 2026 Professur für Soziale Arbeit an der DHSH Kiel 2021- 2025 H³ - Projektkoordination HS Fulda seit 2017 Lehre und Forschung Sozialwissenschaften Systemische Organisationsentwicklerin Doktorandin HS Fulda, M.A. Social Works Show more

Inshan Meahjohn

Inshan Meahjohn

Dr. Inshan Meahjohn is a Founder, Author, and Researcher working at the intersection of digital transformation, AI governance, and cybersecurity strategy. Based in Trinidad and Tobago, he supports governments and mission-driven organisations as they modernise responsibly, turning complex technology decisions into durable, real-world outcomes.

Drawing on PhD research in entrepreneurship and hands-on advisory experience across small island developing states, Inshan helps leaders build resilient digital ecosystems through human-centred leadership and evidence-based policy. His work connects governance, risk, and capability-building so emerging economies can adopt AI and secure digital services with clarity, accountability, and long-term confidence.

Dr. Inshan Meahjohn is a Founder, Author, and Researcher working at the intersection of digital transformation, AI governance, and cybersecurity strategy. Based in Trinidad and Tobago, he supports governments and mission-driven organisations as they ... Show more

Katrina Johnson

Katrina Johnson

Katrina R. Johnson, EMBA
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Horizon Outreach

Katrina R. Johnson, EMBA, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Outreach, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2010 with the mission: “Giving Everyone A New Start.” Horizon Outreach provides employment, workforce development, reentry services, housing assistance, and fatherhood/parenting education to strengthen families and support economic mobility.

Ms. Johnson is a United States Air Force Veteran and a 2008 Executive MBA graduate of Auburn University. She has over 35 years of combined corporate and nonprofit experience, including overseeing $320 million in corporate finance portfolios and leading high-quality fatherhood programming. She is a sought-after keynote speaker for college commencement ceremonies and local graduations throughout the Houston region, delivering motivational messages that inspire future leaders.

Ms. Johnson has over 35 years of combined corporate and nonprofit experience, overseeing $320 million in corporate accounts and leading high-quality fatherhood programming. Under her leadership, Horizon Outreach has secured and successfully managed more than $15 million in federal and private funding, serving over 12,500 families and individuals, including more than 9,000 fathers and 3,500 veterans. She has also been sought out by federal grantors to provide technical assistance to other grantees to strengthen workforce development programming.

Horizon Outreach provides reentry services and workforce development support to fathers throughout the Houston area. Horizon Outreach provides fathers in Houston, Texas with a “New Start” through fatherhood education, workforce training, and industry-recognized credentials—including Forklift, Flagger, Commercial Truck Driving, and TWIC—supporting sustainable employment and strengthening long-term family stability.

Horizon Outreach has been recognized for reducing recidivism among reentry fathers, reducing homelessness among veteran families, and increasing access to permanent affordable housing for vulnerable populations. Accolades include a Congressional Certificate of Recognition, two City of Houston designations (Horizon Eagle Day & Horizon Outreach Day), and Mayoral recognition for reducing veteran homelessness. Nationally, Horizon Outreach received the “Earkle Award” for Elevated Session Attendance.

Ms. Johnson has also served as Team Captain for Houston’s Annual Homeless Count, supervising over 500 volunteers to identify and provide resource access to homeless veterans, families, and children. She enjoys serving others, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Katrina R. Johnson, EMBA Founder & Chief Executive Officer Horizon Outreach Katrina R. Johnson, EMBA, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Outreach, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2010 with the mission: “Giving Everyone A... Show more

Samuel Rangel

Samuel Rangel

Meet Samuel Rangel

Samuel Rangel, a proud Merced, California native, is a devoted husband, father of seven, and grandfather of eight. He currently serves with the Merced County Human Services Agency’s All Dad’s Matter Program, where he empowers fathers and families through support, education, and advocacy.

With over two decades of service, Samuel has established himself as a licensed substance abuse counselor, Certified Lactation Education Counselor, author, court-appointed gang culture expert, motivational speaker, and community advocate. He is also the co-founder of two nonprofit organizations—Mentoring Odd Jobs Organization (MOJO) and Distinguished Outreach Services—both of which are dedicated to improving the quality of life for Merced County residents with a strong emphasis on youth engagement, prevention, and fatherhood initiatives.

Samuel’s work extends beyond titles. He is widely recognized for his ability to connect with people from all walks of life, often using his own experiences to inspire others. Having overcome personal challenges, he understands the struggles many in his community face today. His story of resilience fuels his mission: to help individuals break cycles of hardship and to create pathways toward healthier families and stronger communities.

Outside of his professional and nonprofit leadership, Samuel has lived a dynamic and inspiring life. He is a former MMA coach and fighter, a recording artist with seven albums, and a five-time competitive BBQ rib champion. Each of these pursuits reflects his belief in discipline, creativity, and the importance of pursuing one’s passions fully.

His passion and dedication have earned him numerous accolades, including Safeway’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, recognition as Hispanic Man of the Year by the Merced County Hispanic Chamber, and formal accommodations from both the California State Assembly and the United States House of Representatives. These honors reflect not only his personal achievements but also the profound impact he continues to make on families, youth, and the broader community.

Looking ahead, Samuel remains committed to expanding his work in advocacy, mentorship, and fatherhood education. His vision is to see every father equipped with the tools to lead with love, responsibility, and purpose—because stronger fathers create stronger families, and stronger families build stronger communities.

Samuel often shares this guiding belief:

“You can spend a lifetime looking for your purpose, but when you find your passion, you begin to live.”

Meet Samuel Rangel Samuel Rangel, a proud Merced, California native, is a devoted husband, father of seven, and grandfather of eight. He currently serves with the Merced County Human Services Agency’s All Dad’s Matter Program, where he empowers fa... Show more

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