Jérôme is a professional coach, agile coach, facilitator and trainer.
For 19 years, he has been one of the pioneers who have develop an agile culture within Lectra teams. He is now in charge of a team of internal coaches that he created and who support his company in its many changes.
Passionate about human dynamics, he has developed over the years an expertise in the fields of agility, change management and the management of teams and organizations.
Active member of the Agile community and of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council France, he likes to share his experience and his convictions through conferences and training.

Jérôme is a professional coach, agile coach, facilitator and trainer. For 19 years, he has been one of the pioneers who have develop an agile culture within Lectra teams. He is now in charge of a team of internal coaches that he created and who supp... Show more

Since 1999 in IT – Practical – Simplifier – #BulletPointFree Public Speaker - Microsoft Certified Trainer - Likes sharing knowledge – Projects and changes only – Has also a technical focus – Acts as bridge between business and technology – Founded DerkIT in 2017 - Guides complex decisions and reduces them to the essence – Believes that humor, clarity, and simplicity are most important.

Since 1999 in IT – Practical – Simplifier – #BulletPointFree Public Speaker - Microsoft Certified Trainer - Likes sharing knowledge – Projects and changes only – Has also a technical focus – Acts as bridge between business and technology – Founded ... Show more

Alyssa is an Senior Developer Advocate for Progress and a Google Developer Expert for Angular. She has spoken at over 50 conferences locally and internationally. She is the host of the Angular Air podcast and emcees ng-conf as well as Monorepo World. She enjoys gaming, scuba diving, and has a little one that fondly goes by "Mr. Milks".

Alyssa is an Senior Developer Advocate for Progress and a Google Developer Expert for Angular. She has spoken at over 50 conferences locally and internationally. She is the host of the Angular Air podcast and emcees ng-conf as well as Monorepo World.... Show more

Mauro Bennici is active in the R&D area of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Natural Language Generation (NLG). He is a Data Scientist, Professional Scrum Master (PSM), Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), and .NET foundation member. Member of the SME Focus Group on Ethics and Artificial Intelligence, European Community.

Mauro Bennici is active in the R&D area of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Natural Language Generation (NLG). He is a Data Scientist, Professional Scrum Master (PSM), Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), and .NET foundation member. Member of the ... Show more

It's never easy to describe oneself, especially when one is interested in so many different topics and fields and I guess that says something about who I am afterall. I find it fun and entertaining to teach difficult subjects through exotic methods and stories and people seem to also have fun while I do so.

I believe in the union between science and human values (read fun) and I often work and participate in non-profit organization and projects which aim to bring culture and scientific knowledge.

It's never easy to describe oneself, especially when one is interested in so many different topics and fields and I guess that says something about who I am afterall. I find it fun and entertaining to teach difficult subjects through exotic methods a... Show more

Brad Nelson is the author of I Think, Therefore I Know: Scientific Thinking for Unscientific Organizations, co-host of The Agile for Agilists podcast, and organizer of Agile Detroit. His career has taken him from assembly lines in West Michigan to Fortune 500 technology companies on the West Coast. His writing and speaking offer practical lessons on building organizations that learn, adapt, and create value. He is based in Metro Detroit.

Brad Nelson is the author of I Think, Therefore I Know: Scientific Thinking for Unscientific Organizations, co-host of The Agile for Agilists podcast, and organizer of Agile Detroit. His career has taken him from assembly lines in West Michigan to Fo... Show more

Sharon Steed is a keynote speaker, author and person who stutters. Drawing on her own experience as a stutterer, Sharon brings a uniquely personal lens to the practice of empathetic leadership. She shows that vulnerability isn't a weakness to overcome but a skill that builds trust, loyalty, and stronger teams.

Sharon has spoken on stages in 20 countries spanning five continents. She’s helped organizations like Google, Microsoft, Booking.com, Northwestern Mutual and dozens of others improve performance, retain top talent and be better communicators by teaching them how to be actively empathetic.

She is the author of "Leading with Empathy For Dummies" as well as several courses on LinkedIn Learning. Her most popular course, "Communicating with Empathy" has been translated into a dozen languages and has surpassed one million views. She has given a TEDx talk on empowering insecurities, and she’s the author of the O’Reilly Media, Inc. eBook "Empathy at Work."

Sharon Steed is a keynote speaker, author and person who stutters. Drawing on her own experience as a stutterer, Sharon brings a uniquely personal lens to the practice of empathetic leadership. She shows that vulnerability isn't a weakness to overcom... Show more

Chris Honda stumbled into security after trying a dozen different career paths. He specializes in building Security/GRC programs from scratch, strives to give back as much and as often as he can, and is your biggest fan & cheerleader.

Chris Honda stumbled into security after trying a dozen different career paths. He specializes in building Security/GRC programs from scratch, strives to give back as much and as often as he can, and is your biggest fan & cheerleader. Show more

Results - driven Cybersecurity Engineer with diverse experience across Healthcare, Banking, Public, and Telecom sectors, cross-functional project guidance and stakeholder support, security architecture strategy, application/ agentic AI security, predictive analytics, and enterprise risk management. Adept at designing and implementing scalable solutions, driving automation, and delivering quantifiable value and innovation.

Results - driven Cybersecurity Engineer with diverse experience across Healthcare, Banking, Public, and Telecom sectors, cross-functional project guidance and stakeholder support, security architecture strategy, application/ agentic AI security, pred... Show more

Inge Amdal Halvorsen is a developer, historian, philosopher, teacher, and storyteller. With a genuine interest in quirky and esoteric knowledge, and a penchant for diving into rabbit holes, he is a fountain of footnotes and fun facts. With a blend of mythology, code, and curious observations, his talks are certain to make audiences laugh, think, and occasionally question reality.

Inge Amdal Halvorsen is a developer, historian, philosopher, teacher, and storyteller. With a genuine interest in quirky and esoteric knowledge, and a penchant for diving into rabbit holes, he is a fountain of footnotes and fun facts. With a blend of... Show more

Trond is an IT architect and sociotechnical systems practitioner at Capra Consulting, where he helps organisations design themselves for a turbulent world. Drawing on decades of research in open systems theory, he bridges domain-driven design, event-driven architecture, and human-centred organisation design. His mantra: great solutions emerge from collaborative sensemaking and design.

Trond is an IT architect and sociotechnical systems practitioner at Capra Consulting, where he helps organisations design themselves for a turbulent world. Drawing on decades of research in open systems theory, he bridges domain-driven design, event-... Show more

Mable Barbara Amuron is a researcher examining the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital culture, and society, with a focus on misinformation and disinformation. Drawing on her editorial and literary background, she investigates how AI systems shape the creation and perception of information online. Her work explores the risks of AI-driven mis/disinformation, such as deepfakes, automated content, and
algorithmic amplification, and their effects on public trust and democracy. Through interdisciplinary research, Mable analyses the ethical, social, and technical dimensions of emerging technologies while advocating for transparency, accountability, and equitable access to information. Her expertise spans
misinformation studies, election analyses, AI and society, and research communication, combining critical analysis with ethical storytelling to promote informed and resilient communities.

Mable Barbara Amuron is a researcher examining the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital culture, and society, with a focus on misinformation and disinformation. Drawing on her editorial and literary background, she investigates how AI sys... Show more

Chad Gerber is a 10x platinum and gold-selling artist, inventor, and founder of ShadowGen and Meloscene.

As an artist, producer, and composer, Gerber has worked on projects across music, film, television, and interactive media. His background in sound and technology has also played a major role in the systems he builds today.

Gerber is the founder of ShadowGen, where he is developing communication technology designed to keep voice working in extremely low-bandwidth and unreliable network environments. The technology has been tested outside the lab in real-world field conditions, including environments where conventional voice communication becomes impractical.

He is also the founder of Meloscene, an immersive collaboration platform that gives artists and creators a shared virtual space to work together remotely.

Gerber continues to work across music, immersive technology, AI, and communication systems. His talks focus on what he has actually built and learned along the way, from creative technology and immersive environments to the challenges of building communication systems that have to work when networks don't.

He has presented his work in Washington, D.C. and internationally, and has appeared on the BBC and other media.

Chad Gerber is a 10x platinum and gold-selling artist, inventor, and founder of ShadowGen and Meloscene. As an artist, producer, and composer, Gerber has worked on projects across music, film, television, and interactive media. His background in s... Show more

Marcus Udokang is a Senior Business Analyst, Consultant, Writer, and Speaker with 20 years of experience leading enterprise transformation, digital delivery, and process optimization across the energy, fintech, SaaS, and enterprise technology sectors. He is Managing Partner at BA Blocks, and helps clients drive enterprise transformation across ERP, SaaS, CRM, and integration projects. His work spans SAP transformations, large-scale CRM modernization, global fintech payment operations, and enterprise workforce onboarding redesign, consistently translating business strategy into practical solutions that reduce risk, cut support costs, and improve operational efficiency.

Marcus also hosts The Inquisitive Analyst podcast where he explores the changing role of business analysis and industry leadership, exploring trends, challenges, and best practices through conversations with global practitioners.

Marcus is co-compiler and co-author of The Evolving Analyst, a collection of 45 articles from BA professionals across 19 countries exploring how business analysts are fueling transformation with practical insights and proven strategies. He co-organized BA Unplugged 2025 Virtual Conference, for the global business analysis community. Marcus holds an MBA in Information Technology.

Marcus Udokang is a Senior Business Analyst, Consultant, Writer, and Speaker with 20 years of experience leading enterprise transformation, digital delivery, and process optimization across the energy, fintech, SaaS, and enterprise technology sectors... Show more

Evelien works at the intersection of two urgent challenges in tech: helping Agile teams integrate AI responsibly, and equipping product teams to detect and address gender bias in the systems they build.

She is a Professional Knowledge Sharer at Xebia Academy, Scrum.org PST, and certified Training from the Back of the Room Trainer with 15+ years coaching and training teams at organizations like Rabobank, Philips, Essent, and Unilever. She designs learning experiences that are practical, hands-on, and grounded in what teams actually face.

Evelien co-created the Road2Mastery, wrote the Scrum Master Playbook, and organizes Women in Agile Europe. She is currently writing a book on gender bias in AI.

Evelien works at the intersection of two urgent challenges in tech: helping Agile teams integrate AI responsibly, and equipping product teams to detect and address gender bias in the systems they build. She is a Professional Knowledge Sharer at Xe... Show more

Dr. E Veal builds employee, customer, and external community infrastructure at the intersection of AI and human connection. She designed a community maturity model, The Augmented Community Model, that shows organizations how to build scalable community-building programs while leveraging AI to strengthen human connection at work — not replace it.

Her doctoral research examines how small and medium-sized enterprises strategically navigate institutional pressures as they adopt responsible AI, revealing the practitioner-level judgment calls that formal governance frameworks often overlook. She brings that same practitioner lens to her own work, growing an employee resource group program while testing how AI can absorb the operational grind of community work without hollowing out its human core.

Dr. Veal speaks and writes on building scalable community infrastructure, protecting authentic connections in AI-accelerated workplaces, and demonstrating the business value of community work.

Dr. E Veal builds employee, customer, and external community infrastructure at the intersection of AI and human connection. She designed a community maturity model, The Augmented Community Model, that shows organizations how to build scalable communi... Show more

Nicole N. Kaufman, MA, LCMHC, is a licensed mental health counselor, entrepreneur, author, and speaker specializing in resilience, high performance, relationships, and meaningful change. Founder of High Performance Counseling, Nicole translates psychology into practical strategies that help ambitious people navigate change, challenge old patterns, and build healthier, more sustainable success.

Nicole N. Kaufman, MA, LCMHC, is a licensed mental health counselor, entrepreneur, author, and speaker specializing in resilience, high performance, relationships, and meaningful change. Founder of High Performance Counseling, Nicole translates psych... Show more

With 11 years' experience managing complex collaborative projects, including 6 as Product Manager, I know that any project can turn into a Tower of Babel...
I also know that I don't know anything, even though I can forget this fact from time to time :)

So let's hear each other out, let's communicate and together we just might end up creating a cool product!

I enjoy giving talks inspired directly from my experiences. I hope you will enjoy hearing about my successes, and failures!

With 11 years' experience managing complex collaborative projects, including 6 as Product Manager, I know that any project can turn into a Tower of Babel... I also know that I don't know anything, even though I can forget this fact from time to tim... Show more

Community lover and Ambassador of enthusiasm. In 2017 I began my journey within tech communities, becoming an active organizer of various communities such as Google Developers Group Turin and Trento, ngRome, Flutter EXP, Italian Community Managers Summmit and DInA Tech Hub. 

From a passion, community management has become my full-time job with GrUSP since 2020 in which I have organized around fifteen events a year on various programming languages ​​and coordinating the activities of 12 PUG communities at a national level.

I am currently Community Program Manager Europe in Codemotion and in my free time lead in GDG Bari, WTM Ambassador, lead of the TEDxCuneo partnership team and tourism councilor of the municipality of Cissone.

I love the world of conferences and public speaking, I always try to make everything I have learned in my journey available at the events in which I participate.

Diversity, community, growth and sharing are the values ​​on which I base my projects which I always carry forward with great enthusiasm and energy.

Here are more info about me: https://bit.ly/pantarei-mb

Community lover and Ambassador of enthusiasm. In 2017 I began my journey within tech communities, becoming an active organizer of various communities such as Google Developers Group Turin and Trento, ngRome, Flutter EXP, Italian Community Managers Su... Show more

For the past 15 years, I have been an integral part of many successful organizations due to my experience and dedication. My coaching and consulting has allowed clients to achieve excellence as well as exceed their goals. It has been a privilege to be associated with such great achievements.

My Human Centered based methods have been proven to be successful, having been applied in a variety of projects with resounding results. My approach is comprehensive, taking into consideration all contributing factors to obtain the desired outcomes for clients that provide real value.

I'm passionate about empowering individuals and systems to identify and tackle the obstacles they face on their journey to success. Building trust within their systems through means of inspection, experimentation, and adaption we revise collaboration, & communication. I'm committed to helping my clients achieve long-term results. My ultimate goal is to support them in C.E.C. so that they can make lasting progress in life.

Collaboration is critical for the success of any solution. Working with a diverse group of people helps produce more effective results, and that's why I always strive to create an atmosphere where such collaboration can take place. By leveraging the skillsets of different individuals, we can develop high-quality solutions in a timely manner.

Experimentation is an invaluable tool in finding suitable solutions. To approach a problem in an effective manner, it's important to look beyond the traditional methods and explore something new. This might include using different techniques or tools to test out potential ideas and uncover the best solution. Experimentation gives us a chance to discover and try something that could potentially be groundbreaking, so it shouldn't be overlooked when dealing with complex problems.

Trust is essential for any team or organization to be successful. This confidence is established through effective communication and how information is shared. It's important to understand the power of these interactions, as they can create a feeling of reliability that allows everyone in the group to collaborate confidently.

The challenge organization’s face today is how to sustainably provide for the needs of growth while simultaneously protecting what has been built. A balanced approach is needed, one that combines sustainability with modern innovations. We must build a foundation for future prosperity that takes into account the needs of the organization, individual and the consumer.

For the past 15 years, I have been an integral part of many successful organizations due to my experience and dedication. My coaching and consulting has allowed clients to achieve excellence as well as exceed their goals. It has been a privilege to b... Show more

Elena is a highly-rated professional speaker with 20+ years of experience as a leadership coach, group facilitator and collegiate faculty member. Elena works with groups, individuals, and organizations to amplify their authenticity and empower them to become effective leaders. Elena is the President of and Lead Consultant with Marquetti Consulting.

Elena is a highly-rated professional speaker with 20+ years of experience as a leadership coach, group facilitator and collegiate faculty member. Elena works with groups, individuals, and organizations to amplify their authenticity and empower them t... Show more

Winner of three AI awards, I’ve been working in AI and machine learning for 25 years, designing and developing AI and computer graphic algorithms.

I’m very passionate about AI, focusing on Audio, Image and Natural Language Processing, and predictive analysis as well.
I received several national and international awards that recognize my work and contributions in these areas.

Microsoft MVP for Artificial Intelligence Category, I have the pleasure of being a guest speaker in national and international events.

Winner of three AI awards, I’ve been working in AI and machine learning for 25 years, designing and developing AI and computer graphic algorithms. I’m very passionate about AI, focusing on Audio, Image and Natural Language Processing, and predicti... Show more

Phil Stafford is a cybersecurity expert and AI safety strategist working at the shifting boundary between human intention and machine autonomy. With over 20 years of experience across IT, cybersecurity, and AI, his work blends defensive security, cutting-edge research, and emerging policy, driven by a central question: how do we build intelligent systems that extend our humanity rather than replace it?

Phil holds a M.Sc. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, along with expert-level certifications including CloudNetX, Pentest+, and Cysa+. He collaborates with researchers and practitioners through the Simply Cyber community and the Multiverse School, working to shape the ethical scaffolding around next-generation AI.

Outside the realm of security, Phil is a classically trained musician and multidisciplinary artist exploring what it means to make human art in a post-AI world.

Phil Stafford is a cybersecurity expert and AI safety strategist working at the shifting boundary between human intention and machine autonomy. With over 20 years of experience across IT, cybersecurity, and AI, his work blends defensive security, cut... Show more

Richard Essangabasi is a Speaker, Entrepreneur and Business Developer from Nigeria. With years of experience in entrepreneurship, marketing, media & entertainment, business development & sales, he builds businesses that solve real problems and helps other entrepreneurs do the same.

He has worked with global brands like Google, Ethereum, Base, Cowrywise, and more. He is the Co-Founder/CEO of Shard Network, a satellite-powered campus ISP with notable products like Soko, a campus marketplace for students to buy, sell & connect globally without boundaries, he is also the Founder of Campus Pitch Africa, Africa's biggest campus pitch show, and Convener of International Christian Leaders & Entrepreneurs Conference (iCLEC). Beyond these, he is building a conglomerate of ventures across fashion, media, finance, real estate and hospitality.

Beyond building, he runs webinars, mentors founders 1-on-1, and consults for African SMEs. His work is driven by one purpose, to build the next generation of wealthmakers for the kingdom of God. Therefore ensuring that all men become Apostles in the Marketplace, building, growing and financing the kingdom.

Richard Essangabasi is a Speaker, Entrepreneur and Business Developer from Nigeria. With years of experience in entrepreneurship, marketing, media & entertainment, business development & sales, he builds businesses that solve real problems and helps ... Show more

Software engineer with 10+ years under his belt. At Chattermill, he turns AI research into real-world products. A fan of diving deep into black boxes, he has unusual hobby of writing regular expressions by hand and arguing about their speed. When he’s not coding, he shares knowledge as a university instructor, speaker, and meetup organiser.

Bookworm, hiker, history nerd - ask him about Napoleon!

Software engineer with 10+ years under his belt. At Chattermill, he turns AI research into real-world products. A fan of diving deep into black boxes, he has unusual hobby of writing regular expressions by hand and arguing about their speed. When he’... Show more

Steve Pereira has spent over two decades improving the flow of work across organizations. He’s worked through tech support, IT management, build and release engineering, and as a founding CTO for enterprise SaaS. After shifting to consulting large enterprises on value stream performance improvement, he created Flow Engineering to make value stream mapping simple, quick, and actionable. He serves as lead consultant for Visible Flow Consulting, as a board advisor to the Value Stream Management Consortium, Chair of the OASIS Value Stream Management Interoperability technical committee, and co-founder of the Flow Collective to bring flow-focused professionals together.

Learn more about his work at https://visible.is

Steve Pereira has spent over two decades improving the flow of work across organizations. He’s worked through tech support, IT management, build and release engineering, and as a founding CTO for enterprise SaaS. After shifting to consulting large en... Show more

Futurist | Founder | Educator | Speaker | Author

Jeremy Treadwell is a visionary entrepreneur and futurist from Chicago, IL, living in Maryland, minutes from our national capital, Washington, D.C. With a passion for guiding individuals and businesses toward their desired futures, Jeremy has earned the moniker “Vision Capitalist.”

As the founder and owner of Treadwell Agency, a highly respected consulting firm, Jeremy has been instrumental in helping countless individuals and businesses define their visions, gain clarity, and pave the way toward success. Jeremy has empowered clients to reach their full potential and navigate the complexities of the ever-evolving business landscape through innovative strategies and keen Foresight.

Beyond his consulting endeavors, Jeremy shares his wealth of knowledge and expertise as an esteemed adjunct professor at Bradley University, where he imparts his wisdom in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and User Experience Strategy. His dedication to education and commitment to nurturing the next generation of visionaries showcase his leadership inside and outside the classroom.

A true believer in the power of Foresight, Jeremy has earned recognition as a certified Futurist through the esteemed Institute of the Future. As a sought-after speaker, he captivates audiences with engaging talks on Cybersecurity, Strategic Futures, and User Behavior, leaving a lasting impact on individuals and organizations alike.

Constantly embracing new challenges, Jeremy is working on his upcoming book, delving deep into the realm of Foresight. With his unique insights and innovative thinking, he aims to inspire others to harness the power of Foresight to achieve greatness.

In addition to his professional achievements, Jeremy is known for his strong sense of community and commitment to helping others. His philanthropic endeavors have left an indelible mark on those fortunate to cross paths with him.

As a visionary thought leader, Jeremy’s relentless pursuit of excellence and unwavering dedication to empowering others sets him apart as a true trailblazer in the business world. Jeremy continues to shape a brighter future for individuals, businesses, and society through his visionary approach and compassionate spirit.

Futurist | Founder | Educator | Speaker | Author Jeremy Treadwell is a visionary entrepreneur and futurist from Chicago, IL, living in Maryland, minutes from our national capital, Washington, D.C. With a passion for guiding individuals and busines... Show more

Two generations of law students at the University of Kansas knew Suzanne Valdez as the professor who taught them Professional Responsibility and Prosecutorial Ethics. Kansas lawyers know her as a special prosecutor, a judge pro tem, and the district attorney who led Douglas County from 2021 to 2025. The Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, one of four federally recognized tribes in the state, knows her as its Attorney General. Nearly three decades of public service, legal education, and courtroom practice have produced all of those descriptions, and a single conviction sits beneath them: the legal system works best when it accounts for the people inside it.

Her academic career began in 1999, when she joined the University of Kansas School of Law, and lasted through 2021, more than twenty years as a Clinical Professor of Law. Her teaching load included State Court Practice along with the ethics courses, and she ran workshops in deposition skills and expert witness examination. Administratively she directed the Criminal Prosecution Field Placement Program, the Externship Clinic, and the LL.M. program in Elder Law, while students at the Douglas County Legal Aid Society practiced under her supervision. Recognition followed: the Connell Teaching Professorship in 2019, two Immel Awards for Teaching Excellence, and the presidency of the KU University Senate in 2019 and 2020.

The scholarship matched the syllabus. Suzanne Valdez and Professor R. Michael Cassidy co-authored the third edition of Prosecutorial Ethics, published by West Publishing in the American Casebook Series. University of California Press published Fighting Mad: Resisting the End of Roe v. Wade in 2024 with a chapter of hers in it. Her law review and bar journal writing includes a policy paper on low-level, non-violent female drug offenders in Kansas, and she compiled Practice in Kansas, a course text that covers civil procedure, landlord-tenant law, consumer protection, and family law. Roughly 100 professional presentations sit alongside the publications, and a new book drawn from her years in prosecution is in progress.

One faculty role pointed toward everything that came later. From 2015 until her departure in 2021, Valdez was the law school's ombudsperson, mediating conflict among faculty, students, and staff. The assignment convinced her that alternatives to litigation deserve a larger place in the justice system, particularly in how that system responds to non-violent crime.

Practice never stopped during the academic years. She had started at Kansas Legal Services in 1996, representing low-income clients in Kansas City, Kansas, across civil and criminal matters and in federal disability and housing litigation. She served twice as a special prosecutor in the Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office, from 2005 to 2008 and from 2017 to 2020, handling high-level felony conflict of interest cases. In 2008 she took the bench as a pro tem district judge in Douglas County, presiding over the juvenile offender, post-decree family law, and criminal first appearance dockets. Her Of Counsel position at Smith Legal, LLC, ran from 2009 through 2021 and involved civil matters in Kansas state court for private and pro bono clients.

She gave the state a great deal of unpaid time as well. Suzanne Valdez chaired the Kansas Crime Victims Compensation Board for eight years, overseeing a compensation fund that averaged roughly $3 million annually for survivors of violent crime. Two Kansas Attorneys General nominated her to the chairmanship, and three times the Kansas Senate confirmed her unanimously. She chaired the Kansas Continuing Legal Education Commission, sat on the Kansas Judicial Council's Family Law Advisory Committee and the Kansas Supreme Court's Access to Justice Committee, and served on American Bar Association law school accreditation teams.

Then came the elected office. As District Attorney for Douglas County, Kansas, from 2021 to 2025, she was the chief law enforcement officer for roughly 125,000 residents, with an office of about 50 employees and a budget of approximately $2 million. She directed those limited resources toward violent crime, including sexual assault of children and adults, intimate partner violence, and gun offenses. With fentanyl deaths climbing across Kansas, she prosecuted those who distributed it, a priority shaped by loss. A fentanyl poisoning death in 2019 had taken her brother, Christopher Valdez, a U.S. Army veteran. She helped secure $1 million in funding to establish a Veterans Treatment Court in Douglas County, working alongside retired Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, and she supported alternatives to incarceration, community outreach and crime prevention, and services for victims of crime.

Restorative justice became her full-time work next. From May 2025 to May 2026 she was a restorative justice mediator, facilitator, and trainer at the Center for Conflict Resolution in Kansas City, Missouri. The role had her mediating interpersonal conflict, facilitating community accountability boards and victim offender dialogues, and co-leading the organization's conflict resolution trainings. She served as its People and Culture Administrator too, handling internal staff matters through the same restorative lens. At the heart of the discipline is one observation, that harmed people harm people, and a method built on dignity, acknowledgment, and accountability as the route to restoring everyone involved in a conflict. Its roots lie in the practices of indigenous tribes before colonization, which links it directly to the Indian law work she does today.

As Attorney General, Suzanne Valdez represents the Kickapoo Tribe as a sovereign nation. The Tribe's economic development plan takes much of her current attention, and she keeps sovereignty and self-determination at the forefront of every agreement. She has also established Suzanne Valdez, LLC, Restorative Justice Law and Mediation, a Kansas practice she is building as she continues her commitment to Indian law.

Her community record is long. Her board service includes Douglas County CASA and the Douglas County Child Advocacy Center, which serves children who have been abused or neglected. She has volunteered with LINK, the Lawrence interdenominational nutrition kitchen, led a unit at Hidden Valley Girl Scout Camp, worked with Mentoring4Success in support of women returning to their communities after incarceration, and served as an admissions field representative for the United States Military Academy at West Point. Volunteering during her year in Kansas City included support for transgender women in the Missouri Department of Corrections and on probation and parole. March 2024 brought a Certificate of Appreciation in Recognition of Women's History Month from the Lawrence Army Recruiting Station, given after she directed her office to clear outstanding tickets and petty misdemeanors for Army recruits so they could report to basic training.

She earned her J.D. at the University of Kansas School of Law in 1996, serving on the Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy and receiving the Walter Hiersteiner Outstanding Service Award. Her B.S. in business administration, awarded with Highest Distinction, is from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Kansas and Missouri both license her, and she is admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.

She lives in Lawrence, Kansas, where family is the center of her life, from her parents to her grown children and the wider circle she has helped raise. Marathons are in the past, but she still runs. She reads historical fiction, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic, and she follows Jayhawk sports closely.

Two generations of law students at the University of Kansas knew Suzanne Valdez as the professor who taught them Professional Responsibility and Prosecutorial Ethics. Kansas lawyers know her as a special prosecutor, a judge pro tem, and the district ... Show more

Hey, I’m Tejas. I’m technically a “computer engineer,” but I think of myself as a designer. Most of what I make lies somewhere between music, visuals and play. I've built systems where a MIDI keyboard can turn into a live visual performance. I use tech to make art (not AI art) that lets people express themselves in ways they normally wouldn’t. I love it when art & music make put people in their feels. Some of my projects include, creatively directing a music album & staying in the forest for 8 days to use my skills to help the environment :D

Hey, I’m Tejas. I’m technically a “computer engineer,” but I think of myself as a designer. Most of what I make lies somewhere between music, visuals and play. I've built systems where a MIDI keyboard can turn into a live visual performance. I use te... Show more

Marline Paul, a seasoned educator and entrepreneur, empowers startups and military spouses through her company, Enilram Creative Solutions. With over 17 years in education and a passion for uplifting entrepreneurs, Marline offers strategic guidance and training. As a proud graduate of Florida International University and St. Thomas University, and a devoted mother and military spouse, Marline transitioned from teaching to entrepreneurship. Her hands-on approach and dedication to improving lives set her apart. Marline is also the founder of Rose of Alpha Omega, Inc., a nonprofit supporting women's leadership and well-being.

Marline Paul, a seasoned educator and entrepreneur, empowers startups and military spouses through her company, Enilram Creative Solutions. With over 17 years in education and a passion for uplifting entrepreneurs, Marline offers strategic guidance a... Show more