Humanities & Social Sciences

Esteemed speakers contributing their insights into human culture, behavior, and societal development

Angelika Neudecker

Angelika Neudecker

Angelika ist Geografin, Ethikerin und ausgebildete Therapeutin. Ihr Ziel ist es, das Konzept einer transformativen Bildung voranzubringen und FUTURES LITERACY zu fördern. Darüber hinaus arbeitet sie an dem Future Skill COSMOPOLITERACY, das sie aus der Geografie heraus entwickelt hat.
Weitere Schwerpunkte sind Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung | KI-Anwendungen im Unterricht | Digitale Exkursionen (eKursionen).

Angelika is a geographer, an ethicist and a qualified therapist. Her aim is to advance the concept of transformative education and to promote FUTURES LITERACY. In addition, she is working on the future skill COSMOPOLITERACY, which she has developed from a geographical perspective.
Other key areas of focus include education for sustainable development | AI applications in the classroom | digital excursions (eCursions).

Angelika ist Geografin, Ethikerin und ausgebildete Therapeutin. Ihr Ziel ist es, das Konzept einer transformativen Bildung voranzubringen und FUTURES LITERACY zu fördern. Darüber hinaus arbeitet sie an dem Future Skill COSMOPOLITERACY, das sie aus de... Show more

Oluwaseyi Oluwawumiju

Oluwaseyi Oluwawumiju

Oluwaseyi Oluwawumiju
Oluwaseyi Oluwawumiju is a dynamic Technical Consultant, Public Speaker, and Author, affiliated with Covenant Technologies, a Microsoft Certified Partner based in Lagos, Nigeria. With over 25 years of professional experience, he is recognized as a leader in the IT industry, specializing in Microsoft infrastructure, data, and artificial intelligence solutions.

Oluwaseyi is a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), a Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in Office Services & Apps, and the MCT Regional Lead for Nigeria. He also serves as the Manager of Data & AI at Wragby Solutions & Technologies Limited, where he drives cutting-edge innovations in AI, data analytics, and cloud technologies. As a Fellow of the Institute of Information Management Africa (FIIM Africa), he holds one of the highest honors for excellence in data and information management.

At Covenant Technologies, Oluwaseyi plays a pivotal role as a senior consulting partner, helping organizations maximize the value of their Microsoft technologies, including Azure, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and AI-powered solutions. His expertise extends beyond technical implementations, focusing on empowering businesses to leverage IT for strategic growth.

Prior to joining Covenant Technologies, Oluwaseyi was a Senior Technical Consultant and Support Manager at 1st Intellit Solution, where he led outsourcing teams and spearheaded the development of innovative client systems.

Driven by his passion for IT evolution in Africa, Oluwaseyi is a prominent advocate for cloud technologies and modern workplace solutions across West, East, and Central Africa (WECA). His campaigns for adopting tools like SharePoint, Yammer, Office 365, Azure, and Microsoft Teams have significantly influenced medium and large organizations. The growing response from the Nigerian market and beyond highlights the transformative impact of his efforts in fostering a modern IT ecosystem across Africa.

Oluwaseyi Oluwawumiju Oluwaseyi Oluwawumiju is a dynamic Technical Consultant, Public Speaker, and Author, affiliated with Covenant Technologies, a Microsoft Certified Partner based in Lagos, Nigeria. With over 25 years of professional experience, h... Show more

Dr. Deitra C. Payne

Dr. Deitra C. Payne

Dr. Deitra C. Payne is a dynamic achievement and accountability coach, motivational speaker, and Founder and CEO of Fabulous Coaching, Training, and Productions, LLC, based in Arizona. With over 15 years of experience as a college and university professor teaching human resource management and business, Dr. Payne brings a powerful combination of academic rigor, real-world insight, and authentic storytelling to every stage.

An accomplished presenter, Dr. Payne has shared her expertise at CUPA-HR conferences, SHRM state chapters, and academic conferences nationwide. Her research paper, Broken: The Harmful Effects of Workplace Bullying, earned the Distinguished Paper Award at the 2015 Mustang Journal International Academic Conference — a testament to her commitment to creating healthier, stronger organizations and communities.

What truly sets Dr. Payne apart is her extraordinary personal story. Just two days after her father passed away on Thanksgiving in 2022, she lost her memory and her ability to speak. She fought her way back — and today stands before audiences as living proof that resilience is not just a concept, it is a choice. Her journey from crisis to triumph gives her message an authenticity that moves audiences to believe that if she can overcome such devastating challenges, they too can conquer whatever stands in their way.

Dr. Payne delivers powerful presentations on overcoming adversity, mindset shift, cultivating gratitude, purposeful living, resiliency, and building unshakeable confidence. Her style uniquely blends research-based insights with authentic humor and relatable storytelling — creating engaging experiences that resonate long after the applause fades.

Dr. Deitra C. Payne is a dynamic achievement and accountability coach, motivational speaker, and Founder and CEO of Fabulous Coaching, Training, and Productions, LLC, based in Arizona. With over 15 years of experience as a college and university prof... Show more

Kourtney Bonzo

Kourtney Bonzo

Kourtney Bonzo began her career in marketing with Texas Roadhouse before transitioning into volunteer management during the COVID-19 pandemic. She successfully increased volunteer engagement by 50%, helping her organization earn recognition as Northern Utah’s best place to volunteer. In 2021, she joined the City of Baytown, where she launched Baytown Serves, a citywide initiative featuring 30 days of volunteer opportunities. Kourtney now manages volunteer and docent programs at the McFaddin-Ward House Museum, continuing to grow community engagement through service and education.

Kourtney Bonzo began her career in marketing with Texas Roadhouse before transitioning into volunteer management during the COVID-19 pandemic. She successfully increased volunteer engagement by 50%, helping her organization earn recognition as Northe... Show more

Nataliia Neshevets

Nataliia Neshevets

I’m a Digital Project Coordinator with experience managing complex, cross-functional initiatives across tech, academia, EU-funded programs, and product environments.

My core strength is turning complexity into structured delivery. I coordinate stakeholders, clarify scope, manage dependencies, and ensure that projects move from ambiguity to execution. I’m comfortable working between technical teams, leadership, and external partners, translating needs into clear plans and measurable outcomes. I am now focusing on Technical / Digital Project Management roles within product and tech-driven organizations in the Skåneregion.

Empowered with more than a decade of project management and executive at the Visual Culture Research Center, and the Kyiv Biennial.
Fluent in English and professionally proficient in Swedish.

I’m a Digital Project Coordinator with experience managing complex, cross-functional initiatives across tech, academia, EU-funded programs, and product environments. My core strength is turning complexity into structured delivery. I coordinate sta... Show more

Bartosz Lysakowski

Bartosz Lysakowski

Studied Forensic Science and Engineering as well as Land Use and Water Management at BTU Cottbus–Senftenberg. Later taught methods of forensic biological analysis, 3D printing, drones, LoRa, sensor technology, and open-source tools. For several years, worked in the Education Department at Cottbus Zoo. Since 2023, drone pilot and member of the EXPAND+ER project at BTU Cottbus–Senftenberg. Currently project coordinator at IQ@BB.

Studied Forensic Science and Engineering as well as Land Use and Water Management at BTU Cottbus–Senftenberg. Later taught methods of forensic biological analysis, 3D printing, drones, LoRa, sensor technology, and open-source tools. For several years... Show more

Charles-Louis de Maere

Charles-Louis de Maere

Bringing people together is something that lives on through my workshops and training. Whether they take place online or on-premise, I facilitate workshops and learning experiences that focus on high participation, on learning by doing and verifying that the concepts are integrated. I use Live Online Learning Activities to ensure people get a chance to practice their understanding of the new concepts.

What better way is there to give meaning to what we say than to draw to make our thoughts explicit? When we add visual information to what we’re saying, suddenly our intention becomes much more precise, and we can begin to work on shared understanding. This is why I love bringing people in contact with the power of Visual Thinking, of getting back to our roots and using pen and paper to bring people closer together.

Stories are another option for bringing sensitive topics to the surface, which I recently started to explore through my self-development practice, as well as during numerous Around the world in (less than) 80 days workshops throughout the past years!

Bringing people together is something that lives on through my workshops and training. Whether they take place online or on-premise, I facilitate workshops and learning experiences that focus on high participation, on learning by doing and verifying ... Show more

David Schmudde

David Schmudde

David is a technologist practicing at the intersection of computing and culture. He has worked on problems related to digital identity, reproducible data science, and software preservation, exhibited interdisciplinary art across Europe and the United States, and taught at Stevens Institute of Technology and the Illinois Institute of Art. He currently opines on technology in the public interest at Beyond the Frame and applies those ideas as the CTO of Yorba.

David is a technologist practicing at the intersection of computing and culture. He has worked on problems related to digital identity, reproducible data science, and software preservation, exhibited interdisciplinary art across Europe and the United... Show more

Marta Scandellari

Marta Scandellari

Marta is a pattern seeker, cerca da sempre come funzionano le cose, umane e tecnologiche, la ragione che completa il sentimento. Ha studiato legge, cinese, scritto codice per più di dieci anni e alla fine intuito che tutte le regole hanno delle eccezioni. L'importante è saperle intercettarle.

Marta is a pattern seeker, cerca da sempre come funzionano le cose, umane e tecnologiche, la ragione che completa il sentimento. Ha studiato legge, cinese, scritto codice per più di dieci anni e alla fine intuito che tutte le regole hanno delle eccez... Show more

Falene McKenna

Falene McKenna

Falene McKenna is a product manager with a strong background in software development, conversational experience design, and data analysis. Specializing in Robot VUIs, she is passionate about using technology, particularly social robots and Conversational AI, to improve people's lives.

Coming from a background Linguistics, Falene began her Social Robotics career at Intuition Robotics, working on their flagship project ElliQ—an AI-powered social companion robot for older adults—and developing in-car voice experiences. She later collaborated on a proof-of-concept for Fur Hat Robotics and Microsoft PVA before serving as the Head of Product for Aico, an AI-driven early childhood learning robot by Curiosity Robotics.

In October of 2023, Falene started her own company, Lingua Robotica, with the hopes of bringing ethical and holistic design into multimodal development.

A voice in the conversational AI space, Falene has presented at various events, including the Conversation Design Festival 2022, emphasizing the importance of bot building standards, language expertise in AI experiences, and persona building. She is also an active member of Women in Voice, promoting gender diversity in the voice technology industry.

Falene McKenna is a product manager with a strong background in software development, conversational experience design, and data analysis. Specializing in Robot VUIs, she is passionate about using technology, particularly social robots and Conversati... Show more

Rebecca Grier

Rebecca Grier

Rebecca Grier, Ph.D. is a behavioural scientist with 20 years experience in product development across various business sectors. Most recently she was the lead for Customer-Driven: EMEA at Microsoft, with the goal to change product making culture to be more customer obsessed. Previously she moved Ford to consider people with disabilities in the design of their autonomous vehicles and the US DoD to include user experience in testing of systems. She currently lives in Dublin with her husband and son.

Rebecca Grier, Ph.D. is a behavioural scientist with 20 years experience in product development across various business sectors. Most recently she was the lead for Customer-Driven: EMEA at Microsoft, with the goal to change product making culture to ... Show more

Arne Mertz

Arne Mertz

Arne Mertz has been working with modern and not-so-modern C++ codebases for over 15 years in various kinds of embedded and enterprise contexts. He is a mentor and teacher for clean code and modern C++ for colleagues and customers at Zühlke Engineering. Since 2015 he has written more or less frequently about those topics on his blog "Simplify C++!"

Arne Mertz has been working with modern and not-so-modern C++ codebases for over 15 years in various kinds of embedded and enterprise contexts. He is a mentor and teacher for clean code and modern C++ for colleagues and customers at Zühlke Engineerin... Show more

Lynda Williams

Lynda Williams

Lynda Williams spent a decade building an award-winning PR agency across South East Asia and Hong Kong. She led multi-generational teams, won international clients, and by every external measure — was at the top of her game. She also learned the hard way that resilience built on achievement rather than self-worth has a shelf life.
Now a Tranformation Coach, Key Note Speaker and host of the podcast P.S I Love Me, Lynda works with high-achieving individuals who are brilliant at performing — and ready to start leading differently.
Her keynote "Gen Z, Self-Worth and the Future of Leadership" is a straight-talking, deeply personal exploration of why Gen Z aren't the problem — they're the mirror. And what every leader in the room needs to look at before that mirror breaks.
Lynda brings rare credibility to this conversation — not as a theorist, but as someone who lived the old model, paid the price for it, and rebuilt from the inside out.

Lynda Williams spent a decade building an award-winning PR agency across South East Asia and Hong Kong. She led multi-generational teams, won international clients, and by every external measure — was at the top of her game. She also learned the hard... Show more

Lisa Lucas

Lisa Lucas

Travel and Tech writer who blends experience from journalism and as a senior marketer to make sense of how companies can manage change during tech transformations.

Travel and Tech writer who blends experience from journalism and as a senior marketer to make sense of how companies can manage change during tech transformations. Show more

Sandra Barnhill

Sandra Barnhill

Atlanta-based activist, author, and attorney Sandra Barnhill ignites transformation through powerful storytelling, empowering audiences to build an equitable society with both tough-minded wisdom and tender-hearted grace.

Atlanta-based activist, author, and attorney Sandra Barnhill ignites transformation through powerful storytelling, empowering audiences to build an equitable society with both tough-minded wisdom and tender-hearted grace. Show more

Rachael Orumor

Rachael Orumor

Linguist, Software Engineer, Android lecturer, GDG Country mentor, #ComputationalLinguistics lover, founder @femcoders15 Robotics

Linguist, Software Engineer, Android lecturer, GDG Country mentor, #ComputationalLinguistics lover, founder @femcoders15 Robotics Show more

Patrick Thiele

Patrick Thiele

The Flow Architect behind Olympic Champions & Global Brands | Helping elite athletes & leaders to be their best when it matters most | 8+ years coaching C-suite, founders, Olympic athletes & high performing teams

The Flow Architect behind Olympic Champions & Global Brands | Helping elite athletes & leaders to be their best when it matters most | 8+ years coaching C-suite, founders, Olympic athletes & high performing teams Show more

Oliver Larsson

Oliver Larsson

My PhD journey in the cold of northern Sweden has led me down a path to much of the latest cloud-native tech. Between that and my somewhat alarmingly high interest in homelabbing, I really live in the cloud-native ecosystem. But those are just side-hustles, cat-dad is my main occupation.

My PhD journey in the cold of northern Sweden has led me down a path to much of the latest cloud-native tech. Between that and my somewhat alarmingly high interest in homelabbing, I really live in the cloud-native ecosystem. But those are just side-h... Show more

Ki Roberts

Ki Roberts

I bring a unique interdisciplinary perspective that blends forensic anthropology, cultural research, education, and storytelling into engaging, accessible conversations for modern audiences. My background spans scientific research, public education, conference presentations, and multimedia communication, allowing me to translate complex topics into meaningful and memorable experiences.

Through my work as the creator and host of Field Notes from the Dead, I explore the intersections of anthropology, human behavior, trauma, media, and culture in ways that connect academic research with real-world conversations. My presentations combine evidence-based research with approachable storytelling, creating programs that are informative, thought-provoking, and audience-centered.

Whether speaking to students, educators, community groups, writers, or interdisciplinary audiences, I aim to make people think differently about humanity, identity, fear, storytelling, and the ways we understand one another through science and culture.

I bring a unique interdisciplinary perspective that blends forensic anthropology, cultural research, education, and storytelling into engaging, accessible conversations for modern audiences. My background spans scientific research, public education, ... Show more

Sarita Gupta

Sarita Gupta

Biography
Sarita Gupta as a versatile portfolio to bring to a balanced world with 12 years of software design and development experience at Microsoft in Redmond WA with prior software development experience of 3 years in startups and 2 years of experience on model based computing on government sponsored research projects. Sarita Gupta went to Vanderbilt University from where she graduated with Masters Degree in Computer Science. Sarita Gupta has been a Research Assistant working for government Space agency sponsored projects on manned mission to Mars and on fault detection system of f15 fighter planes. Sarita Gupta has published formal research papers and has technical awards and U.S. goverment patent on software object synchronization.

Biography Sarita Gupta as a versatile portfolio to bring to a balanced world with 12 years of software design and development experience at Microsoft in Redmond WA with prior software development experience of 3 years in startups and 2 years of expe... Show more

Malte Kleinwort

Malte Kleinwort

Malte Kleinwort ist seit 2016 als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter in der Germanistik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum tätig und seit 2020 Digitalbeauftragter der Fakultät für Philologie. Er hat schon mehrere kleinere, aber auch etwas größere (Verbund-)Lehrprojekte entwickelt. Die Nutzung digitaler Tools in der Lehre findet er wichtig, um die Studierenden auf digitales Lernen in der Zukunft bestmöglich vorzubereiten. Außerdem bringt es ihm Spaß, mit neuen Formaten zu experimentieren und beim Lernen - auch mit digitalen Tools - gemeinschaftliche Anteile zu stärken.

Malte Kleinwort ist seit 2016 als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter in der Germanistik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum tätig und seit 2020 Digitalbeauftragter der Fakultät für Philologie. Er hat schon mehrere kleinere, aber auch etwas größere (Verbund-)Lehr... Show more

Marta Habdas

Marta Habdas

Full-stack Developer at Curiosum, working on web applications in React and Elixir. PhD, Institute of Audiovisual Arts, Jagiellonian University, Kraków. Outside of her professional work, she has always been interested in combining technology and the arts/humanities, with a recent focus on hardware hacking and DIY electronics.

Full-stack Developer at Curiosum, working on web applications in React and Elixir. PhD, Institute of Audiovisual Arts, Jagiellonian University, Kraków. Outside of her professional work, she has always been interested in combining technology and the a... Show more

Giovanni Valli

Giovanni Valli

Giovanni is Head of Agile Transformation at Entain Italy. He spent the last 6 years as an Agile Coach consultant, after leading for 7 years digital products development in a multinational company. His focus is on building autonomy, aligning culture and execution, and enabling sustainable change.

Giovanni is Head of Agile Transformation at Entain Italy. He spent the last 6 years as an Agile Coach consultant, after leading for 7 years digital products development in a multinational company. His focus is on building autonomy, aligning culture a... Show more

Andrea Palumbo

Andrea Palumbo

Andrea Palumbo è avvocato e si occupa di privacy, cybersecuirty e diritto delle penale dell'informatica e dell'impresa, materie nelle quali svolge anche attività di consulenza e formazione presso imprese e pubbliche amministrazioni. E’ spesso relatore a convegni e conferenze specialistici sui temi legati al mondo ICT.

Andrea Palumbo è avvocato e si occupa di privacy, cybersecuirty e diritto delle penale dell'informatica e dell'impresa, materie nelle quali svolge anche attività di consulenza e formazione presso imprese e pubbliche amministrazioni. E’ spesso relator... Show more

Dr. Felecia Tolliver

Dr. Felecia Tolliver

Passionate and experienced educator with over 15 years of experience within the education industry, specializing in faculty administration, organizational leadership, and curriculum development. Adept in overseeing the overall management of educational programs while remaining committed to the organization’s mission and vision. Dynamic communicator with a proven ability to build lasting relationships with teachers, students, and parents. A motivational leader who enjoys actively engaging with all educational partners. Strategic planner and program designer; developed strategic plans, implemented and monitored change initiatives. Sought out collaborator by top leadership within the organization to lead positive outcomes for the betterment of students and faculty.

Passionate and experienced educator with over 15 years of experience within the education industry, specializing in faculty administration, organizational leadership, and curriculum development. Adept in overseeing the overall management of education... Show more

Joe Azzopardi

Joe Azzopardi

Joe Azzopardi (PhD) is a keynote speaker who helps leaders understand and navigate generational tension in the workplace. He delivers high-impact sessions that unpack why teams misfire across age groups and what leaders can do to strengthen retention, collaboration, and performance. Drawing on cutting-edge generational research and practical frontline insights, Joe equips audiences with actionable tools to lead and communicate effectively across the generations.

Joe Azzopardi (PhD) is a keynote speaker who helps leaders understand and navigate generational tension in the workplace. He delivers high-impact sessions that unpack why teams misfire across age groups and what leaders can do to strengthen retention... Show more

Ludmila Dubini Zerga

Ludmila Dubini Zerga

I’m a Labor Relations graduate (UNLaM) with a postgraduate degree in Neuroscience applied to organizations (UCEMA) and over 15 years working in the world of talent—always within the tech and digital ecosystem.
I’ve worked across consulting, outsourcing, and product companies, and today I lead Boost Inc., a company I co-founded to help startups and digital teams grow with a people-first, business-savvy approach. My focus is on building strong leadership, shaping culture, and making sure talent strategies actually drive impact. I work side by side with technical leaders and teams that want to grow with purpose, make better decisions, and turn talent into one of their biggest assets.

I’m a Labor Relations graduate (UNLaM) with a postgraduate degree in Neuroscience applied to organizations (UCEMA) and over 15 years working in the world of talent—always within the tech and digital ecosystem. I’ve worked across consulting, outsourc... Show more

Oscar Cariceo

Oscar Cariceo

Ingeniero de Software con formación académica en antropología y ciencias sociales. Interesado en las posibilidades que ofrece la inteligencia artificial generativa y el desarrollo de aplicaciones orientadas mejorar la experiencia de los seres humanos con los sistemas computacionales. Actualmente se despeña como Manager de UX Research en Scotiabank.

Ingeniero de Software con formación académica en antropología y ciencias sociales. Interesado en las posibilidades que ofrece la inteligencia artificial generativa y el desarrollo de aplicaciones orientadas mejorar la experiencia de los seres humanos... Show more

Jaime Diego da Rosa

Jaime Diego da Rosa

Contador Sênior na Petrobras, pós graduado em Gamificação, Engajamento e Marketing Digital. Atuo com inovação, soluções digitais e Projetos de Gamificação com foco em motivação e engajamento dos funcionários.

Contador Sênior na Petrobras, pós graduado em Gamificação, Engajamento e Marketing Digital. Atuo com inovação, soluções digitais e Projetos de Gamificação com foco em motivação e engajamento dos funcionários. Show more

Phillip Meade

Phillip Meade

Dr. Phillip T. Meade is a transformational leadership expert with over 30 years of experience in systems design and culture change. As a senior leader at NASA, he led the cultural transformation following the Columbia tragedy, guided the workforce transition during the Space Shuttle retirement, and helped reinvent Kennedy Space Center into the world’s busiest commercial spaceport. Now a consultant and keynote speaker, Dr. Meade helps organizations navigate complexity, drive cultural shifts, and build high-performance systems from the inside out.

Dr. Meade’s keynotes and presentations are designed to meet the unique needs of your event, whether you’re looking to inspire leadership teams or dive deep into culture transformation and strategic alignment. Dr. Meade is also available for on-demand speaking, offering his signature talks to deliver immediate, actionable insights that create lasting impact.

Dr. Phillip T. Meade is a transformational leadership expert with over 30 years of experience in systems design and culture change. As a senior leader at NASA, he led the cultural transformation following the Columbia tragedy, guided the workforce tr... Show more

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