Humanities & Social Sciences

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

Dr. Stefan T. Siegel

Dr. Stefan T. Siegel

Education Researcher & Lecturer 👨‍🏫
@HSGStGallen 🇨🇭 | Researching #educationaltheory #educationalmyths #educationalmedia | Enjoying #highered #sustainability #openscience

🧠#PKM Nerd using #ObsidianMD

#Hochschuldidaktik #Hochschullehre #Nachhaltigkeit #Erziehung #Bildung #Lehren #Lernen #Evidence #Misconceptions #Bildungsmedien #Videos #PKM #OER #sotl #academicdevelopment

Education Researcher & Lecturer 👨‍🏫 @HSGStGallen 🇨🇭 | Researching #educationaltheory #educationalmyths #educationalmedia | Enjoying #highered #sustainability #openscience 🧠#PKM Nerd using #ObsidianMD #Hochschuldidaktik #Hochschullehre #Na... Show more

Jocyl Sacramento

Jocyl Sacramento

Jocyl Sacramento is an Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at Cal State East Bay, where she serves as the Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy for INSPIRE, a First Year Experience program. Her praxis bridges Asian American Studies with women of color feminisms, relational racialization, Ethnic Studies pedagogies, Pinayism, and love. She co-edited the forthcoming Comparative Ethnic Studies textbook, Love, Knowledge, and Revolution (Routledge).

Jocyl Sacramento is an Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at Cal State East Bay, where she serves as the Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy for INSPIRE, a First Year Experience program. Her praxis bridges Asian American Studies with women of colo... Show more

Astrid Bin

Astrid Bin

Astrid is an artist and designer who works in music technology. She makes software and hardware systems for creative expression, taking on thorny technical and cultural challenges. She speaks about music technology, culture, and design, and all the places those encounter her myriad of special interests.

Astrid is an artist and designer who works in music technology. She makes software and hardware systems for creative expression, taking on thorny technical and cultural challenges. She speaks about music technology, culture, and design, and all the p... Show more

Ann Marie White

Ann Marie White

Dr. White is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, with secondary appointments in Psychology, Public Health Sciences, and Community Health and Prevention at the University of Rochester (UR). In her university faculty roles, she leads change initiatives to deepen community engagement and public health approaches to health promotion as well as child development via service, education and research. From 2004-19, she also directed the Office of Mental Health Promotion (OMHP), prior to leading a nonprofit for five years beginning in 2019. OMHP oversaw community, consumer and diversity affairs for Psychiatry faculty and staff. Dr. White directs collaborative and participatory research. She promotes mental health supporting behaviors, services utilization, injury prevention as well as child and family development strategies within community-based settings. Her research applies system and data science methods in community engaged research, mental health promotion, and injury prevention systems. Her years of research and administrative experiences in developmental psychology emphasize the role of community settings such as childcare, arts centers and after-school programs in child development.

Upon completion of her doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard's Graduate School of Education, she was an AAAS/SRCD fellow in the U.S. Senate and the National Institutes of Health. She was a visiting scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2017 to foster the implementation of systems science approaches to state suicide prevention.

Dr. White is currently an elected member and chair of UR’s Research Policy Committee, and currently co-chair of the Faculty Senate. She has been a member of Faculty Senate since 2019. Her interests include promoting community engagement in all mission areas and promoting a campus climate centered on inclusion, equity, well-being, and families.

Dr. White is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, with secondary appointments in Psychology, Public Health Sciences, and Community Health and Prevention at the University of Rochester (UR). In her university faculty roles, she leads change initiati... Show more

David Chege

David Chege

I am passionate about market research, focusing on SME market segments and business ecosystems. My work revolves around need-based innovation, particularly within social entrepreneurship spaces, where I explore sustainable solutions that drive long-term impact.

With a keen eye for emerging trends, I specialize in identifying opportunities for social sustainability ventures. I bridge gaps between market needs and transformative innovations, and I thrive on fostering collaborations that create business models with lasting social value.

I am passionate about market research, focusing on SME market segments and business ecosystems. My work revolves around need-based innovation, particularly within social entrepreneurship spaces, where I explore sustainable solutions that drive long-t... Show more

Carmen Graciela Diaz

Carmen Graciela Diaz

Carmen Graciela Díaz is a Puerto Rican journalist and author with more than 15 years of experience in writing and publishing in Spanish and English. With a decade of teaching experience, she is the Distinguished Lecturer/Director for the Bilingual Journalism Program at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.

She is the author of “Huele a Bomba: la paradójica esencia del periodismo de Avance,” a book on groundbreaking Puerto Rican publication, Avance. Her storytelling centers on arts, culture, education, and Puerto Rican and Latino issues. Carmen Graciela has worked with Univision News Digital, El Nuevo Día, and Primera Hora and her writing has appeared in Hyperallergic, El País, Centro Journal, The Miami Herald, The Common, and Reasons to be Cheerful, among other publications. Her freelance work includes research for the biopic Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It and being a contributing writer of a book documenting the work and the story of ArtPlace America. She holds master’s degrees from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism (New York) in Arts and Culture Reporting and Universidad del Sagrado Corazón (San Juan) in Cultural Studies. Her teaching and journalism have been recognized by the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and the Overseas Press Club (Puerto Rico chapter). From 2024 to 2025 she was a member of the Center for Cooperative Media's Racial Equity Advisory Board.

Carmen Graciela is currently working on her second book centered on Puerto Ricans in New York to be published in 2026 by Periodística Editorial.

Carmen Graciela Díaz is a Puerto Rican journalist and author with more than 15 years of experience in writing and publishing in Spanish and English. With a decade of teaching experience, she is the Distinguished Lecturer/Director for the Bilingual Jo... Show more

Bonita Pannell

Bonita Pannell

Bonita Pannell brings over 30 years of experience in healthcare and currently serves as the Director of Community Outreach at UPMC Women’s Magee Hospital. In this role, she acts as a liaison between the hospital and the community, working to enhance access to care, broaden care options, and foster meaningful partnerships. A passionate advocate for the BIPOC community, Pannell develops and leads initiatives aimed at raising awareness and promoting self-empowerment. Her initiatives include organizing Community Health Fairs featuring on-site health screenings, hosting Maternal Health educational baby showers, and providing ongoing mentoring and support groups.
Pannell is an active member of several UPMC councils, including the Diversity Council, the Family Advisory Council, and the Community Doula & Birth Worker Advisory Board, where she advocates for policy changes that strengthen trust and collaboration between healthcare providers and the community. Additionally, she serves as the Director of the UPMC Affiliate Council of Girls on the Run, a national nonprofit organization focused on empowering girls in grades 3 through 8 by strengthening their social, emotional, physical, and behavioral skills. The program operates at 64 school sites and serves over 1,500 girls annually.
Before joining UPMC, Bonita was part of the Gateway Health Plan case management team, where she managed insurance authorizations and cases for individuals with special needs. She also served as the General Manager for Hospice Care of Pittsburgh and Viator Hospice, overseeing care for terminally ill patients for 16 years and Director of Lutheran Senior Life Home Care.
Bonita holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Waynesburg University, a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science from Slippery Rock University. She is also a licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and earned a certificate in Project Management from Villanova University.
A devoted mother, Bonita has two children—Aaron Burden and Tyler-Nicole Pannell—as well as two bonus children, Teona Williams and Brandon Pannell. She is an active member of Triumph Church, where she serves as a Deacon and the Coordinator of the Usher Ministry. Bonita is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Alpha Alpha Omega Chapter.

Bonita Pannell brings over 30 years of experience in healthcare and currently serves as the Director of Community Outreach at UPMC Women’s Magee Hospital. In this role, she acts as a liaison between the hospital and the community, working to enhance ... Show more

Stephane Vandenbussche

Stephane Vandenbussche

Facilitateur graphique & coach agile, je combine pensée visuelle, intelligence collective et agilité pour accompagner les organisations dans leurs transformations.
Passionné par la transmission et la dynamique des groupes, j’anime des ateliers qui rendent les idées visibles et les échanges plus vivants.
Fondateur des Ateliers du Bosquet, j'explore des approches sur-mesure pour cultiver l’Humain et faire grandir le collectif.

Facilitateur graphique & coach agile, je combine pensée visuelle, intelligence collective et agilité pour accompagner les organisations dans leurs transformations. Passionné par la transmission et la dynamique des groupes, j’anime des ateliers qui r... Show more

Sonam Pankaj

Sonam Pankaj

Sonam is the co-author of the open-source library Embed-Anything, an Ingestion, Inference, and Indexing pipeline built in Rust and widely loved by developers. She worked as a Generative AI Evangelist at Articul8, which spun off from Intel, providing high-end solutions. Previously, she worked as an AI researcher at Saama, where she extensively developed clinical trial analytics solutions with Pfizer. She is passionate about topics such as biases in language models. She has also published a paper in the most reputable journal of computational linguistics, COLING, in the ACL Anthology.

Sonam is the co-author of the open-source library Embed-Anything, an Ingestion, Inference, and Indexing pipeline built in Rust and widely loved by developers. She worked as a Generative AI Evangelist at Articul8, which spun off from Intel, providing ... Show more

Qishen Sam Liang

Qishen Sam Liang

Qishen Sam Liang
samliangsk@gmail.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/qishen-sam-liang/

EDUCATION
University of California, Santa Barbara | September 2019-June 2023
Bachelor of Arts, Asian American Studies
Honors: Distinction in Asian American Studies & College of Letters & Science Highest Honors

University of Southern California | August 2023-May 2025
Master of Science, Computer Science (Computer Networks)

University of California, Santa Barbara | September 2019-June 2023
Bachelor of Science, Computer Science

RELEVANT RESEARCH & PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Researcher | UCSB Department of Asian American Studies | August 2022-June 2023
Research Project: The Transformation of Asian and Asian American Stereotypes and Representations in the United States

Conducted media content analysis to investigate how dominant narratives about Asians and Asian Americans have been constructed to serve shifting national interests and maintain racial hierarchies.
Analyzed a diverse range of sources, including magazine articles like “How to Tell Japs from the Chinese,” political cartoon “The Honorable Fifth Column,” and COVID-19 anti-Asian news reports.
Argued that while modes of expression evolve, the underlying hegemonic frameworks of stereotype persist, demonstrating the shift from overt to subtle forms of representation in the modern era.
This research, which drew upon frameworks of racial formation and stereotype theory, culminated in a 30 pages paper and a departmental presentation.

Project Manager & Game Developer | University of Southern California | January 2025-May 2025
Project: Area 31: A Horror Maze Game

Led the design and development of a 2D narrative game in C# and Unity, gaining practical experience in the creation of interactive media and player-driven storytelling.
Engineered systems for managing player state and progression, directly informing research into how player agency and interactive systems shape understandings.
Managed the project lifecycle using Agile methodologies, demonstrating leadership in a collaborative, creative-technical environment.

SKILLS & INTERESTS
Research Areas: Asian American Studies, Games, Stereotypes, Computer Networking, Security
Technical Skills: Python, Unity, C#, Git, Data Curation, Data Analysis
Languages: English (Fluent), Mandarin (Fluent), Cantonese (Fluent)

Qishen Sam Liang samliangsk@gmail.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/qishen-sam-liang/ EDUCATION University of California, Santa Barbara | September 2019-June 2023 Bachelor of Arts, Asian American Studies Honors: Distinction in Asian American ... Show more

Mark Christopher Lawrence

Mark Christopher Lawrence

Meet Mark Christopher Lawrence, a dynamic presenter with a multi-faceted career that spans comedy, film, television, and beyond. With decades of experience making audiences laugh, think, and feel, Mark is an exceptional speaker who knows how to captivate a room.

A longtime Comedian, Film & Television Actor, Writer, and Producer: Mark has honed his craft across multiple entertainment mediums, bringing an unparalleled depth of experience to the stage. A Two-Time Emmy Award Nominee, his talent has been recognized at the highest levels,

Mark is an International Headliner, sharing stages with comedy legends such as Sinbad, Jerry Seinfeld, Rodney Dangerfield, and Jeff Foxworthy, entertaining audiences around the globe.

When you Book Mark For Your Next Event, You Get:

A Skilled Speaker and Natural Storyteller: Armed with a BFA in Theater from USC, earned through a Public Speaking Scholarship, Mark combines academic rigor with his inherent flair for storytelling.

An Experienced Event Emcee: Mark is adept at keeping audiences engaged and events running smoothly, ensuring your occasion is both memorable and timely.

Engaging, Inspiring, and Funny Presentations: His presentations are a perfect blend of humor, inspiration, and audience engagement, leaving lasting impressions on all who attend.

An Expert at Event Alignment: Mark excels at tailoring his presentations to meet your event goals, ensuring your audience receives a message that’s as aligned as it is impactful.

Whether you seek a hilarious anecdote or a moving inspirational story, Mark’s ability to align his presentations with your event’s needs makes him an invaluable addition to any lineup. Book him now to guarantee your event's success!

Meet Mark Christopher Lawrence, a dynamic presenter with a multi-faceted career that spans comedy, film, television, and beyond. With decades of experience making audiences laugh, think, and feel, Mark is an exceptional speaker who knows how to capti... Show more

Ahniyah Perry

Ahniyah Perry

Born and raised in Texas, Ahniyah Perry is a community advocate renowned for her innovative ventures and steadfast commitment to social impact. Embarking on her college academic journey at the age of 15, Ahniyah demonstrated exceptional potential as a leader.

In 2017, she launched an online retail company, achieving remarkable success with a threefold increase in profits. Her entrepreneurial zeal led her to establish numerous startups, further solidifying her reputation for creative business ventures. Ahniyah's philanthropic spirit shone through with the founding of Santa's Helpers, a seasonal initiative offering free, gift-wrapping services to local community members. She currently works as an Aide for the District 6 office of Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda, while also pursuing a dual master's degree in Organizational Leader and Business Administration. Her outstanding achievements earned her statewide recognition, highlighting her exceptional entrepreneurial and servant leadership qualities.

Born and raised in Texas, Ahniyah Perry is a community advocate renowned for her innovative ventures and steadfast commitment to social impact. Embarking on her college academic journey at the age of 15, Ahniyah demonstrated exceptional potential as ... Show more

Joseph Allen Ruanto-Ramirez

Joseph Allen Ruanto-Ramirez

Joseph Allen "JoJo" Ruanto-Ramirez is a PhD candidate in Cultural Studies - American Studies at Claremont Graduate University. He currently is an Assistant Professor in Ethnic Studies and Director of Asian American Studies Program at Southwestern College.

Joseph Allen "JoJo" Ruanto-Ramirez is a PhD candidate in Cultural Studies - American Studies at Claremont Graduate University. He currently is an Assistant Professor in Ethnic Studies and Director of Asian American Studies Program at Southwestern Col... Show more

Andrew Kolikoff

Andrew Kolikoff

Andrew Kolikoff is a leadership coach who elevates company cultures. He has been helping businesses grow through leadership for over 25 years.

Andrew Kolikoff is a leadership coach who elevates company cultures. He has been helping businesses grow through leadership for over 25 years. Show more

Frank Köhne

Frank Köhne

Frank Köhne is co-head of viadee's Data Science division. He has a research background and has spent the last 15 years coordinating the company's collaborations with universities in the region, but he has also spent a lot of time on software development and architecture, often in insurance or logistics.
He is currently leading a BMBF-funded consortium with the goal of leveraging process workarounds in the context of Industry 4.0 for process innovation.

Frank Köhne is co-head of viadee's Data Science division. He has a research background and has spent the last 15 years coordinating the company's collaborations with universities in the region, but he has also spent a lot of time on software developm... Show more

Jake Truemper

Jake Truemper

Jake is an innovation-minded leader, teacher, and visual thinker whose passion is to make humans more human. He is a regular speaker at colleges, meetups and conferences. Jake has led Experience Design initiatives for more than 60 businesses across a variety of industries, including everything from fortune 500 companies to startups. Jake has built human-centered design practices for multiple prominent agencies and is currently Co-Founder of his own Human-Centered Design consultancy.

Jake is an innovation-minded leader, teacher, and visual thinker whose passion is to make humans more human. He is a regular speaker at colleges, meetups and conferences. Jake has led Experience Design initiatives for more than 60 businesses across a... Show more

Justin Paluku Mbunzule

Justin Paluku Mbunzule

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

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

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

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

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

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

Francisca Márcia Gomes Sampaio

Francisca Márcia Gomes Sampaio

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

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

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

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

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

Ayush Pandey

Ayush Pandey

Ayush Pandey is the Founder & CEO of Sixth Axe Studios, a 'Culture-Tech' gaming startup incubated at IIM Kozhikode (LIVE). With over 10 national recognitions and a fellowship from the IGDC (India Game Developer Conference), Ayush is pioneering the genre of "Mythic Realism" to bridge the gap between Indian heritage and global AAA entertainment.

Beyond the studio, he has actively served as Jury member for flagship events of Ministry of Education & AICTE like Smart India Hackathon & Innovation Challenge. He also serves as a Moderator for GameDev India, the country's largest community of game developers, where he actively mentors the next generation of builders. He is currently focused on proving that world-class IP can be built from Tier-2 India.

Ayush Pandey is the Founder & CEO of Sixth Axe Studios, a 'Culture-Tech' gaming startup incubated at IIM Kozhikode (LIVE). With over 10 national recognitions and a fellowship from the IGDC (India Game Developer Conference), Ayush is pioneering the ge... Show more

Mija Rabemananjara

Mija Rabemananjara

Née à Madagascar, Mija Rabemananjara a grandi à la Réunion, à Bordeaux, en
région parisienne et décide de tenter l’expérience de l’Amérique du Nord en Septembre 2019 en
s’installant au Québec. Avec une forte expérience dans l’IT, elle devient coach agile en 2015 et
construit 2 cursus de formations :
 Devenir coach agile Agilopathe®
 Devenir un manager/gestionnaire agile avec Montessori Extended®

Son ambition est d’accompagner les organisations vers plus d’auto-organisation et au-delà pour
plus d’engagement, plus de performance, plus d’innovation, pour une société plus saine.

Sur son site http://lesagilopathes.com vous retrouverez ses publications, des vidéos de ses
conférences précédentes, la description de ses offres et les événements à venir !

Née à Madagascar, Mija Rabemananjara a grandi à la Réunion, à Bordeaux, en région parisienne et décide de tenter l’expérience de l’Amérique du Nord en Septembre 2019 en s’installant au Québec. Avec une forte expérience dans l’IT, elle devient coa... Show more

Elena Panagopoulou

Elena Panagopoulou

Innovative and results-driven professional with expertise in AI, data analytics, and business transformation. I specialize in leveraging generative AI solutions, multimodal large language models (LLMs), and AI agents to optimize workflows, enhance operational efficiency, and solve complex business challenges, incorporating Microsoft Power Platform solutions. Leading AI strategy, AI literacy and adoption, empowering and driving organisations harness the full potential of AI.

Innovative and results-driven professional with expertise in AI, data analytics, and business transformation. I specialize in leveraging generative AI solutions, multimodal large language models (LLMs), and AI agents to optimize workflows, enhance op... 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

Arin Patterson

Arin Patterson

Leadership strategist with 10+ years in education and nonprofit sectors. TEDx speaker and podcast host focused on culture, learning, and development.

Leadership strategist with 10+ years in education and nonprofit sectors. TEDx speaker and podcast host focused on culture, learning, and development. Show more

Angel Paredes Barato

Angel Paredes Barato

Passionate Engineering Manager at Datadog, mentoring aspiring engineers and advocating for the importance of soft skills in achieving success. Sometimes I like to define myself as "proud holistic hobbyist".

Passionate Engineering Manager at Datadog, mentoring aspiring engineers and advocating for the importance of soft skills in achieving success. Sometimes I like to define myself as "proud holistic hobbyist". Show more

Steve Copeland

Steve Copeland

Steve Copeland started where most MSPs start — working out of his trunk, saying yes to everything, grinding 80-hour weeks. He built Manage My IT into something real, something valuable, something he could sell.
So he sold it. And then he walked away for eight years.
When he came back to the industry, he wasn't nostalgic. He was curious. After enough distance to see clearly, one question kept nagging: "What actually separated the clients who trusted us completely from the ones who left at the first opportunity?"
The answer became "The 3AM Test for MSPs" — a framework for building partnerships worth trusting when everything's on fire. It's not theory. It's a synthesis of every failure, every 3AM call handled badly, every client relationship that could have survived but didn't.
Today, Steve is CEO of RYTHMz and founder of AEGITz, lan MSP with a $50K ransomware guarantee backing his philosophy. He puts real money behind his advice because he's already paid the tuition on what doesn't work.

Steve Copeland started where most MSPs start — working out of his trunk, saying yes to everything, grinding 80-hour weeks. He built Manage My IT into something real, something valuable, something he could sell. So he sold it. And then he walked away... Show more

Suvarna Kulkarni

Suvarna Kulkarni

Suvarna is an experienced agile enthusiast supports organisations in unlocking their full potential and elevating their impact and success using agile ways of working, a blended methodology of Mindset-maps, Emotional Intelligence, Neuroscience, NLP, and Positive Psychology.
As a certified coach, she's dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, empowering teams to deliver results consistently. Her commitment, authenticity, and trust values have proven invaluable in facilitating successful transformations for high-impact projects, establishing psychologically safe environments, and collaborating with leaders to ensure seamless alignment between strategy and execution.

Suvarna is an experienced agile enthusiast supports organisations in unlocking their full potential and elevating their impact and success using agile ways of working, a blended methodology of Mindset-maps, Emotional Intelligence, Neuroscience, NLP, ... Show more

Maria Pina Di Cataldo

Maria Pina Di Cataldo

I am a curious person and live the present as a journey. Life is an adventure and I love trying new things, whether it's a new food, a new hobby, or a new way of thinking!

I believe in the power of relationships and collaboration, and I enjoy creating meaningful connections between people. A non-linear professional path has led me from a purely technical background into the stimulating world of communities, event organization, and communication.

I am a curious person and live the present as a journey. Life is an adventure and I love trying new things, whether it's a new food, a new hobby, or a new way of thinking! I believe in the power of relationships and collaboration, and I enjoy crea... Show more

Shirley Koss

Shirley Koss

Shirley Koss is a relationship cultivation expert and community building specialist currently serving as Community and Member Success Manager at Woodard. With her natural talent for fostering authentic professional connections, Shirley has developed a proven approach to network development that transforms casual contacts into valuable business relationships.
Throughout her career, Shirley has demonstrated exceptional skill in creating environments where professionals can meaningfully connect, collaborate, and grow together. She understands that powerful networks aren’t built on business card exchanges, but through genuine engagement and strategic relationship nurturing.
In her role at Woodard, Shirley applies her expertise daily by creating opportunities for bookkeeping and accounting professionals to build supportive communities that drive both personal and business success. Her practical insights on relationship-building in professional contexts have helped countless individuals transform their networking approach from transactional to transformational.

Shirley Koss is a relationship cultivation expert and community building specialist currently serving as Community and Member Success Manager at Woodard. With her natural talent for fostering authentic professional connections, Shirley has developed ... Show more

Georgiana Bigea

Georgiana Bigea

Georgiana Bigea is the founder of StorytellingArchitect.Com, where she delivers creative works, workshops, and consulting for public and private purposes. She has a degree in Journalism and is currently completing her PhD research on workplace conflict. Her experience includes being a social trends analyst at an international think tank, a storytelling architect in international IT start ups, and a teaching assistant at Babes Bolyai University (Romania) and University of Fribourg (Switzerland).

Georgiana Bigea is the founder of StorytellingArchitect.Com, where she delivers creative works, workshops, and consulting for public and private purposes. She has a degree in Journalism and is currently completing her PhD research on workplace confli... Show more

Amar Naik

Amar Naik

I am a Senior Vice President of Engineering at Divum Corporate Services Pvt Ltd, a leading provider of digital solutions and services for startups and enterprises. With over 20 years of experience in the IT industry, I have a proven track record of delivering complex and scalable products across multiple domains and platforms, leveraging my expertise in digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

My core competencies include product building and architecting, IT consulting, and delivery management. I have successfully created and implemented roadmaps, standards, and processes for various clients and stakeholders, ranging from fintech and banking to healthcare and non-profit organizations. I have also led and mentored a global team of engineers, consultants, and analysts, ensuring high-quality performance and professional growth. My mission is to empower businesses and organizations with innovative and impactful digital solutions that enhance their value proposition and customer experience.

I am a Senior Vice President of Engineering at Divum Corporate Services Pvt Ltd, a leading provider of digital solutions and services for startups and enterprises. With over 20 years of experience in the IT industry, I have a proven track record of d... Show more

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