Media & Information

Esteemed specialists working in the fields of media education, digital media, multimedia and radio services

Van Tran Nguyen

Van Tran Nguyen

Van Tran Nguyen (she/her) is a Vietnamese American artist-scholar, practicing filmmaker, curator, and multimedia artist. In 2017, Tran Nguyen earned a master's degree in fine arts from the State University of New York, at Buffalo. Then in 2021, she earned her doctorate in the Philosophy of Electronic Art at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

Tran Nguyen’s monograph in progress, Playing With Myself: Repetition as Self Determination reexamines the tools of media-making as diasporic technologies, asserting that the advances and techne of storytelling are recuperated by Asian artists from weapons of subjectification to mediums of liberation. She wrote and co-directed two films: ERIE COUNTY SMILE (2021) available for public access via PBS and THE MOTHERLOAD (2024) which premiered at the Hawaii International Film Festival with support from the Vilcek Foundation’s New American Perspectives. THE MOTHERLOAD is available to watch on Apple TV, Prime TV, and Tubi.

In the fall of 2021, she was appointed the Maya Brin Institute for New Performance and Technology Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is an alumni of the Early Career Fellowship at the UCLA Center on Race & Digital Justice (2024-2025). In the fall of 2024, she joined the Department of Performing Arts at Georgetown University as the Assistant Professor of Performance and Film & Media Studies.

Van Tran Nguyen (she/her) is a Vietnamese American artist-scholar, practicing filmmaker, curator, and multimedia artist. In 2017, Tran Nguyen earned a master's degree in fine arts from the State University of New York, at Buffalo. Then in 2021, she e... Show more

Jimmy Katiyar

Jimmy Katiyar

Jimmy Katiyar is a Senior Manager of Product Management at SiriusXM Inc., where he leads Salesforce-based ad sales technology transformations across media, satellite, streaming, and podcast platforms. As a Certified Scrum Product Owner, he serves as both a Product Leader and Functional Solution Architect, supporting cross-functional domains including Sales Development, Marketing, Listener Support, Legal, Programmatic Sales, Ad Creative Services, Finance, Credit & Collections, and Training Enablement.
In his current role, Jimmy spearheads critical initiatives for streaming and podcast campaign booking, brand categorization, show monetization, and enforcement of ad block category and brand preferences. He drives unified Quote-to-Cash programs, leading Direct and Programmatic Sales redesign with opportunity product line-item integration, split approval processes, insertion order automation, and reporting data aggregation. His leadership of the Revenue Recognition project resulted in the successful design and implementation of a payment portal processing $750K–$3.5M daily, enabling advertisers and agencies to pay invoices via ACH or credit cards while integrating with Oracle Finance systems.
Jimmy's technical expertise spans Salesforce Service Cloud optimization, where he has delivered AI-powered solutions including DeepConverse Chat and Einstein AI features for case classification, article recommendation, case closure, and next best action workflows. His architectural work includes designing omni-channel routing systems, entitlement management for case milestones, CSAT automation, and creating unified "single pane of glass" interfaces for service agents. He also architected Salesforce processes for legal digital signature workflows using Adobe Sign for NDAs.
With over two decades of experience in enterprise technology solutions, Jimmy has held progressive leadership roles at organizations including Equinix Inc., IBM Global Business Services, Hewlett Packard, and Tech Mahindra. His international experience includes traveling to the UK and Singapore to support regional product integration efforts, aligning global teams and system designs for scalable, maintainable solutions tailored to global support operations.
Jimmy holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from MJP Rohilkhand University and maintains multiple industry certifications, including Salesforce Certified AI Associate, Service Cloud Consultant, and Administrator credentials, along with Certified Scrum Product Owner from Scrum Alliance, Oracle Siebel CRM Consultant, and IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner certifications. His expertise in streamlining ad sales, AI strategies, product integration, business process re-engineering, and customer experience continues to drive innovation in ad sales technology transformations.

Jimmy Katiyar is a Senior Manager of Product Management at SiriusXM Inc., where he leads Salesforce-based ad sales technology transformations across media, satellite, streaming, and podcast platforms. As a Certified Scrum Product Owner, he serves as ... Show more

Munir Mehta

Munir Mehta

I am a Senior Staff Software Engineer at YouTube (Google), providing technical leadership for high-scale content creation platforms across an 80+ person organization. My work focuses on architecting scalable systems that integrate Generative AI into consumer products used by millions globally. At YouTube, I spearheaded the development of our first GenAI creation tools, building the asynchronous infrastructure required to deploy LLMs and diffusion models at massive scale. I also designed systems enabling remixing across 7+ billion videos and built AI-powered safety mechanisms to ensure platform trust. Prior to Google, I developed secure, HIPAA-compliant healthcare platforms at Epic Systems, building a strong foundation in reliability-focused engineering. Beyond industry leadership, I actively contribute to AI research, holding a U.S. patent for short-form video creation and co-authoring published research on deep sequential learning for human activity recognition. I hold a Master of Science in Computer Engineering from BITS Pilani, with expertise in distributed systems and applied machine learning.

I am a Senior Staff Software Engineer at YouTube (Google), providing technical leadership for high-scale content creation platforms across an 80+ person organization. My work focuses on architecting scalable systems that integrate Generative AI into ... Show more

Evgeny Tsyplakov

Evgeny Tsyplakov

Evgeny Tsyplakov works on what search engines show and what AI systems say about people, companies, and brands, including the third-party pages and knowledge panels a subject does not own and cannot edit.

His work covers search engine reputation management (SERM), generative engine reputation management (GERM), entity resolution, and crisis reputation recovery. He treats reputation as an engineering problem rather than a communications one. In SERM he defines the target state of the first page and works backward to the signals required to hold it. In GERM he records what several AI systems currently assert, sets the target statement, maps the sources each system draws on, aligns those sources, and tracks how the answers change.

A core part of the work is separating people who share a name, so that search and AI treat them as distinct people and neither inherits the other's record.

He has worked in SEO since 2006 and in reputation engineering since 2019, and holds a software engineering degree from Saratov State Technical University.

Evgeny Tsyplakov works on what search engines show and what AI systems say about people, companies, and brands, including the third-party pages and knowledge panels a subject does not own and cannot edit. His work covers search engine reputation m... Show more

Sean C Davis

Sean C Davis

Sean is a tinkerer and a teacher, driven to help developers build better websites.

After a decade of agency and freelance work, Sean discovered his love of working on tools that make building websites more effective, efficient, and enjoyable. He now spends his days doing just that for Netlify.

Sean keeps life outside work fresh and exciting with various hobbies, from playing music, baking bread, writing fiction, building with LEGO, accidentally killing plants, or digging into new dev tools.

Living with his family and working in an old house with creaky floorboards in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sean puts one thing above all else: having a little fun along the way.

Sean is a tinkerer and a teacher, driven to help developers build better websites. After a decade of agency and freelance work, Sean discovered his love of working on tools that make building websites more effective, efficient, and enjoyable. He ... Show more

Dmytro Hlotenko

Dmytro Hlotenko

Dmytro is a Senior Cloud Operations Engineer at Sage Austria and an AWS Community Builder based in Vienna, Austria. He co-leads AWS User Group Vienna alongside AWS Hero Linda Mohamed, helping grow one of Central Europe's most active cloud communities.
Before Sage, Dima built his cloud foundation at APA-IT — the technology arm of the Austrian Press Agency — where he architected cloud infrastructure for Austria's national broadcaster ORF and developed media workflow systems where latency and reliability are not negotiable. That background in broadcast-grade infrastructure shaped how he thinks about every system he touches today.
By day, Dima manages complex enterprise infrastructure — AWS migrations, Cloudflare security at scale, Progress OpenEdge systems, and production environments where a wrong config means a very bad morning for a lot of people. He's the engineer who gets paged at 2 AM when 1.6 million requests hit in a single day, and who turns those incidents into architecture lessons worth sharing.
His talks bridge the gap between deep technical depth and real-world pragmatism: no theoretical slides, no happy-path demos. If he's on stage, there's a production story behind it, numbers to back it up, and something the audience can implement on Monday.
Outside of infrastructure fires, Dima is a photographer who built a serverless AWS pipeline to process over 8,000 community event photos in a single conference season — because if you're going to automate something, it might as well be something you love.
Dima speaks at AWS Community Days across Europe — Vienna, Prague, Budapest — and has presented at events as far as Abu Dhabi. He's been recognized as Rookie of the Year at Sage and brings the same energy to the community that he brings to an incident bridge call: calm, direct, and focused on what actually works.

Dmytro is a Senior Cloud Operations Engineer at Sage Austria and an AWS Community Builder based in Vienna, Austria. He co-leads AWS User Group Vienna alongside AWS Hero Linda Mohamed, helping grow one of Central Europe's most active cloud communities... Show more

Amber Daughn

Amber Daughn

Amber Daughn is an international speaker, facilitator, entrepreneur, and founder of Women Onstage Collective whose work explores communication, connection, leadership, gender, and the lived experiences that shape how we show up in the world.

Her talks and workshops are built around a simple premise: some of the most useful things we know aren’t things we learned from a textbook. They come from what we’ve lived, noticed, navigated, questioned, screwed up, and figured out along the way.

Amber brings those ideas into rooms through keynotes, interactive workshops, and multi-day facilitated experiences. Her work ranges from helping people uncover and articulate their Lived Genius and tell better stories, to examining how gender shapes feedback and recognition, why women can be highly rated yet less heard, how leadership changes across different environments, and why most of us were never actually taught how to network and build meaningful professional relationships.

Her current talks and facilitated experiences include Lived Genius Mapping, Pocket Story + Campfire, Networking Primer, Rated Higher + Heard Less, Alpha to Omega Leadership, and Atta Boy vs. Good Girl.

A full-time nomad with no home base, Amber has built businesses, communities, and relationships across cultures and countries. That global perspective runs through her work, along with a curiosity about the assumptions we inherit about how we’re supposed to communicate, connect, work, and lead.

Amber Daughn is an international speaker, facilitator, entrepreneur, and founder of Women Onstage Collective whose work explores communication, connection, leadership, gender, and the lived experiences that shape how we show up in the world. Her t... Show more

Aysenem Yassa

Aysenem Yassa

Aysenem Yassa is a global live experience and entertainment executive who orchestrates the strategic architecture and creative execution of the world's most complex, high-stakes mega-events.

Her 15-year career spans senior enterprise leadership for premier sports properties, international broadcast productions, and multi-venue live entertainment environments, including UEFA, FIBA and the Pan American Games.

She masterminds the cross-functional delivery of multi-million euro venue ecosystems, live-to-air broadcast environments, and audience-first experiential activations across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East.

A senior strategist operating at the critical intersection of technical infrastructure, media production, and artistic direction, she balances high-stakes global delivery with creative disciplines in music, dance, and comedy to shape memorable experiences for global audiences.

Aysenem Yassa is a global live experience and entertainment executive who orchestrates the strategic architecture and creative execution of the world's most complex, high-stakes mega-events. Her 15-year career spans senior enterprise leadership fo... Show more

Ilya Burkin

Ilya Burkin

Ilya Burkin is the Global Marketing Director at ADB SAFEGATE, leading the company’s transformation from a hardware provider to a connected solutions partner for airports worldwide.

With a background spanning brand strategy, digital transformation, and creative storytelling, Ilya spearheaded ADB SAFEGATE’s collaboration with CBS News for the Economy 4.0 documentary — a landmark project that combined marketing, engineering, and purpose-driven communication.

He speaks on topics including B2B storytelling, brand innovation, marketing ROI, and the intersection of technology and creativity in industrial sectors.

Ilya Burkin is the Global Marketing Director at ADB SAFEGATE, leading the company’s transformation from a hardware provider to a connected solutions partner for airports worldwide. With a background spanning brand strategy, digital transformation,... Show more

Rukevwe Agoreyo

Rukevwe Agoreyo

Rukevwe is an Author, Storyteller and Brand Strategist. Rukevwe is an Author, Storyteller and Brand Strategist. Rukevwe is an Author, Storyteller and Brand Strategist. Rukevwe is an Author, Storyteller and Brand Strategist. Rukevwe is an Author, Storyteller and Brand Strategist. Rukevwe is an Author, Storyteller and Brand Strategist. Rukevwe is an Author, Storyteller and Brand Strategist.

Rukevwe is an Author, Storyteller and Brand Strategist. Rukevwe is an Author, Storyteller and Brand Strategist. Rukevwe is an Author, Storyteller and Brand Strategist. Rukevwe is an Author, Storyteller and Brand Strategist. Rukevwe is an Author, Stor... Show more

Andreas Sexauer

Andreas Sexauer

Andreas Sexauer ist Mitarbeiter am Zentrum für Mediales Lernen (ZML) des Karlsruher Instituts für Technologie (KIT). Neben Themen der Medienproduktion und Digitalen Lehre entwickelt er dort im Rahmen des Projekts GenAI@KIT den kompetenten Einsatz generativer KI am KIT mit. Dazu zählen unter anderem die Herstellung der Möglichkeit zur Arbeit mit individuell angepassten KI-Chatbots in allen Lehrveranstaltungen des KIT. Diese sogenannten Custom Chatbots können spezifisch in einer Lehrveranstaltung eingesetzt werden. Dabei können die Lehrpersonen selbst bestimmen, mit welchem Wissenskorpus, z.B. dem eigenen Skript, und mit welchem Verhalten diese Custom Chatbots mit den Studierenden interagieren. In einer Kooperation mit dem KI-Campus ist Andreas einer der Autoren des Prompt-Labor 2: Generative KI in der Hochschullehre – Anwendungen. Dort hat er das Kapitel „Informationsvisualisierung mit KI" beigetragen. Darüber hinaus setzt er sich intensiv mit der Thematik Agentic AI auseinander und wirkt dabei im Hochschulforum Digitalisierung in einer Arbeitsgruppe dazu mit. Im Hochschulnetzwerk Digitalisierung der Lehre in Baden-Württemberg ist er Mitglied der Special Interest Group Learning Analytics und Künstliche Intelligenz (LAKI).

Andreas Sexauer ist Mitarbeiter am Zentrum für Mediales Lernen (ZML) des Karlsruher Instituts für Technologie (KIT). Neben Themen der Medienproduktion und Digitalen Lehre entwickelt er dort im Rahmen des Projekts GenAI@KIT den kompetenten Einsatz gen... Show more

Felice Pescatore

Felice Pescatore

Organizations do not change by decree; they change when people, processes, data, and technologies start to communicate with one another.

This is where I come in, working on the integration of people, processes, data, and technologies: the lever through which I accelerate organizational evolution, strengthen execution capabilities, and generate sustainable value over time.

I design and lead cross-functional change and transformation initiatives, operating across governance, innovation, data strategy, operating model design, and the adoption of digital solutions.

My primary objective is to ensure that strategy does not remain on paper, by fostering a culture oriented toward continuous improvement, collaboration, and collective intelligence.

—-

Holds a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, an Executive MBA, and a Master’s in Software Technologies and Management.

He is a proponent of Intelligent Business Agility and the author of the book of the same name. He leads the open project AgileConstellation and is a member of international working groups, including those of the PMI. He actively participates in international conferences and events, both as a speaker and as a co-organizer.

In parallel, he nurtures a strong passion for technology, which he expresses by exploring the impact of the digital revolution on society through the thematic portal StoriaInformatica.it, contributions to specialized publications, and in-person initiatives such as Comunicando, aimed at sharing and promoting the history of computing.

Organizations do not change by decree; they change when people, processes, data, and technologies start to communicate with one another. This is where I come in, working on the integration of people, processes, data, and technologies: the lever th... Show more

Bruzer Patricia Asongwe Patricia

Bruzer Patricia Asongwe Patricia

Iam a communications and development studies graduate who resitesin Cameroon, a wife and a mother passionate about career development and career growth. At a point in my career search after graduation, l wished someone could have had an honest career conversations that, most times building a career or having a job is not always straightforward as portrayed by the society and that is where the non generic club was born.As someone who stands against generic content, and advice, it is my objective to help young individuals with the truth and having these conversations such as the rejection, the disappointment, the confusion, the feeling for failing and many more.

Iam a communications and development studies graduate who resitesin Cameroon, a wife and a mother passionate about career development and career growth. At a point in my career search after graduation, l wished someone could have had an honest career... Show more

David Akinyemi

David Akinyemi

David Akinyemi is a Web Designer, SEO Specialist, and Tech Entrepreneur with a deep passion for people, missions, and enterprise. He co-founded YouLift in August 2015, a start-up dedicated to launching ambitious tech solutions for the Global South, and is currently at the helm of developing the Churched App, a one stop hub community automation tool for churches.

With a rich background in technology and digital marketing, David has worked in various capacities, from leading community initiatives at Gtext Media in Ogba, Lagos to serving as a Business Assistant and Web Designer at WebBoxOut in Ikoyi. Over the past 9 years, he has also led development, design, and digital marketing efforts at YouLift in Ibadan. Beyond his work with YouLift, David has collaborated with notable organizations such as Carviva - a leading autocare startup in Nigeria, ManageMyWebsite in the United Kingdom and Sustainable Digital in Vermont, United States. Currently, he holds a position as a Senior Web Designer and SEO Specialist with Spaceworks Studio in the UAE.

As a dedicated mentor and educator, David has trained over 1000 young university students across Nigeria, in a bid to inspire the next generation of tech leaders. He’s also the founder of the David Akinyemi School of Thought and Philosophical Engagement, a family trust bequeathed with the responsibility of sponsoring the education of public high school students who stand out during an annual debating and essay writing competition in Ondo State, Nigeria. He also give back to the community through Autoimmune Africa and gibormag. He recently spoke at TedxUCHIbadan on the struggles of chronic disease patients seeking access to quality healthcare in Nigeria.

In his personal life, David is a devout Christian, a loving husband to Vek Akinyemi, and a proud father to Iyebiye and Tirenioluwa. He participated in a Bachelor of Arts program in Theatre and Media Arts at the University of Benin from 2014 - 2017 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Ibadan from 2017 – 2024. An avid Liverpool Football Club supporter, he also enjoys writing poetry and playing checkers in his free time.

David Akinyemi is a Web Designer, SEO Specialist, and Tech Entrepreneur with a deep passion for people, missions, and enterprise. He co-founded YouLift in August 2015, a start-up dedicated to launching ambitious tech solutions for the Global South, a... Show more

Jo Hasenau

Jo Hasenau

Jo Hasenau is an open source veteran who has been building, maintaining, and scaling community-driven software ecosystems for more than two decades.

He started out in the early days of the internet, moved from a late-80s designer background to digital media production in the 90s, and then shifted his focus to large-scale platforms and integration problems - from corporate environments such as T-Systems and Deutsche Telekom to long-running open source projects such as TYPO3, maintained in the open.

He is known for shipping pragmatic tools and growing communities, as a maintainer of widely used extensions, a trainer and coach, a speaker at conferences, developer days, and camps, and an organizer of formats such as the User Experience Week. He has also contributed through publications, including the O’Reilly TYPO3 Cookbook.

After serving as CTO at InnoCoding, he now works at the next layer beyond websites as a Big Picture Brainiac at Cybercraft, focusing on AI-enabled content infrastructure, interoperability, and digital sovereignty.

Jo Hasenau is an open source veteran who has been building, maintaining, and scaling community-driven software ecosystems for more than two decades. He started out in the early days of the internet, moved from a late-80s designer background to dig... Show more

kAPCHE Michelle

kAPCHE Michelle

En 3 ans à gérer des campagnes Meta, TikTok et Pinterest pour des marques de mode e-commerce en Europe, j'ai appris ce qui fait vraiment vendre en ligne. Mais appliquer ces techniques telles quelles au Cameroun échoue souvent parce que le vrai problème n'est pas la technique, c'est la confiance. Les Camerounais achètent ce qu'ils comprennent et voient directement, pas ce qu'on leur explique. Cette session décortique pourquoi le ciblage et la créa publicitaire européens ne se transposent pas tels quels ici, et propose une méthode concrète : cibler autrement quand les données utilisateurs sont peu fiables, et construire des créas "preuve d'abord" plutôt que "argumentaire d'abord".

En 3 ans à gérer des campagnes Meta, TikTok et Pinterest pour des marques de mode e-commerce en Europe, j'ai appris ce qui fait vraiment vendre en ligne. Mais appliquer ces techniques telles quelles au Cameroun échoue souvent parce que le vrai problè... Show more

James Kaminsky

James Kaminsky

James Kaminsky is a senior editorial director and digital content strategist who has overseen editorial teams for leading names in the media industry. His professional experience covers both print and digital publishing, and he has directed content strategy for Maxim, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Men’s Journal, Realtor.com, and Homes.com.

James was raised in Westport, Connecticut. He attended Boston University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Film and Broadcast Journalism. While still a student, he contributed to the university newspaper and completed an internship at The Boston Globe, which provided him with valuable early newsroom experience. After graduating, he moved to New York and began his career in business publishing, steadily progressing through editorial ranks to become editor-in-chief at Act III Communications. In that position, he guided teams focused on content that spanned entertainment, business, and technology.

As his career advanced, he shifted toward consumer magazines and freelanced for several respected publications. This eventually led to senior editorial roles at Men’s Journal and Conde Nast Sports for Women, where he helped develop editorial strategies and launch new initiatives—his time at Men’s Journal involved shaping the magazine’s direction. At the same time, at Conde Nast, he gained experience with new publication launches.

In 1999, James Kaminsky joined Maxim as executive editor, contributing to the publication’s rapid rise in the United States. He later became an editorial director at Playboy, where he played a pivotal role in evolving the brand and updating its journalistic approach to appeal to a new audience.

He continued to take on leadership roles at Wenner Media, working with both Rolling Stone and Men’s Journal to strengthen content offerings and expand digital efforts. Returning to Maxim, he helped steer the magazine through changing industry dynamics.

James then took on editorial leadership at Life Reimagined for AARP. He went on to serve as Senior Editorial Director at Realtor.com for more than eight years, building a digital news operation from the ground up. His latest position at Homes.com involved directing content about luxury real estate in New York.

Today, James Kaminsky enjoys cycling, hiking, and films. He now works independently as a consultant and writer, bringing his editorial expertise to a range of projects and clients.

James Kaminsky is a senior editorial director and digital content strategist who has overseen editorial teams for leading names in the media industry. His professional experience covers both print and digital publishing, and he has directed content s... Show more

Leslie Grandy

Leslie Grandy

Leslie Grandy is an accomplished author, speaker, and CEO advisor who helps companies, teams, and product leaders leverage creative thinking to elevate their organizations, conquer their markets, and maintain relevance in a rapidly changing world. Leslie works with start-ups and large publicly traded companies, including Oracle, Starbucks, and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, to empower individuals at all levels to identify innovative solutions and think expansively.

With a career spanning over 25 years, Leslie Grandy has taken an unconventional path as a creative leader. From her successful stint in the film industry in Los Angeles as a member of the Directors Guild of America, she transitioned to leadership roles in iconic brands such as Amazon, Best Buy, Discovery, T-Mobile, and Apple. Her ability to build teams from scratch and launch pioneering products has been the hallmark of her success, leading the team that launched the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, and the ground-breaking digital media subscription service RealOne SuperPass. This innovative streaming service included major content brands like Turner, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, CNN, and ABCNews and, as part of its development, Leslie co-authored a patent currently held by Intel. She has also led internal innovation labs and is an IDEO-trained leader in Design Thinking.

More recently, Grandy co-created the Product Management Leadership Accelerator, part of the University of Washington Foster School of Business Executive Education program, where she serves as the Lead Executive in Residence. Leslie Grandy is also a member of the Board of Advisors and Adjunct Faculty at Regis College's Marshall Sloane School of Business, as well as West Virginia University’s College of Creative Arts and Media.

Leslie Grandy is an accomplished author, speaker, and CEO advisor who helps companies, teams, and product leaders leverage creative thinking to elevate their organizations, conquer their markets, and maintain relevance in a rapidly changing world. Le... Show more

Adam Olenn

Adam Olenn

In over 25 years of creative leadership in branding and marketing, Adam has discovered that the most powerful form of connection, communication, and persuasion is also the oldest—great storytelling. With rich support from neuroscientists, psychologists, and behavioral economists, he shows audiences why that is, and how they can use it to their advantage.

Best of all, the insights in Adam’s keynotes explain phenomena that many people sense are true without knowing why. Armed with the tools, research, and empathy Adam brings to the stage, they emerge as more confident communicators in their personal and professional lives.

Based in Rhode Island, Adam has earned rave reviews by audiences from Boston to Borneo. And with the rise of AI, Adam is determined to empower as many people as possible to become compelling, connection-building storytellers.

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In this high-energy, aha-moment-filled keynote, you’ll learn why stories have such a powerful hold on us, how they work, the transformative effect storytelling can have on your business, and how to do it.

Here are just a few of the benefits you can enjoy immediately:
- Unparalleled ROI
- Increased sales and fundraising revenue
- Greater productivity
- Higher retention
- …and much, much more

Learn more at https://www.rustleandspark.com/story

In over 25 years of creative leadership in branding and marketing, Adam has discovered that the most powerful form of connection, communication, and persuasion is also the oldest—great storytelling. With rich support from neuroscientists, psychologi... Show more

Emmanuella Theophilus

Emmanuella Theophilus

Theophilus Emmanuella is a Content and Personal Branding Strategist and the founder of WordBuilt, where she helps founders and professionals communicate their ideas clearly and build a stronger presence around their work.

Her work sits at the intersection of content, storytelling and professional visibility. Over the past few years, she has worked on personal brands, ghostwritten for founders, and built her own presence online while learning what makes people pay attention to good work.

She is particularly interested in the gap between having something valuable to offer and being able to communicate that value in a way people understand.

Through her work, she helps professionals move beyond simply “creating content” to thinking more intentionally about what they want to be known for, how they communicate their expertise and how their professional reputation grows over time.

She is also a law graduate with an interest in technology and cybersecurity, and enjoys exploring the intersection between technology, communication and the way people build careers in a digital world.

Theophilus Emmanuella is a Content and Personal Branding Strategist and the founder of WordBuilt, where she helps founders and professionals communicate their ideas clearly and build a stronger presence around their work. Her work sits at the inte... Show more

Rachel Strauss

Rachel Strauss

Rachel Strauss is a voice Actor, Podcaster, Producer, Writer and Professor. She produces and hosts the award-winning Latinos Out Loud podcast, and serves as a judge for the Ambies, WEBBY and SIGNAL Awards.

Rachel Strauss is a voice Actor, Podcaster, Producer, Writer and Professor. She produces and hosts the award-winning Latinos Out Loud podcast, and serves as a judge for the Ambies, WEBBY and SIGNAL Awards. Show more

Brian Cottington

Brian Cottington

Brian Cottington is a podcast producer, content strategist, and educator with a passion for helping creators turn their ideas into sustainable, audience-growing shows. With over a decade of experience in audio and video production, he knows what it takes to cut through the noise because he’s done it himself.

As the longtime producer and host of The Cinema Psychos Show, Brian has honed his skills in crafting engaging, binge-worthy content. Off the mic, he leverages his expertise as the Manager of Video Marketing for Libsyn, where he develops educational resources for podcasters—from launch strategies to YouTube growth and editing workflows.

Aside from his love of podcasting and content creation, Brian also serves as a seasoned adjunct professor across multiple universities in Pittsburgh, instructing students in video production, animation, and podcasting.

Brian Cottington is a podcast producer, content strategist, and educator with a passion for helping creators turn their ideas into sustainable, audience-growing shows. With over a decade of experience in audio and video production, he knows what it t... Show more

Rasagy Sharma

Rasagy Sharma

Hi, I’m Rasagy Sharma. I love making data meaningful, and I’ve spent 12+ years leading design teams & building data-heavy products.

I currently head the design team for DataLabs at Capital One, and was earlier heading the design team at Gramener. I’ve designed apps & data visualizations at large orgs like Microsoft & Barclays, and been one of the first designers at early-stage startups like Sundial, Mapbox (Data team) & Capillary Technologies.

In my free time, I love to make sense of knowledge through sketchnoting, create art using data & code, and support design communities through speaking, teaching & volunteering. I’m an Adjunct Assistant Professor at IDC, IIT Bombay, and I regularly teach for NID’s M.Des. in Information Design program (my alma mater).

I’m currently diving deep into design leadership & knowledge management, and I’m passionate about data visualization, cartography, creative coding & sketchnoting.

Hi, I’m Rasagy Sharma. I love making data meaningful, and I’ve spent 12+ years leading design teams & building data-heavy products. I currently head the design team for DataLabs at Capital One, and was earlier heading the design team at Gramener. ... Show more

Michelangelo Capraro

Michelangelo Capraro

I'm an Experience Design Architect working on the user experience of Autodesk APIs. We call this APIX. I've been a designer and coder for over 25 years, and have always believed strongly that designers can design and build anything they put their curious minds to. Curiosity has lead me through many design adventures designing online games, operating systems, medical devices, cloud APIs, virtual reality experiences, and several indoor theme parks. Throughout my career, I've enjoyed combining my love of design and code to make things come to life - whether on the screen, in your hand, or as a spatial experience all around you. I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of an amazing organization helping to create delightful experiences for developers inside and outside of Autodesk.

I'm an Experience Design Architect working on the user experience of Autodesk APIs. We call this APIX. I've been a designer and coder for over 25 years, and have always believed strongly that designers can design and build anything they put their cur... Show more

Ray Voice

Ray Voice

Ray Voice is a Forbes-featured independent economic analyst, CEO, marketer, and author. For over sixteen years, he has served as a brand advisor to financial institutions, investment funds, and prominent legal firms across Wall Street and international capital markets, guiding complex brand positioning, institutional communication, and high-stakes PR cases.

As the Chief Executive Officer of Voice/Muramasa Agency Group and Co-Managing Partner of Rykaur, Ray oversees a portfolio of strategic ventures dedicated to advancing individual sovereignty and liberty, while servicing specific demographics aligned with those market requirements. He is known for a hedge-fund-like brand management and advertising strategy that leverages macroeconomic forces and quant-like models—prioritizing the right risk-and-return profile for each business rather than pursuing the volatile, high-risk tactics rampant across the advertising and PR industries.

Ray is the author of Parasocial Influence and writes the widely circulated Across Wealth & Influence newsletter, read by over 7,800 subscribers, including investors, executives, philanthropists, NGOs, activists, and civil attorneys. For his insights on advertising, business, finance, search engine architecture, and social media algorithm architecture, he has been featured in over 300 media outlets, including Forbes.com.

"Sovereignty over oneself is the only valid proof of wealth, success, and liberty."
— Ray Voice

Ray Voice is a Forbes-featured independent economic analyst, CEO, marketer, and author. For over sixteen years, he has served as a brand advisor to financial institutions, investment funds, and prominent legal firms across Wall Street and internation... Show more

Iva Jovanovic

Iva Jovanovic

Iva Jovanovic is an experienced Content Marketing Specialist & SEO consultant, and the organizer of the Belgrade SEO Conference and Heapcon. She specializes in SEO and content creation for websites and social media, but also works on Technical SEO and web development. As an active member of Heapspace, a vibrant community for IT professionals, she has been on the organizing team for Heapcon since 2022 and Belgrade SEO Conference, and has hosted Heapspace Meetups and SEO Talks. Originally an MA Art Historian and curator, she has been in the content marketing and SEO industry since 2018 and has worked with brands across Europe and the US in various industries ranging from IT, AI, cybersecurity, and SaaS to lifestyle, travel, transport, automotive, and relocation. She's also been a guest on podcasts, panels, meetups, and conferences.

Iva Jovanovic is an experienced Content Marketing Specialist & SEO consultant, and the organizer of the Belgrade SEO Conference and Heapcon. She specializes in SEO and content creation for websites and social media, but also works on Technical SEO an... Show more

Ana Sarmiento

Ana Sarmiento

Ana Sarmiento is a senior media executive and an expert in navigating the complexities of the post-AI media landscape. Her focus extends beyond content creation to the critical mechanics of performance: using AI to unlock deeper audience insights and solving the real-world challenges facing modern media companies. From combating the traffic implications of liquid content to standing out in increasingly saturated creator marketplaces, Ana provides real world data-backed tactics. She draws on her deep experience in revenue operations to help organizations identify hidden costs and implement the emerging business models required to thrive in a synthetic media world.

She is the Director of AI Revenue at Advance Local and has an extensive background at industry giants including Disney, Paramount, and HBO. She has an EMBA from UCLA Anderson and a BBA from The University of Georgia. She brings a rare trifecta to the stage: creative media intuition, technical product rigor, and the high-stakes financial strategy of management consulting. Ana provides an action-oriented blueprint for turning Generative AI innovation into commercial success.

Ana Sarmiento is a senior media executive and an expert in navigating the complexities of the post-AI media landscape. Her focus extends beyond content creation to the critical mechanics of performance: using AI to unlock deeper audience insights and... Show more

Khoa Le

Khoa Le

Khoa Dinh Le is an entrepreneur and filmmaker, founder of Sutudu (Sutudu.com and Sutudu.tv), an AI-powered film & TV licensing marketplace and streaming platform helping creators distribute and monetize content worldwide. He has directed and produced work across film, commercials, and corporate branding, with projects distributed globally and available on major OTT platforms.

Khoa Dinh Le is an entrepreneur and filmmaker, founder of Sutudu (Sutudu.com and Sutudu.tv), an AI-powered film & TV licensing marketplace and streaming platform helping creators distribute and monetize content worldwide. He has directed and produced... Show more

Benjamin Piouffle

Benjamin Piouffle

Benjamin is a software engineer engaged in open-source and civic tech since 2017. He's mostly known for his work at Open Collective, an open-source crowdfunding platform focused on money transparency and decentralized groups. He's also a core contributor to CaptainFact, an open-source fact-checking platform for online videos.

Benjamin is a software engineer engaged in open-source and civic tech since 2017. He's mostly known for his work at Open Collective, an open-source crowdfunding platform focused on money transparency and decentralized groups. He's also a core contrib... Show more

Eraina Ferguson

Eraina Ferguson

Eraina Ferguson is a special needs advocate, journalist, and TEDx event curator, and TEDx speaker. Her company, My Good Life, enables families of children with special needs to live their best life despite their circumstances. Her recent monologue, Listen to Her, was read by actress Marla Gibbs and featured at the WACO Theatre’s 50in50 event. Her writing has been featured on NBC Universal, Red Tricycle, LA Parents Magazine, and the LA Times. Eraina lives in California with her husband and children.

Eraina Ferguson is a special needs advocate, journalist, and TEDx event curator, and TEDx speaker. Her company, My Good Life, enables families of children with special needs to live their best life despite their circumstances. Her recent monologue, L... Show more

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