Media & Information

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

Jonathan Petit-Charles

Jonathan Petit-Charles

Native from a small south Caribbean island, passionate about good music and good food, Jonathan was convinced that he would have followed his dreams. Instead of being a chef in a starred restaurant on a paradise island, or being the sound engineer for several major international artists in a large studio in L.A., he finally preferred to take the red pill from the hands of Morpheus in order to fight in the Matrix.
Fervent defender of Neo, he first started with Mouse as a web developer. Following many updates, and more than 15 years of hard fighting, he is now in control of the Oracle as PO/PM and Product Coach to better guide this small team.

Native from a small south Caribbean island, passionate about good music and good food, Jonathan was convinced that he would have followed his dreams. Instead of being a chef in a starred restaurant on a paradise island, or being the sound engineer fo... Show more

Michael Bower

Michael Bower

Michael Bower is a 30+ year broadcasting and podcast veteran who has hosted national shows on Sirius Satellite Radio, delivered daily reports as a National Correspondent for NBC News Radio, and produced more than 1,000 podcasts across genres. As a former VP of Programming for Ingstad Minnesota Radio Network, he led talent development, coached on-air hosts, and even tested early AI “on-air personalities” — discovering why authenticity always beats automation.

Today, Michael brings that experience to the stage with talks that blend broadcast discipline, podcast innovation, and humor from his years in stand-up comedy. His signature sessions — Craft Over Clout, Process Over Perfection, and The AI DJ Problem — help creators cut through the noise, build loyal audiences, and reclaim quality in an algorithm-driven era.

Michael’s approach is simple but powerful: respect your listener’s time, earn their trust, and give them something they’ll come back for.

Michael Bower is a 30+ year broadcasting and podcast veteran who has hosted national shows on Sirius Satellite Radio, delivered daily reports as a National Correspondent for NBC News Radio, and produced more than 1,000 podcasts across genres. As a fo... Show more

Sanaa Harmach

Sanaa Harmach

Growth Product Manager @ Integrate | COO @ Agency 99 | Host @ CouzinTech Podcast | Community Lead @ The Product Leaders

Growth Product Manager @ Integrate | COO @ Agency 99 | Host @ CouzinTech Podcast | Community Lead @ The Product Leaders Show more

NaVell Lee

NaVell Lee

NaVell J. Lee is the creator and host of The Buzz – BuzzWorthy Radio. Podcasting since 2007, he has built an award-winning independent entertainment podcast, earning recognition from the Signal Awards, Astra Awards, and Telly Awards.

NaVell J. Lee is the creator and host of The Buzz – BuzzWorthy Radio. Podcasting since 2007, he has built an award-winning independent entertainment podcast, earning recognition from the Signal Awards, Astra Awards, and Telly Awards. Show more

Nalin Theodore

Nalin Theodore

Nalin Theodore is a recent graduate of Christopher Newport University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies with a minor in Leadership Studies. During his time at CNU, Nalin was actively involved in the Presidential Leadership Program, Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society, Residence Life, and the Men’s Ultimate Frisbee Team. Nalin’s interest in sustainability grew through his involvement in student-led environmental initiatives and his work as a Reuzzi Student Ambassador. In this role, he used his strengths in communication, storytelling, and video production to create engaging promotional content that raised awareness of Reuzzi’s sustainable solutions and encouraged more environmentally conscious choices among college students. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Management at George Mason University while working as a Sales Consultant at Safford Subaru Manassas. Nalin is passionate about using communication, leadership, and creative media to strengthen communities and make sustainability more accessible and engaging. Outside of his professional and academic work, he enjoys volunteering in his community, creating videos, staying active, exploring the outdoors, and playing ultimate frisbee.

Nalin Theodore is a recent graduate of Christopher Newport University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies with a minor in Leadership Studies. During his time at CNU, Nalin was actively involved in the Presidential Leadership ... Show more

Aycee Brown

Aycee Brown

Aycee Brown is a psychic medium, astrologer, spiritual guide, and teacher, and the host of the podcast Is My Aura On Straight? Known as the “Voice of Truth,” she helps people break free from inherited identities, unchosen wounds, and survival patterns so they can live their most unapologetic, magical lives. Her work has been featured in Essence, HuffPost, Ebony, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Bustle, Brides, Elite Daily, and Who, What, Wear.

Aycee Brown is a psychic medium, astrologer, spiritual guide, and teacher, and the host of the podcast Is My Aura On Straight? Known as the “Voice of Truth,” she helps people break free from inherited identities, unchosen wounds, and survival pattern... Show more

Bastian Eichler

Bastian Eichler

With over a decade of experience in B2B leadership, Bastian brings a wealth of insights from both the traditional corporate world and the dynamic startup scene. As VP Product/Marketing at WorkMotion, he is at the forefront of shaping the "Future of Work."

Bastian's passion for remote work has grown during the pandemic, leading him to develop expertise in leading decentralized, global, and intercultural teams. His experience and insights make him a valuable speaker on the ever-evolving landscape of work.

With over a decade of experience in B2B leadership, Bastian brings a wealth of insights from both the traditional corporate world and the dynamic startup scene. As VP Product/Marketing at WorkMotion, he is at the forefront of shaping the "Future of W... Show more

Joris Quarshie (Ext, OHF)

Joris Quarshie (Ext, OHF)

Joris Quarshie is an Events and Programs Officer at Open Knowledge Impact Foundation, where he leads the planning and execution of impactful programs that promote open knowledge, community engagement, and digital inclusion. He works closely with diverse stakeholders to design initiatives that empower contributors, strengthen collaborative networks, and advance access to free and open information across communities.

Joris Quarshie is an Events and Programs Officer at Open Knowledge Impact Foundation, where he leads the planning and execution of impactful programs that promote open knowledge, community engagement, and digital inclusion. He works closely with dive... Show more

Saim Sohail

Saim Sohail


𝐈 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬, 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐬, 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐄𝐎 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐌𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡.

With experience across Shopify development, WordPress full-stack development, SEO, digital marketing, inbound and outbound growth, I create solutions that directly support business goals — not just technical requirements.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐢𝐧

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐟𝐲:
Custom app development
Theme customization & speed optimization
Conversion-focused store setup
eCommerce automation

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬:
Custom plugin development
Full theme development
API integrations
Performance & security optimization

𝐒𝐄𝐎 & 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
Technical SEO & on-page optimization
Content strategy & keyword planning
Inbound marketing funnels
Outbound outreach frameworks (email + ads)

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭
I combine development + marketing + automation to create complete digital systems.
This means clients don’t just get a website — they get business growth, improved conversions, and measurable results.

𝐌𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
To help brands scale faster through smarter websites, optimized funnels, and high-impact digital strategies.

𝐈 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬, 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐬, 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐄𝐎 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢�... Show more

Fernanda Ochoa O - Mi Vida con Ella Podcast

Fernanda Ochoa O - Mi Vida con Ella Podcast

I'm Fer Ochoa — a digital strategist, content creator, creative director, and audiovisual producer from Mexico, based in Utah, United States. Through my agency 91 Studio, I work with Latino entrepreneurs and business owners to take their brands to the next level — because I understand from the inside what it means to build something of your own in a country that isn't yours.
My story starts with a moment of deep clarity: recognizing my own talents and understanding that no one else was going to come build my dreams for me. Since then, I've dedicated my work to creating paths — for myself and for others.
I'm passionate about finding formulas, tools, and inspiration to help us become our best selves. That search led me to found Mi Vida con Ella ("My Life with Her"), a Spanish-language podcast built around deep conversations with women who have made hard decisions, built businesses, and reinvented themselves. A space created especially for Hispanic women who sometimes feel they don't belong or that their dreams aren't possible — and who need to hear that they are.
Beyond my digital work, I've spoken at local events in Utah, connecting closely with the needs of the Hispanic community and bringing messages of information, motivation, and possibility to those who need it most. For me, the greatest achievement isn't a number — it's the real connection with my community.

I'm Fer Ochoa — a digital strategist, content creator, creative director, and audiovisual producer from Mexico, based in Utah, United States. Through my agency 91 Studio, I work with Latino entrepreneurs and business owners to take their brands to th... Show more

Nate Stone

Nate Stone

Nate Stone is the co-founder and CEO of DittoDub, a creator-built AI dubbing and localization platform whose models have added more than 140 billion views and driven some of the fastest growth on YouTube. He helps creators and media teams expand globally with authentic multilingual content and models that replicate the creator's voices across languages.

Nate came to this problem as both a builder and a creator. After non-native viewers asked him to make his Keystone Science videos easier to follow, he founded DittoDub. Previously, he worked on AI at Amazon Alexa and earned degrees in physics, mathematics, and computer science.

Nate Stone is the co-founder and CEO of DittoDub, a creator-built AI dubbing and localization platform whose models have added more than 140 billion views and driven some of the fastest growth on YouTube. He helps creators and media teams expand glob... Show more

Gabrielle Birchak

Gabrielle Birchak

Gabrielle Birchak is what happens when a mathematician walks into a comedy club and never fully leaves.

A science communicator, podcast host, and author, Birchak helps students and educators see “science” not as an intimidating subject but as something everyone already does every day without realizing it.

In her keynote, “You Already Think Like a Mathematician (You Just Don’t Know It Yet),” Birchak draws on history’s overlooked scientific figures to show audiences that curiosity, reasoning, and problem-solving aren’t special skills reserved for “science people;” they are tools everyone already has. The talk blends storytelling, history, and humor to make scientific thinking feel accessible, human, and immediately usable, whether in a classroom, a research lab, or everyday life.

As host of Math! Science! History!®, a podcast with over 200 research-based episodes reaching a worldwide audience, Birchak has spent years researching and telling the stories of the people history forgot to credit. Her work draws on her early experience in media relations at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, her background in mathematics and journalism, and her contributions to the Mathematical Association of America.

Birchak is currently bringing this keynote to stages for the first time, and is especially drawn to educational audiences, students, educators, and institutions looking to make science feel less like a subject and more like a mindset.

Gabrielle Birchak is what happens when a mathematician walks into a comedy club and never fully leaves. A science communicator, podcast host, and author, Birchak helps students and educators see “science” not as an intimidating subject but as some... 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

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

Amr Assad

Amr Assad

Dr. Amr Assad is a distinguished Academic Leader and Assistant Professor of Mass Communication at the Higher Colleges of Technology. Holding a PhD in Broadcasting from Cairo University, he has dedicated over two decades to excellence in teaching, research, and curriculum development within the field of mass media.

As a seasoned educator, Dr. Assad specializes in media literacy, digital storytelling, social media dynamics, and communication theory. He integrates advanced teaching methods and educational technologies to create engaging and inclusive learning environments to support diverse student populations in achieving academic excellence.

Throughout his career, Dr. Assad’s research has been published in reputable peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. His work explores valuable insights into social media usage, media ethics, and the impact of digital tools on communication practices. These contributions have significantly influenced academic discourse and the development of media curricula across multiple institutions.

Dr. Assad also actively participates in various scholarly and administrative committees, serving on the Program Academic Committee (PAC), Divisional Promotion Committee, and the Applied Media Industry Advisory Committee, among others, where he continues to integrate industry best practices and drive academic innovation.

Dr. Assad is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of communication professionals, providing personalized guidance, and nurturing an environment conducive to academic and professional success. He is open to connecting with fellow academics, industry professionals, and collaborators who share a passion for shaping the future of mass communication.

Dr. Amr Assad is a distinguished Academic Leader and Assistant Professor of Mass Communication at the Higher Colleges of Technology. Holding a PhD in Broadcasting from Cairo University, he has dedicated over two decades to excellence in teaching, res... Show more

Yuliya Gorenko

Yuliya Gorenko

Yuliya Gorenko is an award-winning influencer marketing strategist with over a decade of hands-on experience building and executing influencer programs.
Yuliya has worked with 100+ brands globally, facilitated thousands of brand-influencer partnerships, and scaled cybersecurity influencer programs from zero to eight-figure budgets. From LinkedIn creator campaigns and podcasts to short-form video and in-person activations, she’s done it all and knows how to make each channel perform.
Yuliya has been championing influencer-led storytelling in cybersecurity long before it was widely accepted. She now drives influencer strategy at Mischka, the leading cybersecurity influencer marketing agency.

Yuliya Gorenko is an award-winning influencer marketing strategist with over a decade of hands-on experience building and executing influencer programs. Yuliya has worked with 100+ brands globally, facilitated thousands of brand-influencer partners... 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

Oscar Scolding

Oscar Scolding

I’m Oscar Scolding, founder of Eclypseo, a Dubai-based SEO and AI search consultancy. I have spent 10+ years helping brands turn search visibility into measurable leads, revenue and growth, with experience across agencies, startups, SMEs and global names including Amazon, Nissan, Tommee Tippee, UFC, GITEX Global and Dubai World Trade Centre. My work focuses on SEO, GEO and answer-engine optimisation, helping businesses get found across Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity and AI-driven discovery journeys. I speak practically, without jargon, showing founders and marketing teams how to build visibility that actually supports commercial growth.

I’m Oscar Scolding, founder of Eclypseo, a Dubai-based SEO and AI search consultancy. I have spent 10+ years helping brands turn search visibility into measurable leads, revenue and growth, with experience across agencies, startups, SMEs and global n... Show more

Rebeccah Silence

Rebeccah Silence

The World’s Leading Love & Emotional Healing Coach as named by Business Insider. Trained therapist bringing the best of therapy and the best of coaching for the past 25+ years. Creator of The Practice of Emotional Healing. Author of Coming Back to Life: A Roadmap to Healing from Pain to Create the Life You Want. #1 NY Radio Host for 15 Years. Member of the Board of Directors for Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley

The World’s Leading Love & Emotional Healing Coach as named by Business Insider. Trained therapist bringing the best of therapy and the best of coaching for the past 25+ years. Creator of The Practice of Emotional Healing. Author of Coming Back to Li... 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

Christian Wermke

Christian Wermke

Working since 12 years for Germany's biggest financial daily "Handelsblatt", since 2024 as Deputy Lead of Weekend & Report. Since 2022, covering as well Web3, crypto, and NFTs and building the first newspaper-driven NFT community in Europe. Moderated several events in Germany and Italy. Founder of the digital art platform VistaVagabond.xyz in 2023.

Working since 12 years for Germany's biggest financial daily "Handelsblatt", since 2024 as Deputy Lead of Weekend & Report. Since 2022, covering as well Web3, crypto, and NFTs and building the first newspaper-driven NFT community in Europe. Moderated... Show more

Elizabeth Dunbar

Elizabeth Dunbar

Elizabeth Dunbar is executive editor of MinnPost, an independent nonprofit newsroom based in Minneapolis. Before joining MinnPost in 2022, she was a member of the newsroom leadership team at Minnesota Public Radio. In both newsrooms, she has responded to complex breaking news and safety considerations for journalists during an unprecedented time in Minnesota, beginning with the pandemic and the George Floyd uprising in 2020 and most recently with ICE enforcement this winter in the Twin Cities.

Elizabeth Dunbar is executive editor of MinnPost, an independent nonprofit newsroom based in Minneapolis. Before joining MinnPost in 2022, she was a member of the newsroom leadership team at Minnesota Public Radio. In both newsrooms, she has responde... Show more

Julie Watts

Julie Watts

Julie Watts is a national-award-winning investigative correspondent for CBS News California. Based in California’s State Capitol, Julie's reporting combines watchdog journalism with solutions-focused storytelling to expose systemic failures, hold the powerful accountable, spur legislative reforms, increase transparency and drive change.

Julie Watts is a national-award-winning investigative correspondent for CBS News California. Based in California’s State Capitol, Julie's reporting combines watchdog journalism with solutions-focused storytelling to expose systemic failures, hold the... Show more

Brendan Keefe

Brendan Keefe

Brendan Keefe serves as Chief Investigator for Atlanta News First Investigates. He’s one of the most-decorated investigative reporters in the nation.

Brendan’s investigations have earned two National Emmys, the George Foster Peabody Award, the DuPont-Columbia Silver Baton, nine National Edward R. Murrow Awards, and more than 145 regional Emmys.

His biggest motivation is uncovering systemic and institutional failures with the goal of making our communities better and safer places in which to live. Brendan’s stories have changed laws, led to multiple patents, fixed the nation’s 911 system, and stopped DEA agents from searching innocent air travelers nationwide.

Brendan has worked as an investigative reporter in Atlanta for over a decade. He began his career 35 years ago as a news photographer. Brendan never really put the camera down as a reporter and anchor in cities across the nation, including Houston and New York City.

He was embedded with the US Army during the Iraq war. Brendan has also taught generations of journalists as a member of the visiting faculty of the Poynter Institute. Brendan graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in English Literature.

Today, Brendan is a one-man-band by choice, serving as his own photographer, producer and video editor on complex investigations for Atlanta News First, and Gray Media’s national program, InvestigateTV+.

Brendan Keefe serves as Chief Investigator for Atlanta News First Investigates. He’s one of the most-decorated investigative reporters in the nation. Brendan’s investigations have earned two National Emmys, the George Foster Peabody Award, the DuP... Show more

Ana María Carrano

Ana María Carrano

Ana María Carrano is a journalist specializing in fact-checking, innovation, and access to information. She is the Managing Editor of Factchequeado, a media literacy and fact-checking organization dedicated to combating misinformation and closing the information gap for Latinos in the United States. She previously served as Senior Editor of elDetector, Univision’s fact-checking unit. She is a 2026 Solutions Journalism Network fellow and was previously a fellow with NAHJ’s 2025 ¡Adelante! program and Stanford’s 2014 John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship.

Ana María Carrano is a journalist specializing in fact-checking, innovation, and access to information. She is the Managing Editor of Factchequeado, a media literacy and fact-checking organization dedicated to combating misinformation and closing the... Show more

Baron Manett

Baron Manett

As a leading brand builder and speaker on experience, content, and audience engagement. Baron's work has contributed to the marketing success of many leading brands, including Royal Bank of Canada.CA, Visa, Conagra, Ontario Tourism, Unilever, TD Bank, and other brand leaders. Baron continues to lead his team of marketing and brand experience designers at the firm he founded in 2016, Per Se Brand Experience (PSBX).

Baron was part of Ontario Tourism's 2003/2004 SARS Recovery Program. In 2006, he was awarded the key to the City of Niagara Falls for Tourism Promotion and Innovation in the region. In 2025, he co-authored the best-selling business book, The Ripple Effect, a book featuring business networking stories across professional categories.

In 2026, Baron was named a Catalyst Member at the Stanford Center on Longevity. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto, and Baron holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business in Toronto. Since 2020, Baron has split his time between Toronto, Canada and Naples, Florida.

As a leading brand builder and speaker on experience, content, and audience engagement. Baron's work has contributed to the marketing success of many leading brands, including Royal Bank of Canada.CA, Visa, Conagra, Ontario Tourism, Unilever, TD Bank... Show more

Josh Sanchez

Josh Sanchez

Josh Sanchez has been recognized as one of the Top Emerging Entrepreneurs by Forbes; The Culture. A Serial Entrepreneur Josh Sold his first company at 24. He has consulted for some of the biggest companies in the Silicon Slopes. His current entrepreneurial endeavor is DFRNT Media - that has garnered over +1,000,000,000 Views across all platforms for his clients' brands. He has produced 5 Podcasts in the Top 10% of Podcasts Globally with one peaking at Top 1% Globally.

Josh builds influence engines. Using video podcasting, media infrastructure, and storytelling systems, he helps founders, executives, and brands turn conversations into capital, authority, and long term leverage.
He is widely recognized for reframing media not as marketing—but as business infrastructure. Josh teaches leaders how to stop chasing attention and instead build owned media systems that compound trust, deal flow, and dominance.
Over the next era of creator and founder-led media, Josh is positioning as the definitive authority on video podcasting and clip-first media as a business acquisition engine.

Josh Sanchez has been recognized as one of the Top Emerging Entrepreneurs by Forbes; The Culture. A Serial Entrepreneur Josh Sold his first company at 24. He has consulted for some of the biggest companies in the Silicon Slopes. His current entrepren... Show more

Lorena Carthy-Wilmot

Lorena Carthy-Wilmot

Lorena Carthy-Wilmot's work focuses on mobile threats: mercenary spyware, targeted intrusions, watering-hole attacks in the wild, and the detection gaps MDM and EDR stacks were never built to close.

She works directly with CISOs and security leaders across European markets while keeping an active hand in the technical work. Her background spans protecting high-value targets such as journalists in the Nordics and advanced digital forensics investigations with the Norwegian Police. Her research at iVerify treats the phone as what it actually is: a sensor-rich physical asset that crosses trust boundaries on the body, where security culture tends to fail at the human layer.

Lorena is based in Oslo, Norway.

Lorena Carthy-Wilmot's work focuses on mobile threats: mercenary spyware, targeted intrusions, watering-hole attacks in the wild, and the detection gaps MDM and EDR stacks were never built to close. She works directly with CISOs and security leade... Show more

Dylan Gamez

Dylan Gamez

Dylan Gamez is the Marketing and Public Relations Director for The Hacienda in New Port Richey and Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora- built in 1927 and 1883 respectively. Dylan started her career in hospitality at Walt Disney World while finishing her degree in Broadcast Journalism at UCF. Dylan splits her time between Mount Dora and New Port Richey, but reside in Fruitland Park with her husband, Barrett and their three dogs and two cats. Dylan is currently on the Marketing Committee for VISITFLORIDA, Vice President of New Port Richey Main Street and deeply involved with Florida’s Sports Coast- Pasco’s Tourism Board, Mount Dora Area Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations and nonprofits. Dylan was recently named one of the 50 Most Dynamic Women in the Tampa Bay Area by the Laker-Lutz News and won an award from the Secretary of State for a marketing video she produced for New Port Richey Main Street. She most recently was a speaker at the VISIT FLORIDA Conference on Tourism.

Dylan Gamez is the Marketing and Public Relations Director for The Hacienda in New Port Richey and Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora- built in 1927 and 1883 respectively. Dylan started her career in hospitality at Walt Disney World while finishing her degre... Show more

Chad Crawford

Chad Crawford

Chad Crawford is a third-generation Floridian and a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV host and outdoor adventurer with a unique perspective on Florida unlike anyone else in the world. Over his 25-year career, he has dedicated himself to telling the story of the state he loves. Chad has collaborated with major government agencies, conservation groups, and tourism organizations, giving him a rare perspective into the tourism industry. In his current role as Director of Strategic Partnerships with Conservation Florida, he continues to build valuable relationships to help protect the state's natural resources. Chad is a father of four and resides in Lake Mary. He enjoys fishing, camping, open water swimming, and taking on whatever adventures Florida can serve up.

Chad Crawford is a third-generation Floridian and a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV host and outdoor adventurer with a unique perspective on Florida unlike anyone else in the world. Over his 25-year career, he has dedicated himself to telling the st... Show more

Please note that Sessionize is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the data provided by speakers.

Join Speakers Directory

Join our Speakers Directory today and amplify your reach! Showcase your expertise to a global audience hungry for your insights. Let your voice be heard!

Create Profile