Doreen Bogdan-Martin took office as Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on 1 January 2023. Ms Bogdan-Martin was elected as ITU’s first-ever female Secretary-General by Member States at the Union’s Plenipotentiary Conference in Bucharest, Romania. Ms Bogdan-Martin was previously the Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau. She took office on 1 January 2019, becoming the first woman in ITU history to hold one of the organization’s top elected management positions. <div>Ms Bogdan-Martin is a strategic leader with more than 30 years’ high-level experience in international and inter-governmental relations and a long history of success advising governments around the world on policy and regulatory issues.</div> <div></div> <div>From 2008-2018, she led ITU’s Strategic Planning & Membership Department. She was instrumental in establishing the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, on which she has served as Executive Director for more than a decade, and was an architect of the annual Global Symposium for Regulators, the pre-eminent global event for digital policymakers, as well as director of ITU’s first global youth summit, #BYND. She pioneered and oversees ITU’s ongoing contribution to the EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age, and is leading ITU’s collaboration with UNICEF on the Giga project to connect all the world’s schools.</div> <div></div> <div>Ms Bogdan-Martin is a frequent speaker at top-level international policy events and has spearheaded ITU’s new Youth Strategy to more actively engage with the young people who are driving the next wave of digital transformation.</div> <div></div> <div>During her tenure as Director of BDT, she has led the implementation of a Results-Based Management system, improved internal accountability frameworks, and initiated a comprehensive review of reporting mechanisms across BDT’s global network of field and area offices, with a view to creating a more dynamic, responsive and fit-for-purpose organization.</div> <div></div> <div>Ms Bogdan-Martin holds a Master’s degree in International Communications Policy from American University in Washington, DC, post-graduate certification in Strategies for Leadership from the Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, and is certified in Accountability and Ethics by the United Nations Leaders Programme.</div> <div></div> <div>She is an affiliate of the Harvard University Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society, a Generation Unlimited Champion, and a Champion of the EDISON Alliance led by the World Economic Forum. She serves on a number of advisory bodies, including the Geneva-Tsinghua Initiative, the SDG Lab Advisory Board, the UN Technology Innovation Labs, and the Alumni Expert Council of the Internet Governance Lab of American University in Washington D.C. She is also a qualified amateur radio operator.</div> <div></div> <div>Ms Bogdan-Martin is married with four children.</div>

<section class="col-sm-9"><section class="region region-content"><section id="block-system-main" class="block block-system clearfix"> <div id="node-218623" class="profile node node-senior-management node-full clearfix"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> Ms. Amina J. Mohammed is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she steered the country’s efforts on climate action and efforts to protect the natural environment. Ms. Mohammed first joined the United Nations in 2012 as Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the responsibility for post-2015 development planning. She led the process that resulted in global agreement around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Ms. Mohammed began her career working on the design of schools and hospitals in Nigeria. She served as an advocate focused on increasing access to education and other social services, before moving into the public sector, where she rose to the position of adviser to four successive Presidents on poverty, public sector reform, and sustainable development. Ms. Mohammed has been conferred several honorary doctorates and has served as an adjunct professor, lecturing on international development. The recipient of various global awards, Ms. Mohammed has served on numerous international advisory boards and panels. She is the mother of six children and has four grandchildren. </div> </div> </div> </section></section></section>

Geoffrey Hinton received his BA in Experimental Psychology from Cambridge in 1970 and his PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Edinburgh in 1978.  He did postdoctoral work at Sussex University and the University of California San Diego and spent five years as a faculty member in the Computer Science department at Carnegie-Mellon University. He then became a fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and moved to the <a href="http://www.cs.toronto.edu/">Department of Computer Science</a> at the University of Toronto. He spent three years from 1998 until 2001 setting up the <a href="http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/">Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit</a> at University College London and then returned to the University of Toronto where he is now an emeritus distinguished professor. From 2004 until 2013 he was the director of the program on "Neural Computation and Adaptive Perception" which is funded by the <a href="http://www.ciar.ca/">Canadian Institute for Advanced Research</a>. From 2013 to 2023 he worked half-time at Google where he became a Vice President and Engineering Fellow. Geoffrey Hinton is a fellow of <a href="http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/">the Royal Society</a>, <a href="http://www.rsc.ca/">the Royal Society of Canada</a>, <a href="hhttp://www.aaai.org/">the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence</a> and a former president of <a href="http://www.cognitivesciencesociety.org/">the Cognitive Science Society</a>. He is an honorary foreign member of <a href="http://www.amacad.org/">the American Academy of Arts and Sciences</a>, the US National Academy of Engineering and the US National Academy of Science. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Edinburgh, the University of Sussex, the University of Sherbrooke and the University of Toronto. His awards include the <a href="http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/derprize/announce2001.html">David E. Rumelhart prize</a>, the <a href="http://ijcai.org/awards/">IJCAI award for research excellence</a>, the <a href="http://www.canadacouncil.ca/prizes/killam/">Killam prize for Engineering </a>, The <a href="http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Prizes-Prix/Index_eng.asp">NSERC Herzberg Gold Medal</a>, the IEEE Frank Rosenblatt medal, the IEEE James Clerk Maxwell Gold medal, the NEC C&C award, the BBVA award, the Honda Prize, the Princess of Asturias Award and the ACM Turing Award. Geoffrey Hinton designs machine learning algorithms. His aim is to discover a learning procedure that is efficient at finding complex structure in large, high-dimensional datasets and to show that this is how the brain learns to see. He was one of the researchers who introduced the <a href="https://www.cs.toronto.edu/~hinton/backprop.html">back-propagation</a> algorithm and the first to use backpropagation for learning word embeddings. His other contributions to neural network research include <a href="https://www.cs.toronto.edu/~hinton/boltzmann.html">Boltzmann machines,</a> <a href="https://www.cs.toronto.edu/~hinton/distrep.html">distributed representations</a>, time-delay neural nets, <a href="https://www.cs.toronto.edu/~hinton/mixex.html">mixtures of experts</a>, <a href="https://www.cs.toronto.edu/~hinton/helmholtz.html">variational learning</a>, <a href="https://www.cs.toronto.edu/~hinton/poe.html">products of experts</a> and deep belief nets.    His research group in Toronto made major breakthroughs in deep learning that have revolutionized speech recognition and object classification.

Yoshua <span class="marko6l4q15we" data-markjs="true" data-ogac="" data-ogab="" data-ogsc="" data-ogsb="">Bengio</span> is recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in artificial intelligence and a pioneer in deep learning. Since 1993, he has been a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Operational Research at the Université de Montréal. He is the founder and scientific director of Mila, the Quebec Institute of Artificial Intelligence, the world’s largest university-based research group in deep learning. He is a member of the NeurIPS board and co-founder and general chair for the ICLR conference, as well as program director of the CIFAR program on Learning in Machines and Brains and is Fellow of the same institution. In 2018, Yoshua <span class="marko6l4q15we" data-markjs="true" data-ogac="" data-ogab="" data-ogsc="" data-ogsb="">Bengio</span> ranked as the computer scientist with the most new citations, worldwide, thanks to his many publications. In 2019, he received the ACM A.M. Turing Award, “the Nobel Prize of Computing”, jointly with Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun for conceptual and engineering breakthroughs that have made deep neural networks a critical component of computing. In 2020 he was nominated Fellow of the Royal Society of London.

Cherie Blair CBE KC is a leading King’s Counsel, committed campaigner for women’s rights and wife of the former British Prime Minister. Cherie set up the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women in 2008 to support women in low and middle income countries to start, sustain and grow successful businesses so that they can be financially independent, have a stronger voice in their societies, and contribute to their communities and economies. She is also founder of Omnia Strategy, a pioneering international law firm that provides strategic counsel to governments, corporates and private clients. Cherie is an advocate and ambassador for women entrepreneurs globally, working tirelessly to encourage the private sector, governments and civil society to do more to support women business owners. She generously gives her time, expertise and resources to advance women's economic empowerment through the Foundation, travelling to visit our projects and partners, building collaborations, inspiring change and mobilising what's needed to close the gender gap in business ownership. Cherie was awarded a CBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List for services to women’s issues and to charities in both the UK and overseas.

David Sinclair, A.O., Ph.D. is a Professor of Genetics at the Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, and Co-Chief Editor of the journal <em>Aging</em>. Dr. Sinclair did his Ph.D. studying genetics in yeast, identifying the first intragenic promoter elements in eukaryotes, for which he was awarded the the CSL and The Commonwealth Prizes. A Helen Hay Whitney Fellowship allowed him to leave Australia to work with Lenny Guarente at M.I.T. from 2005-2009, where he co-discovered a cause of aging in yeast, a first in any organism, and deciphered the role of sirtuin genes in the aging process. At 29, he was recruited to Harvard Medical School and shortly thereafter became Founding Director of the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for Aging Research, a group that includes four labs at Harvard and a consortium of 11 universities. He has published 200+ papers, is an inventor on over 60 patents, and has been cited 97,000+ times with an h-index impact score of 114. Dr. Sinclair’s research is focused primarily on understanding genes that fight disease and aging, with a focus on treating the major causes of death and disability. He studies cellular energy production, learning and memory, neurodegeneration, cancer, and inflammation. More recently his work has branched out to understand why we age and how to reverse it. He has directly mentored over 100 scientists over the past 20 years and won awards for mentorship and teaching. He supports non-profit organizations and has cofounded and/or invested in 20 biotechnology companies. See <a href="https://genetics.med.harvard.edu/sinclair/people/sinclair-other.php">https://genetics.med.harvard.edu/sinclair/people/sinclair-other.php.</a> He was the founding Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biological Mechanisms of Aging Research at Harvard Medical School from 2005-2023. He is founding Editor of the journal <em>Aging, </em>and has received 38 awards including the CSL Prize, The Australian Commonwealth Prize, a Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Award, a Leukemia Society Fellowship, a Ludwig Scholarship, a Harvard-Armenise Fellowship, an American Federation for Aging Research Fellowship, The Nathan Shock Award from NIH, Scholarships from The Ellison Medical Foundation, The Merck Prize, the Genzyme Outstanding Achievement in Biomedical Science Award, a "Bio-Innovator award," the David Murdock-Dole Lectureship, the Fisher Honorary Lectureship at UCLA, MERIT Award from the National Institute on Aging, the Denham Harman Award for Gerontological Research, the “ASMR Medal” from the Australian Society for Medical Research, a Knowledge Nation 100 Recipient, an Ambassador of Business Events, Sydney, the USC Kersten lecturer, the Westin Lecture, a Pioneer Award from the Director of the NIH, Advance Global Australian Award, the Irving Wright AFAR Award of Distinction for Excellence in Aging Research, and the Clive McKay Award in Aging Research, and is an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). In 2014, Professor Sinclair was recognized as one of <em>TIME </em>magazine’s 100 Most Influential People In The World and in 2018 as Top 50 in Healthcare, and he is the co-author of the <em>New York Times </em>and international bestseller <em>Lifespan.</em>  

Nina is a sought-after strategic advisor who prepares visionary leaders to harness the exponential potential of artificial intelligence. Her speeches equip C-suite executives and aspiring changemakers with a future-proof mindset for the AI-driven age. She has been named at the top of world’s 20 best speakers on AI, alongside others including Sam Altman (Open AI), Demis Hassabis (Google Deepmind) and Geoffrey Hinton (The ‘Godfather of AI.’ She is also recognised as a LinkedIn ‘Top Voice’ on AI. Nina argues that AI is fundamentally about power and people. She analyses what it means to lead in the Age of AI, examining how AI will transform business, geopolitics and humanity. Nina was among the first to identify AI as a 'tipping point for humanity.' She articulated this vision years before ChatGPT made AI a global phenomenon. An advocate of responsible AI development, Nina is the Founder of Tamang Ventures, working exclusively with companies at the frontier of AI development. She is proud to advise Synthesia, the world's first video-generation platform, and Truepic, the global leader in authentication technologies. Nina is also an AI Council Member at Qlik, where she advises the Qlik team, customers, and partners on AI developments — 
from emerging trends and legislation to the implementation of ethical AI practices. She has collaborated with some of the world's premier companies and organisations, including Microsoft, Adobe, DARPA, and the UN. Her book, ‘DEEPFAKES’ (2020), was the first to examine Generative AI’s broader impact on society. A renowned public speaker, Nina has appeared on stages including CES, TEDx, CogX, and WebSummit. She regularly appears on worldwide media and has been featured in publications such as MIT Tech Review, WIRED, and Time. She has engaged in dialogues with global thought leaders like Sam Harris, Christiane Amanpour, and Andrew Yang. In tandem with her speaking and advisory roles, Nina has cultivated a robust AI community, boasting over 100k members through her content channels. With over two decades of geopolitical experience, Nina has long been focused on macro-trends for society. She has advised global leaders, including Joe Biden, the President of the United States, and Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Secretary General of NATO. Nina speaks seven languages and calls London, Berlin, and Kathmandu home.

<div class="section background-transparent blue-bar-container image-container text-container separator-container" data-section-status="loaded"> <div class="d-grid cog-container col-two-5-7"> <div id="11b2880485" class="column-1"> <div class="text-wrapper wrapper-11b2880485"> <div class="text wrapper-container-a9e9d01016 parent-column-col-two-5-7 group-container-11b2880485-1 wrapper-col-1 block headerSpacing-fix pb-3" data-block-name="text" data-block-status="loaded"> <div> Ravi Kumar S was appointed CEO of Cognizant in January 2023. In his role as CEO, Ravi sets the strategic direction of the company, promotes Cognizant’s client-first culture, and focuses on ensuring sustainable growth and driving long-term shareholder value. He is a highly accomplished services industry executive with experience across digital transformation, traditional technology and engineering services, data and analytics, cloud and infrastructure, and consulting. Prior to Cognizant, Ravi served as President of Infosys from 2016 to 2022, where he led the global services organization across all industry segments and served as Chairman of the Board of Infosys BPM Ltd. Previously, he was the Group Head for the Insurance, Healthcare, and Cards and Payments unit, and led the Global Delivery organization where he built the Oracle and CRM practices. Before joining Infosys, Ravi served in positions of increasing responsibility at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Cambridge Technology Partners, Oracle and Sapient (now Publicis Sapient). The early part of his career was spent as a nuclear scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center of India. Ravi is a member of the board of directors of TransUnion and served on the board of directors for Digimarc Corporation from 2021 to 2023. He is also on the board of governors of New York Academy of Sciences and the board of directors for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In 2024, Ravi joined the board of directors for the US‑India Strategic Partnership Forum. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Shivaji University and an MBA from Xavier Institute of Management, India. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="fragment-container" data-section-status="loaded"> <div class="fragment-wrapper"></div> <div class="fragment-wrapper"></div> </div>

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexandra (Sasha) Luccioni is a Postdoctoral Researcher working on AI for Humanity initiatives at Mila - Quebec AI Institute, under the supervision of Yoshua Bengio. She obtained her PhD in Cognitive Computing from UQÀM in 2018 and spent two years working in applied ML, specifically in applying deep learning and NLP to different industrial applications. She is highly involved in community initiatives, serving on the Research and Policy Committee of Women in Machine Learning (WiML) and on the Advisory board of Kids Code Jeunesse.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Dr. Werner Vogels is Chief Technology Officer at Amazon.com where he is responsible for driving the company's customer-centric technology vision. As one of the forces behind Amazon's approach to cloud computing, he is passionate about helping young businesses reach global scale, and transforming enterprises into fast-moving digital organizations. Vogels joined Amazon in 2004 from Cornell University where he was a distributed systems researcher. He has held technology leadership positions in companies that handle the transition of academic technology into industry. Vogels holds a PhD from the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and has authored many articles on distributed systems technologies for enterprise computing.

Stuart Russell received his B.A. with first-class honours in physics from Oxford University in 1982 and his Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford in 1986. He then joined the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley, where he is Professor (and formerly Chair) of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences and holder of the Smith-Zadeh Chair in Engineering. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Neurological Surgery at UC San Francisco and Vice-Chair of the World Economic Forum's Council on AI and Robotics. Russell is a recipient of the Presidential Young Investigator Award of the National Science Foundation, the IJCAI Computers and Thought Award, the World Technology Award (Policy category), the Mitchell Prize of the American Statistical Association and the International Society for Bayesian Analysis, the ACM Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award, and the AAAI/EAAI Outstanding Educator Award. In 1998, he gave the Forsythe Memorial Lectures at Stanford University and from 2012 to 2014 he held the Chaire Blaise Pascal in Paris. He is a Fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence, the Association for Computing Machinery, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His research covers a wide range of topics in artificial intelligence including machine learning, probabilistic reasoning, knowledge representation, planning, real-time decision making, multitarget tracking, computer vision, computational physiology, global seismic monitoring, and philosophical foundations. His books include "The Use of Knowledge in Analogy and Induction", "Do the Right Thing: Studies in Limited Rationality" (with Eric Wefald), and "Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach" (with Peter Norvig). His current concerns include the threat of autonomous weapons and the long-term future of artificial intelligence and its relation to humanity.

<section class="section foundation is-medium"> <div class="container"> <div class="columns biography-container last-bio"> <div class="column biography"> <p class="body1">Meredith Whittaker is Signal's President and a member of the Signal Foundation Board of Directors.</p> <p class="body1">She has over 17 years of experience in tech, spanning industry, academia, and government. Before joining Signal as President, she was the Minderoo Research Professor at NYU, and served as the Faculty Director of the AI Now Institute which she co-founded. Her research and scholarly work helped shape global AI policy and shift the public narrative on AI to better recognize the surveillance business practices and concentration of industrial resources that modern AI requires. Prior to NYU, she worked at Google for over a decade, where she led product and engineering teams, founded Google's Open Research Group, and co-founded M-Lab, a globally distributed network measurement platform that now provides the world's largest source of open data on internet performance. She also helped lead organizing at Google. She was one of the core organizers pushing back against the company's insufficient response to concerns about AI and its harms, and was a central organizer of the Google Walkout. She has advised the White House, the FCC, the City of New York, the European Parliament, and many other governments and civil society organizations on privacy, security, artificial intelligence, internet policy, and measurement. And she recently completed a term as Senior Advisor on AI to the Chair at the US Federal Trade Commission.</p> </div> </div> </div> </section><section class="section foundation is-medium"> <div class="container"></div> </section>

<span lang="EN-US">Pascale Fung is a Senior Director of AI Research at Meta. She is a Chair Professor at the </span><a title="Original URL: http://www.ust.hk/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ust.hk%2F&data=05%7C02%7Canjali.roy%40itu.int%7C03a2bb7b002842615e0208dc8eab514b%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638542113647215414%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bv6oPt%2BYCWwZEeUi0h5GSUGdSzYeXlDkvhu%2FiSeVQpc%3D&reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span lang="EN-US">The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology</span></a><u><span lang="EN-US"> (HKUST)</span></u><span lang="EN-US">, and a visiting professor at the </span><a title="Original URL: http://www.cafa.edu.cn/en/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cafa.edu.cn%2Fen%2F&data=05%7C02%7Canjali.roy%40itu.int%7C03a2bb7b002842615e0208dc8eab514b%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638542113647227818%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Xjz7zWBhewMjJmzWeEFSxr7AjTJSOW85qKsTWxc9Syg%3D&reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span lang="EN-US">Central Academy of Fine Arts</span></a><span lang="EN-US"> in Beijing. She is an elected Fellow of the AAAI, IEEE, ACL and ISCA. She was the founding Director of HKUST </span><a title="Original URL: http://caire.ust.hk/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaire.ust.hk%2F&data=05%7C02%7Canjali.roy%40itu.int%7C03a2bb7b002842615e0208dc8eab514b%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638542113647237609%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=01AbXGJu3q0OHtfNebtDcUUtouuW6i5GalpAnKMrZVo%3D&reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span lang="EN-US">Centre for AI Research</span></a><span lang="EN-US"> (CAiRE), and the founding chair of the </span><a title="Original URL: http://wfa.ust.hk/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwfa.ust.hk%2F&data=05%7C02%7Canjali.roy%40itu.int%7C03a2bb7b002842615e0208dc8eab514b%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638542113647245826%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jS%2Fr7aGFGUaAg1itR72GRuCZnzK9WJga7EBf7ThxOr0%3D&reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span lang="EN-US">Women Faculty Association (a first in Asia)</span></a><span lang="EN-US">. She is an expert on the </span><a title="Original URL: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Future_Councils_2016-2018_Concept_Note.pdf?ET_CID=1014392&ET_RID=001b000000WKRizAAH&__AdditionalEmailAttribute3=. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww3.weforum.org%2Fdocs%2FWEF_Global_Future_Councils_2016-2018_Concept_Note.pdf%3FET_CID%3D1014392%26ET_RID%3D001b000000WKRizAAH%26__AdditionalEmailAttribute3%3D&data=05%7C02%7Canjali.roy%40itu.int%7C03a2bb7b002842615e0208dc8eab514b%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638542113647252841%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dI2067PO5%2BdUDx%2FczAbj%2F2UZXxbWXu6jpcDM6u7y3tE%3D&reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span lang="EN-US">Global Future Council</span></a><span lang="EN-US">, a think tank for the World Economic Forum. She represents HKUST on </span><a title="Original URL: https://www.partnershiponai.org/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.partnershiponai.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Canjali.roy%40itu.int%7C03a2bb7b002842615e0208dc8eab514b%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638542113647259503%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=gfG%2FeuXsCdlzSPegwPw3DAO9iHc%2FUDSkZWQ4f%2FzGwtQ%3D&reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span lang="EN-US">Partnership on AI to Benefit People and Society</span></a><span lang="EN-US">. She is on the </span><a title="Original URL: https://signalprocessingsociety.org/our-story/board-governors. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsignalprocessingsociety.org%2Four-story%2Fboard-governors&data=05%7C02%7Canjali.roy%40itu.int%7C03a2bb7b002842615e0208dc8eab514b%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638542113647265943%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5xSFLcFU%2BtlMdf4dELD1UsueBzcFwpbLnFCcS5%2FWjZA%3D&reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span lang="EN-US">Board of Governors</span></a><span lang="EN-US"> of the IEEE Signal Processing Society. She is a member of the IEEE Working Group to develop an </span><a title="Original URL: https://standards.ieee.org/project/2863.html. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstandards.ieee.org%2Fproject%2F2863.html&data=05%7C02%7Canjali.roy%40itu.int%7C03a2bb7b002842615e0208dc8eab514b%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638542113647272169%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=26zhgGiiBFK%2FnAk%2F7PYgO9mSbFNtjjloTFloDREmqgQ%3D&reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span lang="EN-US">IEEE standar</span></a><span lang="EN-US">d - Recommended Practice for Organizational Governance of Artificial Intelligence. She is part of the expert network for the United Nations Advisory Board on AI. Her research team has won </span><a title="Original URL: http://pascale.home.ece.ust.hk/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpascale.home.ece.ust.hk%2F&data=05%7C02%7Canjali.roy%40itu.int%7C03a2bb7b002842615e0208dc8eab514b%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638542113647278279%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Qa0f%2B5zUKVKmAsOTwCRUHbvsgq3mLUXQNLX570SbEus%3D&reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span lang="EN-US">several best and outstanding paper awards</span></a><span lang="EN-US"> at ACL, ACL and NeurIPS workshops. She is frequently invited globally as a keynote speaker on public and academic forums on both AI core technology and governance. She lived in five countries and speaks seven European and Asian languages. </span>

Kate Kallot is a world-class technologist who has received sustained global acclaim in tech for social impact, most notably for her work advancing technology access across Africa. She has received multiple accolades for her work, including being named TIME 100 most influential people in AI 2023. Kate is the Founder & CEO of Amini, an impact-driven AI startup solving Africa’s environmental data scarcity to support regenerating natural capital at scale. With over a decade of experience in leading AI innovation at global tech companies such as NVIDIA, Intel, and Arm, she has a proven track record of delivering cutting-edge technology solutions that drive social impact and transform communities. Kate is a recognized expert and influencer in the AI field, advising international organizations and governments on the potential and challenges of AI for good. <h3></h3>

Cameron F. Kerry is a global thought leader on privacy, artificial intelligence, and cross-border challenges in information technology. He joined Governance Studies and the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings in December 2013 as the first Ann R. and Andrew H. Tisch Distinguished Visiting Fellow. He leads two projects: The Privacy Debate, which engages policymakers and stakeholders on the national legislative debate on privacy, and the Forum for Cooperation on AI, a series of roundtables bringing together officials and experts from several countries to identify avenues of cooperation on AI regulation, standards, and research and development. Previously, Kerry served as general counsel and acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he was a leader on a wide of range of issues including technology, trade, and economic growth and security. He continues to speak and write on these issues, focusing primarily on privacy, artificial intelligence, and international data flows, along with other digital economy issues. During his time as acting secretary, Kerry served as chief executive of this Cabinet agency and its 43,000 employees around the world as well as an adviser to then President Barack Obama. His tenure marked the first time in U.S. history two siblings have served in the president’s Cabinet at the same time. As general counsel, he was the principal legal adviser to the several Secretaries of Commerce and Commerce agency heads. Kerry spearheaded development of the White House blueprint on consumer privacy, “Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World: A Framework for Protecting Privacy and Promoting Innovation in the Global Digital Economy”. He then led the administration’s implementation of the blueprint, drafting privacy legislation and engaging with international partners, including the European Union. He also was a leader in the Obama administration’s successful effort to pass the America Invents Act, the most significant overhaul of the patent system in more than 150 years. He helped establish and lead the Commerce Department’s Internet Policy Task Force, and was the department’s voice on cybersecurity issues and similar issues in the White House “Deputies Committee.” Kerry also played a significant role on intellectual property policy and litigation, cybersecurity, international bribery, trade relations and rule of law development in China, the Gulf Oil spill litigation, and other challenges facing a large, diverse federal agency. He traveled to the People’s Republic of China on numerous occasions to co-lead the Transparency Dialogue with China as well as the U.S.-China Legal Exchange and exchanges on anti-corruption. In addition to his Brookings affiliation, Kerry is a visiting scholar at the MIT Media Lab. He also served as senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP in Boston, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., where his practice involved privacy, security, and international trade issues. Before Kerry’s appointment to the Obama administration in 2009, he practiced law at the Mintz Levin firm in Boston and Washington and taught telecommunications law as an adjunct professor at Suffolk University Law School. Kerry has also been actively engaged in politics and community service throughout his adult life. During the 2004 presidential campaign, he was a close adviser and national surrogate for Democratic nominee John Kerry, traveling to 29 States and even Israel. He has served on the boards of nonprofits, and is currently on the board of the National Archives Foundation.

<div class="_8xs9"> <div class="_8_vg"> <p class="_8w6f _8w61 _8w6h _9sdh">Yann is Chief AI Scientist for Facebook AI Research (FAIR), joining Facebook in December 2013. He is also a Silver Professor at New York University on a part time basis, mainly affiliated with the NYU Center for Data Science, and the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences.</p> <p class="_8w6f _8w61 _8w6h _9sdh">He received the EE Diploma from Ecole Supérieure d’Ingénieurs en Electrotechnique et Electronique (ESIEE Paris), and a PhD in CS from Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris) in 1987. After a postdoc at the University of Toronto, he joined AT&T Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, NJ in 1988. He became head of the Image Processing Research Department at AT&T Labs-Research in 1996, and joined NYU as a professor in 2003, after a brief period as a Fellow of the NEC Research Institute in Princeton. From 2012 to 2014 he was the founding director of the NYU Center for Data Science. Yann is the co-director of the CIFAR program on Neural Computation and Adaptive Perception Program with Yoshua Bengio.</p> <p class="_8w6f _8w61 _8w6h _9sdh">He is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, a fellow of AAAI, the recipient of the 2014 IEEE Neural Network Pioneer Award, the 2015 IEEE Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence Distinguished Researcher Award, the 2016 Lovie Award for Lifetime Achievement, the University of Pennsylvania Pender Award, and received honorary doctorates from IPN, Mexico and EPFL.</p> <p class="_8w6f _8w61 _8w6h _9sdh">He is the recipient of the 2018 ACM Turing Award (with Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio) for "conceptual and engineering breakthroughs that have made deep neural networks a critical component of computing."</p> <p class="_8w6f _8w61 _8w6h _9sdh">His research interests include machine learning and artificial intelligence, with applications to computer vision, natural language understanding, robotics, and computational neuroscience. He is best known for his work in deep learning and the invention of the convolutional network method which is widely used for image, video and speech recognition.</p> </div> </div>

GARY MARCUS is a leading voice in artificial intelligence. He is a scientist, best-selling author, and serial entrepreneur (Founder of Robust.AI and Geometric.AI, acquired by Uber). He is well-known for his challenges to contemporary AI, anticipating many of the current limitations decades in advance, and for his research in human language development and cognitive neuroscience. An Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at NYU, he is the author of five books, including, <em>The Algebraic Mind</em>, <em>Kluge</em>, <em>The Birth of the Mind</em>, and the New York Times Bestseller <em>Guitar Zero</em>. He has often contributed to <em>The New Yorker</em>, <em>Wired</em>, and <em>The New York Times. </em>His most recent book, <em>Rebooting AI</em>, with Ernest Davis, is one of Forbes’s 7 Must Read Books in AI. You can follow him at <a href="https://garymarcus.substack.com/">garymarcus.substack.com</a> and on Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/GaryMarcus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@garymarcus</a>. And … coming Spring 2023, his new podcast… <em><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/humans-vs-machines-from-the-world-as-youll-know-it/id1532110146">Humans versus Machines</a></em><em>.</em>

Bernhard Schölkopf's scientific interests are in machine learning and causal inference. He has applied his methods to a number of different fields, ranging from biomedical problems to computational photography and astronomy. Bernhard studied physics and mathematics and earned his Ph.D. in computer science in 1997, becoming a Max Planck director in 2001. He has (co-)received the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy Prize, the Royal Society Milner Award, the Leibniz Award, the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award, and the ACM AAAI Allen Newell Award. He is Fellow of the CIFAR Program "Learning in Machines and Brains", and a Professor at ETH Zurich. He helped start the MLSS series of Machine Learning Summer Schools. In 2023, he founded the ELLIS Institute Tuebingen, and acts as its scientific director.

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Pierre Sermanet is a Research Scientist at Google DeepMind. His research has spanned multiple areas of machine learning including robotics, computer vision, language and AI safety. He holds a doctorate from New York University under the supervision of Yann LeCun. He is the winner of multiple computer vision challenges including ImageNet challenges and the </span><a title="Original URL: http://www.kaggle.com/c/dogs-vs-cats/leaderboard. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kaggle.com%2Fc%2Fdogs-vs-cats%2Fleaderboard&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7Cf27e857bd6ac456b4a5e08dd41d46208%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638739102612170342%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=CCQwJUU7jYVrPNTeUqZoVkOBDezEhA0nr6%2BaZzYHg3Q%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="3">Dogs vs Cats</a> Kaggle competition.

Manuela Veloso is Head of AI Research at JPMorganChase and Herbert A. Simon University Professor Emerita in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Veloso pursues research interests in core AI as AI robot and digital agents with perception, cognition, and action. She further aims at a seamless human-AI symbiotic interaction. Veloso is a member of the National Academy of Engineering for “her contributions to artificial intelligence and its applications to robotics and to the financial domain.” She is a past president of AAAI, and a co-founder of RoboCup. Veloso is a fellow of AAAI, IEEE, ACM, and AAAS. She has a BSc. and MSc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from IST, an MA in Computer Science from BU, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from CMU. Veloso has doctorate honorary degrees from the Catholic University of Portugal, University of Bordeaux, ISCTE, and University of Orebro. See www.cs.cmu.edu/~mmv for detailed information.

Dr. Rumman Chowdhury is a data scientist and social scientist. She is the CEO of the tech nonprofit Humane Intelligence, which builds a community of practice around evaluations of AI models, as well as the United States Science Envoy for Artificial Intelligence. Dr. Chowdhury is also Responsible AI Fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society. Previously, Dr. Chowdhury was the Director of the ML Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability (META) team at Twitter, as well as the as Global Lead for Responsible AI at Accenture Applied Intelligence. She was named one of Time's 100 most Influential People in AI, BBC’s 100 Women, Worthy Magazine's Top 100, recognized as one of the Bay Area’s top 40 under 40 and named by Forbes as one of Five Who are Shaping AI. Chowdhury holds two undergraduate degrees from MIT, a master's degree in Quantitative Methods of the Social Sciences from Columbia University, and a doctorate in political science from the University of California, San Diego.

Mr. Kamel SAADAOUI is the President of the Telecom Regulator of Tunisia (INTT) since January 2025. He had several leading positions such as the Chief of Cabinet of the ICT Minister, Director General of the National Center of Informatics and CEO of the Tunisian Internet Agency. Mr. Saadaoui holds a Master’s degree in computer science from Michigan State University, 1990.

Nicholas Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic, a position he has held since 2021. During that time, the publication has won three National Magazine Awards for General Excellence, three Pulitzer Prizes, and been named Digiday's Publisher of the Year. It has grown revenue by 84%, while reaching the highest level of subscribers in its 166-year history. Thompson is also the former editor-in-chief of WIRED, where he built successful subscription and aRiliate revenue businesses. While at WIRED he also wrote and edited multiple stories that were cited in front of Congress and one that was turned into an Academy Award winning film. Another of his stories was recently turned into the second highest grossing documentary of all time on HBO Max. Thompson is a former contributor for CBS News and a cofounder of The Atavist, a multimedia CMS that was sold to WordPress, and Speakeasy.ai, which was sold to Amplica Labs. He previously served as editor of NewYorker.com. He is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations, a board member at The National Committee on American Foreign Policy, the author of "The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War," and a former contributor to CNN and CBS News. He films a daily video on tech policy for Linkedin and has roughly two million followers across social media platforms. Thompson has long been a competitive runner; in 2021, he set the American record for men 45+ in the 50K race. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford where he earned degrees in Earth Systems, Political Science, and Economics.

Professional with more than 16 years of experience in both the private and public sectors, with great capacity for teamwork, critical thinking, analysis and problem solving, and respect for professional hierarchy; prepared to face new challenges and willing to learn new disciplines.

Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, is the founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine, a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation generative artificial intelligence and robotics platforms for drug discovery. Since 2014, he has invented critical technologies in the field of generative artificial intelligence and reinforcement learning (RL) for the generation of novel molecular structures with the desired properties and the generation of synthetic biological and patient data. Under his leadership, Insilico raised over $400 million in multiple rounds from expert biotechnology, healthcare, and financial investors, opened R&D centers in 6 countries and regions, and partnered with multiple pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic institutions. Since 2021, the company nominated 21 preclinical candidates, started 6 human clinical trials, and entered Phase II with an AI-discovered novel target and AI-designed novel molecule. Since 2012, he has published over 200 peer-reviewed research papers and 3 books. He serves on the advisory or editorial boards of Trends in Molecular Medicine, Aging Research Reviews, Aging, and Frontiers in Genetics, and founded and co-chairs the Annual Aging Research and Drug Discovery (11th Annual in 2024). He is the adjunct professor of artificial intelligence at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.  

Mr.Luvsan Ochir Altai is a highly regarded authority In Mongolia's telecommunications sector. distinguished for his expertise in regulatory affairs and astute leadership. With a robust academic background. Mr.LUVSAN-OCHIR Altai earned his Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunication Engineering followed by a Master of Arts in the same discipline from the esteemed Technical University of Mongolia. Recognizing the imperative intersection of legal comprehension and telecommunications. he pursued further studies in law at the National University of Mongolia. augmenting his comprehensive understanding of regulatory frameworks. Mr.LUVSAN-OCHIR Altai's professional journey is marked by significant tenure within the Communication Regulatory Commission (CRC) of Mongolia. where he has consistently exhibited versatility and unwavering commitment to industry advancement. Commencing his career as a Switching and Data Engineer at Mongolia Telecom Company. he transitioned to pivotal roles within CRC. including Director General positions overseeing diverse departments. In these capacities. Mr.LUVSAN-OCHIR Altai spearheaded regulatory initiatives, fostered innovation, and ensured the seamless operation of telecommunications services. Beyond his organizational roles. Mr.LUVSAN-OCHIR Altai has been instrumental in various projects and working groups aimed at enhancing Mongolia's communication infrastructure. Notably. he has led initiatives focused on digital broadcasting systems and mobile number portability. evidencing his dedication to advancing telecommunications standards and accessibility nationwide. Currently serving as Commissioner and Head of the Executive Office at CRC. Mr.LUVSAN-OCHIR Altai plays a pivotal role in steering the trajectory of Mongolia's telecommunications landscape. His strategic foresight coupled with his technical acumen and legal proficiency. positions him as a preeminent influencer in shaping policies that prioritize equitable access to communication services and cultivate a competitive industry environment. Mr.LUVSAN-OCHIR Altai's unwavering dedication to excellence and his multifaceted expertise underscore his reputation as a respected leader and catalyst for positive transformation within Mongolia's regulatory framework for telecommunications.  

<p data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Sam Gregory is a human rights advocate and technologist fighting on the front lines against deepfakes and deceptive AI, and in defense of truth and fact. He drives cutting-edge approaches to preserve trust, authenticity, and evidence in our increasingly complex digital landscape. A recognized authority on audiovisual communication and deception, and on the use of video and technology to advance human rights, he has testified before both the US House and Senate on AI and media transparency and is a <a id="OWA18f6b197-61f0-b01e-0fe1-c2eb21293154" title="Original URL: http://ted.com/talks/sam_gregory_when_ai_can_fake_reality_who_can_you_trust. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fted.com%2Ftalks%2Fsam_gregory_when_ai_can_fake_reality_who_can_you_trust&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C02895e8c6a1f463e950308dd43ca3032%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638741257921682809%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=V1tl3Xb6IrYukqLKTDCvgaTR%2B3bF37fhxzQN8CUlIRk%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="0">TED speaker</a> whose talk outlines the necessary steps to fight back against malicious and deceptive AI.</p> As Executive Director of <a id="OWAfc160c22-32b1-661e-f2a9-e8fe892a0bd8" title="Original URL: http://witness.org/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwitness.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C02895e8c6a1f463e950308dd43ca3032%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638741257921699679%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=QzZRIYEDZARVrlBb3KYJviHcXmE1R1FS0sk9%2BHFmtsU%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="1">WITNESS</a>, he spearheads their strategic plan to "Fortify the Truth," championing a global team supporting millions to use video and technology for human rights. WITNESS received the inaugural Peabody Global Impact Award in 2024 for “media or organizations that have profoundly changed the world for the better” and for its work “tirelessly championing the power of emergent media technologies in defense of human rights around the world.” In 2018, he launched the <a id="OWA04d0548d-143f-7569-c872-c67e56759388" title="Original URL: http://gen-ai.witness.org/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgen-ai.witness.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C02895e8c6a1f463e950308dd43ca3032%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638741257921709517%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=gArPWniGHi8vvnelCwKF6CJayOIHiE3yiNzQgOS73Ts%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="2">"Prepare, Don't Panic"</a> initiative, a WITNESS-led global effort to tackle the challenges of deepfakes and generative AI. This pioneering work has directly influenced platform policies, legislation, and public debate on emerging technologies, and also include the only global <a id="OWA7c9d0049-bb24-7486-b2a0-e5cec21e0f18" title="Original URL: https://www.gen-ai.witness.org/deepfakes-rapid-response-force/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gen-ai.witness.org%2Fdeepfakes-rapid-response-force%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C02895e8c6a1f463e950308dd43ca3032%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638741257921719061%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=YNPSsDR8MMMgBYeEJw76sd858HZJqaXfqwjsjb3v%2BiU%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="3">Deepfakes Rapid Response Force</a>, connecting journalists with media forensic experts to expose AI-powered deception. The <i>Chronicle of Philanthropy</i> has highlighted Sam as <i>“a longtime human-rights advocate, [he} is a leading authority on deepfakes and other forms of A.I.-generated misinformation and disinformation. He focuses on preparing countries and communities for how doctored videos and manipulated media could be used to justify coups, jail innocents, and spark conflict.”</i> Sam has served on the ICC Technology Advisory Board, co-chaired key initiatives and working groups for the Partnership on AI and the C2PA, and is a sought-after expert for media outlets like WIRED.  He taught the first-ever course at Harvard on participatory media and human rights, was a Kennedy Memorial Scholar at the Harvard Kennedy School, and in 2024, completed his PhD at the University of Westminster focused on participatory media, AI, and trust.

Abdulbaset Albaour is a senior digital transformation leader with over a decade of experience advancing digital governance in Libya. As Chairman of GATI and the National Committee for Digital Transformation, he has played a central role in shaping the country’s digital future by formulating national strategies, promoting inter-agency collaboration, and aligning local efforts with global digital governance standards. He holds a Master’s degree in Information Technology from Tun Abdul Razak University, Malaysia, and has led the design and implementation of foundational national policies and frameworks, including: <ul> <li>National Digital Transformation Strategy</li> <li>Government Data Governance Policy</li> <li>ICT Sector Strategy 2023–2027</li> <li>National Artificial Intelligence Policy</li> <li>Digital Accessibility Policy</li> <li>Internet of Things (IoT) Policy</li> <li>Digital Government Service Delivery Guide</li> </ul> In addition to his leadership in government, Mr. Albaour has served as a member of the General Assembly of the Libyan Holding Company for Telecommunications, Post, and Information Technology, and as an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Information Technology, Misrata University. His contributions have significantly strengthened Libya’s performance in international benchmarks such as the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI) and the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI). He is also a committed member of the Libyan Cybersecurity Foundation and the Libyan Telemedicine Association. In recognition of his leadership and impact, Mr. Albaour was nominated for the 2025 UN–Portugal Digital Fellowship, a testament to his dedication to digital innovation, public sector modernization, and inclusive, citizen-centered e-governance in Libya.

In 2020, after attending an event that lacked the diversity needed to ensure access and opportunity in the artificial intelligence sector, Angle took action. She founded Black Women In Artificial Intelligence, an organization with a mission to Educate, Engage, Embrace, and Empower Black women in the Artificial Intelligence industry. Over the past four years, Black Women In Artificial Intelligence has grown into a global entity with members across five continents: North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Africa. At the heart of the organization's initiatives are robust programs designed to provide guided career development, technical training, A.I. workforce Development solutions, and peer support. Black Women In Artificial Intelligence has developed partnerships with leading companies, including Amazon, Capital One, Microsoft, and NVIDIA; ensuring its members have unparalleled access to cutting-edge resources, job opportunities, and collaborative projects. Through its various programs, BWIAI aspires to drive innovation and shape a more inclusive AI landscape for the future. Beyond her work with Black Women In Artificial Intelligence, Angle is a sought-after speaker and thought leader on diversity and inclusion within the tech industry. She has shared her insights on global stages, advocating for a future where Black women are fully represented and valued in the field of technology. Angle holds a Master’s degree in Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Development with a concentration in Public Administration from Central Michigan University. She also studied History at Harvard University. Currently, she serves as a Visiting Fellow at the University of Miami and is a member of the Central Michigan University College of Science and Engineering Advisory Board. <strong>Notable Highlights:</strong> Angle has been featured in distinguished platforms and events such as the New York Stock Exchange Closing Bell, NPR, Bloomberg, M.Live, Inc. Magazine, PBS-North Carolina, Forbes, World Summit A.I. and the National Urban League Conference. <strong>Black Women In Artificial Intelligence</strong> Black Women in Artificial Intelligence (BWIAI) is a premier global professional membership association dedicated to the empowerment, advancement, and advocacy of Black women in the rapidly expanding field of Artificial Intelligence. With a strong presence spanning five continents, BWIAI is committed to fostering a community of supportive, inspiring, and ambitious women with a mission to Educate, Engage, Embrace, and Empower. At the heart of the organization's initiatives are robust programs designed to provide guided career development, technical training, A.I. workforce Development solutions, and peer support. BWIAI also has significant partnerships with major corporations and industry leaders including Amazon, Capital One, Microsoft and NVIDIA; ensuring that its members have unparalleled access to cutting-edge resources, job opportunities, and collaborative projects. Through its various programs and activities, BWIAI aspires to drive innovation and shape a more inclusive AI landscape for the future

Hubert Vargas is the Vice Minister of Telecommunications at Costa Rica’s Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications (MICITT). He has spearheaded key developments in the country’s digital landscape, including Costa Rica’s first public tender for radio and television frequencies and the national 5G spectrum auction—landmark initiatives that are expanding connectivity and accelerating digital transformation. With a background in Economics, Law, and International Business, Hubert brings a multidisciplinary and results-driven approach to public policy and ICT regulation. His previous experience includes serving as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Foreign Trade (COMEX) and leading global procurement initiatives in the private sector, particularly in data center infrastructure and advanced technology sourcing. He is committed to fostering innovation through smart regulation, pragmatic decision making, strategic partnerships, and sustainable development across the tech and telecom ecosystems.

<span lang="EN-US">Safiya is a global citizen with a diverse background in humanitarian work and research. With a childhood spent in post-conflict regions, she developed a deep passion for addressing large-scale livelihoods change through participatory solutions. Safiya has a bachelor’s in Anthropology from Sarah Lawrence College, where she continued her community involvement and interned with the UN. After graduation, she co-founded two companies in India before transitioning back to research and joining 3ie. Safiya furthered her research career with an MSc in Evaluation and Applied Research from Claremont Graduate University, during which she worked as an independent evaluation consultant for various international organizations. Later, she joined STiR Education where she led research and evaluation. Currently, Safiya is Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer at Karya, where she leads their research and social mobility interventions. Safiya is passionate about using research to amplify community voices, and believes strongly in the transformative power of listening.</span>

Mr. Hassan Al-Sayed, the Minister’s advisor, has been the Assistant Undersecretary for the Information Technology Sector at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT). He has managed the government ICT sector to implement the strategic plan of the e-government program (Digital Government Strategy 2020). With over than 30 years of experience in Information Technology, Supervision and Participation in Digital Transformation plans in government institutions, as well as his experience in developing and enhancing its efficiency and strategic plans. He has supervised the implementation of many large-scale national projects. Mr. Hassan Al-Sayed chairs the General Assembly of Qatar Post. He is member of the Board of Directors of Malomatia, he worked in Ooredoo as Technical Support Manger, IT Department before his joining to MCIT. Mr. Hassan has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Essex in UK and a Diploma in Computer Sciences from Qatar University. Mr. Hassan serves as an a chair of the AI Committee in the ministry of ICT, before that he was in charge of the implementation of the Digital Government Strategy and overseeing the implementation of many national ICT programs.Mr.Hassan carries a bachelor’s degree from the University of Essex in UK.

Mr. Sameer Chauhan was appointed Director of the United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC) on 1 December 2019 by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. The Director has the responsibility to lead all aspects of UNICC’s strategy and operations to facilitate the provision of services to more than 90 Clients and Partner Organizations, to establish the UNICC strategy, to develop a biennial business plan and budget, and to implement the approved plan. The Director is accountable to the UNICC Management Committee (MC) that governs the organization and represents the entire United Nations system. <strong>Previous Experience</strong> Mr. Chauhan has over twenty years of experience in the public and private sectors and an educational background in Computer Engineering and Computer Science. Before UNICC, Mr. Chauhan was the Head of Knowledge Management and Digital Marketing IT for Deutsche Bank (DB) Asset and Wealth Management. He played several roles at DB over eight years, including being the COO for an IT division of approximately 800 staff and the product manager responsible for a multi-billion dollar trading platform for DB Prime Brokerage. He also spent several years as a consultant for Deloitte, working across various industries including financial services, the public sector, telecom, manufacturing, and software. @sameerchauhan1 @unicc @unicc.ict @uniccdirector @unicc_ict With the advice and backing of the MC, Mr. Chauhan has effectively led a strategic transformation of UNICC since he assumed his post. This has enabled UNICC to become the preferred strategic digital partner for the whole UN system and has empowered the organization to successfully build capabilities in areas such as cybersecurity, data, AI, and automation, as well as in key business areas like treasury, finance, and HR. As Chief of Clients and Projects, he started his career at UNICC in August 2015 in New York.

Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, a senior Indian Administrative Service Officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, is a B. Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT, Kanpur, MBA from Cranfield University, UK and Ph.D from Ohio State University, USA in Management Information Systems. He started his career as an IAS Officer in 1992. He has held various administrative positions in the fields of land and revenue management, mines and minerals, IT/Communications, e-governance. During his stint in Central deputation, he worked in Department of Telecom, Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. While working as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, he was instrumental in rolling out the Cash Transfer program in LPG and ‘Give It Up’ campaign. He has also served as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director in World Bank in Washington DC. He held important positions of CEO of Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance and Export Promotion Bureau, Additional Chief Secretary, Information Technology and Digital Service Department and MD & CEO, Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation. He has several publications to his credit.

<span data-contrast="auto">Born on December 11, 1982 in Moscow.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">In 2004 he graduated from the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics of Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov, majoring in “Applied Mathematics and Computer Science”.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">In 2007, he completed his postgraduate studies at the Department of Mathematical Physics, Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov, and in 2008 he was awarded the academic degree “Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences”.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">From 2008 to 2022, he held various positions in the international network of PricewaterhouseCoopers firms, progressing from an IT systems auditor to director of the artificial intelligence and data analytics practice.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">On October 31, 2022, by order of the Government of the Russian Federation appointed to the position of Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">Speaks English.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span>

Tomas Lamanauskas is Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, elected at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference of 2022, and taking up duties as of January 2023. His 25 years of experience spans across sectors of telecoms and digital policy, regulation and strategy, stemming from executive level positions in agencies, companies, and organizations across Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Pacific region. As Deputy Secretary-General of ITU, Tomas focuses on the financial sustainability and operational excellence of the organization. He also works to raise the digital industry’s ambition in fighting the climate crisis through the Green Digital Action initiative and promotes investments into the digital infrastructure as well as digital resilience through the Digital Infrastructure Investment Initiative and other efforts. Additionally, Tomas contributes to the global efforts to harness the opportunities and mitigate challenges of new technologies, in particular Artificial Intelligence, including through his role as a co-chair of the United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on AI. He is also playing a key role in ensuring ITU’s support to other UN-wide development and governance efforts, including through the World Summit of the Information Society process and membership at the Operational Steering Committee of the UN Joint SDG Fund. Tomas holds Master’s Degrees in Public Administration (Harvard), Leadership and Strategy (London Business School), Telecommunications Regulation and Policy (The University of the West Indies) and Law (Vilnius University).  

Dr. Ebtesam Almazrouei is a pioneering force in artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technology, with a wealth of experience spanning both government and the private sector. Her exceptional expertise in artificial intelligence, supercomputing, telecommunications, semiconductors, technology governance, advanced technology, and strategic innovation has positioned her at the forefront of AI leadership globally, earning recognition among <strong>H2o.ai's world's top 100 AI leaders</strong>. As a thought leader, entrepreneur, and patent inventor, Dr. Almazrouei has been instrumental in pioneering cutting-edge AI models and fostering global AI policy frameworks. Dr. Ebtesam Almazrouei plays a key role in shaping AI strategies and frameworks, and building international collaborations on a global scale. She serves as <strong>Chairperson</strong> of the <strong>United Nations AI for Good Impact Initiative</strong> and as a <strong>Senior AI Consultant</strong> for the <strong>International Telecommunication Union (ITU)</strong>, playing a critical role in <strong>shaping global AI policies, technology governance, and regulation frameworks</strong>. Dr. Almazrouei's exceptional contributions have garnered her notable honors, including the <strong>Leading AI Women in the World list</strong>, the <strong>Global Leadership Women in Tech® MENA Award</strong>, and a spot among the <strong>Top 100 Global Tech Speakers</strong>. She also holds various advisory roles and board memberships across various international organizations. As the <strong>CEO and Founder of AIE3</strong>, Dr. Almazrouei continues to drive AI innovation, developing scalable AI solutions, building capacity, and leading industry-wide advancements. She previously held senior executive roles, including <strong>Executive Director, Acting Chief AI Researcher,</strong> and <strong>Founder of the AI Cross Center Unit (AICCU)</strong> at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII). She established and led the AI Cross Center, driving strategic planning and development. Dr. Ebtesam Almazrouei directed and spearheaded the development of the <strong>Falcon Large Language Models (LLMs)</strong>—Falcon 7B, 40B, and 180B. These AI models have made significant strides in AI research and development in the world, particularly in open-source generative AI models. Additionally, she developed NOOR, the first and the largest Arabic LLM in 2022. Dr Ebtesam Almazrouei is the first Emirati woman to hold a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence for Wireless Communication Engineering and Computer Science. Her vision is to leverage AI to address global challenges and drive meaningful societal impact.

<span data-contrast="auto">Dr. Aminu Maida is the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). He was appointed into office on the 11th of October 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span> <span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">Dr. Maida is a highly accomplished technology executive with extensive experience spanning across the telecommunication and payments industries. Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Maida has consistently demonstrated his expertise in leading cutting-edge innovations, managing cross-functional teams, and driving growth for businesses in competitive markets. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span> <span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">With a solid academic background, Dr. Maida holds a Ph.D. in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from Bath University, UK, a Masters in Engineering in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College London, as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship from Cambridge Judge Business School. His educational credentials have played an instrumental role in shaping his ability to tackle complex technical challenges and devise robust, future-proof strategies. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span> <span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">Throughout his career, Dr. Aminu Maida has successfully managed teams of engineers, developers, and researchers, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment. His expertise in strategic planning, business development, technology transformation, and project management have contributed significantly to the growth and expansion of the companies he has worked with. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span> <span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">Prior to his appointment as the Executive Vice Chairman/ CEO of the NCC, Dr. Maida was the Executive Director, Technology and Operations at the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems PLC (NIBSS) where he oversaw the day-to-day activities of the entire operations and IT infrastructure of NIBSS. Prior to this role he was the Chief Technology Officer at ARCA Payments Network, a Nigerian based FinTech, and before then he worked with the British Telecoms as a Lead Consultant as well as with Cisco Systems UK. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span> <span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">Dr. Maida's technical prowess is further evidenced by the numerous patents he holds to his name in the areas of wireless communication and self-organizing networks. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span> <span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">He is an active participant in industry conferences and forums, where he shares his insights and experience with fellow professionals. He is committed to the ongoing advancement of technology in the telecommunication and payments sectors, mentoring young professionals, and contributing to research that shapes the future of these industries.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}"> </span>

Dr Robert F Trager is Senior Research Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government. He is Co-Director of the Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative, and International Governance Lead at the Centre for the Governance of AI. He is a recognised expert in the international governance of emerging technologies, diplomatic practice, institutional design, and technology regulation. He regularly advises government and industry leaders on these topics. Dr Trager has written two books and numerous articles in leading social science journals, including the American Political Science Review, International Organization, International Security, Foreign Affairs and many others. His award-winning research has been covered in popular press outlets like the New York Times, Economist, Financial Times, Washington Post, NPR, Fortune, Foreign Policy, and Foreign Affairs. From 2017–2021, he was the Assistant Director for Research of the <a href="http://www.international.ucla.edu/burkle/">Burkle Center for International Relations</a>. He was Associate Editor of one of the international relations field’s leading journals, the International Studies Quarterly, and sat on the boards of the <a href="http://www-igcc.ucsd.edu/">Institute for Global Cooperation and Conflict</a>, the <a href="https://brsl.berkeley.edu/">Berkeley Risk and Security Lab</a>, and the Burkle Center. Before moving to the University of Oxford, Dr Trager was Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles and held faculty positions at Yale University and an Olin Fellowship at Harvard University.

<span class="ui-provider ur b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">Seizo Onoe took office as Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB) at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on 1 January 2023.</span> Before his election as TSB Director by ITU Member States, he completed an over 30-year career with Japanese mobile operator NTT DOCOMO. In 2021, he became Executive Vice President and Chief Standardization Strategy Officer for the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Corporation and a Fellow of NTT DOCOMO, INC. From 2017, he served as NTT DOCOMO’s Chief Technology Architect and President of its subsidiary DOCOMO Technology. Between 2012 and 2017, he served as NTT DOCOMO’s Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President, a Member of the Board of Directors, and Managing Director of R&D Innovation Division. Earlier, he served as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of NTT DOCOMO’s R&D Strategy Department and Managing Director of the company’s Radio Network Development Department. As TSB Director, he heads the part of ITU responsible for the coordination of technical standards and collaborative standardization processes that enable the interconnection and interoperability of information and communication technologies (ICTs) worldwide. Mr Onoe is committed to facilitating open and inclusive standardization processes, along with promoting digital technologies to address global issues, building a new ecosystem that reflects evolving technologies, and strengthening cooperation and collaboration in ICT standardization worldwide. Known in the industry as “the father of LTE” (Long-Term Evolution), he helped upgrade the wireless broadband standard for mobile devices and networks. He now aims for global outreach to bridge standardization gaps, deliver the benefits of technology widely and speedily, and ensure meaningful and affordable broadband access for everyone. Mr Onoe holds a Master’s degree in electronics from the Kyoto University Graduate School of Engineering.

<p class="p1">Mustafa Y. SHEIK is the Director General of the National Communications Authority of Somalia (NCA) since 19th November 2022. Prior to this nomination, he worked as the Deputy Director General of the National Communications Authority of Somalia (NCA) and a Member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Mustafa served as the Executive Director of the Somalia Network Information Centre (SONIC) - the Somalia DotSO (.so) ccTLD registry operator - between 2018 – 2021. Mustafa also worked as a senior policy advisor at the Ministry of Communications and Technology between 2017 and 2018. With over 15 years of experience in both private and public service management and leadership, Mustafa specialized in Internet governance, regulatory and policy analysis, Public-Private Partnership, and competition economics. During his years of work, he participated in several specialized workshops, meetings, forums, and associations worldwide.</p>

Brandon Andrews is co-founder of <a href="http://www.gauge.ai/">Gauge</a>; an AI-driven mobile market research platform connecting brands to consumers and influencers to identify opportunities and avoid mistakes. As Senior Consultant at <a href="http://www.valuespartnerships.com/">Values Partnerships</a> he leads the company’s work on technology and entrepreneurship, including leading a nationwide casting tour focused on bringing more diverse ideas and voices to ABC’s, <a href="https://brandonandrews.me/about-brandon/#">Shark Tank</a> and building inclusive ecosystems. He led casting for <a href="https://www.revolt.tv/show/2022-01-10/147516/bet-on-black/">Bet on Black</a> – a business show on REVOLT highlighting Black entrepreneurs. Named a Global Innovation Fellow by the U.S. Department of State, he has traveled the world <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoMw9Ooe1TA&list=PLSTqFAUnl1NdEw1A1YaZqjyJQHm1WmImQ">speaking</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=205&v=qbm-iCNiSOE&feature=youtu.be">hosting</a> events on entrepreneurship and innovation. He helped build and hosted the inaugural <a href="https://www.clintonfoundation.org/clinton-global-initiative-september-2022-annual-meeting#entrepreneurship-greenhouse-panel" data-et-has-event-already="true">CGI Entrepreneurship Greenhouse</a> at Clinton Global Initiative. He has also headlined entrepreneurship programming around the world including <a href="https://www.wjtv.com/entertainment-news/brandon-andrews-headlines-2022-go-viral-festival/">Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan;</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppXeFsdCrC0">Dushanbe, Tajikistan;</a> the <a href="https://www.everythinglubbock.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/605902604/brandon-andrews-hosts-unleash-plus-dragons-den-pitch-competition-funding-global-startups-in-india/">Unleash+ pitch competition</a> in Mysore, India; and four-part artificial intelligence event series in <a href="https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2023/12/15/brandon-andrews-hosts-ai-series-in-kampala-uganda/">Kampala, Uganda</a>. In addition to working with entrepreneurs Brandon has helped lead nationwide engagement campaigns including jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy (2022), Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre (2021), John Lewis: Good Trouble (2020), If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), Fences (2016), ROOTS (2016), and Concussion (2015). In 2018, he managed the <a href="https://www.wabe.org/jay-zs-music-engineer-launches-techtowealth-tour-in-atlanta/">#TechtoWealth</a> Tour with DJ Young Guru. Designed to get 10K people of color coding, #TechtoWealth brought tech events to WeWork locations in the final six OTRII Tour cities + BET Hip Hop Awards with $1M in coding scholarships available from Opportunity Hub and Flatiron School. He worked with NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment to refresh their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EraseTheHateNow/">Erase The Hate</a> campaign, including building the first accelerator for organizations fighting hate. In 2015, he worked with A+E Networks, iHeartMedia, and the United Way to develop the Shining A Light Concert for Progress on Race in America, <a href="https://www.aetv.com/shows/shining-a-light-a-concert-for-progress-on-race-in-america">Shining a Light</a> Fund, and Conversations on Race in America documentary. Previously, Brandon empowered public affairs, technology, and real estate clients at MWWPR. He spent 5 years in the United States Senate where he handled technology, small business, and defense policy. He is Chairman of the <a href="https://communityaffairs.dc.gov/servedc">DC Commission on National and Community Service</a>. A former fashion model, he serves on the <a href="https://cfae.dc.gov/">DC Commission on Fashion, Arts</a>, and Events and works with fashion/beauty entrepreneurs. He provides commentary on policy, politics, business and tech on TV, radio, and the web. A former Division-1 track athlete, Brandon is a graduate of Oral Roberts University.

A distinguished engineer, leader, and diplomat; multilingual standardization expert and holder of 23 patents, Tunisian born Dr Bilel Jamoussi is the Deputy to the Director and Chief of Telecommunication Standardization Policy Department at the ITU Standardization Bureau (TSB) in Geneva, Switzerland. His primary mission is to establish international standards to promote universal, meaningful connectivity and champion sustainable digital transformation. He also aims to intensify industry engagement, ensure inclusivity in standards development and adoption, and bolster cooperation with other standardization bodies. Additionally, he is committed to leading in emerging tech discussions, building strategic partnerships, and pursuing organizational excellence. Previously, he was the Chief of the Study Groups Department of ITU Standardization Bureau (TSB) from 2010 and until 31 August 2023. He has led the coordination of the bureau’s standards moving activities into a new era characterized by digital transformation that needs an increased collaboration with vertical sectors such as healthcare, transportation, utility, and banking. His innovative approach has served as a catalyst to launch new standards initiatives related to emerging technologies such as IoT, Blockchain, AI and Quantum, attracting a new wave of memberships from non-traditional players. A standout accomplishment of Dr Jamoussi is his effort in bridging the telecommunications and financial sectors. Through this, he paved the way for the creation of digital payments guidelines and standards that aim to foster financial inclusion on a global scale. Key achievements under his tenure have been important new standards while effectively managing staff by recruiting new talent, improving gender balance, delivering new work methods, and staying within budget. Prior to 2010, he worked in the private sector for 15 years and held senior executive positions such as Director of Standards for Nortel. In this role he participated in over 90 standards making bodies worldwide. In the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), he authored a number of Internet standards. As an IEEE Senior Member, he was elected to the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Board of Governors and the IEEE-SA Corporate Advisory Group. He holds a BSc, MSc and PhD degrees in Computer Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, USA. In addition to his many accomplishments, Dr Bilel Jamoussi is a pivotal figure in the global ICT community. He is a sought-after speaker at tech events worldwide like the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF), often taking the stage as a keynote speaker or panellist. His expertise and insights are in high demand by media outlets such as Financial Times, resulting in frequent interviews, podcast features, and media appearances. Bilel has lived in Tunisia, Canada, USA, and Switzerland, giving him a unique global viewpoint. He is fluent in Arabic, French, and English and speaks some Spanish and German.

<p class="p1">Dr.Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck currently serves as the chairman of National Broadcasting & Telecommunications Commissioner of Thailand. He has a strong background as a cardiologist in Academic Medicine. His most recent post was the deputy dean at Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University. Sarana was born and raised in Bangkok. He went to Assumption College for secondary school. He got his medical degree from Chulalongkorn University. After medical school he enrolled in the Residency Training in Internal Medicine at LA county/USC medical center and Fellowship in Cardiology at Kaiser Parmanente Hospital, both of which were in Los Angles. He got additional years of training in interventional cardiology at the Hospital of the Good Samaritan Los Angeles. He returned to Thailand in 1993 and has established cardiac intervention services at Ramathibodi Hospital where he has worked until April 2022. He has a passion in teaching medicine and challenging young physicians, from students to fellows, is part of his art. He worked his way up in Academia and proudly received his Clinical Professorship in 2018. Apart from medicine and cardiology he was selected to enact new and revise old laws at the National legislative Assembly. Because of his experience in Science, Legislation and in consumer protection such as medical device suitability and his study work on hospital expenses he was picked by the selection committee to be NBTC commissioner and later received the royal endorsement to be NBTC Chairman.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Karen Hao is an award-winning journalist covering the impacts of artificial intelligence on society. She writes for publications including The Atlantic and leads the Pulitzer Center's AI Spotlight Series, a program training thousands of journalists around the world on how to cover AI. She also sits on the AI advisory board of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Hao was formerly a foreign correspondent covering China’s technology industry for the Wall Street Journal and a senior editor for AI at MIT Technology Review. Her work is regularly taught in universities and cited by governments. She has received numerous accolades for her coverage, including an American Humanist Media Award and the American National Magazine Award for Journalists Under 30. She received her Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from MIT.</span>

<p class="x_MsoNormal" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Based in Geneva, Switzerland, Frederic Werner is a recognized leader at the intersection of artificial intelligence, technology, and global development. As the Head of Strategic Engagement at ITU, the United Nations’ specialized agency for Digital Technologies, and Chief of Strategy and Operations for AI for Good, Frederic drives initiatives that shape the future of AI’s role in solving humanity’s greatest challenges.</p> <p class="x_MsoNormal">Frederic is a co-creator of the United Nations AI for Good Global Summit, a landmark platform connecting AI innovators with real-world problem owners to collectively advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under his stewardship, AI for Good has become a global hub for innovation, collaboration, and actionable solutions, redefining how AI is used for social good.</p> <p class="x_MsoNormal">At ITU, Frederic leads transformative strategic initiatives, driving global collaboration in digital transformation and standards development to address critical challenges. His leadership ensures the organization remains a leader in setting international standards and leveraging AI to advance the SDGs.</p> <p class="x_MsoNormal">Before joining ITU, Frederic held pivotal roles that shaped global ICT collaboration. As Communications & Program Director of ETIS in Brussels, he established a pan-European network of CIOs and cybersecurity leaders. Earlier, as Head of Marketing and Communications at the European Organization for Conformity Assessment, he spearheaded capacity-building projects with the European Commission, strengthening ICT infrastructures in EU candidate countries.</p> <p class="x_MsoNormal">A recognized figure in the AI sphere, Frederic is a regular keynote speaker and panellist at global tech and AI events, such as Davos, Vivatech, SXSW, World AI Festival Cannes, AI Africa Expo, World AI Summit Amsterdam, AWS Reinvent and GITEX to name a few. His insights on AI capacity building, governance and standards have led to numerous interviews and features across international media, books, and podcasts.</p> <p class="x_MsoNormal">Academically, Frederic holds a B.A. in Business & Human Resources Management with a Communications Minor from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, an MBA in International Business from United Business Institutes, a Technical MBA in Telecoms Technology from Informa Telecoms, and a certificate from the MIT Sloan School of Management on AI’s Business Strategy Implications.</p> <p class="x_MsoNormal">Having lived in diverse countries such as Belgium, Senegal, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Austria, Turkey, Hungary, and Switzerland, Frederic brings a unique and global perspective to his partnerships and collaborations.</p>

Dawn Song is a Professor in Computer Science at UC Berkeley and Co-Director of Berkeley Center on Responsible Decentralized Intelligence. Her research interest lies in AI, AI Safety, deep learning, security and privacy. She is the recipient of various awards including the MacArthur Fellowship, the Guggenheim Fellowship, the NSF CAREER Award, the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, the MIT Technology Review TR-35 Award, ACM SIGSAC Outstanding Innovation Award, and more than 10 Test-of-Time Awards and Best Paper Awards from top conferences in Computer Security and Deep Learning. She has been recognized as Most Influential Scholar (AMiner Award), for being the most cited scholar in computer security. She is an ACM Fellow and an IEEE Fellow. She obtained her Ph.D. degree from UC Berkeley. She is also a serial entrepreneur and has been named on the Female Founder 100 List by Inc. and Wired25 List of Innovators.

<span lang="en-US">Pranav Vempati is a thought leader and global speaker known for his insightful contributions to the technology sector. As the Founder and CEO of Makers Hive, Pranav is dedicated to creating innovative technologies that are both advanced and accessible, with a strong commitment to driving positive social change.</span> <span lang="en-US">Pranav’s journey was significantly shaped by two esteemed mentors: the Father of the Green Revolution, Bharata Ratna Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, and Padma Bhushan Dr. T. Ramasami. Their guidance inspired Pranav to leverage technology to address pressing societal challenges. This mentorship led him to focus on developing solutions that empower underserved communities, ensuring that innovation benefits those who need it most.</span> <span lang="en-US">In 2018, Pranav founded Makers Hive with the mission to make cutting-edge technology accessible to everyone. The company’s first product, KalArm, is India’s first and the world’s most affordable bionic hand. This groundbreaking innovation has significantly improved the lives of many by providing a functional, cost-effective solution for individuals with limb loss.</span> <span lang="en-US">Pranav and Makers Hive have received several prestigious accolades, including Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, Forbes Asia 100 to Watch, GQ India’s 7 Most Influential Young Indians , and he was shortlisted for One Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Award.</span> <span lang="en-US">As a global thought leader and speaker, Pranav continues to advocate for the transformative power of technology in driving social progress. Under his leadership, Makers Hive is committed to developing affordable, innovative solutions that address deep-rooted societal challenges, ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of a better future. His work exemplifies how technology can uplift and empower, making a profound impact on both industry and society as a whole.</span>

<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Lucy Lyons is Co-founder and CEO of Kestrix, the ‘Google Maps of heat loss’ using thermal drones and AI to map heat loss in buildings and generate energy efficiency retrofit plans, addressing the 10% of CO2 emissions coming from heating and cooling buildings. Since founding Kestrix in 2022 with Google-alum-CTO Matt Goodridge, she has led Kestrix to raise c. $2M in funding, map 1,700+ homes for heat loss on behalf of major UK social housing providers like Clarion, Peabody, and Places for People, and grow the team to 13. Lucy is a Sigma Squared fellow, a listee in Forbes 30 under 30’s technology category, and was named GP Bullhound’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2024. She holds an M.Sc from the University of Oxford in Sustainability, Enterprise, and the Environment and a B.A. from New York University’s school of Global Liberal Studies.</span></p>

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Werzowa, a renowned composer, music producer, and entrepreneur, has been pivotal in this endeavor. Known globally for composing the iconic Intel jingle and scoring major Hollywood films, Werzowa has recently utilized AI to complete Beethoven’s Tenth Symphony and orchestrate Robbie Williams’ latest best-selling album. He is collaborating with Pharrell Williams, bringing MusicMedicine to a global audience. This fusion of AI with traditional composition opens new realms of artistic possibility, redefining the boundaries of musical creativity.</span>

<span lang="EN-US">Ria Rustagi is a visionary entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Neuphony, a pioneering neurotech company. Her journey into the world of brain health and neurofeedback technology is deeply personal and driven by a family health crisis. Ria's sister was diagnosed with a brain infection, an experience that fueled her passion for creating accessible brain health solutions. </span> <span lang="EN-US">Ria co-founded Neuphony with her husband, Bhavya Madan, who serves as the CTO. Together, they have leveraged their expertise and dedication to revolutionize the field of brain health. Neuphony, often dubbed as the "smartwatch for your brain," offers cutting-edge EEG devices and personalized brain training regimens, promoting mental health awareness and reducing stigma around mental health issues. </span> <span lang="EN-US">Ria Rustagi has an impressive educational background that has laid the foundation for her entrepreneurial journey in the neurotech industry. She holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore and another MSc degree from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany. These prestigious institutions provided Ria with a strong academic foundation in technology and innovation, equipping her with the knowledge and skills essential for her role as the co-founder and CEO of Neuphony. Her education has been instrumental in driving the development and success of Neuphony's advanced neurofeedback and brain health solutions. </span> <span lang="EN-US">Ria lived in Germany for seven years, where she gained valuable industry experience working at Infineon Technologies as a Physical Design Engineer for the automotive industry. Her role at Infineon involved working on cutting-edge automotive technologies, further honing her technical expertise and problem-solving skills. </span>

<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Greg Lynn is co-founder and CEO of Piaggio Fast Forward, a role he assumed in 2018. As Chief Design Officer, Greg leveraged his experience at the intersection of technology and the physical built environment to establish PFF’s core value of innovation that begins with a vision for a better future. He also serves as both President and Secretary of the Board of Directors for Piaggio Fast Forward.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Greg has designed award winning buildings as well as industrial objects in production with companies like Swarovski, Alessi, Nike, and Vitra. He is on the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Center for Architecture and has served on numerous advisory boards. Time Magazine recognized him as one of the 100 most innovative people in the world for the 21st century while Forbes Magazine named him one of the world’s ten most influential architects. </span></p>

Kamal Yakub is an entrepreneur passionate about leveraging technology to address agricultural challenges in Africa. He is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TROTRO Tractor Ltd. TROTRO Tractor Limited (TTL) is an agriculture technology company founded in Ghana in 2016 to modernize farming and promote sustainable agriculture techniques. Our services improve the lives of smallholder farmers (SHFs) by providing digital platforms for accessible and affordable mechanization services followed by farmer-centered crop care protocols. With an initial stock of 600 tractors in Ghana, TTL has now expanded its services to Benin, Nigeria, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In addition to its West Africa tractor rental expansion, TTL provides its farmer clients with a full line of services, starting with high level sustainable methods of ploughing, harrowing, land preparation and management, as well as providing crop care: drone activated pest control, planting, harvesting and crop storage. TTL is a Farmer’s Friend.

<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Leslie Saxon, MD, is a world renown interventional cardiologist and professor of medicine (clinical scholar) and executive director of the USC Center for Body Computing (CBC) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Leslie Saxon is a pioneer in the movement of wireless diagnostics through wearable and implantable computing devices. The internationally acclaimed CBC collaborates with USC schools, including medicine, engineering, business, and cinematic arts, to accelerate the future of fully integrated health and human performance. She has active research with programs involving connected sensors and software with elite human performers including military groups, professional and collegiate athletes, and patients. Her work provides users with continuous and protected information and actionable insights to improve and optimize their health and human performance status. Dr. Saxon's work is revolutionizing human performance and medical diagnostics and treatments and changing the mindset from "sickcare" to "healthcare" by providing proactive, preventable, and continuous care through technology. She has over 200 peer reviewed research publications and has been recognized with multiple prestigious awards, including the 2019 California Science Center Women of the Year award.  Dr. Saxon has spoken at various forums including CES, TEDMED, DEF CON- Black Hat, SXSW, and WIRED Health and is regularly quoted in popular press (WSJ, NYT, BBC and Fast Company).</span></p>

Dr. Lan Xue is a Distinguished Professor and Dean at Schwarzman College Tsinghua University. His teaching and research interests include global governance, crisis management, and science, technology and innovation policy. From 2000 to 2018, he served as Associate Dean, Executive Associate Dean and Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University.  He also holds adjunct positions at Carnegie Mellon University and the Brookings Institution. Dr. Xue advises the State Council, chairs China's National Expert Committee on Next Generation AI governance, and is a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Association of Science and Technology. Internationally, he serves on the UN Sustainable Development Solution Network board, UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration, and UN Internet Governance Forum Leadership Panel. Dr. Xue is a recipient of Distinguished Young Scholar Award from National Natural Science Foundation of China, Cheung Kong Chair Distinguished Professor of the Ministry of Education, the Fudan Distinguished Contribution Award for Management Science, the Distinguished Contribution Award from Chinese Association for Science of Science and S&T Policy, and the Second National Award for Excellence in Innovation in China. He holds a PhD in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.

Big Ocean (빅오션) (formerly S-boyz and Big O!cean) is the first ever South Korean hard of hearing boy group under PARASTAR Entertainment. They want to create their own genre called S-Pop (sign language pop), where they ‘sing’ in Korean Sign Language (KSL), American Sign Language (ASL) and International Sign (IS). All members are hard of hearing, and use medical devices like cochlear implants and hearing aids. They debuted on April 20, 2024 with a remake of ‘Hope’ by H.O.T.

Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang is Chair Professor of AI Science at Tsinghua University, and Dean of Institute for AI Industry Research of Tsinghua University (AIR). He was the President of Baidu Inc. from 2014 to 2019. Prior to Baidu, Dr. Zhang was a Microsoft executive for 16 years with different key positions, including Managing Director of Microsoft Research Asia, Chairman of Microsoft China, and Corporate Vice President and Chairman of Microsoft Asia R&D. Dr. Zhang was elected to the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAA&S), the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE), the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and the Euro-Asia Academy of Sciences. He is a Fellow of IEEE and CAAI. He is one of the top scientists and technologists in digital video and AI, with over 500 papers, 60 granted US patents, and 11 books. His original research has become the basis for start-up ventures, new products, and international standards in digital video, cloud computing, and autonomous driving. He serves on the Board of Directors of four public companies. He is on the industry board of United Nation Development Program (UNDP), and AI global council of the Davos World Economic Forum. He is the Chairman of world’s largest open autonomous driving platform “Apollo” alliance with over 200 global partners. He has been an active speaker in global forums including APEC, Davos, United Nations, and Bo’Ao Asia Forum.

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Dr Patrick Lucey is the Chief Scientist at sports data giant Stats Perform, where he leads the AI team in maximizing the value of the company’s extensive sports data repositories. With over 20 years of experience in the AI field, he has held research positions at Disney Research, the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, and IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center during his Ph.D. studies.  Originally from Australia, Patrick earned a BEng in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern Queensland and a Ph.D. from Queensland University of Technology, where his research focused on multimodal speech modeling. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers and received numerous best paper awards at prestigious international conferences, including the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, WACV, and INTERSPEECH. His work has been featured by media outlets such as the BBC and Nature and highlighted in popular sports analytics books like Soccernomics. Dr Lucey was a member of the IOC's AI Working Group, contributing to the formation of the IOC AI Agenda. His research interests include artificial intelligence, interactive machine learning in sports, and AI education. Recently, he piloted a course on "AI in Sport," designed to help students from non-traditional backgrounds understand AI concepts through the interactive and visual nature of sports data. (website:<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a title="Original URL: http://www.patricklucey.com/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.patricklucey.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C062e0c6b51044995366608dd14b31f62%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638689481792591844%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=uxjbsKDndEsFwXFkrx2yNSfmH%2FCRfoj45mJsIsXIsBI%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="0">www.patricklucey.com</a>).

<span lang="EN-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Dr. Susan Graham is the CEO of Dendra Systems, a data analytics company that uses AI and drone technology to restore natural ecosystems. </span>A bioengineer, data scientist and preservationist working with AI and analytics to restore and protect global ecosystems, Dr. Graham’s innovative approach to land restoration has earned her numerous accolades including Forbes’ 30 Under 30, a finalist position for 2020 Pritzker Prize, winner of the Emerging leader Award in the recent Advance Awards 2020 and numerous speaking engagements at the United Nations, to name a few.

<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Roland Siegwart is professor for autonomous mobile robots at ETH Zurich, founding co-director of the technology transfer center Wyss Zurich and board member of multiple companies, including Komax and NZZ. He studied mechanical engineering at ETH Zurich, spent ten years as professor at EPFL Lausanne (1996 – 2006), held visiting positions at Stanford University and NASA Ames and was Vice President of ETH Zurich (2010 -2014). He is IEEE Fellow and recipient of the IEEE RAS Pioneer Award, IEEE RAS Inaba Technical Award and the Ernst-Blickle-Preis. He is among the most cited scientist in robots world-wide, co-founder of more than half a dozen spin-off companies and a strong promoter of innovation and entrepreneurship in Switzerland.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">His interests are in the design, control and navigation of flying, wheeled and walking robots operating in complex and highly dynamical environments.</span></p>

Ian is the co-founder of the BCI Pioneers Coalition. He was implanted with the microelectrode array Neuroport in 2014 following a traumatic spinal cord injury from a swimming accident in 2010. In the photo, you can see him connected to the implanted brain-computer interface (iBCI), which is being used to control the external functional electrical stimulator on his forearm to restore hand function to grasp the mug. The monitor in the background shows an expanded view of one channel of the Neuroport that can detect multiple discrete neuron firings.

Scott Imbrie was pronounced quadriplegic at the age of 22 after a car accident broke his neck. After years of physical therapy and healing allowed him to regain movement again, he underwent surgery in October 2020 at the University of Chicago to add four specialized electrodes into his brain. Now he spends 3 days a week at the University of Chicago participating in a study called (BCI)Brain Computer Interface. Scott controls a robotic arm and hand with sensory Feedback using only the thoughts in his brain. The study aims to both understand how the motor cortex sends and in turn receives sensory data. Beyond being able to trigger grasping or pinching movements in a robotic hand by concentrating on motor imagery — Scott has had the experience of feeling true-to-life sensations communicated back to him through the robotic hand. Scott will share his perception of sensations, motor functions and movement after his life-changing surgery and his thoughts and unique experiences as a participant of BCI Studies. As he assists in exploring the frontiers of neurological research, Scott encourages researchers to envision the potential of science to transform lives in ways we have to imagine, as well as highlight where traditional research has blind spots.

Antonio Franchi is a roboticist, specializing in mathematical methods for modeling and control, and on the conception, design, and physical realization of robots. His expertise lies in the development of multi-robot and aerial robot systems to assist humans in hazardous, challenging, and monotonous environments. A Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Franchi holds joint appointments as Full Professor in Aerial Robotics Control at the University of Twente (EEMCS Faculty, RAM department) and Full Professor at the Sapienza University of Rome (DIAG department). Previously, he held positions as a Permanent Researcher at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France and a Senior Research Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Germany. Franchi holds a master’s degree (summa cum laude) in Electronic Engineering and a Ph.D. degree in System Engineering from Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. As a Principal Investigator in numerous international research projects in inspection, maintenance, and construction of industrial and civil infrastructures, Franchi has contributed to the advancement of aerial robotics and multi-robot systems. His extensive research has resulted in over 170 peer-reviewed international publications.

Vincent Vanhoucke is a Distinguished Engineer at Waymo. His research has spanned many areas of artificial intelligence and machine learning, from speech recognition to computer vision and robotics. His Udacity lecture series has introduced over 100,000 students to Deep Learning. He founded the Robotics research team, now part of Google DeepMind, and is President of the Robot Learning Foundation, which organizes the Conference on Robot Learning, now in its eighth year. He holds a doctorate from Stanford University and a diplôme d'ingénieur from the École Centrale Paris.

Dr. Merritt Moore graduated with an undergraduate degree in physics from Harvard and with a PhD in Atomic and Laser Physics from the University of Oxford. She is Adjunct Professor at NYU Abu Dhabi teaching “Creative Robotics & Tech, ” a course that fuses innovation, entrepreneurship, science and technology. She was a professional ballet dancer with the English National Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Zurich Ballet, and continues to perform with Boston Ballet. During the pandemic, Moore brought her passions together to dance with robots she programmed. She has now been invited to perform with robots at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Forbes Women's Summit in Abu Dhabi, WORLD.MINDS in Belgrade, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico, France, Romania, USA and more. This led to collaborations with Louis Vuitton and features in <a title="Original URL: https://partners.time.com/partners/kia-motors-europe/how-one-doctor-challenged-stereotypes-by-combining-her-love-of-ballet-and/?prx_ro=s&prx_t=KKcGAAAAAAlP8PA&utm_campaign=164203. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpartners.time.com%2Fpartners%2Fkia-motors-europe%2Fhow-one-doctor-challenged-stereotypes-by-combining-her-love-of-ballet-and%2F%3Fprx_ro%3Ds%26prx_t%3DKKcGAAAAAAlP8PA%26utm_campaign%3D164203&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7Cc3fdac69649e4343d4b908dd1949baae%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638694526693848467%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=fkaig329x8zG1ZezcoeB7ezPGNDc8Repgy7WNmVgVfA%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="0">TIME</a>, <a title="Original URL: https://www.ft.com/content/d45e7fc5-9974-4be2-84ba-70b7554e05a9. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcontent%2Fd45e7fc5-9974-4be2-84ba-70b7554e05a9&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7Cc3fdac69649e4343d4b908dd1949baae%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638694526693866107%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=z%2FVIzhtOyivSSGQNEZgiyDg9oX6Z0kkranliZGPGg8A%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="1">Financial Times (FT)</a>, <a title="Original URL: https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/merritt-moore-ballet-interview. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vogue.co.uk%2Farts-and-lifestyle%2Farticle%2Fmerritt-moore-ballet-interview&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7Cc3fdac69649e4343d4b908dd1949baae%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638694526693877388%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=TLZoUlqVDO4zVyD8bzAAUaVqdRuYS5EaDoq8SBTzA3w%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="2">Vogue</a>, <a title="Original URL: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000q0d4/click-women-in-tech. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fiplayer%2Fepisode%2Fm000q0d4%2Fclick-women-in-tech&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7Cc3fdac69649e4343d4b908dd1949baae%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638694526693886657%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MYzBMKi1Xu%2FJn7ATgRQKI51gGdJ1cWoiOdmfekhgMmY%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="3">BBC</a>. Her interdisciplinary work earned her a spot in <a title="Original URL: https://www.forbes.com/profile/merritt-moore/?sh=3cde958b48cc. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fprofile%2Fmerritt-moore%2F%3Fsh%3D3cde958b48cc&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7Cc3fdac69649e4343d4b908dd1949baae%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638694526693895677%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Bd87RUK5pfageylHwO3Pf0oMNkdTL7l5176AeUcE6cM%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="4">Forbes 30 under 30</a>. Merritt was one of the 12 candidates selected to undergo rigorous astronaut training on <a title="Original URL: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/ZX2Rv5pHBl7yl8lDDW5LFN/merritt-29. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fprogrammes%2Fprofiles%2FZX2Rv5pHBl7yl8lDDW5LFN%2Fmerritt-29&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7Cc3fdac69649e4343d4b908dd1949baae%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638694526693904574%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=PjXokf4Q1quZ%2BN300NU7ffw2iWS8fxzl5f%2Fim5NZJMA%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="5">BBC Two "Astronauts: Do you have what it takes?"</a>, and she was down to the final 16 artists selected for the DearMoon project, which aimed to travel around the moon on SpaceX’s Starship.

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Josh Bongard is the Veinott Professor of Computer Science at the University of Vermont, USA. His work on robotics and AI has been featured on CNN, the New York Times, and the BBC. He received an award for his work from Barack Obama at a White House Ceremony in 2010. He is one of the inventors of “xenobots”, the world’s first AI-designed organisms. He co-founded a spinoff company, Fauna Systems, dedicated to AI designing organisms for environmental remediation, human health, and planetary colonization.</span>

Cecilia Laschi is Provost’s Chair Professor of robotics at the National University of Singapore, leading the Soft Robotics Lab. She is Director of the Advanced Robotics Centre and Co- Director of CARTIN – Centre for Advanced Robotics Technology and Innovation. She is on leave from Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Italy, The BioRobotics Institute (Dept. of Excellence in Robotics & AI). She graduated in Computer Science at the University of Pisa and received a Ph.D. in Robotics from the University of Genoa. She received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Southern Denmark, Odense, in 2023. She was JSPS visiting researcher at the Humanoid Robotics Institute of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. Cecilia Laschi is best-known for her research in soft robotics, an area that she pioneered and contributed to develop at international level. She investigates fundamental challenges for building robots with soft materials, with a bioinspired approach which started with a study of the octopus as a model for robotics. She explores marine applications of soft robots and their use in the biomedical field, with a focus on eldercare. She has worked in humanoid and neuro-robotics, applying brain models in humanoid robots. She is Editor-in-Chief of <em>Bioinspiration & Biomimetics </em>and Specialty Chief Editor of Soft Robotics in <em>Frontiers in Robotics & AI</em>. She is Editorial Board member of <em>Science Robotics</em>, <em>IEEE Robotics & Automation Letters</em>, <em>International Journal of Robotics Research</em>, and the Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Agents (IRAA) Series of MIT Press. She serves as evaluators for the EC (incl. ERC programme), HFSP and national research agencies. She is IEEE Fellow and member of other scientific societies, like AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science), I-RIM (Italian Institute of Intelligent Machines) and GNB (Italian National Group of Bioengineering). She is member of the IEEE Robotics & Automation Society (RAS), where she was elected twice as AdCom member and co-founded the Technical Committee (TC) on Soft Robotics. She founded and chaired the <em>1st IEEE-RAS International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft) </em>in 2018, serving now in its Steering Committee. She was Co-Chair of <em>Gordon Research Conference on Robotics 2024 </em>and Program Chair of the <em>IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Systems – IROS 2024</em>. She co-founded the spin-off company RoboTech, in edutainment robotics.

David Gracias is a Professor at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore with a primary appointment in Engineering and secondary appointments in the Schools of Arts & Sciences, and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He received his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and did post-doctoral research at Harvard University before starting his independent laboratory at JHU. Prof. Gracias has made pioneering contributions to micro/nanotechnology, self-folding materials, and physical intelligence described in over 200 technical publications, including 14 original research papers in leading academic journals such as <em>Science</em>, <em>PNAS</em>, <em>Nature-X</em> and <em>Science-X</em>. Prof. Gracias has been recognized by several prestigious awards including the NSF Career, NIH Director’s New Innovator, Beckman Young Investigator, Camille Dreyfus Teacher Scholar, and the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Award from the Humboldt Foundation. He is an elected Fellow of leading cross-disciplinary scientific and engineering societies, including the APS (physics), RSC (chemistry), AAAS (science), AIMBE (biomedical engineering), and IEEE (electrical engineering). David is also a prolific inventor for which he has been recognized by election as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), which is the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.  

<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Carl Strathearn is a lecturer and researcher in AI and Robotics at Edinburgh Napier University, specialising in the development of novel life-like social robots with AI for education, healthcare and research. Recognised internationally, he consults for businesses and the UK Government on humanoid robots, and his research has featured in the Guardian, BBC and The World Economic Forum. </span></p>

<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" data-ogsc="black" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Tamar Makin is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University and the leader of the Plasticity Lab<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span data-ogsc="black"><a title="Original URL: http://www.plasticity-lab.com/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.plasticity-lab.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C3d4a4a8466b749318ca108dd1f507cb0%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638701152718812304%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=vzh54dB%2BJw3Xd3CdlL0n7pRHjAsKug5nUhbPKQs5eCk%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="0" data-ogsc=""><span lang="EN-US" data-ogsc="rgb(5, 99, 193)">www.plasticity-lab.com</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" data-ogsc="black">. Her main interest is in understanding how our body representation changes in the brain (brain plasticity). </span><span data-ogsc="black">Her primary model for this work is studying hand function and dysfunction, with a focus on how we could use motor augmentation technology to increase hand functionality in able and disabled individuals at all ages.</span><span data-ogsc="black"> </span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span data-ogsc="black"> </span></p>

<span lang="EN-US" data-ogsc="black" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Dani Clode is a pioneer in the design of human augmentation technologies; she gained international recognition for her Third Thumb project, which sparked research across fields of neuroscience, robotics, art, and design. Her work is exhibited globally and features in five permanent museum collections, she is also an author of multiple scientific and engineering publications, advancing discussions on body augmentation and human-technology integration. Collaborating with Cambridge University neuroscientists, Dani’s Third Thumb explores neuroplasticity and the brain’s adaptation to augmentation.</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span>

<div data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Professor James Marshall is Director of the Centre for Machine Intelligence at the University of Sheffield, and Founder Science Officer at Opteran Technologies Ltd. With an interdisciplinary background spanning computer science and biology, James has spent over a decade seeking to understand the behaviour and brains of insects, and use this to design very efficient, robust, and understandable controllers for robotics. This approach, which has been dubbed Natural Intelligence, differs from the data-driven approach of current AI technologies, by directly reverse-engineering the algorithms that brains implement.</div>

Amanda is CEO of OpenUK and has built one of the most recognised and impactful organisations in open source. She is also the Executive Producer of State of Open Con 25 taking place 4 - 5 February 2025 in London having founded and produced the ‘23 and ‘24 events building to over 800 attendees, and over 200 speakers. A lawyer with 25 years’ experience, 5 as GC of Canonical, she’s been instrumental in shaping open source’s legal frameworks, as she was in shaping internet law during the early 2000’s. Regularly contributing to tech press, she edited “Open Source: Law, Policy and Practice”, (2022). Amanda is a sought-after and contagious international keynote speaker, speaking at tech events and international events like COP29 on topics from open source software to AI. A regular contributor to the tech press across a wider range of areas, Amanda is the editor of Open Source Law, Policy and Practice (2nd edition) published by Oxford University Press in October ‘22, with open access thanks to the Vietsch Foundation https://amandabrock.com/books Current Advisory: UK Cabinet Office Open Standards Board; UKRI Digital Research Infrastructure; UKRI Exascale; KDE; commercial boards – Mimoto, Scarf, FerretDB and Space Aye; and is Fellow Open Forum Academy; Distinguished Fellow Rust Foundation; European Representative, OIN. Past Advisory includes: Chair, UN Technology and Innovation Labs Open Source and IP Advisory Group’; OASIS Open Projects Initiative; British Computer Society Inaugural Influence Board; UK Government Energy Sector Digitalisation Task Force; elected Board Member Open Source Initiative; and Commercial Advisory Boards at Beamery and Everseen. Recognition: Computer Weekly’s 50 Most Influential Women in UK TechC(2023, 2024) listed as #20 in 2024; Computing IT Leaders 100 (2023, 2024); ‘ INvolve HERoes list “(2023, 2024); “Women Who Will”, Changemaker (2023); INvolve Heroes (2022, 2023); and Novi Awards Advocate for Change in Gender Equality Honouree (2024); Ambassador Open Charge Alliance. Amanda was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Women, Influence & Power in Law UK 2022. Judging: IDG Foundry CIO 100 2023, 2024); and Senior Judge, First Enable Role Model List by Dow (2024) having been a Judge in the We are Tech Women Rising Star Awards in (2021, 2022).

<span lang="en-GB" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Robert Katzschmann is an Assistant Professor of Robotics at ETH Zurich, where he leads the Soft Robotics Lab, focusing on the design and fabrication of soft, musculoskeletal, and bio-hybrid robots that safely interact with humans and the environment. His work draws inspiration from biological systems, using soft, compliant materials to create lifelike, adaptive robots. Before joining ETH Zurich, Robert served as the Chief Technology Officer at Dexai Robotics, where he led robotic automation projects for commercial kitchens, and as a Senior Applied Scientist at Amazon Robotics. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 2018, where his research on soft robotics garnered media attention from outlets like The New York Times and BBC. He holds a Diplom-Ingenieur degree from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany. Robert’s contributions to the robotics community include serving as an editor for leading journals and conferences such as IJRR, ICRA, IROS, RoboSoft, and RSS. He is also a guest editor for Science Advances and Advanced Intelligent Systems. His lab is affiliated with the Center for Robotics (RobotX), the ETH AI Center, and the ETH Max Planck Institute Center for Learning Systems, promoting collaboration in advancing robotics technologies.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Laura Garcia-Caberol is a founding member and the COO of Touchlab. Touchlab is a deep-tech electronic skin (e-skin) and robotics company based in Edinburgh, Scotland</span>. Our ambition is to revolutionise robotics by giving machines a human sense of touch. Touchlab has a unique sensing technology – a thin, customisable layer with unparalleled dynamic range, durability, and definition. Our robotic fingertip enhances tactile sensing, offering precision, durability, and seamless integration with robotic hands.</p> <p dir="ltr">Touchlab e-skin has been integrated into telerobot systems enabling human presence anywhere, anytime, including dangerous environments such as medicine, nuclear, and space.</p> <p dir="ltr">The user and Avatar can feel objects and their surroundings, perform dexterous tasks, and detect slippage. The data is transferred to a human operator to offer an immersive and embodied VR experience.</p> <p dir="ltr">Laura focuses on the day to day operations and team management. She helped secure two rounds of investment for Touchlab including a $4.5 million Seed investment led by Octopus Ventures. She still manages the final product development stage and testing of prototypes as well as working closely with the sensor design, routing and integration.</p> <p dir="ltr">Laura has experience in technology start-ups as well as materials in construction. She has a background in art sculpture and design. She has developed a broad academic curriculum being part of many institutions around Europe such as University of Barcelona, Aalto University, Central Saint Martins and the University of Edinburgh where she obtained her Master’s degree.</p>

<span lang="en-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Dr. Donatella Mattia is a Neurologist specialized primarily in epilepsy and related syndromes in adults. At the Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, she also leads the Neurophysiopathology Service with specific expertise in electroencephalography. She leads post-stroke rehabilitation activities using technology based on Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) in the TechnoRoom and coordinates the rehabilitation and training of adult patients in the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technologies within the SARA-t Service.</span> <span lang="en-US">Dr. Mattia's scientific research focuses on three main areas: Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) based on electroencephalographic (EEG) signals and their applications in clinical rehabilitation; high-resolution electroencephalography (EEG) and its applications in clinical rehabilitation; basic electrophysiology in neuronal cellular contexts for both experimental and human models of epilepsy. She is head of the <a title="Original URL: https://www.hsantalucia.it/en/laboratory-neuroelectric-imaging-brain-computer-interfaces. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hsantalucia.it%2Fen%2Flaboratory-neuroelectric-imaging-brain-computer-interfaces&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C3745332308034ac410c508dd3d47a3ee%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638734100143335623%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=K%2FDBFMKl669pvJmfQ4qgnlMm3231KIp4O4pkVuCwQnQ%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="Verified" data-linkindex="1">Neuroelectric Imaging and Brain-Computer Interface Laboratory</a>, coordinating translational research activities in BCI technologies both as augmentative communication tools and for environmental control in motor disabilities, as well as for functional recovery in individuals with cerebrovascular injuries. In the field of high-resolution electroencephalography and its clinical applications, Dr. Mattia’s research is dedicated to developing anatomofunctional modeling techniques for non-invasively recorded EEG signals (scalp) to identify cortical sources and subsequently model the flow of functional information between cortical brain areas (cerebral networks) recruited during the processing phenomena underlying motor and cognitive tasks.</span>

<span lang="en-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Dr. Cabrera is the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Neuroethics. She is an Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, and Philosophy at Penn State University. She is Senior Research Associate at the Rock Ethics Institute, and affiliated with the Center for Neural Engineering. She is also Faculty Affiliate at Neuroethics Canada (University of British Columbia), as well as at NeuroTech Institute (The Ohio State University and Battelle Memorial Institute). Dr. Cabrera is an honorific member of the Mexican Neuroethics Society, chair of the IEEE Standard Development Group P7700 -Recommended Practice for the Responsible Design and Development of Neurotechnologies, past chair of the IEEE Brain Neuroethics Subcommittee, and member of the International Neuroethics Society (INS) Board of Directors. She is a Senior IEEE Member. Dr. Cabrera's interests focus on the ethical, societal and cultural implications of the design, development and use of neurotechnologies and other disruptive technologies.</span>

Harry Yeff is a London-born Creative Director and founder of R100 Studios. Yeff has forged a partnership with ITU, seeking out artists who push the boundaries of human and machine collaboration. Specialising in a blend of grassroots emergent curation and strategic insight for global arts and cultural initiatives and institutional collaboration. His research delves into how art, fueled by emergent technologies, can prepare society for present and future opportunities in a new creative and work landscape.

World-renowned musician and BBC TV broadcaster LJ Rich presents on the international technology show, BBC Click. In the last year she's delivered lines at 75mph from the UK's tallest thrill ride, performed to a drone in the sea off the Welsh Coast - and learned to rap on camera thanks to a mind-reading AI headset. LJ's many innovative projects coupled with a wide knowledge of tech trends bring a unique spark to her professional speaking engagements. A highly accomplished pianist, she uses music to connect the emotional and rational minds of audiences, unlocking creative thinking and solving real-world problems. She believes AI/Machine Learning can be a companion to creativity and regularly uses it to enhance her original works. LJ also loves eating and singing, trains and planes, and solving difficult puzzles.

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Iolanda Leite is an Associate Professor at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Her research goal is to develop robots that can perceive, learn from, and respond appropriately to people in real-world situations, allowing for truly efficient and engaging interactions. She holds a PhD in Information Systems and Computer Engineering from IST, University of Lisbon. Before joining KTH, she had postdoctoral appointments at Yale University and Disney Research. She has been awarded a Future Research Leaders Grant of the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, a Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship, and received funding from sources including the Swedish Research Council and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Her work has been recognized with best paper awards at the International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction and the International Conference on Multimodal Interaction, and best paper nominations at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. She was recently appointed co-editor-in-chief of the ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction (THRI) journal.</span>

Dr. Jose ‘Pepe’ L Contreras-Vidal is Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor, director of the U.S. National Science Foundation Industry-University Cooperative Research Center for Building Reliable Advances and Innovations in Neurotechnology (IUCRC BRAIN) at the University of Houston, and an elected Fellow of the IEEE and AIMBE for his pioneering contributions to development of brain-machine interfaces for controlling wearable exoskeletons for rehabilitation, and for mapping art-evoked brain activity. He led the first comprehensive knowledge integration assessment of the global state of clinical trials of implantable brain-computer interfaces (iBCI) published in Nature Reviews Bioengineering. His work at the nexus of art and science is opening new windows to study the neural basis of human creativity while advancing the understanding of the arts as an active neuromodulator of brain function with applications to the development of personalized arts prescriptions. His art-science team received the Chamber Music America’s 2025 Interdisciplinary Collaboration of the Year for “Meeting of Minds”, which was performed at the United Nations’ 2024 AI for Good” Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Contreras-Vidal is a member of the National Advisory Board for Medical Rehabilitation Research at the U.S. National Institute of Health. His career development in biomedical engineering was highlighted by the journal Science.

<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Pascale Davies is a technology reporter, who has a particular focus on European tech and artificial intelligence. She has been working as a journalist for over ten years, and has worked as a journalist for Reuters, Forbes and is currently with Euronews. She is also an official moderator for the United Nations’ AI for Good Summit.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">She is interested in how technology impacts society, its possibilities, and how it intertwines with geopolitics. She also has a keen interest in the start-up ecosystem, particularly in France.</span></p>

<div> <span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Dr. Michelle J. Johnson is an Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She has secondary faculty appointments in the </span>Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at University of Pennsylvania. </div> Dr. Johnson holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, with a specialization in design, robotics and rehabilitation. Her pioneering work focuses on developing robotic and sensor-based technologies to assist individuals recovering from neurological injuries, such as stroke and other non-traumatic brain injuries. As the Director of the Rehabilitation Robotics Lab (A GRASP Lab),  Dr. Johnson leads an interdisciplinary team that designs and evaluates assistive robots and therapeutic devices to improve motor control, physical function, cognitive function and quality of life in older adults and adult and children with disabilities. Her research integrates principles from robotics, neuroscience, and rehabilitation science to create innovative solutions for real-world clinical applications. Dr. Johnson has published extensively in leading scientific journals and has secured significant research funding from prestigious agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Her projects emphasize human-robot interaction, adaptive technology design, and equitable access to rehabilitation tools for local and global underserved communities. She is a Fulbright Scholar.

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Dr. David Moses received his B.S. in Bioengineering from Rice University and his Ph.D. from the joint program in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley and UCSF. During his Ph.D. in Dr. Edward Chang’s lab, he studied mechanisms for how the brain represents perceived and spoken speech, leading to the development of the world’s first system capable of decoding brain activity into full words and sentences in real time. In his postdoctoral research, he led a clinical-trial project to create another world-first: a speech neuroprosthesis capable of restoring words to a person who is unable to speak by interpreting their brain activity as they tried to talk. He is now an adjunct professor and remains on the forefront of neurotechnology and artificial intelligence geared towards restoring autonomy and expressive communication to persons who are unable to speak, with a focus on translating the technology from the laboratory to a clinical solution for patients. His work has ranked in the top three brain-computer interface projects worldwide in the International BCI Award competition for three years in a row, and he presented his work at the White House Demo Day in 2023, which was attended by the President of the United States.</span>

<div class="w4BZ9"> <div role="document"> <div class="T31hC GNqVo allowTextSelection OuGoX" tabindex="0" aria-label="Message body"> <div> <div> <div dir="ltr"> <div lang="en-US"> <div> <p data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Sasha Rubel is Head of Public Policy for Generative AI at Amazon Web Services (AWS) for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. She previously led UNESCO’s work on AI and digital innovation for over 12 years, including as representative to the European Commission, G7, OECD, African Union, Economic Commission for Africa, and Sahel on these matters. Sasha is involved in international AI governance initiatives as a founding member of the Global Partnership on AI, member of the OECD AI Network of Experts, and member of Ireland’s AI Advisory Council. Franco-American with a large part of her life spent in Africa, she brings people together across countries, disciplines, and sectors to use technology to change their lives and the world for the better. She advises governments, companies, non-profits, and change-makers on how to unlock the potential of AI and data for the good of people and the planet through policies, partnerships, and capacity building. A former student of the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris, Sasha received the Public Diplomacy Innovation Prize from the White House under President Obama, and undertook a PHD on responsible AI and the social impact of new technologies.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="g4Y3U"></div> </div> <div class="DVtfe"></div> </div> <div class="w4BZ9"> <div role="document"> <div class="T31hC GNqVo allowTextSelection OuGoX" tabindex="0" aria-label="Message body"> <div> <div> <div dir="ltr"> <div lang="en-US"> <div> <div> <div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Ms. Fadwa Saad AlBawardi, is a Saudi Arabian Entrepreneur who have established her own Consultancy office to provide consulting services in Digital Transformation, data, AI & its strategies. Ms. AlBawardi is a Certified Strategy and Business Planning Professional, as well as an IT/Performance Management Senior Consultant, with more than 21+ years of working experience. Moreover, Ms. AlBawardi is a public speaker in several national and international conferences, including United Nations IGF2023 in Japan.   In addition, she is an Author who have participated in writing several technical international publications. She is a USA Today Bestselling Author and also a weekly Columnist, with 150+ articles, in KSA digital journals.    Ms. AlBawardi has earned a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Boston University, USA, in 2003, as well as 2 certifications in Strategic Planning.   She is a certified trainer as well as an Elsevier reviewer for international technical research papers and articles

Sergio Mujica started out as ISO Secretary-General in 2017. ISO is a leading international organization in standardization with a membership of about 165 national standards bodies. ISO standards support global trade, drive inclusive and equitable economic growth, advance innovation and promote health and safety to achieve a sustainable future. Under Sergio’s leadership, ISO approved a new Strategy 2030, which is fully aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with a vision of “making lives easier, safer and better”. Combining his experience as Deputy Secretary-General at the World Customs Organization in Brussels from 2010 to 2017 and several leadership positions in the government of Chile, Sergio has unique global perspectives of international trade and sustainability. He is a tireless advocate for International Standards as ways of reducing barriers and fully realizing the role of international trade in growing economies. Sergio is fully committed to integrity, transparency and the highest ethics across every part of ISO, as well as to gender equality. As an International Gender Champion, he is a member of a leadership network that brings together female and male decision-makers determined to break down gender barriers and make gender equality a working reality in their spheres of influence. Sergio obtained his law degree at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and completed his master’s in international law at the American University in Washington D.C. (USA). In 2021, the ISO Council reappointed Sergio as Secretary-General for a second five-year term (until July 2027).

Mr Metzger became IEC Secretary-General and CEO on 1 February 2020. Prior to joining IEC, he was Director-General of the Swiss Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM). Mr Metzger was also previously Deputy to the Director of the Development Bureau at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Director of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Trained as a lawyer, Mr Metzger has issued several publications on the World Trade Organization (WTO) and competition law. The Secretary-General is the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission and is responsible for its day-to-day operations.

Tristan Post is the CEO and Founder of the AI Strategy Institute, Lecturer for the Management of AI at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Faculty Member for AI/GenAI at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Before that he built up one of the largest startup incubators for AI in Europe, worked as AI Strategist and AI Product Manager.<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span>

<span lang="en-US">Tomas is CEO and Co-owner of the international branding studio GoBigname. From Switzerland, UK, USA, EU to Saudi Arabia, GoBigname has experience in applying its unique frameworks in different cultures and business environments. </span> <span lang="en-US">Over the past 12 years, the GoBigname team has created more than 300 brand names, brand strategies and consistent & distinctive brand identities from Startups, SMEs to brands with millions of customers globally.</span>

<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Faduma Aden is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Social Impact Leader with extensive experience integrating these principles into innovation, business development, and design. She has worked with leading companies, including Spotify, where she was part of the team setting the global Equity & Impact strategies and led DEIB strategies for the company’s largest business unit, Product & Tech, which includes R&D.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">During her time at Spotify, she led numerous initiatives, including developing a campaign to promote diversity in inventorship, launching the Tech Fellowship in Europe, developing partnerships with organizations focused on underrepresented communities, and leading the Nine Muses Collective for women, which featured an AI-focused event to democratize knowledge and increase diversity in the field.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Passionate about equitable AI, she is eager to contribute to AI development that centers equity, inclusion, and addresses challenges faced by underserved communities.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">She has served on the advisory boards of think tanks, educational institutions, and cultural organizations, focusing on promoting equity and driving social impact. She is also a founding team member of the Global Shaper Hub in Stockholm, a World Economic Forum initiative. Recognized with multiple awards, she has been honored for her contributions to innovation, DEI leadership, and social entrepreneurship. She holds an MSc in Computer and System Science from Stockholm University.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>

<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Managing Partner of STORM Partners, leading professional services firm dedicated to the blockchain industry, and Founder of recently launched innovation centre, Decentral House, in Geneva, Switzerland - Sheraz Ahmed is on a mission to provide the emerging technology industry with the necessary tools to succeed in this fast-growing digital age.</span></p> The under-30 entrepreneur is a Global Shaper of the World Economic Forum, supporting dialogue, action and collaborative change. Sheraz also drives cooperation and integrity across the Web3 space as Ecosystem Director of the Crypto Valley Association.

Passionate about technology, both as an investor and as a connector and coach, Gerassimos has been helping young technology entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into world-changing companies. Gerassimos is the Founder and CEO of Spheric Capital, an independent purpose-driven multi-family office boutique with an extensive network and access to global resources and investment opportunities. With over 25 years in the financial industry, prior to Spheric Capital, Gerassimos held the posts of Global Head for Southern Europe, Africa, Israel, Monaco, and Turkey for the wealth management divisions of Citigroup and Bank Julius Baer. Previous to finance, Gerassimos has worked in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Greece and Romania as a brand manager and management consultant for United Distillers, Gallaher and Roche Pharmaceuticals. In the past two decades he has consulted and founded startups focusing in artificial intelligence and the digital health space with a focus in advanced digital security, food and nutrition, and personalized health AI applications. As Chairman of MIT StartSmart for South Europe and leveraging the strong partnership with MIT Open Learning and the MIT JWEL network Gerassimos has been leading startup accelerator programs, hosting impactful events and delivering technology and innovation workshops to facilitate investment opportunities, offering cutting-edge content and forging new collaborations. Gerassimos is an alumnus of Harvard Business School (YPO President Program) and has attended Executive Education courses at IMD Lausanne, INSEAD, Singularity University in LA, London Business School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT. He holds a BSc in Business Administration from the American College of Greece and an MBA from Manchester Business School in the UK. He currently serves as Chairman of the Swiss Alpine Gold Chapter of YPO and before as a Member of the Executive Board of YPO Europe and London Mayfair YPO Chapter in London, UK. When not doing business, you will find him riding a motorcycle or taking pictures in beautiful remote places around the world to support his charity initiative that helps children in need.  

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Braden has 11 years of experience in medical device development. Earlier in his career, he created devices for minimally invasive cardiovascular surgeries. He holds 6 international patents for medical devices, and has contributed to the development of 7 medical devices. He is the co-founder and CEO of AI Diagnostics and holds a Masters in Mechanical engineering and B-Eng in Mechatronics.</span>

Dung is a Vietnamese entrepreneur and founder/CEO of Rayo—an AI-powered platform that enhances web accessibility. Inspired by her visually impaired friend and her own journey with ADHD, she leverages her startup experience and volunteer work to drive digital inclusivity.

<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" data-ogsc="rgb(33, 33, 33)" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Dr. Julien Weissenberg is founder of Deep Tech Experts and AI Expert, an Expert for the World Economic Forum Strategic Intelligence and for Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span data-ogsc="rgb(33, 33, 33)">Deep Tech Experts is a boutique advisory which gathers world-class experts in AI, Encryption, Quantum Computing and Aerospace. </span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span data-ogsc="rgb(33, 33, 33)">With over 15 years of expertise in Computer Vision and Machine Learning, Julien has been building AIs and working with investment funds, strategic investors, startup accelerators and competitions to evaluate and support AI startups in a wide array of industries, ranging from agriculture to insurance.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span data-ogsc="rgb(33, 33, 33)">He completed his PhD and Postdoc at the ETH Zurich and holds an MSc in Advanced Computing from Imperial College London.</span></p>

<div data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Monika is a diabetes and diabetes tech expert who brings 25 years of first-hand diabetes experience and 5 years of startup marketing knowledge to her role as CEO of a pioneering healthtech company. Channeling her own journey into innovation, she’s redefining glucose monitoring with a breakthrough, user-focused approach.</div>

Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, M.D., Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Neurobiology at Duke University, where he was named the Duke School of Medicine Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience; and established Duke's Center for Neuroengineering. He is Founder and Scientific Director of the Nicolelis Institute for Advanced Brain Studies with divisions in the US, Brazil and Europe. He is Founder of the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute for Neuroscience of Natal. Dr. Nicolelis is also Founder of the Walk Again Project, an international consortium of scientists and engineers, dedicated to the development of an exoskeleton device to assist severely paralyzed patients in regaining full body mobility. Dr. Nicolelis has dedicated his career to investigating how the brains of freely behaving animals encode sensory and motor information. As a result of his studies, Dr. Nicolelis was first to propose and demonstrate that animals and human subjects can utilize their electrical brain activity to directly control neuroprosthetic devices via brain-machine interfaces (BMI). Over the past 30 years, Dr. Nicolelis pioneered and perfected the development of a new neurophysiological method, known today as chronic, multi-site, multi-electrode recordings. Using this approach in a variety of animal species, as well as in intra-operative procedures in human patients, Dr. Nicolelis launched a new field of investigation, which aims at measuring the concurrent activity and interactions of large populations of single neurons throughout the brain. Through his work, Dr. Nicolelis discovered a series of key physiological principles that govern the operation of mammalian brain circuits. Dr. Nicolelis’ pioneering BMI studies have become extremely influential since they offer potential new therapies for patients suffering from severe levels of paralysis, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy. Today, numerous neuroscience laboratories in the US, Europe, Asia, and Latin America have incorporated Dr. Nicolelis' experimental paradigm to study a variety of mammalian neuronal systems. His research has influenced basic and applied research in computer science, robotics, and biomedical engineering. Dr. Nicolelis is a member of the French and Brazilian Academies of Science and is the author of over 200 manuscripts, edited numerous books and special journal publications, and holds three US patents. He is the author of Beyond Boundaries: The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines and How It Will Change Our Lives; The Relativistic Brain: How it Works and Why It Cannot Be Simulated by a Turing Machine; and The True Creator of Everything: How the Human Brain Shaped the Universe as We Know It.

Christian Howell is a recognized healthcare leader possessing over 20 years of experience across startup and corporate landscapes, managing P&L from early stage to mature markets. Currently, Christian serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Cognito Therapeutics, a medical device startup pioneering the use of non-invasive neuromodulation to treat neurodegenerative diseases and improve cognitive performance. Early in his career as an officer in the U.S. Navy, Christian developed a philosophy that would guide his future endeavors: his work had to make a positive social impact. This led him, over 20-years ago, to medical devices, where he has since navigated responsibilities in business development, commercial leadership, product management, market development, and strategy. At Cognito, Christian leads all aspects of the organization, including P&L management, strategic partnerships, and revenue generation. His leadership fosters a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement across Cognito and helps cultivate partnerships with key stakeholders and industry leaders. Christian is continually looking around the corner and pushing the envelope with innovative, double bottom lined approaches to enhance commercial performance while delivering the greatest impact to patients. A serial intrapreneur, Christian introduced forward thinking commercial strategies to Medtronic’s care delivery, including a multi-sided platform approach to value-based healthcare and owned P&L responsibility for their Integrated Health Solutions program. Prior to joining Cognito, Christian led Emerging Channels at Aetion, successfully navigating entry into Medical Device, Diagnostics, Government, and Value Based verticals; including the establishment of a 5-year strategic partnership with NESTcc, and was a key contributor to a successful Series C fundraise. Christian’s acumen in developing impactful relationships with providers, regulators, payers, and industry leaders has been instrumental in the success of the initiatives he leads, making him a sought-after speaker at top industry events and conferences including occasions at Harvard, MIT, Stanford, the G20, and more.

<span lang="en-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Serial Entrepreneur, Experienced Board Member, Shareholder, and Speaker with a passion for innovation in AI and healthcare. </span>

<span lang="en-CA" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">For Amos Miller, Founder and CEO of Glidance, this isn’t just another product—it’s the realization of a lifelong vision to push the boundaries of assistive technology. Since losing his sight in his 20s due to a genetic eye condition, Amos has firsthand experience with the challenges of mobility and has committed his career to breaking down barriers for the blind community.</span> <span lang="en-CA">As Chairman of the Board at Guide Dogs for the Blind (UK) and a former product executive at Microsoft Research, he has been a driving force in inclusive innovation. At Microsoft, he founded Soundscape, an audio AR navigation app that has transformed how blind individuals experience the world.</span> <span lang="en-CA">Amos sees Glide as just the beginning. His passion for AI and robotics extends far beyond a single device—it’s about empowering millions with confidence and independence. Glide is the first of many innovations to come, redefining what’s possible in mobility and accessibility.</span>    

<span lang="en-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Jan is a quantum physicist and co-founding co-CEO of IQM, building next-generation quantum computers. IQM has assembled an exceptional team of international professionals to build quantum computers for high-performance centers, academia, and industry. IQM has raised €128 million in Series A2 funding (in 2022), largest ever funding round raised by a European quantum computing company. Jan did his doctorate on superconducting quantum circuits at TU Munich and worked as a Marie-Curie Fellow in Helsinki at Aalto University, where he holds the title of docent. In 2023, he was selected as Founder of the Year by Handelsblatt. In 2020, Capital magazine selected him as one of 40 under 40 in Germany and he received an entrepreneurship award from the KAUTE Foundation. Jan was in the Board of the European Innovation Council EIC and holds a Board seat in the European Quantum Industry Consortium QuIC. He is also and member of the German Federal Economic Senate, an EIC Scaling Club Council member, member of the Hall of Future, as well as a Digital Leader and Global Innovator at the WEF.</span>

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Sarah Nassar is an Associate Program Officer at the IP for Business Division, IP and Innovation Ecosystem Sector, of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Since joining in 2019, she has focused on capacity building activities and promoting the use of IP as a key business enabler in various regions, including through the implementation of IP and business management training programs for SMEs and Startups. She also supports the integration of IP for business services within business support institutions. She holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Law from the University of Geneva, Switzerland.</span>

<span data-contrast="auto">Carlo Tortora Brayda di Belvedere, born in Rome, Italy, in 1969, is the founder and Executive Chairman of the Tortora Brayda Institute for Artificial Intelligence & Cybersecurity, a global Think Tank to promote effective partnerships. Mr. Tortora Brayda is the former CEO of Gorilla Corporation, the global leader in Technology Partnerships through Channels and Alliances. An organization that supported industry giants like IBM, AWS, and Microsoft as well as innumerable startups. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">His earliest work with the United Nations was as a Volunteer in the Office of the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid in Geneva, Switzerland. Shortly after that, he met with former United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali and Kofi Annan several times. These were profoundly formative meetings focusing on the role of public-private partnerships, entrepreneurship, and their role in international development. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">In 2003, he created Alchemy World Projects, an Ethiopian-based NGO aimed at poverty alleviation through entrepreneurship and coordination with the government on private sector development. The program was successful and lifted thousands of people out of poverty into employability and small-medium enterprise development. During this time, he was appointed Advisor on Trade and Industry to Federal President Girma Wolde-Ghiorgis. He also fulfilled an advisory role in Entrepreneurship development and Foreign Direct Investment to several Regional Presidents, particularly the President of Amhara State, the historical heartland of Ethiopia, covering more than 25 million inhabitants. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">In the ongoing spirit of Partnerships, Mr. Tortora Brayda signed Gorilla Corporation as a Sector D Member of the United Nations International Telecommunications Union to the forefront of internet policy making and standardization. In 2006, Mr. Tortora Brayda was invited by the World Economic Forum to be a Special Constituent Member and, subsequently, an expert contributor in assessing global risks for the  G20. Since then, his only focus has been supporting Partnership Excellence in all its forms within all technology growth areas, including the Think Tank’s core tracks: Cybersecurity, Cloud/Data Center, Artificial Intelligence, and Robotics. Mr. Tortora Brayda, a United States National Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity ISAO co-founder, has also been invited by NATO CyCon and Strategic Communication CoE to participate in its proceedings. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">He has been a Judge on the United Nations ITU AI for Good Innovation Factory since 2020. As of 2023, he acted as Judge for the ad hoc AI for Good Contest for Climate Change in partnership with ITU, UNESCO, FAO, IAEA, and World Bank culminating in COP 28. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">Mr. Tortora Brayda, an information systems engineer with a focus on Artificial Intelligence, and with his subsequent companies, has won numerous business awards, including the Forbes Technology Council Award for Best Group (Cybersecurity),  Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year, South East of England, Shell Livewire Greatest Employment Potential, Oxfordshire Business of the Year Award presented by Boris Johnson, Guildford Mayor’s Cup, and was honored to join Queen Elizabeth II Golden Coronation private event at St James’ Palace in London. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">Mr. Tortora Brayda serves as Global Lead on Cybersecurity for the Forbes Technology Council, is a Fellow of the British Computer Society, and a Freeman of the City of London. In 2022, he joined CyberStratos M&A Advisory, as an GTM Advisor and Equity Partner.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span>

Josep Aliagas is the CEO of Dis Capital, specializing in strategic advisory and investment for startups and tech companies. With experience as a founder and angel investor, he has a deep understanding of the entrepreneurial journey and the challenges of building and scaling businesses. Aliagas mentors tech entrepreneurs, offering guidance on growth, fundraising, and operations. His expertise spans technology, AI, and fintech, where he identifies investment opportunities, drives strategic partnerships, and helps companies succeed in competitive markets. Through Dis Capital, he is dedicated to supporting the next wave of innovation and growth.

<div class="aVla3"> <div class="BS0OK" aria-expanded="true"> <div> <div class="fui-FluentProvider fui-FluentProviderr1gu ___5n94it0 f19n0e5 f3rmtva fgusgyc fk6fouc fkhj508 figsok6 fytdu2e" dir="ltr"> <div class="wide-content-host"> <div id="focused" class="SlLx9 WWy1F byzS1 WWy1F" tabindex="-1" aria-label="Email message"> <div role="document"> <div id="UniqueMessageBody_276" class="XbIp4 jmmB7 GNqVo allowTextSelection OuGoX" tabindex="0" aria-label="Message body"> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div><span style="color: black;" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Fereshteh is a seasoned strategy and innovation professional with over 15 years of experience working across diverse sectors and markets. Her primary focus is on fostering entrepreneurship and sustainable impact through ecosystem development and strategic stakeholder engagement. </span><span style="color: black;">Throughout her career, Fereshteh has led and developed meaningful partnerships, from community-led initiatives to collaborations with international organizations and global Fortune 500 companies, to drive transformative change. </span><span style="color: black;">Fereshteh holds degrees from Columbia Business School (New York, USA), SOAS University of London (London, UK), and McGill University (Montreal, Canada).</span></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="g4Y3U"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

A lawyer, medical doctor, and successful software founder, Danny is the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/89690990-75f9-4172-97cb-b324407f639f" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2023 Financial Times Innovative Lawyer of the Year</a> and led Business Insider’s 2022 list of top lawyers helping companies adopt artificial intelligence (AI).  Danny leads DLA’s team helping Fortune 10, 50, 500 and global brands cross-industry adopt new and disruptive technologies like AI, including in risk mitigation, governance, and litigation.  Danny also represents leading life sciences and healthcare companies in matters involving FDA, CMS, HHS, commercial parties, and claimants.  The U.S. Library of Congress gave Danny a Burton Award recognizing "the best of the best writers in the legal profession" among the nation's top 1,000 largest firms. A graduate of Harvard College, Yale Law School, and UT Southwestern Medical School, Danny has handled successfully some of his clients' most challenging and important matters. He played a key legal role in the Covid vaccine effort, helped obtain one of the largest Daubert wins in a pharmaceutical mass action, designed the winning scientific case in the first Hatch-Waxman suit in the Eastern District of Texas, and obtained a unanimous reversal in federal appellate court in a much-cited R&D tax case of first impression. He has successfully handled as lead counsel litigations arising from biotech M&A transactions and has resolved board and shareholder disputes for life-science companies. Danny has represented healthcare clients in matters ranging from internal investigations to business litigation. Danny is a world-recognized leader in the law and regulation of AI. He sits on the World Economic Forum’s AI Governance Alliance and the Executive Committee of the United Nation’s AI for Good law track. Danny is a founding member of the Health AI Partnership with the Mayo Clinic, Duke, Berkeley, and others, and sat on Pfizer's Digital Health Scientific Advisory Board.  He moderated the closed-door Ministerial Roundtable in Morocco on Improving Health Outcomes in Africa through Innovative Solutions and has hosted the Principal Deputy Commissioner of FDA, U.S. Senators, and others for fireside chats on key issues of public concern.  Danny is a frequent invited speaker on AI governance and law, including for the Attorney General Alliance, National Retail Foundation, National Association of Corporate Directors, the Business Council, Stanford Rock Center for Corporate Governance, Stanford Law School, Harvard Business School’s OPM Annual Conference, the Swiss Embassy, the Korean Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Association for the Advancement of AI, and many others. Danny represents numerous companies on AI governance and adoption, as well as the leading foundation model and other innovators.  His clients also include breakout startups like IDx, the first FDA-approved fully autonomous AI diagnostic, with whom he authored the peer-reviewed<em> Lessons Learned About Autonomous AI: Finding a Safe, Efficacious, and Ethical Path Through the Development Process</em>. Danny's writing on legal issues in medicine and biotechnology appears in National Law Journal, American Health Law Association Connections, Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, Yale Journal of Law & Technology, the American Journal of Ophthalmology, and Health Law Litigation. Danny led a successful software company from inception to acquisition. His original medical research appears in Pediatric Blood & Cancer and the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. Beyond healthcare, Danny has represented private equity, finance and other clients in some of their most pressing cases in state and federal court. He has argued successfully before the <em>en banc</em> Delaware Supreme Court and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals among others. Danny is Chair of the Board of Directors of the non-profit AT&T Performing Arts Center, the largest performing arts district in the United States. He chaired the Legal Advisory Counsel of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and has served on the boards of the Parkland Foundation, SPCA of Texas, Texas Israel Alliance, and the regional Anti-Defamation League. He has co-chaired the Judiciary Committee and the Membership & Admissions Committee of the Dallas Bar Association and served on the Governing Council of its Business Litigation Section. Danny previously served on the Executive Committee of the Yale Law School Association.

Vijay Karia is the Co-founder & CEO of OptiCloud, an AI-driven cloud optimization platform that reduces digital waste, lowers energy consumption, and advances global sustainability efforts. With a mission to cut cloud related carbon emissions by over 1% worldwide, OptiCloud empowers organizations to better manage cloud infrastructure while achieving up to 60% cost savings. Born to a father who was a refugee from Uganda and a mother from Ecuador, Karia’s global perspective has shaped his approach to technology for good. He is a passionate advocate for protecting indigenous communities and preserving critical ecosystems like the Amazon rainforest, ensuring that sustainability efforts also promote equity and cultural heritage. His work has been recognized with the COP29 AI for Climate Action Award, and he is a frequent speaker on AI sustainability, cloud efficiency, and digital recycling. In addition to his leadership at OptiCloud, he serves on the board of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, reflecting his passion for the intersection of technology, sustainability, and the arts.

Mojdeh's passion is to connect ideas and resources in order to help organizations transition towards growth and impact. She has served as an advisor and board member for various companies and non-profits, and is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of profit generation and top-line growth, as well as strong returns in the venture capital and private equity industry. She is skilled in strategic partnerships, entrepreneurial ecosystem design and management, and growth oriented mergers & acquisitions.

Kitrhona Cerri is Executive Director leading the development of the TASC Platform. She has invested more than 15 years at the intersection of business and social impact building collaborations to scale action around knotty issues from human rights to the future of work. Kitrhona was previously the Director of Social Impact at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a CEO-led organization of over 200 international companies. She started her career at Accenture, serving clients across their public services, financial services, and international development practices.

Dr. Rebecca Corbin is president & CEO of the Entrepreneurship (NACCE), a leading non-profit membership organization dedicated to increasing entrepreneurship offerings and thinking at over 300 community colleges across the country. She has forged several new partnerships with national Foundations to advance STEM education, ecosystem mapping, and intellectual property curriculum knowledge in community colleges across the United States. Prior to NACCE, Rebecca served as Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the BCC Foundation at Burlington County College (BCC). With her leadership, a new workforce development initiative at BCC was successfully launched. Rebecca also oversaw institutional advancement for the Foundation for New Jersey Public Broadcasting.

Christian Mio Loclair is a German artist who works at the interface of artistic and scientific research. Using custom algorithms, data and digital devices, Loclair creates sculptures, video works and installations to continuously portray the aesthetics and frictions of both human and digital identity. In his work, Loclair explores the contrast between natural phenomenons and data-driven algorithms. On the one hand, his works examine the creative and societal potential of artificial intelligence, while, on the other hand, they reflect on the only supposedly opposing myth of man and machine. Loclair focusses on novel aesthetic identities that derive from the interplay of mathematical and poetic research. This is not only reflected in his work, but also in his interdisciplinary development: in his practice, he combines and reflects his expertise and experience as a computer scientist, visual artist, choreographer and dancer. Loclair studied computer science at the University of Potsdam and at the Hasso Plattner Institute, specialized in media technology and completed his studies in human-computer interaction. Loclair’s approach is always a mediating one, which matches his public lectures, including contributions to Palazzo delle Esposizioni (2021), EPFL Pavilion (2021), Le Pavillon Namur (2021), Goldsmith University (2020), Center Pompidou (2018/2020), Republica (2019), United Nations (2019) and Hong Kong Performing Arts Festival (2019). His works have been presented at the Today Art Museum (2019), ars electronica (2019), MCAM (2019), Center Pompidou (2018) and Design Museum London (2017). Christian Mio Loclair lives and works in Berlin.

Ms. Romita Ghosh, an esteemed Founder-CEO at the forefront of the MedTech industry, spearheads innovative and impactful ventures that transform healthcare in India. With an unwavering commitment to revolutionize the industry, she has founded highly successful MedTech companies. Transitioning from research at the Tata Cancer Center, Romita's passion for tangible change led her to become an exemplary entrepreneur. Through visionary leadership, her ventures have positively impacted more than 200,000 lives. Recognized with the Women Transforming India Award 2021 by Niti Aayog, Romita's contributions are highly regarded. Romita holds double majors in Biotechnology and Biochemistry, alongside an MBA. She is an alumnus of IIM Udaipur and served as an ICMR research fellow at IIT Hyderabad. Her achievements include being named one of the Top 50 Women in Innovation by CII PwC. Additionally, her groundbreaking solution, Maap AI, revolutionizing child nutrition, earned her a place in the prestigious Top 10 of the Bayer Women Empowerment Award. Receiving numerous accolades such as the Most Inspiring Woman Entrepreneur Award and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Romita's journey is recognized for its impact. Felicitated by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, she is a sought-after speaker and advocate. In line with her ethos, Romita Ghosh received specialized training at the German Institute of Sustainability and Development, further strengthening her commitment to sustainable practices in the field of healthcare. Contributing to the startup ecosystem, Romita mentors aspiring founders and leads the India-Germany Bilateral Business Council, championing women in science. Her media presence includes appearances on TV programs and features by renowned outlets, further solidifying her influence. Romita Ghosh's exceptional journey, pioneering spirit, and unwavering dedication to transforming healthcare establish her as an influential figure, inspiring countless individuals and shaping the future of the industry.

<span data-contrast="none"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Touradj Ebrahimi is professor of image processing at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and active in teaching and research in multimedia signal processing. </span></span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span> <span data-contrast="none"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">He is the Director of Multimedia Signal Processing Group at EPFL. Since 2014, he has been the Convenor (Chairman) of the JPEG standardization Committee which has produced a family of standards that have revolutionized the imaging world. </span></span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span> <span data-contrast="none"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">He represents Switzerland as the head of its delegation to JTC1 (in charge of standardizing information technology in ISO and IEC) and SC29 (the body overseeing JPEG and MPEG standardization) and is a member of ITU as the main representative of EPFL. </span></span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span> <span data-contrast="none"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Prof. Ebrahimi is also involved in Ecma International as a member of its ExeCom. He serves as a consultant, evaluator, and expert for the European Commission and other governmental funding agencies in Europe and advises several Venture Capital companies in Switzerland in their scientific and technical audits. He has founded a number of startup and spinoff companies in the past two decades, including the most recent, RayShaper SA, a research startup company based in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, involved in AI-powered multimedia. </span></span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span> <span data-contrast="none"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">His areas of interest include image and video compression, media security, quality of experience in multimedia and AI based image and video processing and analysis. Prof. Ebrahimi is a Fellow of the IEEE, SPIE, EURASIP and AAIA and has been the recipient of several awards and distinctions, including an IEEE Star Innovator Award in Multimedia, an Emmy Award on behalf of JPEG and the SMPTE Progress medal.</span></span></span>

Leonard Rosenthol is the Senior Principal Architect for PDF & the Document Cloud at Adobe, having been involved with PDF technology for more than 20 years. He represents Adobe on various international standards bodies including the ISO (where he is the Project Editor for PDF/A, PDF/X and PDF/E), W3C and ETSI/ESI (where he authored the PDF Electronic Signature standard, PAdES). Prior to re-joining Adobe in 2006, Leonard worked as the Director of Software Development for Appligent, and the Chief Innovation Officer for Apago, while also running the successful consulting business of PDF Sages. Before becoming involved in PDF, Leonard was the Director of Advanced Technology for Aladdin Systems and was responsible for the development of the StuffIt line of products.

A research and scientific leader in Artificial Intelligence, Alessandra is the Sr. Director of AI and Data Science at Shutterstock. Alessandra has over 18 years' experience in research and innovation gained whilst working in academic and commercial environments. Alessandra is passionate in advanced analytics, machine learning, and computational models with the focus of transferring innovation from research to products. As Co-chair of the UNESCO Women for Ethical AI Platform and Global President of Women in AI (a non-profit do-tank working towards gender-inclusive AI that benefits global society) Alessandra is working with a strong community of women to foster diversity , inclusion and equality for women and minorities while encouraging a global ethical approach in AI. In an advisory capacity, Alessandra also serves as the Governance Committee Chair at the Science Foundation Ireland Center for Research Training in Machine Learning. Among several awards, Alessandra won the 2024 Grace Hopper and the 2021 XV International Prize "Le Tecno-visionarie" in the AI ​​- Industrial Research category. In her previous role Alessandra was Head of Analytics Research at Nokia Bell Labs where she was leading research teams in several locations while driving changes across different activities like her contributions to the Nokia AI Ethics Advisory Board.

<p>Veronica J. Santos is a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Affiliate Faculty of Bioengineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. She directs the UCLA Biomechatronics Lab (<a href="http://biomechatronics.ucla.edu">http://biomechatronics.ucla.edu</a>), which specializes in artificial tactile sensing and perception and is dedicated to improving quality of life by enhancing the functionality of artificial hands and their control in human-machine systems. Her research interests include hand biomechanics, human-machine systems, tactile sensing and perception, and prosthetics / robotics for grasp and manipulation. She also serves as the Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Faculty Affairs for the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.</p> <p>Dr. Santos earned her B.S. in mechanical engineering (music minor) from the University of California, Berkeley, was a Quality and R&D Engineer at Guidant Corporation, and earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering (biometry minor) from Cornell University. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southern California, she contributed to a bio-inspired tactile sensor for prosthetic hands before moving to Arizona State University as an Assistant Professor.</p> <p>Dr. Santos was selected for an NSF CAREER Award, a U.S. National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium, and numerous teaching awards. Her work has appeared in numerous television shows, and print / online media, including National Geographic, TechCrunch, and Forbes. She has served as an IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) Editor, an IEEE Haptics Symposium Editor-in-Chief, and General Co-Chair for the 2022 and 2024 IEEE Haptics Symposia.</p>

Moriba Jah is an astrodynamicist and space environmentalist laying the foundation for a safe, prosperous, and sustainable near-Earth space environment. Jah draws on his expertise in astrodynamics and statistical orbit determination to create transparent and collaborative solutions for improving oversight of Earth’s orbital spheres. Jah and co-authors have proposed novel statistical strategies for determining more precise admissible regions (the possible orbits an object can take). He and colleagues have also developed a system for aggregating various independent data sources into a complete catalog of space objects. ASTRIAGraph and Wayfinder (http://www.privateer.com), a new version designed for use by the public, are online visualization tools, freely available to all, that integrate information from governments, industry, and other researchers. The site reveals the frequent inconsistencies across different sources of data providing space objects' identity, location, and size. Machine learning techniques are used to determine when data from multiple sources refer to the same object. Combining these data sets allows for a more comprehensive assessment of the objects in Earth’s orbit and who is liable for them. Researchers and policymakers can assess and verify that all parties involved abide by space-related policy, such as the United Nations Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space. In addition, the combined observational measurements improve estimates of orbital paths. Jah’s work also extends to policy guidance and public education about how to improve collaboration across space-faring nations and entities. In op-eds, podcasts, and government testimonies, he is a persuasive advocate for “space environmentalism,” a framework for treating Earth’s orbit as a finite natural resource. Like other natural resources, it should be governed by norms of behavior, transparent information sharing, and broad regulations in the service of sustainability and equitable international access. Jah proposes enacting policies to create a circular space economy; such regulations could prevent pollution in the form of single-use satellites and incentivize companies to reuse satellites rather than abandon them. Through his transdisciplinary approach and vision of space as an invaluable global resource, Jah facilitates greater understanding of the environmental challenges arising from human use of Earth’s orbital spheres. Jah is a MacArthur Fellow, TED Fellow, and National Geographic Explorer, amongst many other things...

Dr. Najwa Aaraj is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research pillar of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), the overarching advanced technology body in Abu Dhabi responsible for driving research and development for transformative technology outcomes. Previously to her role as CEO, Dr. Aaraj was the Chief Researcher at the Cryptography Research Center (CRC) and the Autonomous Robotics Research Center (ARRC) TII. Dr. Aaraj earned a PhD with Highest Distinction in Applied Cryptography and Embedded Systems Security from Princeton University (USA). She has extensive expertise in applied cryptography, trusted platforms, security architecture for embedded systems, software exploit detection and prevention systems, and biometrics. She also specializes in shaping the robotics and self-organized autonomous vehicles ecosystem in the UAE and beyond - exploring their application across air, land, on-sea and underwater. She has over 18 years of experience with global firms, working in multiple geographies from Australia to the United States. Before joining TII, Dr. Aaraj was Senior Vice President of Products & Cryptography Development at DarkMatter, a cyber-security leader based in the UAE. She was formerly at Booz & Company, where she led consulting engagements in the communication and technology industry for clients globally. She also held a Research Fellow position with the Embedded Systems Security Group at IBM T.J. Watson Security Research in New York State, and with the Intel Security Research Group in Portland, Oregon, where she worked on Trusted Platform Modules and contributed to an early prototype of a TPM 2.0 based firmware. She also was a Research Staff Member at NEC Laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey. Dr. Aaraj has written multiple conference papers, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) journal papers and book chapters, and received patents on applied cryptography, embedded system security, and machine learning-based protection of Internet of Things (IoT) systems. Dr. Aaraj is on the advisory board of New York-based Neutigers, a leading-edge startup revolutionising the next generation of energy/latency-efficient artificial intelligence (AI). She is also Adviser within the Strategic Advisory Group at Paladin Capital Group (Cyber Venture Capital) and Adjunct Professor at the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (Machine Learning Research Group). In addition, she is an Adviser to multiple security and Machine Learning startups including Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. She is also a board member of Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB). She received a Special Recognition award at the Arab Woman Awards 2021, held in partnership with the United Nations to recognise the notable achievements of the region’s women. Additionally, Dr. Aaraj received the Wu Prize of Research Excellence from Princeton University.

<div class="bio-component"> <div class="clearfix"> Kathleen A. Kramer is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of San Diego in California, USA. She worked to develop new engineering programs as a founding member of the faculty and eventually became the chair of electrical engineering, then serving as Director of Engineering (2004–2013), providing academic leadership for all of the university’s engineering programs. Her teaching interests are in the areas of signal processing, mechatronics and robotics, and communication systems. She has also been a member of technical staff at several companies, including Viasat, Hewlett Packard, and Bell Communications Research. She is a Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society (AESS) and is a past vice president of the Society. She is a fellow of ABET and a leader in the development of criteria for cyber security, mechatronics and robotics, and graduate programs. Kathleen served on the IEEE Board of Directors as IEEE Secretary and chair of Governance and IEEE Region 6 (Western USA) Director. She was also chair of the 2023 IEEE Ad Hoc Committee on Innovating Funding Models. She received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering magna cum laude with a second major in physics from Loyola Marymount University, CA, USA, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. </div> </div>

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the first woman and first African to hold the position in the 80-year history of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the WTO. Dr Okonjo-Iweala is an economist and international development expert with more than 40 years of experience. She was Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (2016–2020), the African Union's African Risk Capacity Group (2014–2020), and Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate with Lord Nicholas Stern (2014-2020). She was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Rockefeller Foundation. She co-chaired the G20 High Level Independent Panel on Financing for Pandemic Preparedness and was one of the founders of the COVAX Facility, designed to get affordable vaccines to Low and Low Middle-Income Countries. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum and is co-chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water. She is also a member of the G30 Group of top 30 people in International Finance and a council member of the Prince of Wales's Earthshot Prize. Dr Okonjo-Iweala holds the distinction of being the first woman to serve as Nigeria’s Finance Minister, a post she held for seven years in two terms. She also served briefly as the first female Foreign Affairs Minister. As Finance Minister, she implemented policy and institutional reforms to help fight corruption and she spearheaded the complete write off by the Paris Club of $30 billion of Nigeria’s debt. She spent a 25-year career at the World Bank, rising to the number two position of Managing Director, Operations. Previously Dr Okonjo-Iweala, among other duties, served as Senior Advisor at Lazard Ltd. and sat on the boards of Standard Chartered Bank PLC and Twitter Inc. She served in 2020 as African Union COVID-19 Special Envoy as well as World Health Organization COVID 19 Special Envoy. Dr Okonjo-Iweala is the recipient of numerous honors and accolades. In 2023, she was awarded the Lord Byron International Prize from the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism and the Global Economy Prize from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. In 2022, she obtained the Global Leadership Award by the American Academy of Achievement.  In 2021, she received a Global Leadership Award from the United Nations Foundation as a “Champion for Global Change”. She was inducted as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019 and featured in the Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2011 and 2012. She has also been listed among 73 “brilliant” business influencers in the world by Condé Nast International. Dr Okonjo-Iweala was named in 2014 and again in 2021, one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the world. She was also featured on the TIME magazine cover page in 2021. She has been named seven times by Forbes as one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World and in 2020, was named Forbes African of the Year. In 2021, she was named by Financial Times as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in the World and in 2015 she was ranked by Fortune as one of the 50 Greatest World Leaders. Dr Okonjo-Iweala is also the recipient of Nigeria's second highest National Honor Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON)-2022. She was awarded national honours by the governments of the Republic of Liberia and the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire in 2016. She also received the Grand Cross of the Order of Rio Branco from the Federative Republic of Brazil in 2023. In 2024, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was honored with the Collar of the Order of Timor Leste, the country's second highest honor. Dr Okonjo-Iweala is the recipient of 21 honorary degrees from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, including Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Trinity College - Dublin, University of Amsterdam, Luiss University - Italy, American University - USA, Nyenrode Business University, Obafemi Awolowo University and Nile University of Nigeria. She is distinguished visiting fellow at Brookings and a Global Public Leader at Harvard Kennedy School. Dr Okonjo-Iweala is the author of several books, including Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons co-authored with Julia Gillard (Penguin Random House, July 2020), Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines (MIT Press, 2018), Reforming the UnReformable: Lessons from Nigeria, (MIT Press, 2012), and The Debt Trap in Nigeria: Towards a Sustainable Debt Strategy (Africa World Press, 2003). She also co-authored with Tijan Sallah the book Chinua Achebe: Teacher of Light (Africa World Press, 2003). She has also published numerous articles including, Why the World Still Needs Trade (Foreign Affairs, August 2023, Editors' Top Pick 2023), Finding A Vaccine is Only the First Step (Foreign Affairs, April 2020), Mobilizing Finance for Education in the Commonwealth (Commonwealth Education Report 2019), Shine a Light on the Gaps — an essay on financial inclusion for African Small Holder Farmers (Foreign Affairs, 2015), Funding the SDGs: Licit and Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries (Horizons Magazine, 2016). Dr Okonjo-Iweala holds a Bachelor’s in Economics (Magna Cum Laude) from Harvard University and a PhD in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Juan M, Lavista Ferres is currently the Chief Scientist and Lab Director of the Microsoft AI For Good Research Lab, where he works with a team of data scientists and researchers in AI, Machine Learning and statistical modeling, working across Microsoft AI For Good efforts. These efforts includes projects in AI For Earth, AI for Humanitarian Action, AI For Accessibility and AI For Health. Juan joined Microsoft in 2009 to work for the Microsoft Experimentation Platform (EXP) where he designed and ran randomized control experiments across different Microsoft groups. Juan also worked as part of the Bing Data Mining team, where he led a group applying data mining, machine learning, statistical modeling and online experimentation at a large scale as well as providing data services for Bing. Juan started the Microsoft efforts related to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), and his work has been published in top academic Journals including Pediatrics. His work has been covered in New York Times, CNN, Chicago Tribune, USNews, USAToday , and over 100 news outlets around the world. Juan is involved in working to define the data science discipline within Microsoft, and is currently the editor of the Microsoft Journal of Applied Research (MSJAR). Before joining Microsoft, Juan was the CTO and co-founder of alerts.com. Previously, he spent 6 years in Washington working at the InterAmerican Development Bank applying data science to understand the impact of programs for reducing poverty and inequality in Latin-America and the Caribbean. Juan has two computer science degrees from the Catholic University in Uruguay, and a graduate degree in Data Mining and Machine Learning from Johns Hopkins University. He lives in Kirkland, WA, with his wife and three children. He has been a speaker in the US at Strata, IEEE, Berkeley, Cornell, and in many countries including Canada, Switzerland, Argentina, Colombia , Costa Rica, and Uruguay, and he also was a TedX Speaker.

<span aria-hidden="true">Microsoft Philanthropies helps realize the company’s mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more by helping nonprofits and communities leverage the potential of technology. Kate leads a global, multi-disciplinary team that brings together corporate social responsibility, sales and engineering functions to help drive inclusive economic growth. They are focused on local and global initiatives, partnering with nonprofits, governments and the private sector to develop durable solutions and deliver impact at scale. The team anchors its work on providing digital skills training for people excluded from the digital economy, providing technology and services to nonprofits and IGOs to build their capacity and advance their missions, and community engagement initiatives such as employee giving, humanitarian response, and Affordable Housing.</span>

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Ma Kun, a co-founder of SenseTime Group Limited and SenseRobot Co., Ltd., is responsible for the R&D of AI intelligent hardware. From 2014 to 2021, he developed and commercialized 200,000 face recognition devices. Since 2022, he has focused on home robots and developed the world's first chess-playing robots for Chinese chess, Go, and chess, which have ranked first in the market. Before joining SenseTime, he had 14 years of experience in AI entrepreneurship. The mobile AI app "Wochacha" has accumulated 180 million downloads. He serves as an adjunct professor at the School of Artificial Intelligence of Xidian University and a director of the 9th Council of the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence. He studied at Xidian University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.</span>

<span class="TextRun SCXW65451051 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW65451051 BCX0">Micaelah is the Vice President of Business Development at </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW65451051 BCX0">MassRobotics</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW65451051 BCX0"> where she helps </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW65451051 BCX0">identify</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW65451051 BCX0"> and create new opportunities for </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW65451051 BCX0">Massrobotics</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW65451051 BCX0"> and its member companies. Prior to joining </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW65451051 BCX0">Massrobotics</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW65451051 BCX0">, Micaelah served as the Director of External Affairs for Boston University’s </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW65451051 BCX0">Innovate@BU</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW65451051 BCX0"> where she helped students innovate and problem solve in their careers and their communities. Micaelah was also the co-founder of the nationally recognized Greentown Manufacturing Initiative – which connected startups and manufacturers to promote local commercialization and economic development; and Executive Director of Greentown Learn (now FORGE), the sister organization of Greentown Labs, the largest cleantech hardware incubator in the United States. In these roles, Micaelah served as an advisor to programs developed within the US Department of Energy, US Department of Commerce, NYSERDA and others. Micaelah also worked in the MA State Senate from 2006-2012. She has a BA in political science from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and a </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW65451051 BCX0">Master’s in Urban & Environmental Policy & Planning</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW65451051 BCX0"> from Tufts University.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW65451051 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":257}"> </span>

Dr. Hui Zhang has a proven track record in the robotics and automation business, holding different leadership positions in product management and R&D at ABB over the past 20 years. During this time, he has spent several years in China, the United States and for the past three years in Switzerland as Chief Technology Officer.​​​​​​​ Dr. Hui Zhang joint the KUKA Group in October 2022 as KUKA Group CTO (Chief Technology Officer). Since May 2023 he also took the role as CTO of KUKAs Robotics Division. The 52-years-old holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University and did work in many different locations globally.

<span data-contrast="none">Ludovic brings 17 years of experience in venture capital, new business creation and strategic partnerships at Sony. Based in Silicon Valley as a core member of Sony Innovation Fund (SIF) since its inception, Ludovic leads startup scouting, due diligence, venture investment execution as well as portfolio management in many core SIF focus areas such as FinTech, InsurTech, web3, Mobility, Drones, FoodTech, AgTech and Environment.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span>   <span data-contrast="none">Ludovic was previously at Sony's global headquarters in Tokyo, where he ran strategic assessments, mid & long-term technology perspectives and financial valuations to foster Sony's Intellectual Property. Before that, he spent several years as Corporate Strategist in London, New York and Paris, spanning the entire spectrum of Sony's Electronics, Gaming, Content, Financial Services, Telecommunications & B2B activities.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span>   <span data-contrast="none">A French native, Ludovic holds a MSc in Information & Communication Technology from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden, and a MSc in Industrial Engineering & Management from the École Centrale in France.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span>

<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32349288 BCX0">Bruce Leak is a Founding Partner at Playground Global. From an early age, his intellectual curiosity led to a fascination with computers and emerging technology, and later informed his career path which took him </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW32349288 BCX0">from the frontier days of Apple and Microsoft,</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32349288 BCX0"> to entrepreneurship, to his time at Playground investing in complex ideas with the potential to change the world.</span>

<span data-contrast="auto">Dr. Ulrike Tagscherer is the Chief Innovation Officer at KUKA since May 2019 after joining KUKA in 2017. From 2015 until 2017 she was Deputy Department Head for Business Model Innovation at Fraunhofer Headquarters in Munich, Germany. There she was responsible for an internal accelerator for Fraunhofer researchers to create their own startup. Prior to this she spent 7 years as an innovation systems researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research in Karlsruhe, Germany. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">From 2000 to 2008 Dr. Ulrike Tagscherer worked in the Department for International Business Development at Fraunhofer Headquarters and was heading several offices in different Asian countries.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span>

I have been working in the logistics sector for 20 years now, mainly in intralogistics. And a lot has happened since I started, and of course I have also developed. In the beginning, I focused (almost) exclusively on the digitalization and automation of logistics processes. And I did that in many roles: From consulting and system design to project management, product management and human resources management. I have now been with Swisslog since 01.09.2019 and have been Head of Innovation Management since the beginning of 2021. As part of my current portfolio of tasks, in addition to innovation management, I have been dedicated for some time to, among other things, the question of what the food supply chain of tomorrow may look like, so that the tasks for innovation within Swisslog arise from this. In addition, I have built up increasing expertise in the area of sustainability and the resulting issues for logistics in recent years.

<span class="TextRun SCXW102675941 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW102675941 BCX0">Will Foss is a Venture Investor, Advisor, and Operator in AI, Robotics, DeepTech, Mobility, and </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW102675941 BCX0">CleanTech</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW102675941 BCX0"> companies. Currently, Will is an Advisor to the Boston Dynamics AI Institute Leadership team, where he advises some of the world’s leading AI researchers and roboticists. He is also a Venture Partner with Chakra Growth Fund I and an Advisor to autonomous vehicle operator, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW102675941 BCX0">Goggo</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW102675941 BCX0"> Network. Will previously worked as an Investor and Operating Partner at SoftBank Group, where he invested in and served as a Board Director or Observer to Boston Dynamics, Fetch Robotics, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW102675941 BCX0">Goggo</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW102675941 BCX0"> Network, 1nce, and more. Before moving to Venture Capital, Will led Business Development and Commercialization for </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW102675941 BCX0">Derq</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW102675941 BCX0">, an AI software company born out of MIT, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW102675941 BCX0">establishing</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW102675941 BCX0"> relationships with companies like Denso, Qualcomm, and more. Prior to </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW102675941 BCX0">Derq</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW102675941 BCX0">, Will was an Innovation and Strategy Consultant at Monitor Deloitte, focused on the Future of Mobility and Go-to-Market Strategy for Tech companies. Will holds an MBA and BA from the University of Michigan. Outside of work, Will spends most of his time chasing 2 children under the age of 3!</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW102675941 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span>

<span data-contrast="auto">Merav Weinryb is VP & Managing Director of Qualcomm Ventures in Israel and Europe. During her tenure, Merav invested or was part of the Board of Directors of SentinelOne (NYSE:S), CrazyLabs (Acquired by Embracer), Magisto (Vimeo), OpenSignal (Comlinkdata), Tapingo (Grubhub), Weka, Scylla, Simply, Tytocare, Shopic, Medisafe and more.  </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">Merav has more than 25 years of high-tech and venture capital experience. Prior to joining Qualcomm Ventures, she was at Intel Capital, and before that a at Pitango Venture Capital. Merav holds a B.Sc. in Information Systems Engineering (cum laude) from the Technion, and an MBA from INSEAD, France.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span>

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Ryan Wang is globally acknowledged as a visionary technology futurist and esteemed business executive, specializing in Artificial Intelligence, Spatial Computing, and Frontier Technology sectors. He holds a distinguished position as Co-founder and General Partner of Outpost Capital, a trailblazing cross-border early-stage venture fund established in 2015, with a primary focus on frontier technology investments across the United States and Asia. In 2020, Ryan co-founded Zebra Labs, a music entertainment company creating new IPs and content with cutting edge technology in metaverse and AI. The company is backed by top investors including Sumitomo and MIT Media Lab.</span> With over a decade of active engagement in the tech sphere, Ryan has forged significant collaborations with industry giants and fortune 500 companies such as Meta and Google, serving in capacities such as advisor, consultant, or partner. These alliances showcase his commitment to fostering innovation and advancing technological frontiers. Possessing a multicultural background and an exemplary track record, Ryan oversees a diverse portfolio of companies across North America, Europe, and Asia. His profound insights and robust connections within these markets have facilitated numerous successful ventures and have led to him being frequently featured in prestigious international media outlets, including Forbes, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal. Furthermore, Ryan is a sought-after speaker, delivering keynote addresses at myriad global conferences, where he shares his visionary ideas and insights on the evolving technological landscape. Before venturing into the technological domain, Ryan amassed extensive experience and built a comprehensive and successful career in investment banking, working with Citigroup and Societe Generale in New York City. This foundation has been instrumental in shaping his astute business acumen and strategic approach to technology investments and collaborations.

<span data-contrast="none">John is the Founder and CEO of Red Summit, a board services and advisory firm to over 100 start-ups around the world, helping companies summit their most difficult challenges like strategy, new market entry, growth acceleration, strategic partners, M&A, and capital financing.  He is also an executive in a Veritas Capital owned company Peraton helping them expand into the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  He is on the boards of the American Red Cross National Capital Region, the American Association of People with Disabilities, and a few technology start-ups.  He is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors, the Private Directors Association, and contributing author at the Forbes Technology Council.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":257}"> </span> <span data-contrast="none">John combines his passion for helping people live better lives and technology working as a board member at non-profits and also as board member or advisor for next generation artificial intelligence and machine learning enabled SaaS platforms focused on healthcare, aging, disability, safety, independent living, and security.  The platforms he works with today have improved and saved countless lives, educated over 5 million people on working effectively with people with disabilities, found over 20 human trafficking victims, and reduced medical costs for patients by over $200M.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":257}"> </span> <span data-contrast="none">John holds an MBA from Pepperdine University, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from San Diego State University, a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from UCLA, and completed additional post-graduate work at the Executive Leadership program at Cornell University and the Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy program at MIT Sloan School of Management & MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":257}"> </span>

<span class="TextRun SCXW177441576 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW177441576 BCX0">Sandra Skaff is senior alliances and ecosystem manager at NVIDIA where she leads robotics ecosystem development and works with cross-functional teams to support partners and customers in developing their products using NVIDIA’s Isaac platform. Prior to this role she was global lead of academic research engagements including the NVAIL program, whereby she was responsible for setting the strategy and managing a portfolio of engagements with top research labs in the areas of AI, Robotics, and Data Science. She has 10 years of experience in computer vision and machine learning R&D at both large corporations and startups. Sandra received the PhD and MEng. degrees in Computer Vision from McGill University, Montreal, Canada. She has authored and co-authored 20 peer-reviewed </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW177441576 BCX0">conference</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW177441576 BCX0"> and journal publications and has been granted 13 patents.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW177441576 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":257}"> </span>

<span class="TextRun SCXW57709789 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW57709789 BCX0">Senior Executive Vice President and CTO Corporate Executive Officer of Sony Group Corporation, KITANO is President and CEO of Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc., CEO of Sony AI Inc., President of The Systems Biology Institute, and Professor at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. He is also a Founding President of the </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW57709789 BCX0">RoboCup</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW57709789 BCX0"> Federation, President of International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) (2009-2011), and Member of the AI & Robotics Council (2016-2018), and Quantum Computing Council (2019-2020) of The World Economic Forum, Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) (2021-).</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW57709789 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":257}"> </span>

Sarah Storelli serves as the Senior Executive Communications and Customer Programs Marketing Leader of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Worldwide Public Sector (WWPS) to drive strategic impact with AWS’ C-suite and VP-level customers and Partners around the world. She also oversees evangelism for AWS (WWPS), and is the creator, producer, & promoter of her new vodcast, AWS Behind the Cloud (60MM+ views), which showcases the personal stories of the global changemakers and pioneers who are making our world a better place. Prior, Sarah oversaw global marketing for AWS Public Sector Startups, AWS Partner Capacity and Capability, strategic executive engagements, and cloud innovation and acceleration programs. Prior to AWS, Sarah oversaw global marketing, strategic partnerships, ecosystem marketing, and external communications as IBM Program Director and Chief Marketing Officer of Call for Code—the world’s largest tech for good initiative of its kind inspiring the worldwide developer community and problem solvers from 179 nations to use IBM tools and technologies to solve pressing societal and humanitarian issues. With a degree in English and Minor in Law and Society from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Sarah has more than a decade of experience in developing higher education programs and initiatives for all students and alumni. She serves as a Member of the Cal Poly President’s Council of Advisors and Chair of the English Department Advisory Board. Sarah’s passion and knack for solving problems and making a positive difference has led to a life of service in roles as a Trustee of the Consumer Technology Association Foundation, a Board of Director for the World Institute on Disability and Center Point, Inc., and a trusted advisor to multiple start-ups. Sarah enjoys any opportunity to spend time with loved ones; focus on advocacy efforts for mental health as well as underrepresented populations and the Arts in STEAM; travel the globe; move the market; and help tilt the world in a more equitable direction.

Melissa Tickle is an Investment Manager at FINCA Ventures with 7 years of experience in Impact Investing, SME Finance, and ESG management. FINCA Ventures is an early stage impact investor that supports social enterprises across sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to FINCA, she managed the Impact and ESG program for TriLinc Global, a fund sponsor that lends to SMEs globally. Melissa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and International Relations.

<p><span data-contrast="auto">As a thought leader in cutting-edge technologies such as AI, blockchain, authentication, quantum, and data security, I spearhead an innovative technology advisory firm that also offers asset management and IP valuation & financing services. Our independent IP valuation services empower forward-thinking companies to gain a competitive edge, attract attention from capital markets, bolster share prices, and secure funding opportunities. We achieve this by leveraging non-dilutive financing options that effectively communicate the marketability strength and value of their intellectual property assets.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Additionally, I hold the position of senior managing partner at a pioneering technology incubation accelerator that focuses on growth opportunities in emerging deep technology markets. Our primary objective is to mitigate the risks of data privacy and data rights breaches. Over the years, I have authored pivotal patents in network security, identity verification, content security, and network tracking/use verification.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Furthermore, I actively contribute to the United Nations (UN) AI for Good Innovation Factory project, where I serve as a judge, expert, and speaker. Through live pitch sessions, we support deep tech start-ups in accelerating the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, I am proud to be an official member of the Forbes Finance Council, an exclusive community for senior-level finance executives.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Before delving into the world of deep technology and data security, I held key executive management positions at renowned Fortune 500 companies, including Kaiser Permanente, 3M, GSK, Allergan, and KPMG. With a track record of over 20 years in entrepreneurship, technology, global operations management, and business development, my expertise has been predominantly within the Healthcare and Life Sciences industry.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>

Dr Nora Ni Loideain is Director of the Information Law & Policy Centre, and Senior Lecturer in Law, at the University of London’s Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. Her research focuses on EU law, European human rights law, and technology regulation, particularly within the contexts of privacy and data protection. She has published on topics including AI, police use of facial recognition, health data and research in the Global South, the gendering of AI Digital Assistants, and cross border data transfers. Nora holds BA, LLB, and LLM (Public Law) degrees from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and was awarded a PhD in law from the University of Cambridge. Previously, Nora held the posts of Visiting Lecturer in Law at King’s College London and Research Fellow and Affiliated Lecturer in Law at the University of Cambridge. In 2024, she will be a Visiting Research Fellow at the Australian National University undertaking work on the regulation of health data and AI digital assistants. In 2019, Nora was appointed to the UK Home Office Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group (BFEG) which provides independent expert advice ensuring the robustness of evidence underpinning biometrics and forensics policy development for public security within the Home Office. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for the British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII) and an editor of leading law journal International Data Privacy Law (Oxford University Press). She is a Senior Fellow at the University of Johannesburg and an Associate Fellow at the University of Cambridge Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (LCFI). Prior to her academic career, Nora was a Legal and Policy Officer for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of Ireland and clerked for the Irish Supreme Court. Her work on AI, human rights law, and data protection law, has been published by various leading institutions, including the BBC, The Guardian, Science, the House of Lords, and the United Nations. She has also been an expert advisor on legal matters, including AI and biometric systems, Brexit, surveillance, and cross-border data sharing, to the Alan Turing Institute, the House of Lords, Chatham House, and the European Union.

Jeremias' research focuses on technology, innovation policy, and the future of work in the European Union and beyond. He is a Fellow of <a href="http://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/member-of-staff/jeremias-prassl/">Magdalen College</a>. Jeremias read law at Oxford, Paris, and Harvard Law School, and has held visiting teaching and/or research positions at institutions including Hong Kong University, the Max Planck Institute Hamburg, Renmin Law School Beijing, University College London, the University of Vienna, and Yale Law School. His book <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/humans-as-a-service-9780198797029?lang=en&cc=gb"><em>Humans as a Service </em>(OUP 2018, Paperback 2019)</a> explores the promise and perils of work in the gig economy across the world. It was awarded the <a href="https://spblegalforum.com/award#laureate">2019 St Petersburg Private Law Prize</a>, and has been translated into multiple languages. Jeremias’ research on innovation policy and labour market regulation is frequently drawn on by governments and international organisations, including the European Commission, the International Labour Organisation, and the OECD, and has been cited by courts, policy documents, and news organisations in multiple jurisdictions. He has served on the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/communities/global-future-councils">World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council</a> on the New Agenda for Work, Wages, and Job Creation. Jeremias is the author of <a href="https://www.macmillanihe.com/page/detail/Great-Debates-in-EU-Law/?K=9781352012095"><em>Great Debates in EU Law</em></a> (with <a href="https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/people/sanja-bogojevic">Prof Sanja Bogojević</a>, 2021), and the founding editor of the <a href="https://www.bloomsburyprofessional.com/uk/series/eu-law-in-the-member-states/">EU Law in the Member States Series</a> (Hart), exploring the impact of Union law across the Member States. His contributions to that series include <em><a href="https://www.bloomsburyprofessional.com/uk/the-eu-charter-of-fundamental-rights-in-the-member-states-9781509940936/">The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in the Member States</a> </em>(2020, with M Bobek), <a href="https://www.bloomsburyprofessional.com/uk/air-passenger-rights-9781849468244/"><em>Air Passenger Rights, Ten Years On</em></a> (2016, with M Bobek), and <a href="https://www.bloomsburyprofessional.com/uk/viking-laval-and-beyond-9781849466240/"><em>Viking, Laval and Beyond</em></a> (2015, with M Freedland). He is currently writing an introduction to EU Labour and Internal Market Law for OUP's <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/content/series/c/clarendon-law-series-cls/?cc=gb&lang=en&prevNumResPerPage=20&prevSortField=1&sortField=8&resultsPerPage=20&start=0">Clarendon Law Series</a>. Together with <a href="http://abiadams.com/">Professor Abi Adams-Prassl</a> of the Oxford Department of Economics, Jeremias also writes on the law and economics of fragmenting labour markets and access to justice. His work has been recognised by a number of prizes for teaching, research, and public impact, including the <a href="http://www.modernlawreview.co.uk/about-wedderburn-prize/">Wedderburn Prize</a> and the Apgar Prize, an Oxford University Teaching Award, a <a href="https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/blog/european-employment-law-crossroads/">British Academy Rising Star Engagement Award</a> (for work on EU labour law), an O2RB Excellence in Impact Award, and an <a href="https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/news/2018-07-23-jeremias-prassl-and-abi-adams-win-esrc-outstanding-impact-public-policy-prize">ESRC Outstanding Impact in Public Policy Prize</a>.

Professor Sarah Hammer is Executive Director at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, leading financial technology initiatives as well as Wharton Cypher Accelerator, which supports leading global businesses that are leveraging financial technology. Hammer is also Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Hammer is also Affiliated Scholar at the Penn Program on Regulation.   Previously, Hammer was Managing Director of the Center for Innovation in Finance and Senior Director of the Alternative Investments Program at Wharton. Hammer also led the launch of the University of Pennsylvania’s first digital asset, unique 3D intellectual property that memorializes the invention of the mRNA technology which enabled the COVID-19 vaccines.   Hammer is also a board member of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) at the United Nations. The ITU is the UN specialized agency responsible for information and communication technology. She is also an advisor at the World Economic Forum, the Dubai International Finance Centre, and the Digital Dollar Project for Central Bank Digital Currency.   Previously, Hammer was Acting Secretary of the Department of Banking and Securities for Pennsylvania, having led the Department through the banking crisis of March 2023. The Department regulates and supervises ~290,000 bank and non-bank financial entities, totaling $3.5 trillion in AUM.   Hammer was also previously Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions and Director of the Office of Financial Institutions Policy at the US Department of the Treasury. In this role, she led the Department’s policy responsibilities involving financial institutions, as well as oversaw the Federal Insurance Office and the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Compliance Policy (cybersecurity).   While at U.S. Treasury, Hammer also led the cross-functional team conducting a full review and report on the financial regulatory framework. Hammer also served on the board of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) and assisted the U.S. Treasury Secretary in fulfilling responsibilities on the board of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).   Hammer has held various leadership positions throughout financial services in general management, portfolio management, trading, marketing, research, and analytics at the Vanguard Group, PIMCO, JP Morgan Chase, BlackRock, and Tudor Investments.   Hammer earned a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, an M.B.A. from the Wharton School, and a Master of Studies from Oxford University.

<span class="TextRun SCXW164152367 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW164152367 BCX0">Prof. Dr. Philipp Hacker, LL.M. (Yale), holds the Chair for Law and Ethics of the Digital Society at the European New School of Digital Studies (</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW164152367 BCX0">ENS</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW164152367 BCX0">) at European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder). Prior to joining </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW164152367 BCX0">ENS</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW164152367 BCX0">, he served as an AXA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Faculty of Law of Humboldt University of Berlin; a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute, and an A.SK Fellow at </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW164152367 BCX0">WZB</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW164152367 BCX0"> Berlin Social Science Center. His research focuses on the intersection of law and technology. In particular, he analyzes the impact of tracking technologies, AI, and the IoT on consumer, privacy, and anti-discrimination law. He often cooperates with computer scientists and mathematicians, especially on questions of explainable AI and algorithmic fairness.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW164152367 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559738":120,"335559739":160,"335559740":240}"> </span>

<div> <p data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Sinead Bovell is a futurist  and the founder of WAYE (<a title="Original URL: https://www.wayetalks.com/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wayetalks.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C8fca2cb896524d5ffd2008dd6c45e27d%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638785769598885329%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=KiE6HvduQywYVbJ%2FC1T3BY1K1N2tPAKvfJhSPiH%2FIOY%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">https://www.wayetalks.com/</a>), an organization that prepares businesses and the next generation of leaders for a future with advanced technologies, with a focus on non-traditional and minority markets. Sinead advises c-suite executives and senior leadership across governments, global business giants and startups alike. She is an 11x United Nations  (<a title="Original URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCK6DEg-G4E)speaker. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DzCK6DEg-G4E)speaker&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C8fca2cb896524d5ffd2008dd6c45e27d%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638785769598921482%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=nk2r0n9NwbqEC7P45YjTPQ%2F0r1BpxBVNo1AHxxGmtf0%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCK6DEg-G4E)speaker</a>; she has given formal addresses to presidents, royalty and Fortune 500 leaders on topics ranging from cybersecurity to artificial intelligence, and currently serves as a strategic advisor to the United Nations International Telecommunication Union on digital inclusion. A regular tech commentator for CNN, talk shows, and morning shows, Sinead has been dubbed the "A.I. educator for the non-nerds" by Vogue Magazine and named one AfroTech’s Top 50 Voices shaping the future. To date, she has educated over 300,000 young entrepreneurs on the future of technology.</p> </div> <div></div>

<div> <span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Youchul Kim is Head of Strategy at LG AI Research, where he leads the institute’s global initiatives on responsible AI, policy engagement, and ecosystem development. His work focuses on aligning advanced AI innovation with strategic priorities that foster trust, safety, and long-term sustainability.</span> </div> <div> In his role, Youchul has guided LG’s contributions to global AI governance, including the development of the LG AI Ethics Principles and the AI Ethical Impact Assessment, both of which have been recognized as industry-leading frameworks for responsible AI implementation. For his contributions to AI ethics and trustworthiness, he was awarded the Presidential Citation Ribbon by the Republic of Korea in May 2024. </div> <div> Youchul is a key expert contributor to the OECD’s Data Free Flow with Trust initiative, shaping international approaches to data governance and trustworthy AI. Domestically, he serves on several national-level policy bodies, including the AI Ethics Policy Forum (Ministry of Science and ICT), the AI and Privacy Policy Council (Personal Information Protection Commission), and the AI Service User Protection Council (Korea Communications Commission), where he provides strategic insight on regulatory innovation and user protection. </div> <div> He also played an instrumental role in advancing AI safety in Korea as an advisor to the Korea AI Safety Institute, helping to develop national safety frameworks in line with global standards. His international engagement includes speaking roles at the UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI (Slovenia, 2024), the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit (New York, 2024), and the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights (Geneva, 2024), where he advocates for responsible AI that serves both societal and business needs. </div> <div> Youchul Kim’s work represents a strong belief in AI for good—ensuring that technological advancement is grounded in ethical values, collaborative governance, and public trust. </div>

Greg Williams is the deputy global editorial director at WIRED. He was the British Society of Magazine Editors Editor of the Year, Technology, in 2017, 2018, and 2020. Greg was a judge of the Royal Society Science Book of the Year Award 2018 and is the author of six novels. He has held senior editorial roles in both London and New York.

Amber Duettmann serves as the Scientific Partnerships & Growth Partner at Foresight Institute, supporting key partnerships and growth initiatives since 2024. She previously worked  as the Director of Strategy at the FinTech-AI start-up Mondu.ai and in strategy consulting at Bain & Company. She is pursuing a Ph.D. at the Affective Brain Lab at UCL and the Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry,  exploring how Human-AI interactions shape cognition and well-being. With her experience in industry and academia, holding an MSc in Cognitive Sciences (Dean’s List) and a BSc in Economics & Philosophy, Amber brings an interdisciplinary lens to shaping the future at the intersection of technology and humanity.

<span lang="en-GB" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Hatice Gunes is a Full Professor of Affective Intelligence and Robotics and Director of the AFAR Lab at the University of Cambridge, conducting groundbreaking research in multimodal, social, and affective intelligence for AI systems and robots, with a strong focus on wellbeing, ethics, fairness and explainability.</span> <span lang="en-GB">Recognized among Stanford University’s “World's Top 2% Scientists” since 2020, she has earned numerous accolades, including, Honouree for  Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature 2025, Best Student Paper Award Finalist @ IEEE FG’24, Best Paper Award in Responsible Affective Computing @ ACII’23, RSJ/KROS Distinguished Interdisciplinary Research Award Finalist @ IEEE RO-MAN’21, Best Paper Award Finalist @ IEEE RO-MAN’20, Outstanding Paper Award @ IEEE FG’11, and Best Demo Award @ IEEE ACII’09.</span> <span lang="en-GB">She has also been awarded a prestigious EPSRC Fellowship to explore adaptive robotic EQ for wellbeing and named a Faculty Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute. Her work on robotic coaches for mental wellbeing attracted global media attention, with over 1,700 reports in outlets like <i>The Guardian, BBC News, Medical News Today, ScienceDaily, Sky News, and Bloomberg</i> and received the Better Future Award at Cambridge Univ. CST Department's Hall of Fame Awards (2023) and was Runner-up for the Collaboration Award at the Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Research Impact & Engagement (2023).</span><span lang="en-GB"> </span> <span lang="en-GB">Prof. Gunes has held prominent roles, including President of the Association for the Advancement of Affective Computing, General Chair of IEEE ACII’19, and Program Chair of ACM/IEEE HRI’20 and IEEE FG’17. She also chaired the Steering Board of IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing and served on the HRI Steering Committee .</span> <span lang="en-GB">Her research has been supported by major grants from EPSRC, Innovate UK, Alan Turing Institute, EU Horizon 2020, Google, and CHANSE. She is a sought-after speaker, delivering talks at top-tier venues, including a Royal Institution lecture on creating technology with EQ, which has garnered ~33K views on YouTube.</span>

<div> <div class="fui-FluentProvider fui-FluentProviderr1g ___5n94it0 f19n0e5 f3rmtva fgusgyc fk6fouc fkhj508 figsok6 fytdu2e" dir="ltr"> <div class="wide-content-host"> <div id="focused" class="SlLx9 WWy1F byzS1 WWy1F" tabindex="-1" aria-label="Email message"> <div role="document"> <div id="UniqueMessageBody_6" class="XbIp4 jmmB7 GNqVo allowTextSelection OuGoX" tabindex="0" aria-label="Message body"> <div> <div> <div lang="es"> <div> <div id="x_mail-editor-reference-message-container"> <div> <div> <span lang="en-AU" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Matthew Meszaros is the Founder and CEO of Project Ohm, a groundbreaking initiative focused on sustainable high-performance computing through decentralised, energy-aware infrastructure. By harnessing stranded renewable energy, Project Ohm is reshaping how AI workloads are powered—cost-effectively and sustainably.</span> <span lang="en-AU">With over two decades of experience in digital transformation, telecommunications, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise software, Matthew has led greenfield growth initiatives and complex technology projects across the Asia-Pacific region. He has previously held senior leadership roles at Macquarie Technology Group and NTT Communications and is the founder of 2it Consulting. His career includes notable achievements in ICT procurement, agile team building, and driving multi-million dollar bids and partnerships across government and enterprise sectors.</span> <span lang="en-AU">Matthew’s entrepreneurial journey has been recognised in SmartCompany, Fast 100 and Fast Starters awards recognition. He continues to advocate for the intersection of climate resilience and digital innovation in global technology ecosystems.</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

<p><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">Robbert Baruch, (Amsterdam, October 12, 1967) - Senior Vice President Public Affair<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">s,</span></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black"> Europe<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black"> and Multilateral Relations - </span>joined UMG in 2021. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">My role involves shaping public policy and government relations across Europe and <span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">with multilateral organisations,</span> economic forums and think tanks.</span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black"> </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">I previously </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">worked </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">at Buma/Stemra </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">and the National Association of Insurers</span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">. Before that </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">I </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">served as Deputy Mayor of the Rotterdam Borough of Feijenoord and Member of the Regional Assembly of the Province of South Holland. </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">I studied Political Science (</span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">graduating in </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">Political Philosophy) and Public Administration at Leiden University and </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">Religious S</span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">tudie</span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">s</span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black"> </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">in Jerusalem and Amsterdam. </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;font-family: Calibri;color: black">I am a resident of The Hague, am married and had three children. Whenever I can, I hit the road on my BMW R 1200 RSA LQ.</span></p>

Alexandra counts with 15 years of professional experience including in the public sector, private sector and academia. She is currently working at Pasqal - the global quantum computing leader based on neutral atoms technology - as the Global Public Policy Lead. In her role, she takes responsibility over Pasqal’s Public Affairs, Standardization and Sustainability activities. Alexandra previously worked as Chief Economist in the Cloud & Software Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT). In that role, she took responsibility over the economic, competition, statistical, industrial and public investment aspects of cloud computing and software. She notably acted as the Commission’s trusted advisor to guide both 12 Member States and hundreds of companies from the data, cloud and software ecosystems to design and set-up an Industrial Cloud for Europe: the <em>Important Project of Common European Interest on Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services</em><em>. </em> Prior to it, she worked at Accenture as Manager where she pursued strategic consultancy missions for more than 50 public administrations and local governments across Europe in which she specialized in the digital transformation of public services and cities, the definition of government relation strategies and go to market business strategy developments. Alexandra started her career as academic and teaching fellow at the College of Europe, where her research focused on the role of European Funding to shape public policies in Spain, Italy and Portugal. She graduated in Economics and Sociology, in European Affairs and Public Policy, from the London School of Economics, the College of Europe and Sciences Po. Paris.

Qiang Zhang, professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, executive director of the Jinan Institute of Quantum Technology, fellow of the Optical Society of America(OSA), supported by The National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholar. He also served as the chair of ITU Focus Group on Quantum Information Technology for Network, head of the Chinese Delegation attending to IEC/ISO JTC 3, the general secretary of National Technical Committee 578 on Quantum Computing and Metrology of Standardization Administration of China. He has been engaged in experimental research on quantum communication and quantum precision measurement for decades. He achieved measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution, setting and continuously breaking world records for quantum key distribution transmission distance (achieved 1002 km in 2023), addressing real-world security and long-distance transmission challenges in quantum communication, laying the technical foundation for quantum key distribution networks; realized hundred-kilometer free-space time-frequency dissemination with a stability of E-19 at ten thousand seconds, validating the feasibility of high-precision optical frequency comparison between space and ground; achieved loophole-free Bell inequality tests, becoming the first in the world to realize device-independent quantum random number generation and device-independent quantum key distribution, referenced by the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics scientific background document.

Gadi Sassoon, is a Milan-based composer, experimental violinist,pioneering synthesist and accomplished multi-instrumentalist. His latest work Fusion was created in collaboration with Reeps One and the Leipzig International Ballet, receiving enthusiastic public reception and widespread international accolades during its inaugural season at the Leipzig Opera House. Gadi Sassoon’s acclaimed studio albums Multiverse (ASIP, 2020) and Chaos & Order (ASIP, 2022), were created in collaboration with physicists and mathematicians, exploring the interplay between sound synthesis, live orchestras and algorithmically modelled “impossible instruments”. In 2024 he is premiering the new solo performance Augmented Violin, which blurs the line between neoclassical music, sculpture and sound art, and releasing new studio recordings resulting from the performances and residences of the last two years. Sassoon's works have been showcased at venues and events around the world including Dolby Labs NYC, Sonár Festival Barcelona, Stanford University, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and TEDx. Sassoon's work extends far beyond solo projects, with hundreds of pieces for TV, film and game soundtracks, collaborations with artists from across the music spectrum, sound art and synthesis research. Such works have been released on labels such as ASIP, Island, Warner, Universal and Ninja Tune, and published on MIT’s Computer Music Journal and Technology Review

<p class="" data-start="51" data-end="149">Victoria Oakley is IFPI’s Chief Executive Officer, leading the organisation’s global operations.</p> <p class="" data-start="151" data-end="783">Prior to joining IFPI in 2024, Oakley was CEO of global strategic communications and advocacy consultancy, Portland. Oakley also spent nearly two decades in the British Diplomatic Service, with roles in London, Paris, Brussels, Washington D.C. and the Eastern Caribbean, where she was High Commissioner until 2016. She then spent three years at Portland before joining Google as the Global Public Policy Director. Oakley returned to Portland in 2022 to take up the CEO role, leading a 300-strong team of strategic communications and public affairs professionals across London, Doha, Singapore, Nairobi, Paris, Berlin and Brussels.</p>

<p class="" data-start="55" data-end="818">Reporting to the COO of Sony Music Entertainment (SME), Geoff Taylor is responsible for directing and executing Sony Music’s global strategy on AI. In this role, Geoff oversees the development and implementation of SME’s global AI strategy and policies, manages commercial negotiations with AI developers in collaboration with the Global Digital Business team, and contributes to worldwide lobbying, government affairs, litigation, and content protection efforts related to AI. Additionally, he plays a key role in educating senior leadership on AI advancements and their business implications, fostering the ethical adoption of AI across the company, and serving as the AI Governance Officer for SME worldwide, reporting to Sony Group Corporation in Japan.</p> <p class="" data-start="820" data-end="1290">With a strong background in leadership, strategic planning, and AI governance, Geoff possesses deep expertise in navigating the intersection of technology, intellectual property, and the creative industries. A seasoned negotiator, he has extensive experience in international commercial partnerships, lobbying, and dispute resolution. Known for strong communication skills, Geoff is highly articulate and adept at breaking down complex issues for diverse stakeholders.</p> <p class="" data-start="1292" data-end="1924">A dynamic senior executive with a proven track record of success in the creative industries, Geoff is well-connected with leaders across the music and creative sectors and is highly respected by policymakers. Having guided the UK recording industry through multiple technological transformations—from the CD era to downloads, P2P, on-demand streaming, and now artificial intelligence and the metaverse—he brings a wealth of experience in leading creative businesses through disruption and opportunity. With a pragmatic and results-driven management approach, Geoff excels in fostering collaboration and driving impactful outcomes.</p>

<div class="user-profile__container"> <div id="user-profile__social"> <div class="user-profile__about"> <div class="user-profile__about-content">Chris Horton, SVP Strategic Technology, leads Universal Music Group’s Office of Strategic Technology, which is responsible for the technology aspects of digital partner deals and for long-term strategic technology projects and policy. Chris has worked on UMG’s digital distribution deals for more than 20 years, including on the first successful download and subscription services. Chris and his team collaborate with technology companies on the development of new music-related products and services, including high-resolution audio, stem-based formats, music-related AI, NFTs & web3, AR/VR projects, anti-piracy and more. He has developed and co-founded various music industry standards and standards bodies, including DDEX. He currently coordinates UMG's AI Task Force and UMG's AI Review Team. Chris received his undergraduate and M.Eng. degrees in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he focused on AI.</div> </div> <div></div> </div> </div>

Ariel Bardin serves as President of Technology for Warner Music Group where he oversees the company’s technology and data teams as well as the development of systems, processes, and products to support the next phase of WMG’s global growth. Ariel previously spent 16 years at Google and YouTube, where he built, launched, and led some of the company’s most successful initiatives, including Google AdWords and Google Payments. At YouTube, he worked closely with top creators to ensure the platform helped them build their businesses, and he headed the teams developing creator products and Content ID. Prior to joining WMG, he was Chief Product Officer at Celonis, which has created a new category of software to help many of the world’s largest companies use ‘process mining’ to enhance their operations and performance. Ariel has an MS degree in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University and a BS in Computer Science & Engineering from the University of Southern California. <div class="wp-block-image is-style-slash-overlay"></div> <div class="wp-block-button"></div>

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Eva Gubern, the Chief Commercial Officer at Predictheon, states, 'There has never been a more exciting time to find innovative solutions to healthcare with the advancement of AI.' With extensive leadership experience in the life sciences sector, Eva drives innovation and market expansion. Having led major global pharmaceutical companies, she understands how startups can develop breakthrough solutions for acquisition. Her expertise in pricing, market access, and AI-driven healthcare models positions Predictheon for growth. Eva's background in securing funding, public-private partnerships, and leading M&A and organizational transformations equips her to guide Predictheon to commercial success.</span>

<div> <span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Stephen is a veterinary doctor, a molecular virologist and a social entrepreneur with over 10 years experience in livestock sector in Nigeria. His passion lies in developing innovative solutions in tackling infectious diseases in animals and boosting food security. Stephen has won awards like, Orange corners incubation, Heifer International Ayute challenge, GIZ investments, TEF fellow, JCI CYEA award, YALI RLC Alumni etc. Stephen is presently leading a team of innovators at Evet Inc, an agritech start-up powering the future of Animal health care in Africa. Through his work at Evet, he has been able to develop an AI powered platform that makes it ten time faster for livestock farmers and veterinarians to access animal healthcare to keep their farm animals healthy, boost their farm productivity and improve their livelihoods. his work has imparted over 50,000 livestock farmers in Nigeria.</span> </div> <div></div>

Clare Shelley-Egan is an Associate Professor in Ethics of Quantum Technologies at the Department of Values, Technology, and Innovation at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands. Her position is funded by the Centre for Quantum and Society within the Dutch quantum ecosystem, Quantum Delta NL. Her main research interest is in the responsible societal embedding of quantum technologies and on advancing interdisciplinary collaborations between natural scientists, engineers and social scientists. She has previously worked in responsible innovation research groups, primarily in Norway (Oslo Metropolitan University) and also in Denmark (Technical University of Denmark).

<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Diederick Croese is director of<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Original URL: https://quantumdelta.nl/centre-for-quantum-and-society. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fquantumdelta.nl%2Fcentre-for-quantum-and-society&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253531916%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Yp66nrZ9PXDCKmwU8O6Aoj11yONJweB6s22OpqnSGq8%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Quantum Delta’s Centre for Quantum & Society</a>, lead Action Line 4 and member of the <a title="Original URL: https://open-quantum-institute.cern/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fopen-quantum-institute.cern%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253555052%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=OfRBgTcqX0Ylc88PiFEbcabFlUsX3Wi9bDyzWzwyTBI%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">OQI Advisory Committee</a>. He co-founded ventures like<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Original URL: https://www.su.org/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.su.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253577402%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MhP5HZEFkdvzmzl23cGiZzSGHWULsAkCANNeiKK%2BkSg%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">SingularityU</a><span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span>Benelux,<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Original URL: https://minkowski.org/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fminkowski.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253595428%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=w2eZWMJYsn%2B99uZuySwJXijEwEIEp9%2Fevyi6qMeoK6E%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">Minkowski</a><span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span>and more recently,<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Original URL: https://www.appliedcomplexity.eu/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.appliedcomplexity.eu%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253613167%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jYI%2F6YGdOaXt6yAFGAL3Zykteklm0AdzBhjKB8jYHes%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">Applied Complexity</a><span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Original URL: https://www.simurgh-academy.com/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.simurgh-academy.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253631333%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=VDy9JBxjKMaTVY1vxRdHU5pjjMFyLKcVwtaSqVzarPI%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="5">Simurgh Academy</a>. He was part of the<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Original URL: https://www.esa.int/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.esa.int%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253649227%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=b%2FEfrk1%2FXFpOL63BRXj5TTy7Ab4fILvXnDiCSw8uRx4%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="6">European Space Agency</a>’s HRE Innovation Board and served as a moderator of programs focused on innovation and complexity for<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Original URL: https://comeniusleadership.nl/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomeniusleadership.nl%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253666052%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=kcz3YwLbeQ7%2FPNXYXoGhg8L59JZkkfNreWleJIXcohE%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="7">Comenius</a>.<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span>At<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Original URL: https://www.deloitte.com/nl/en.html. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.deloitte.com%2Fnl%2Fen.html&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253682631%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Tc84rKDWVHvKz%2FXiLb6JhCxQWdW4CKGR%2BO%2BgUikDSwE%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="8">Deloitte</a><span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span>he co-founded Fast Ventures. Concurrently, he contributed to<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Original URL: https://www.hollandfestival.nl/nl/hf-young. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hollandfestival.nl%2Fnl%2Fhf-young&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253697977%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=apO2h579ZATUE01aCSmT2GZ%2BFaFkkLWZdxNGZEOfRBI%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="9">HF Young</a>,<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Original URL: https://fi.co/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffi.co%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253714212%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5cabHiJmmYv1FbyvNG7Lh1586TzSIp9H7VpT2aZMP6A%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="10">Founder Institute</a><span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span>Amsterdam, and<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Original URL: https://tedx.amsterdam/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftedx.amsterdam%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253736367%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=0XOvYtBsciscKfQ%2FTJBhMnaZW%2FjDYt2bYY%2FAznaUPiY%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="11">TEDxAmsterdam</a>. Diederick started as a lawyer at<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Original URL: https://www.cliffordchance.com/home.html. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cliffordchance.com%2Fhome.html&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C9ec0f6682fa640b3385e08dd67ac24b2%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638780711253752782%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ue%2BbR5Lh5zXJE9pmOcOa4ri7usVd1SDJLf2Kksq6SLM%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="12">Clifford Chance</a>.<span class="x_apple-converted-space"> </span>He has a background in law (University of Amsterdam & Fordham University New York), governance (Erasmus ESAA) and philosophy (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam).</span></p>

<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Dr. Mira Wolf-Bauwens is the </span>Responsible Quantum Computing Lead at IBM <span lang="EN-US">Quantum</span>, and one of the foremost leaders in the Responsible Quantum Computing movement, championing the use of the technology for societal good and benefit. Mira's team collaborates to tackle business and socio-economic challenges through technological innovation. They address the societal questions arising from the development of Quantum Computing and Quantum-safe technologies. As a leading expert in quantum computing and its ethical implications, Mira is sought after for her insights on the intersection of emerging technologies and societal impact. Among others, she has co-authored the first Quantum Computing Governance Principles and Quantum Economy Blueprint with the WEF and is on the Advisory Board of the Open Quantum Institute<span lang="EN-US">, the Responsible Quantum Industry Forum (UK) and advises the UNESCO’s comest on questions of quantum ethics</span>.<i></i></p>

Lisa Lambert is the inaugural CEO of Quantum Industry Canada (QIC), the national consortium that unites quantum technology companies and allied organizations. Under her leadership, QIC is dedicated to unlocking the full potential of Canada’s quantum sector, aiming to advance the country’s position as a global leader in quantum innovation and commercialization while enhancing national prosperity. Throughout her career, Lisa has been a pioneer of collaborative innovation at the intersection of science, technology, and society. She has spearheaded trailblazing projects worldwide, working with leading minds and organizations. Her notable roles at TRIUMF and the Perimeter Institute have been instrumental in fostering partnerships that propel scientific discovery, practical applications, and public engagement. Lisa is driven by the belief that we’ve all got a part to play in shaping a bright future, with innovation as our pathway to progress. At QIC, she’s putting this belief into action, guiding the consortium to open up new possibilities and ensure that Canada’s quantum industry plays a pivotal role in the country’s prosperity and contributes significantly to the global landscape.

<p class="x_p1"><span lang="EN-US" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Dr. Catherine Lefebvre is Senior Advisor at GESDA for the Open Quantum Institute (OQI) – an initiative born at GESDA and hosted by CERN with the mission to promote global and inclusive access to quantum computing. At OQI, Catherine leads the development of applications for the benefit of humanity. Catherine has years of experience in building strategic relationships as well as research & innovation partnerships in global quantum and artificial intelligence ecosystems. She is board member of Distriq, the Quantum Innovation Hub in Quebec, Canada. Until recently, Catherine was Vice President Global Policy and Partnerships at PASQAL, where she led the international research collaborations and was convenor of the European Committee for Standardization Working Group on Quantum Computing (CEN/CLC JTC 22 WG3), as well as co-chair of the IEEE Working Group on Quantum Computing Architecture (P3120). </span></p> <p class="x_p1"><span lang="EN-US">She previously worked as Innovation Ambassador US & Canada at M Squared Lasers, Scientific Advisor in quantum technology for the Quebec Government (MEIE), Scientific Liaison Officer in artificial intelligence for the National Bank of Canada and for the startup ElementAI (acquired by ServiceNow). Catherine has a background in research and holds a PhD in molecular physics and theoretical quantum chemistry from Université Paris-Sud and Université Laval. She then pursued research as postdoctoral fellow and research associate for almost a decade, at the Université de Sherbrooke, the Canadian Space Agency and the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique.</span></p>

<p class="x_MsoNormal" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Dr. Elif Kiesow is the executive director of Ethicqual, a think & do tank working with governments and the industry on responsible development and deployment of emerging technologies. Elif specializes in advising on transatlantic and global governance strategies and policies for dual-use risk. She is also an affiliated researcher for the Stanford AI Index and at the NSF Engineering Research Center for Quantum Networks. Elif has formerly worked in policy advisory, project management, and academic roles on tech governance. Previously, she was a fellow at Harvard Business School and she completed her doctoral research on law and economics at the University of Hamburg, Germany.</p>

Dr. William Zeng is a partner at <a title="Original URL: https://www.quantonation.com/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.quantonation.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C5a8d4ca43471440ff6e908dd6aacbfd3%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638784012363915216%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=LrJL2Hfhe9dZQrq6kUyDe8em3ug1m3Qf9KQo2MJ4Jr8%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Quantonation</a>, an early stage venture fund with $200M+ AUM investing in quantum and deep physics technology companies. He is also founder and President of the <a title="Original URL: https://unitary.fund/. Click or tap if you trust this link." href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Funitary.fund%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmeghana.kondamudi%40itu.int%7C5a8d4ca43471440ff6e908dd6aacbfd3%7C23e464d704e64b87913c24bd89219fd3%7C0%7C0%7C638784012363959606%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wcyX67BFlJ%2FlyNYNzs1nT3Rp4Q01g2Q0VizJl3gm4yU%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">Unitary Fund</a>, an independent, non-profit research institute developing open quantum technology. His research focuses on quantum computer architecture, algorithms and software. He previously led an advanced computing research group at Goldman Sachs and the launch of the first quantum computers while on the initial team at Rigetti Computing (IPO at $1Bn+). He received his PhD in quantum

Dr. Leandro Aolita is the Acting Chief Researcher of the Quantum Research Center (QRC) at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a leading global scientific research center and the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). In this role, Dr. Aolita is focused on advancing quantum computing hardware, software, and algorithms, quantum communications and sensing technologies, as well as quantum information processing in general, driving forward TII’s mission to develop cutting-edge quantum technologies. Previously, Dr. Aolita served as the Executive Director of the Quantum Algorithms division at TII. His research experience spans multiple prestigious institutions. Prior to joining TII, he was an Associate Professor of Physics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, where he was grantee of several institutions, including the Serrapilheira Institute. Previously, he has been a Marie Curie Fellow at the Free University of Berlin and a Juan de la Cierva Fellow at the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona. Dr. Aolita obtained his PhD in Physics in 2008, and his thesis was recognized with the "Prize to the Best Brazilian PhD Thesis in Physics of the Year" by the Brazilian Physics Society in 2009.

<span lang="EN-GB">Before Dr Reimann joined the Technology Innovation Institute in 2020 he worked for 5 years, first as Postdoc, then as Senior Scientific Assistant in the group of Lukas Novotny at the Photonics Laboratory at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. His love for quantum optics and levitated particles is the common theme of his scientific work.</span> <span lang="EN-GB">He received his PhD in Physics in 2014 from the University of Bonn in Germany, where Dr Reimann worked in the quantum technologies group of Dieter Meschede, on “</span><a href="http://quantum-technologies.iap.uni-bonn.de/en/component/publications/?task=download&file=274&token=d44c5aa84fa9be962d037e106b56ed8b" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer"><span lang="EN-GB">Cooling and Cooperative Coupling of Single Atoms in an Optical Cavity</span></a><span lang="EN-GB">”. In 2009 Dr Reimann completed his Master in Physics at Stony Brook University in the United States, in the laboratory of Dominik Schneble, working on “</span><a href="http://ultracold.physics.sunysb.edu/subpages/pubfiles/Reimann_MA2009.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer"><span lang="EN-GB">Quantum Gases in State-Dependent Optical Potentials</span></a><span lang="EN-GB">”.</span>

Dr. Ulrich Mans is responsible for Quantum Delta NL’s International Strategy and is strategic partnerships lead. In this role, he oversees the international collaboration programmes with priority countries and the organization’s approach towards economic security topics such as supply chains, knowledge security and export control. He has a background in international relations and high tech innovation. In the past he worked in various roles, including as Innovation Attache in Washington, the EU’s External Action Service, at Leiden University’s Centre for Innovation and for the Clingendael Institute. He holds a PhD in economic geography from the UvA and an MA from Radboud University Nijmegen.

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Dr. Thierry Botter is a successful industry executive, and an expert in the area of quantum technologies. He is the Executive Director of the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC), a pan-European industry association with nearly 200 members and affiliates dedicated to supporting and strengthening quantum companies on the global stage. He is also a long-standing contributor on quantum technologies at the World Economic Forum and serves as an advisor on various councils. Dr. Botter previously held several leadership positions at Airbus. He also served as a member of the first strategic advisory board for the European Commission’s Quantum Flagship. Dr. Botter holds a PhD in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.</span>

Dr. Wei Qi is the CEO of CAS Quantum Network Co., Ltd, the Chairman of China Communications Standards Association (CCSA) Special Task Force (ST7) on Quantum Communication and Information Technology, also the Vice Chairman of Quantum Information Network Industry Alliance in China. At the same time, he is currently the chief engineer in charge of the national wide-area quantum secure communication backbone network, dedicated to promoting the industrial development of quantum communication technology.

Dr. Ali Taha Koç was born in Ankara in 1980. After finishing his undergraduate degree in 2001 at Bilkent University, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, he completed his master's and doctorate studies in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas, all with full scholarships. Koç joined Intel USA in 2006 as a research and development (R&D) engineer. During his tenure at Intel, he developed 61 patents, published 23 scientific articles, and developed and managed several international projects. In 2013, Intel awarded Koç as one of the top 10 most patent inventors. After returning to Türkiye in 2014, he started to work as the Chief Counsellor of the Prime Ministry and in the same year he was appointed as the Head of Information Technologies of the Presidency. He also managed the formation of the State Information Coordination Center (SICC) in the Presidency Security Policies Department, and started the information flow from all ministries and security units to the Presidency. By discretion of H.E. President Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN, Koç was appointed as the Head of Digital Transformation Office on 12 September 2018. Koç continued in this position until October 2023. In addition to his duties at the Presidency, he was also a board member of TURKSAT Satellite Communications Cable TV and Business Inc. Koç teaches graduate and doctorate courses at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University. Koç was appointed as the CEO of Turkcell on October 13, 2023. He still continues this position. He is also a licensed pilot, fluent in English and married with one child.

Joanna Doummar is an associate ​professor of Groundwater Hydrology at the department of Geology at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. She holds a PhD degree in Hydrogeology from Georg- August University Goettingen in Germany, a MSc. in Geology from the American University of Beirut (AUB), and a MSc. in Hydrogeology from the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland). Her research focuses on the development of methods for the assessment of quantitative vulnerability of karst aquifers including the numerical simulation of integrated karst systems, the characterization of karst aquifers using different methods and the assessment of transport behavior using specific contamination indicators. She is the principal investigator of various local and international research grants at the Department of Geology of the American University of Beirut (Lebanon) since 2013. Through these scientific and developmental projects related to karst and other groundwater applications (e.g., Managed Aquifer Recharge), she aims at promoting hydrogeology nationally and internationally. Her research includes also the gradual construction of a high-resolution monitoring network of water resources and climatic parameters in poorly investigated and monitored sites in Lebanon. Beside various collaborations with European, American, and regional scientists, she has supervised many undergraduate and graduate students on various research topics in hydrogeology that culminated in various publications. In addition to the dissemination of the research to the scientific community, she also aims at applying the research outcome at a local scale to overcome national water quality and quantity problems, to make science accessible to non-technical people, and to help in the implementation of tailored policies based on sound scientific research outcomes. ​​She is the Vice President of IAH (International association of Hydrogeologists) for the MENA region, a member of the IAH Karst Commission. She has been accepted into to the World Economic Forum Young Scientists Community- Class of 2020. She is also the co-founder of LAUS (Local Association for Underground Studies) aiming at encouraging science and service work in hydrogeology at a local scale.

Dr Yaseera Ismail is currently a Senior lecturer within the Department of Physics at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. She graduated in 2011 with her Masters of Science degree, Cum Laude, based at the CSIR-National Laser Centre, and obtained her PhD in 2015 in Physics in the field of quantum communication from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. In 2017, she was appointed Lecturer of Physics within the School of Chemistry and Physics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and since then, she has achieved great success in her career. Dr Ismail specialises in the development of quantum technologies, particularly in the field of quantum information science. She is an experimentalist developing quantum optical tools for the advancement of free-space, long-range secure quantum communication and leads the QuPhoton Lab at Stellenbosch University. Dr Ismail holds a Y1 NRF rating. She is a recipient of three Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) Seed Fund Grants and held an NRF Thuthuka Grant (2019-2021). Dr Ismail initiated collaborations with research groups in China, Russia, and India, which led to a successful Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Joint Multilateral Science and Technology Research Grant. Through the BRICS Collaboration, her research focus is on developing a Quantum Satellite and fibre communication (QuSAF) network in South Africa. The QuSaF project aims to establish a quantum network with a joint intercontinental satellite-based quantum key distribution link utilising the Micius satellite that the Chinese collaborators have already developed and launched into the lower earth orbital. The long-term vision for developing satellite quantum key distribution is the realisation of a quantum internet. Dr Ismail received the 2016 TechWomen Emerging Leader Award and is a 2018 Optica (formerly Optical Society of America (OSA)) Ambassador. She serves on the editorial board of the Scientific Reports Journal and is Optica’s Vice President on the International Commission for Optics, which was established in 1947. She was the 2023 committee Chair of the Theodor W. Hänsch Prize in Quantum Optics and is the Chair of the International Commission for Optics Education Committee for Strategic linkages on the African Continent. She also serves on the selection committee for the Optica Amplifying Scholarship.

Mio Murao received her B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Ochanomizu University in Tokyo, Japan in 1991, 1993 and 1996, respectively. She worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, Imperial College London and RIKEN (Japan). She became an associate professor in 2001 and a professor in 2015 in the Department of Physics, the School of Science, the University of Tokyo. She has been working in the field of theoretical quantum information science since 1997 and is currently focusing on quantum programming, quantum algorithms, quantum learning and distributed quantum computation.

<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Karen has more than 20 years of experience as a marketing leader in the tech industry and fast growing companies. She worked for Snowflake as an external consultant in 2018, before being appointed VP of Marketing for APJ and EMEA in 2020.</span> For the last 4 years, she has been leading the marketing team in EMEA as well as the Global Localization Team. Since 2024, Karen leads End Data Disparity (EDD) as Chair of the Expert Panel. EDD, a movement initiated by Snowflake, is dedicated to tackling the data gaps and silos that prevent meaningful societal progress from being made. Prior to that, Karen worked for Palo Alto Networks in the cybersecurity space. She served as EMEA Marketing Director for 8 years, building the EMEA marketing team from scratch. She also worked for companies like Polycom and Genesys Conferencing.

<div> <span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Fawad is a strategic technology leader with over two decades of international experience, specializing in enterprise data strategy, AI-driven analytics, and cloud solution architectures. He has worked across the entire technology life cycle; engineering, professional services, pre-sales, and business development. As a Global Field CTO at Snowflake, Fawad advises C-level executives across multiple industries, helping them unlock the full potential of their data. He is also a Data Advisor to the World Economic Forum, where he contributes to global initiatives on responsible AI, synthetic data, and ethical data management. Passionate about sustainability, Fawad empowers businesses to drive measurable impact by leveraging AI, data, and cloud technologies. As a LinkedIn Learning Instructor, he shares his expertise with a global audience, advocating for AI & Data for Good while shaping the next generation of data leaders.</span> </div> <div></div>

<div> <span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Mike Johnson has worked at Snowflake for 4 years, as a Solutions Architect in the Professional Services division. He works with public and private sector healthcare clients to manage cloud transformation projects such as migrations, data architecture enhancements, and application redesign. His previous experience includes leading integration for public sector state agency solutions (COVID contact tracing platforms), global healthcare delivery nonprofit agency work, and quality improvement work serving healthcare facilities in resource-limited settings.</span> </div>

<p class="x_MsoNormal" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Richard is an experimental high energy physicist with a multidisciplinary scientific profile. He leads next-generation technological projects including funding, planning, strategic direction and execution, technology development from conceptualisation through development, construction, commissioning, and operation and group formation and management, including training and mentorship of students and experts. He also has experience of building a green field facility.</p>

<p class="x_MsoNormal" data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Mathias Soeken works at the Azure Quantum team at Microsoft. From 2015 to 2020, he has been with École Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland as postdoctoral scientist. From 2009 to 2015 he worked at the University of Bremen, Germany and has been a regularly visiting post doc at UC Berkeley, CA, USA in the group of Robert K. Brayton. He holds a Ph.D. degree (Dr.-Ing.) in Computer Science from University of Bremen, Germany (2013). His research interests are logic synthesis, quantum computing, reversible logic, and formal verification. Mathias Soeken is member of the IEEE and of the ACM.</p>