Overview
All the speakers at the conference, including the keynote, session, and panelist, will share their insights, experiences, and wisdom—providing valuable lessons and inspiration for all attendees.
Keynote Speakers
Kendra Cook
Space Systems Security SME at SAIC
“Pathfinding the Future of Spacecraft Protection With Project-Specific Threat Impact Assessments”
Kendra Cook
Kendra Cook
Space System Security Subject Matter Expert
Science Applications International Corporation
Kendra Cook is a Space System Security Subject Matter Expert at (SAIC), a Fortune 500 technology company that provides IT services to the US government. She works with NASA’s Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Program Office to perform security assessments on NASA missions. Prior to her current role, she worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where she held numerous positions including working for the Mission Protection Office. Prior to joining NASA, Cook spent 15 years working for the U.S. Government on various satellite and technology programs and served seven years as an Officer in the United States Air Force.
Daniel Joseph
Principal Illusion Integrator,
Walt Disney Imagineering
Daniel Joseph
Daniel JosephPrincipal Illusion Integrator, Walt Disney Imagineering
Daniel Joseph is a Principal Illusion Integrator at Walt Disney Imagineering, where he leads a team of designers and the “Illusioneering Lab.” A trained Industrial Designer, Joseph’s advances in special effects revolutionized modern design and implementation of special effects, transforming them into three-dimensional, immersive and interactive experiences. As a leader in the industry, Mr. Joseph helps to conceive, design, and install a range of special effects and illusions for Disney theme parks around the world. In addition to his breakthrough patents in interactive special effects, he has also consulted on product development for medical equipment to improve safety and usability. One of his design patents was featured in PC Magazine’s article called “The Best Inventions of 2011 – So Far.” Mr. Joseph has also designed and created cutting-edge interactive museum exhibits and new wayfinding devices for a number of prestigious museums, including The Franklin Institute. Joseph is an unwavering advocate for encouraging and mentoring future inventors, especially inspiring those with different abilities or who come from difficult circumstances, and he is a frequent speaker on this topic.
Dean Kamen
Founder of DEKA R&D and FIRST®
Dean Kamen
Dean KamenFounder of DEKA R&D and FIRST®
Dean Kamen is an inventor, entrepreneur, and tireless advocate for science and technology. His roles as inventor and advocate are intertwined— with his own passion for technology and its practical uses driving his personal determination to engage young people in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Dean is the founder of DEKA Research & Development Corporation, FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), FIRST Global, and the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute.
As president of DEKA, he has developed category-defining, transformational innovations to include: revolutionary drug delivery systems – as with the twiist™ Automated Insulin Delivery System and the Remunity® pump which safely delivers stable doses of Remodulin; mobility systems that restore health and quality of life – as with the iBOT™ Mobility System, and the LUKE robotic arm; devices that change the healthcare paradigm – as with cardiac stents, the HomeChoice™ portable dialysis machine; and innovations that change what the world believes is possible – as with a new and improved Stirling engine.
In addition to DEKA, one of Dean’s proudest accomplishments is founding FIRST®, an organization dedicated to motivating the next generation to understand, use and enjoy science and technology – and to apply it for societal contribution. Founded in 1989, FIRST® serves more than 2,500,000 young people ages 6 to 18 annually. He expanded this initiative to create FIRST Global, which recently united teams from over 190 countries to its annual competition in Athens, Greece.
Dean Kamen was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 2000. Presented by President Clinton, this award was in recognition for inventions that have advanced medical care worldwide, and for innovative and imaginative leadership in awakening America to the excitement of science and technology. He was also elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1997. He was awarded the Lemelson-MIT Prize in 2002, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May 2005. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering, as well as many other national and international engineering organizations.
Karen Panetta
Dean of Graduate Studies, School of Engineering, Tufts University
Karen Panetta
Karen PanettaDean of Graduate Education and Distinguished Professor at Tufts University School of Engineering
Karen Panetta is Dean of Graduate Education and Distinguished Professor at Tufts University School of Engineering, where her research focuses on developing efficient algorithms for simulation, modeling, and signal and image processing for security and biomedical applications. As the first female electrical engineer to be given tenure in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at Tufts, Panetta continues to promote the interests of women in her field. From 2007 to 2009, she was the worldwide director for IEEE Women in Engineering, and she served as editor-in-chief of the IEEE Women in Engineering magazine. She is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the European Academy of Sciences and the Arts, the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and was awarded the 2013 IEEE Award for Distinguished Ethical Practices for exemplary contributions and leadership in developing ethics and social responsibility in students. She has received several NASA and National Science Foundation research grants, including the NSF CAREER Award. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Panetta the Presidential Award for Science and Engineering Education and Mentoring. In 2023, she was inducted as a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
David Raften
IBM Parallel Sysplex Expert
David Raften
David RaftenIBM Parallel Sysplex Expert
David Raften has been with IBM since 1982. Currently on the Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex GDPS® team in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., David has worked with Parallel Sysplex since its inception and has helped many customers design their systems for availability. A Parallel Sysplex is a clustering technology for IBM z/OS mainframes that allows multiple systems to act as a single, highly available, and scalable computing environment, enabling data sharing and workload distribution. The Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex is a family of software offerings for IBM Z that provides disaster recovery and high availability solutions, automating the management of multi-site mainframe systems and data replication, and enabling failure recovery from a single point of control. David has written several Parallel Sysplex white papers and helped write and review many Redbooks™ on Parallel Sysplex and Performance.
Rick Robinson
Vice President and General Manager
, AARP’s AgeTech Collaborative, Vice President of Product Innovation
Rick Robinson
Rick Robinson
Vice President and General Manager
AARP’s AgeTech Collaborative;
Vice President of Product Innovation
For over 30 years Rick Robinson has innovated digital products and content for major media and tech companies like AOL, Sprint, Webs.com, National Geographic, and Politico. He has also co-founded several technology startups, one of which went public in 2023. He is currently the Vice President & General Manager of the AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP, an innovation ecosystem leading the future of AgeTech by making aging easier, and also serves as AARP’s Vice President of Product Innovation. He believes technology is key to addressing aging’s challenges, as evidenced by the growing interest from entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders in the Collaborative. He is the current Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Georgetown University.
Julie Shah
Head, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT
Julie Shah
Julie Shah
Julie Shah is the head of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is also the H.N. Slater Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics. In addition to her role as a faculty member in AeroAstro, Shah served as associate dean of Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing in the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing from 2019 to 2022, helping launch a coordinated curriculum that engages more than 2,000 students a year at the Institute. She currently directs the Interactive Robotics Group in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL), and MIT’s Industrial Performance Center. Shah and her team at the Interactive Robotics Group conduct research that aims to imagine the future of work by designing collaborative robot teammates that enhance human capability.
Wei Tao, Ph.D.
Wei Tao, Ph.D.
Wei Tao, Ph.D.
Wei Tao, Ph.D., is an innovator, connector, and catalyst in the life sciences ecosystem, dedicated to translating breakthrough discoveries into clinical impact. His principle affiliation is with Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he is the Farokhzad Family Distinguished Chair for Innovation, a Principal Investigator in the Center for Nanomedicine, and a faculty member in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine. With a diverse background spanning biotech, early-stage venture investment, and academia, Dr. Tao brings a wealth of experience in fostering innovation and accelerating scientific progress. He has a proven track record of building strong partnerships across organizational boundaries, driving collaborations that address complex challenges and advance cutting-edge science toward real-world solutions.
Parallel Session and Panelist Speakers
11 June, 2025
Sadegh (Ben) Babaii, Ph.D.
Engineering Manager, Cleaver-Brooks
“Breakthrough Excellence in Wicked Complex Situations Utilizing Generative AI”
Richard Caro
Sadegh (Ben) Babaii, Ph.D.Engineering Manager, Cleaver-Brooks
“Breakthrough Excellence in Wicked Complex Situations Utilizing Generative AI”
Dr. Sadegh (Ben) Babaii has a university doctorate in Mechanical Engineering, with 25 years of academic and industry experience in design and engineering and over 10 years of experience coaching and solving challenging engineering problems using advanced problem-solving tools, systems, and robust processes. Since 2022, he has been a member of US TAG at ISO ANSI TC 279 for Innovation Management, including auditable 56001, innovation competency 56011, and developed innovation ecosystem standards.
Richard Caro
DPhil, Tech-enhanced Life PBC
“Longevity Explorers: The Intersection of Aging and Technology”
Richard Caro
Richard CaroDPhil, Tech-enhanced Life PBC
“Longevity Explorers: The Intersection of Aging and Technology”
Dr. Richard G. Caro has 30+ years of experience at the intersection of technology and business — as startup CEO, startup CTO, scientist/inventor, angel investor, and advisor to emerging growth companies. He has deep domain expertise in the fields of agetech; medical devices/healthcare, digital health, telecom, and photonics. He also has a particular interest in turning “deep-tech” innovation into profitable businesses and has developed expertise incubating products and businesses based on complex science and technology (Deep Tech), managing innovation, and understanding customer discovery.
Anahita Kiyani, Ph.D
Director of Neuroscience, Data Science and Digital Health for Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine
“Advanced Health Technologies for Older Adults and Individuals with Chronic Conditions”
Anahita Kiyani, Ph.D
Anahita Kiyani, Ph.DDirector of Neuroscience, Data Science and Digital Health for Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine
“Advanced Health Technologies for Older Adults and Individuals with Chronic Conditions”
Dr. Anahita Kiyani is a visionary technical leader with over 20 years of experience in digital health, product development, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics within the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. She is Director of Neuroscience, Data Science and Digital Health for Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. Dr. Kyani’s extensive career is rooted in transformative biomedical engineering, using AI and machine learning technologies to advance research in neurodegenerative diseases and to accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of life-saving technologies that improve clinical outcomes. Her contributions have earned numerous publications in prestigious journals and multiple patents for pioneering algorithms and healthcare technologies.
Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Kyani is deeply committed to empowering future STEM leaders and advocating for collaboration and engagement. As Chair of both IEEE’s Women in Biomedical Engineering (WiBME) and IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), she actively works to create an inclusive and supportive environment in biomedical engineering and related STEM fields.
Don Lee
Senior Solution Architect, Bentley Systems
“Digital Twins and Blue Zone”
Don Lee
Don LeeSenior Solution Architect, Bentley Systems
“Digital Twins and Blue Zone”
Don Lee is Senior Solution Architect in the Solution Engineering Transportation group at Bentley Systems. He is an experienced internal and external consultant with deep knowledge in the areas of software management, information standards, design, and development. Since joining Bentley in 2014 as a senior consultant with the civil infrastructure team, Lee has provided training, coaching, and configuration services for agencies and organizations across North America.
Maria Palombini
Global Practice Leader, IEEE Standards Association
“Establishing a Global Standard for Quality of Life: Aging Healthy with Precision”
Maria Palombini
Maria PalombiniGlobal Practice Leader, IEEE Standards Association
“Establishing a Global Standard for Quality of Life: Aging Healthy with Precision”
Maria Palombini is focused on engaging and leading a global community of multi-disciplinary stakeholders to openly collaborate and develop solutions to enable trust in and validation of breakthrough technologies/applications that will enable sustainable equitable access to quality care, privacy, and protection for all individuals. She works with multidisciplinary volunteer experts from around the globe to drive trust in adoption of new technologies and frameworks in telehealth, decentralized clinical trials, digital mental health therapeutics, food sustainability and security and precision therapeutics. Palombini is an entrepreneur having founded various companies including DisruptiveRx™ Media, the first information company to bring awareness of pragmatic uses of emerging technologies and applications within therapeutic development value chain that will enable patient-driven therapeutics.
Volaree Rendon
Director of Solution Engineering, Bentley Systems
“Digital Twins and Blue Zone”
Volaree Rendon
Volaree RendonDirector of Solution Engineering, Bentley Systems
“Digital Twins and Blue Zone”
Volaree Rendon is the Director of Solution Engineering at Bentley Systems. With more than 30 years of transportation industry experience, Rendon leads a high-performing team responsible for delivering comprehensive, scalable engineering solutions tailored to the unique needs of the transportation industry. She collaborates with clients, industry leaders, and cross-functional teams to drive the adoption and implementation of Bentley Systems’ advanced infrastructure software, focusing on roads, bridges, rail, and transit projects. Volaree possesses a strong blend of technical expertise, industry knowledge, and leadership skills to guide customers through complex infrastructure challenges, ensuring they maximize the value of Bentley’s digital twin technology, design, and construction solutions.
Dan Sabin
Distinguished Technical Expert, Schneider Electric
“Modernizing the Electric Grid and Emerging Standards”
Dan Sabin
Dan SabinDistinguished Technical Expert, Schneider Electric
“Modernizing the Electric Grid and Emerging Standards”
Dan Sabin is a licensed professional engineer on the Schneider Electric Digital Power team focused on innovation, AI, architecture, and standards. Previously, Sabib was a Principal Engineer and Software Architect with Electrotek Concepts, where he led the development of the PQView software team for power quality database management & analysis and automatic fault analysis and fault location. He also developed PQDiffractor, which is a widely used viewer for IEEE Std 1159.3 PQDIF files and IEEE/IEC COMTRADE files. He was also a project manager with EPRI Solutions and EPRI focusing on power quality monitoring, distribution grid analytics algorithm development, and distribution fault location automation. An IEEE Fellow, he was Chair of the IEEE PES Transmission & Distribution Committee for 2017-2018 and its Vice Chair for Standards from 2021-2024. He is a Past Chair of the IEEE PES Power Quality and the IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee on Power Quality. He currently chairs the IEEE P1159.3 Working Group on Power Quality Data Interchange Format.
Ratnesh Sinha
Vice President, 6D Technologies, and DelReo Newman, Ph.D., Atlantic Tele-network International
“Telecommunication Evolution and the Senior Digital Divide: policy Approaches for Inclusive Progress”
Ratnesh Sinha
Ratnesh SinhaVice President, 6D Technologies, and DelReo Newman, Ph.D., Atlantic Tele-network International
“Telecommunication Evolution and the Senior Digital Divide: policy Approaches for Inclusive Progress”
Ratnesh Sinha is an avid technology enthusiast with hands on experience in software, delivery and managing team and accounts with a demonstrated history of driving innovative projects for multiple clients in different verticals.
Dr. Delreo Newman is a seasoned telecom consultant, regulatory expert, and Executive Director of International Regulatory and Government Affairs at ATNI. He was recently named Chairman of CANTO, an organization dedicated to shaping information, communication and technology in the Caribbean Region and the Americas. Prior to joining ATNI, he served as the Information and Communications Technology advisor to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, was Jamaica’s first telecommunications regulator, and has consulted for multiple English-speaking Caribbean governments on ICT development.
Daniel Sniezek
Chief Strategy Officer, Dynamic Education Services; Chairman, IEEE
“Practical Use of Generative AI”
Daniel Sniezek
Daniel SniezekChief Strategy Officer, Dynamic Education Services; Chairman, IEEE
“Practical Use of Generative AI”
Daniel Sniezek has more than 25 years of experience in the development and maintenance of highly complex and highly available systems. He is an internationally sought technical advisor and speaker on subjects of software quality, computerized reliability, Systems Engineering, Systems Safety, quality systems, and process improvements. Sniezek’s career centered on helping companies, governments, and people improve through the use of visual thinking, quality management tools, and cafe-style techniques. He uses his skills as an engineer and artist to convey complex concepts. He currently serves as Regional Director, and Past Section Affairs Council Chair for the American Society of Quality and is the recipient of the coveted Paul A. Robert’s Award presented to him in 1996 for his outstanding effort, dedication, and contribution to the ASQ Binghamton Section. He currently holds the membership grade of Fellow in ASQ. He is a former IEEE Area Chair, Region 1 Government Relations Chair, Region 1 Life Member Chair, Life Member Committee Member, and is a Senior Life Member.
Peggy Sniezek
Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at SUNY Broome Community College
“Practical Use of Generative AI”
Peggy Sniezek
Peggy SniezekAdjunct Professor of Computer Science at SUNY Broome Community College
“Practical Use of Generative AI”
As an adjunct professor of Computer Science at SUNY Broome Community College, Peggy Sniezek leverages her professional experience in the development and maintenance of computer information systems in the industrial sector, including work with systems analysis and design, database management, information systems security, technical task lead of information systems and web server development.
Vince Socci
On Target Motion
“An Introduction to UAV Technology, Applications, and Regulations”
Vince Socci
Vince SocciOn Target Motion
“An Introduction to UAV Technology, Applications, and Regulations”
Vince Socci is the CTO of On Target Motion, where he provides engineering, program management and business development services for aerospace, automotive, rail, marine, and other safety-critical applications. With 35 years of experience in aerospace, automotive, rail, power electronics, and medical systems, he has engineered systems in the most complex applications. His specialized areas of interest are embedded controls, real-time test, and systems engineering for vehicle-based applications. In the early 90s, Socci designed the first electronics for the Cummins B-series diesel engine, which are still in use today. In the mid-90s, he developed power controllers for GE locomotives. Late-90s into 2000s, he led the development of the HybriDrive HEV powertrain, which was used on various platforms from commercial buses and taxis to military trucks. Through the 2000s into 2010s, he led the development of aero and auto vehicle control systems for power, communications, fueling, radar, motor controls, and unmanned systems. Currently, he is focused on aerospace innovation including commercial space transportation and UAV development. Socci has served on the Board of Directors and governing boards of several professional societies, including IEEE, SAE, and PMI. He also serves as an expert witness in aerospace, automotive, and medical device litigation.
12 June, 2025
To be announced…
George Arnold, Ph.D
Chair & IEEE Fellow
“IEEE Standards Association Industry Connections AgeTech Program”
George Arnold
George Arnold, Ph.D
Chair & IEEE Fellow
“IEEE Standards Association Industry Connections AgeTech Program”
Dr. George Arnold leads IEEE’s AgeTech project. He is the retired CEO of Tercio Solutions LLC, an MIT spin-out specializing in dynamic scheduling and optimization of industrial operations. From 2006 to 2014, he was a Senior Executive at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), responsible for coordinating the U.S. federal government’s standardization activities and also leading the private-public sector partnership developing the architecture and standards to modernize the nation’s electric grid (Smart Grid). Arnold previously served as a Vice-President at Bell Laboratories where he directed the company’s global standards efforts and management of intellectual property. Prior to this role, Arnold had a wide range of technical and managerial assignments at Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, and AT&T in research and development, product management, quality management and process re-engineering. Arnold also served as President of the IEEE Standards Association, Chairman of the Board of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and Vice-President-Policy for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Conor McGowan Smyth
Brava
“Brava Stronghold: The Evolution of AI and What it Means for Cyber Security”
Conor McGowan Smyth
Conor McGowan Smyth
Brava
“Brava Stronghold: The Evolution of AI and What it Means for Cyber Security”
Conor McGowan Smyth, a business leader specializing in the technology, telecommunications and B2B managed service provider sector, is the CEO of Brava Solutions, a multinational technology/cyber security managed services and communications provider serving the Atlantic, Caribbean, and LATAM markets. Adjacent to his work at Brava, McGowan Smyth also sits as an advisory board member on multiple boards and committees with Brava’s parent company, ATN, as well as founding and serving as a director of Galoras, an Al coaching exchange platform launching designed to connect business and performance coaches with high performing executives in need and athletes transitioning out of sports. He passionate about driving meaningful change by building real relationships and high performing teams, aligning technology with human capital. In addition to his professional achievements, McGowan Smyth is actively involved in civic organizations, including his involvement with the International Bermuda Rugby Team and Teachers Rugby RFC as a former player and member.
Akshata Moharir
Microsoft
“Building Trust in AI: The Crucial Role of Explainable AI”
Akshata Moharir
Akshata Moharir
Microsoft
“Building Trust in AI: The Crucial Role of Explainable AI”
Akshata Moharir is a Lead Data Scientist at Microsoft. In this role, she leverages her expertise in analytics, machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI to create innovative solutions for the gaming industry. She has experience in data science, working with various data collection methods, data mining techniques, and large language models. Her passion is to develop and apply interpretable and explainable AI/ML approaches that can enhance the user experience, protect data privacy, and prevent fraud. She is the inventor of seven U.S. patents and holder of one trade secret in the realms of interpretable and interactive machine learning and AI. She has also co-authored influential papers presented at premier machine learning conferences and workshops, contributing to the advancement of the field. She is a reviewer for ICML, AAAI, CHI, ICLR, playing a critical role in shaping the future of AI research by reviewing and providing constructive feedback on emerging scientific work. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Ram Sriram
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
“Harnessing Digital Revolutions for the Aging Population”
Ram Sriram
Ram Sriram
NIST
“Harnessing Digital Revolutions for the Aging Population”
Ram Sriram is the Chief of the Software & Systems Division in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). Before joining the Software and Systems Division, Sriram was the leader of the Design and Process group in the Manufacturing Systems Integration Division, Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, where he conducted research on standards for interoperability of computer-aided design systems. Prior to joining NIST, he was on the engineering faculty (1986-1994) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was instrumental in setting up the Intelligent Engineering Systems Laboratory. At MIT, Sriram initiated the MIT-DICE project, which was one of the pioneering projects in collaborative engineering. He has co-authored or authored nearly 300 publications, including several books on Artificial Intelligence. Sriram has received several awards including: an NSF’s Presidential Young Investigator Award (1989); ASME Design Automation Award (2011); ASME CIE Distinguished Service Award (2014); the Washington Academy of Sciences’ Distinguished Career in Engineering Sciences Award (2015); ASME CIE Lifetime Achievement Award (2016); CMU CEE Lt. Col. Christopher Raible Distinguished Public Service Award (2018); IIT Madras Distinguished Alumni Award (2021); and IEEE Reliability Society Lifetime Achievement Award (2023). Sriram’s other professional activities and accolades with IEEE include associate editor of ACM Computing Surveys and IEEE Transactions on Computers; chair of the 2021 IEEE Computer Society Fellow Evaluating Committee, member of IEEE HKN’s Eta Chapter and IEEE Fellow.
13 June, 2025
To be announced…
Adrian Berg
Vice President, Cordata Healthcare Innovations
“Falling Through the Cracks: Technology to Improve Response for Cases of Elder Care Abuse and Neglect”
Adrian Berg
Adrian Berg
Vice President, Cordata Healthcare Innovations
“Falling Through the Cracks: Technology to Improve Response for Cases of Elder Care Abuse and Neglect”
Adrian Berg is Vice President of Cordata Healthcare Innovations, a leading SaaS company serving at-risk populations by coordinating treatment and community resources. He was previously CEO of MedReport Guard, a comprehensive solution for supporting and meeting the needs of interpersonal violence survivors, which was acquired by Cordata to further address health inequities and improve outcomes, access to care, and overall well-being of all populations, especially the most vulnerable. MRG provides critical software infrastructure for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault mandatory and forensic reporting requirements. These collaborative tools and integrated workflows allow healthcare providers, law enforcement, district attorneys, and social services to more effectively respond to incidents and coordinate survivor care. In his experience as a software engineer, he has found that the actual software is only one aspect of a potential solution set, and successful implementations must address issues of governance, compliance, personnel, risk, resource constraints, and cybersecurity.
Berke Buyukkucak
CEO, Superbio.ai
“Large Language Models as Thinking Partners”
Berke Buyukkucak
Berke Buyukkucak
CEO, Superbio.ai
“Large Language Models as Thinking Partners”
Berke Buyukkucak is the CEO and Co-founder of Superbio.ai, a low-code platform and marketplace for biomedical AI which focused on making AI models for clinical research and drug discovery accessible and usable for the scientific community. He is a researcher and entrepreneur specializing in computational biology and machine learning for life sciences. His work focuses on applying generative AI to scientific discovery. He has led AI-driven research and development efforts, collaborating with academic institutions and biopharma companies to advance computational methods in drug discovery and synthetic biology.
Jordan Cohen
KBK Wealth Management
“Investing for Longevity”
Jordan Cohen
Jordan Cohen
KBK Wealth Management
“Investing for Longevity”
Jordan Cohen is a financial planner with KBK Wealth Management where he provides holistic advice to individuals and families on all financial planning matters including investment management, retirement planning, insurance and risk management, tax planning, estate and wealth transfer planning, and general goals-based financial planning. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, an Investment Adviser Representative holding FINRA Series 7 and 66 registrations through Commonwealth Financial Network®, and is a licensed insurance broker for life, disability, long-term care, health, and accident insurance. Cohen also advises small and mid-sized organizations on group retirement and insurance benefits, and holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA®) designation from the National Association of Plan Advisors.
Catherine Fang, Ph.D.
Distinguished Service Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
“Demystifying Generative AI: Insights from NVIDIA’s Stable Diffusion Workshop and Its Impact on AgeTech”
Catherine Fang, Ph.D.
Catherine Fang, Ph.D.
Distinguished Service Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
“Demystifying Generative AI: Insights from NVIDIA’s Stable Diffusion Workshop and Its Impact on AgeTech”
Dr. Catherine Fang is a Distinguished Service Professor at the Integrated Innovation Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. She is a seasoned and passionate researcher and entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in both the software industry and academia. Fang’s research and product expertise lies in personalized healthcare, clinical trials, AI-based therapy, and data mining on digital audience behavior profiling and targeting. With multiple U.S. patents to her name, she also serves as an associate editor for the IEEE Reliability Society. Her entrepreneurial spirit has led her to co-found AiCare, a cutting-edge AI and cloud-powered Healthcare and Medical platform. Prior to this, Fang served as global/senior product manager and architect at LinkedIn, Yahoo, Bluekai (acquired by Oracle), and Sun Microsystems.
Jeffrey Katz, Ph.D.
CTO of IBM Energy & Utility Industry (Retired)
“Bridging Generations: Connecting Students with Life Members for Community Impact”
Jeffrey Katz, Ph.D.
Jeffrey Katz, Ph.D.
CTO of IBM Energy & Utility Industry (Retired)
“Bridging Generations: Connecting Students with Life Members for Community Impact”
Dr. Jeffrey S. Katz is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Katz was the Chief Technology Officer of Global University Programs at IBM. In this role he led technical interactions with universities including the training of professors on technologies of interest to IBM and supporting projects with schools. Formerly he was the CTO of IBM’s Energy, Environment and Utilities industry. Katz was involved with the application, development, and innovation of IBM products, services, technology and research for electric power companies and related organizations, especially Smart Grid, where he authored many articles, was an invited speaker and organizers for several conferences. He served as co-chair of the IEEE P2030 Smart Grid Interoperability Guidelines IT Task Force. He has presented in several forums on Smart Grid Security, including a panel convened by the federal GAO and NAS. Katz is an author on seven patents, in tele-medicine, robotics, computer vision, and intelligent electric power distribution. He has a Commercial General Radiotelephone license from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, is a member of the Smart Grid Advisory Board of the Network Science Research Center and belongs to Sigma Xi.
John McDonald
JDM Associates
Mentoring Panel
Jeffrey Katz
John McDonald
JDM Associates
Mentoring Panel
John D. McDonald, P.E., is the Founder & CEO of JDM Associates, LLC. He has nearly 50 years of experience in the electric utility transmission and distribution industry with a specialty in Smart Grid technology. He has published 150 papers and articles, co-authored five books and has one US patent. He is a Life Fellow of IEEE, member of IEEE-HKN and was awarded the IEEE Millennium Medal, the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) Excellence in Power Distribution Engineering Award, the IEEE PES Substations Committee Distinguished Service Award, the IEEE PES Meritorious Service Award, the 2016 CIGRE Distinguished Member Award, the 2016 CIGRE USNC Attwood Associate Award, the 2021 CIGRE Honorary Member Award and the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) Lifetime Achievement Award. McDonald is a Past President of the IEEE PES, the VP for Technical Activities for the US National Committee (USNC) of CIGRE, the Past Chair of the IEEE PES Substations Committee, the IEEE Division VII Past Director, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He also served on the Board of Governors of the IEEE-SA (Standards Association) and is an IEEE Foundation Director and Chair of its 50th Anniversary Celebration Committee.
