Opening Keynote:
Kimberly Bryant
Founder and CEO, Black Innovation Lab by Ascend Ventures and Founder of Black Girls CODE
Kimberly Bryant has revolutionized the technology landscape by empowering young women of color to embrace coding and the STEM fields. She continually integrates cutting-edge technologies into her educational programs, like the AI for Social Good initiative, which teaches students about artificial intelligence while emphasizing its ethical applications to environmental and social justice issues. Kimberly received her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Vanderbilt University.
Chris Hess
Director of Product Management for Higher Ed AI, Pearson
Chris Hess, a former Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences with a PhD from the University of Washington, now applies his expertise in education technology at Pearson. As Director of Product Management for Higher Ed AI, he combines his academic background with experience in pedagogy and e-learning to innovate educational products. He is committed to transforming education, focusing on efficiency, impact, and engagement for both students and educators.
Emily Lai
Vice President of Learning Impact Measurement, Pearson
Emily Lai earned her PhD in Educational Measurement & Statistics from the University of Iowa and is a key member of Pearson's Efficacy & Learning team, where she leads a group of researchers dedicated to studying the use of Pearson products in teaching and learning. The team's work focuses on understanding the impact these tools have on learning engagement, study habits, academic achievement, and student progression.
Sage Lazzaro
Tech Journalist
website: https://www.sagelazzaro.com/
Sage Lazzaro is a technology writer and editor focused on artificial intelligence, data, cloud, digital culture, and technology’s impact on our society and culture. She began covering AI 10 years ago—long before the current AI boom—and specializes in writing about complicated technologies. Her work has appeared in Fortune, VentureBeat, Wired, OneZero, and Supercluster, among other publications. Previously, she was a senior tech editor at Business Insider and The New York Observer. Sage is based in New York City.
Closing Keynote:
Ethan Mollick, PhD
Author of Co-intelligence: Living and Working with AI
Ethan Mollick is an Associate Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he studies and teaches innovation and entrepreneurship, and also examines the effects of artificial intelligence on work and education. He also leads Wharton Interactive, an effort to democratize education using games, simulations, and AI. His academic papers have been published in top management journals and his research has been covered by CNN, The New York Times, and other leading publications. He has created numerous teaching games on a wide variety of topics. Prior to his time in academia, Ethan co-founded a startup company, and he currently advises a number of startups and organizations. Mollick received his PhD and MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.