Keynotes

Executive Editor, Operations, MIT Technology Review

Amy Nordrum is an executive editor at MIT Technology Review and is based in Boston, MA. She produces the publication’s annual lists of 10 Breakthrough Technologies, Climate Tech Companies to Watch, and Innovators Under 35. Amy previously worked as news manager for IEEE Spectrum. Amy has a master’s degree in Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting from New York University and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

CEO, Jellyfish

Andrew Lau is Co-Founder and CEO of Jellyfish, the leading Software Engineering Intelligence Platform, helping more than 700 companies including DraftKings, Keller Williams and Blue Yonder, leverage AI to transform how they build software. By turning fragmented data into context-rich guidance, Jellyfish enables better decision-making across AI adoption, planning, developer experience and delivery so R&D teams can deliver stronger business outcomes. Andrew lives in Cambridge, MA with his wife and two children. He holds a degree in Computer Science from MIT.

Global Industry Analyst, Wellington Management

Brian is a Global Industry Analyst at Wellington Management and has been covering the technology sector with a particular focus on internet and video game software companies for over a decade. Brian undertakes research and manages both specialized technology and diversified portfolios. He earned his MBA from MIT Sloan.

Assistant Chair of Music Business/Management Department, Berklee College of Music

Chris Wares is an educator, music business strategist, and artist development coach. He currently serves as the Assistant Chair of the Music Business/Management Department at Berklee College of Music, where he teaches courses in marketing, business, and emerging technologies. Over his career, Chris has held roles as a marketing director, grant writer, artist manager, and copyright administrator, working with many of North America’s leading independent record labels, publishing companies, entertainment law firms, and management companies. He has led marketing campaigns for Grammy and Juno Award–winning artists and secured substantial funding for both artists and creative businesses.

At Berklee, Chris has played a central role in embedding emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence—into the curriculum. He serves on Berklee’s AI Steering Committee and has been instrumental in shaping strategy, programming, and curriculum integration across multiple departments. He also advises select AI and music technology startups, drawing on his experience in music business development and innovation.

A sought-after speaker, Chris has presented at conferences such as SXSW, Music Biz, and the MEIEA Summit. His insights have been featured by Harvard Business School, Billboard, NPR, CBC, and more. Through high-impact collaborations with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Meta, TikTok, and others, Chris continues to bridge industry and education while preparing the next generation of artists and professionals for a rapidly evolving landscape. He is also an active member of The Recording Academy, CARAS, and MEIEA, and serves as a grant juror for the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR).

Key Sector Account Manager, MA High-Tech & Manufacturing, National Grid

Christine Stevens is a Principal Key Account Manager at National Grid, where she partners with 30 of Massachusetts’ most innovative high-tech and manufacturing companies to drive energy transformation and infrastructure resilience. Christine leads strategic energy planning across her portfolio, helping customers tackle complex challenges—from aging infrastructure and climate adaptation to fleet electrification and carbon reduction. She ensures her customers see measurable value from their relationship with National Grid—whether that’s through unlocking funding, navigating policy shifts, or accelerating sustainability goals.

Christine plays a pivotal role in supporting the region’s data centers and colocation providers, crafting tailored frameworks that align energy demand with growth ambitions so that data centers can interconnect with New England's second largest utility. She orchestrates cross-functional teams across National Grid, customer leadership, state agencies, and vetted solution providers to deliver scalable, future-ready outcomes.
Before joining National Grid, Christine held senior sales roles at Qualcomm, Wind River, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing. She earned her MBA from the University of Southern California.

CEO, Vertical Semiconductor

Cynthia is focused on powering the next generation of artificial intelligence through hardware innovation. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Vertical Semiconductor, she is revolutionizing energy delivery for hyperscale data centers with proprietary Vertical GaN technology spun out of MIT. Her work addresses the critical power bottlenecks that currently constrain AI scalability, and she recently secured $11 million in funding to bring these deep-tech solutions to market. An active leader in the Cambridge innovation ecosystem, Cynthia holds a MBA as a Sloan Fellow from MIT Sloan.

VP, Product, Design, & Research, Ecobee

Dev Bala is a senior product and platform leader with over two decades of experience building and scaling technology at the intersection of enterprise software, consumer platforms, and AI-driven products. He is currently VP of Product Management, Marketing, and Design at ecobee, where he leads product strategy across smart-home hardware, software, and AI-powered services. Prior to ecobee, Dev was VP of Platform at Discord, following the acquisition of Sentropy Technologies, where he served as Chief Product Officer and built AI-based safety and moderation systems used at internet scale.

Earlier in his career, Dev held senior product leadership roles at Google, Nest, Meta (Facebook), and Microsoft, spanning enterprise SaaS, developer platforms, consumer hardware, and voice-first experiences. His work has included launching and scaling global platforms, building partner and developer ecosystems, and leading cross-functional teams through periods of rapid growth and transformation. Across these roles, he has consistently focused on applying AI and platform thinking to create products that are both technically robust and deeply human-centered.

Dev is also deeply engaged in the academic and entrepreneurial community. He holds an MBA from MIT Sloan, where he is an Executive-in-Residence and is building the MIT Product Management Community of Practice. Additionally, he has previously been an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University and Washington University in St. Louis. He lives in Silicon Valley, CA with his wife and two children, and enjoys coaching lacrosse in his spare time.

VP, Global Privacy Initiatives & Operations, Better Business Bureau (BBB) National Programs

Dr. Divya Sridhar is the Vice President, Global Privacy Initiatives & Operations at BBB National Programs. Her portfolio encompasses the design, development, and launch of multiple industry self-regulation programs, including the Global Privacy Division’s Cross Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) program and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Services program, the Digital Advertising Accountability Program, the Digital Health Privacy Program, and the TeenAge Privacy Program.

Sridhar is a seasoned leader focused on data privacy and emerging technology policies at the international, federal, and state level. In previous roles, Divya served in numerous capacities at think tanks, private companies, and nonprofits leading government affairs and policy work, specializing across the health and education technology sectors. She has written books and authored publications in the fields of tech, privacy, and public policy.

She holds a Ph.D. and a Master’s degree in Public Policy and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance.

CEO, Ketryx

Erez is passionate about improving patient care and health outcomes with software solutions. Over the last decade, Erez worked in industries including computational mathematics, biotech, and energy, helping build monitoring systems for pharmaceutical equipment and AI for medication management. Before Ketryx, Erez worked with Amgen, the world’s largest biotechnology company, as the head of AI/ML for their medical device division and with Wolfram Research, the builders of Mathematica and Wolfram|Alpha. Erez holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Head of GTM Engineering, Clay

Everett Berry is Head of GTM Engineering at Clay, where he pioneers the intersection of technical expertise and sales execution. Since joining in 2024, he has helped build automated systems that revolutionize how sales teams operate. Everett brings extensive GTM engineering experience from leading growth teams, like cost cloud platform Vantage and database tool Arctype. As an entrepreneur, he founded Perceive, an AI infrastructure company specializing in edge devices and low-power AI inference. Everett holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Purdue University and believes great technology must be both built and effectively marketed, championing data-driven approaches to go-to-market strategies.

CEO, Augmenta

Francesco "Frio" Iorio, Co-Founder and CEO of Augmenta, brings a deep academic and professional background in mathematics and computer science to his over 15 years of work in AI and generative design. After completing his education, Frio began his career at IBM Research, focusing on large-scale computing challenges. He later joined Autodesk, where he led teams and pioneered the concept of "goal-directed design" (now called generative design), allowing AI to move beyond assisting with design documentation to actively generating efficient and optimized designs based only on engineering requirements.

Frio’s expertise in computational science and optimization has always been rooted in his love for problem-solving and efficiency, from his early interests in computer gaming to high-performance computing. His groundbreaking work at Autodesk laid the foundation for his next venture: Augmenta. Here, Frio is applying AI to the construction industry, aiming to automate the entire building design and engineering process. By doing so, he envisions reducing inefficiencies, cutting waste, and enhancing sustainability in a $16 trillion global sector.

With Augmenta’s AI platform, Frio aims to transform how physical industries solve complex problems. His strong foundation in mathematics and computer science, combined with his vision for AI’s role in physical industries, positions him to lead the future of automated design. Over the next decade, Frio aims to extend Augmenta’s platform beyond construction into other sectors like manufacturing, using AI to revolutionize how we design and interact with the physical world.

Director of Decarbonization, Orennia

Jeff Taylor is the Director of Decarbonization at Orennia, a data and analytics firm focused on the energy transition. He works at the intersection of climate tech and deployment economics, helping clients translate market signals, policy, and project fundamentals into clear, decision-ready insights. Before joining Orennia, Jeff supported the development of one of Western Canada’s largest CCUS hubs and helped build renewable natural gas projects across Western Canada. He also developed midstream assets for a leading oil and gas midstream company and brings additional commercial experience from major freight railways in both Canada and the United Kingdom.

AI Security Lead - Public Sector, Palo Alto Networks

Jessica Souder leads AI Security in the Public Sector for Palo Alto Networks. She a graduate from Executive MBA program at MIT Sloan, and previously was the Director of Government & Defense for Protect AI. She served for over 15 years as a Paramilitary Operations Officer with the CIA, focusing on covert action and technical programs.

VP, Intelligence Labs, Nexon

Joon Lee is the Vice President of Intelligence Labs at Nexon, where he leads the strategic integration of AI to create innovative and immersive gaming environments. With over 20 years of experience in data, machine learning, and AI, Joon possesses a deep technical understanding of data across multiple domains. Before joining Nexon, he developed expertise across industries, including SpaceX, Experian, and Samsung. Today, he focuses on leveraging advanced AI to redefine the player experience and build the next generation of interactive entertainment.

Chief Marketing Officer, Cerebras

Julie Choi is SVP and CMO at Cerebras. She brings more than 20 years of technology industry experience to the company. Prior to joining Cerebras, Julie led marketing, communications, and community efforts at MosaicML (acquired by Databricks) as the company’s first VP and business leadership hire. Prior to that, she was the Vice President of AI Products & Research Marketing at Intel where she established the Intel AI product brand and business, worth $3.5B of reported revenue. Julie holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from MIT and Stanford, respectively, both in management science. She currently serves as an advisor to Coactive AI and is a regular speaker on topics including AI, marketing, and diversity in technology.

CEO, Mimecast

Marc van Zadelhoff joined Mimecast as the company's second CEO and member of the board in January 2024, leading all aspects of the business and guiding the company as it enters its third decade of operation.
He is an accomplished executive with 25 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry. Prior to joining Mimecast, Marc was the CEO of Devo Technology, a cloud-based logging platform that he led through an intense growth phase where they raised $350M and tripled revenues. He also spent time as COO at LogMeIn, and was GM /CEO of IBM Security, an IBM Business Unit that he co-founded. Under his leadership, IBM Security grew to 8,000 employees and $2.5 billion in revenue.
Marc is a curious and committed leader working alongside Mimecast’s 2,200+ employees to ensure its customers can secure human risk. He was born in the Netherlands and currently resides in the Boston-area with his wife and three children. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and obtained a B.A. from Bowdoin College.

Director of Google Gemini for Education

Marta McAlister is a former teacher turned Googler, who has been building products and programs for education over the last 14+ years. In her time at Google, Marta has worked across both hardware and software, k12 and higher ed, as well as education and enterprise. She is currently the Director of Gemini for Education, working with go-to-market and product teams across Google to deliver a cohesive, responsible and befitting AI solution for education institutions globally.

Outside of work, Marta spends much of her time with her family - particularly with her two sons who keep her energy and sense of humor up. Marta is also engaged with the Boston Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development Board, the Tech Advisory Board for UP Academy Network, and the Emerging Leaders Board for Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (MBAE). She graduated from Brown University and has her M.Ed in childhood and special education from Hunter College.

Strategy & Business Operations (BizOps) Leader, Ex-Waymo, Google, UBS

Marton Sziraczki is a robotics entrepreneur and former executive in the Autonomous Vehicle industry. At Waymo, he held senior roles in Operations and as Chief of Staff to the CEO, helping to launch the first commercial AV service and designing strategies to safely deploy fleets at scale. He organizes MIT's Machine Intelligence in Manufacturing symposium and advises AI startups. A Harvard Business School graduate with experience at Google, UBS, and international development, he specializes in scaling transformative technologies safely.

EVP, Better Business Bureau (BBB) National Programs

Mary K. Engle is Executive Vice President, Policy, at BBB National Programs, where she leads policy efforts across the organization’s 20+ industry self-regulation programs, oversees the work of the National Advertising Review Board and the Digital Advertising Accountability Program, and provides strategic oversight of the Center for Industry Self-Regulation. A frequent speaker on the topics of independent industry self-regulation, advertising, and privacy, Mary also serves as Vice President of the International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation, of which BBB National Programs is the U.S. representative.

Ms. Engle joined BBB National Programs in 2020, following a 30-year career at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). At the FTC, Ms. Engle held several management positions, including Associate Director for Advertising Practices (2001-2020). While at the FTC, she played a lead role in developing the FTC’s policies on green marketing, advertising substantiation, influencer marketing, native advertising, online disclosures, health-related advertising, child-directed marketing, enforcement of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, alcohol advertising, and video game marketing. Ms. Engle was awarded the Presidential Meritorious Executive Rank Award in 2012. Before joining the FTC, she practiced law with a litigation firm in Washington, DC. Ms. Engle received her B.A. from Harvard University and her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

CEO, Form Bio

Michelle Chen, Ph.D. is a biotech executive and industry leader with extensive experience in strategy, business and corporate development, M&A, investor relations, ventures, fundraising, and R&D. She currently serves as President, CEO and Board Member of Form Bio, the first spin-off from Colossal Biosciences, where she leads company’s efforts to harness AI for genetic medicine design and genome engineering applications. Prior to Form Bio, Michelle served as Chief Business Officer at Insilico Medicine, where she drove the company’s growth by translating cutting-edge AI technologies into high-value drug discovery and platform partnerships—unlocking billions in potential revenue.

Throughout her career, Michelle has built a strong cross-functional track record spanning R&D, product management, operations, and commercial leadership. She has held key positions at Roche, Merck, BioMarin, and Agilent Technologies, and has also served as an advisor to venture capital firms and startups. Michelle has led new company formations, executed numerous M&A transactions across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and helped deliver a five-fold increase in the market capitalization of a public company within three years. Michelle earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Washington, conducted postdoctoral research at UC San Francisco, and completed Bioinformatics training at Stanford University.

CEO, Provocative

Nick’s a serial founder, MIT EECS (dropout), formerly a Senior Lecturer at MIT, and now CEO of Provocative. Provocative builds AI data centers that suck CO2 out of the sky. If you’ve been to a bar or restaurant in Boston, you’ve probably drank our CO2.
- CEO/CTO/CPO of 6 venture-backed startups
- Backed by YC, Khosla, Founder Collective, General Catalyst
- 4 exits to Walmart, Yahoo, Playlist.com, Avira
- MIT Dropout: Electrical Engineering + CS
- Senior Lecturer + Entrepreneur in Residence @ MIT

CEO, Liquid AI

Dr. Ramin Hasani is the co-founder and CEO of Liquid AI. Previously, he was jointly‬ appointed as a Principal Machine Learning Scientist at the Vanguard Group and a‬ Research Affiliate at MIT CSAIL. Ramin’s research focuses on robust deep learning‬ and decision-making in complex dynamical systems. Prior to that, he was a‬ Postdoctoral Associate at CSAIL MIT, leading research on modeling intelligence and‬ sequential decision-making. He received his Ph.D. degree with distinction in Computer‬ Science from the Vienna University of Technology, Austria. His Ph.D. dissertation and‬ continued research on Liquid Neural Networks have been recognized internationally‬ with numerous nominations and awards.‬

Head of National Security Partnerships, Anthropic

Rob Bair is the Head of National Security Partnerships at Anthropic. Prior to joining Anthropic he served as CISO for the Americas at Zscaler. He served on the National Security Council in the Executive Office of the President during two Presidential Administrations overseeing Intelligence and Cyber programs. During his twenty year career as a Naval Officer, Rob completed multiple tours at the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command, and Fleet Cyber Command / TENTH Fleet with experience in both offensive and defensive cyber operations. He served in several intelligence and counterterrorism assignments, including the national counter-narcotics detection and monitoring task force, and deploying to Afghanistan with a Joint Special Operations Task Force. Rob is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and holds a M.S. in Defence Systems Engineering from the National University of Singapore; and a MBA from MIT Sloan.

CTO, Maven AGI

Sami Shalabi is the Co-Founder and CTO of Maven AGI, a company building enterprise-grade AI solutions to help businesses operate more efficiently and intelligently. Throughout his career, he has built, scaled, and led high-performing organizations from zero to over 150 people, and twice created billion-user products at Google, including Play Newsstand and the all-new Google News, servicing billions of daily requests at petabyte scale. Sami has created products across Generative AI, news, healthcare, entertainment, social, and SaaS, and holds multiple patents in distributed systems and knowledge technologies. An MIT alum, inventor, mentor, and angel investor, he was also recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Business Leader of the Year honoree, combining deep technical expertise with entrepreneurial leadership to shape the future of enterprise technology.

Google Cloud AI GTM

Tim Sun is on Google's Cloud AI Go-to-Market team. He is passionate about helping customers drive business outcomes through technology. He has spent the past 10 years of his career in various AI Go-To-Market capacities, across industries such as Tech, Services, Retail, and Life Sciences. He has a BA in Economics from Stanford and a MBA from MIT Sloan. He lives in Cambridge with his wife and two kids.