Jessica has been a middle school Spanish teacher for 19 years, currently teaching grades 6-8 at South View Middle School in Edina. She has a bachelor's in Elementary/Middle Education & Spanish and M.Ed. in Second Languages and Cultures Education. 

Throughout her career, she has been a leader in helping staff implement various devices & software programs. Jessica has been a WEB coordinator at two schools over the last seven years and was Dodge Middle School (Farmington, MN) teacher of the year in 2015. Jessica also served as a Technology Integration Specialist for BestPrep for more than 10 years and is excited to return to the TIW as a breakout session presenter.  

Dr. Chientzu Candace Chou is a Professor and program director for the doctoral program in Educational Leadership and Learning at the Department of Educational Leadership at the School of Education, University of St. Thomas. She is also the program director of the Learning Technology Leadership and Innovation graduate certificate program. 

Dr. Chou has more than two decades of experience working with K-12 educators and higher education faculty designing online learning. She specializes in the pedagogical application of learning technologies and teaches instructional design for leaders, learning design with technology, and research methods. She was a Senior Fulbright Scholar. 

Kathie has extensive experience in education, having been an FCS teacher for 20 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State Mankato and her master’s degree from Saint Mary’s University. Kathie has presented at many conferences including the FACS to the Max Workshop held in the spring.  

Ashley is an educator deeply committed to fostering equitable and accessible CS opportunities for all students. Currently serving on the Curriculum & Instruction Team at Girls Who Code, Ashley develops and manages curriculum projects across a variety of their programs. Additionally, she contributes her expertise as a part-time Manager of Curriculum and Instruction at Code Savvy. Ashley also taught an Intro to Computational Thinking and Computer Science course to adult learners at St. Catherine University through their Master's program. With a foundation as a former middle school math teacher, Ashley brings experience and a passion for empowering CS learners. 

Cheryl is the Executive Director at High Tech Kids. Prior to High Tech Kids, she has worked in informal STEM Education at The Bakken Museum, University of St. Thomas STEPS camp and as a consultant with STEMAhead. Prior to her education work, she was a semiconductor product engineer with Medtronic, VTC Inc. and Honeywell. She is the proud of mom of 3 adult computer scientists.  

As an esports professional collaborating to lead the scholastic esports industry through engaging in grassroots-oriented opportunities, he works toward transforming the grassroots Midwest scene into a global powerhouse in the esports industry. Learn more about Chase at linktr.ee/cnuclear.  

Eliza earned her B.S. in Special Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and a M.Ed. in Special Education, Challenging Behaviors and Special Education Administration, and a M.Ed. in K-12 Administration from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 2021. Since moving to Minnesota in 2017, Eliza has worked to support general and special education teachers to provide students and support staff with appropriate classroom supports and behavior modifications. 

Eliza has extensive experience in helping organizations establish academic and behavioral implementation processes that support the academic and functional needs of clients. Eliza also serves on a vocational work force committee designed to promote systematic change addressing work force needs for individuals with disabilities.  

Daryl helped manage and plan the St. Cloud State University’s Esports effort. He enjoys making technology easy and not intimidating for the people using it. 

Brenden has been working with Fenworks since its infancy in 2021, and contributed to original product development and business strategy.

Brenden works to promote a vision shared by the whole Fenworks team: the opportunity for every student in the region to engage in Esports or Drone Racing activities in the same way that students involved in 'traditional' after school co-cirricular activities have enjoyed for decades. Join Brenden's session on Tuesday to learn more about Fenworks, the regional Esports landscape, and their latest program addition, Drone Racing.

Chris plays a leadership role in planning and executing the Esports vision at St. Cloud State University. He enjoys exploring and leveraging new and innovative technologies to make a difference in the landscape of higher education.   

Katie has 16 years of teaching experience. She is well versed in blended classrooms, station rotations and creating more 1-to-1 classroom settings for large classes. Katie received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and her Masters from St. Cloud State University.   

Liz is a passionate advocate for equitable computer science education, she uses her background as a former elementary educator to develop engaging CS curriculum and professional learning opportunities. 

As the Manager of Curriculum and Instruction at Code Savvy, she is dedicated to creating dynamic learning experiences for educators across various content backgrounds and levels of tech experience. Liz's Masters in Education, specializing in Learning Design and Technology, equips her with the expertise to design impactful and relevant learning experiences for learners of all ages. She is committed to empowering educators and inspiring young learners to become creators of technology. 

Rob’s work at createMPLS removes barriers so that more students have access to engaging technology learning and are prepared for the future of work. 

Wendy has a BA in Social Studies Education, a MA in Educational Technology, and 29 years of experience in public and private middle and high school settings, 24 of which were teaching Social Studies (particularly US History and Government). She has presented at local, regional, and national Social Studies, Education and Technology Conferences, consulted with the MN Historical Society, and published Government and Personal Finance curriculum. Wendy currently serves as Program Chair and teaches for Concordia University St. Paul's MAED/Educational Technology program and Technology Integration Specialist for Minneapolis Public Schools. 

Kirsten is a highly effective HR Operations Leader with proven strengths in building strategic relationships, motivating teams through influence and propelling business success through results-driven talent engagement practices. Adept at balancing the needs of employees with the strategic objectives of an organization. Kirsten is a business-focused HR professional who ensures HR contributes to the business and is more than an administrative function. She does this by understanding the business first, and then creating and executing an HR strategy relevant to the business, driving positive change while keeping a keen eye on costs.  

After graduating from White Bear Lake High School, Jeremy joined the U.S. Army as part of the United States Army Signal Corps. Upon leaving the Army, Jeremy began his career at Comcast. During his 21 years with them he’s held many positions including Lead Phone Repair Call Center Agent, Fiber Project Manager, Director of Construction and his current role as Construction Program Manager. His experience leading teams in both the public and private sector make his a great panel member.

Shanta has been in the Information Technology field for more than 15 years. Shanta’s specialty is helping organizations deliver technology solutions that align with their business priorities and help them reach their business goals. Shanta joined Microsoft three years ago to lead a team of Customer Success Account Managers who ensure that Microsoft customers receive value from their Microsoft Product Investments.    

Shanta has held leadership positions in multiple industries and with large and small organizations such as RBC Wealth Management, Johnson Controls Inc., and Be The Match, among others.    

Shanta has a talent for building and sustaining multifunctional, high-performance teams and is passionate about helping others grow in their careers. Shanta enjoys mentoring and coaching young people who are interested in pursuing a career in Information Technology. In April 2021, Shanta received a Hero Award for Empathy in Action for her efforts to promote inclusion and the demonstration of courageous vulnerability with her teams and colleagues at Microsoft.  

In his 10 years in the powersports industry, Tony has held various technical, leadership, and training roles. He currently leads Polaris’ strategy for technical and operational curriculum design. In addition, he facilitates the Polaris Service Technician Education Program (STEP), which focuses on bringing technical training to external learning organizations across the country and inspiring future Polaris Technicians through education. As an avid powersports enthusiast, you will often find him enjoying the vehicles that Polaris manufactures and spending time outdoors with his wife and daughter. 

Cole specializes in driving delivery excellence in Accenture’s implementation and application support operations. He currently is the Client Account Lead for a large North American Utility and is the Minneapolis local market lead for Resources. Cole is the Quality Assurance director for several North American Utilities including Baltimore Gas & Electric, Exelon, Portland General Electric and Entergy, among others. Cole is a resident of Eagan, MN and is married with two children. He enjoys running, skiing, basketball and generally anything outdoors and is an avid University of Michigan sports fan.