Attendees

Daniella Alaso is a Communications Specialist at the Climate Hazards Center (CHC), University of California Santa Barbara. Her professional activities include communications of CHC’s datasets and services, and scientific contributions to various research activities. She is also a science writer for the GEOGLAM Crop Monitor. Daniella received a BSc. in Meteorology from the University of Nairobi, Kenya and a Masters in Geography from the University of Alabama, where she worked under Dr. Jason Senkbeil. Her master’s research focused on expanding the Spatial Synoptic Classification - a weather classification scheme - to East Africa. She also worked on evaluating the influence of large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns on surface weather.

Brook Anderson is a Prevention Community Outreach Specialist with NAMI Utah and co-chair of the Means Safety Workgroup for the Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition. Her work turns evidence-based suicide prevention strategies into practical, community-centered action. She leads statewide efforts to expand safe firearm storage, building partnerships across public health, behavioral health, schools, and law enforcement. She has helped distribute more than 600 gun safes and advance Utah’s Safe Storage Mapping Project. With more than 20 years of experience, she is known for bringing diverse partners together around data-driven, compassionate approaches to suicide prevention.

Matt is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the College of Nursing at Brigham Young University, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in critical care, family nurse practitioner training, leadership, and professional development. A BYU graduate, he began his career as a resource ICU nurse at the University of Utah Hospital, working across multiple intensive care units, the Emergency Department, and the Cardiac Catheterization Lab. He went on to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice as a family nurse practitioner from the University of Utah. disaster nursing, simulation for mass casualty incidents, care for vulnerable populations, and helping congenital heart disease patients move from pediatric to adult care.

Wendy Angst is the Neumann Family Director of the Powerful Means Initiative and Professor of Management & Organization at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. She also directs the Impact Consulting Minor, creating experiential learning opportunities that empower students to drive social impact. Since joining Notre Dame in 2010, Wendy has taught courses in innovation, design thinking, strategy, consulting, and entrepreneurship. She founded the Powerful Means Initiative, which engages students in multi-semester projects tackling pressing global challenges. Her work with Saint Bakhita’s Vocational Training Center in Uganda, featured in Notre Dame’s What Would You Fight For? campaign, focuses on advancing education and entrepreneurship to create pathways out of poverty. 

Lily is a second-year student at the University of Notre Dame, where she is majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Art and preparing for a career in medicine. She is drawn to work at the intersection of service, creativity, and innovation, and she participates in Notre Dame's Innovation for Impact Club. Since 2022, Lily has coordinated an English literacy tutoring program in which high school students support young women at a vocational school in Northern Uganda over Zoom. She now contributes to a malaria research project at Notre Dame, using R for data analysis. Lily brings the perspective of an emerging leader who is committed to using science and community partnership to expand access to education and health.

Dave is CEO of ElizaChat and the builder behind NUE, a daily mental fitness practice designed to help people notice patterns, understand what's driving them, and evolve through small, repeated actions across health, self-connection, and connection with others. He also hosts The Mental Fitness Podcast, extending his work on mental wellbeing into public conversation and education. Dave combines an MBA from BYU's Marriott School of Business with graduate coursework in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and information retrieval from Stanford, giving him a technical foundation he applies directly to building AI-driven tools for mental health. His work sits at the intersection of psychology, product design, and AI, aimed at making daily mental fitness as approachable and habitual as physical fitness.

Noah Baskett is CEO of the Salt Lake City Public Library, a nine-location system serving Salt Lake City. He took the helm in January 2024. A Salt Lake City native, he spent much of his career in Washington state leading community-based and nonprofit organizations and networks. His work centers on leadership development, organizational capacity building, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. At the library, he has launched a strategic plan running through 2034 focused on expanding access and improving literacy. He also opened the Ballpark Library Lab, an experiment in community-driven library services. He attended the University of Puget Sound and holds a master’s in transformational leadership from Seattle University.

Aden Batar is Director of Migration and Refugee Services at Catholic Community Services of Utah, where he has worked for about three decades. He holds a law degree from Somali National University. After fleeing Somalia’s civil war with his family, he arrived in Utah in 1994 among the first Somali refugees resettled by Catholic Community Services, the agency he now helps lead. He founded Somali Community Services of Utah. In 2016, he represented Utah at the White House when the state was recognized as one of the nation’s most welcoming for refugees. His honors include the Gandhi Peace Award and the Salt Lake Chamber’s Lane Beattie Utah Community Builder Award.

Terri is an Adjunct Faculty in BYU's Mechanical Engineering Department, where she has taught since 2004. Before moving into teaching, she spent over eight years as a Design Engineer at Ford Motor Company, applying her engineering training to automotive design. She holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from BYU. Terri brings a practical, industry-tested perspective to the classroom, helping students connect core engineering principles to real-world design and manufacturing challenges

Anthony Bates, EdD, MPA, is Managing Director of BYU’s Sorensen Center, where he has worked since 2021, after earlier roles in Multicultural Student Services and the Student Connection and Leadership Center. In more than twenty years in education, he has focused on developing leaders and sustaining the communities that form them. Since 2012 he has helped lead nearly two dozen experiences for students, faculty, and staff examining the history and legacy of the civil rights era, with visits to Atlanta, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, a master’s in Public Administration, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership, all from BYU.

Ben B. Beck is an Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University. Ben earned his Ph.D. in Marketing at The Pennsylvania State University, his MBA from Brigham Young University and his BA in Business Information Systems from the University of Utah. His research interests focus on business as a force for good, and helping firms improve marketing strategy through higher-clarity attribution, natural language processing, and enhancing trust with their consumers. Prior to his time in academia, Ben managed marketing for a number of small to medium tech companies in Utah: ContentWatch, Workfront, DigiCert, Lendio, and Kuali.

Jackson is a Program Specialist at the Utah Office of Homelessness Services, bringing a Master of Public Administration and a deep interest in the policies and philosophies that shape public administration to his work. As Senior Program Officer for a BYU Grantwell engagement, he led a 10-member graduate team through a feasibility study on transportation utility fees for Eagle Mountain City, delivering a 40-page policy analysis that balanced legal, fiscal, and governance considerations. Jackson brings a strong foundation in public finance, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based policy analysis to his work supporting Utah's response to homelessness.

Danny leads the International Rescue Committee's Salt Lake City office, bringing more than 15 years of social services experience to the work of refugee resettlement and community integration. He has built his career around the belief that resettlement only succeeds with strong community partnerships. Before joining the IRC, Danny expanded refugee services in Cache County through his work with the Cache Refugee & Immigrant Connection, building coalitions that brought new and established Utahns together. He is known for translating complex policy issues into clear, actionable guidance for community partners and policymakers alike, and he continues to champion Utah's role as a national model for welcoming refugees.

Zack Boyd is an applied mathematician and Assistant Professor at Brigham Young University whose work sits at the intersection of mathematical modeling, network science, artificial intelligence, and data science. He currently serves as Director of Utah’s Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, where he works to develop a regulatory environment that protects consumers while enabling responsible innovation. His research applies mathematical and computational tools to complex social systems. Across his academic and policy work, Zack focuses on using quantitative methods to better understand complex systems and translate that understanding into practical solutions.

Heather is a proactive, collaborative executive experienced in fostering strategic partnerships and leading cross-functional teams in Healthcare and Financial Services. She has demonstrated excellence in cultivating client relationships, resulting in robust financial, operational, and clinical outcomes. Heather is adept in leading transformational change, coaching cross functional teams, and implementing strategic initiatives that consistently surpass organizational goals.

David is Chairman of Quiklearn and FluentWorlds and CEO of The V.I.E.W. (Virtual Immersive Educational Worlds), bringing more than 40 years of technology industry experience to the mission of making learning accessible through immersive, AI-powered tools. His companies build game-based learning environments, including FluentWorlds, an app that teaches English as a second language through 3D virtual worlds, grounded in research showing stronger learning outcomes in virtual game settings than in physical classrooms. He is the author of Up Your Game, a book on networking principles endorsed by leaders including Steve Wozniak and Eric Schmidt, and he advises the Women's Technology Council of Utah.

Linda is Chief Product Officer and Chief Education Officer at Quiklearn, where she has led product and education strategy since 2014. She directs teams of engineers and 3D modelers in using video game technologies to build immersive learning environments. Linda holds a PhD in Instructional Psychology and Technology from Brigham Young University, along with a Master of Arts in Art from BYU, where she graduated with the highest rank of distinction, an honor first awarded in 20 years. Her background brings together artistic design and learning science, which shapes how she creates engaging, effective educational experiences through emerging technology.

Merrily serves as Library Development Program Manager with the Utah State Library, where she acts as a consultant to public libraries across a wide swath of the state, including Davis, Duchesne, Morgan, Salt Lake, Summit, Uintah, and Weber counties, as well as the Murray, Park City, and Salt Lake City public library systems. Her role bridges state-level resources with local library operations, helping library systems across Utah strengthen their services and better meet the needs of their communities. Merrily brings a broad, statewide perspective to library development, supporting both urban and rural communities in building strong public library infrastructure.

At CPL, Colin analyzes data for multiple projects on homelessness. Colin uses his knowledge of econometrics, proficiency in multiple programming languages, and experience in program evaluation and policy implementation to provide analytical insights to better serve people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Colin is the co-author of several CPL reports focused on addressing homelessness in Los Angeles. In addition to his role at CPL, Colin is embedded as a consulting analyst at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Agency (LAHSA). 

Dr. Cardon is a cognitive neuroscientist and audiologist currently working on projects related to atypical sensory processing in autism and other developmental disabilities, as well as cortical plasticity in adults and children with hearing loss. To investigate brain-behavior relationships related to the above, he uses EEG and MRI/fMRI. Dr. Cardon is also investigating how to facilitate empathy between autistic and neurotypical individuals through both scientific and artistic representations of the mind.

Julie Chang joined UNA in spring 2023 as the Manager of Programming. In her role, Julie is responsible for implementing UNA's advocacy and public policy strategy and overseeing all UNA training and events, including the UNA Credential Program. Julie believes in the power of community, service, and vulnerable connection. With over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she brings both professional and volunteer insight to her work. She holds a degree in Business Marketing and enjoys exploring new things, being surrounded by nature, and playing with her adopted cat, Talkeetna.

Hunter Conrad is a versatile leader with expertise in product management and impact venture capital. As a Senior Associate at the Sorenson Impact Institute, she sources and leads due diligence on investments across sectors such as healthcare and agriculture, aligning financial returns with social and environmental impact. She is also spearheading a project leveraging government funding to support water efficiency initiatives for the Great Salt Lake. Hunter holds an MBA from the University of Utah and a BA from UC Berkeley. She is the winner of the Kellogg Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge and a certified Lightyear Leadership Coach. Skilled in data analytics, strategy, and leadership, Hunter combines technical proficiency with a passion for driving innovation and impact.

Gina has served as Executive Director of Utahns Against Hunger since 2001, leading the state's only statewide anti-hunger nonprofit focused on public policy and advocacy for federal nutrition programs. Her commitment to the issue began as a volunteer through the University of Utah's Bennion Center, which introduced her to UAH's work before she spent five years working on welfare policy at Utah Issues. For more than two decades, Gina has partnered with state and federal elected officials to shape policy around hunger and poverty, advancing the organization's mission to increase food access through advocacy, outreach, and education. Her sustained leadership has made her one of Utah's most experienced voices on anti-hunger policy and a trusted partner to lawmakers working on these issues.

Tyler is the CEO of Stutor Inc., an education technology company he leads with the goal of making knowledge more accessible to college students. Stutor is building what it calls the first 24x7 social academic network, an app-based marketplace that connects students with college-verified tutors who have successfully completed the same courses. Modeled on the on-demand experience of platforms like Uber, the app offers instant, flexible academic support with no geographical boundaries. Tyler's approach pairs this collaborative learning model with administrative oversight and safety features, so that both students and tutors have a secure and reliable experience. His work is aimed at changing how students learn from one another and at expanding access to quality academic help.

Shital is a design practitioner and academic professional in interaction design, developing inclusive design solutions, services and technologies for people (including children, older adults and people with cognitive impairment), planet (systems) and futures. She has experience in developing partnerships with industry, research organizations, funding bodies and communities to identify future research directions, Knowledge Transfer (KT) and developing solutions using the Human Centered approach, resulting in several grants, awards and commercialized products.

Yi is an Assistant Professor of the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University, where she leads the STYLE (Sustainable and Trustworthy computing sYstems and LEarning) Lab. Yi is a Planetary-Aware Computing researcher working at the intersection of AI/ML, computer systems, and human-centered computing. She believes the next generation of computing systems must understand the physical infrastructure, natural resources, and human systems they depend on. Her research develops metrics, systems, and evaluation frameworks to make this vision actionable, with applications spanning sustainability and healthcare.

Duane is an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science and Linguistics at Brigham Young University, where he teaches programming, software engineering, and natural language processing. He has spent his career turning AI/ML strategy into shipped product. He spent a decade at Microsoft as a Principal Program Manager driving localization and data management for products used by hundreds of millions of people. Duane has also founded two technology ventures, Castle Outfitters and IMNIO, and he has built Python toolkits for statistical and lexical analysis that BYU linguistics students use in their research.

Suzanne Duncan is the Chief Operating Officer at Te Hiku Media, a community-owned tribal media hub in Kaitāia, Aotearoa New Zealand. She is part of the leadership team for Papa Reo, a groundbreaking multilingual natural language processing platform for te reo Māori. Suzanne's expertise spans the entire AI development pipeline, from curating high-quality training data to addressing failure modes in automatic speech recognition models. She was previously a researcher at the University of Otago, serving as a Lecturer in Te Tumu: School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies. Her research and teaching interests focused on indigenous economic development and contemporary applications of tikanga Māori. Suzanne also serves in governance roles, currently as Chair of Northland Inc, the regional economic development agency for Te Tai Tokerau, and previously as Chair of KPH, a construction subsidiary of her iwi, Te Rarawa.

Elizabeth K. Eger, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Regents’ Teacher in Communication Studies at Texas State University and a faculty researcher with the university’s Translational Health Research Center. Her work positions rural librarians as community conveners for disaster and emergency preparedness. Using COPEWELL (Composite of Post-Event Well-Being), an evidence-based resilience framework developed at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, she and her collaborators adapted the model for rural Texas and piloted it with libraries in Pottsboro and Gladewater. In Pottsboro, local stakeholders convened by the library identified six connected resilience challenges: transportation, health care, affordable housing, broadband, workforce, and disaster events. The project produced a roadmap other librarians can use to lead similar efforts and works in partnership with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. She co-authored the pilot reports with Rex Long, who joins her at the conference. At the conference she joins the Rural Disaster Resilience table by video.

Brick is an AI and Data Engineer who runs Brick Ellis Consulting, where he works as a data and DevOps contractor for clients including LinkedIn, AxleHealth, Indr, and Solliance. His projects include a HIPAA-compliant ingestor for sensitive hospital data, an AI-led customer onboarding experience designed to support internal organizational change, and a tool that parses contracts, invoices, and payments to flag discrepancies. He brings a practical, results-driven approach to building data and AI systems that save teams time and handle sensitive information responsibly.

Dejan Eskic is a senior research fellow at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Eskic is involved in housing, construction and real estate research, fiscal impact studies and economic and demographic analysis. His professional career has focused on providing the best information to key decision makers, whether they’d be local or state officials, executives of national retailers or publicly listed REIT’s. Prior to joining the Gardner Policy Institute, Eskic worked in the retail research industry where he evaluated current and future sales performance for retail sites through statistical gravity modeling reflecting market demographics throughout the Country. Additionally, he has worked on a number of public-private-partnerships relating to Tax Increment Financing, along with numerous real estate market studies and economic development plans. Before earning a Master’s in Real Estate Development, Eskic earned a B.S. in Urban Planning, both from the University of Utah. He also serves as an adjunct professor of Real Estate Market Analysis at the University of Utah. 

Eric Espinel is the founder of Phossil, where he is building tools to help teams and AI develop a shared, evolving understanding of their work. He co-chairs the Silicon Slopes Neurodiversity Chapter, helping neurodivergent people find community, grow their careers and build businesses, while working with employers to make hiring practices and workplaces more inclusive. While working at Visa, Eric independently created and led a neurodiversity support group outside the company, connecting people in technology from around the world. His career at Google and Visa spans customer experience, research, partnerships and commercial strategy. He holds an MBA from Cornell University.

Lorie serves as Senior Advisor and Legal Counsel for U.S. Senator John Curtis, focusing on special projects related to water, tribal affairs, and grant coordination. She previously spent 14 months as State Director and more than seven years as District Director for Senator Curtis, building deep relationships with local leaders and stakeholders across Utah. In her current role, she leads key initiatives including the Conservative Climate Summit, the Small Business Expo, and grant writing workshops held throughout the state. Lorie brings extensive experience navigating the intersection of federal policy and local community needs, with a particular focus on issues critical to Utah's water resources and tribal communities

Dr. Ashley Jimenez Fraser is a researcher and professor at Brigham Young University studying how children and families develop hope, resilience, empathy, compassion, and prosocial behaviors, particularly in challenging environments. Her work examines how individual, family, and societal factors interact to shape racial attitudes and behaviors, with a particular focus on equity and anti-racism. As a multiracial, first-generation researcher, Dr. Fraser is especially interested in connecting research to the real-world experiences of children and families and making research findings accessible to the communities they are intended to serve. Her work seeks not only to understand how bias and resilience develop, but also to identify pathways that promote healthier, more equitable development across the life course.

Michaelann is the Senior Director of Marketing & Data at United Way of Utah County, where she brings together communications, partnerships, and data to strengthen the organization's community impact. She is a partnerships and communications professional with a career built on creating long-term relationships, building project roadmaps, and leading teams. Her technical toolkit spans business intelligence (Power BI), CRM systems such as Salesforce, project management platforms, digital marketing, grantwriting, and fundraising. Michaelann has also created a range of projects outside her core work, including mental health video lessons for parents, a podcast, and a conference on futurist technology and environmentalism. She brings a practical, data-informed perspective to the question of how nonprofits can use technology to serve their communities.

Eric is a PhD Applied Anthropologist deeply interested in finding ways to translate social science insights into actionable data for organizations and ensuring that research findings are implemented in ways that improve outcomes for everyone involved. His topical interests include medical anthropology/healthcare delivery, organizational anthropology, the regulation of human difference, and science and technology advising. He went on to get my PhD in applied anthropology at Texas State University. While there, he led teams of undergraduate and MA level researchers on applied projects for various local nonprofits. These included program evaluations and helping organizations to implement program changes using anthropological insights. Eric also taught courses, mentored students, and worked on research projects on COVID-19 and vaccination decision-making processes.

Alex Guzzwell is a Humanitarian Emergency Response Specialist with the Welfare and Self-Reliance Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His current work focuses on disaster monitoring, emergency project management, humanitarian logistics, and the development of data-informed tools and processes to support strategic planning and effective response. He has contributed to humanitarian initiatives addressing disasters, displacement, food insecurity, and other emerging needs. Alex holds an MSc in International Relations from Kingston University, London, and he served as a United States Army officer, with responsibilities including operational planning, logistics and supply management, and instructional development. He currently serves in the Utah Air National Guard. His interests center on improving humanitarian response systems, strengthening operational coordination, and applying research and data to complex humanitarian challenges.

Riley Hales is a water engineer working in hydrology and hydraulics with a love for using the computer to improve how science is done. He is  also experienced in remote sensing, statistical analysis in hydraulics/hydrology, machine learning, and high performance computing. He is the lead developer of the GEOGloWS global hydrologic model which provides free, daily, 15-day river discharge forecasts and a historical simulation from 1980 to near-real-time at 1 million river segments worldwide. They are working on increasing that to 10 million points and increase the historical period to 1950.

Sarah Hall is an associate professor of public health at Brigham Young University. She came to BYU from Utah Valley University, where she was an associate professor of public health and served on its Ethics Advisory Board. A global health researcher, she has studied tsunami preparedness in Indonesia, albinism in Tanzania, childhood malaria treatment in Ghana, and barriers to healthcare for Deaf communities in Utah. She teaches global health, health and diversity, health communication, and medical ethics. Before academia, she held executive director, marketing, and consulting roles with nonprofits in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Utah. She holds a PhD in global health from Arizona State University and an MPA from BYU.

Grant is the CEO of VeroTouch, a turn-key construction technology company offering design, engineering, automation, and construction services. His career has spanned manufacturing, design, and technology before leading him to construction, where he now works to combine those disciplines into solutions that address the industry's chronic inefficiencies. Grant founded VeroTouch in response to a housing shortage of more than 3 million homes in America, paired with an industry that wastes roughly 30% of its materials and struggles with an aging, shrinking workforce. He believes the construction sector has lagged behind others in adopting technology to lower costs, and he is building a team of engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs to change that. At the core of his approach is a commitment to community development and human-centered business models that challenge the status quo in pursuit of a better built future.

Reid is a co-founder of Foxhill AI LLC, a company that develops AI applications, and a retired software engineer from Lockheed Martin. His current work focuses on building software that simulates the brain, drawing on Stephen Grossberg's models of Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART). He is developing his own version of ARTSCAN, a model of visual attention and object search, and connecting it to the game of Tetris. Reid is working to deepen his understanding of ART as an alternative to deep learning and as a model of consciousness. He also hopes to create YouTube lectures sharing insights from Grossberg's work as part of the "Synthetically Conscious Machines" series. He brings a long career in software engineering and a sustained curiosity about how computational models can illuminate the workings of the human mind.

Ron A. Harris is a professor of geology at Brigham Young University, where he has taught since 1998 after nine years on the faculty at West Virginia University. A tectonics specialist, he studies how mountains form and how those same forces endanger people, with decades of fieldwork in Indonesia, Timor, Taiwan, Alaska, and Utah’s Wasatch Fault. He founded the nonprofit In Harm’s Way, which works to save lives through accurate natural hazard forecasting and effective communication to at-risk communities. His team has built tsunami inundation maps and reconstructed historical earthquakes from centuries-old records. He holds a PhD from University College London and is a former Fulbright scholar.

Justin is Vice President of Product Management at Mastercard, where he leads the development and deployment of AI and machine learning products across payments, identity, fraud prevention, and generative AI. He holds more than 20 patents applying AI and ML to open banking and big data. In 2023, Mastercard recognized him with its CEO Force for Good Award for his leadership in AI innovation alongside his advocacy work with refugees. Outside his corporate career, Justin co-founded Women of the World - Utah, where he has helped raise over $500,000 to support refugee neighbors through community advocacy, education, and employment programs, work that earned recognition from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He is also a published author in the philosophy and physics of universal meaning, bringing an unusual blend of technical leadership, storytelling, and mindfulness to his approach to product development and community building.

Samira is the Founder and CEO of Women of the World - Utah, an organization she launched in 2010 to empower forcibly displaced women through advocacy, education, and economic opportunity after beginning her career as a microchip engineer. Her work has earned extensive national and international recognition, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' Nansen Award for the Americas region in 2018, selected from over 450 international nominees, as well as the American Red Cross Global Citizenship Hero Award and two Salt Lake City Human Rights Awards. Samira currently serves on KeyBank's Advisory Board, bringing her expertise on forcibly displaced people's economic needs to the bank's executive team. She brings a rare combination of technical engineering background, grassroots nonprofit leadership, and a deep personal commitment to creating spaces where women from all backgrounds can share their stories and thrive.

Lena Harris is an assistant professor of public service and administration at Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service, which she joined in 2025. An environmental and health economist, she studies water scarcity and its consequences for agriculture, energy, and human health. Her published work examines how farmers responded to water cuts on the Colorado River and how traffic-related air pollution affects infant health. Her current research estimates the health costs of the drying Great Salt Lake. Harris teaches a course called Data to Make a Difference. She holds a PhD in economics from the University of Rochester and a BA from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Gus is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Brigham Young University, where he has taught since 2006 after previously serving as an Assistant Professor at Northern Arizona University. Early in his career, his research centered on computational materials physics, including alloy modeling and algorithm development; he authored several widely used open-source codes, including enumlib and symlib, and developed the commercial UNCLE cluster expansion code. Since 2022, Gus has shifted his research focus to data science and computational biophysics, now developing AI techniques for analyzing bacterial tomograms. He earned his PhD in Physics from UC Davis and completed a postdoctoral appointment at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory before beginning his academic career. Gus's work reflects a rare career-spanning pivot, applying the same rigorous computational and algorithmic thinking from materials science to emerging questions in AI-driven biophysics.

Tori Horton is the founder of Silver & Salt Capital, an angel investor syndicate backing women-founded startups in Utah. A Holladay native who has lived between the San Francisco Bay Area and Salt Lake City for two decades, she brings a career at the intersection of technology and social impact. At PayPal, she led social innovation product management and women’s economic empowerment initiatives, including work supporting the UN Generation Equality Forum. She has also founded consumer startups and worked as a UX researcher and product manager. Horton holds a BA in humanities from BYU and a master’s in public diplomacy from the University of Southern California.

Amanda is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Brigham Young University. As a recognized research leader in Crisis Informatics, her work investigates the use of information and communication technology during crises and mass emergencies with particular attention to how social media affect emergency response organizations. The goal of her research is to design, implement, and deploy software systems that improve crisis communications based on deep understandings of the social context in which they reside. She has published more than 65 peer-reviewed papers in various areas of human computer interaction, computer supported cooperative work, and crisis informatics, and she routinely serves as a reviewer for major journals and conferences in these fields. Her research is currently funded by grants from NSF, the Knight Foundation, and NASA SERVIR. She also directs the Crisis Informatics Lab at BYU. Amanda received a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Brigham Young University and a master's and PhD degree in Computer Science from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Mark is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Brigham Young University, where his research centers on low-dimensional topology, knot theory, and the structure of 4-dimensional smooth manifolds. He has brought machine learning and neural networks into this traditionally theoretical field, using techniques like reinforcement learning to predict and compute difficult knot invariants such as slice genus. His work also explores how knotted and braided surfaces within 4-dimensional spaces reveal deeper geometric information, drawing on tools like Khovanov homology and Garside normal forms. His research represents a distinctive bridge between pure mathematical theory and modern computational methods, applying AI techniques to problems once considered purely abstract.

Katie Jacobson is the Program Development Manager for the College of Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences at Brigham Young University, where she helps develop and coordinate programs that support students, faculty, and community partners. Her work sits at the intersection of academic programming, strategic partnerships, and operations, turning ideas into meaningful initiatives that expand opportunities for students and strengthen connections across campus and beyond. Katie has a degree in Communication from the University of Arizona and a graduate degree in Public Administration from Brigham Young University. Her professional experience also includes serving as the Director of Philanthropy for an international nonprofit organization that supports orphanages around the world. Katie brings a program-builder's perspective to the conference, with an interest in how universities can prepare students, build meaningful partnerships, and explore the growing role of data, mathematics, and AI in addressing community needs.

Tyler J. Jarvis is a professor of mathematics at Brigham Young University. He is co-founder and director of its Applied and Computational Mathematics Emphasis (ACME), which teaches students the mathematical, statistical, and computing tools behind modern AI and machine learning. ACME received the American Mathematical Society’s 2024 Exemplary Program Award. His research spans the mathematical foundations of machine learning, AI in healthcare, modeling of physiological signals, and the analysis of redistricting and gerrymandering. Jarvis co-authored SIAM’s Foundations of Applied Mathematics textbooks, has served as chair of BYU’s mathematics department, and received BYU’s Karl G. Maeser Excellence in Teaching Award.

Kimberly O. Jenkins is communications director for Brigham Young University’s College of Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences, a role she has held since 2017. She leads the college’s marketing, public relations, and external relations, and in 2024 she led its 50th Anniversary campaign of events, digital campaigns, and videos. She joined BYU’s Computer Science Department in 2012, where she managed external relations, advised undergraduates, and supported the Center for Animation. She helped increase student retention, particularly for women. Earlier, she worked at Edelman Public Relations. Jenkins holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from BYU.

Paul M. Jenkins is a professor of mathematics at Brigham Young University, where he has taught since 2009. He chaired the Department of Mathematics from 2019 to 2025. A number theorist, he studies modular forms, partitions, and odd perfect numbers. He teaches courses ranging from calculus and abstract algebra to algorithm design and mathematical cryptography. He has received BYU’s Class of 1949 Young Faculty Award, along with his department’s awards for distinguished teaching, mentoring, and citizenship. Jenkins holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics from BYU and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Grant is Dean of the College of Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences at Brigham Young University, overseeing seven departments spanning chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics, and geological sciences. A biochemist by training, he earned his PhD at Stanford under Nobel laureate Roger Kornberg before pursuing postdoctoral work in electron microscopy at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Grant came to BYU in 2020 to lead the college out of a personal commitment to the university's mission, and he has mentored 16 scientists who have gone on to become professors themselves, continuing his dedication to training the next generation of researchers.

Joni Jensen is Director of Choral Activities at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, where she conducts the university’s choirs and teaches voice and conducting. Under her direction, the TWU Concert Choir has performed at major conferences, including the American Choral Directors Association’s 2019 national conference. A sought-after clinician and adjudicator, she has conducted all-state choirs in several states. Jensen is also a published composer and arranger. She edits an advanced women’s choral series for Hal Leonard and serves as Musical Director and Conducting Chair for Millennial Choirs & Orchestras. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from BYU and a DMA from the University of Arizona.

Tom Kerby is an Assistant Professor of Statistics at Brigham Young University, leading research in human-AI interaction and machine learning. His research group explores learning in both humans and machines—with a focus on how neural networks learn, how humans can interact meaningfully with AI, and how machine learning can be used to tackle real-world challenges in complex systems. His research bridges theory and application, combining graph-based machine learning, higher-order interactions, and generative AI. He is particularly interested in domains such as bioinformatics, cybersecurity, and genealogy, where structured data and human insight intersect. Tom also develops open-source AI tools that aim to make advanced machine learning more accessible and useful to individuals and communities across a variety of fields.

Ruth Kerry is an Associate Professor of Geography at Brigham Young University, Utah, USA. She was trained in the UK at the Universities of Oxford (BA, MA Oxon.) and Reading (MSc and PhD) in geography and soil spatial analysis for precision agriculture. Her research has involved mapping and spatial statistics for precision agriculture, soil studies and environmental applications. She has used mapping and spatial analysis to investigate issues of food security at different spatial scales. Along with her own research publications, she has a broad overview of the subjects of precision agriculture and spatial analysis having served as guest editor of two special issues of the journal Precision Agriculture (2008 and 2019), featuring articles from ECPA conferences, and a double special issue of Geographical Analysis on geostatistical applications. She serves on the editorial board for Precision Agriculture (Springer) was the the treasurer of the International Society of Precision Agriculture (ISPA) for 5 years (2020-2025). She co-edited the Springer text: Sensing Approaches for Precision Agriculture (2021).

Taylor Killian is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Brigham Young University, where his research focuses on sequential decision-making under uncertainty — offline and risk-sensitive reinforcement learning, representation learning, and causal inference — with applications in healthcare, scientific discovery, and the post-training of large language models. His published work appears at NeurIPS, ICML, and ICLR, and spans safety-critical clinical decision support through to reasoning within modern language models.

Woo Soo Kim is a Professor at Simon Fraser University, where he serves as Director of the Global Institute for Agritech and Special Advisor to the VPRI, alongside an adjunct appointment at KAIST's Department of Materials Science and Engineering. His research sits at the intersection of Physical AI, robotics, computer vision, and additive manufacturing, applying these tools to agritech, biomedical devices, and smart manufacturing systems. Before joining SFU, he was a Senior Research Scientist at Xerox Corporation following a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT, and he has held visiting positions at Seoul National University and Switzerland's Empa research institute. A senior IEEE member and associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Woo Soo brings decades of R&D experience translating advanced materials research into printed devices and intelligent systems.

Cameron King is co-founder of Aligned AI, a Utah-based company founded in 2026 to help people and organizations put their knowledge to work and do more with the resources they have. Aligned AI builds a private AI assistant that doesn’t train on user data by default. It runs open-weight models on U.S. infrastructure, under routing and safety rules the company runs on its own hardware in Utah. It offers parental controls designed to make AI safer for teens, along with an API and custom deployments for organizations. In 2026, the company reported results on AllFaith, a faith-and-ethics benchmark developed by a four-university consortium.

Cannon is Chief Operating Officer at LiveView Technologies, a business development and operations leader with more than 20 years of experience driving growth for companies in emerging markets. He has launched and led successful ventures in the United States, Brazil, and China, and he is known for designing and implementing innovative, disruptive business strategies across multiple product categories. Cannon spent seven years living overseas directing multinational teams, and he is fluent in Brazilian Portuguese, conversational in Spanish, and speaks basic Mandarin Chinese. His entrepreneurial outlook and cross-cultural leadership experience shape how he scales operations and builds teams across diverse markets.

Austin is a PhD student in Human-Centered Computing at Clemson University. He is currently working as a graduate research assistant for the Human-AI Empowerment Lab, led by Dr. Carlos Toxtli. Hailing from Orlando, Florida, Austin holds an MS in Data Science from The University of Texas at Austin and a BS in Global Supply Chain Management from Brigham Young University. Prior to his academic career, he worked as a data scientist and business intelligence analyst for Disney Experiences within their Global Marketing Center of Excellence. Austin's research develops and evaluates human-centered AI systems that support reflection, reasoning, and creativity. He is currently focused on AI-integrated systems for mathematical discovery, including conjecture generation and evaluation, and AI-assisted journaling, including personal and peer-based reflection platforms.

Taylor Landon is an applied economist whose research sits at the intersection of labor and public economics. Much of his work focuses on the criminal legal system and criminal decision-making. Current projects examine how the funding and design of public defense shape defendants' outcomes, how contact with the legal system affects civic participation, and how community centers in crime hotspots affect juvenile offending. In adjacent work, he studies the economics of education and the economics of the family, with particular attention to low-income households.

Bora Lee is the director of the Utah Assistive Technology Program within the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice at Utah State University. Bora holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Handong Global University in Industrial Design and a Master of Arts in Special Education, with a concentration in moderate to severe disabilities. She earned her Ed. D. in educational leadership from California State University, Los Angeles, focusing on transitioning to adulthood for minority students with disabilities. Bora is highly engaged in supporting consumers' access to assistive technology, smart home technology, workplace accommodations, and independent living. She has over 15 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities. Her expertise also includes transitioning to adulthood for youth with developmental disabilities and working with families from diverse backgrounds.

CJ is the Co-Founder of Stutor Inc., an education technology company building a peer-to-peer platform that connects college students with verified tutors who have completed the same courses. A BYU graduate, he drew on his own experience as a full-time student and student-athlete to shape a product focused on scalability, user engagement, and a better student experience. After spending two and a half years as a professional golfer, he launched Stutor in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he now leads every aspect of the company, from product design and feature development to strategy and revenue growth. CJ is a lifelong entrepreneur whose earlier ventures spanned food, rentals, clothing, laundry services, and fitness. He brings a particular affinity for peer-to-peer models that create authentic value and connection, and he is committed to using them to make academic support more accessible.

Hyejung Lee is a biostatistician in the University of Utah’s Department of Population Health Sciences. Her research focuses on causal inference, precision medicine, and dynamic treatment regimes: statistical methods for deciding which treatment works best for a particular patient at each stage of their care. She holds a Bachelor of Science in pure mathematics from the University of Calgary and a Master of Statistics from Brigham Young University.

Minhoru is an AI & Automation Developer at Tanner LLP, where she works in AI architecture, machine learning, and software automation to help organizations bridge emerging technology with practical, business-aligned outcomes. She believes AI should be understandable, actionable, and people-first, with particular attention to its potential to address social challenges, support mental health initiatives, and expand opportunity for those historically underrepresented in tech. Minhoru brings a combined commitment to responsible AI practice and digital inclusion, working to make both the technology and the opportunities it creates more equitable.

Mike is the founder of Levinthal Capital, an independent venture capital firm, and an Adjunct Professor at BYU's Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology. He brings over 35 years of venture capital experience, including more than 20 years as a Managing Partner at Mayfield Fund in Silicon Valley, where he sponsored successes like Citrix, Concur Technologies, and WebMethods. Mike holds a Bachelor's and Master's in Engineering as well as an MBA, all from Stanford, and he is also an inventor, holding a U.S. patent for a multi-defibrillator communications system. Since relocating to Utah 17 years ago, he has built a portfolio of seed investments in companies such as Divvy, Podium, Homie, and Degreed, and he continues to advise emerging companies across the Intermountain region and Silicon Valley.

Randy S. Lewis is a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Brigham Young University, where he has taught since 2005 after 11 years on the faculty at Oklahoma State University. He leads the BYU Global Engineering Outreach Alliance, in which students and faculty from across campus develop and carry out engineering projects with communities in Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru. His research spans biochemical and biomedical engineering, including biofuels and biomaterials. Lewis chairs the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Education and Accreditation Committee and has served as chair of BYU’s chemical engineering department. He holds a BS from BYU and a PhD from MIT.

Michelle Linford directed EPIK Deliberate Digital, a nonprofit focused on digital and civic wellness, from 2014 to 2024. There she used the collective impact framework, a collaborative, cross-sector model for social change. She now runs Centralign Consulting, which encourages individuals, organizations, and movements to align with their core values. She has also served as a Digital Wellness Specialist with The Policy Project since fall 2024. Linford lives in Utah County. She holds a BS in psychology and an MBA with an emphasis in organizational behavior and change.

Dr. Long is a medical anthropologist and qualitative research specialist, with expertise in applied anthropology, community resilience, and mixed-methods research design. Dr. Long's research centers on the socio-emotional and structural impacts of natural hazards, public health crises, infectious disease, and extreme weather events on local communities. He is highly skilled in designing and managing qualitative analysis frameworks for complex, multi-sited projects, transitioning raw community data into actionable themes. His work regarding Rural Disaster Resilience and Libraries is the inspiration for interventions at several of our tables. 

Stephanie I. Long, is a senior product designer and educator based in Austin, Texas, with a focus on enterprise tools, product vision, and strategic design. At the intersection of technology and social good, Stephanie advocates for human-first interfaces, ensuring that emerging tools are built with empathy.

Michelle is the Library Director at the Delta City Library in Delta, Utah, where she leads a small team serving a rural community in Millard County. She oversees the library's day-to-day operations, including its programming, collections, and the digital resources that extend access to ebooks and audiobooks through Utah's Online Library. She also works with the city's Library Advisory Board, which guides how the library spends its funds and shapes its programs to reflect community needs. Michelle brings the perspective of a rural public librarian to the conference, with a focus on keeping libraries accessible, welcoming, and useful to the people they serve.

Jacob Lundskog is the CTO at UI Charitable, where he leads technology strategy and operational innovation to advance the organization’s mission of simplifying and scaling philanthropy. Since joining UI, he has built the Finance & Accounting, Product, and Technology teams, helping raise over $500 million and deploy $200 million into grants and impact investments within two years. In addition to his work at UI Charitable, Jacob also co-founded Darkstone, serving as Chief Information Security Officer to keep wealth-management data and assets safe. With a background in computer science, he actively expands his expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning through ongoing study and application, building on the foundation of his graduate work.

Candice is the editor of Frontiers magazine in the Dean's Office at Brigham Young University, where she tells the stories of research and discovery happening across campus. In this role, she works to make complex academic work accessible and engaging for a broad audience, connecting the people behind the research with the communities that benefit from it. Candice brings a communicator's perspective to the conference, with an interest in how stories about technology, research, and innovation can reach the people they are meant to serve.

Patrick Madden is a professor of English at Brigham Young University, where he has taught creative nonfiction since 2004. He is the author of three essay collections: Quotidiana, Sublime Physick, and Disparates, which includes essays remixed using a predictive-text writing program. His essays have been noted nine times in The Best American Essays. Madden co-edits the 21st Century Essays series at Ohio State University Press and the journal Fourth Genre, and he is vice president of the NonfictioNOW Conference. A two-time Fulbright Fellow, he holds a physics degree from Notre Dame and a PhD from Ohio University.

Jason Maikos is a biomedical engineer and director of the VISN 2 Biomechanics Research for the Advancement of Veteran Outcomes (BRAVO) Laboratory at the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System. Hired in 2010 as the lab’s inaugural director, he built a gait and motion analysis program focused on limb loss. His lab uses motion capture and biplanar fluoroscopy to make prosthetic prescription evidence-based rather than anecdotal. He received a 2018 Federal Executive Board Award for scientific achievement. Maikos holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from Rutgers, where he teaches a prosthetics course, and volunteers with VA adaptive sports programs.

Trent Mano is co-founder and general partner of Convoi Ventures. He launched the firm with Scott Paul in 2022 as Utah’s only “Utah-only” pre-seed venture capital fund, with the goal of being the first to find and fund Utah’s breakout startups. Convoi backs founders in consumer, hardtech, fintech, and B2B software, and in 2025 it announced the Convoi Accelerator to support Utah startups at their earliest stage. Mano grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and previously worked as a financial advisor to startup founders. He is committed to expanding diversity in Utah’s tech and startup scene, regularly hosting and supporting events for underrepresented groups.

Monte Marshall is assistant dean for external relations at Brigham Young University’s College of Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences, where he serves as the college’s contact for giving. He has also served as director of the STEM team in BYU Student Services, working with engineering students. He is a longtime member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers and previously served as vice president of the Utah School Counselors Association. Marshall is a Gallup-certified strengths coach and studied at Utah State University.

Christopher Mattson is a professor of mechanical engineering at Brigham Young University and a leader in engineering for global development and design exploration. His research focuses on developing methods for creating products and technologies that are both technically effective and responsive to the needs of underserved communities. Through his work with BYU’s Design Exploration Research Group, he explores how engineering design can address complex social, economic, and environmental challenges, with projects ranging from low-cost technologies to products designed for communities living in poverty. Chris is particularly interested in helping engineers understand the broader human consequences of design decisions and creating tools that enable more thoughtful, impactful, and sustainable solutions.

Nate is a dedicated law enforcement professional with over a decade of experience in leadership, crime reduction, and community engagement. Currently serving as a Sergeant with the Salt Lake City Police Department, he specializes in developing crime prevention strategies, fostering strong relationships with community stakeholders, and mentoring officers to enhance their careers. His proactive, data-driven approach has led to measurable crime reductions and improved public safety. With a passion for both tactical operations and officer wellness, Nate strive to make a lasting impact on the communities he serves.

Andy is Senior Director of Enterprise AI and Data Science at Intermountain Health, where he has spent 14 years building the organization's data science capabilities from the ground up. He founded and led Intermountain's Enterprise AI & Data Science Center of Excellence for five years before stepping into his current role overseeing AI and machine learning strategy across the health system. His technical background spans random forest regression, non-parametric analysis, and machine learning, grounded in a master's degree in Statistics from Utah State University. Andy is driven by a commitment to applying data science in novel ways to solve meaningful problems that directly improve people's lives, bringing both deep technical expertise and a long track record of translating that work into real impact within one of Utah's largest health systems.

Tanner is an adjunct instructor of creative writing at Brigham Young University, teaching courses in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing from BYU in 2023, following a bachelor's degree in English, and served as Editor-in-Chief of Inscape, the university's literary journal. A lifelong storyteller who wrote his first full-length novel as a high school senior, Tanner has since completed five novels spanning middle-grade to adult fantasy, and he is currently pitching his most recent manuscript, "The Engineer's Craft," to literary agents. He brings a particular interest in grounded stories about characters wrestling with identity and belonging, shaped in part by years of travel, including two years living in Buenos Aires. Tanner combines a working writer's craft with a genuine passion for helping new writers find their own voice.

Tanner Mills is a Senior Associate at UI Charitable, where he supports donors and social ventures through impact strategy, measurement, and philanthropic advising. His work focuses on helping teams articulate outcomes, evaluate effectiveness, and align capital with meaningful results through impact investing. He also helps produce and market UI Charitable’s Impact Innovations Podcast. Tanner holds a degree in public health from Brigham Young University, where he served as lead teaching assistant for the health science capstone and also contributed to multiple research initiatives. He brings a practical, research-informed approach to solving complex problems in partnership with funders and mission-driven organizations. Tanner is committed to helping charitable organizations become more effective. 

With a PhD in Machine Learning from BYU, Monson has done large scale computing at Google, been CTO of a government contracting firm, owned critical privacy systems at Meta, and led AI security efforts at Atlassian.

Joseph is a Research Scientist at Western Governors University, where he applies data science, UX research, and applied psychology to improve student outcomes and drive organizational change. He holds a PhD in Developmental and Psychological Sciences from Stanford University and a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University. His work combines quantitative methods, including multiple regression and large-scale data tools like PySpark, with an understanding of how students experience learning. Joseph brings a research-driven, student-centered perspective to the question of how institutions can use data and technology to better support learners.

Fritz is a software engineer and entrepreneur with extensive leadership experience across market research, project, and product management. He is currently at Adobe Experiences in the field of Business Administration and Software Engineering have equipped me with a specialized skill set spanning the following areas: Business Insights, Data Analytics, Market Research, Software Engineering, Product Management, and Marketing.  

Mou Nandi is the Founder and CEO of Monere, an AI-powered digital health company building non-invasive, computer-vision-based screening tools that bring clinical-grade health assessment to consumer devices. With more than 20 years of experience building and scaling software platforms across Fortune 10 companies and high-growth startups, she brings deep expertise in AI/ML, computer vision, and distributed systems to the challenge of making health screening more accessible and affordable. She previously built the Machine Learning & AI Platform team at NetDocuments from the ground up, scaling its search infrastructure through a period of rapid growth to unicorn exit. Mou also serves as CTO of Proximity and co-founded the Knowledge Democracy Collective, reflecting her broader commitment to applying technical leadership toward public good.

Jim Nelson is a professor of civil and construction engineering at Brigham Young University whose work focuses on spatial hydrology, watershed modeling, geographic information systems, and hydroinformatics. He is the developer of the Watershed Modeling System and has led efforts to advance global water forecasting and sustainability through technology and international collaboration. His work has helped create tools that enable communities and governments around the world to better understand water availability, manage reservoirs, and prepare for changing water conditions. Supported by a major Google.org investment in global water sustainability, Jim has worked with researchers, students, and partners across Central and South America and other regions to expand the reach and long-term public impact of water forecasting technology.

Dee has served The Road Home for over 26 years, currently as Impact and Facilities Division Director, where he oversees data, technology, agency improvement, and facilities operations across the organization's homeless resource centers. He leads the IT and Data Analytics teams alongside Facilities Maintenance and Custodial operations, bringing together the technical and physical infrastructure that keeps shelter services running. Dee holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Southern Utah University. He currently chairs the Salt Lake County Continuum of Care's Homeless Management Information System Steering Committee, helping shape how homeless services data is collected and used across the county. Dee's long tenure and deep operational knowledge make him a steady, systems-minded force behind The Road Home's mission of ensuring every person has a home.

In the late 1990s, scientific computing was fragmented, inaccessible, and expensive. Researchers needed something better than a fractured array system. That’s why Travis Oliphant, then a Mayo Clinic PhD student, wrote NumPy and SciPy. Those tools are the foundation of modern data science and modern AI. Travis went on to start Anaconda, bringing open-source data science to enterprise at global scale. Then Quansight, deepening that work with the world’s most demanding organizations. At each step, the same pattern: identify a moment where the world needs a new standard, build the open infrastructure, earn the trust of the community, and help enterprises adopt it at scale.

Jairus Pace is a senior data scientist at Recursion, a Salt Lake City clinical-stage biotechnology company that combines experimental biology, automation, and artificial intelligence to discover potential drugs. He specializes in agentic AI and generative workflows in production: large language models that reason, call tools, and deliver results. At Recursion, his work includes agentic program generation and natural-language data access, and it cut evaluation cycles from a week to hours. Since 2018, he has also been part of Just Data, building AI and data science solutions for clients including GBS, TravelPass, and RevHawk. He studied applied statistics at BYU.

Xinru works in the field of Human-Computer Interaction. Her current research topics include Privacy, Social Media, Internet of Things, Technology Adoption and Non Use, Individual, Developmental, and Cultural Differences, Values in Design, Supporting Vulnerable Populations such as Users on the Autism Spectrum, Ethical Research Practices, Human-Algorithm interaction, Computer-Mediated Communication, and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work. Xinru holds a Ph.D. in Information and Computer Science with concentration in Informatics from University of California, Irvine, and B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science, specialization in Human-Computer Interaction, from Stanford University. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Facebook, Disney Research, Samsung and Yahoo!

Dr. Philippe Passeraub is an Associate Professor of Manufacturing Engineering, specializing in additive manufacturing of microsystems and medical devices. He graduated in Microengineering (with a focus on integrated products) and went on to earn a PhD in Microsystems Design with a thesis entitled “An integrated inductive proximity sensor” at EPFL (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne). He worked in Switzerland (Swiss MEMS accelerometers industry) as well as in Liechtenstein (Electronic measuring systems for the construction industry), and he did a postdoctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Biomedical Engineering Department (Neuroengineering). His research focuses on studying miniaturization limits and optimization parameters of reliable surface additive manufacturing, to add new functionalities to objects, and to promote quality open-source medical devices.

Michael Peirone is the CEO of Victoria Hand Project, a Canadian charity dedicated to transforming lives by providing affordable, 3D-printed prosthetic arms to amputees in need. Under Michael’s leadership, Victoria Hand Project has expanded its mission to empower underserved communities across the globe, offering essential equipment and training to local clinicians in countries like Ukraine, Kenya, and Nepal. Through his work, Michael ensures the organization continues to restore independence, dignity, and hope to individuals worldwide. 

James W. Pennebaker is Professor Emeritus of Psychology. He is continuing to explore natural language use, group dynamics, and personality in both laboratory and real world settings. His earlier work on expressive writing found that physical health and work performance can improve by simple writing and/or talking exercises. His cross-disciplinary and highly cited research is related to linguistics, clinical and cognitive psychology, communications, medicine, and computer science. Author or editor of 12 books and over 300 articles, Pennebaker is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has received numerous research and teaching awards and honors.

Kevin is an air quality scientist with more than two decades of experience working at the intersection of science, public health, and public policy. His work focuses on understanding the causes and consequences of air pollution in the Intermountain West and helping decision-makers use data to protect health, water resources, and long-term economic stability. He has collaborated with researchers, state and local agencies, journalists, and community organizations on issues including air quality, Great Salt Lake hydrology, water resources, and energy systems. A central theme of his work is translating complex scientific findings into practical, bipartisan solutions that are technically credible and politically durable.

Courtney worked at the World Trade Center Utah as the International Program Manager where she led the Governor-led trade missions overseas to help strengthen Utah business opportunities. Previously, Courtney was a VP at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in New York in Private Wealth Management and she worked at Angelo, Gordon & Co., a $30 billion alternative investment firm, as a Director in their Private Client Group. Courtney also worked in the Protocol Office of the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. where she worked with the foreign dignitaries visiting the President of the United States. Courtney earned her MBA at Columbia University and her BA at the University of Southern California

Dr. Reschke is interested in the development of social cognition and emotion understanding in infancy, and more particularly in infants' emotion attributions, false-belief understanding, imitation/emulation, and false-emotion attributions. He uses a multi-method approach, including non-verbal measures, behavioral paradigms, violation-of-expectation paradigms, and eye-tracking. He is also interested in the role of context in emotion perception, especially as it pertains to how facial expressions of emotion are categorized and visually processed. Dr. Reschke is the principal investigator of the CEC, a research lab located on BYU campus.

Jake is an Assistant Professor of Statistics at BYU, where he teaches courses spanning introductory statistics through advanced research topics. His work centers on machine learning and data science, building on research experience from a fellowship at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and a PhD in Statistics from Utah State University. Before joining BYU, he held a faculty position at Idaho State University and spent five years as an adjunct mathematics instructor at Weber State University, where he earned his undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics as College of Science Valedictorian. Jake brings a strong technical depth in statistical and computational methods. 

Marianna Richardson is currently the Director of Communications for the G20 Interfaith Forum. She is also an adjunct professor at the Marriott School of Business (MSB) in management communication and the editor-in-chief of the Marriott Student Review, a student-run, peer-reviewed journal. She is also the faculty advisor for Measuring Success Right, a business podcast. She was recently awarded the Wendy C. Archibald Meritorious Service Award from the J. Reuben Clark Law School and the Outstanding Adjunct Teaching Award at BYU MSB. She is also on the International Advisory Council for the International Center for Law and Religious Studies. She has published books and articles on a variety of subjects. She received her master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and her doctorate from Seattle Pacific University.

Robert Richardson is an Associate Professor at Brigham Young University and a Principal Data Scientist with more than a decade of experience building production-scale machine learning systems for healthcare, insurance, and other regulated industries. His work spans predictive modeling, generative and agentic AI, and clinical forecasting, with a focus on building reproducible pipelines that hold up under real-world constraints. He has partnered with the Society of Actuaries and major healthcare organizations to integrate AI into risk assessment and actuarial workflows, including nine years on the SOA's Predictive Analytics Committee. Robert has mentored more than 30 data scientists and published over 20 peer-reviewed papers, bringing both technical depth and a strong commitment to clarity and responsible AI practice to his work.

Lisa Rigtrup is a mentor, speaker, project manager, and leader in the research ethics community, known for engaging audiences with practical discussions about complex ethical issues. With a background in psychology and research design, her career spans research administration, operations and project management, leadership, marketing and communications, and web development. She began her career at the University of Utah in 2005 and advanced from an entry-level role to leadership positions across the institution. Lisa is a Senior Manager with the University of Utah Institutional Review Board (UU IRB), where she leads the Single IRB (SIRB) Reliance Team. The UU IRB oversees thousands of active human research projects, including clinical trials, biomedical research, social and behavioral studies, and research involving vulnerable populations. 

Tara has led the Utah Housing Coalition for more than two decades, beginning as a volunteer treasurer on the board before stepping into the role of Executive Director. Under her leadership, UHC has grown into a network of over 100 members, spanning service providers, developers, community organizations, and government agencies, all working toward ensuring every Utahn has a safe and affordable place to live. She helped launch the state's premier housing conference, the Utah Housing Matters Conference, and has guided legislative efforts on manufactured housing policy since 2008. Tara's team secured a $1.8 million grant that helped nearly 1,300 Utah families avoid foreclosure, and their most recent initiative, the Landlord and Community Partner Coalition, uncovered major gaps in how housing vouchers reach rural communities, bringing together 45 organizations to act on the findings. As she often says, getting the right people in the room is the most meaningful step toward solving Utah's housing challenges, and she continues to champion housing as the foundation for stability, safety, and opportunity.

Natalie Romeri-Grass is data science program administrator in Brigham Young University’s Department of Statistics. She has also taught at BYU as an adjunct professor of international development, business ethics, and transitional justice and women. Her research has focused on the intersection of human rights, law, institutional design, and international organizations, with attention to women and ethnic and racial minorities, which she pursued as a doctoral student at Ohio State University. She has worked as a lawyer, international consultant, and senior project associate with the WomanStats Project. She also co-founded a nonprofit and trained others to collect and analyze data on the status of women and children for UNICEF and Department of Defense research grants. She holds a JD, an MSc, and a BA, along with a certificate in mediation.

Dr. Sherinah Saasa is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Brigham Young University and a licensed therapist in private practice, with over a decade of experience in mental and behavioral health. She earned her bachelor’s degree from BYU-Idaho, her master’s degree from BYU, and her doctoral degree from the University of Georgia. Dr. Saasa’s research focuses on addressing inequality and poverty while promoting the mental health and well-being of underprivileged and vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa. Her research also examines exclusionary mechanisms that contribute to socio-economic and health disparities among Black immigrants in the United States.

Melissa is an applied anthropologist and AI systems developer who founded 6circles, a systems-thinking consultancy that helps social impact organizations determine where technology genuinely serves their mission versus where deeper organizational intervention is needed first. Her work draws on more than 30 years of technical implementation experience, from multimedia production and web development through modern agentic AI systems, combined with anthropological methodology and leverage-points frameworks for identifying sustainable change. Melissa currently supports AI integration research at BYU's Ballard Center for Social Impact and founded Bridging Digital Divides, a nonprofit addressing technology access barriers for marginalized populations through community ownership models. She brings a distinctive combination of hands-on technical skill and deep organizational analysis, helping organizations distinguish genuine AI readiness from surface-level fixes.

Kevin is Associate Dean in BYU's College of Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences, where his research spans optimization, machine learning, natural language processing, and human-computer interaction. He earned his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin through a resident study fellowship from IBM, following a Master's from Santa Clara University and a Bachelor's in Computer Science from BYU. His work bridges technical AI research with questions of software engineering and human-centered design, reflecting a career spent connecting rigorous computational methods with how people actually use technology. As a longtime member of BYU's Computer Science faculty and now Associate Dean, Kevin brings both deep research expertise and institutional leadership to advancing AI and machine learning education at BYU.

Beth Shinn studies how to prevent and end homelessness and create opportunities for groups that face social exclusion. She seeks to use research to shape social policy. She has research interests in homelessness, community contexts of human welfare, social policy, and social intervention. She is a former President of the Society for Community Research and Action and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, a fellow of both these organizations and of the Association for Psychological Science, and a former Chair of the Council of Community Psychology Program Directors. She also chaired the Psychology Department at New York University.

Gurpreet is Director of Research and Advanced Computing at Sadaiv Education Limited, researching the intersection of AI ethics, technology, and society, with a focus on ensuring AI is developed responsibly and serves as a tool for a more just and equitable future. His work spans AI governance and algorithmic bias, particularly how AI systems affect minority, at-risk, and underrepresented communities in healthcare and low-resourced languages, alongside efforts to build public AI literacy. He serves on the board of the AIRI Foundation and brings technical depth in machine learning, NLP, and digital humanities, including work on historical and religious text resources. Beyond his research, Gurpreet is Director of Oxford Learning Lethbridge and President of the Sikh Society of Lethbridge Alberta, reflecting a sustained commitment to education and community leadership. He brings a human-centric lens to AI development, working to ensure technology safeguards human dignity rather than perpetuating historical biases.

Andrew South is a researcher, educator, and entrepreneur focused on complex challenges at the intersection of the built environment, society, and the natural environment. His work centers on sustainable community development, housing, and infrastructure, with particular attention to solutions that balance the needs of diverse stakeholders over long time horizons. He is a co-founder of South Industries, which develops high-efficiency and high-resiliency concrete structures, and has participated in construction and development projects in emerging economies. At Brigham Young University, Andrew teaches construction and engineering management, real estate development, contracts and law, and sustainable community development. His work emphasizes stakeholder engagement, ethical decision-making, and designing built environments that can improve quality of life while remaining economically and environmentally sustainable.

Candice serves as Chief Operations Officer at Women of the World, an organization dedicated to helping forcibly displaced women achieve independence and economic success. Her path there wound through education, administration, and case management, giving her a versatile skill set she now applies to supporting immigrant and refugee women in Salt Lake City. Her academic background in history, humanities, and Arabic language, along with years spent living abroad in Europe and the Middle East, deepened her long-standing interest in women's issues worldwide. Candice approaches her work as a problem-solver who leads by example and stays attentive to the needs of the people around her, bringing that same care to the women she serves at WOW.

Michael is the Library Director of Culture & Heritage at Ephraim City Public Library, where he leads the management of a small, rural Carnegie library in central Utah, overseeing program planning, collection development, and preservation of a historic building. Before this role, he spent five and a half years as an assistant archivist in the Special Collections and University Archives department at Weber State University's Stewart Library, processing archival collections and building expertise in digital curation and preservation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in History from Southern Utah University and a Master of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. In 2022, Michael helped expand and revitalize a school library for a children's home near Accra, Ghana, as part of a Weber State study abroad trip. A lifelong resident of Utah with deep roots in Sanpete Valley, he brings a strong commitment to preserving and expanding access to community knowledge and heritage.

Tanner is a Software Engineer at Google, where he works on transforming and aggregating transportation data, particularly around public transit, bicycling, and walking, to create value within Google Maps and Timeline. He recently helped launch the Cycling Trip Percentage layer in Google Earth, a global bicycling modal-share data layer built from Maps users' opted-in activity, for which he owned the data aggregation, anonymization, and quality assurance. During the COVID pandemic, he built a prototype model to predict crowdedness on transit vehicles and later rebuilt it into a robust, fully machine-learned system that shipped to Maps users worldwide. He has also worked on improving real-world walking time estimates within transit directions, drawing on his interests in data, geography, and alternative transportation. Tanner's work reflects a consistent mission: using data and machine learning to help people move through cities more sustainably, getting people out of cars and cars out of cities.

Martin leads global efforts to ensure artificial intelligence serves society, not just private interests. His focus is on building responsible and ethical AI governance frameworks, democratizing AI access, and tackling challenges like infrastructure monopolization, environmental impact, and data equity. Martin founded and led multi-stakeholder initiatives shaping global AI and tech governance, including the Open Government Partnership, engaging 70+ countries, the Open Data Charter, and G20 & G7 open data principles. He ideated, co-created and/or supported the creation of new innovative organizations including AINow, the Ethics & Governance of AI Fund, the AWO agency, Digital Action, Reset, Open Data Charter, Integrity Watch Afghanistan, Transparency & Accountability Initiative and Publish What You Fund amongst other initiatives. He has advised and collaborated with governments, civil society and the private sector to advance transparency, access, and accountability in technology policy. Martin has also driven impactful AI solutions from data governance to smaller, resource-efficient AI models that address global challenges in health, climate, and education.

Nathan Usevitch is a roboticist and professor of mechanical engineering at Brigham Young University working at the intersection of soft robotics, haptics, and control systems. His research focuses on developing new types of robotic systems that use compliant materials and can interact directly and safely with people. Before joining BYU, Nathan worked at Meta Reality Labs developing haptic technologies for virtual reality, building on doctoral research in soft, shape-changing robots. His work explores how robotics can move beyond rigid, conventional machines toward systems that are adaptable, wearable, and responsive to the human body. By combining mechanical design, sensing, and control, he seeks to expand what robots can do and how naturally they can work alongside people.

Stacey serves as Administrator for the AI & Data Science Committee, where she combines technical knowledge with project management to keep the committee's work running smoothly, from organizing meetings and events to tracking finances and curriculum details. She earned a degree in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University and spent 18 years applying that training closer to home, mothering, coaching, and volunteering extensively at her church and local schools. She returned to the workforce through an internship at Berg Engineering focused on site development, which helped prepare her for her current role. Stacey brings a practical, detail-oriented approach shaped by nearly two decades of community leadership and hands-on project coordination.

Jade holds positions as a Research Development Specialist within the AMPrint Center and as Adjunct Faculty within the Kate Gleason College of Engineering at RIT. She has Ph.D. in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and has instructed and co-instructed several courses, including Medical Device Design, 3D-Technologies for Prosthetic Applications, and Personalized 3D Printing. She has served as the Haiti Project Team Lead for a non-profit specializing in increasing access to quality upper limb prostheses for underserved communities and has collaborated on multiple international low-cost medical device projects involving 3D printing. Her current research centers on finding innovative ways to improve the design and safety of printed upper limb prosthetic sockets—the critical interface between a person and their prosthetic device.

Sean is a Professor of Computer Science at Brigham Young University, where his research centers on feedback control theory, system identification, and machine learning, particularly as applied to complex networks. He earned his PhD and SM in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, following a BSE from Arizona State University, where he graduated summa cum laude as the Outstanding Graduate of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. His work spans an unusually wide range of applications, from reconstructing biological and social networks to cybersecurity, risk management, and learning and control systems for crop production. Sean was named Distinguished Visiting Professor at the National Security Agency for three consecutive years, and he has held visiting scholar positions at Cambridge University, the University of Maryland, and the University of Luxembourg's Center for Systems Biomedicine. He brings a rare combination of deep theoretical rigor in control systems and a genuine curiosity for how those tools illuminate human-in-the-loop systems, data visualization, and narrative.

Jason is the Founder and CEO of AI Dev Lab, where he has led more than 100 custom AI implementations across transit, automotive, logistics, financial services, and real estate. He also serves as Managing Director of MWest Ventures and hosts the podcast AI for Humans in Transit. Jason works directly with CEOs and leadership teams on AI strategy, product direction, and partnerships, staying involved from the initial business case through build, rollout, and adoption. His approach treats AI like any business opportunity, starting with the problem being solved, whether there is a real customer, and whether the economics work. Drawing on decades of experience building and running companies in finance, SaaS, operations, and technology, he focuses on turning AI into new products, better operations, and new revenue streams, often through long-term operating partnerships rather than one-off projects.

Dr. Richard E. West is a professor of Instructional Psychology and Technology at Brigham Young University. He teaches courses in instructional technology, academic research and writing, creativity and innovation, design psychology, and product/program evaluation. He studies how to innovate and advance education through improved and open educational Content, strong learning Communities, and open Credentials that better recognize student learning. He has presented his research in 10 countries, and has over 150 academic publications, along with two popular open textbooks on learning and instructional design.

Dr. Matt Wheelwright graduated from BYU's Construction Management program in 2000 and followed his dream to build high quality homes in Southern California. Working as a Project Manager and Director of Community Development, Matt built high-end single family and low and medium density communities. Matt return to BYU for an MBA and followed with a PhD in Urban Design from the University of Utah. After teaching classes during his doctorate degree, Dr. Wheelwright further developed his teachings skills as an Adjunct Professor at UVU and BYU prior to full time service at BYU, beginning Fall 2023. Dr Wheelwright cares deeply about creating successful and long-lasting projects in the built environment. Research interests focus on characteristics of successful design, implementation, and maintenance of urban projects.

Dr. Wingate received his BS and MS in computer science from BYU in 2002 and 2004, and a PhD in computer science from the University of Michigan in 2008. He was a postdoctoral fellow at MIT from 2008-2010 with a joint appointment in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the. Computational Cognitive Science group in the Brain and Cognitive Science Department. From 2010-2012 he was a research scientist at MIT with a joint appointment in BCS and the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems. From 2012-2015 he was a research scientist at Analog Devices, Inc. in their machine learning group, where he worked on hardware accelerated Bayesian inference and audio processing. Dr. Wingate has published extensively in machine-learning related fields, and has contributed foundational work in probabilistic programming.

Eliot Wilcox is with the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation in Salt Lake City, a family foundation that has supported Utah nonprofits in the arts, education, health, community, and conservation since 1958. An experienced nonprofit administrator, he previously served as executive director of the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, the largest storytelling festival in the western United States. He was also a library division manager for the City of Orem. He sits on the board of trustees of the Utah County Academy of Sciences and previously served on Utah Valley University’s humanities and social science community advisory board. Wilcox studied at the University of Utah.

Dr. Timnit Gebru is DAIR’s founder and executive director. Prior to that she was fired by Google in December 2020 for raising issues of discrimination in the workplace, where she was serving as co-lead of the Ethical AI research team. Timnit also co-founded Black in AI, a nonprofit that works to increase the presence, inclusion, visibility and health of Black people in the field of AI, and is on the board of AddisCoder, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching algorithms and computer programming to Ethiopian and Jamaican highschool students. She has received a number of accolades including being named one of Nature’s Ten people who helped shape science and one of TIME 100’s most influential people. She is currently writing Deep Unlearning: The Rise of AI and the Radicalization of a Tech Idealist, a memoir + manifesto arguing for a technological future that serves our communities instead of one that is used for surveillance, warfare, and the centralization of power by Silicon Valley. 

Dr. Eva Witesman serves as the Director of the Ballard Center for Social Impact and is an Associate Professor at the Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics at the Marriot School of Business at BYU. She studies the major institutions in society (markets, government, nonprofits) and teaches students and public managers how to measure the social impact of their policies and programs. She seek to improve the institutions in society through ethical, evidence-based administrative practices.

Alyssa Banford Witting completed her undergraduate in Marriage, Family, Human Development (MFHD) at BYU in 2007. After that, she completed her Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) at Auburn University in 2009. Form there, she completed a PhD in 2011 from Texas Tech University in MFT and then went on to do a post-doctoral fellowship and visiting professorship at the University of Connecticut in MFT. She then worked as faculty in MFT at Alliant International University, San Diego from 2013-2017. In 2017 she joined the MFT faculty at BYU where she is currently working. Alyssa's research area is in understanding what factors help to reduce or exacerbate trauma symptoms, especially in the context of mass trauma such as disaster, the COVID-19 pandemic and other large scale traumatic events.

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. Their 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.

Lianne Yang is Director of Programming for the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business. She leads programming that helps students turn ideas into ventures, including Values & Ventures, TCU’s international pitch competition for undergraduate businesses that do good while turning a profit. She also oversees TCU’s partnership with the Hult Prize. Yang brings an educator’s lens and a business background, holding a Doctor of Education and an MBA from TCU and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College. She prepares entrepreneurs to create both economic and social value.