Kianjai (Kia) Huggan is a passionate computer science educator, entrepreneur, and engineer. She holds a Computer Science and Engineering degree from the University of Connecticut, where she developed her love for education through extensive outreach and founding programs. After graduation, Kia worked for Black Girls CODE, where she developed inclusive coding curriculums and products. Kia's experience witnessing the lack of access to online content for her students sparked her desire to receive a Master of Engineering degree in Global Entrepreneurship. As the founder of Webquity, a digital accessibility startup, Kia focuses on developing accessibility tools for students with visual dyslexia and minor visual impairments. She also holds a graduate degree in Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology from Harvard University, where she specialized in developing low-cost, culturally responsive STEM education tools. She works as the Product Manager at LINGO, where she focuses on the development of impactful Arduino-based coding kits. Kia's commitment to inclusive education is evident in her work and research. As a keynote speaker at the Computer Science Teachers Association New England Conference, Kia will share her story, plus insights on how technology can make education more accessible and inclusive. 

Sworn in on January 4, 2023, Susan Bysiewicz is serving her second term as Connecticut’s 109th Lieutenant Governor.

Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz’s and Gov. Ned Lamont’s first priority is to grow good-paying jobs and investing in the state’s future.

Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz is continuing her commitment to economic growth that made her a leading voice for Connecticut residents and small businesses while she served as Secretary of the State from 1999 to 2011. As Secretary of the State, she helped thousands of businesses grow, registered thousands of voters, cut bureaucratic red tape, honored veterans, and fought to keep elections fair.

As a state representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, representing the towns of Middletown, Middlefield, and Durham, Bysiewicz wrote legislation to ban dangerous “drive-through” mastectomies and ensure that women being treated for breast cancer had proper care. She also fought political patronage and wrote the law to ban lobbyists from giving gifts to legislators.

As a business lawyer and a job creator, she has helped over sixty companies access millions of dollars in capital, expand their businesses, and create thousands of jobs in Connecticut.

Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz was raised the proud granddaughter of immigrants who came to Connecticut from Poland and Greece with nothing but hopes for a better future. After many years of factory work, they saved enough to buy a farm in Middletown that became Bysiewicz's childhood home. Growing up and working on the farm, she and her siblings learned the values of hard work, education, and persistence.

Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz graduated from Middletown High School, Yale University and Duke Law School. She is the author of Ella: A Biography of Ella Grasso, Connecticut’s 83rd governor.

Bysiewicz and her husband David Donaldson reside in Middletown.