Featured Speakers

Mark Sullivan, President, Regulated Industries, Salesforce

In his role as President and Chief Revenue Officer for Salesforce Regulated Industries and Canada, Mark oversees the Financial Services and Healthcare & Life Sciences Industries, as well as the Canadian Business; leading growth strategy and execution.

Mark is a highly respected technology executive, bringing extensive experience as an innovation-led sales and transformation leader to Salesforce. Prior to Salesforce, Mark led the Global Banking and Capital Markets business at Genpact. He has held leadership positions with IBM as Managing Partner for Banking and Financial Markets, Accenture as Partner and Senior Executive overseeing IT Strategy, Digital and Operations and Fidelity as the COO of Fidelity Investments.

Graham Neubig, Associate Professor, Language Technology Institute in the School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University

Graham Neubig is an associate professor at the Language Technologies Institute of Carnegie Mellon University. His research focuses on natural language processing, with a particular interest in fundamentals, applications, and understanding of large language models for tasks such as question answering, code generation, and multilingual applications. His final goal is that every person in the world should be able to communicate with each-other, and with computers in their own language. He also contributes to making NLP research more accessible through open publishing of research papers, advanced NLP course materials and video lectures, and open-source software, all of which are available on his web site.

DJ De Ray, Managing Director GenAI, ML & Advanced Analytics, Deloitte Consulting

DJ is a Digital Transformation Executive with over 25 years of experience setting up Transformed Global Operations that have yielded $1+ Bn in signed-off business impact for his clients.

As a Managing Director in Deloitte, he focuses on bringing together DataOps, Automation, AI/ML, and Analytics, in service of ambitious, high-RoI client transformation journeys.

From early in life, DJ has seen disproportionate success from the application of the philosophy of 'bringing together': people, experiences, perspectives, agendas, technical-disciplines, cross-industry best-practices, client stakeholder groups and budgets, and widely spread internal capabilities and expertise.

He has therefore intentionally cultivated a stubbornly cross-industry and cross-service-line career, having led teams and owned P&Ls across Marketing, Operations, Quality, Analytics & Business Intelligence, and Revenue Growth. Specifically to develop as wide a lens as possible of RoI positive transformation opportunities, funding mechanisms, success levers, and behaviors.

An ardent believer in the value of being able to count things, big-picture design thinking, and metric-driven success-measurement, he aligns very cosely with Deloitte's values, and the company's focus on DEI and ESG.

Of Indian descent, DJ grew up in Latin America, and returned to India later in life to complete his higher education. He has never lived in any one place for longer than 7 years at a stretch since he was born(!), and has lived and worked in India, Australia, Europe, and the US.

Currently a resident of Atlanta, DJ remains endlessly excited and passionate about the work he does, every single day.

Sara Moussawi, Associate Professor of Information Systems, Carnegie Mellon University

Sara Moussawi, Ph.D. is an Associate Teaching Professor of Information Systems at Carnegie Mellon University, in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. She holds a Ph.D. in Information Systems from Baruch College of the City University of New York, as well as an MBA and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the American University of Beirut. Her research explores how users perceive and interact with conversational intelligent agents, focusing on trust, emotion, and long-term engagement. Her work has been published in leading academic journals, including the European Journal of Information Systems, Electronic Markets, Behaviour and Information Technology, and the DATA Base for Advances in Information Systems, and presented at top conferences such as HICSS, ICIS, and AMCIS.

Rezzan Kose, Venture Partner, 412 Venture Fund

Rezzan is a seasoned investor and operator with deep expertise in venture capital, technology, and business strategy. Before joining 412VF, Rezzan was a partner at Drive Capital, a multi-stage venture firm, where she focused on investments across AI, life sciences, and healthcare.

Prior to her transition into venture investing, Rezzan was the Chief Operating Officer at Intelligencia.ai, a data science company working with biotech and pharmaceutical firms to optimize drug development. As COO, she built and scaled corporate functions, overseeing strategy, customers, partnerships, finance, legal, and communications. Under her leadership, Intelligencia grew from its inception to a profitable global team of 100+ employees.

Earlier in her career, Rezzan worked at Citadel, a global hedge fund, as a strategist where she built a technology platform. Prior to Citadel, she was a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where she led engagements in financial services, digital transformation and strategy. She also managed the firm’s analytics domain, developing big data and asset-based solutions. Rezzan began her career as a credit and commodities research analyst at Goldman Sachs.

Rezzan holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Yale University and a B.S. in Physics from Koç University. During her Ph.D., she developed a technology that uses magnetic fluids to enable the rapid and label-free manipulation, separation, concentration, and capture of target cells. The technology was later commercialized to revolutionize the food safety market.

Rezzan is passionate about technology, operational excellence, and fostering a data-driven culture that balances scientific, financial, and organizational priorities. She actively invests in health tech and supports innovation in mission-driven industries. Outside of work, she is dedicated to animal rescue and disaster relief efforts, having raised tens of thousands of dollars for communities affected by natural disasters.

Dr. Mark Chrystal, CEO and Co-Creator, Profitmind

Dr. Mark Chrystal is currently the CEO of Netail, Inc., a retail focused AI startup. At Netail, Mark and team have built ground-breaking solutions for competitive intelligence and competitive pricing. Mark was recruited by Netail’s Chairman, Andrew Ng , one of the world's leading AI practitioners, to develop and bring cutting-edge AI capabilities into the retail industry.

Dr. Chrystal is the former Chief Analytics Officer of rue21, Inc.. While at rue21, Dr. Chrystal successfully led the turnaround of the rue21 business through the application of his expertise in data analytics, customer behavior and retail management. Over a 23-year retail career Dr. Chrystal has led most functions of a retailer, including: IT, Supply Chain, e-Commerce, Marketing, Loyalty, Planning, Inventory Management and FP&A.

Dr. Chrystal’s prior roles include: Co-Founder of MachineCore, Inc., Chief Supply Chain Officer of David’s Bridal, SVP eCommerce, Planning and Allocation of rue21, and similar executive roles at American Eagle Outfitters, Disney Store and Victoria’s Secret. He earned a Doctorate in Business Administration at the University of Liverpool in the UK and has earned a Master of Science degree in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence with Distinction from Liverpool John Moores University, an M.B.A. from the University of London and a B.A. in Economics from The Ohio State University. He also earned a post graduate diploma in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence from the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore.

Dr. Chrystal is passionate about the application of AI and technology to drive competitive advantage for consumer-focused businesses. In this regard, Dr. Chrystal has implemented and analyzed the impact of new software solutions, new business processes and new hardware solutions across the full range of retail applications, not limited to : factory production, logistics and warehousing, inventory management, price management, eCommerce platforms, store-focused software and hardware, and cloud based data and analytics services. This breadth of expertise covers over twenty years of executive sponsorship and implementation as a retailer, and over five years as a software practitioner developing and providing these solutions and services to retailers.

Sonam Jha, Director, Emerging Technology & AI, TIAA
Sonam Jha is an AI and technology leader successfully driving large-scale AI, data, and cloud innovations in the financial industry. As the Director of AI & Emerging Technology at TIAA, she leads transformative initiatives that use AI and emerging technologies to transform businesses and enhance productivity. With a strong background in consulting from McKinsey & Company, Exiger, AON, and Cognizant, Sonam has been instrumental in developing multiple products and solutions for global enterprises . She holds a Masters degree in Information Systems with a focus on Business Intelligence & Analytics and has over 20+ patents filed.

Bob Dimicco, Co-Founder and CEO, Reveal AI

Bob is the co-founder and CEO of Reveal AI, an early stage, genAI-powered startup whose products are used by market research and consulting firms and enterprises. Reveal AI was part of the CMU Swartz Center's 2024 Venture Bridge cohort. Bob is a Tepper MBA and a five-time 0 to 1 leader whose core passions are building great software products and helping people grow to their full potential.

David Solganik, Head of Artificial Intelligence and Data Strategic Initiatives, RBC

A dynamic and results-driven executive, David specializes in artificial intelligence (AI), decision sciences, and data-driven business solutions. With over 30 years of experience leading large-scale AI initiatives, he has a proven track record of driving business growth, operational efficiency, and enhanced client experience. Known for bridging the gap between business and technology, David excels at building high-performing teams, optimizing resources, and enabling enterprise-wide decision-making. With expertise in strategic planning, project management, and stakeholder engagement, David is adept at translating complex data insights into actionable strategies for scalable, innovative Solutions.

David holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business Administration from the University at Albany, and has participated in various executive development programs, including Six Sigma, Agile, and Warton leadership excellence courses. In addition to his professional achievements, David enjoys tennis, pottery painting, volunteering at food banks, and spending time with family and friends. He lives in Montvale NJ and has a 14-year-old daughter and 21-year-old son!

Alison Alvarez, CEO & Co-Founder, BlastPoint

Alison Alvarez spent over a decade building big data tools for large companies in the media, automotive and banking spaces. She became convinced that more affordable and accessible solutions should exist and applied those insights to build BlastPoint. She has emerged as an expert consultant regarding large geospatial data systems, lecturing around the country to teach people how to use data tools for themselves. Alison is an NSF Research Fellow, a Jack Kent Cooke Fellow, and a Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellow. She holds two Master’s degrees from Carnegie Mellon: a 2007 MS from the Language Technologies Institute at the School of Computer Science and a 2016 MBA from the Tepper School of Business. She is a former advisor to Y-Combinator’s Valor Water.

Adam Paulisick Professor of AI and Entrepreneurship, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University

Adam Paulisick is the CEO of Skillbuilder.io which deploys helpful AI sales and community engagement agents within minutes thanks to more than 4 years of applied research anchored out of Carnegie Mellon University.

Adam has spent over 12 years as a Professor of Entrepreneurship (sales, marketing, and digital product design) at the graduate level of Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business, a lead Executive Education Instructor at CMU's School of Computer Science, Adjunct in the Masters of Artificial Intelligence program, and Adjunct at CMU’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute (the first HCI graduate program of record).

Prior to Adam’s focus on teaching at CMU, Adam was the Chief Product Officer at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) resulting from the acquisition of MAYA Design and was a Senior Vice President at the Nielsen Company post the acquisition of BuzzMetrics with global leadership roles based in the US and Europe.

When not on campus Adam spends his time on his farmette where he hosts regular retreats and workshops for fellow entrepreneurs looking to quiet the world and distribute the future more evenly.

Hemathri Balakrishnan, Managing Director, Head of Data & Analytics Platforms, J. P. Morgan Chase

Hemathri is a highly value focused leader with over 27 years of extensive experience in leading multiple Technology & Data Transformation initiatives across various large global financial institutions. He has led large scale Technology and business transformation initiatives in the US and internationally which includes UK, Germany, Switzerland, Australia & Singapore.

Hemathri is currently the managing director and head of product acceleration and innovation at JP Morgan Wealth Management. His team is focusing on developing the Product Acceleration Garage, integrating AI and GenAI based emerging technologies to help envision and build out industry-leading wealth product capabilities that elevate the advisor and client experiences.

Before JP Morgan Chase Hemathri has gained valuable experience working in the Wealth Management & Asset Management businesses in Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, UBS, and Citi.

Param Singh, Associate Dean of Research, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University

I am the Carnegie Bosch Professor of Business Technologies and Marketing at Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business, where I also serve as Associate Dean for Research. In this leadership role, I drive interdisciplinary collaboration and foster groundbreaking research across the Tepper School. My research focuses on the intersection of economics, machine learning, and AI, particularly developing algorithms that address economic inequality, algorithmic bias, and the societal impacts of AI. I also play an active role in shaping the academic community as a Senior Editor for Information Systems Research and an Associate Editor for Management Science. Recognized as the youngest recipient of the INFORMS Information Systems Society Distinguished Fellow award and named PhD Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Washington in 2022, I remain committed to advancing AI and machine learning research that addresses real-world economic and societal challenges.

Featured Startups

AdSkate

Harnessing the power of AI to elevate advertising creativity, meticulously examining key marketing metrics to optimize return on investment (ROI).

BlastPoint

Targets the right customers, at the right time, using just the right channels and messaging. Our technology empowers companies to understand customer data, predict customer behavior, and become customer-focused organizations.

Profitmind

Profitmind is the AI profit engine for retail that continuously finds revenue, profit, and cashflow opportunities that enable retailers and brands to meet their business objectives - immediately. Created by retail and AI experts Dr. Mark Chrystal and Dr. Andrew Ng, Profitmind’s passion is breakthrough retail performance. The easy-to-use SaaS solution employs machine learning, generative AI, and agentic AI to track competitors, analyze internal data and surface fast-impact revenue and margin growth opportunities. The result: increased productivity, transparency, and profitability. Profitmind is helping retailers worldwide achieve industry-leading performance, averaging 21% revenue growth and 14% higher gross margins. All customers have seen a 1-month payback on Profitmind's annual cost.

Featured Speakers

Featured Startups

AdSkate

BlastPoint

Profitmind

QuAIL Technologies

Reveal AI

Sitewiz

Skillbuilder.io