Srinivasa Narasimhan is the Interim Director and the U.A. and Helen Whitaker Professor of the Robotics Institute (RI) at Carnegie Mellon University. The RI is the world's largest academic research organization dedicated to robotics research, education and outreach with over 1000 students, faculty and staff. He is a research leader with over 25 years experience developing imaging technologies for computer vision, graphics, robotics, agriculture, intelligent transportation and healthcare.

His works have received over a dozen Paper or Demo awards at major conferences and he has co-invented over a dozen imaging technologies.

Dr. Nadine Alameh is an award-winning globally recognized thought leader in geospatial technologies and their intersection with some of today's most pressing global challenges, including climate resilience, sustainability, intelligent infrastructure, and AI transformation. She is the founder & CEO of LunateAI, guiding enterprises and governments through rapid disruption driven by AI, the explosion of geospatial/earth observation data, and emerging computing paradigms. She's known for championing interoperability, partnerships, and bridging technology and policy. She has successfully exercised these skills as CEO of the Open Geospatial Consortium, as a board member of the UN Geospatial Experts Private Sector Network, as an appointed advisor to the US National Geospatial Advisory Committee, as a senior technical advisor to NASA, and most recently as a strategic advisor to the World Geospatial Industry Council and the International Society for Digital Earth. Nadine holds a Ph.D. and 2 MS. Degrees from MIT. You can find her podcasts, articles, and more at http://medium.com/@nalameh.

Camelia Kantor, Ph.D., MBA, is a strategic leader driving the convergence of the life sciences, engineering, and geospatial intelligence as the Associate Director of Penn State's Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences (Strategic Initiatives) and Research Professor of Geospatial Intelligence and Biogeography. At this top 100 global research institution, she manages government partnerships and leads strategic initiatives across 28 research centers, 11 core facilities, and 6 graduate programs. Dr. Kantor is a foremost authority on workforce development for emerging technologies, bringing deep expertise from her prior role as Vice President for Academic Affairs & Professional Development at the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF). There, she revolutionized the geospatial talent pipeline by designing the GEOINT Essential Body of Knowledge 2.0, pioneering the multimillion-dollar GEOINT GLAP academia-to-government competency transfer program, and developing the CGP-Essentials, the first academia-to-professional certification bridge exam. Recognized globally for her contributions to education and geospatial strategy, Dr. Kantor has served as Chair-Elect for the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations (COGO) and was the recipient of the Ministry of Education's Exemplary Teacher Award and the inaugural Helen Ruth Aspaas Innovator Award from the Association of American Geographers (AAG).

Tia Christopher is the Founder of The Orange Peel Collaborative, where she helps businesses and governments adopt AI in ways that actually work for the people using it.

She started her career translating complex government systems into plain language for veterans transitioning out of the military, a talent that now shapes her people-first, responsible AI approach. Recognized by the Obama White House as a Woman Veteran Champion of Change, Tia has over a decade of experience in strategic operations from veteran-driven projects to the tech space.

Tia is also deeply involved in Pittsburgh's tech scene, curating cross-industry networking events and joining other Pennsylvania organizations in growing our community. She serves on the Board of Assemble Pittsburgh.

Lelia Broughton is the Director of Workforce Innovation at the Pittsburgh Technology Council, where she leads initiatives that connect employers with diverse, skilled talent pipelines across the region. Through the Council’s nonprofit arm, FortyX80, Lelia designs and implements workforce programs that bridge the gap between education, training providers, and industry, ensuring individuals are prepared for in-demand careers in technology, advanced manufacturing, and emerging fields like AI.

Lelia oversees innovative programs such as ApprentiPGH, a registered apprenticeship model that creates nontraditional pathways into tech careers, and Career Ready, a workforce initiative focused on connecting job seekers to sustainable employment opportunities with wraparound support. Her work centers on aligning employer needs with accessible, competency-based training solutions that drive both business growth and economic mobility.

A passionate advocate for workforce equity and innovation, Lelia collaborates with corporate partners, educational institutions, and community organizations to build scalable talent strategies that respond to the evolving demands of today’s workforce. She brings a practical, employer-informed perspective to conversations around upskilling, credentialing, and the future of work.

Dave Rea is the Managing Director of Organizational Development Consulting at Catalyst Connection, part of the MEP National Network. His work focuses on leadership, culture, coaching, team building, succession planning, employee engagement, and retention.

Dave has worked with manufacturers across southwestern Pennsylvania and with MEP centers and partners across the country. He brings a practical approach to helping companies develop stronger leaders, build better teams, and create workplaces where people want to stay and grow.

Dave holds a B.A. in Psychology from Gannon University and an M.S. in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the University of Baltimore. He also serves as Council President in Green Tree Borough.

Joseph T. Yun, Ph.D. serves as Director of AI Enablement at the University of Pittsburgh and Research Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Swanson School of Engineering. His work focuses on building production-ready AI systems, advancing AI adoption in higher education, and translating emerging technology into practical institutional impact. As part of the Pitt team, he has helped lead the creation of applied AI partnerships with organizations including Dell, Amazon AWS, Anthropic, and NVIDIA. He helped launch and now co-leads Pitt's AWS Cloud Innovation Center, an applied AI and open-source innovation hub focused on real-world work in areas including medicine and athletics.

Kevin Dowling, Managing Director of the Robotics Factory at Innovation Works, led Kaarta in creating rapid digital twins. Previously, he held senior technical roles at companies like Philips Color Kinetics, contributing to its IPO and acquisition. With 25 years of industry experience and more than 90 U.S. patents, Kevin holds MS and PhD degrees in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University. He has also served on several boards, including Carnegie Mellon's alumni and School of Computer Science boards.