NAVEEN SINGLA

ACCENTURE

Naveen is a senior leader in Accenture’s AI and Data practice with 20 years of experience across the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries. He partners with Fortune 500 executives to shape and implement AI strategies that drive large‑scale business value. Naveen has led major global AI transformations, from improving manufacturing and forecasting to building enterprise‑wide AI literacy programs for thousands of employees. He is also a key force in advancing Agentic AI capabilities across Accenture’s global workforce.

KELLEY CORNISH

TD JAKES FOUNDATION

Kelley Cornish is the President and CEO of the T.D. Jakes Foundation (TDJF), a workforce development and community building foundation committed to improving the lifelong outcomes for communities and individuals who have limited access to resources and opportunities - www.tdjfoundation.org. Prior to this role, she served as an Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer at Wells Fargo & Company where she was the primary liaison between diverse segments and various business lines and support partners. Her work included leading planning, implementing strategy and driving accountabilities for all internal functions supporting efforts across the enterprise. Kelley also served as the Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion for the TD Bank Group and led Diversity and Inclusion for AmeriHealth Caritas and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Accomplished in her career, in March 2025, Kelley was officially sworn in as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Wiley University, marking a historic milestone as the first woman in the 152-year history of the university to serve in this role.  Other recent awards include in 2023, Kelley was recognized as a Women of Influence by SUCCESS Magazine for her remarkable achievements, innovation, and impact in the communities and industries in which she serves as well as in the personal and professional lives of others. In 2022, she received the Woman of the Year Award from iHeartMedia radio recognizing her work in the community and in corporate America. With nearly 4 decades in the workplace, Kelley shares the importance of resetting, self-care and unplugging as a leader in the podcast, Life + Leadership UNPLUGGED with Kelley Cornish heard on all podcast platforms.  In addition, true to sharing her life's experiences, Kelley speaks around the country about her career climb, her leadership journey, and creating legacy.  Kelley also serves on the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Kelley obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Carolina - Aiken in Business Administration and her Masters from Webster University in Human Resource Management. She is currently enrolled in the University of California Berkley’s CEO Program, is a Certified Diversity Professional by Cornell University (CCDP) and has completed course work at the Harvard Kennedy School in strategies for leading and building diverse organizations. Kelley enjoys spending time with two adult sons whenever possible, her extended family and friends, and exploring new ways to live her best life!

TOZYEA REED

TD JAKES FOUNDATION

RAJU BALAN

SLALOM

Raju Balan is an AI Leader at Slalom, a global technology, business and strategy consulting firm. He is based in Dallas, Texas. With over 15 years of experience, Raju has been pivotal in driving transformation at Fortune 500 companies by deploying innovative data science and AI solutions and helping shape their data and AI strategies. His deep involvement extends beyond mere application; he critically analyzes both the technical and societal ramifications of AI, driving not only business innovations but also contributing to the broader dialogue, as we will experience today, surrounding AI’s future role in society, and has authored several articles on the topic and spoken at numerous events.

JASON BEAVERS

SLALOM

Jason has over 20 years of experience delivering innovative Information Technology solutions and leading technical teams in Cloud Engineering, Traditional Infrastructure Engineering, Product Development, IT Operations and Information Security. Jason is passionate about transformative projects using the power of Generative AI that helps companies improve their information security.

AMIT SHEKHAR

CAPITAL ONE

Amit Shekhar is a Distinguished Machine Learning Engineer at Capital One's AI Labs, where he builds Agentic and Generative AI solutions at enterprise scale. His current focus spans agent-based architectures, orchestration frameworks, and safety-first design patterns that seamlessly integrate AI into complex systems. A practitioner at heart, Amit thrives at the intersection of engineering, product, and research—translating emerging AI capabilities into measurable business impact

VISHAL AHUJA

SMU COX SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Vishal Ahuja is the Corrigan Research Professor  and an Associate Professor of Information Technology and Operations Management at SMU Cox School of Business and an Adjunct Faculty at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is also the Academic Director of the Cox School's healthcare initiative. His research focuses on developing decision analytic tools that can be implemented easily by healthcare professionals and policymakers to improve patient health, advance the quality of care, and enhance the efficiency of care delivery.

For his research, Vishal partners with various organizations such as the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, where he has a faculty affiliation with the Primary Care High Risk Investigator Network. Additionally, he collaborates with organizations such as Parkland Hospital, Baylor Heart Hospital and Children’s Hospital. Vishal’s research has appeared in leading management and clinical journals. Further, he has either won or been a finalist for several awards and honors including Pierskalla Award for the Best Paper in Healthcare Management Science, Innovation in Analytics Award, and Sanjay and Panna Mehrotra Research Excellence Award, which recognizes significant contributions to the practice of health applications. Most recently, he won the Dlin/Fischer Clinical Research Award from the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry for his research related to improving mental health outcomes of high-risk veterans.  

Vishal's efforts have been recognized outside of academia, including from regulators, practitioners, and the broader healthcare community. His research was cited by the FDA in their workshop on “Assessing the Public Health Impact of Prescription Drug Postmarketing Safety Labeling Changes,” in which he was invited as an expert panelist. 

 

In 2025, Vishal was named by to the AI75 list that recognizes the most innovative leaders in AI in Dallas-Fort Worth across industries. He won the Outstanding Healthcare Innovator award by DCEO Magazine in 2023 and was a finalist for the Outstanding Healthcare Advocate award in 2020.  Vishal regularly advises digital health startups, and is frequently invited to speak at academic and industry conferences, universities, and hospitals. Vishal currently serves on the advisory board of TraumaCare, an AI-based software solution to improve clinical decision-making. 

Vishal holds an MBA and a PhD in Business Administration from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. At Cox, he teaches MBA courses in operations management, supply chain management, and service operations. To bring relevance to his research and teaching, Vishal attempts to draw from his diverse work experience in the corporate sector that spans several years in the chemical, manufacturing, and consumer goods industry.

VIKAS CHOWDHRY

TRAUMACARE.AI

Vikas Chowdhry is the Founder and CEO of TraumaCare.AI, where he is building AI-powered tools to help trauma and ICU teams improve outcomes for critically injured patients. He founded the company after spending two decades developing deep expertise in healthcare technology, clinical AI, and product leadership—skills he now applies to one of medicine's most time-critical domains. Before founding TraumaCare.AI, Vikas was Chief Analytics and Information Officer at the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation in Dallas. There, he led a team of data scientists, engineers, and clinicians building workflow-integrated AI solutions across chronic and acute care. His projects included a HIPAA-compliant cloud analytics platform, predictive models for trauma and sepsis, and a care coordination program for high-risk pregnant women in underserved Dallas communities—work that contributed to published research on the role of social determinants in maternal and pediatric health outcomes. Earlier, Vikas spent over a decade at Epic, where he bootstrapped the company's machine learning team and helped establish it as a leader in healthcare predictive analytics. He built the technical and legal frameworks for deploying models in clinical workflows and led development of Epic's population health platform, which now tracks over 130 million patients across 200+ health systems. His work there earned him leadership roles overseeing analytics, machine learning, acute care, radiology, and obstetrics product lines. Vikas holds an MBA from Chicago Booth with concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy, an MS in Computer Science from the University of Illinois, and a BS in Computer Science from the University of Jodhpur, India. He is a Faculty Associate at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he teaches in the Health Informatics graduate program, and Adjunct Faculty at SMU Cox School of Business. His research includes publications on scalable machine learning platforms for healthcare, deep learning approaches to predicting pediatric asthma emergencies, and external validation of mortality predictors in polytrauma patients (Journal of Surgical Research, 2024).

LUIS FERNANDO SANCHEZ

INSPYR GLOBAL SOLUTIONS

Luis Fernando Sanchez is the President of INSPYR Global Solutions, where he brings extensive leadership experience and a diverse background in IT development, consultancy, and application maintenance solutions. Luis Fernando has spent over three decades honing his expertise in driving growth, managing cross-functional teams, and delivering innovative solutions for Fortune 1000 companies. Luis Fernando began his career in 1984 at Leather Center, serving as Comptroller/CFO before transitioning to Chief Operating Officer. In 2006, he became the President of PSL Technology Corporation, where he successfully led the company through key business development and operational initiatives. Later, he worked at Zycron Latin America as Director, focusing on sales generation and service delivery, before assuming the role of President at Arroyo Consulting LLC. There, he is responsible for providing nearshore IT development and consultancy services, managing contract negotiations, and coordinating operations of hybrid teams that include onsite and captive office components. With an MBA in Information Systems from the University of North Texas and a BA in Business Administration from Universidad EAFIT, Luis Fernando has continually demonstrated his ability to lead complex operations and develop high-performing teams. His specialties include strategic IT management, contract negotiation, operations coordination, and the management of nearshore teams, further cementing his role as a trusted leader in the field. Luis Fernando's commitment to excellence and his focus on providing value-driven solutions to clients make him a key executive in driving INSPYR Global Solutions success within INSPYR Solutions.

BILLY WANG

THOMSON REUTERS

Billy Wang is a transformation operator with roots in investment banking and management consulting, now focused on enterprise software go‑to‑market strategy and operations. In his role as Sr Director, Transformation Operations within Corporates Business Transformation, he leads internal AI adoption efforts, addressing system and data challenges while translating advanced analytics and automation into scalable commercial impact.

DAVID O’HARA

IMPROVING

David is a values-based executive with demonstrated leadership in building shared vision, translating that vision to execution, organizational development, and successful strategies for early and growth-stage businesses. David serves as Regional Director at Improving and has been with the company since its founding in 2007. He sits on the board of United Texas Bank. He is a Founding Member of the Forbes Dallas Business Council. He is a graduate of the Integral Leadership Program (ILP) at Stagen Leadership Academy. He has been an external coach for the Senior Leadership Initiative since 2013 and is now participating in the Executive Coaching Cohort to continue his investment in others. He is an active member of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) and has served on the regional board as well as the local board in multiple roles, including Chairman, in his years of service, and helped found the new Lone Star Dallas Gold chapter. David is a regular speaker and author on topics such as Conscious Capitalism, leadership development, start-ups, technology, and innovation.

SEAN FULTON

DLA PIPER

Sean Fulton is a seasoned generalist litigator and has extensive experience counseling and representing multinational companies in "bet-the-firm" state/federal litigation, including products liability/mass torts, securities class actions, employment, antitrust, bankruptcy, and other complex commercial disputes. He has also represented those clients in related regulatory investigations brought by the US Department of Justice, the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and state attorneys general. Those multinational companies include leaders in the automotive, alcohol/spirits, banking, cryptocurrency, e-commerce, energy, manufacturing, and wireless carrier industries. Sean has particular expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), cryptocurrency, and other emerging technologies, and leverages his extensive litigation experience to advise organizations on the risks associated with adopting such technologies. He has advised numerous Fortune 500 organizations on implementing and maturing enterprise-wide AI governance frameworks and designed and led legal red teaming exercises for AI use cases across various industries. Sean also regularly advises clients on risks associated with technology transactions. He is a thought leader on issues at the intersection of technology and the law and regularly publishes and speaks on these areas. In addition to his litigation practice, Sean maintains a significant corporate advisory and transactional practice. He frequently serves as an AI subject‑matter expert on M&A and investment teams, conducting risk‑focused diligence on data assets, algorithmic models, and emerging technology platforms. Sean partners closely with deal counsel to negotiate and structure AI-related provisions, and to develop governance and risk‑mitigation frameworks tailored to technology‑intensive targets. He is regularly called upon by corporate leadership and deal teams to assess AI‑related exposure in high‑value transactions, guide strategic adoption of new technologies, and support post‑closing integration and compliance efforts. Sean also maintains an active pro bono practice. He is currently serving as pro bono counsel for the National Center for Law and Economic Justice in federal impact litigation involving a state's implementation of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). He also acted as lead pro bono counsel in a class action brought by tenants against their landlord and an arbitration brought by a charter school against a construction company.

BARCLAY BLAIR

DLA PIPER

As Sr. Managing Director of DLA Piper's AI Innovation Team, Barclay advises both the firm and its clients on the applications of artificial intelligence while driving the innovative use of emerging technologies. Barclay is a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies, software and hardware vendors, and government institutions, and is an author, speaker, and internationally recognized authority on the broad range of issues that emerge at the intersection of law, technology, and business. Barclay is an award-winning author. Barclay has led several high-profile consulting engagements at the world's leading institutions to help them globally transform the way they manage information. He is the founder and president of ViaLumina LLC and the founder and executive director of the Information Governance Initiative. Barclay is the award-winning author of the books Information Nation: Seven Keys to Information Management Compliance, Information Nation Warrior, and Privacy Nation; and has contributed to and edited dozens of additional books and publications including: eDiscovery for Corporate Counsel, Safeguarding Critical E-Documents, Email Rules, Secure Electronic Commerce, and Professional XML. Barclay speaks internationally and has instructed at George Washington University. He has presented to industry groups such as the American Bar Association, the American Council of Life Insurers, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Options Clearing Corporation, the BNA Litigation Forum, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), ARMA International, AIIM International, the Society of Quality Assurance, the MER Conference, and many others. Barclay led a best practices project for the Financial Services Roundtable, led an international standards group on cloud computing, and is frequently interviewed by media outlets on issues relevant to his expertise. In 2013, Barclay was granted an Extraordinary Ability EB-1 green card (the so-called "Einstein Visa") by the U.S. federal government. Barclay's notable recent work includes working with enterprises to design custom AI solutions, with a particular focus on creatively utilizing prompt engineering and retrieval-augmented generation to increase the usefulness and veracity of LLM outputs. Barclay has also spoken about responsible use of AI models and enhancement techniques (e.g. prompt engineering) to ensure alignment with organizations' goals and values.

HAYES ASHCRAFT

REGIONS BANK

Mr. Ashcraft joined Regions Securities LLC in 2018 as a part of the Technology, Media, & Communications group, with a particular focus within the Communications Infrastructure & IT Services industries, including the data center, IT / managed services, and broader communications sub-sectors.  He has experience with both capital raises and advisory assignments, serving private-equity and infrastructure-fund backed, middle-market clients. Prior to joining Regions, Mr. Ashcraft spent nearly five years with Guggenheim Securities as a member of the Middle Market Special Situations team, providing clients with a broad array of advisory and capital markets services including, (i) regular-way refinancings; (ii) strategic M&A advisory solutions; and (iii) distressed advisory work.  Mr. Ashcraft began his banking career at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey as an analyst and associate in the Industrials Coverage sector for three years. Mr. Ashcraft graduated cum laude with a BS in Business Administration with a Special Attainment in Commerce from Washington and Lee University.

DE SHUN HEARN

REGIONS BANK

Ms. Hearn joined Regions in 2025 as a Treasury Management Relationship Manager, where she partners with clients to optimize their cash flow processes through a consultative, client-focused approach.

Prior to Regions, she spent nearly eight years at J.P. Morgan Chase supporting treasury sales and implementation for government, higher education, nonprofit, and healthcare clients. She began her career at CitiCapital as a credit analyst in Equipment Finance before transitioning to treasury management with Citibank, N.A., where she served for nearly 15 years.

Ms. Hearn holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Master of Science in Management from Argosy University.

HAYLEE MATECKO

Haylee Matecko, CPA, PMP is a Manager of Artificial Intelligence at Southwest Airlines, where she leads enterprise-scale efforts to drive AI adoption with intention—building organizational literacy, establishing responsible foundations, and ensuring teams focus on solving the right business problems before applying technology. With experience spanning technology consulting at PwC and transformational efforts across industries, Haylee specializes in translating emerging AI capabilities into practical, scalable solutions that deliver real operational and customer impact. At Southwest, she leads cross‑functional teams driving AI innovation through strategic discovery, design, and early change enablement for agentic AI solutions; oversees enterprise programs that build AI literacy and confidence through training, communications, and community engagement; guides adoption planning and impact measurement for scaled delivery; and aligns stakeholders to embed responsible AI practices into core enterprise priorities. She is passionate about bridging strategy and execution, helping leaders move beyond experimentation by aligning AI use cases to business outcomes, change readiness, and long-term value creation across their ecosystem.

AUSTIN AMY

AXXESS

Austin Amy is a Senior Product Director of Interoperability at Axxess, where he leads the strategy and execution of the organization’s interoperability initiatives across its care-at-home solutions. In this role, he oversees the development of integrations, data exchange capabilities, and partner connectivity that enable providers to seamlessly share information across the healthcare ecosystem. Austin works closely with technology partners, providers, and internal teams to expand the Axxess ecosystem and improve how referrals, clinical data, and operational workflows move between organizations, helping organizations operate more efficiently while delivering high-quality care in the home.

NICHOLAS LEE

FUJITSU INTELLIGENCE

As CEO of Fujitsu Intelligence, Nicholas leads a premier Data & AI organization across the Americas, overseeing the conception and execution of cutting-edge, ethical, and scalable AI and data strategies that empower businesses to innovate, grow, and achieve meaningful impact. Under his leadership, the organization has delivered transformative outcomes—from proofs-of-concept to full enterprise scale—across diverse industries, all while nurturing a culture of innovation and collaboration. Nicholas has driven the introduction of breakthrough solutions and business models for global clients, grounded in trust, transparency, and responsible AI practices. The distinction of being named one of Dallas–Fort Worth’s Top 18 AI Visionaries (AI 75, Class of 2025) underscores his role in shaping the next generation of AI leaders and technologies.

ROB OSTERHOUSE

OKTA

SCOTT KINKA

BRIDGEPOINTE

Scott brings his vast knowledge as a veteran commercial technologist and tech founder with heavy experience with MSP and cloud offerings for the mid-market and enterprise. For 25 years, Scott has been a tech entrepreneur, most recently as Founding Partner and CTO of Evolve IP, helping to lead the firm from funding to private equity investment. He’s a recognized technology expert, having appeared on CBS and Fox News and featured in USA Today, CIO Magazine, Business Week, and Inc. Scott’s vision and leadership has received multiple awards including Philadelphia 40 under 40, Top IT Innovator and Top Tech Disruptor.   As Chief Strategy Officer of Bridgepointe Technologies, the nation’s leading technology advisory firm, Scott focuses on product and technology training, marketing and lead generation, partner systems and tools, and customer lifecycle management. He works hand-in-hand with tech leaders to help them realize sustainable results from their tech investments. 

GARRETT DOBBS

WORLDS

BILLY HAMILTON

CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA

Billy Hamilton serves as Senior Director of Choctaw Economic Development, where he leads strategic initiatives across Business Retention & Expansion, Recruitment, Community Development, Tourism, and Entrepreneurship. In this role, he works to strengthen existing businesses, attract new investment, and support sustainable growth throughout the Choctaw Nation. Billy is committed to fostering economic opportunity, enhancing community vitality, and promoting innovation to drive long-term prosperity across the region.

ANGIE GAYLORD

DALLAS ISD

Day 2 Speaker

Angie Gaylord was appointed Dallas ISD’s Chief Academic Officer in September 2023.  Previously, she served as Associate Superintendent of Transformation and Magnet Schools when her role as deputy chief of OTI expanded to lead the Region V choice schools, counseling services, and advanced academics. Her experience in education spans over 27 years, beginning as a high school teacher in Dallas ISD. In her most recent role, she scaled the innovation initiatives for the district, launching all new transformation and innovation schools. Gaylord returned to the district in 2016 to relaunch the professional development department for the Teaching and Learning division.  Before returning back to Dallas ISD in 2016, Gaylord was an administrator in both Irving and Cedar Hill ISD, serving as an assistant principal, principal, and executive director of professional and digital development.  She was the founding principal of Lady Bird Johnson Middle School the first net zero middle school in the USA. Gaylord graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in kinesiology. She later earned a master’s degree from California State University, Los Angeles, while teaching in Glendale, CA.   Gaylord comes from a family of Texas public educators, with a mother serving over 40 years and a father serving over 50 years at the elementary and middle school level.

BABAR BHATTI

DALLAS AI

Day 2 Speaker

Babar Bhatti is a Principal Data and AI Customer Success Manager at IBM. He is co-founder and Executive VP of Dallas AI, a meetup group of over 4800 AI professionals. He is a hands-on practitioner of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and holds certifications for cloud, data and machine learning technologies. Babar writes a blog about practical applications of AI on Medium. Before his current role, Babar was Head of Product at Zapata Computing, a Quantum computing company. Before that, Babar was Principal, Product Management at CoreLogic, a provider of real-estate data and analytics. At CoreLogic, he led product strategy, development and commercialization of machine learning products for the real-estate industry. Babar has spoken about AI and technology at Harvard Club of Dallas, Google, DFW Executive Connection, University of Texas at Dallas, MIT Club of DFW and Financial Executives International (FEI). Babar served as tri-chair of Tech Titans AI Forum, a leading industry organization in Dallas Fort Worth. Babar was co-founder and CEO of MutualMind, a social media analytics company that served global brands such as IBM, American Airlines, Nestle, and Hilton. Babar also held various technical and management positions at Verizon Communications and won 3 innovation and excellence awards. He has also served as chairman, MIT Enterprise Forum of Dallas Fort Worth. He was author of a chapter in the book Cyber Security Standards, Practices and Industrial Applications. Babar holds a dual MS from MIT in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Technology and Policy

YUMNA BHAM

NTXIA

Yumna is Director of Strategic Partnerships of North Texas Innovation Alliance, a 501(c)3 regional consortium of more than 50 municipalities, agencies, corporations and academic institutions across North Texas with a mission to build the most connected, smart and resilient region in the country highlighting the culture of innovation in our area and expediting the implementation of forward-thinking solutions. North Texas Innovation Alliance is the largest initiative of its kind in the United States. Yumna is a seasoned leader with 10+ years of experience driving sustainable mobility and environmental solutions from concept to reality. Collaborating across partners in the public, private, and non-profit sector, she generates social impact while delivering business value. Prior to joining North Texas Innovation Alliance, Yumna managed a diverse portfolio, strategizing technology product enhancement and growth for Via’s transportation software solutions benefiting 10+ partners in non-profits, universities, and transit agencies. During her tenure at Toyota Motor North America, she led the implementation of a Mobility as a Service pilot, orchestrated impactful community partnerships for food distribution mobility solutions, and managed a cross-functional team for an on-demand mobility shuttle service strategy. Yumna’s contributions extended to Southwest Airlines in mapping environmental and digital priorities, and at Hitachi Consulting, she pioneered energy-efficient solutions for data centers and development of environmental reports for national parks. She has a degree in Civil Engineering and Engineering Management Masters from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

CHRIS MEDINA

AI WOMEN LEADERS

Chris Medina is a technology sales and partnerships leader with a front-row view into how companies are navigating AI adoption, talent gaps, and workforce transformation. She brings a practical perspective on what it takes to hire, upskill, and retain teams that can move beyond experimentation and actually deliver business value. Chris is also a co-founder of AI Women Leaders, where she helps drive more inclusive conversations around leadership, innovation, and the future of work.

GIORGIO SAEZ

MICROSOFT | GLOBAL AI DALLAS COMMUNITY

Giorgio Saez is a Senior Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, working with organizations to design and operationalize AI platforms on cloud foundations. With hands on experience guiding teams from early AI experimentation to production ready systems, Giorgio focuses on practical architecture decisions that enable scale, governance, and long term business value