Downloadable Schedule
Downloadable Site Map
The list of speakers will be updated periodically. Make sure to check back frequently for more exciting announcements!
Speakers listed alphabetically
Speakers subject to availability
Fadi Almachraki
Chief Technology Officer at Post Acute Analytics
From Chatbots to Colleagues: AI Agents in Healthcare That Actually Work
Fadi is the Chief Technology Officer at Post Acute Analytics, where he leads AI and product development for healthcare decision-support platforms used by payors and post-acute providers. With a background spanning NASA engineering and applied machine learning in healthcare, he focuses on building reliable, compliant AI systems that turn complex data into practical clinical and operational insights. He holds a master’s degree in computer science from Georgia Tech with a specialization in deep and reinforcement learning, studied chemical engineering at UC Berkeley, and is currently pursuing his MBA at the Wharton School.
Dr. Nelli Babayan
Microsoft, AI Director
AI at the Final Frontier: Your Autonomous Agents in Space
Dr. Nelli Babayan is the AI Director at Microsoft, overseeing AI initiatives with U.S. Federal Civilian agencies. She leads virtual cross-solution teams to advance mission outcomes, directing strategy and secure implementation of AI by fostering collaboration and developing mission-specific use-cases. She has delivered numerous talks and moderated panels at both US-based events and international conferences. Nelli supports government efforts with her extensive and cross-industry background, having managed research and policy projects at DC-based think-tanks, lectured at universities and published in peer-reviewed journals.
Garrett Berntsen
Managing Director, Accenture Federal Services
Agentic AI: From Concept to Combat—Real-World Applications Across Defense and National Security
Garrett Berntsen is currently a Managing Director at Accenture Federal Services, leading their Defense and Intel Data and AI capability area. Prior to this role, Garrett served as the Deputy Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer for the Department of Defense where he led the Advana program, the Department’s largest Data and AI platform. Before coming to CDAO, he served in the Department of State as the Deputy Chief Data and AI Officer and a Director for Technology and National Security on the National Security Council. Mr. Berntsen had previously served as the Deputy Chief Data Officer for the Department of State, where he focused on leveraging evidence-based analysis and emerging technology to improve diplomatic decision-making.
Prior to joining the Department of State, he was a senior manager in Deloitte Consulting’s federal practice, where he supported the Departments of State, Transportation, and Defense with digital modernization. Mr. Berntsen served five years in the U.S. Army, deploying twice to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger and Airborne Schools and a recipient of two Bronze Stars. He holds a master’s degree in international economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) with honors and an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia in Foreign Affairs.
Fox Bonilla
Co-Founder / CEO Harbinger Creative
Future-Proofing Your Investment: How to Build Trustworthy AI Agents, Companions, and Ambient Intelligence Platforms
Fox Bonilla is a results focused leader in technology development, strategy, and implementation with a proven track record of innovation and expertise in spatial computing and data visualization. Over 25 years, Fox has developed and patented cutting edge AI and VR technology, created space mission planning software for NASA, developed decision support systems for the Department of Defense, and has served in roles supporting committees advising U.S. President Barack Obama about options for future human spaceflight.
Mr. Bonilla is a company founder and technologist who thrives in rapid problem solving environments. In addition to his CEO duties at Harbinger, Mr. Bonilla serves as adjunct faculty in the School of Arts, Media, and Engineering at Arizona State University. Fox also provides insight and guidance regarding XR and spatial computing industry best practices as the co-chair of the Privacy and Safety Working Group at XRSI. Mr. Bonilla is regularly featured as on-air talent throughout global news media as a subject matter expert on AI and immersive systems.
Max von Braun
Founder & Innovator
AI-supported breast cancer screening & pre-detection
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women. The number of cases is constantly increasing due to demographic changes. Max von Braun and his team have developed an AI-driven approach that is transforming the way breast cancer is screened and detected. By providing radiologists with precise results, the pre-analysis stage can be significantly shortened. In certain regions with a low density of radiologists, the entire review process can even be automated.
Aside from his work in the medical field, Max has filed numerous patent applications worldwide and is involved in developing several photonics-driven solutions, including volumetric screens/holograms, laser projection, parallel advertising, virtual production and simulation systems. Last but not least, Max and his team are working on disruptive solutions for the electrical industry.
Hailing from Germany, Max is an engineer at heart and is always looking for ways to improve technology and transform complex approaches into affordable solutions for a wide range of people.
Brian Brown
Razorfish, SVP Executive Creative Director and Creative Innovation Lead
AI and Marketing
Brian Brown is the SVP Executive Creative Director and Creative Innovation lead at Razorfish. A designer, storyteller, coder, and cultural anthropologist—Brian thrives at the intersection of technology, culture, and creativity. Brian's work is helping to shape the future of digital marketing. From reimagining brands in the metaverse to pioneering AI-driven campaigns, he’s spent over 20 years merging emerging tech with pop culture to craft experiences that resonate and inspire.
Brian’s work has earned accolades from BDA’s, Effies, OMMA, IAB, Campaign, and Adage, but he’s more interested in what’s next than resting on past successes. Leading a team of creative technologists, he bridges the gap between technological innovation and human connection, turning complex ideas into engaging stories and boundary-pushing campaigns.
As a thought leader, Brian has spoken at universities, industry events, and conferences, offering sharp insights on generative AI, immersive storytelling, and the cultural shifts sparked by emerging tech. His fascination with how technology drives societal change—slowly at first, then all at once—fuels his work and his passion for innovation.
Heidi Connelly
Microsoft Federal, Cloud & AI Platform Leader
AI at the Final Frontier: Your Autonomous Agents in Space
Heidi Connelly is the Cloud & AI Platform Leader for Microsoft Federal, where she drives strategic initiatives across government sectors with a focus on digital transformation and AI solutions. She has almost 20 years of experience supporting the Federal Government. Heidi joined Microsoft in 2017, and her past roles include General Manager of the National Security Group Specialist Team, Azure Sales Leader, Army Account Team Leader, and Azure Specialist. She is a former United States Army Signal Officer and served as a Department of Army Civilian prior to joining Microsoft. www.linkedin.com/in/hconnelly1
Dalton Cox
Security and AI Researcher at Skinny Research & Development
RAG Revolution
Dalton Cox is a Security and AI Researcher at Skinny Research & Development, developing advanced AI tools and agentic systems supporting U.S. government projects. His work emphasizes output verification and transparency—helping users understand exactly how AI systems reach their conclusions. Dalton has taught a variety of workshops for the AI Research Collaborative (ARC), using technical knowledge and a passion for accessible, impactful training. In his spare time, Dalton enjoys trick taking card games, listening to music, and taking things apart.
Kent Darzi
Senior Director of Engineering, Vertiv
Time-to-Token: Actual AI Efficiency gains and Next Generation infrastructures
Mr. Darzi is the Senior Director of Core Engineering at Vertiv and a 20+ year industry veteran. Mr. Darzi couples Technical Innovation and Business Acumen to deliver results across business, quality, AI, and engineering disciplines. Mr. Darzi’s holds multiple Patents, Publications, and his educational background includes an MBA from the University of Alabama and an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. In 2019 he was named University of Alabama Executive Alumnus of the Year.
Brian Davidson
Co-founder, chief technology officer SkyfireAI
Agentic AI in Public Safety
Daron J. Drown
Division Manager
Vision to Value: A Layered Approach to AI in Defense and Aerospace
Daron Drown is a Division Manager at INTUITIVE and leads the company’s support to the Army’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive - FIRES. In this capacity he leads support to Army weapon system project offices for offensive, defensive, and integrated fires systems. He is also a Subject Matter Expert on DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution program for the development of artificially intelligent battle management agents.
Daron completed a 22-year distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force, retiring in the rank of Colonel. During this period, he served as a senior Test Pilot, Program Manager, and Systems Engineer, with specific expertise in fifth generation combat aircraft, radar and optical sensors, guided munitions, mission planning, and missile defense.
Prior to his current role, Daron served as the Director of Test Planning and Design at the Missile Defense Agency, leading strategic planning for MDA’s $1B/year test program, spanning U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force missile, sensor, and command and control systems. In this capacity he resolved budget planning shortfalls with U.S. Congress visibility and led test design and range safety planning for complex missile defense flight and ground tests requiring worldwide land/sea/space assets. He worked closely with MDA Program Managers on all missile defense systems.
Daron thrives in leading and communicating in complex stakeholder environments. He leads teams large and small in achieving success in dynamic environments with cost, schedule, and performance responsibility. Significantly, Daron led a 450-person test and evaluation team in winning the 2013 Air Force Test Team of the Year award. He then led a 900-person organization in highly classified national-priority test, evaluation, and technology demonstrations of aircraft, weapons, and electronic warfare systems.
Having spent half his childhood overseas and deploying to the Middle East in uniform on multiple occasions, Daron enjoys cross-cultural interaction. He is passionate about organizing, motivating, and working alongside talented and creative people on the most challenging projects.
Fernanda Foertter
Executive Director, High Performance Computing and Data Center
Enabling Agentic AI with High-Performance Computing
Fernanda Foertter is the executive director of the High Performance Computing and Data Center at the University of Alabama, helping to develop the new HPC center that will substantially expand the university’s capacity for advanced computing, data science, and AI. With over a decade of experience in HPC, she has held positions at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Voltron Data, NextSilicon, BioTeam, and NVIDIA. Fernanda Foertter holds a M.S. in Materials Science Engineering from University of Florida, and a B.S. in Physics from Florida International University.
Dr. Jack Francis
AI Solutions Director, Davidson Technologies Inc.
Workshop: AI for Enhanced Productivity: Mastering Prompts and a Modern Toolkit
As the AI/ML Solutions Director for Davidson Technologies Inc., Dr. Jack Francis shapes the company's AI vision, leading the design and deployment of impactful initiatives that drive innovation and operational efficiency. His career is marked by significant technical achievements and leadership across diverse organizations, including KBR, Nike, Amazon, and PepsiCo.
Dr. Francis holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Mississippi State University, where his highly cited research focused on Bayesian Transfer Learning for Additive Manufacturing. His contributions have been recognized with awards including induction into the MSU Graduate School Hall of Fame and 1st place in the Navy HacktheMachine Data Science Competition. An active community leader, Dr. Francis serves on the Steering Committee for Leadership Greater Huntsville Management Academy and contributes his expertise to Huntsville, AL.
Carolyn Giardina
Crafts and Entertainment Technology Journalist
The Creative Inflection Point: Agentic AI and the Next Wave of Innovation
Carolyn Giardina is an award-winning journalist and author who has devoted her career to covering the art and science of entertainment. Having held editorial roles at publications such as The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and SHOOT, her authoritative coverage has included such industry inflection points as the digital television and digital cinema transitions; entertainment technology including production and post, exhibition, immersive media and consumer electronics; and creative arts ranging from cinematography to sound and visual effects.
Carolyn recently teamed up with Playbook PLBK to launch The Creative + Tech Orbit on Substack. She also serves as editor of Cinema Editor magazine and contributing editor to American Cinematographer. Committed to education and sharing knowledge, Carolyn is also a lecturer at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film & Media Arts, and co-wrote a 2012 book about 3D filmmaking, titled Exploring 3D (Focal Press).
She holds the rank of Fellow as a member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and currently sits on its Hollywood Section Board of Managers. An active participant in the community, she is also a frequent conference speaker/moderator who has served on numerous industry boards, committees and award juries.
Carolyn has been honored with American Cinema Editors’ Robert Wise Award for journalistic illumination of the art of film editing, the International Cinematographers Guild’s Technicolor William A. Fraker Award for journalistic contributions to cinematography, Women in Technology Hollywood’s Leadership Award and the Advanced Imaging Society’s Distinguished Leadership Lumiere Award.
Chris Hand
CEO at GenServ AI
How Agents Actually Impact the Bottom Line - Seeing Agentic AI Move the Needle
Chris is the CEO of GenServ AI, where he has been partnering with businesses to define and deploy AI based strategies and implementations for the past several years. His previous experience includes a Venture Studio where he launched 6 AI based startups from the Nashville market. His hands-on experience with generative AI has given him a unique perspective on how to make AI work within a business and he is excited to bring that experience to companies looking to adopt AI for a competitive edge.
Annie Hanlon
Co-founder of PLAYBOOK PLBK
The Creative Inflection Point: Agentic AI and the Next Wave of Innovation
Annie Hanlon is an accomplished executive and award-winning producer with expertise spanning advertising and commercials, immersive and virtual production, traditional film and series, emerging technology, and documentaries. A lifelong cinephile working at the intersection of media and technology, she is the Co-Founder of PLAYBOOK PLBK, a consultancy focused on AI, storytelling, and innovation. Annie is known for her impact at Netflix, Lytro, and Here Be Dragons and for setting new standards in the creative use of technology in entertainment.
Annie is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Visual Effects Society, an advisory board member of the Infinity Festival, and a member of the LG NOVA Coalition for Innovation (AI cohort). A 2024 graduate of Space Camp (Huntsville, AL), she serves as an instructor at Boston University and has mentored filmmakers at Meta (fmr: Facebook VR for Good) as well as students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Annie recently launched The Creative + Tech Orbit substack with PLAYBOOK PLBK partner Christina Lee Storm and veteran tech and entertainment journalist, Carolyn Giardina.
Dr. Chris Hill
Director
Army Materiel Command Analysis Group
U.S. Army Materiel Command
Dr. Hill was appointed to a Senior Leader position in May 2017. He serves as Director, Army Materiel Command Analysis Group (AMCAG) and as Chief Data and Analytics Officer (CDAO) for AMC. He is responsible to the Commanding General for analysis and studies. Dr Hill ensures credible, timely, and independent strategic-level analysis of the materiel installations, lifecycle logistics, and services systems modeling and simulation, and data to support equipping, sustaining, and warfighting decisions. In his role as the Command’s Chief of Data and Analytics, he is responsible for the execution of analytics across the Command. To include enterprise-wide analysis and management of data standards, governance, policy and procedures.
Lisa Hirschler
U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command
(AMCOM) Chief Data and Analytics Officer (CDAO) and Director
of Business Transformation
Lisa Hirschler is the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) Chief Data and Analytics Officer (CDAO) and Director of Business Transformation. She is responsible for the command wide data and information strategy, governance, control, policy development and effective data exploitation. In addition, she is responsible for AMCOM’s Digital Transformation and Knowledge Management strategies and their implementation. She also oversees advanced technologies, including Advanced Manufacturing and the Army’s first Shearography Blade Inspection process.
Previously Hirschler served as the AMCOM Logistics Center (ALC) Chief of the Program Management Support Division. In this role, she managed subject matter experts and senior logisticians, providing reimbursable support across 18 program offices in aviation and missile maintenance analysis and planning. Hirschler also managed the AMCOM Army Working Capital Fund (AWCF) Investment Program Team. The AWCF investment program receives 2.5% of actual AMCOM sales to invest in obsolescence projects. In 2019, the annual budget exceeded $80 million.
Hirschler also served as the Associate Program Manager for the Common Missile Warning System and Future Missile Warning System. In this role, she successfully developed, monitored and managed programs valued in excess of $300 million, ensuring required missile warning systems were fielded and sustained to maintain threat overmatch.
Hirschler has more than 25 years of leadership, logistics and financial experience in both the U.S. Army and industry. Throughout her career, she has personally provided acquisition analysis and sustainment strategies for more than 20 programs across the aviation and missile enterprises, as well as special operations.
Hirschler holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a Master of Science in Logistics from the Florida Institute of Technology. Additionally, she has earned graduate certificates in Data Analytics from both The University of Alabama and Cornell University, Supply Chain Management from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and Additive Manufacturing for Engineers and Managers from Purdue University. She also holds a Level III certification in Lifecycle Logistics from the Defense Acquisition University.
Bruce Holsinger - Dinner Speaker
Author, Culpability
Bruce Holsinger is the author of five novels, including Culpability, The Displacements, and The Gifted School, as well as many works of nonfiction, most recently On Parchment: Animals, Archives, and the Making of Culture from Herodotus to the Digital Age. His books have been recognized with the Colorado Book Award, the John Hurt Fisher Prize, the Philip Brett Award, the John Nicholas Brown Prize, the Modern Language Association's Prize for a First Book, and others. His essays and reviews have appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and many other publications and he has been profiled on NPR's Weekend Edition, Here & Now, and Marketplace. A Guggenheim Fellow and Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America, he teaches in the Department of English at the University of Virginia and serves as editor of the quarterly journal New Literary History. He also teaches craft classes and serves as board chairman for WriterHouse, a nonprofit in Charlottesville.
Culpability (Oprah's Book Club) explores a world newly shaped by chatbots, autonomous cars, drones, and other nonhuman forces in ways that are thrilling, challenging, and unimaginably provocative.
Josh Jones
CEO of QuantHub
Demystifying AI: A Look at Past, Present, and Future
Josh Jones is the CEO of Alabama-based QuantHub, a platform that colleges and schools are using to teach AI and data literacy.
Dr. Josh Kalin
Director of Artificial Intelligence and AI/Autonomy Subject Matter Expert at Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3)
How your AI agent will lie, blackmail, and even murder (and get away with it) - a review of securing our Agentic AI future
Dr. Josh Kalin serves as Director of Artificial Intelligence and AI/Autonomy Subject Matter Expert at Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3), where he leads cross-domain efforts at the junction of AI, autonomy, and cybersecurity. He has served in projects across commercial and U.S. government domains in advanced sensors, industrial robotics, and autonomous terrestrial and extraterrestrial vehicle systems. His work has resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications and seven granted patents, including innovations in training image generation for autonomous systems. He holds four advanced degrees spanning physics, mechanical engineering, and computer science, equipping him with a broad technical foundation. Outside of work, Josh is a passionate maker: he has owned over 50 vehicles, designs and builds robots and custom computers, and is authoring an ML textbook while building an AI security course. He is committed to developing practical, secure AI systems and mentoring the next generation of practitioners.
Jason Kearns
Director of Cybersecurity, Davidson Technologies Inc.
Workshop: AI and Cyber: Automating Exploitation with Agentic Systems
Jason Kearns serves as Director of Cybersecurity at Davidson Technologies, where he leads the design and implementation of advanced enterprise security architectures supporting Department of Defense programs and corporate operations. In addition to operational leadership, he regularly contributes to internal research and development efforts supporting innovation initiatives, emerging technology studies at the cross-section of cybersecurity and AI/ML and operates an internal cybersecurity community of interest to further technical capabilities in the domain.
Prior to Davidson, Jason was the Senior IT Security Architect at telecommunications engineering firm ADTRAN, where he led global cloud security modernization, developed enterprise threat intelligence capabilities, and enhanced cyber resiliency across global operations. His work directly advanced ADTRAN’s security posture and alignment with international cybersecurity frameworks. With more than a decade of multi-domain technical expertise, Jason brings unique depth in secure network design, distributed cloud architecture, security automation, and threat analytics development. He holds top industry security engineering, architecture and cloud certifications to include ISSEP, ISSAP, AWS Security and Solutions Architecture Professional.
Jason remains active in the Huntsville community through Leadership Greater Huntsville, and previously Rotaract Club, supporting initiatives that foster professional growth and civic- engagement.
J. Langley
Chief Technology Officer, Cohesion Force, Inc.
Workshop: Building Your First AI Agents
J. Langley is the Founder of Huntsville AI and Chief Technical Officer of CohesionForce, Inc. With over 25 years of experience in Department of Defense (DoD) architecture, systems, and software development, he has a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions. Since 2006, he has specialized in artificial intelligence, focusing on natural language processing (NLP), image recognition, recommendation systems, and audio transcription technologies. In 2018, he founded Huntsville AI, creating a thriving community of practice to advance AI collaboration and innovation in Huntsville. Since its inception, Huntsville AI has held over 220 local meetups, 2 remote NeurIPS meetups, and been an active supporter of the NASA SpaceApps Challenge, the HudsonAlpha Tech Challenge, and the AI Huntsville Taskforce.
Ryan Letson
AI Huntsville Law and Ethics Committee
AI & Law
Ryan Letson specializes in representing technology clients across artificial intelligence, government contracting, and manufacturing sectors. He handles patent and trademark prosecution, counsels clients on AI and machine learning IP strategies, and manages technology transactions including licensing agreements. Ryan’s expertise spans emerging technologies, from autonomous vehicles to biometric sensors and data communication networks.
David Lindenbaum
Accenture Federal Services Data & AI GenAI COE Lead
Agentic AI: From Concept to Combat—Real-World Applications Across Defense and National Security
David Lindenbaum is AFS’s Data & AI GenAI COE Lead, creating unique solutions to solve our clients difficult Data & AI problems. He has 15 years of experience working to solve Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, Public Safety and Civilian Agencies’ problems. David has experience architecting and delivering large computer vision application for a Federal Agency and other Data and AI specific architectures and environments to support Modern Data and AI needs.
He previously co-founded and was the principal engineer of CosmiQ Works, an In-Q-Tel lab to explore how the U.S. government can leverage new and emerging commercial space capabilities against national security problems. At CosmiQ Works, David co-created In-Q-Tel’s Space Framework and lead SpaceNet, a private/public partnership that has included MAXAR, Planet, Capella Space, Umbra, AWS, Intel, NVIDIA, and the Intelligence Advanced Research Agency (IARPA) and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) that focused on accelerating geospatial machine learning through the release of high-quality remote sensing training data and public AI/ML competitions. These datasets, competitions and analysis framework were key for helping to assess Remote Sensing Startup Capabilities against National Security requirements and provide information to key stakeholders across government on actions to take to further influence, invest and acquire new Remote Sensing capabilities, including new modalities such as Synthetic Aperture Radar and high revisit constellations from venture backed startups.
David holds a M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from university of Southern California and a B.E from Dartmouth College.
Isaac Loftus
Producer | Director at Primary Source Media
Using AI in Documentaries
Isaac S. Loftus is a documentarian, producer, and playwright whose work blends rigorous historical inquiry with emotionally engaging storytelling. His background in dramatic writing, honed at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, informs his approach to both narrative structure and visual presentation. Loftus’s plays have been staged in New York City at venues including the Cherry Lane Theatre, while his documentary and short film work has been recognized at national festivals. He also worked as a freelance producer and consultant for commercials, television, and independent films, with clients including Nickelodeon, Lady Gaga, Jamie Foxx, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Loftus specializes in crafting content that bridges the gap between accessibility and historical depth, often collaborating with institutions and creatives to bring archival material and underrepresented stories to new audiences through digital platforms, film, and immersive formats.
Gino Magnifico
Chief Information Officer, Army Contracting Command (ACC)
Mr. Gino Magnifico currently serves as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Army Contracting Command (ACC). Mr. Magnifico entered Civilian Government Service in 1987, after almost eleven years in the U.S. Air Force. Mr. Magnifico served in numerous procurement positions including buyer, contract administrator, and formal contracts branch chief. His Information Technology (IT) positions include: the Department of the Air Force’s Base Contracting Automated Systems (BCAS) Branch Chief, selection to an IT Career Broadening Position with the Air Force Contracting Staff, served on the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement (DASA(P )) Staff as Deputy Program Manager, Army Paperless Contracting, and project lead for Army Procurement Knowledge Management. He also served as the Army Component Management Officer (CMO) for the Department of Defense (DoD) Standard Procurement System (SPS) Program.
He served with the Defense Contract Management Agency and with the United States Army and the Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS) as the Deputy Program Manager for the SPS Program. In that role Mr. Magnifico helped lead the development of three major increments of the SPS software and deployed, DoD-wide, two of those versions. Mr. Magnifico was selected to be the first CIO for the Army Contracting Agency before that agency was transitioned to the new Army Contracting Command. Mr. Magnifico has a B.A. in Business Management from Peru State College and a Masters Degree in Political Science from Auburn University (Montgomery). Mr. Magnifico was selected and attended, in-residence, the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Honors include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Department of the Army Staff Badge, and numerous Department of Defense, Army, and Air Force Performance Awards. In 2011, ACC won the CIO 100 award under his leader-ship. Mr. Magnifico has been a recognized leader within the Army for Data/Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered business solutions. Selected by the Secretary of the Army's office for the first business focused AI initiative, Project Moonshot. He has worked with Industry leaders in AI technology; Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, to develop cutting edge AI solutions for todays and tomorrows Army's business leaders and America's warfighters. His focus remains tomorrows technology for todays challenges!
William Marx
Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
Vision to Value: A Layered Approach to AI in Defense and Aerospace
As Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of INTUITIVE, William J. Marx, Ph.D., oversees the development of strategies, business, and operations planning for technology and systems required to maintain a competitive edge within INTUITIVE’s marketplace. Dr. Marx is responsible for developing the technical vision for the company, aligned with the company’s technology needs, business objectives, and customer missions.
He is responsible for setting the overall goals of the company related to Research and Development. He is working to increase INTUITIVE’s technical portfolio and capabilities associated with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), big data analytics, cloud engineering and platform development, digital engineering and digital twins, and data science and visualization. Dr. Marx is responsible for the development of INTUITIVE’s growing IP and patent library; his team has been awarded 11 patents and has multiple additional patents pending.
Dr. Marx joined INTUITIVE in 2013 as the Deputy Director of Design and Engineering. Later, he was appointed as Director of Research and Development. In those roles, he was responsible for providing technical direction to existing programs and projects and for the execution of several R&D initiatives. Dr. Marx has also contributed to INTUITIVE’s success in the areas of process improvement, software and technology development, and new business capture and pursuit. Prior to joining INTUITIVE, Dr. Marx held various technical and management positions with Rockwell International, The Boeing Company, and Schafer Corporation. In these capacities, he was responsible for programs for the US Army, US Air Force, US Navy, MDA, NASA MSFC, NASA HQ, and DARPA. He was also an Adjunct Associate Professor at UA-Huntsville, where he taught Engineering Economics. He has written software in FORTRAN, C, JOVIAL, Matlab/Simulink, Lisp, Visual Basic, and tk/tcl. He has experience with dozens of software packages associated with flight performance prediction, structural design and optimization, finite element modeling and analysis, trajectory analyses, missile 6-dof performance predictions, and 3D modeling and animation.
Don Mathis
Co-founder, chief technology officer SkyfireAI
Agentic AI in Public Safety
COL (Ret.) Howard D. McInvale, PhD
Guidehouse, Inc., Director of Defense, Diplomacy, & Intelligence
Insights From My Foxhole: Aligning AI Strategy and Development for Optimal Impact
Howard D. McInvale serves as a Director of Defense, Diplomacy, & Intelligence at Guidehouse, Inc., an integrated commercial and public sector consulting firm headquartered in McLean, VA. Doug leads Guidehouse Huntsville, AL office activities supporting numerous Army and DoD clients in the areas of Modernization, Acquisition, and Sustainment (MAS). His teams of experts address contemporary challenges in Digital Transformation, Supply Chain Risk Management, Predictive Analytics, Process Improvement, Fleet Management, and Artificial Intelligence. In his current role, Dr. McInvale applies his career of military experience as an Army officer and his intelligence experience as Distinguished Visiting Professor for Operations Research Technology at the National Security Agency, to deliver enterprise-level data solutions for sophisticated operational and acquisition organizations that support the Warfighter. An expert in system of systems engineering and mathematics, Doug is passionate about helping strategic partners foster more data-centric approaches and optimize their business goals.
Prior to his tenure with Guidehouse, Dr. McInvale worked as a Principal Operations Research Analyst & Space Engineer for a Federally Funded Research and Development Corporation (FFRDC) where he led Digital Transformation activities for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Dr. McInvale is an award-winning researcher with 15 peer-reviewed scholarly journal publications and 50 professional talks. Doug is a graduate of West Point and an Airborne Ranger with duties in combat and at the Pentagon and positions of leadership from Infantry Commander to Academy Professor. Doug is a credentialed Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt (MBB) from the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE). His advanced degrees are an M.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech and an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Systems Engineering and Decision Science from Vanderbilt University. Doug and his wife, Amy, have three children and reside in Madison, AL.
Dr. Vineetha Menon
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Agentic AI for Human-Centric Behavioral Intelligence
Dr. Vineetha Menon is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Big Data Analytics Laboratory at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She has over a decade of expertise in multidisciplinary data science research, including generative AI, bias and transparency in large language models (LLMs), deep learning, AI-driven drug discovery, cybersecurity, explainable AI, and human-AI trust. Dr. Menon has advised defense, industrial, and global clients on human-AI teaming, performance prediction, organizational resilience, and risk-mitigation frameworks. She is widely recognized as a mentor, speaker, and AI visionary, with invitations to present at international technical conferences, defense symposiums, executive summits, and media outlets. Her recognitions include the 2023 IEEE Region 3 Outstanding Young Professional Award, the 2022 IEEE Huntsville Young Professional of the Year Award, and the 2021 IEEE Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding Young Professional Award, alongside the 2020 National Academies Early Career Fellowship for AI-driven disaster resilience research. She has also been honored locally as a Huntsville Chamber Mover and Shaker (2021), Top 40 Under 40 (2025), and Reveille 25 Outstanding Alumni by Mississippi State University (2025).
Mickey Mentzer
Cincinnati Reds, Senior Director of Baseball Systems
AI & Baseball
Mickey Mentzer is the Senior Director of Baseball Systems for the Cincinnati Reds. In this role his teams are tasked with managing the massive amounts of data for both the sport and business side of the organization. His teams are also responsible for the interfaces for the front office, coaching staff, sports science, and players. Before his role with the Reds, he had the opportunity to work in the innovation space for companies like P&G, Kroger, Anthem and 5/3. He also architected a platform for the social app ooVoo that supported 180 million users globally during its time.
Andrew Miller
Brooklyn Law School, Assistant Professor of Law
AI and Law
Professor Andrew Miller joined Brooklyn Law School as Assistant Professor of Law in the summer of 2025, bringing expertise in privacy law and technology, including artificial intelligence (AI). He teaches Civil Procedure, Administrative Law, and courses relating to the intersection of law and technology.
Professor Miller previously taught at Yale Law School, where he was a Clinical Lecturer in Law, Clinical Fellow in Private Law, and Associate Research Scholar in Law. He also served as the Director of Yale Law’s Private Law Clinic, which he co-founded in 2022 and where students worked on cutting-edge and theoretically challenging matters in consumer protection, contract, tort, and property law. His research focuses on the theoretical and doctrinal implications of algorithmic decision-making in consumer markets. He is also a frequent presenter at scholarly symposia on AI and the law, speaking on topics such as bias in AI, perspectives on the No AI Fraud Act, comparative perspectives on facial recognition regulation, and the future risks, opportunities, and challenges of AI.
After graduating from Yale Law School in 2018, Professor Miller clerked for Judge Diane Wood on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and spent two years at Loevy & Loevy, a Chicago civil rights firm. At Loevy & Loevy, Miller focused on seeking redress for people harmed by the misuse of facial recognition, digital surveillance, and other artificial intelligence technologies.
Eric Moore
Partner PATTERSON + SHERIDAN LLP
Patenting Agentic AI
Specialty knowledge in patent law: Eric Moore is a fierce advocate for his clients’ intellectual property, whether liaising with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or advising on patent litigation. He prepares and prosecutes patent applications for communications technologies, complex software and information technology, and electronics and semiconductor technologies.
After completing law school in 2015, Eric began his IP career by joining the USPTO as a patent examiner. During his tenure, he quickly earned a reputation for his outstanding work quality and high production rates.
Eric’s duties at the patent office included examining applications, performing extensive prior art searches, conducting applicant interviews, and preparing and issuing office actions. This experience would inspire him to develop his own ideas for advancing the economy through patents — ideas that have since become a reality. Today, Eric applies that knowledge to file patents on behalf of inventors worldwide, preparing each application with the diligence of an attorney and the scrutiny of an examiner.
Speaking the language of software developers: Eric has worked within the computer science discipline for more than a decade, first entering the field as a developer of military software. As a result, he possesses a deep understanding of computer-related technologies and now leverages his insight to support software companies in their efforts to improve the lives of millions. He often assists clients in identifying patentable subject matter through invention mining sessions, helping them translate ideas into viable applications.
At Patterson + Sheridan, Eric has drafted and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications related to complex computer technologies, including machine learning, virtual computing, user interfaces, and telecommunications. He has also extensively studied and devised effective strategies for avoiding and resolving “abstract idea” rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 101.
In addition to preparing patent applications and helping clients overcome patentability issues and rejections from the USPTO through strategic prosecution, Eric applies his legal skills and technical background to assisting in dispute resolution, including patent litigation.
Eric holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a J.D. from the Ave Maria School of Law. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and children, playing guitar, exploring technology, and studying philosophy.
Shane Morris
Beautiful Majestic Dolphin, Partner
The Hidden NASA: Climate, Chaos, and the Data We Forgot to Brag About
Shane Morris is a senior technologist, data engineer, and AI-builder working at the intersection of national security, federal innovation, and absurdly specific dipping sauces. He’s built scalable data systems for the Army, Navy and Air Force, designed anomaly detection frameworks for critical infrastructure, and led AI enablement efforts across DoD and civilian agencies. Shane also moonlights as a tech influencer with a significant TikTok following, where he breaks down policy, bureaucracy, and machine learning with a voice equal parts professor and stand-up comic. He’s worked with the DoD, DHS and a host of other alphabet agencies, and still somehow finds time to make terrible dad jokes on the internet. Prior to his career working with the federal government, Morris enjoyed a decade plus long run in the music business, which means his playlists are probably better than your playlists.
Grant Moyle
ROI Training, Chief Technology Officer and Master Trainer
Workshop: AI 101
Grant Moyle is the Chief Technology Officer and Master Trainer at ROI Training. Over the last 20+ years, Grant has worked with the world’s leading organizations to modernize their computing operations into the Cloud, and leverage AI and ML to solve business problems. His customers include NASA, NIH, Google, Goldman Sachs, Mayo Clinic, and HSBC.
A 2-time Google Cloud Trainer of the Year, Grant has trained thousands of business and technology professionals around the world. He has degrees from Johns Hopkins University in Biomedical, Electrical and Computing Engineering. He holds multiple certifications from Google Cloud, AWS, Microsoft and ISC2. Since a young age, Grant has had a passion for technology and is an avid space enthusiast. Grant enjoys annual visits to the US Space and Rocket Center for his space camper son Duncan.
Focused on helping organizations achieve digital transformation thru upskilling, ROI Training is the global leader in customized technology and management training solutions. ROI is an AWS Advanced Tier Training Partner and has been awarded Training Partner of the Year six times by Google Cloud. ROI has authored 10 Generative AI classes and trained over 500,000 people on Cloud and AI technologies.
Scott Newberry
Director of Software Engineering, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
Using AI to Help Diagnose Rare Genetic Disease
Scott Newberry was born and raised in Huntsville. He attended Grissom High School and Auburn University. After graduating, he worked for Lockheed Martin as a defense contractor for 6 years before going to HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in 2010. At HudsonAlpha, he is the Director of Software Engineering where he leads a team of software engineers who develop software solutions supporting each of HudsonAlpha’s mission areas. He serves on the Madison City Schools Board of Education and as the Director for Youth Services in the MadCity Rotary Club.
Dr. Nobal Niraula
Technical Fellow, Boeing AI
Agentic AI: What’s Next and Why It Matters
Dr. Nobal Niraula is a Technical Fellow in Boeing Artificial Intelligence and a recognized expert in Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning (ML), and conversational systems. His impact is evidenced by a strong record of research publications, patents, and best paper awards, alongside service as a reviewer for top-tier NLP conferences and invitations to speak at leading universities, international conferences, and research societies.
With 20 years of AI research and development, Nobal has developed and deployed advanced AI/ML solutions to solve aerospace challenges at Boeing. He holds patents from his work across Boeing Research & Technology, Microsoft Research, AT&T Labs Research, and French national labs INRIA and CNRS. Nobal earned a Ph.D. in AI from the University of Memphis (USA), master’s degrees in Computer Networks from the Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand) and Telecom SudParis (France), and a B.E. in Computer Engineering from Tribhuvan University (Nepal); outside of work, he co-founded Algoscool, a coding school for kids.
Josh Phillips
Chief Digital Officer, CohesionForce, Inc.
Workshop: From Prompts to Processes: Engineering Agentic Development Environments
Josh Phillips is Chief Digital Officer at CohesionForce, where he leads digital transformation and artificial intelligence initiatives. He has over a decade of experience spanning software engineering, data engineering, and AI application development, with recent work focused on multimodal models, agentic systems, and AI-assisted test & development. In addition to his role at CFI, he organizes a monthly paper review series on emerging AI research and regularly speaks on practical applications of AI in engineering and business contexts.
Gregory Ratcliff
Chief Innovation Officer, Vertiv
Time-to-Token: Actual AI Efficiency gains and Next Generation infrastructures
Greg Ratcliff is the Chief Innovation Officer at Vertiv, leading a team dedicated to pioneering groundbreaking technologies, business models, and processes. With a keen focus on AI, high-performance computing, and IoT, Greg drives innovation to address evolving market challenges and deliver exceptional value to Vertiv's customers.
An award-winning leader including Technology Executive of the Year by Comspark's Central Ohio Tech Power Player Awards, Greg’s impact extends beyond Vertiv. His recent 2023 iMason's innovation award, and IM100 awards further solidifies his reputation as a visionary in the data center industry.
Previously, Greg spearheaded Vertiv’s global advanced analytics group, successfully connecting nearly 1 billion IoT sensors to the Vertiv cloud and pioneering real-time data insights. His deep technical expertise is complemented by a strong business acumen cultivated through advising technology incubators and serving on several corporate and industry boards.
Greg's dedication to pushing the limits of technological innovation and bringing forward our next generation of engineers and leaders is demonstrated by his academic ties, which include teaching Innovation at the University of Alabama Birmingham Graduate School and having eleven patents related to IoT and data center technologies. His strategic vision is firmly grounded in his Doctorate ABD in Agile project management of IoT and Big Data, MBA, and undergraduate degrees in Applied Mathematics and Information Technology.
Marcus H. Sachs, P.E.
SVP and Chief Engineer, Center for Internet Security
Exploitation of Agentic AI by Cyber Threat Actors
Marcus (Marc) Sachs is the Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer at the Center for Internet Security. He is a retired US Army Officer and was a White House appointee in the George W. Bush administration. His private sector experience includes senior leadership roles at SRI International, Verizon Communications, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and Pattern Computer. Prior to joining CIS he was the Deputy Director for Research at Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security. He holds a joint appointment with the Idaho National Laboratory and is a registered Professional Engineer.
Andrew Samuelson
AI Solutions Architect, Booz Allen Hamilton
AI You Can Trust, Built From The Data You Can't
Throughout his career, Andrew Samuelson has lived and breathed data, holding roles ranging from Full Stack Developer and Data Architect to Operations Research Engineer. This background in Industrial and Systems Engineering allows him to approach technology with a unique, holistic perspective—prioritizing the metrics that drive genuine success over mere technical output.
For over five years, Andrew has been a key architect for the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office’s (CDAO) Advana program, establishing the groundwork for actionable, shareable data. As AI continues to evolve, he remains a vocal advocate for the critical role of data and metadata integrity. Today, his role is centered on defining and measuring AI success to ensure technology delivers meaningful, mission-focused outcomes that are trusted by users.
Jordan M. Sloane
Producer | Director at Primary Source Media
Using AI in Documentaries
Jordan Sloane is a director and producer with experience on over 40 major feature films and television shows, including Black Panther, Spider-Man, Fast and Furious, and multiple multi-camera sitcoms. With a career that spans both studio blockbusters and independent productions, Sloane brings a cinematic eye, deep production knowledge, and a collaborative spirit to every project. His work emphasizes culture, composition, and team dynamics, always aiming to elevate real-world stories with visual flair and narrative clarity. Drawing from years spent working closely with Hollywood’s top creative and technical professionals, he has transitioned into producing and directing content that highlights human experience with authenticity and entertainment value. Sloane is particularly drawn to projects that require strong aesthetic direction and strategic storytelling, combining visual impact with narrative purpose. His ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and execute at scale makes him a versatile creative force across genres and platforms.
Matt Sloane
Co-founder, chief strategy officer SkyfireAI
Agentic AI in Public Safety
Christina Lee Storm
Christina Lee Storm is Co-Founder of PLAYBOOK PLBK and Head of Studio, Narrative at AI-native studio, Secret Level
The Creative Inflection Point: Agentic AI and the Next Wave of Innovation
Christina Lee Storm is Co-Founder of PLAYBOOK PLBK and Head of Studio, Narrative at AI-native studio, Secret Level. She is an accomplished executive and award-winning producer known for pioneering storytelling through emerging technologies in film, series, animation, documentaries, XR, and multi-platform storytelling. She has been instrumental in implementing creative and strategic production technologies for franchises, IP, and world-building with studios such as Netflix, Universal, and DreamWorks Animation.
Christina is Co-Founder of The Creative + Tech Orbit substack. She is Governor of the Television Academy's Emerging Media Programming peer group, Co-Chair of the Advocacy Committee, Lead for the Academy’s Responsible AI & Production Standards Working Group, and an active member of the Innovation Advisory Committee. Christina sits on the Producers Guild of America’s Production Innovation Task Force, Los Angeles Mayor’s Entertainment Industry Council, and Runway’s 100 Film Fund Advisor Panel. She is a newly inducted member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, Class of 2025.
Madison Travis
Digital Communications Strategist
Vision to Value: A Layered Approach to AI in Defense and Aerospace
As Digital Communications Strategist, she is responsible for developing an effective marketing strategy, curating digital content, and managing digital platforms for INTUITIVE – transforming technical capabilities into an impactful message.
Madison Travis currently serves as the Digital Communications Strategist for Intuitive Research Technology Corporation (INTUITIVE®), and engineering and analysis firm located in Huntsville, Alabama. She manages multiple high-impact marketing campaigns tied to contract activities and corporate priorities.
Madison reports to the Director of Communications and Engagement and works closely with Executive Leadership to intentionally curate corporate messaging and marketing efforts. In her role, she manages multiple strategic campaigns that are directly tied to various contract efforts and proposal submissions. By working alongside Division Managers and technical SMEs across all corporate locations, she transforms capabilities and past performance into effective marketing for the company. Additionally, Madison plays a key role in educating employees about technical priorities and emerging technologies, while also overseeing external communications across the company’s website and social media platforms, in partnership with a team of graphic designers and content personnel.
Nicolai Wadstrom
Partner, Co-Head of Ares Venture Capital and AI Innovation Groups
Mr. Wadstrom is a Partner and Co-Head of the Ares Venture Capital Group, BootstrapLabs, an Ares company, where he focuses on venture capital investing. He is also Co-Head of the Ares AI Innovation Group, which focuses on driving internal AI strategy.
Prior to joining Ares in 2024, Mr. Wadstrom was the Founder, CEO, and General Partner of BootstrapLabs, a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley with an applied AI investment thesis since 2015, where he worked with AI portfolio company founders to build and scale technology, products, teams, and operations. Prior to this he was an angel investor in early-stage technology companies in the US and Europe.
Mr. Wadstrom is a serial entrepreneur that has built companies since his early 20’s and brings over 30 years of entrepreneurial and operational experience as a founder, CEO, and CTO, launching and growing software technology companies across various domains, such as VR, internet, financial trading systems, and enterprise software. He is currently a member or observer of the board of Charm Solutions, Klear, and Hayden AI among others.
He is a frequent industry speaker on topics such as artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, innovation, disruption, startups, venture capital and how AI technology can be leveraged to build a better future. Mr. Wadstrom has been called to speak and advise at events organized by Interpol, the United Nations, various US government agencies, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Super Returns conferences, and many others.
Dr. Kristin Weger
Clinical Associate Professor of Engineering Management
Agentic AI for Human-Centric Behavioral Intelligence
Dr. Kristin Weger is a Clinical Associate Professor of Engineering Management in the Industrial & Systems Engineering and Engineering Management Department at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She also directs the Leadership and Organizational Behavior Laboratory. Her expertise spans behavioral science, the identification of behavioral features in complex systems, lean and agile leadership development, organizational transformation, operations and shop floor management, emotional intelligence, and the digitalization of regulatory and operational processes. With over a decade of consulting and research experience, Dr. Weger has partnered with global organizations across the defense, aerospace, automotive, construction, manufacturing, and energy sectors. Internationally recognized for her work in process and leadership excellence, she has trained more than 500 leaders at all organizational levels, from frontline supervisors to executives.
A. David Weigel
Director of the INTUITIVE® Planetarium at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Workshop:
A. David Weigel is the Director of the INTUITIVE® Planetarium at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL, where he is optimally situated to share his joy of exploring the universe with others. Under his leadership, the planetarium was honored by USA Today in 2025 as the #2 planetarium in the United States. Weigel and the planetarium team strive to innovate within the field by creating live, interactive astronomy experiences supported by immersive, data-driven visualizations of the latest discoveries.
He has produced several signature programs that run daily—including JWST: The Story Unfolds, Our Place in Space, and Mission to Mars—as well as a new and unique weekly live show for the popular Cocktails & Cosmos series. Weigel has hosted domecasts and livestreams in collaboration with NASA, NOIRLab, and Cosm that have received international acclaim, and he recently produced a short film in collaboration with the University of Arizona Astrobiology Center, Big Questions: Astrobiology. He has been with the Rocket Center since 2019, beginning the day before the planetarium opened.
Since 2015, Weigel has also served as an astrovizicist for the open-source software project WorldWide Telescope (WWT), where he creates interactive astronomical visualizations and educational video tours of the universe in collaboration with organizations such as the Harvard Center for Astrophysics, NOIRLab, Space Telescope Science Institute, and the American Astronomical Society. Through his work at both the Rocket Center and WWT, he pioneered the concept of Data to Dome, Dome to Phone—integrating live, interactive science communication with data-driven visualizations that extend beyond the dome. He has taught workshops internationally on science communication, data visualization, and AI techniques, and his WWT interactives have reached audiences in the hundreds of millions on social media, particularly surrounding JWST imagery. Explore an example of his work featuring zoomable, contextual Vera Rubin Observatory imagery here: https://projects.cosmicds.cfa.harvard.edu/rubin-first-look/.
Weigel has also taught specialized high school courses on human spaceflight and the colonization of Mars for the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering and the Alabama Governor’s School.
Previously, as the Planetarium Director at Samford University, Weigel developed a project-based mentoring program for 5th–12th grade students to sharpen 3D modeling, 3D printing, and programming skills. He has produced two fulldome planetarium movies for Princess Cruises in collaboration with the Discovery Channel and has created a variety of planetarium and virtual reality shorts.
He holds a Master of Science degree in Engineering Physics (Space Physics) from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Furman University.
An avid rock climber, David enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends in his spare time.
Mark Zais, PhD
Senior Technologist and Director of Data & Analytics at Integration Innovation Inc. (i3)
How your AI agent will lie, blackmail, and even murder (and get away with it) - a review of securing our Agentic AI future
Mark Zais, PhD is a Senior Technologist and Director of Data & Analytics at Integration Innovation Inc. (i3). Prior to joining i3 in 2022, Mark served in the military for 26 years before retiring as an Army Colonel. He spent the first part of his career in multiple assignments as a Longbow Apache (AH-64D) helicopter pilot before transitioning to the Operations Research military specialty. Mark’s military Operations Research assignments included Department of the Army Staff, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and U.S. Special Operations Command, where he served as Chief Data Scientist. His academic and professional research focuses on data science, machine learning, metaheuristics, and simulation-optimization. Mark has a degree in Operations Research from the United States Military Academy (West Point), master’s degrees in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Business Administration (Operations Research) from the University of Colorado at Boulder.