Summit Speaker

Rane Johnson-Stempson is a certified partnership broker and Principal Research Director at Microsoft Research. She engages with academics worldwide to identify high-impact areas for research investigations. She is working on

Yasmin Kafai is Professor of Learning Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a researcher and co-developer of online tools and communities (scratch.mit.edu, stitchtfest.org, and ecrafting.org) to promote computational

As executive vice president of business development at Microsoft, Peggy Johnson is responsible for driving strategic business deals and partnerships across various industries with key customers, strategic innovation partners, OEMs,

As a NASA mathematician, Katherine Johnson’s calculations include the trajectory for the space flight of Alan Shepard, the first American in space; John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth;

Benjamin Todd Jealous is a Partner at Kapor Capital, where he invests in seed-stage startup companies that use technology to solve social problems such as making poverty less expensive, high

Janet Hyde is the Helen Thompson Woolley Professor of Psychology and Gender & Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She earned her BA in Mathematics from Oberlin College and

Dr. Catherine Good is an associate professor of psychology at Baruch College of the City University of New York and a member of the graduate faculty at CUNY’s Graduate Center.

Christine Mann Darden is a native of Monroe, North Carolina. She has a BS in Mathematics from Hampton Institute (now University) in Hampton, Virginia, an MS in Applied Mathematics from

Dr. Thandeka K. Chapman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education Studies at the University of California, San Diego. Her research focuses on desegregation policy initiatives, urban school

Colin Bodell serves as the vice president of engineering for Shopify Plus, where he is responsible for directing the engineering organization and establishing the technical vision and strategy for the company’s

Owen Astrachan is Professor of the Practice of Computer Science at Duke University, where he has taught across four decades and two millennia. His undergraduate degree in mathematics is from

Amy P. Abernethy, MD PhD, a hematologist/oncologist and palliative care physician, is Professor of Medicine in the Duke University School of Medicine, Director of the Duke Center for Learning Health

A New York native, Renée Felice Smith moved across the country for her role on the CBS hit series, “NCIS: Los Angeles.” Smith was executive producer and star of BABY,

Actress and Activist  Mayim Hoya Bialik currently stars as Amy Farrah Fowler in the CBS hit comedy “The Big Bang Theory”, for which she received Emmy nominations in 2012 and

Dr. Gladys West was born in Sutherland, VA and spent her childhood years growing up in Dinwiddie County, VA. She was one of four children born to Nolan and Macy

Van Jones is the Founder of the Dream Corps, a social entrepreneur, a CNN political commentator, Emmy Award-winning producer, and a New York Times best-selling author. Famous for his heart-felt election night

Cathy O’Neil is the author of the New York Times best-selling Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy, which was also a semifinalist for the National Book Award. She

Lisa D. Cook is Professor of Economics and International Relations at Michigan State University. She was the first Marshall Scholar from Spelman College and received a second B.A. in Philosophy,

Dr. Nicki Washington is a professor of the practice of computer science and gender, sexuality, and feminist studies at Duke University and the author of Unapologetically Dope: Lessons for Black Women

Equipped with little more than a notebook, binoculars, and her fascination with wildlife, Jane Goodall braved a realm of unknowns to give the world a remarkable window into humankind’s closest

Darryl Yong is a Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, Director of the Mathematics Clinic Program, and Associate Dean for Diversity and Faculty Development. He was also the Founding

Eshika Saxena is a freshman at Harvard University planning to major in Computer Science. She developed an early interest in technology as a regular participant in FIRST Lego League robotics

Through her work at the DO-IT Center at the University of Washington, Brianna Blaser works to increase the participation of people with disabilities in science and engineering careers. She is

Dr. Paul is the leading authority on employee engagement and respect in the workplace. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Yale University and has worked in the field

Janine Vanderburg leads Changing the Narrative in Colorado, a campaign to change the way people think, talk, and act about aging and ageism. Committed to leveraging the talents of people