Visionary Headliners, Rockstars &
Fab Facilitators

Douglas has been a technology and innovation thought leader for decades, charting the future of human space exploration and guiding the development of advanced technologies that enable exploration and improve life on earth. He served as NASA’s Chief Technologist and is currently the Associate Director for Strategy at the Johnson Space Center.

From launching the Houston region’s first autonomous shuttle service to serving on Texas’ statewide commission on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), Kimberly is a national expert on emerging mobility solutions. With a focus on innovation in the public sector she brings a unique perspective to overcoming barriers to deploying innovation in agencies and communities.

Building upon Gore’s 65-year legacy of innovation, Balaji leverages open innovation to establish partnerships with start-ups, higher education institutions, and strategic technology partners, thereby creating new opportunities. Drawing upon his expertise of 30+ years, Balaji has built strong relationships within and outside his organization. With an understanding of existing gaps, he seeks to bridge them or scale innovative concepts through strategic partnerships.

Jacob is a seasoned corporate innovator and thought leader with a remarkable track record spanning over a decade. Throughout his career, he has consistently pushed the boundaries of conventional thinking, spearheading groundbreaking initiatives and driving transformational change within organizations. Jacob’s unique ability to identify emerging trends and leverage cutting edge technologies has earned him widespread recognition as a visionary leader in the fast- casual industry.

Dr. Collier has been an innovation leader across multiple industries creating new businesses, products, and technology capabilities in the electrical, display, renewable and advertising markets. He is an inventor, speaker, and author of peer reviewed articles. He has a passion for learning, experimenting, and working with teams to discover and implement high value solutions.

Michael “Coop” Cooper is passionate about the people side of change. He recognizes changing minds can be difficult but knows often it’s much easier and simpler than we might think. He empowers leaders at companies around the world to understand and appreciate the underlying NeuroEfficiencies that people have, to speak directly in terms of what is important to them, and successfully sell their ideas and strategies.

Ben is part of Grainger’s Technology Group and is currently modernizing experiences for 16 million + customers focused around Post Order eCommerce services. He has worked across all functional teams within Grainger to build the roadmap, own strategy, and partner with stakeholders from the North American branches.

An entrepreneur at heart, Leo has spent the past 20 years working closely with enterprise clients and partners to deliver innovative solutions leveraging emerging technologies and hosted platforms. Leo’s unique front-line perspective combined with his creative, collaborative leadership approach to solve complex problems allows his team to build momentum in the marketplace with a continued drive for innovation and success for all AWS partners.

Priya has been a thought leader in using technology and building strong teams to solve unique business challenges for more than two decades. Her experience and track record with delivering business value with a focus on transformation for a broad range of business portfolios adds a practical touch to our conversation on innovation.

Nelson has been an innovator and thought leader in aerospace for over two decades. His experience in identifying and developing novel technologies that enable new capabilities and missions lends him a unique perspective on how innovation drives business growth and the future of space.