GatherVerse SHE Summit 2024: January 16-18, 2024 (8:00 AM PST)
Speakers
Joanna Popper: Bio
Joanna Popper is an award-winning Hollywood and Silicon Valley C-level media executive with a track record of launching cutting edge content and technology to drive revenue, audience engagement and brand love.
She was most recently Chief Metaverse Officer at CAA, a leading Entertainment and Sports agency. Prior she led HP’s initiatives for Go-To-Market & Location Based Entertainment for Virtual Reality, and was EVP of Media & Marketing at Singularity University and VP Marketing at NBCUniversal.
Joanna is passionate about supporting Creators & building out Metaverse & XR Content Ecosystem. Joanna is executive producer “Fight Back” by Coven premiering at Venice 2022. She was EP on Double Eye Studios’ “Finding Pandora X,” winner Venice Golden Lion Best VR Experience, SXSW Audience Award for Virtual Cinema Spotlight. Finding Pandora X is a modern day take on Greek mythology live theatre interactive experience in VRChat.
She is executive producer for “Breonna’s Garden,” a Tribeca premiere VR + AR experiences created by Lady PheOnix, Sutu and Breonna Taylor’s family to honor her life. She did these projects because of her passion for VR content. Winner: 2 Best Societal Impact Auggie Awards, Best Social Impact at Art Basel/ Filmgate Interactive, PGA Innovation Finalist, Aurea Award, Unity Award.
Selected “50 Women Can Change the World in Media and Entertainment,” “Top 50 Original Voices in VR,” “Top Women in Media: Game Changers,” “Top Women in Media: Industry Leaders,” “Digital It List,” “101 Women Leading the VR Industry” & Coalition for WXR Fund.
- Silicon Valley & Hollywood experience in Metaverse, AI, web3, VR/AR, Location Based Entertainment, Gaming, TV, Film, Music, Digital, Social, OTT & Tech
- Focus on building adoption for what’s next: emerging markets, languages, audiences & tech
- Sought after speaker at CES, SXSW, Cannes Film Festival, Collision, NAB, Siggraph, Comic Con, Berlin Film Fest, Sundance Film Festival
- Experience in TV, VR & Digital Content Development
- Collaborative leader building top teams + managing Advertising/ Creative/ Digital/ Social/ PR/ MCN/ Upfront Agencies
- Startup Advisor/ Angel Investor
- Top-tier Strategy Consulting + Banking experience
- Board member
Passion for creating inclusive environments & empowering teams to fully realize their dreams. Advocate - Trilingual: English, Spanish, Portuguese
Entertainment marketing, Television, Media, VR/AR/XR, Gaming, Metaverse, influencer Strategy, Content Partnerships, Digital Marketing, Social Media, Brand Partnerships, Multicultural, Global, Team Building, Author
Muhsinah Morris: Bio
Metaversity Director, VR Enthusiast, Innovator, Chemist, Educator, Speaker, Autism Advocate, Author, Wife, Mom Meet the first ever Metaversity Director, Dr. Muhsinah Lateefah Morris. A BS chemistry graduate of the HBCU Clark Atlanta University.
She obtained an MS & PhD from the Harvard of the South, Emory University in Biomolecular Chemistry. Dr. Morris has been part of and leading Morehouse’s Metaversity project since the Spring of 2021.
She’s won awards for Teaching Excellence at Morehouse College, Best Emerging Technology and Innovation from CBRE, First Place Unconventional Innovation in Industry by T-Mobile, and Educator of the Year for 2022 by STEM Women Atlanta.
She resides in McDonough GA with her husband and five sons. One of her sons has autism and she advocates for the entire autism community as a member of the Community Advisory Council and advocacy Ambassadors for Autism Speaks.
She’s a VR pioneer in education and is transforming learning globally. She is affectionately known as Dr. M.O.M. (Molder of Minds) by all her students.
She continues to mold the minds of educators and students globally in the Metaverse. She is a member of the XR Advisory Council for the XR Association and Futurist Council for Jobs for the Future (JFF).
She was named a Top 100 Woman of the Future for 2023 by Women of the Future and has been featured on CNN International, The Next Frontier. Her goal is to authentically transform the educational system for our future leaders using immersive technologies in the Metaverse.
She currently trains both pre-service and in-service educators on how to create and optimize their own institutional Metaverse Culture.
More recently, she founded Metaverse United, LLC where she helps people find where they belong in the embodiment of the internet called the Metaverse.
Learn more at UnitetheMetaverse.com.
Sheri Byrne-Haber: Bio
Sheri Byrne-Haber is a prominent global subject matter expert in the fields of disability and accessibility in the business and educational settings. She is best known for launching digital accessibility programs at multiple Fortune 200 companies including McDonald’s, Albertsons, and VMware, as well as consulting on government accessibility. Her programs have positively impacted millions of the more than 1 billion global people with disabilities.
Sheri firmly believes that holistic accessibility programs provide people with disabilities the best chance to achieve equality as either customers or employees in an organizational world largely established for the abled. To assess how well an organization is doing with respect to employees and customers with disabilities, Sheri co-authored the Digital Accessibility Maturity Model while a Principle Accessibility Policy Consultant at Level Access, the foremost global consultancy dedicated entirely to accessibility. Her integrated approach links Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) creation, a core component of accessibility programs, to most major departments in an organization including product design, development, testing, marketing, research, human resources, procurement, and diversity/inclusion.
Her extensive accessibility professional career has been supported by an comprehensive, multi-disciplinary educational background, including:
- B.Sc. in Management Information Systems (University of San Francisco)
- J.D. (University of San Francisco)
- M.B.A with an emphasis on Health Care from The George Washington University
Continuing education has included:
- Post-MBA entrepreneurship program run by the NSF at the Haas School of Business (University of California).
- One of the first people to complete the new (v5) US Trusted Tester (Section 508) Certification Training
- In the first group of people certified in Professional Accessibility Core Competencies (IAAP/G3ICT), recently renewed for a second three-year term.
- Certificate in ADA coordination (University of Missouri, Columbia)
Her passion for accessibility initially stemmed from the desire to help her deaf daughter navigate the world, alongside the accessibility issues she personally faced as a lifelong wheelchair user. With degrees in computer science, law, and business, in addition to two accessibility-related professional certifications, Sheri has a complete 360-degree view of issues that impact implementing a high-quality accessibility program.
Sheri is the author of a popular Medium blog called “This Week in Accessibility” where she summarizes legal cases and issues facing people implementing accessibility programs. She is a frequent panelist and speaker at accessibility related conferences, and an active member of several accessibility committees and non-profits, helping drive and communicate the evolution of accessibility standards.
Sorcha Mulligan: Bio
Venture Partner supporting FinTech, Blockchain, Metaverse & Web3 innovators who are seeking to achieve sustainable growth through Investment, Joint Venture Partnerships & direct Client Acquisition, globally.
Essentially, matching people with people who can work together to achieve a combined, aligned objective in their field. EQ with IQ is the winning formula.
Katarina M.V. Galic: Bio
I come from an entrepreneurial family with 4 generations of successful business owners.
At the age of 15, I started my first business venture in Europe, and subsequently established businesses in Singapore, Canada, and in Portugal. I had a tremendous opportunity to help, support and advise more then 5,000 entrepreneurs and SMEs. My true passion is supporting and empowering entrepreneurs to understand impact, qualities and benefits of sustainable operations – enabling start-ups to scale, expand and grow as they create a long term impact. I enjoy helping start-ups and SMEs develop strategies for advancement, build foundational partnerships, and drive change with a purpose to create global impact.
Most of all, I love supporting women in tech and all start-ups that leverage sustainable technology for the benefit of mankind. Sustainability is ingrained in our mindset, it’s the way we live our lives.
Currently I am PhD candidate in Sustainable Energy Systems @ MIT Portugal and Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon. I am proud to be part of the Instituto Superior Técnico family, the most reputed school of Engineering, Science and Technology, and Architecture in Portugal.
After many years of living around the world, I have come back home, to Europe, and currently live in beautiful Lisbon with my family.
Lynn Gitau: Bio
Lyn Gitau is an entrepreneur, Founder MetaVersations, an organization that evangelizes, educates and creates immersive Metaverse experiences through meaningful collaborations with Metaverse builders.
She is the COO of the first African Metaverse DAO that seeks to preserve and showcase African culture and heritage in the metaverse. Her educational background has gained her proficiency in PR and Mass Communications.
She is an advent aficionado of exploring global biodiversity and sustainability at the intersection of emerging technologies. Lynn has spoken in major conferences focused on DeFi, Metaverse and other Web 3 concepts.
Currently, she is one of the most sought-after experts in the realm of the Metaverse in Africa and has been featured in popular business articles and shows.
Eva Pascual: Bio
Eva Pascual is a visionary of futuristic solutions possible today, where inner peace and life force upliftment are commonly prioritised in a playful way.
She revealed the unconscious by mapping and color-coding the Structure of Thought, a science replicable as a universal language, which solves the perceptual error of separation.
After a lifetime of studying the source of creation and how to augment happiness and life force, she is motivated to integrate these powers into a conscious society that believes in impacting legacy.
She currently works on the dissemination of ancestral knowledge and new science creating immersive analog and digital experiences.
Eva designs evolutionary “paradigm shift” content to update holistically; entertainment, pedagogy, art, policy making, governance and architecture.
She has recently integrated her body of work about the impact of the invisible through an immersive installation in the building of the University of Industrial Design of Barcelona.
Her intention is to share knowledge in a playful and experiential way, to facilitate transcendental processes that cooperate with evolution and intelligent acts based in inseparability and recognition of teh energy unified field where we are all immersed.
To create a legacy of impact and generate a future for young people where kindness and awareness are the fuel of every relationship. And where creativity is in service of blooming of all life forms.
Andrea Camargo: Bio
Andrea is a visionary at the intersection of biology and business.
With a background in veterinary medicine and a passion for innovation, she’s leading the charge in applying biomimicry principles to create sustainable and regenerative business models.
Join her to explore the exciting world of nature-inspired entrepreneurship.
Paige Dansinger: Bio
Top 25 Women in the Metaverse, Paige Dansinger is the founder of Better World Museum, Horizon Art Museum, and Women in Horizon.
Our programs empower members through world building, summits, and community events.
She prioritizes women, diversity, initiatives for good in the metaverse. Paige currently works at Third Academy as VP of metaverse development.
Trish Kane: Bio
Trish Kane, MBA is the CEO and Founder of Healerverse. She is a Healer, Entrepreneur, and Consultant.
In 2014, Trish was found non-responsive and dead by paramedics with a body temperature of 86* F/30* C, went to “other side,” and was resuscitated twice.
Trish was blessed to receive a second chance at life and healed completely. Her purpose and passion lies in bringing people together to facilitate alternative healing on a global level.
Trish leads an international team at Healerverse, developing the first-of-its-kind community for holistic and spiritual healers and leaders to connect on and offline within their communities. www.5Dhealerverse.com
Trish holds a BBA from Iona University and MBA from Florida Atlantic University.
Charlene Nichols: Bio
Creating the Future of Eyewear Dispensing with Omniverse City With 26 years of experience in the optical industry, I have always been passionate about finding innovative solutions to the challenges faced by independent eyecare professionals and businesses.
As the Chief Imagineer at Omniverse City, I lead the development of the first metaverse platform designed for an entire industry to reimagine how they do business together.
I have a proven track record of launching successful online ordering portals, virtual try-on and measuring apps, and virtual trade shows that have transformed the optical landscape.
My Vision Show, which I founded in 2019, was recognized as one of the most influential innovations in optical by Vision Monday, and Optical Near ME, which I founded in 2017, is the world’s first omnichannel ecosystem for independent opticians and optometrists.
My vision and mission is to empower optical businesses with cutting-edge tools and technologies that enable them to thrive in the digital era.
Geo James: Bio
Geo has been working in social media and with influencers for 15 years, and is a founding leader of the influencer marketing industry in the UK.
She has led strategies in house at global giants such as L’Oréal, Electronic Arts (EA Games) and Charlotte Tilbury, founded an award-winning content agency and nonprofit, and was named one of the biggest influences on the influencer industry in 2022.
She is an educator in best practice in influencer marketing and was named Udemy’s highest rated influencer educator in 2021.
She is now Partnerships Director at a leading fame agency in London, and enjoys judging industry awards, mentoring new talent and speaking at events about the ways in which we can push this industry to be more inclusive, ethical and sustainable.
Safaa Alattar: Bio
With strong leadership skills, business acumen, and technical expertise, she is committed to driving success and growth in the companies she works with.
Ruth Diaz, Psy.D.: Bio
Ruth Diaz is the co-founder and Core Vision Owner (CVO) of Liminal XR, a company that leverages XR (VR/AR/MR) to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in various domains.
With over three years of experience as a VR Ux/Cx Consultant, she helps clients create immersive and engaging spaces that promote human connection and understanding.
As a social scientist and organizational consultant, Ruth has a strong background in clinical psychology, social work, and conflict resiliency.
She is passionate about using XR as a tool for personal and social transformation, and has developed the Deepen, Orient, Transform (DOT) model to facilitate this process.
She has also built hundreds of VR worlds and events, and has been featured in Oculus blog for her work on Belong, a world that celebrates women’s history and contributions.
Sharron McPherson: Bio
Sharron McPherson, an innovative leader with recognized expertise in climate and development finance, brings a global perspective to designing and deploying financial solutions to mobilize private capital for climate-smart development. She specializes in bridging public finance with capital markets and institutional and impact investors to effect the transformation to a low-carbon future that we need.
An accomplished former banking and financial services executive, and attorney with the firm Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, Sharron has over 30 years of experience starting, building, and navigating businesses through competitive and complex regulatory environments. She is co-Founder and former Executive Director of the Centre for Disruptive Technologies, an affiliate of the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business where she serves as a Senior Adjunct in Project Finance. She is a member of the faculty of Singularity University based in Mountainview, California where her focus is on advancing technologies for a climate resilient future. She has served as a strategic advisor on high impact resilience investing for a number of global corporations including the Shell Foundation, Chevron and Alexander Forbes. Her development finance and government advisory work includes the World Bank & IFC, the African Development Bank, the Development Finance Corporation and the governments of Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa. More recently she advised the United States Federal Government on the sustainable job creation aspects of the Inflation Reductions Act of 2022 and in 2023 she was awarded a Senior Non-Resident fellowship with the Loomis Council of the Stimson Center, a bi-partisan think tank based in Washington, D.C.
An experienced relationship manager with a track record in business development and structuring transactions, Sharron has worked in partnership with development finance institutions, commercial banks, asset managers, corporates, climate funds, philanthropic foundations, and governments. She is also a frequent moderator and speaker on topics of climate finance, the global legal and regulatory framework of ESG, climate technology, and mobilizing private capital.
Sharron earned a Doctorate in Jurisprudence (Columbia University School of Law), Honors in International Trade & Finance (University of Toulon), Bachelor of Arts in Economics (The College of William & Mary), and Post-Doctoral Studies in Exponential Technologies (Singularity University).
She serves as a Non-Executive Director, as well as Strategic Advisor, to a number of publicly traded and private companies. She is a member of the South African Institute of Directors (IOD) and the National Association for Corporate Directors in the United States.”
Divya Anantharaman: Bio
Divya is the founded Ikabit Inc in 2017. She is an Inventor and holds multiple patents.
A solutions-oriented firmware and software engineering leader with a dedicated 20+ years career enabling companies like Intel, Hughes, & Wipro.
She has extensive expertise in all facets of the project life cycle, on-time and quality delivery of new and next-generation products.
She is passionate about Technology and Women Empowerment (#HelpGetBackToWork)
Alison Morano: Bio
Dynamic XR strategist and business development professional strengthening business & political ventures and organizational innovation within the Metaverse.
Throughout my career, I’ve transformed innovation and development strategies for all types of campaigns from e-commerce to social, and political.
I’ve now turned my focus to virtual, augmented reality, and other metaverse experiences, personally responsible for project conception through application launch. I love the challenge of influencing meaningful and radical change.
I consistently meet and exceed outreach goals and have a passion for building strong cross-functional relationships and successful teams through community building, fundraising, and XR and VR engagement.
With a track-record of organizing awareness and course correction based on legislative goals and revitalizing and rejuvenating organization projects, I am dedicated to effecting long range paradigm change using training, persuasion, and goal-oriented tactics.
Shannon Peel: Bio
Shannon Peel has over 30 years experience in marketing, sales, advertising, and storytelling. Due to her insatiable curiosity and desire to learn new things, Shannon has a unique skill set enabling her to see how all the pieces of a brand story come together to guide an audience from brand awareness to brand advocacy.
She recently published her interactive, multimedia digital book called BrandAPeel: Brand Storytelling in the Digital Age filled with videos, podcast episodes, and downloadable workbooks to help small businesses define their brands and create content to tell their stories.
Margarita Samsonova Bio
Experienced environmental content creator using my platform MarGreen, with a demonstrated history of collaborating with sustainable brands, companies and organisations worldwide to magnify their work and ensure positive environmental news is being spread.
Skilled in public speaking, storytelling with over 15 years experience in content creation, filmmaking and documentary work through social media as an environmental educator.
Founded Behind the Greens, an environmental media company with 7 social media channels on 5 platforms with an expanding professional team focused on capturing a behind-the-scenes overview of environmental organisations striving for a greener future.
Lead retreats and online training programs ‘Creative Greenpreneur Adventure’, “mastering the art of GREENfluencing” aimed at skills development related to sustainable living, wildlife conservation, mindfulness tasks and how the use of social media can be used as a conservation tool.
Emily Wright: Bio
Emily Wright is a rising voice of their generation, with an eclectic background encompassing child care, education, marketing, and management, to name a few, and they have assisted in the establishment and growth of multiple small businesses.
As a writer, their first book, ‘The 100 Days of Colour: Celebrating Frequetic Beauty,’ is a firm look at the connection between algorithmic and subconscious bias, and discusses the psychology behind discrimination and how we can make positive progress in light of our biases.
Their second book, ‘My Brain: Explained, A Modern Conversation of the Mind,’ explores the relationship between the Conscious and Subconscious Minds in more detail, as well as Mind Management and Thought Organisation to facilitate a happier and more productive Life.
Emily’s brand, It’ll be alwright®, is the foundation of their multifaceted endeavours that focus on cultivating individual potential to facilitate collective healing.
Betty Dannewitz: Bio
Betty Dannewitz is an Immersive Experience Architect with over 19 years in corporate learning and development.
She is also a Speaker, Podcaster, and High-Performance Coach.
Betty’s passion is to help people become better humans and she advocates that innovative technology, like XR and podcasting, have a HUGE role in making that happen.
Mariya Pallais: Bio
Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Mariya Pallais (surprise surprise) – first and foremost a Millennial, meaning memes and wine are a way of life. To further exploit cliches, I love dogs and have a chinchilla, who I call my child.
I started in the Marketing department of AirBnB, which feels on brand, and decided that I wanted to create a life where I do it myself (PR, not home rentals). So, I broke out on my journey to entrepreneurship, which like all good journeys had a few flat tires but resulted in a great view.
Mariya Pallais PR has been around for 5 years now and when I’m not grinding away, I’m in a wetsuit somewhere 100 feet under the sea.
Over the last 5 years, I’ve expanded my connections and fine-tuned my processes – it’s been a wonderful journey indeed.
Tess McKinney: Bio
Meet Tess McKinney, AAS, a trailblazing force in the technology arena with an illustrious 20-year journey that has unfolded at the forefront of innovation. Over the last decade, Tess has been a driving force in the realm of educational technologies, leaving an indelible mark on the industry.
As the proud proprietor of Firework Media Studio, LLC for the past 18 years, Tess has seamlessly navigated various roles, donning hats as a technology consultant, trainer, instructional designer, and website architect.
Tess’s insatiable passion for innovation has propelled her through the ever-evolving tech landscape, earning her the reputation of a perpetual learner. Seven years ago, she embarked on a captivating journey into immersive technologies, skillfully incorporating XR, AR, and VR into her expansive skill set.
Her dedication to staying abreast of the latest technological advancements has not only kept her at the forefront but has also positioned her as a vanguard in the field. Notably, Tess is currently spearheading the development of VR labs in collaboration with the University of Texas San Antonio College of Nursing and Dentistry, showcasing her commitment to pushing the boundaries of immersive learning.
Her previous engagements include impactful collaborations with esteemed institutions such as The Ohio State University and Brazosport College, where she left an indelible mark on the landscape of educational technologies.
Tess’s influence extends far beyond her role as a technology maven. She has cultivated a robust network of connections with experts and designers specializing in Healthcare Simulation and Immersive Learning.
Her involvement in the realms of XR, AR, and VR within healthcare and education has solidified her as a respected figure in the industry. A quick glance at her LinkedIn profile reveals an extensive network, boasting an impressive 10,200+ followers and connections—a testament to her influence and reach.
In essence, Tess McKinney is not just a tech enthusiast; she is a visionary, a pioneer, and a catalyst for change in the dynamic intersection of technology and education. With a legacy spanning two decades, Tess continues to shape the future of immersive learning, leaving an indelible imprint on the ever-evolving landscape of educational technologies.
Her current undertaking with the University of Texas San Antonio College of Nursing and Dentistry underscores her commitment to pioneering transformative advancements in the field.
Cristina Imre: Bio
Dr. Cristina Imre – Amplifying Impact: Empowering Visionary Leaders to Shape a Better Future as a Holistic Executive Coach & Business Strategist With two decades of experience as a seasoned professional, studying human nature, success, and business combined, Dr. Cristina Imre is on a mission to guide tech disruptors toward a brighter future.
Her passion lies in empowering founders and CEOs, serving as their trusted secret weapon in navigating the ever-evolving business landscape.
Cristina works all across North America, and regularly in Europe and Asia. Whether it’s vision alignment, strategic planning, or adept team management, she possesses the knowledge and acumen to steer her clients toward sustained success.
With a background that spans from serial entrepreneurship to biohacking, Cristina is more than an executive coach; she’s a holistic growth partner.
Cristina’s values – Knowledge, Empathy, Respect, Candor, Fairness, Vision, and Purpose – guide her in this transformative journey. However, Cristina’s impact extends beyond the boundaries of typical business acumen and financial expectations.
She’s a holistic growth partner who addresses mental health and personal life matters, making her impact profound and far-reaching.
She just founded Tech Leadership Lab, a movement with an audacious purpose of uniting visionary and good-hearted tech leaders to solve Earth’s biggest problems and build a better future for all.
In short: Tech for good, led by good hearts. Beyond the professional sphere, Cristina is a reader, sports enthusiast, coffee lover, and forensic science enthusiast. Her multifaceted interests have earned her nicknames like People Reader, Sherlock Holmes, Secret Weapon, and The No-BS Coach.
She authored and co-authored several books, and her powerful quotes surrounding the internet.
Concluding with what her clients say, working with her is a deep dive journey you don’t expect but you get hooked instantly because, on the other end, you’ll get out a different person, a better one.
(Karin) Lisa Atkinson: Bio
Lisa Atkinson ‘Filmmaker, Futurist-Storyteller, Artist-Technologist, Peacemaker’ Lisa started as a 2D animation artist in film opticals, in-camera visual effects, then analogue computer, then digital visual effects and live-action visual effects combined with animation. She worked in USA, Canada & Asia as a Visual Effects Supervisor, Second Unit Director, Pre-Production Assistant Director, and Post-Production Supervisor. International coproduction credits include: Heavy Metal, Tron, Star Wars, Inspector Gadget, Curious, Aladdin, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Philip Marlowe, Ray Bradbury Theater, Outer Limits and X-Files.
Lisa was the first Visual Effects Supervisor to use digital effects in a television series “The Twilight Zone” (1988-1989 – 30 episodes). She was recognized with Honorary Membership in Society of High Definition Arts & Sciences; and memberships in British Academy of Film and Television Arts; American Film Institute; British Kinematograph, Sound & Television Society; IEEE; SMPTE; ACM SIGGRAPH.
Invited to work at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, Lisa set up a ‘Radio, Film and Television Department’ to create content & technology pipelines for TV and long-distance education. Lisa left Embassy work to become the first Digital Visual Effects Supervisor in China, working on Chinese films at the Beijing Film Studio and Shanghai Studio. Later, Lisa worked for Sundance Film Institute to bring Sundance Film Festival to China, and Eastman Kodak as their China Strategist to Chinese filmmakers re: technology.
During the Hollywood and Silicon Valley digital cooperation phase, Lisa’s work included converting pipelines at studios (Rhythm & Hues, Dreamworks, Pacific Data Images, ILM) into digital pipelines capable of moving large shot count feature films (Batman, Star Trek, Speed, Mousehunt) and full digital CG animation feature film pipelines (Bugs Life 3D, Atlantis, Star Trek: Experience, Antz, Shrek, Frankenstein, Final Fantasy).
Lisa served on the Board of Directors for the Visual Effects Society (Global Committee start-up and Education Committee start-up), Women in Animation (Education Committee), and on the Board of Directors for the Directors Guild of America (Canada branch). As Technology Rep for the Director’s Guild, she created training for film directors to transition to computers. Lisa also sat on the Director’s Guild committee to draft the North American Free Trade Agreement for Entertainment & Technology (USA/Canada/Mexico); the International Co-Production Agreement (USA/Canada); and International Co-production Agreement (Canada/China).
Lisa took a hiatus from Hollywood to be a Co-Founder, and Chief Technology Officer, for the world’s first climate-change carbon-reduction technology fund (UK, USA, Canada, Asia). She returned to LA’s independent production focusing on storytelling, content creation and mentoring. In China, Lisa consults at their 1st Free Trade Zone: “Hainan Island Technology Park”; the Digital Civilization Conference; and Student Digital Bootcamp. Lisa also participates in the United Nations SciTech Digital Cooperation “No One Gets Left Behind” global technology development and digital education initiatives.
As a teenager Lisa interned summers at the National Film Board of Canada in the Optical Film Lab Department. She studied Fine Arts at Ottawa Collegiate Institute of Technology’s High School of Commerce, Computer Language Programming at Algonquin College of Applied Arts & Technology, Broadcast Engineering at Carleton University, Filmmaking at Beijing Film Academy.
MoniGarr: Bio
MoniGarr is a tech founder of MoniGarr.com LLC with more than 30 years of professional experience working in tech & media industries as an XR Producer, Technical Artist, Mobile Software Architect, Tech Mentor, Tech Writer and Tech Trainer.
MoniGarr.com LLC is based in the Akwesasne Indian Reservation and produces content to support Kanien’kéha Revival & Retention efforts. Kanien’kéha is also known as Mohawk Language and it’s the first language MoniGarr spoke as a baby.
Christelle Esposito: Bio
I’m a digital lead and empathetic writer who’s passionate about sharing the inspiring stories of resilient individuals from around the world. Through my work, I aim to empower and uplift by telling stories that celebrate the human spirit.
As a firm believer in the power of connection, I’m committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in all aspects of my work. Whether it’s through my travels or my professional experience, I’m always seeking out new perspectives and experiences that broaden my understanding of the world and the people in it.
As a passionate traveler, I’ve had the opportunity to meet incredible individuals from all walks of life and share their stories with others. From the resilient people I’ve met in developing countries to the innovative leaders I’ve encountered in the tech industry, I’m constantly inspired by the strength and perseverance of those around me.
In addition to my work as a digital lead and writer, I’m also passionate about creating meaningful connections and fostering diversity and inclusion.
I believe that everyone has something unique and valuable to contribute, and that by creating a more equitable and inclusive world we can all thrive. Thank you for taking the time to read my bio.
Debbie Deer: Bio
Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, Debbie is a Creative Technologist, living in Toronto Canada. As the CEO/Founder of her multi-media companies Debbie Deer Productions and Orion Digital Innovations and Creations Inc., she collaborates as a Producer, Performer and Educator.
She studied Psychology at The University of The West Indies (Jamaica) and Radio and TV Production at Toronto Metro University formerly Ryerson University (Toronto).
Debbie’s work has been featured at The Next Stage Summit Los Angeles, VRTO, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Toronto International Film Festival (Deep Focus), Luminato Festival, and selected for the Toronto Fringe Festival.
She is currently the Director for the Performance and XR Conference IBPOC XR Fellowship, championing the program’s curriculum and visibility.
She is an ambassador and advocate for the conscientious advancement of humanity.
Susanne Haspinger: Bio
Susanne Haspinger is a passionate technology enthusiast and female tech leader who is inspired by innovative ways of working and breaking technological barriers.
As COO and co-founder of Hololight, Susanne plays a key role in setting up the company’s organizational structure and is a skilled negotiator and network builder, working closely with investors and customers.
She is also a guest lecturer and technology speaker, sharing her knowledge and insights on business planning, fundraising, strategy, management, AR/VR, cloud and 5G.
Actively supporting and encouraging young women in the technology industry, Susanne is a true role model and trailblazer in her field.
Katarzyna Koba: Bio
I have several years of experience in business development and startups mentor, working with a network of artists, scientists and medical experts.
I take on leadership challenges by sharing my experience and knowledge of digital transformation with young entrepreneurs.
Using my creativity, I move innovation ideas into successful digital solutions ready to be implemented in the healthcare, education, and culture markets.
I back up my experience by actively contributing to the success of the startups I work with.
I specialize in the design and prototyping of immersive technologies (VR, XR, haptic solutions), including the processing and visualization of biometric data, as well as the use of AI-based tools, with a special focus on the digital therapeutics (DTx) and telemonitoring industries.
Emma Hall: Bio
Emma HALL Oil Painting, Watercolours, Charcoal portraits.
URL/WEBSITE: https://emmahall.art/
A few words about Emma! Emma was born and brought up in South India and since a young age has always designed in charcoal and painted in oils.
Having lived in Italy, and France, with her son Alexander, two golden retrievers, Leo and Layla and let’s not forget the tabby cat Tigger.
Emma mainly uses oils and has also branched out in watercolours, charcoal and pastels. The vibrant colours are remembered from her trips to Japan and Italy and childhood memories in India.
Emma often uses a unique knife technique giving the impression of depth notably in paintings of flowers and landscapes and also paints directly with her fingers.
She has held several exhibitions in Shoreditch, London, Paris and Los-Angeles.
Isabel De Peuter-Rutten: Bio
Introducing Isabel De Peuter-Rutten, a dedicated virtual explorer and entrepreneur in emerging technologies.
As President of Euromersive and GatherVerse EU Director, she advocates for a human-centric approach and accessibility within the emerging tech industry.
Following the GatherVerse standards, Isabel fosters ethical development & connecting people.
Her role as Community Manager at WIIT Europe, XR4Heritage representative in Flanders and co-founder of the Community of Change highlights her commitment to a positive impact, shaping an inclusive future.
Elisabetta Rotolo: Bio
Elisabetta is a business strategist and brand management executive, creative & executive producer, art director, interior architect and keynote speaker, with international experience in XR, spatial computing, virtual worlds, immersive art and Metaverse.
She is CEO and founder of MIAT Multiverse Institute For Arts and Technology and created the first creative and educational hub integrating an Immersive Academy to train future talent with emerging technologies and an Immersive Studio to produce research-based immersive experiences, including for the Web3 and Metaverse.
She has over 20 years of experience as Global Chief Marketing Officer, Director of Corporate Communications and Strategic Consultant in Brand Management, Marketing, Communications, Innovation and Change for international organisations such as the State of New York, Omnicom Group, Walt Disney, Mattel, Heinz, Plasmon, Italian Railways, Olympic Games.
She is a sought-after speaker. She has spoken at VR/AR Global Summit, Bocconi University, Police Academy, Italian Army, Immerse Global Metaverse Summit, Stereopsia, AWE, Artissima, Gatheverse Global Summit, ITTV global Festival, Venice Biennale and many other venues.
She is a contributor to Artribune, member of OnLive Campus, board member and Italian representative of Euromersive, the European federation of XR professionals and board member of Fondazione Cariplo.
She graduated in Interior Architecture and holds an MBA from the University of Liverpool and was awarded Student of the Year in 2016-2017.
Lucie Coudret: Bio
Lucie Coudret is a Virtual Reality (VR) Learning Solutions Lead at Cappfinity and a VR coach. Lucie has 7+ years’ experience in Learning & Development and has been working as a leadership and career coach for 5 years.
Lucie is passionate about all things learning, tech, innovation, coaching, management and leadership development! She is curious about how people learn and grow and dedicates the majority of her time to enhance the learning experiences of employees.
She has rolled out global leadership programmes for different industries and has recently been combining her interests of learning, coaching and tech and leveraging the power of virtual reality in her work.
Most recently, she’s been involved in developing leadership development solutions using VR as a tool to raise self-awareness by gaining insights on ourselves as well as VR experiences for students and early careers to develop future skills to prepare them for the world of work and bridge the skills gap.
Lately, you can find Lucie in her VR coaching island space, coaching individuals around various topics in different environments to stimulate thinking.
Norma De Saint Picman: Bio
Franco-Slovenian artist Norma De Saint Picman recent work is a sustainable project NORAVISIONSOLARMETAVERSE The Garden of Eden, linking her Art and paintings on solar panels’ personal message with Cultural heritage, NFT presentations, 3D Sculptural models and a vision to embed Phygital into Virtual Twin Galleries of Vaduz, Bogensperk and Mirna Castles, melting classical and contemporary Art with newest technologies.
Norma De Saint Picman is renowned for her work in bridging and intertwining classical arts with the virtual NFT (Non-Fungible Token) worlds. For a brief period, she also served as an expert at the UNECE. She is a founding member of the World Metaverse Council and a member of the Order of St. George of Carinthia.
Norma De Saint Picmano pursued her studies and honed her skills in painting, deep and high print graphics, ceramics, sculpture, and art therapy at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris, and the Faculty of Education in Ljubljana. She is renowned for her ability to blend classical arts with virtual worlds, a theme prominently featured in her Gesamtkunstwerk NFT project within Noravisionsolarmetaverse. Her artistic themes are characterized by expressive and symbolic figurative elements, initially inspired by artists such as Egon Schiele, Emil Nolde, and the Fin de siècle period. These inspirations have evolved into more impactful, thickly textured, large-format paintings. She also operates in the realm of installations and performances, which harmoniously combine diverse techniques and expressive practices, in line with the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk. Since 2018, she has been working on repurposing decommissioned solar panels as part of the sustainability-oriented NORAVISIONSOLAR project.
Norma is an internationally acclaimed artist who possesses a diverse skill set spanning various artistic disciplines, seamlessly blending postmodern and classical expressions, expressionist and impressionist styles, as well as figurative and abstract forms. Her artistic endeavors encompass painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, video, and performance art, creating a multifaceted portfolio.
In 2018, she initiated the project Noravision Decentralized Arts Ecosystem, within the evolving landscape of blockchain technology and tokenization. Since 2018, the concept of a global art platform based on blockchain technology, interoperability, and the idea that artworks are trustworthy financial investment assets. The core objective of Noravision is to position artists as autonomous value producers or “nodes” at the heart of the ecosystem. They engage dynamically with investors, collectors, gallerists, and auction houses, offering features like traceability, royalties, and the tokenization of artworks through a Global Blockchain-Based Art Platform. As blockchain technology and interoperability progressed, Norma entrusted the further development of this ambitious endeavor to others, redirecting her focus towards bridging the gap between Classical Arts and the NFT (Non-Fungible Token) realms through the GesamtkunstwerkNFT project in the NoravisionsolarMetaverse Gallery.
Norma’s academic journey commenced with a Diploma Degree in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, under the guidance of Professor Janez Bernik in 1986. Her dedication to the arts led her to France, where she spent two years at the ENSBA (Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Beaux Arts) in Paris. During her time there, she worked in various studios, under the mentorship of renowned professors such as Vladimir Velickovic, Abraham Hadad, Christian Fossier, Michel Charpentier, George Jeanclos in fields such as drawing, sculpture, ceramics, lithography, and etching. Her graphics from this period are now part of the Bibliothèque Nationale collections, and in 1993, she was granted French citizenship.
Throughout her career, Norma has presented her works in over fifty solo exhibitions and participated in international art expositions, including prestigious events like the Figuration Critique, displaying works such as the :“Sarcophage for immortal love,” a polyester sculpture in 1990, and a performance piece in 1992 at the Salon Figuration Critique in Paris, the Ceramic Biennale in Cluj and Contemporary Venice in 2019, she collaborated with the Fürstenberg Gallery and the Hugues Bourdin Gallery. She has also been involved in interdisciplinary projects like “Priestesses” in 1997 at Kongress Square, Ljubljana, and “Consonances – color dances” at Casemate Hall, Ljubljana Castle, in 2011, among others.
Norma’s artistry extends to various expressive oil paintings on solar panels, an innovative project called Noravisionsolar, emphasizing sustainability and creative upcycling. Examples of this work series include “Luce dell eterno, at the Glass Cathedral Santa Chiara in Murano in 2020, Artes Dei, Ljubljana Festival, same year, and “Metamorphoses” at the Ministry of Culture, Ljubljana, in 2021. More recent artistic contributions include the “Noravisionsolar The Garden of Eden” at the Digital Center of Slovenia during the Slovenian Presidency, “Between Night and Day” at Strmol Castle, “Noravisionsolarmetaverse The Garden of Eden” , at Bogenšperk Castle Norma’s current areas of focus encompass Noravisionsolar with a tunnel and auction project employing solar panel surfaces for artists, all tied to the principles of sustainability and creative upcycling.
Additionally, she was engaged in the Noravisionbridge project, exploring blockchain technology’s applications for sustainable objectives, with notable appearances at events such as WEFLjubljana 2020 and WEFEgypt, 2020, WEF Bangalore, 2021where she received awards for her contributions to these efforts. ( Exceptional Women of Excellence, Iconic Woman Creating Better World for All.
Awards: Exceptional Women of Excellence, WEF2020 Ljubljana, February 2020 Iconic women creating a better world for all award , Annual WEF2020 Cairo, March 2020, by a founder of ALL Dr. Harbeen Arora Iconic women creating a better world for all award, WEF2020 Bangalore, July 2020, Digital Edition 2020, Star of World Book of Records award 2020 cooperating with Indian educational platform MentorX 2021 – Golden Pinnacle Award 2021, by National Sports & Youth Development Council, Dr. Biren Dave, National president, Dr. Munish Jindal National Director GLOBAL literature FESTIVAL 2021, Certificate of Honor, by Revup, MentorX Women of Vision Award 2021, Art and Culture . Most creative Artist of the Year, 2022
Namrata Dhasmana: Bio
Namrata Dhasmana is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management -Lucknow. She did Senior Leadership in Strategy for Leaders from IIM Lucknow and is a Certified Strength Finder Trainer and Coach. She is a Master Trainer and a Certified Design Thinking Practitioner. She is a Global Gallup Professional. Namrata has given her views on Strength-based Leadership in Ventage HR Podcast, Relationship Management, and Purpose Driven Leadership in Leaders Hum.
She has led Mid-size to Large-size teams in organizations like Vedanta, Wells Fargo, and Genpact and held Corporate Leadership Positions. Her exemplary career in corporates in the diversified industry has evolved her into a Seasoned Leader and expert. Namrata Dhasmana is a known name brand in the Industry to provides solutions for business and Leadership Training. She has taken several pieces of training on Leadership and types of Leadership and has been on various panels of Future of Work. Namrata is a Global name and is recognized as 100 most Influential Coaches by the World HRD Congress. As a Global Thought Leader- Most followed Woman Leader by Thinkers 360. Recognized by Leaders Hum as Global Top 50 Culture Champions.
She has done corporate talks and sessions on Understanding Creative Confidence innovation and Leadership Excellence. Her in-depth knowledge about subjects is her USP as a Speaker and Leadership Trainer. Namrata is also engaged with Colleges and Universities as a Guest Lecturer and college-to-corporate model. She has taken multiple pieces of training in Wells Fargo, Manilla Team- Analytical Thinking with working models of identifying Problems to the testing phase and Marketing Intelligence, Genpact, and Vedanta. She has conducted workshops on Design Thinking and Innovation for Leaders of the Manipal Group of Hospital. Namrata is a global Leadership coach and also wishes to refrain some of the clients from maintaining privacy and ethics. Situational Leadership is one of her forte and USP.
She has also conducted sessions in the Global Education & Training Institute, Leaders Hum, Inspirit, Vantage Circle, and Voila Experts. As a business consultant, she has gained an edge while being an impaneled Expert for consulting in Global organizations like Guide Point, GLG, and Knowledge Ridge. Namrata is an Army Veteran. She is an active researcher in the space of International Relations and Global Economics. She is associated with the BRICS Institute for her work on publications. Her focus area is Drug Trafficking and Information Warfare in the space of Global Research.
Hadeel Arja: Bio
Hadeel Arja is the lead editor of Frontline in Focus, the winner of the Google News Initiative 2021, and a journalist with more than 16 years of experience.
She has also worked for HuffPost Arabic, Al-Hayat, the BBC, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, and IJNET.
She is the founder of Tinyhand and a member of the Marie Colvin Journalists’ Network.
Hadeel is known for her innovative use of VR and AR technologies in covering stories from the frontlines.
Deborah Thomson: Bio
Dr. Deborah Thomson is the author of The Art of Science Communication and has founded an organization that inspires children and adults around the world to value the interconnection between human health and the health of the environment, plants, and animals (called One Health Lessons).
In addition, she has served as a Science Policy Advisor in the United States Congress and is a veterinarian and award-winning public speaker.
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