Clara Hawking

Executive Director @ Kompass Education

Clara Hawking is a globally recognised leader in AI governance and education, known for her unique blend of technical expertise and visionary leadership. As Co-Founder of Kompass Education, she spearheads initiatives that ensure ethical, compliant, and effective AI integration in educational settings. Clara is a specialist in AI risk management and digital change management within the education sector. Clara's contributions to the field were recognised with the Tech Women 2024 Global Achievement Award, highlighting her passionate advocacy for women and girls in technology. Her career includes collaborations with leading tech organisations like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google, where she focused on youth-focused AI initiatives. Prior to founding Kompass Education, Clara served as Head of AI for Globeducate, overseeing AI strategies across a network of over 70 schools on 4 continents. She is a sought-after speaker, contributing to research and publications on AI in education. Clara is trilingual, speaking English, Danish, and Swedish, and a proud parent of two.

Boris Kriuk

Founder and AI Architect @ Strevio & Boris Kriuk Labs

Dr. Boris Kriuk, Chief of AI at Strevio ai, is recognized for contributions in computer vision, NLP, and deep learning. As the creator of the agentic orchestration concept, ex-leader of AI teams for Fortune 500 enterprises, and an active ACM member, Boris leads STREVIO’s AI innovations, ensuring measurable client growth and efficiency. Boris holds over 10 research works in highly reputable journals, and continues to further his research portfolio through Boris Kriuk Labs.

Shaista Hussain

Founder & CEO @ SAIF Check

Dr. Shaista Hussain’s career spans medicine, engineering, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity—united by her commitment to truth, accuracy, and innovation. Trained as a medical doctor at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and specialised in pathology, she honed her analytical skills through clinical research fellowships at Harvard. Her pursuit of empirical precision led her to advanced studies in engineering and AI with institutions including Google, Microsoft, MIT, Stanford, and FourthBrain. Blending medical precision with technological expertise, Dr. Hussain identified critical shortcomings in AI, particularly in quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity inspiring her to found SAIF CHECK, a company dedicated to advancing AI integrity, governance, and security at a time of accelerating technological adoption. An accomplished Machine Learning Engineer, Cybersecurity Specialist, Clinical Pathologist, and researcher, Dr. Hussain has developed advanced algorithms and ethical AI models, and has contributed extensively to fields including data analysis, blockchain, and CRISPR-Cas9 genomics. She is a published scientist and international speaker, recognised for thought leadership in explainable, responsible, and secure AI systems.

Honey Yadav

Postdoc Research Fellow @ Birmingham City University

Dr. Honey Yadav, Postdoc Research at Birmingham City University, specializes in AI-capability research and Technology Impact Assessment (TIA). With a robust background in digital transformation and healthcare innovation, she has spearheaded several high-impact projects, including the development of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Digital Communication strategy using advanced text analytics. Her research portfolio spans diverse domains, from E-commerce tech-assessment to IoT-enabled waste management adoption. She has made significant contributions to AI implementation through NLP algorithms, recommendation systems, and 5G technology assessment for Mobile Network Operators. Honey's recent focus has been on AI-driven organizational capability building, and has trained over 500 students in implementing Customer Analytical Solutions. Her interdisciplinary expertise encompasses Healthcare Management, Explainable AI, Digital Transformation, and Strategic Innovation. Her research approach combines rigorous academic analysis with practical implementation, making me a valuable contributor to both theoretical frameworks and real-world applications in technology management.

Elle Farrell-Kingsley

Strategic AI Advisor @ PsyberVision

Elle Farrell-Kingsley is an award-winning writer, nomadic futurist, and strategic AI advisor exploring the intersections of AI, ethics, law, and human experience. Honoured as one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics™ (2024) and a TechWomen100 Award recipient, she has provided advisory insights to governments, NGOs, and institutions, including the  UK Parliament, the Commonwealth, and the European Commission Scientific Advice Mechanism on responsible AI adoption. Elle has trained conversational and generative AI systems for a Top 5 Big Tech client, designed privacy modules for the AI for Good UN ITU programme, and championed youth perspectives as a G7 Y7 Ambassador. Driven by human-centred foresight, Elle writes speculative fiction exploring the societal and philosophical implications of emerging technologies. She advocates for digital detoxes, deliberate device use, and mindful media. Her work reflects on the psychological and social consequences of constant connectivity.

Axel Ngonga

Professor @ Paderborn University

Dr. Axel Ngonga is one of the world’s leading researchers in neuro-symbolic AI. The core of his research lies at the intersection of knowledge graphs, formal semantics and explainable machine learning. Axel has made several fundamental contributions to the field, including the first neuro-symbolic approach for concept learning, the first neural concept synthesizers, the first family of neuro-symbolic translation-based concept learners with constant time complexity, and Tentris, the first SPARQL-complete tensor-based triple store tuned for concept learning. These contributions are implemented in the following open-source software frameworks with permissive licenses that have worldwide adoption with over 100,000 downloads.

Darren Coxon

AI Governance for Education @ Kompass Education

Darren Coxon is a globally recognised leader in AI-driven education solutions. He is renowned for his strategic expertise in implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) within schools and educational organisations. As the Co-Founder of Kompass Education, Darren empowers schools and edtech companies to navigate the responsible and effective adoption of AI. Darren's experience includes roles as COO of Britus Education and Director of Schools for Forfar Education, where he provided academic and operational leadership across large-scale UK and international education systems. This background makes him a sought-after advisor for organisations seeking to integrate AI into their educational strategies. Darren is an international speaker, working with leading schools and membership organisations worldwide. He is also a proud father of three.

Laura Dumin

AI Coordinator for University @ University of Central Oklahoma

Dr. Laura Dumin, AI Coordinator for the University of Central Oklahoma, obtained her PhD in English from Oklahoma State University in 2010. She is a professor in English and Technical Writing at the University of Central Oklahoma who has been exploring the impact of generative AI on writing classrooms. She also runs a Facebook learning community to allow instructors to learn from each other https://www.facebook.com/groups/632930835501841 and has created a website for AI information and to share Creative Commons files with other instructors: https://ldumin157.com/

Veronica Paternolli

Industrial PhD Student in Computer Science @ University of Verona

Veronica Paternolli, Industrial PhD Student in Computer Science at the University of Verona, is a legal expert within the PNRR programme. Her research focuses on the intersection of law and new technologies, with particular attention to Artificial Intelligence and Smart Contracts. Veronica explores the limits of the fairness principle in AI systems and the implications of legal responsibility in emerging technologies. She collaborates with the startup BuildTrust, where she works on developing transparent and efficient models for managing complex processes in the construction sector. Her ambition is to combine technological progress with social responsibility, promoting sustainable and ethically compatible innovation

Xinzi Lyu

Visiting Researcher @ University of Washington Tech Policy Lab

Xinzi Lyu is a Ph.D. candidate in Law at Xiamen University and a visiting researcher at the University of Washington’s Tech Policy Lab. Her research focuses on trust-based approaches to AI governance, exploring how trust can bridge the gap between ethical principles and legal frameworks.

Julie Foss

Founder @ True Nexus Consulting

Julie Foss is the Founder and Principal Consultant at True Nexus Consulting LLC, which specializes in generative AI consulting for educational leadership teams. She is passionate about helping organizations build implementation readiness, governance cultures & change management capacity as they navigate AI adoption. Julie brings over 20 years of education experience as a teacher, administrator, change coach & consultant. Julie holds degrees in Sociology, International Relations, and Educational Leadership, is a certified AI Governance Officer, and an affiliate partner of Kompass Education.

Stefania Pecore

AI Ethics Expert @ UNESCO

Dr. Stefania Pecore is a recognized leader in inclusive communication and responsible AI, whose career began by introducing the first AI and automatic translation subject at an Italian university. After earning her master's and Ph.D. in Computer Science, she applied her expertise in NLP and AI across diverse industries, from education to video games. She is a driving force behind implementing Data Governance frameworks and AI ethics principles in enterprise strategies, often guided by UNESCO recommendations. As a passionate advocate for empowering women in tech, Stefania is an ambassador for Women Techmakers, Women in AI, and Women in Games, and currently serves as the Executive Director for Women Techmakers Montréal. Her commitment to ethical AI culminated in her appointment as an AI Expert for UNESCO's Women4Ethical AI program and her subsequent election as an Ethical AI Expert Without Borders, where she helps implement UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of AI worldwide. Today she supports several founders through Don't Tech Stress with a precise mission in mind: take care of the tech burden to let founders push their creativity to the next level.

Thu Do

Product Design Lead @ Tailoru Collective

Thu Do is a Chief Product Builder for some of the world’s most impactful companies, brands, and consulting firms. She leverages her expertise in AI Design, Strategy, and Product Management to create highly connective experiences—harnessing the undeniable power of technology while advancing the irreplaceable creativity of humans. Thu holds a Design degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a Master’s in Business Management from Indiana University. She has taught in MICA’s Master’s in UX Program, Flatiron School of Product Design, and City College of New York (CUNY) and has mentored at various incubators and startup communities. Thu currently leads the TAILORU Collective, a community of 40+ AI builders, trainers, and orchestrators working at the intersections of AI x Humanity.

Joaquin Melara

Founder @ SWARM Community

Joaquin Melara, Founder of the SWARM Community, specializes in producing content around AI technologies. He has produced an extensive portfolio of events and media professionally for the last 5 years and worked with individuals from organizations including Amazon, Adobe, IBM, Meta, MIT, and more. Joaquin believes great work comes from nurturing relationships with mutual respect, transparency, and lavish communication.

Mel Sellick

Applied Psychologist | Human-AI Interaction

Dr. Mel Sellick, Psychologist, PhD researcher, and former NBC reporter explores how humans can stay grounded and connected in the age of AI. She works with leading institutions — Harvard, MIT, Oxford, and UNESCO — to shape global conversations on the human side of technology. Mel has created the world’s first framework for measuring psychological and relational readiness for AI — helping organizations build tech that serves people, not the other way around. As founder of "Future Human Lab," she blends science, storytelling, and mindfulness to guide how we live and lead with intelligent systems.

Ayşegül Güzel

AI Governance & Responsible AI Consultant

Ayşegül Güzel enjoys looking for systems that bring joy to humanity. Currently, she is a Fellow at Humane Intelligence, a tech nonprofit committed to building a community of practice around algorithmic evaluations. In her role, she is conducting a comprehensive landscape analysis on AI evaluations, exploring the critical standards, benchmarks, and ethical frameworks that shape AI today. She innovated the world’s largest time bank social network and has advised as a thought leader in sharing, alternative, and gift economies through press interviews, published articles, and public speeches, including TED Talks. As a community facilitator, she has led hundreds of community gatherings and facilitated hackathons, social innovation camps, and meetups between people in social and technology fields. Driven by her fascination with AI and Ethics, she transitioned into data science, enabling her to effectively bridge both social and technical domains.