The EdgeCon agenda is shaping up to be our best conference yet as we explore opportunities to communicate and engage in the digital era.
We are excited to announce the speakers for the plenary sessions. With expertise in digital innovation, user experience and IT, you will be inspired by these speakers’ fresh insights and real-world experiences.
Erik Qualman, #1 Bestselling Author and Keynote Speaker
Thursday, January 9th 6:30 PM
#1 Best Selling Author and Keynote Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 50 countries and reached 30 million people this decade.
His Socialnomics work has been on 60 Minutes to the Wall Street Journal and used by the National Guard to NASA. His book Digital Leader propelled him to be voted the 2nd Most Likeable Author in the World behind Harry Potter’s J.K. Rowling.
What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube helped Qualman be listed by Forbes and Fortune as a Top 100 Digital Influencer. His business books are used in over 200 universities and he has received an honorary doctorate for his groundbreaking work.
How to Sell on LinkedIn is becoming mandatory reading for sales teams. Qualman was formerly a sitting professor at Harvard & MIT’s edX labs.
View Welcome Video
Etay Maor is Chief Security Officer at IntSights.
As CSO, Etay leads the security advisory practice at IntSights where he works with CISOs and other senior cybersecurity executives to develop risk management-based cybersecurity programs.
Etay has extensive experience in cybersecurity having worked at IBM, Trusteer, and RSA. Etay holds a BA in Computer Science and a MA in Counter Terrorism and Cyber Terrorism and is currently a professor at Boston College.
Kick-Starting Innovation from Within IT
Saying we need our teams to be more innovative is easy; building the organizational competency of innovation is not. You need to know what you want to achieve, create the mechanisms that will help you achieve your strategy, and guide the organization to behave in an innovative way. This session will offer practical advice on how you can kick-start innovation in your team, as soon as you get back from this conference.
Biography
Lily Mok is a Research Vice President on Leadership, Culture and People Dynamics team within the CIO Research group. Ms. Mok focuses her research on helping CIOs and their IT organizations improve the capabilities, performance and contribution of the IT workforce. She frequently provides strategic and practical advice to CIOs, IT leaders, senior HR leaders and practitioners on topics such as strategic workforce planning, IT job family and role design, competency models, recruitment, employee engagement, reward, retention and career development. Ms. Mok has extensive experience in global HR and compensation consulting, and is a Certified Compensation Professional specialized in designing and developing employee reward strategy and programs.
Saying we need our teams to be more innovative is easy; building the organizational competency of innovation is not. You need to know what you want to achieve, create the mechanisms that will help you achieve your strategy, and guide the organization to behave in an innovative way. This session will offer practical advice on how you can kick-start innovation in your team, as soon as you get back from this conference.
The Future of Learning: Developing Future-Ready Learners to Impact the Global Tech Workforce Shortfall
The intersection of data and technology permeates life in the digital era. The future of learning demands that we prepare traditional and non-traditional learners alike with the skills and competencies they’ll need to do the jobs of tomorrow. As the world becomes increasingly connected and artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud computing become indispensable tools, understanding the technology that enables these applications is fast becoming fundamental in every position and every industry.
Join the founder of AWS Educate, Amazon’s global initiative to dramatically accelerate cloud learning and prepare students for a cloud-enabled workforce, to explore the dynamics of data, the cloud, and the future of work. Ken will share insights gained from over 20 years spearheading local and global initiatives that improve educational outcomes and delivery methods and partnership with more than 2,400 educational institutions worldwide.
Biography
Ken is an education technology leader with 20+ years-experience spearheading initiatives that improve educational outcomes and disrupt traditional delivery models. Ken founded AWS Educate, Amazon’s global initiative to dramatically accelerate cloud learning and prepare students for a cloud-enabled workforce. Program demand has far outstripped projections, with membership composed of hundreds of thousands of students and over 2,400 institutions including all of the top ten leading global computer science higher education institutions. Subsequent AWS Educate innovations include: 2016’s launch of “Cloud Career Pathways,” an education-to-employment environment with learning pathways, micro-credentials, and a job board; 2017’s opening up of the program to students 14 to 17 years-old and creation of Cloud Literacy content; and 2018’s launch of full degree offerings, beginning with vocational institutions and community colleges.
Ken’s roles prior to AWS included: Senior Vice President, Business Development and Marketing for One Economy, where he helped guide some of the largest public private partnerships in digital education; Vice President of Marketing for e-commerce textbook provider VarsityBooks, where he contributed to its IPO and launched its marketing services division; and strategic advisor to Sprint Nextel. In 2014, Ken was appointed to the D.C. Mayor’s Technology and Innovation Inclusion Council, where he currently chairs the Workforce Development committee. He also sits on the edX customer advisory board and advises various educational institutions. Ken holds an MBA from Georgetown University, an MPP from the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, and a BA from Cornell University.
Centering the User Experience: Engaging and Serving in the Digital Era
The user experience is now more important than ever. Our education, government, and healthcare institutions are held to the lofty standards set by consumer brands like Apple and Amazon by their constituents. How can we evolve the delivery of services for the public good to keep up with the pace of innovation? Hear how this esteemed group of technology and executive leaders from across the public approach the user experience through a combination of strategy, technology, and transformational thinking.
Biography
Michele is the institutional leader for technology in a highly complex environment. Her chief responsibility is to provide leadership in the strategic adoption and use of information technology in support of the University's vision for excellence in research, teaching, outreach, and lifelong learning. Ms. Norin serves as the University’s primary advocate and spokesperson for IT strategies and policies; defines and communicates a campus-wide vision for technology; and provides campus-wide oversight for IT-related issues and strategic planning. She also works closely with peers at Big Ten Academic Alliance institutions and other leading research universities to achieve synergies in IT.
Ms. Norin has a Bachelor’s degree in MIS from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. Her career entails 30 years of experience in the field of technology spanning from administrative systems programming to campus IT leadership and strategic planning.
Centering the User Experience: Engaging and Serving in the Digital Era
The user experience is now more important than ever. Our education, government, and healthcare institutions are held to the lofty standards set by consumer brands like Apple and Amazon by their constituents. How can we evolve the delivery of services for the public good to keep up with the pace of innovation? Hear how this esteemed group of technology and executive leaders from across the public approach the user experience through a combination of strategy, technology, and transformational thinking.
Biography
Scott has served as the President and CEO of Jersey City Medical Center since 2008 and has helped the hospital to achieve a number of accolades, including twelve “A” ratings from the Leapfrog Group for hospital safety and five consecutive “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” awards from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). A year after Scott began his role as President and CEO, the hospital was awarded Magnet Designation and in 2017, Jersey City Medical Center received its third consecutive designation.
In addition to his role as President and CEO of Jersey City Medical Center, Scott also serves as the EVP of the Office of Health Care Transformation for RWJBarnabas Health. In that role, he oversees the system’s strategic plan and implementation of the system’s population health strategy. Additionally, Scott is a member of the New Jersey City University Board and is immediate past chair of the Hospital Alliance of New Jersey where he has served on the board since 2008. He is the former Chair of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce.
Prior to assuming his position at Jersey City Medical Center, Scott served as the Chief Executive Officer of Broward General Medical Center. He began his career at Broward Health as Director of Pharmacy of Coral Springs Medical Center.
Centering the User Experience: Engaging and Serving in the Digital Era
The user experience is now more important than ever. Our education, government, and healthcare institutions are held to the lofty standards set by consumer brands like Apple and Amazon by their constituents. How can we evolve the delivery of services for the public good to keep up with the pace of innovation? Hear how this esteemed group of technology and executive leaders from across the public approach the user experience through a combination of strategy, technology, and transformational thinking.
Biography
Chris Rein is the former Deputy Director of the NJ Office of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, where he served as the State's Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). His experience includes 37 years developing, integrating, and managing software as well as holding leadership roles with large and complex information technology projects.
Prior to joining the NJ Office of Homeland Security, Mr. Rein held the position of Vice President and Chief Information Officer for CSI Technology, a New Jersey software development company serving Law Enforcement, Regulatory, and Judiciary markets. He also served as the NJ State Police IT Program Manager/CIO, and earlier advanced in technical and management roles over some 20 years at the former Bell Atlantic and its technology subsidiary, Bellcore.
Mr. Rein received his undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Rutgers University, and earned his Master’s degree in Technology Management from Stevens Institute of Technology.