{"id":935,"date":"2026-07-22T14:33:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T18:33:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nysden.org\/staging\/?page_id=935"},"modified":"2026-09-25T09:49:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T13:49:20","slug":"2026-conference-speaker-bios","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nysden.org\/staging\/conference26\/2026-conference-speaker-bios\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Conference Speaker Bios"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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NYSDEN 2026 Speakers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about our distinguished keynote speaker, panelists, workshop leaders, and moderators. They bring an extraordinary breadth of lived, professional, academic, and practical experience to this year’s lineup.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Army<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Army Armstead<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Executive Director,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emergent Works<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Joan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Joan Arrow<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Founder & CEO,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quantum Ethics Project<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Michael<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Michael Baldino<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Director and General Counsel,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Massachusetts Broadband Institute<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Virginia<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Virginia Benzan<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Chair, Massachusetts Digital Equity Coalition<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Kathy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kathy Bisbee<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Director,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alliance for Digital Equity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Eliot<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Eliot Cresswell<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Director of Strategic Initiatives,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workforce Development Institute (WDI)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Dennis<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dennis Cronin<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Digital Navigator,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fifth Avenue Committee<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Therese<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Therese Daly<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

President & CEO, United Way of New York State & 211 New York Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Makeda<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Makeda N. Davis<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Checkr<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"LaiQuan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

LaiQuan Dubose<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Program Manager, Emergent Works<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Nell<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nell Eckersley<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Literacy Assistance Center<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Evelyn<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Evelyn Fern\u00e1ndez-Ketcham, Ph.D, LCSW<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Vice President, Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Development
Hostos Community College of CUNY\/Continuin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"David<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

David Fischer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Principal,
Altior Policy Solutions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"David<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

David Jones<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Founder and Executive Director,
Ikhodi – NYC Computer Lab Initiative<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Margaret<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Margaret Ka\u0308ufer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

President & Chief Visionary Officer,
The STEM Alliance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Katie<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Katie LaBonte<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

President,
New York Association for Continuing and Community Education (NYACCE)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Annmarie<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Annmarie Lanesey<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Founder & CEO; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Code Communities<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Sherazade<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sherazade Langlade<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Chief Executive Officer,
Workforce Professionals Training Institute<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Bryan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bryan Lozano<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Chief Strategy Officer, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to Chinatown<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Kate<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kate Machet<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Vice President of Systems Initiatives and Government Relations,
Essex County Community Foundation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Don<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Don Matteson<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Facilitator, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Western NY Digital Equity Coalition<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Catharine<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Catharine Morgan<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Technical Advisor,
World Education, JSI<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Chris<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chris Neale<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Chief Executive Officer,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Francella<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Francella Ochillo<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Attorney & Broadband Policy Expert<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Dr.<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Meisha Porter<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Visiting Senior Fellow, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Center for Educational Innovation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Balakrishnan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Balakrishnan Prabhakaran<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Director,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI Plus Institute, University at Albany<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Andres<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Andres Ramirez<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Director of Partnerships,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI Safety Awareness Project<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Jacob<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jacob Schwartz<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Digital Equity Program Manager, The Fortune Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Priyanka<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Priyanka Sharma<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Director,
World Education, JSI<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
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\"Jason<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jason Tomlinson<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Founder, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crowned Grooming LLC<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
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\"Anna<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Anna Topol<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

CEO, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Qlithic Technologies Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Chantelle<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chantelle Williams<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Assistant Director of Racial Justice Center,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New York Civil Liberties Union<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Judith<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Judith Wines<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Manager, Adult and Outreach Services,
Upper Hudson Library System<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NYSDEN 2026 Speakers Learn more about our distinguished keynote speaker, panelists, workshop leaders, and moderators. They bring an extraordinary breadth of lived, professional, academic, and practical experience to this year’s lineup. Army Armstead Executive Director, Emergent Works Presenter Joan Arrow Founder & CEO, Quantum Ethics Project Presenter Michael Baldino Director and General Counsel, Massachusetts Broadband […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":818,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-935","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nysden.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nysden.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nysden.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nysden.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nysden.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=935"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/nysden.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/935\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1128,"href":"https:\/\/nysden.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/935\/revisions\/1128"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nysden.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nysden.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}