Keynote Speakers

Payal Arora PhD. (Columbia Univ. NYC), is a Professor of Inclusive AI Cultures at Utrecht University and co-founder of FemLab, a feminist futures of work initiative and Inclusive AI Lab. She leverages her two decades of user experiences in the Global South to help shape inclusive AI enabled designs and policies. Payal is the author of 100+ journal articles and award-winning books including “The Next Billion Users” with Harvard Press. Forbes named her the ‘next billion champion’ and the ‘right kind of person to reform tech.’ Her new book with MIT Press “From Pessimism to Promise: Lessons from the Global South on Designing Inclusive Tech” has gained traction in the international media, covered by the Financial Times, BBC Tech Decoded, and the UX magazine, among others. About 150 international media outlets have covered her work including The Economist , 99% Invisible, Tech Crunch, and The Boston Globe. She has consulted for the public and the private sector including UNHCR, Spotify, KPMG, Adobe, IDEO, Google, and GE and sits on several boards including for the UN, and the World Women Global Council in New York. She has given more than 350 keynotes and invited talks in 67 countries for events such as ACM Facct, Copenhagen Tech Festival, re:publica, COP26, World Economic Forum, Swedish Internet Foundation, alongside figures like Jimmy Wales and Steve Wozniak, and TEDx talks on the future of the internet and innovation. She is a Rockefeller Bellagio Resident Fellow alumnus and is Indian, American, and Irish and calls Amsterdam her home.

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Kyle Bowen is Enterprise Deputy CIO at Arizona State University where he is responsible for enabling how the ASU community experiences technology to learn, work and thrive. A self-described storyteller, Kyle is passionate about transforming education with a learner and student-centered approach. He was previously the director of innovation for teaching and learning with technology at Penn State University. By collaborating across the institution, he advanced faculty professional development, space design, learner creativity, and data science efforts. Kyle also formerly served as the director of learning informatics at Purdue University, a role that shaped the university’s strategy to improve student attainment through award winning emerging technologies. Kyle is an entrepreneur, teacher, and regular speaker on innovations in higher education. Co-author and editor of more than 20 books on design, development, and usability, his past work has appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, and the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Timandra is a regular on BBC Radio, writing and presenting BBC Radio 4’s FutureProofing and other series including How To Disagree, Steelmanning and Political School. BBC Radio documentaries include Data, Data Everywhere, Divided Nation, What Has Sat-Nav Done To Our Brains, and Five Knots. She was resident reporter on all 8 seasons of social psychology series The Human Zoo and is now the spare presenter for Radio 4’s Profile.

Her book Big Data: does size matter? published by Bloomsbury Sigma in 2016, came out in an updated paperback edition in June 2017. Her second non-fiction book, Technology is Not the Problem will be published on May 23rd 2024 by Harper Collins.

Since winning the Independent newspaper’s column-writing competition, she has written for many publications including the Telegraph, Guardian, Sunday Times, Unherd, BBC Focus magazine, WIRED, Unherd, the New Statesman, Men’s Health and Significance (the journal of the Royal Statistical Society).

Timandra chairs and speaks at public events for clients including Cheltenham Science Festival, the Royal Society, the British Council, the Royal Geographical Society, the RSA, the Institute of Ideas, the British Library, Wellcome Collection, the Alan Turing Institute, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and many others.

After performing improvised & stand up comedy, & touring with a tented circus, she formed the first comedy science double-act in the UK with neuroscientist Dr. Helen Pilcher. Since then she has written and performed scientific and mathematical comedy from Adelaide (Australia) to Pittsburgh PA.

In 2010 she co-wrote & performed Your Days Are Numbered: The Maths of Death, with stand-up mathematician Matt Parker. They performed the show to average audiences of 100.3 and 4 star reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe, then toured it in the UK and Australia. Timandra’s science comedy since then includes cabaret, gameshows, and solo live show Brainsex (with Socrates the rat).

Timandra has a BA in Film and Drama with Art & Art History, a BSc in Mathematics & Statistics, and an MA in Philosophy from Birkbeck College, where she is now researching for an MRes in Philosophy. She is a member of the Royal Statistical Society Council of Trustees, and Chair of the editorial board of their journal, Significance.

Gerd Leonhard is a renowned futurist, known for his focus on the "4Ps": People, Planet, Purpose, and Prosperity. With over 20 years of experience, Gerd has spoken at more than 2000 events worldwide, collaborating with top organizations like Microsoft, Google, and the European Commission. He is the author of the bestseller "Technology vs Humanity" and is recognized as one of the most influential Europeans by Wired magazine. Gerd is celebrated for his innovative "super-keynote" presentations and his expertise in digital ethics, sustainability, and future-focused economic strategies. His insights have been featured in major media outlets such as The Guardian, Harvard Business Review, and the BBC.

Dr. Maribell Reyes-Millán serves as the Director of Digital Education at Tecnológico de Monterrey, and thus, is responsible for the strategy, definition, and delivery of the educational offerings of courses taught in digital modalities (online and blended). She is also accountable for the learning enhancement through the use of technology in face-to-face courses. Her areas of expertise are the different educational models and frameworks for quality digital education, the incorporation of educational technology in the teaching-learning processes, and the implementation of digital education programs on international platforms. Her thorough knowledge and experience have led her to be a judge in the QS Reimagine Education competition and she has also published several articles in innovation and technology journals.

During times of crises such as the 2017 earthquake in México City, and the 2020 Pandemic, she led efforts to transform the institution from in-person to digital education.
A speaker in international conferences, she has also participated as an expert in educational innovation committees such as ECIU, Consortium for Benchmarking Framework for Online, Open, Smart, and Technology-enhanced Higher Education, ICDE, EDUTIC, among others.

She holds a PhD in Educational Innovation (2014) and an MBA (1998) from Tecnológico de Monterrey México, and a master's degree in information science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1993).

Professor Subic joined Aston University in August 2022 as Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive. He is a recognised global leader in technology and innovation in higher education, leading on Industry 4.0 strategy and digital transformations across the university sector and with industry and governments both in Australia and internationally. He has received a number of prestigious awards for his work, including the Australian Business Innovation Award and the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Award.

He is a passionate and lifelong advocate for multiculturalism, equity, diversity and inclusion, leading through clear actions and strategic initiatives at enterprise level. These include creating and appointing the first Dean of STEMM Diversity & Inclusion in Australia, establishing Women in STEMM Fellowships and mentoring scheme, Indigenous Research Fellowships, scholarships and internships programs, and creating an innovation precinct with start-up accelerators and industry incubators focused on founders from diverse backgrounds and access.