About the Speakers

Mohamed Aljneibi is an author, speaker, game developer, and serial entrepreneur with a proven track record in cyberspace and technology strategy, currently serving as a strategist and advisor to the Abu Dhabi Government.  Mohamed has also served as Cyber Defense Director for the UAE, and on the boards of the UAE Cyber Security Council and Reject Inc., a leading Japanese esports organization.  

Candice M. Smith led Boeing’s Design Practices and Processes system, steering critical engineering excellence initiatives impacting Boeing’s 50,000+ global engineers.  She is passionate about community service and youth empowerment through volunteer work and mentoring. Ms. Smith has received a Fellowship from the Eisenhower Foundation, and has been awarded some of the most prestigious honors for Women of Color in STEM.  

Bashir is the co-founder and managing director of Net-Telligence Group (NTG), a trusted IT, cybersecurity and managed service provider catering to foundations, healthcare organizations, and enterprises for 25 years.  He is also the Chair of the Board of Directors at Westside Health Authority, where he recently helped open the new Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation.  

Terrell Brown is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, executive producer, and media innovator with nearly two decades of experience in television news, media production, and live storytelling. Currently anchoring ABC 7 Chicago’s morning and midday newscasts, Terrell has built a career at the intersection of storytelling and technology.

Bevon Joseph is a trailblazer in the tech, finance, and education who has influenced more than 2,000 Black and Latinx students and early-career professionals and financial sectors through education, mentorship, and systems-level innovation. Bevon is the visionary founder of the nationally recognized Greenwood Project, and now serves as Co-Founder of Campus Coin Invest.

Ishani Patel, MS, FACHE is the Section Administrator of Pediatric Cardiology, Neurology, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at UChicago Medicine. She is an adjunct professor at Loyola University Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, and  also serves on the Parkinson School’s External Alumni Advisory Board.  In 2024, Ishani was awarded the Chicago Healthcare Executives Forum (CHEF) Young Healthcare Executive Award, and is currently a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. 

April Welch, Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and directs both the Esports and Digital Arts Center and the Exelon Summer Institute at IIT.  She was also the founder at the Idea Shop, a collaborative learning space equipped with a rapid prototyping lab.  April’s talks have been featured on ABC 7 News, WVON, Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), The Academy of Esports, and more.

As a Partner at SearchWorks LLC, an Executive Search firm, Tess is passionate about connecting growing companies with top-tier executive search solutions at all levels, from $10M family run businesses to $10+B Fortune 500 companies.

Ahmed ‘Flex’ Omar is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of FlexTech.ai.  Flex has served as an advisor to hundreds of businesses via formal mentorship roles with NASDAQ, Loyola University’s Quinlan School of Business, Envestnet | Yodlee Launchpad, and others. He has worked in finance and consulting with Deloitte, UBS, and RSM, and in the nonprofit space with organizations such as Westside Health Authority, Muslim American Leadership Alliance, Midwest Fashion Week, and the Chicago Leadership Alliance.  

Stephanie Yousif is a dynamic sales professional with expertise in talent attraction, employee listening, and GTM strategy. Currently serving as an Account Executive at Built In, Stephanie partners with high-growth tech companies to design innovative hiring and branding solutions.  She brings over a decade of experience working with scaling organizations—from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies—helping them navigate the competitive landscape for top tech talent. 

Dr. Fouad Bousetouane is a distinguished expert and innovator in artificial intelligence and machine learning. He is the Co-Founder and Chief AI Officer at InterspectAI Inc., where he is building an Agentic AI platform for interviews and conversational intelligence across industries. He is a faculty member at the University of Chicago’s Data Science Institute, where he teaches Generative AI and Agentic Systems, mentoring master’s students on high-impact, real-world projects.

Payal Patel is a strategic communications leader and crisis management expert with 15+ years of experience across various industries. Payal has been recognized by PRNEWS People of the Year (2024), Top Women in PR (2020), and 30 Under 30 Rising Stars (2016). She has also been appointed as a UN Global Goals Ambassador and U.S. delegate to the UNCSW.