About the Speakers

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.  

Ryan Lafler is the President and CTO of Quantum Corridor, LLC, a Chicago-based quantum-secure infrastructure company. With over two decades of experience in telecom and fiber optics, he is a leading architect of high-security communications networks serving U.S. defense, research, and innovation ecosystems. As co-founder of Quantum Corridor, he is spearheading the development of a high-speed, quantum-secure digital expressway across the Midwest, connecting critical hubs like Purdue University, Indiana LEAP, and Chicago. Previously, he co-founded Coeo Solutions and FIT Telco, deploying fiber networks across 39 states. Lafler is a frequent speaker on quantum communications and cybersecurity, working closely with federal agencies, universities, and innovation districts to modernize the nation’s digital backbone.

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.

Martina Matthews is the founder of Miss ChatGPT101, an AI-powered education platform helping small business owners, professionals, and students use AI with clarity and confidence. A Chicago native with a BS in Computer Science and an MBA in Marketing from Governors State University, she blends tech and strategy to make AI more human and accessible. Martina was a founding team member at Chegg.com and has led AI and customer experience initiatives for Life360, America’s SBDC, and the Polsky Center. She co-organizes The AI Collective – Chicago Chapter and serves on the Governors State College of Business Advisory Board.

Stuart Pino, a Chicago-based serial entrepreneur, mentor, and investor, has spent two decades bridging gaming and technology through engineering and storytelling. As CEO and Co-Founder of Lightstream, he pioneered a cloud-native live streaming studio and tools that empowered millions of creators. Lightstream, along with Rainmaker.gg and API.stream, was acquired by Creative Solutions in 2021 and later by Xsolla in 2023. After a sabbatical, Pino is now building at the frontier of technology with QodeX Quantum.

Emil Aldaddah, Co-Founder, Chief Investment Officer, and Managing Partner at Momentum Wealth Management and Momentum Capital Ventures, has nearly two decades of experience delivering bespoke investment strategies for ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and private foundations. Formerly with Charles Schwab and Morgan Stanley, he advised on over $1.7 billion in assets, serving billionaires, celebrities, and political leaders. His career spans asset management, estate and tax strategy, and alternative investments, with senior roles at Avatar Securities—where he managed $175 million and pioneered algorithmic trading—and Blackmore Partners, advising on M&A and capital raises up to $500 million. A DePaul University graduate with advanced business studies at the University of Nicosia, Emil holds multiple financial licenses, is fluent in Arabic, and is a multi-time President’s Volunteer Service Award recipient.

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.

Temitayo Ade-Oshifogun is Founder and Principal Consultant at VAI Partners, where he embeds AI-powered workflows into everyday team practices to ensure psychological safety and authentic connection fuel adoption, alignment and growth. As Vice President at JPMorgan Chase leading AI/ML intake for Operations, he evaluates and scales enterprise AI solutions that streamline mission-critical workflows. He runs his consultancy with the same tools he teaches, saving time while deepening the relationships that matter. Temitayo has guided 500+ leaders across Fortune 500 firms, universities and grassroots teams through live AI–human integration labs and high-trust practices. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from UIUC, an MBA and MS in Business Analytics from Notre Dame and a Certificate in AI Business Strategy from MIT.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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. 

Ryan Marks, Owner and Operator of Legacy Hospitality LLC, has led acclaimed concepts like The VIG Chicago, The Whale Chicago, and The VIG Milwaukee since 2015. Starting at 14 washing dishes, he built his career through leadership roles at J. Alexander’s and The Big Onion Tavern Group, earning national accolades. A Florida State University graduate with dual degrees in Business Management and Hospitality Administration, Marks is active in numerous boards and nonprofits and is known for his employee-first leadership and commitment to excellence.

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. 

Kevin P. Davenport is a dynamic leader in entrepreneurship and workforce development, serving as Director of NextDEAL and NextLevelExchange at the Chicago Urban League, where he equips minority-owned businesses with certification training and year-long growth programs. As Founder & CEO of The Ideal Candidate, he is revolutionizing global soft skills training to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity. A 3x author, his books offer practical tools for career success, leadership, and building generational wealth. Recognized with multiple awards, including Microsoft’s Tech Maker Award and the Stellar Champion Award, Kevin continues to transform lives through entrepreneurship, workforce readiness, and leadership development.

Aliyah Kizilbash is the founder of TaxBack, an AI-powered platform helping businesses streamline property tax appeals through automation and innovation. A former tax firm owner turned tech entrepreneur, Aliyah is passionate about creating solutions that make complex processes easier and more accessible.

She’s also the host of Aliyah & Co., a podcast where she explores topics like business, mindset, and reinvention with leaders and change-makers. Through her work and content, Aliyah is committed to empowering women to break barriers in tech, business, and beyond.

Amadou Diaw is a senior commercial executive at Honeywell IGS leading a Strategic Business Unit through advanced warehouse automation, robotics, and AI-integrated software solutions across global markets. As a Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP) with deep expertise in IoT/IIoT analytics and digital transformation, he has successfully scaled industrial AI implementations while ensuring critical infrastructure security. As a trusted advisor leader in industrial Data Sciences/AI/ML, Amadou bridges the gap between cutting-edge AI research and real-world industrial applications. His published thought leadership on supply chain automation and proven track record of transforming traditional manufacturing and warehousing operations into intelligent, data-driven systems makes him a compelling voice on the convergence of industrial AI, cybersecurity, and next-generation computing technologies.

Jeff Cohn is a senior technology executive and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience driving enterprise transformation across industries including finance, media, telecom, and technology services. He is the Founder and CEO of C4 Technology Group, which provides executive-level IT strategy and implementation in areas such as cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, AI automation, and quantum technologies. Previously, Jeff served as CIO of Playboy Enterprises and SVP of Platform Engineering at Guaranteed Rate, where he led modernization initiatives delivering large-scale digital platforms serving millions of customers. His work today centers on connecting AI, cybersecurity, and quantum innovation to practical business outcomes, helping organizations scale securely and prepare for the future of technology.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Michael A. Foster is a decades-long leader in Hotel Hospitality and Customer Success, currently serving as Senior Sales Manager at The Whitehall Hotel in Chicago. He is also a passionate advocate for the arts, and serves on the boards of See Chicago Dance, the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Asian Pop-Up Cinema, the Latino Film Festival and others--in addition to executive producing Middle Passage Production Films. Michael's perspective on the power of discipline, unity, and cultural connection in the arts has influenced his unique approach to hospitality and management.

Paul Vabkos is a distinguished technology veteran with over three decades of experience spanning investment and management. A valedictorian of Stanford University with multiple master's degrees and an MBA, he has a proven track record of success, from his M&A work at McKinsey to founding and venture funding numerous startups that generated over $100 billion in market capitalization. Currently, he serves as the CRO of Confidencial, a spin-out of Stanford Research Institute with patented DARPA technology, where he leverages his extensive expertise to secure sensitive, unstructured data.

Sommy Irani is a hospitality entrepreneur scaling ventures in travel, events, and experiential services. He is the CEO and Founder of HiFi Social, a multi-brand hospitality group serving over 320,000 guests annually.

A 2016 UChicago graduate, Sommy began his career with 8 Hospitality Group before co-founding HiFi Travel in 2017, now the nation’s largest collegiate travel and event planning company, partnering with 100+ universities and 160,000+ students each year.

In 2019, he launched Knot My Boat Charters, the Midwest’s largest bareboat charter operator, with a 22-vessel fleet hosting 40,000+ guests per season. Today, Sommy focuses on expanding HiFi Social through brand growth, strategic partnerships, and M&A, positioning the company as a leader in experiential hospitality.

Nick Farina is co-founder and CEO of EeroQ, a Chicago-based company building a highly differentiated quantum computer (QC) using trapped electrons above the surface of liquid helium. With a decade of experience in quantum computing, Nick has served as an advisor to multiple Fortune 500 companies, VC firms, and top-tier consultancies on the development of quantum computing for business. He is an Advisory Council Member of The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, a Quantum Computing Governance Member of the World Economic Forum, and a founding member of the U.S. Quantum Industry Coalition. He is an active angel investor in advanced tech companies such as Extropic, nodeQ, and others.