Our Speakers
Taryn Southern
Chief Storytelling Officer | Blackrock Neurotech
Taryn Southern is an award-winning storyteller and creative technologist exploring the intersection of emerging tech and human potential. Her groundbreaking creative experiments offer unique insights into how technology can help us unleash creativity, joy, wellbeing and productivity.
Originally from Kansas, Taryn’s first foray into entertainment began at 17 when she competed in the semi-finals of American Idol. In 2007, after obtaining degrees in journalism and anthropology, Taryn uploaded her first video onto YouTube.
Ten years and 750 million views later, this early YouTuber produced more than 1500 internet videos, at the forefront of the online content revolution. In 2007, she hosted and produced a TV series documenting her travels to meet her MySpace friends and uploaded her first viral video to YouTube.
Over the next decade, she created over 1500 videos garnering more than 1 billion views, served as an early advisor to YouTube, Google VR and Snapchat product teams, and consulted for companies like Conde Nast and Marriott on digital content strategy and narrative design.
Sandy Carter
COO & Author | AI First
Sandy Carter has had a distinguished career, holding leadership positions as Chief Operations Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Sales Officer, Channel Chief, and Chief Product Officer, working for two Fortune 100 companies – AWS and IBM. Her background is unique, as very few executives have experience working in such diverse C-level roles. At IBM, she was a pioneer in AI innovation, contributing to the development of the Watson ecosystem, including Cloud, AI, and IoT, and playing a pivotal role in introducing the industry's first business model for the AI ecosystem.
Sandy's passion for collaborating with partners and delivering value to customers was further demonstrated during her tenure as a top executive at AWS, where she worked closely with C-level customers and partners to address their Cloud, AI, and tech challenges. She credits her teams for their success, acknowledging that while she provides the direction and strategy, they drive the innovations and breakthroughs in AI and emerging technologies. She has also held Board of Director positions, currently serving on the Altair Board, and has been recognized with numerous awards, including AI Executive Champion of the Year, Business Transformational Leader of the Year, and CNN's Top 10 Women in Tech.
Simon Bachman
CEO | IDUN Technologies
Simon Bachmann is a first-time founder with the vision to enable the Internet of Humans. I am interested in wearable technology which enables humans to more intuitively engage with each other and the digital world. As a co-founder and chief executive officer of IDUN Technologies Simon is excited by building world-class teams, building win-win partnerships with customers and research institutions to make the next-generation of wearables a reality.
Nickolai Vysokov
CEO | BrainPatch
Nickolai is a neuroscientist with a PhD from Imperial College London, a prolific speaker on a range of neuroscience topics and a co-founder and CEO of BrainPatch.AI. BrainPatch was founded with a vision to change the world through allowing everyone to tap into the hidden potential of our brains using two-way brain-computer interfaces. Together with his team they developed effective stimulation protocols that mimic the sensations of meditation and deliver similar benefits for mental well-being, specifically for reducing stress and burnout.
Ariel Garten
Co-Founder | Muse
As a neuroscientist and former psychotherapist, Ariel Garten witnessed firsthand the struggles many face with mental health and the search for effective, accessible solutions. Inspired to make a real difference, she channeled her expertise into co-founding Muse, a healthtech startup aimed at revolutionizing brain health through technology.
Muse, the brain-sensing EEG headband, has helped over half a million users globally improve their meditation, reduce stress, and enhance sleep quality. By providing real-time biofeedback on brain activity, heart rate, and body movements, Muse supports personal brain training and offers valuable insights for both consumers and neuroscience researchers. Trusted by medical providers and featured in over 200 third-party studies, Muse is on path to unlocking the brain and revolutionizing health.
Ariel and Muse have been featured in thousands of articles including major media outlets such as CNN (3x), Forbes, Fortune, Popular Science, NTY, WSJ, GQ, Men’s Health, O Magazine, Wired, and more.
Driven by a deep passion for understanding the human mind, Ariel is committed to empowering individuals to enhance their mental capacities. Through Muse, she provides innovative tools and insights that motivate people to actively engage in their wellness journeys, inspiring them to achieve their full potential. Ariel is a sought after speaker on the global stage.
Kimi Doan
Chief Innovation Officer | Earable.AI
Kimi Doan is the Chief Innovation Officer at Earable Vietnam - a subsidiary of Earable Inc., an award-winning deep tech company pioneering sleep technology wearables. She leads investor relations, strategic product innovation, and partnerships across global healthcare industries.
Kimi is a seasoned Tech Evangelist and Business Connector with a strong background in computer science and a deep passion for neuroscience. With over 15 years of experience in executive roles in global marketing communications and business development for emerging technology companies, she is now a dedicated sleep advocate, committed to enhancing health, wellness, and unlocking human potential and longevity.
Before joining Earable Vietnam, Kimi was the Founder of YellowBlocks, Vietnam’s first emerging tech consulting firm with a network of over 120 tech organizations across 40 countries and strong partnerships with the governments of Vietnam, Australia, Singapore, and Austria. She also served as the first Global CMO for VinFast (NASDAQ: VFS) from 2020-2022, where she laid the foundation for the brand’s global launch.
Kimi holds a BSc in Computer Science and Telecommunications with merit from Helsinki University of Technology and an MBA with first-class honors from the University of Gloucestershire, UK.
Tien Wong
Investor | IronGate Capital Advisors
Mr. S. Tien Wong is a technology entrepreneur, CEO, and angel investor. He is Chairman & CEO of Opus8, Inc., a private investment and strategic advisory firm specializing in raising capital for alternative investment fund managers, as well as promising tech companies. He is also Chairman of Lumious, an ed tech company which provides advanced tech training and learning & development services to Fortune 500 customers. Mr. Wong is also Chairman of Lore Systems, Inc., an IT services company which provides managed hosting, IT support, and cloud computing solutions for commercial, nonprofit, and government clients.
He is Founder and Host of the Big Idea CONNECTpreneur Forum, a global community of over 25,000 founders, CEOs, angels, VCs, CXOs and business leaders. The community hosts the world’s largest monthly investor pitch events as well as 1/2-day Forums with upwards of 600 attendees, featuring VIP guests, speakers, exciting presenting companies, and the best CXO to CXO networking on the East Coast.
Max Devere
Investor | re.Mind Capital
Max de Vere is a co-founder of re.Mind Capital, a venture capital fund focused on mental health and brain health.
re.Mind has invested in companies across the entire 'value chain' in mental health, from the research lab to the provider. Their goal is a step-change in the quality of care that all patients can access, through better treatment, personalization and new payment models.
Previously, Max worked for McKinsey & Company, where he focused on health system strategy.
Geoff Klaas
Founder & CEO | Sense Diagnostics
Respected senior executive in business and community leadership. With over 30 years of building commercial organizations, from startups to global enterprises; Geoff has a deep healthcare and neuro innovation background.
Ryan Field
CEO & CTO | Kernel
Ryan Field is the CEO of Kernel, a neurotechnology company dedicated to building actionable insights from high-quality brain data. He previously led the Kernel Flow team and served as CTO, overseeing the concept, design, and development of the category-defining Kernel Flow brain imaging system.
Ryan is an inventor with more than 20 granted US patents and a published researcher with over a decade of experience building complex sensing systems. He holds a PhD from Columbia University in Electrical Engineering and previously led teams at Intel and Quanergy.
Tan Le
Founder & CEO | Emotiv
Tan Le (BCom (Hons), LLB (Hons)) is an inventor, entrepreneur, and thought leader in neurotechnology. As the founder and CEO of EMOTIV, she has
spearheaded innovations in portable EEG devices, transforming the understanding of brain performance and cognitive health.
Recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum since 2009, Tan has served on the WEF’s Board of Stewards on Neurotechnology and
contributed to shaping the future of information and entertainment. She received the 2018 Industrial Research Institute Achievement Award for her groundbreaking work in advancing industry and society.
Tan’s entrepreneurial journey began with SASme International, where she led a successful merger. Her accolades include Forbes’ "50 Names You Need to Know"
and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer. Tan also serves on the Group Board of QBE Insurance, underscoring her leadership across diverse industries.
Jen French
Executive Director and Founder | Neurotech Network
Jennifer French is the Founder and Executive Director of Neurotech Network, a nonprofit organization that focuses on education and advocacy of neurotechnologies. French has helped launch successful divisions is such organizations as Bombardier Capital and Connection, as well as several nonprofit organizations and community/patient engagement programs. She serves on several Boards including the IEEE Neuroethics Initiative, Institute of Neuroethics, OpenMinds, BRAIN
Initiative MCWG & NEWG, and the American Brain Coalition. She is also a faculty member for the NeuroTech Course. Together with Drs. Hochberg & Lennerz, Jennifer recently launched the Implantable BCI Collaborative Community (iBCI-CC), a multi-stakeholder forum dedicated to
advancing regulatory science in iBCIs.
As a result of a snowboarding accident, Jennifer French lives with tetraplegia due to a spinal cord injury. She is an early user of an experimental implanted neural prosthesis for paralysis and is the Past-President and Founding member of the North American SCI Consortium. French is the current Chair of the CDMRP Spinal Cord Injury Research Program programmatic committee. She is the author of On My Feet Again (Neurotech Press, 2013) and is co-author of
Bionic Pioneers (Neurotech Press, 2014).
Jen is also an avid sailor. She is a silver medalist from the 2012 Paralympic Games and is the 2012 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year; the first woman with a disability to receive this distinction. She is the 2024 recipient of the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Visionary Prize and the recipient of the Brooke Ellison Community Visionary Award.
Aadeel Akhtar
Founder & CEO | PSYONIC
Dr. Aadeel Akhtar, CEO of PSYONIC, founded the company to create advanced, affordable prostheses after meeting a young girl with a limb difference in Pakistan. PSYONIC's bionic Ability Hand is the fastest on the market, impact-resistant, and the first to provide a sense of touch. Dr. Akhtar earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and an M.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois, along with a B.S. in Biology and an M.S. in Computer Science from Loyola University Chicago. In 2021, he was named as one of MIT Technology Review’s top 35 Innovators Under 35 and America’s Top 50 Disruptors in Newsweek. In 2024, he secured a 3-shark deal on Shark Tank.
Dale DiMassi
Creative Specialist | PSYONIC
Executive Producer - Pete Erickson
CEO | Modev
Pete is the founder and CEO of Modev and the creator of a diverse series of events including VOICE & AI, GovAI Summit, CodeForward, BrandsGPT, and GNRT.AI.