Saving our Planet through Digital Transformation

Afro-optimism is the state of absolute conviction that a bright future lies ahead for the African continent, and that the sons and daughters of the continent will be the crafters of such a future. Prominent among them is Dr. Arame Tall, one of the world's experts on global climate services, adaptation, resilience building, and community-based early warning systems. In this informative keynote, Dr. Tall shares her concerns about climate change and discusses how all of us, worldwide, can do something about it.

Arame Tall, Ph.D.

Senior Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience Specialist, The World Bank

This panel will discuss Climate Change and how it has reshaped the business economy. We’ll explore its impact on the African Woman, and discuss how digital transformation is the key to tackling Climate Change. Finally, we will explore how digital transformation is being implemented in the African Market, its successes and failures. Learning Outcomes:

1) Understand Climate change and its impact on the African Woman
2) Understand digital transformation and how it is being implemented in the African Market
3) Understand how digital transformation is the key to tackling climate change

Winifred Ereyi

Head, WITI Africa

Abimbola Abikoye

Social Impact Analyst

Ibilola Amao, Ph.D.

Executive Consultant, Lonadek Global Services

Tosin Arowojolu, P.E.

Network Director, WITI Bahrain

Yewande Awe, Ph.D.

Senior Environmental Engineer, The World Bank

Vashinee Bheemul

Managing Director, Vector Technology & Solutions

Back by popular demand! Here’s a chance to meet and mingle with fellow Summit attendees from around the country and around the globe. Grab yourself a cup of coffee (or tea) and join us for an informal networking event. Jump in any time ... stay for 60 seconds or 60 minutes or anything in between … and open a new door.

David Leighton

President & Co-Founder, WITI - Women in Technology International

Professor Rachel Kyte was named by Time magazine as one of the "15 Women Leading the Fight Against Climate Change." She has become a go-to expert for heads of state and multinational CEOs trying to figure out how to transition away from fossil fuels. Before being named Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University, Professor Kyte created the nonprofit, Sustainable Energy for All, that seeks to bring energy to under-developed places. In this keynote we'll learn more about obstacles she encountered and how she overcame them.

Marti Evans

Managing Director, Strategic Partnerships, WITI

Professor Rachel Kyte

Dean, The Fletcher School, Tufts University

Breakout Workshop

This session will define digital transformation and emerging technologies, and help you identify key areas to digitize, including strategy, core processes, and technology. Designed for leaders focused on implementing new ideas, staying ahead of the competition, and aligning their people, data, and technology to drive digital transformation. We’ll overview the pace of change and its impact, implications, and opportunities. Also included: how corporate sustainability can leverage digital transformation to create meaningful change.

Marian Cook

Digital Transformation Consultant & Educator, 2U

Breakout Panel

The promise of digital transformation can't be realized if we don't integrate security into the process. In this panel we'll take a buzz-free look at what digital transformation really means to business success and how organizations can make the most of it without putting sensitive assets at risk or breaking the bank. We'll also provide process and technology recommendations that any organization can implement to accelerate their secure digital transformation journey.

Diana Kelley

Executive Board Member, Cyber Future Foundation & WiCyS

Naomi Buckwalter

Executive Director, Cybersecurity Gatebreakers Foundation

Helen Knight

CIO & Strategic Advisor, Helen Knight Consulting

Crystal Lister

President, Omniangle Technologies

Breakout Workshop

With over 800 certifications out there how can you know what is right for your career? This discussion will cover different strategies to staying up to date, evaluating which credential is right for you, and planning for long-term career validation through upskilling and credentialing.

Suzanne Ricci

Chief Success Officer, Computer Coach IT Training

Kasandra Perez

IT & Business Training Strategist, Computer Coach IT Training

Gender inequality coupled with the climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time. It poses threats to ways of life, livelihoods, health, safety, and security for women and girls around the world. The Co-Founders of Women in Digital Transformation (WiDT) explain why it's essential to bridge this gender digital divide, sharing their own perspectives as well as valuable insights on leadership and significant findings from the Gender Digital Divide Index (GDDI).

Reyn Anderson

Co-Founder & Managing Director, Women in Digital Transformation

Kate Gromova

Co-Founder, Women in Digital Transformation

Seeing the devastating effects of climate change – specifically Hurricane Katrina – prompted Dr. Lisa Dyson to ask herself how she could be part of the solution. She saw the potential of recycling carbon to create a sustainable food supply, to sustain a planet expected to have 10 billion people by 2050. And thus was born an air-based meat alternative. In this remarkable keynote, Remarkable People Podcast host Guy Kawasaki interviews Dr. Dyson about her journey, about Air Protein, and about her hope for the future of Planet Earth.

Guy Kawasaki

Chief Evangelist, Canva

Lisa Dyson, Ph.D.

Founder & CEO, Air Protein

Breakout Panel

Robots are becoming an integral part of our lives today. Robots are making our lives easier and the world greener. And yes, we rely on robots for a variety of tasks – from keeping our homes safe and our waterways clean to assisting passengers at airports and making agriculture more-environmentally friendly. Though many robots are being built to help society, can robots be designed with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in mind?

In this session, the experts will cover:

• Designing innovative and sustainable robots that impact people and planet
• How to factor in diversity and ESG in the planning process
• Micromobility robots and the future of the industry
• Career opportunities in robotics.

Parna Sarkar-Basu

CEO and Founder, Brand and Buzz Marketing

Jessica Yip

COO and Co-Founder, A&K Robotics

Breakout Panel

Facilitation is an important skill for progress. It is an especially important skill for navigating the challenges during digital transformations. Facilitation is a technique that helps us support the people we work with to understand and achieve shared goals and objectives. And as virtual interaction has overtaken in-person events since the beginning of the pandemic, the ability to facilitate well is even more important to enable purposeful and participative environments for people to feel safe to engage, learn, and collaborate. This panel will discuss their tips and tricks for facilitating progress in their teams through conversations and events. They'll also share how they adapted to virtual settings over the past two years.

Patricia Kong

Head of Enterprise Solutions & Learning Enablement, scrum.org

Glaudia Califano

Agile & Lean Coach, Red Tangerine

Magdalena Firlit

Professional Scrum Trainer & Agile Transformation Consultant, magdalenafirlit.com

Mica Syjuco

Director, Technology Leadership, Avanade

Breakout Workshop

Hear about crypto/blockchain 101, the current regulatory climate, and how this new and exciting area is changing the world for the better.

Hailey Lennon

Partner, Anderson Kill

Breakout Panel

Like software is to hardware: critical! So are soft skills to hard skills: necessary! These intangibles can sometimes do more than the things we see. We will talk about the importance of soft skills in saving our planet from leadership downfalls, stunted excellence, pitfalls in human development, downsizing EQ, and more.

Zienzi Dillon

Founder & CEO, Carmel Global Capital

Tinku Khanwalkar

Managing Attorney, AVK Counsel

Ngozi Bell

Partner, Trans-Sahara Investment Corporation

What if...

• This is all there is to life
• I missed my big opportunity
• I’m too old to change
• It’s too late to try something new
• I had done things differently

I’ve been where you are and what I know with absolute certainty is... You are more powerful than you think you are, more powerful than you may be experiencing right now, and even more powerful than you believe you can be. You can have the life you desire. And, you can have the best career of your life after 40, 50, even 60 and beyond.

Takeaways:

• Discover what gives you true power at any age
• Learn about the two steps my clients take to avoid career traps
• Outline the 5-step strategy for long term career success

Jane Barr

Executive Coach , Kinnexion, LLC

Coaching Circle

As women in traditional workplaces, we are often confronted with a double bind - show up as likable and be seen as less competent or worthy of leadership, or show up as competent and risk being seen as less likable. This often leaves us feeling as though we have a very fine line, or tightrope, to walk. In this session, you’ll learn strategies to challenge the double bind and develop your own authentic leadership style.

Kim Meninger

Executive Coach, Your Career Success

Coaching Circle

Why do we do the things we do? Why is it that we measure success by status? What force drives all our decisions, actions, and quality of life? The answers to these questions can be explained by six core human needs and emotions. In this session, we will learn about these emotions so that you can better understand people's behavior, become more persuasive, and achieve your career goals faster.

Berk Celebisoy

Co-Founder & Executive Coach, Daisuki Coaching

Coaching Circle

The Covid pandemic has been a major disruptor to building and maintaining strategic networks, particularly in the workplace. In this Circle, we will explore ways to build and maintain strong workplace relationships whether your team is remote, in-person, or somewhere in between. Gain tips and leave with a plan for enhancing your workplace relationship-building skills.

Jovita Jenkins

Executive/Leadership Coach, GOOYOW GROUP

Our world is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA). We are currently recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic whilst reeling from the effects of increased incidences of police brutality, gun violence, gender-based violence, terrorism, kidnappings, domestic violence, bullying, divorces, and many other traumatic events. We have to be resilient to survive and thrive in this VUCA world. RESILIENCE is that ability to adapt well in the face of seemingly strong and persistent adversity. It is an essential skill for coping with the many obstacles we face in our lives. Unfortunately, the measures taken to keep the world safe have negatively affected many persons, families, and relationships. Due to the high level of trauma in our world today, many people don't really know what to do, how to cope, or how to make a comeback after being held in the throes of trauma for a lengthy time.

In this Coaching Circle you'll join Winifred Ereyi, a Certified Trauma Integrated Brain Health Coach and Leadership trainer, to learn about trauma, its effects on the body and brain, and how to build resilience in the face of your difficulties.

Winifred Ereyi

Head, WITI Africa