An industry-recognized IT leader in the design and delivery of cost-effective, high-performance technology solutions, Bradd Busick is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at MultiCare Health System. He has been featured in CIO Magazine, TED, recognized by Constellation Research as one of the top 150 innovative CXO’s in the country and is a two-time nominee as the top CIO in Washington state by CIO Insider. He was selected as the CIO of the year in 2023.

Busick delivers value to the enterprise by proactively offering broad, cutting-edge approaches for growing business and creating innovation across organizations such as Boeing, Ralph Lauren, Ford and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Busick has a Bachelor of Science and MBA from Pacific Lutheran University, with an emphasis in Technology and Innovation Management and is currently enrolled in the master’s program at Brown University. He is a certified Change Management practitioner, a board member of the PNW Chapter of Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP), recognized by the Business Examiner as one of South Sound’s 40 under 40 and is an adjunct faculty member in the Morken School of Business at Pacific Lutheran University.

Chandra Chikkareddy is a product and engineering leader in the area of artificial intelligence, data and cloud computing. He has extensive experience delivering large-scale customer-facing platforms and applications for both enterprises and consumers. 

At Meta, he spearheaded frontier LLM post-training and GenAI modernization for some of Meta’s core services, powering billions of users across the app ecosystem. Previously as a VP/GM at Microsoft, he was the head of the Office AI and Word teams, where they helped redefine the future of work for billions of users. His team was the home of the NLP, applied LLMs (post training), Multimodal GenAI, and the Office AI runtime platforms. Chikkareddy also led Merchant platforms at PayPal, and was involved in data and analytics startups. 

Chikkareddy holds a bachelor of engineering in computer science from Mysore University, and a MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.

As an Enterprise Information Architect in the Information Architecture group within Boeing Information Technology's (Boeing IT) Information Management (IM) organization, Kevin Cushman works with members of IT and the business in the areas of information architecture, information management, data warehousing, business intelligence, governance, data quality, information asset management, master data management, content management, and process development.

Prior to his current role, Cushman held several different positions within the engineering and information systems/technology fields. Cushman started in Boeing Commercial Airplanes in 1991 as a Manufacturing Engineer supporting the 747 and 767 programs. From 1993 to 1996, he was a senior Tool Design Engineer supporting the mechanical handling equipment for the 747 and 767 programs. In 1996, Cushman transitioned to the information systems field becoming Data Management Specialist on Boeing Commercial Airplane's (BCA) Define and Control Airplane Configuration / Manufacturing Resource Management (DCAC/MRM) program. He was a member of the Data Conversion organization and represented his organization on the program's Integrated Design Team (IDT) as well as leading the efforts to define and prepare the engineering related data for conversion into the to-be DCAC systems. Following DCAC/MRM, Cushman transitioned into the BCA's Information Systems Transformation (IST) program where the role of the Information Architect was established. He participated in domain validations representing information architecture and was part of the team that established the BCA Computing Governance process.

In 2008, Cushman was a member of the first graduating class of BCA's Leadership Development Excellence (LDE) program. Cushman serves as a Boeing focal to the University of Washington's Information School as part of Boeing's Enterprise University Relations program, a position he has held since 2006. Cushman served in the Minnesota Army National Guard and Washington Army National Guard as an infantry soldier from 1986 to 1992 and achieved the rank of Sergeant E-5 (a Non-Commissioned Officer).

Cushman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Dakota (1991), a master's degree in Business Administration from Seattle University (1994) and a Master of Science degree in Information Management from the University of Washington (2005).

Kristie Duffin is the Chief Technology Officer for Cascade Asset Management Company, a $100 billion+ investment management firm responsible for managing the assets of Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation. Duffin joined Cascade in 2016 to drive the strategy and operations of Cascade’s technology platforms.

Previously, Duffin was Managing Director and Head of Global CRM at BlackRock, based in Seattle and London. Duffin has held several technology leadership positions with financial companies managing software development, product and program management, and technology infrastructure.

Duffin is also on the Advisory Board for the University of Washington Bothell School of Business and is a graduate of the University of Washington Seattle Foster School of Business with both a BA and a Technology MBA.

Lauri Ellis is a Principal Service Engineering Manager in the OneDrive SharePoint team within Microsoft’s Office 365 organization, where she leads a team that handles change management and change governance for SharePoint Online. She has been working on the SharePoint product for over a decade both in internal and external-facing roles across various feature areas including search, upgrade and service continuity management. 

During her 20-year career at Microsoft, Ellis has worked in a variety roles, including 10 years in the Microsoft Library, where she managed the library’s website and led redesigns of the corporate portal MSWeb. Other roles included managing the company’s external news program and overseeing the company’s intranet search services. Prior to Microsoft, she held an internship at the King County Technical Library and was a volunteer at the Kitsap Regional Library. 

Ellis received both her Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Librarianship from the University of Washington. She has her Project Management Professional and ITIL certifications and is a member of the Special Libraries Association. 

Kari Escobedo is a technology executive, board advisor and educator with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations transform through technology, data, artificial intelligence and digital innovation. She has led enterprise technology strategy for global Fortune 500 companies and professional sports organizations including Microsoft, Starbucks, T-Mobile, Kaiser Permanente, Bartell Drugs and the Seattle Mariners, and currently serves as Interim Chief Technology Officer for Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC.

As Founder and Managing Director of Strategy4Innovation, Escobedo advises executives and boards on AI strategy, cybersecurity, technology governance, digital transformation and organizational change. She is passionate about helping leaders responsibly adopt emerging technologies while building high-performing, customer-focused organizations.

Escobedo is equally committed to developing the next generation of technology leaders. She serves as an Adjunct Professor in Seattle University's Sports & Entertainment MBA program and is an active advisor to the University of Washington iSchool and Western Washington University's College of Business & Economics. 

Robert Gervais is the founder of Chuckanut Games, providing technical and operational solutions to clients who strive to engage with their customers through the magic of games. He enjoys working with a diverse group of government, business, and organization leaders as he draws from over two decades of experience with 10 years spent working on Unreal Engine (UE) and Epic Online Services (EOS).

Prior to founding Chuckanut Games, Gervais was Director of Learning & Education at Epic Games, where he led several teams and managed multiple co-development studios that support independent and AAA game companies working with UE and EOS for games, film, television, and advertising. While at Epic, he also worked on Fortnite, Paragon, Battle Breakers, and Unreal Tournament. He enjoys discussing ways that game technology can help organizations and businesses thrive in today’s world, so feel free to connect with him on LinkedIn.

Erik Johnson is Principal and Co-founder of Informed Decision, a Seattle-based consultancy focused on Microsoft data and AI platforms, including Microsoft Fabric, Purview and AI agents. The firm’s name reflects a conviction Johnson has held throughout his career: Organizations shouldn’t aspire to be data-driven — that risks crowding out human judgment, taste, and intuition — but data-informed. He advises executive leadership at consultancies and enterprises on strategy, go-to-market, and delivery for Microsoft AI and data solutions.

Before founding Informed Decision in 2026, Johnson spent nearly 20 years at Slalom Consulting, most recently as managing director and global lead of Slalom’s Microsoft Business Unit, responsible for the sale and delivery of client solutions across Azure, OpenAI, Copilot, Power Platform, Modern Work, Dynamics 365 and Security. During his tenure, he started and grew several practices and capabilities, including Anaplan, Dynamics, Data & Analytics, and Microsoft BI, and under his leadership Slalom was named GitHub’s 2025 AMER Services & Channel Partner of the Year. Earlier in his career, Johnson held consulting roles at Hitachi Consulting and Arthur Andersen LLP, building business intelligence and data warehousing solutions for clients including Microsoft and AT&T Wireless.

Johnson is a graduate of the University of Washington Foster School of Business and lives in Seattle’s University District.

Jeff Jones is a Cybersecurity Consultant and former Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Milliman, Inc., an actuarial consulting and solutions firm headquartered in Seattle with revenues exceeding $1 billion. Jones was also a CISO finalist at the 2023 Seattle Orbie Awards and continues to network with other CISOs and CIOs in the Seattle area. 

Jones joined Milliman in 2016 and demonstrated innovative skills advising practices internally, managing cybersecurity and incident response, and representing Milliman’s information security interests with major clients, auditors, and vendors. He came to Milliman following a consulting engagement with Nordstrom.  Prior to Nordstrom, Jones was the Senior Information Security Manager at Black Knight Financial Services, where he managed the internal risk management team and developed security policies.   

Early in his career, Jones served honorably in the United States Air Force. Jones brings over 30 years of information technology and information security experience to the CISO role, including tenures at IBM, AT&T, ADP, and First American CoreLogic. 

Among his four degrees, Jones earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science & Engineering from the University of California, Davis, and a Master of Science in Information Technology from Golden Gate University. Jones has a passion for serving in his community, and is a former VP of the 100 Black Men of Sacramento, a non-profit that mentors young men in underserved communities. 

Brian Lent is one of the earliest pioneers of the modern AI era, a technical luminary whose career began at the genesis of the internet itself. While pursuing his Ph.D. at Stanford, he worked with a legendary group of computer science students — including Larry Page and Sergey Brin — at a research lab that would one day incubate the Google search engine. This formative experience gave him a front-row seat to some of the greatest technical challenges of the era, and a deep understanding of how to build new data-driven systems from the ground up.

This unique perspective propelled him to leadership roles at some of the world's most innovative companies. At Amazon, he built the company's first predictive analytics platform and data science team, creating the recommendation system that would become the foundation of e-commerce and would ultimately drive 30%+ of Amazon.com's revenues. He has since founded four innovative AI and data-driven companies, applying his deep technical expertise to solve some of the world's most complex problems, from next-generation credit scoring to a highly complex AI to power Level 5 full autonomous driving and real estate analytics.

Michael Mott has over 15 years of experience in product management, with expertise in delivering B2B SaaS solutions. Currently, Mott leads PitchBook’s Data Collection Technology team, leading global product teams and cross-functional stakeholders who are tasked with building PitchBook’s platform for collecting private markets and public equity datasets at scale. This includes collection processes using AI, Machine Learning classifiers, automations, and direct user interfaces. One of Mott’s key previous accomplishments includes the initial launch of PitchBook’s Chrome extension, which has become one of the most frequently used features by PitchBook subscribers. 

Before joining PitchBook, Mott led product management for the ActiveCamps division of Active Network, a leading provider of online registration and participant management tools. Mott graduated from the University of Washington in 2004.

Rajesh Naidu is Senior Vice President, Global Digital Innovation Leader and Chief Architect at TD SYNNEX, where he leads global digital innovation and architecture strategy. He brings more than 25 years of experience driving technology strategy, enterprise architecture, digital transformation and data-driven innovation across high-tech, retail, travel and consumer goods industries.

Prior to TD SYNNEX, Naidu spent more than three years at Expedia Group as SVP, Chief Architect and Head of Data Management and Data Governance, where he held global responsibility for architecture, data management and data governance across the company's platform, and helped guide Expedia's evolution toward a more open, data-centric technology company. Before Expedia, he spent a decade at Starbucks in senior enterprise architecture and data & analytics technology leadership roles, and earlier held technology leadership positions at SAP and Hewlett-Packard.

Naidu is a frequent industry speaker and commentator on digital transformation, AI and enterprise architecture, having appeared on panels at CES, AWS re:Invent and Skift, and has been featured in outlets including Computer Weekly and Computing UK. He is based in Bellevue, Washington, and has lived in the Pacific Northwest for more than 25 years.

Naidu holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Osmania University in Hyderabad, India, and a Master of Science in Engineering from Texas Tech University.

Brian O'Donnell creates best-in-class digital solutions that deliver tangible business benefits. For example, he developed the strategic plan and lead the re-engineering effort of the core operations platform for a high-growth retail SaaS company, creating a solution that can scale to 300,000 transactions weekly and manage millions of dollars in financial purchases. His background in enterprise architecture and cloud platforms, combined with the experience of building two cloud businesses, enables him to bring a unique blend of business and technical aptitude to clients’ challenges. 

His career journey has common threads that run throughout as an entrepreneur, business leader, and technology professional. In these capacities, he has found professional fulfillment in building teams and organizational capabilities, growing strategic partnerships and channels, and collaborating with clients on initiatives that have measurable impact on performance. In 2006, he co-founded Attunix, a cloud services provider. Over a dozen years, he guided its growth to a firm of more than 70 people – and, just as importantly to him, one recognized as a best workplace in the region before selling it in 2018. He holds a degree in business administration from Gonzaga University.  

Florin Rotar is Avanade’s CTO and is responsible for the strategic technology direction for the company. He is leading Avanade's Emerging Technology Group, Portfolio Management & Incubation Teams, Global Innovation Team and Market Research function.

Curious by nature and a technologist by trade ever since he typed LOAD “*”, 8,1 on his Commodore 64 in 1983, Rotar is an optimistic believer in the power of technology to make a genuine human impact. With a background as an entrepreneur, a practitioner and a technology leader, and spending the last 20 years between the U.S., U.K., Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, he uses his experience to guide teams and clients through the journey of realizing the potential and promise of the Microsoft platform. Rotar is a published co-author of the book "We the People: Human Purpose in a Digital Age: A Guide to Digital Ethics for Individuals, Organizations and Robots of All Kinds."

Richard Starnes is a managing director at Accenture with over 25 years of experience focused on delivering analytics solutions with measurable value for his clients. Starnes advises many of the largest and most influential technology sector companies on approaches and programs around data governance, data platforms, cloud migrations, MDM, business intelligence, AI/ML, and CDO/COE organizational structure and operations. 

Previously at Deloitte, Starnes served as the global leader for Tableau and Salesforce Analytics, leading the Semiconductor sub-sector for Analytics, and serving in many other leadership roles in his 15 years there. 

Starnes has a Bachelor of Science in Management Science from Loughborough University in the UK. He lives with his wife and five children in Bellevue. He is an avid soccer fan, coach and player, and is on the board of the Queen Anne Soccer club.

Wendy Turner-Williams is the founder and CEO of Culstrata-ai and theassociation.ai. Turner-Williams has 25+ years of experience in the AI, Data and Trust space at companies like Accenture, Microsoft and Salesforce. Following her recent stint as the chief data & analytics officer for Tableau, Turner-Williams has embraced her entrepreneurial spirit and is now focused on bringing proven chief data & AI fractional and best-in-class talent acquisition services to market. She is using her change agent and culture building experience to form and foster an AI, data, ethics, privacy and security professionals’ community with the intention of breaking silos, improving networking, and the identification and publication of technology self-regulation opportunities that ensures ethical AI and data handling.

Turner-Williams is an award-winning chief data & analytics officer, author, speaker and thought-leader. She serves on the advisory boards at Kensu and Women in Tech World Series (North America). She also supports the development of the next generation of AI, data and ML leaders as an adjunct professor for Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College CdataO certification program.

Pawan Uppuluri is a seasoned technology executive with 25+ years of experience building consumer products at internet scale. She has a track record of building products from early stage concept through launch; and building and managing large scale systems serving multi-billion dollar businesses. Most recently, she served as the Chief Technology Officer at Thrasio, a next generation consumer goods company. Prior to this, she was the Chief Technology Officer at Glossier and Director of Product & Engineering at Amazon. Uppuluri was named in Forbes “Next CIO 2021 - 50 innovative technology leaders transforming business for a radically different world” and Girl Geek “60 Female CTOs to watch in 2023.”

At Thrasio, Uppuluri oversaw product and technology building a machine learning driven merchandising and distribution platform across multiple e-commerce channels enabling demand optimization through pricing & marketing as well as supply chain optimization. At Glossier, a digital-first beauty company, she oversaw product and engineering for e-commerce & retail and helped transform the technology team and systems to deliver a best-in-class omnichannel platform. Previously, as the Director of Software Development in Alexa, Uppuluri led product and engineering for News, Voice of the Customer and Alexa Orchestration Engine which was the backbone workflow for Alexa.

Alex Wade is a consultant and guest faculty in the UW iSchool MLIS program. His career has centered on open access, open science and academic knowledge graphs, with roles at the Microsoft Academic Graph, Meta (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative), Semantic Scholar (Allen Institute for AI), and Dimensions (Digital Science). Earlier, he held Systems Librarian, Engineering Librarian, Philosophy Librarian, and other library positions at the University of Washington, University of Michigan, and UC Berkeley. He currently consults for the Astera Institute, Center for Open Science, and DataCite, and holds an MLIS from the University of Washington.

Yi Zhou is a globally recognized AI thought leader and technology executive with more than three decades of leadership across healthcare, life sciences, and enterprise technology. He founded Agentic Engineering, an AI-native discipline for building and governing production-grade AI systems, and has led major transformations at GE Healthcare, Adaptive Biotechnologies, Slalom, Quest Diagnostics, and Celera. His work includes pioneering platforms in medical imaging, precision medicine, genomics and enterprise AI, including 12 FDA-cleared technologies across X-ray, CT and MRI.

Zhou is a leading voice in responsible AI, standards and governance. He authored the GE Healthcare AI Standards and Playbook, serves as a voting member of the MITA AI Committee, and has advised the FDA, EMA, and NMPA on AI safety, validation and accountability. He is the author of three AI books and more than 80 publications and has received the Seattle CIO of the Year ORBIE Award, two CEO Awards, three DNA Innovation Awards, and LinkedIn Top Voice recognition.