Raheem Beyah is the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Known for his collaborative leadership and commitment to mentorship, he serves as the Institute’s chief academic officer, overseeing all academic units and guiding academic and budgetary priorities.

A native Atlantan and a graduate of the Atlanta Public Schools system, Beyah earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1998, and his master’s and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1999 and 2003, respectively.

Previously, he served as Dean of the College of Engineering and Southern Company Chair from 2021 to 2025. Under his leadership, the College strengthened its national and global reputation for innovation, research excellence, and student success, earning top‑10 national rankings across every engineering discipline. He is a cybersecurity expert and co‑leads the Georgia Tech Cyber‑Physical Security Lab, and is the co‑founder of Fortiphyd Logic Inc., an industrial cybersecurity company. Beyah is a Fellow of IEEE, an ACM Distinguished Scientist, and a lifetime member of the National Society of Black Engineers.

Jonathan Fozard serves as Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Florida State University, where he provides strategic leadership for the university’s technology enterprise in support of teaching, learning, research, student success and public service. 

In this role, Fozard oversees a broad technology portfolio that includes academic, research, support and administrative technology services across FSU. He also leads the Northwest Regional Data Center, the State Data Center of Florida and Florida Virtual Campus. Together, these operations support Florida State’s students, faculty, staff, researchers, global study centers and numerous statewide agencies through secure, reliable and innovative technology services. 

Since joining FSU, Fozard has led efforts to align technology strategy with the university’s academic and research priorities. He guided the development of FSU’s RISE 2030 technology strategy and expanded access to artificial intelligence tools and resources, strengthened cybersecurity capabilities, enhanced technology support for research, modernized digital learning services and grown technology-focused student internship opportunities that help prepare the next generation of technology leaders. 

In 2026, Fozard testified before the U.S. House of Representatives on the role higher education must play in building an AI-ready America. His testimony highlighted Florida State’s leadership in AI literacy, workforce readiness, research innovation, and the responsible adoption of emerging technologies across disciplines. 

Fozard also serves on Florida’s Government Technology Modernization Council after being appointed to a four-year term. The council advises state leaders on identity management, cybersecurity standards, cloud modernization, data governance, and the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence. He also serves on national higher education CIO advisory boards for Microsoft and Dell and chairs the Finance Committee for Florida LambdaRail. 

Fozard was named the 2026 Florida Large Enterprise ORBIE CIO Award winner for his leadership, innovation and commitment to workforce development. He was also recognized by CDO Magazine as one of the leading technology executives impacting higher education and was named a Gartner Eye on Innovation Top Innovator Finalist. 

Before joining Florida State, he held senior technology, finance and operations positions at George Washington University, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. 

He holds a Master of Business Administration and completed doctoral coursework in higher education administration and policy studies at Oklahoma State University. 

Rayid Ghani is a Distinguished Career Professor in the Machine Learning Department and the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. His work spans AI, machine learning, data science, and their applications in public policy and social impact. Rayid collaborates with governments and non-profits on policy challenges in areas such as health, criminal justice, education, public safety, economic development, and urban infrastructure. He designs, develops, deploys, and evaluates AI systems to address complex policy problems and focuses on AI governance and regulation. His research centers on creating human-AI collaborative systems for societal issues, with an emphasis on bias, fairness, equity, and explainability/interpretability and robust evaluation of those systems.

Before joining Carnegie Mellon, Rayid was the Founding Director of the Center for Data Science & Public Policy, a Research Associate Professor in Computer Science, and a Senior Fellow at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. He also served as Chief Scientist for the Obama 2012 Election Campaign, where he led efforts in data, analytics, and technology to target and engage voters, donors, and volunteers. In his ample free time, Rayid obsesses over everything related to coffee and works with non-profits on data, analytics, and digital strategy.

Tim Kelly is the 66th mayor of Chattanooga. He grew up in Chattanooga and attended undergraduate school at Columbia University. Upon return to Chattanooga, Kelly expanded his family’s automotive dealership and launched several successful ventures of his own, including co-founding Chattanooga’s professional soccer club. He later earned his MBA from Emory University. Kelly has always been active in the community, serving on boards for multiple nonprofits and even teaching as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Since being elected mayor in April 2021, he has made great strides on his vision to create One Chattanooga – a city where every resident has the opportunity to thrive and prosper.

Dr. Michael Owens is a visionary public servant, cybersecurity expert, and decorated veteran, currently serving as the inaugural Mayor of the City of Mableton, Georgia. Elected in April 2023, Mayor Owens made history by becoming the city’s first mayor following its modern incorporation.

With a career spanning over 25 years, Mayor Owens is a nationally recognized leader in cybersecurity, technology innovation, and public sector transformation. He has served in leadership roles across the military, global corporations, startups, and nonprofit organizations.

Daniel Rickenmann is the 71st Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. He is an innovative entrepreneur and a dedicated public servant with a passion for improving the quality of life for all in the Palmetto State’s Capital City.

As he enters his second term, Mayor Daniel Rickenmann remains committed to advancing the priorities that have defined his leadership. He will continue expanding housing options, strengthening public safety through innovative programs, and enhancing customer service across city operations. Building on the momentum of cleaner, more vibrant neighborhoods and renewed pride in Columbia’s public spaces, he plans to further invest in parks, green spaces, and environmental sustainability, particularly along the riverfront. With a proven record of supporting economic growth, improving infrastructure, and championing a family-friendly and business-friendly culture, Mayor Rickenmann is dedicated to ensuring Columbia’s continued progress and quality of life for all who call the Capital City home.

Rickenmann’s political career began in 2002 when he was elected to the Columbia City Council. During his 14 years of service, he was a strong advocate for fiscal responsibility, public safety, and infrastructure improvements. He played an important role in revitalizing downtown Columbia, supporting affordable housing efforts, and championing local small businesses.

As Mayor, Rickenmann represents the City of Columbia as a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, where he serves in a leadership role as a Trustee. He also serves as Chair of the Mayor’s Alliance to End Childhood Hunger and is an active member of the Accelerator for America Advisory Council, America Is All In Leaders Circle, and the Climate Mayors Steering Committee.

Rickenmann has been widely recognized for his leadership. He ranked number two on the Post and Courier Power List in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Columbia’s 50 Most Influential in 2023, 2024, and 2025 by Columbia Business Monthly. He was also selected for The State Newspaper’s Top 20 Under 40. Fortune Magazine recognized him as one of six Green Leaders in a red state. He was handpicked by the American Swiss Foundation to attend the Young Leaders Conference in Zurich, Switzerland, and in 2022 he was selected to participate in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative alongside 40 mayors from around the world.

Outside of public service, Rickenmann has built a successful career as an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry, renewable energy development, and spirits production. Shortly after graduating from college, he opened Birds on a Wire, his first restaurant in Columbia. In 2009 he launched a renewable energy company focused on innovative approaches to powering communities. More recently, he co-founded Forbidden Bourbon, a Kentucky-based spirits company known for having the first female master distiller.

Raised in Spartanburg, Rickenmann is a first-generation American who was raised by a single mother. He moved to Columbia to attend the University of South Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1992.

Rickenmann is dedicated to making Columbia a place his fellow residents and his own family are proud to call home. He is married to Dr. Laura Rickenmann, a local pediatrician, and they have two daughters, Carlyle and Ellie, along with two dogs, Lulu and Quila. At the end of the day, Mayor Rickenmann is working to make Columbia a place his daughters want to live, work, and raise a family.

Throughout his 20-year career with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Justin has evolved from a teenage volunteer police explorer into a key architect of the agency’s modern operational landscape. His early career was marked by excellence in criminal investigations, including a meritorious service award from the U.S. Secret Service for his work on complex financial crimes. He led some of the agency’s most harrowing and intricate cases. His background in managing sensitive, high-profile investigations provided him with a profound understanding of the critical need for precision and accountability in law enforcement, a perspective that continues to inform his vision for agency-wide innovation.

Justin is a relentless advocate for innovation and continuous process improvement, consistently leveraging technology to solve complex public safety challenges. Today, he is at the forefront of the digital frontier, having authored the agency’s pioneering policy on Artificial Intelligence. By integrating responsible AI and streamlining digital workflows, Justin continues to drive the agency toward a future where data and technology maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of law enforcement operations.

Erin Sterchi is the AI Program Director at the Georgia Technology Authority, where she helps state agencies approach AI with both imagination and discipline. With a background in natural language processing and content intelligence, she supports agencies with use case development, AI governance and ethics, prompt and context design, and hands-on learning opportunities. Her work bridges innovation and implementation by helping agencies imagine what is possible and vendors understand what is practical.

Charles Elliott is a Senior Research Engineering Lead, Google Public Sector  leading initiatives that transform education through the power of technology, particularly generative AI. Building on a successful consulting career focused on Big Data, Analytics, and AI, Charles now leverages his extensive expertise to guide educational institutions and ed-tech companies in realizing the potential of personalized learning at scale. With over 15 years of experience, he specializes in bridging cutting-edge cloud solutions with the specific needs of the education and research sectors. As a trusted advisor, he empowers organizations to enhance learning experiences, improve accessibility, and drive measurable educational outcomes. His work spans early childhood education, machine learning applications, and strategic cloud implementation, with a focus on leveraging generative AI to unlock new possibilities in transforming public sector organizations.