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.

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.

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.

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.

Kyle Lanahan serves as the Director of State, Local Government, and Education at Google Public Sector. With 15 years of dedicated experience in the SLED space—including his previous role as Regional Vice President at Palo Alto Networks—Kyle is a trusted partner to public sector leaders. He focuses on driving innovation and digital transformation by leveraging artificial intelligence to modernize government services, accelerate breakthrough research, and elevate educational outcomes.

Beyond his professional leadership at Google, Kyle is an active member of the advisory boards for Tech Impact and The First Tee of Philadelphia. In these capacities, he applies his professional background to foster youth empowerment, drive technological innovation, and support workforce development initiatives throughout the community.