Haub Innovation Speaker Series
The purpose of this speaker series is to provide students with the opportunity to hear from forward-thinking industry leaders on innovation and entrepreneurship. Speakers from various industries will share their perspectives and experiences as they apply to their industry or company. They will also offer insight into how individuals can develop an entrepreneurial mindset and cultivate a culture of innovation.
Co-Sponsor
Sweet Lemons and Black Chalk: The Cognitive Neuroscience of Creativity
Stephen Moelter, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Co-Director, Neuroscience Program
Dr. Moelter has been studying brain function and dysfunction since 1991 when he was an undergraduate research assistant in a visual neuroscience laboratory at Penn State University. Moelter earned his PhD in Clinical Psychology at Drexel University and completed pre and postdoctoral fellowships in neuropsychology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Moelter came to USciences in 2002, and teaches Neuropsychology, Neuropsychological Assessment, Cognitive Psychology, and Philosophy of Psychology at Saint Joseph's University. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institute on Aging (NIA), Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the VA Stars and Stripes Healthcare Network have supported his research.
Location: Mandeville Hall, (MV 128)
Harnessing Generative AI: Practical Tips for Daily Life and Work
Zachary Leahan
Director at PWC
Zach drives operational excellence and automations for PwC Digital product offerings to better serve PwC's clients in a Portfolio Architect role. Zach has over 15 years of ERP business process, analytics, controls, and security experience. This experience is from the lens of consulting and product management/development for cloud native products.
Generative AI is reshaping creativity, efficiency, and problem-solving in remarkable ways. This concise talk will introduce you to the essentials of large language models (LLMs) and their applications, offering straightforward strategies to integrate this technology into everyday tasks and professional endeavors.
Location: Mandeville Hall, (MV 292)
Unity Workshop: Crafting Projects
Antonio Cima
Undergraduate Research Assistant at Saint Joseph's University
Antonio Cima is an Undergraduate Student at Saint Joseph's University focusing on getting his Computer Science bachelor's degree. He has been coding and making video games for around 3 years primarily using the game engine Unity. He has a strong ambition of wanting to make games that connect and bring people together from all around the world. Antonio hopes to start his own video game development studio to further his goals and bring others together. With 3+ years of video game development experience, Antonio in this hands-on workshop will show you how you can start creating video games and show the versatility of the GDK, (game development kit) Unity
Requirements: Laptop with minimum 5GB of Storage
Location: Mandeville Hall, (MV 310)
Previous Speakers
Innovation and Analytics in Healthcare: Cooper University Health Care
Sadegh Mikaeili, PhD
Senior Data Scientist
In this session, I will delve into the transformative power of data-driven insights in modern healthcare. With a focus on Cooper Hospital, I'll explore how analytics can streamline patient access, operational efficiency, and decision-making processes. By harnessing advanced analytics techniques such as predictive modeling, machine learning, and data visualization, Cooper Hospital is enhancing resource allocation, and improving patient experiences.
Location: Zoom
Algorithmic Trading with Declarative Programming Methods
Dylan Flynn
Undergraduate Research Assistant
This presentation delves into the innovative use of declarative programming in financial market analysis. Integrating Answer Set Programming (ASP) with Python, it explores a novel approach to decision-making in algorithmic trading systems. This method aims at streamlining the analysis process and enhancing the accuracy of trade decisions. The use of declarative programming in this context demonstrates its transformative potential for traditional market analysis methods, offering more precise and efficient tools for financial professionals. Discover how this technology is opening new horizons in the study and application of financial market dynamics.
Location: Haub Innovation Center, MV 290/292 and Zoom
AI Today: Where It’s At, Where It’s Going, and How to Be Prepared
Chris Carr
Founder and CEO, Farotech
In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the business landscape, many organizations find themselves unprepared for the impending changes. Chris Carr, through extensive research and practical experience, emphasizes the urgent need for businesses to understand, prepare, and adapt to the transformative power of AI. This workshop serves as a critical call to action, offering invaluable insights into AI’s current and future impact on business, employment, and technology.
Since the onset of 2020, Chris Carr and his company, Farotech, have been deeply involved in analyzing the rise and implications of artificial intelligence in the business world. With a solid foundation in theory and hands-on experience, Chris has distilled his findings into this essential workshop. His achievements include earning a Certification in Generative AI for Business Transformation from MIT, and he is nearing completion of his Certification for AI for Business from the Wharton School of Business.
Location: Zoom
BITS and Innovation Center Speaker Series Talk: AI Today
Chris Carr
Founder and CEO, Farotech
In this session, we will cover:
• The anticipated impact AI will have on businesses
• The potential impact AI will have on employment
• How AI is impacting LLMs, Data Analysis, and Multimedia
• How AI will lead to massive leads in productivity
• How Data Analysis is Super-Charged by AI
• How to prime AI to get more accurate results
• The Future of AI Graphic/Video Development
• AI empowered Social Media
• AI & the Future of SaaS
• Your Preliminary AI Tech Stack
• Responsible AI Adoption
Since the onset of 2020, Chris Carr and his company, Farotech, have been deeply involved in analyzing the rise and implications of artificial intelligence in the business world. With a solid foundation in theory and hands-on experience, Chris has distilled his findings into this essential workshop. His achievements include earning a Certification in Generative AI for Business Transformation from MIT, and he is nearing completion of his Certification for AI for Business from the Wharton School of Business.
Location: Bellarmine Hall 217 and Zoom
Innovation Speaker Series talk by Zachary Leahan: Generative AI
Zach Leahan
Digital Director, PwC
Zach Leahan '09, a Technical Architect at PwC and SJU alum, will discuss the impact of GenAI within a software organization. Zach will cover how you can use Generative AI in your own projects.
Location: Zoom
Innovation Center Speaker Series Student Spotlight Talk: Improving Lives through Technology-supplemented Research
Jackie Wurman
Undergraduate Researcher
As technology advances, the opportunities for research methods continue to increase. Using technology in research allows for the generation of new ideas, techniques, and findings. This talk explores two very different projects that incorporate technology differently but share a common goal of improving quality of lives for those impacted by neurological disorders. The first project is based in neurobiology and explores the impact of gene expression in relation to depressive behaviors, using databases and networks to examine the interactions between genes. In this project, several connected genes within inflammatory pathways were found to be upregulated, and may contribute to the development of depressive-like behaviors. The second is based in social and behavioral psychology and examines how adults with intellectual disabilities living in group homes at Bancroft interact with a social robot. Through the use of this modern technology, the long-term hope is that residents with behavioral needs can be better cared for and can develop new skills. We observed that the residents really enjoyed working with the robot and were entertained by it, liking the different things it can do and how it can enhance their lives. The technology-based methods that are used in both projects highlight the diverse applications of technology in research.
Jackie is a senior neuroscience major with minors in data science and psychology. She has been involved in undergraduate research for almost two years in a variety of settings including neurobiology, psychology, psychiatry, and computer science. She has especially strong interests in the areas of mental health, data analysis, and programming, even combining these in some of her projects. Jackie hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology to improve our understanding of mental illnesses and provide help to those suffering. Outside of academics, Jackie enjoys hiking, baking, playing with her dog Toby, and playing guitar.
Location: Room MV210
Challenges and Opportunities to Disrupting the Insulin Market: Turning Around MannKind from near bankruptcy
Mike Castagna
CEO, MannKind Corp
In the context of MannKind, this presentation will provide an overview of the history of developing and marketing inhaled insulin. Attendees will gain an understanding of the challenges of the pricing and reimbursement landscape in the US and the challenges that MannKind faced. How does one lead a public company in times of turmoil? Why are managing and leading important, and how does a leader build shareholder value and create a capital runway to survive?
Location: Mandeville Hall Teletorium (MV 128)
Microsoft Technology Centers: Innovate as Our Customers Do
Michael Stover
How do you continue to innovate and stand out in a world where more people are becoming entrepreneurs? Learn about how Philadelphia’s Microsoft Technology Center helps local customers align on proper strategy and drive it towards and past launch.
Jumpstart Your Machine Learning Journey: An Interactive Workshop for Beginners with the Iris Dataset and Python
Jeannine Shantz
In this beginner-friendly workshop, participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of machine learning, including the different types of machine learning and their practical applications. The workshop will focus on the Iris dataset and students will load and explore the dataset in Python, learn how to prepare the data for training and testing, and build a machine learning model step-by-step. By the end of the workshop, students will have a foundational understanding of machine learning and be able to apply this knowledge to future projects
From CME to DTC: A View From 50 years of Life in the Trenches of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing Communications
Harry Sweeney
The Sweeney Collection of papers dates from the 1950s into the 21st century. It consists of a wide variety of materials related to the development of the pharmaceutical and healthcare communications industry, including its history, rules, regulations and laws. At the direction of Dr. George Sillup, aided by Sean Murphy, the first subject of the collection has been the origins and development of DTC -- Direct-to-Consumer Broadcasting Advertising of Prescription Drugs in the United States, one of only two countries in the world to permit such communications, for which a fully-searchable, online Bibliography has been created and will be available online through the St.Joseph’s library.
Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance
David McSweeney, Retired Healthcare Insurance CEO
Did you ever wonder about your health insurance coverage and how it gets paid? This talk will cover the results of a recent panel organized by the American Action Forum and discussing Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance (ESHI), where five key points were identified: (1) the value proposition of ESHI; (2) the impact of subsidies on ESHI; (3) ESHI flexibility in comparison to, e.g., Medicare, as highlighted by the pandemic; (4) the biggest threats to ESHI and the relationship with regulatory initiatives; (5) the policy levers to strengthen ESHI, including new ways of establishing buying groups.
Planning while Believing to Know
Dr. Francesco Fabiano, Ph.D.
Over the last few years, the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become essential in our daily life and in several working scenarios. Among the various branches of AI, automated planning and the study of multi-agent systems are central research fields. This talk focuses on a combination of these two areas: that is, a specialized kind of planning known as Multi-agent Epistemic Planning. This field of research is concentrated on all those scenarios where agents, reasoning in the space of knowledge/beliefs, try to find a plan to reach a desirable state from a starting one. This requires agents able to reason about their and others' knowledge/beliefs and, therefore, capable of performing epistemic reasoning. Being aware of the information flows and the others' states of mind is, in fact, a key aspect in several real-world domains.
The objective of our work is to formalize an environment where a complete characterization of the agents' knowledge/beliefs interactions is possible. In particular, we achieved such a goal by defining tools that are able to reason about various domains and different nuances of knowledge/belief, e.g. lies, trust, deception, and so on.
Furthermore, we enriched our design with a more general epistemic planning framework. This architecture, following the famous System-1/System2 cognitive theory, emulates some characteristics of the human decision-making process. In particular, we envisioned a system composed of several solving processes, each one with its own trade-off between efficiency and correctness, which are arbitrated by a meta-cognitive module.
Innovation Discovery: Curating Ever-Evolving Competitive Advantage
Monika Blaumueller, Innovation Strategist at Blue Mill
Ms. Blaumueller will address: Why organizations invest in innovation; What that involves; How to measure success. She will provide historical examples, as well as from her own experience. Finally, she will take questions from the audience. Questions may be submitted to her in advance of the talk via email: monika (at) blue-mill.com.
Monika Blaumueller has experience building coalitions and organizations, winning over public and private sector stakeholders across public and private sector, harnessing technology tools to advance strategic priorities and systemic transformation. Her Just-in-Time practitioner certification model was integrated into China's $B+ Healthcare Cloud, enabling that country to enable millions of physicians practicing across five time zones to treat emerging threats to population health. Her 2014 TED Talk came from collaboration with the State Department regarding opportunities for analytics to advance the diplomatic mission, solve big and growing problems with finite budgets.
How Do Enterprises Secure Your Data?
Mike Harris, GM of Enterprise Security Solutions for Microsoft Northeast
Jason Alansky, Director Technical Specialist Manager for Microsoft Northeast
Mike Harris has been with Microsoft for 17 years. He has held a variety of positions within Microsoft working in the Northeast, Southeast and Canada. Mike has worked with some of Microsoft’s largest global customers to assist with their move to cloud computing and securing their enterprise assets. Mike graduated from LaSalle University with a degree in accounting and holds an MBA from Penn State University.
Jason Alansky has been at Microsoft for seven years. He graduated from Muhlenberg College with a BA in accounting and has over 20 years-experience in technology solutions. Prior to joining Microsoft, Jason was the Managing Director of Cloud Services at Razor Technology, and he spent 14 years as Director of IT for Turner Investments.
The event will be held in Mandeville Hall, 207.
Fintech Innovation at Vanguard
Dax Hill, COO of Vanguard Fintech Ventures
Over the course of 20 years, Dax has held a variety of roles, including co-founding two startups, managing global programs , people leadership, investment banking and consulting. Dax is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Vanguard Fintech Ventures and a Senior Manager at Vanguard's Fintech Strategies Group.
Prior to joining the Fintech Group, she served as the co-lead of the Investment Management Development Program, where she supervised key program initiatives and oversaw the development of the organization’s future leaders and experts. She was also a founding member of Vanguard Innovation Studio where she performed significant research in areas including the gig and freelance economies and investigated a wide range of FinTech topics utilizing Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and Agile methodology.
In her free time, Dax likes to visit her hometown of Brooklyn, New York, produce music with her teenage son, and collaborate with her sister and co-founder on an Edtech startup to bring VR technology to underserved areas of New York City. Dax has a post-baccalaureate degree from Columbia University, as well as a B.S. in computer science and an M.S. in management from LIU. She is also an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, as well as a LUMA Certified Design Thinking Instructor and Facilitator.
The event will be held in Mandeville Hall, 107.
Natural Language Programming Live Demo
Nelson Rushton, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Elemental Cognition
This workshop provides a live demonstration of the natural language programming facility that was introduced during the April 21st Innovation Center workshop “Natural Language Programming with Elemental Cognition.” This demo session is offered in response to the many requests received from the audience. People who have not attended the previous workshop are still welcome to attend the live demo, which is designed to be self-contained. Details on natural language programming are provided next.
People communicate using natural languages, but computers only understand programming languages. This simple fact is a major pain point for businesses: a computer needs knowledge to solve problems, but how do humans convey this knowledge? The standard approach is slow, expensive, and error-prone: have a business owner spec out their business logic in some document and then hire engineers to interpret, implement, test, and maintain it.
Is there a better way?
Natural Language (NL) Programming is provides a way to program the computer in plain English. This promises to dramatically reduce the cost of programming, putting power directly in the hands of business analysts and management teams. But, to date, it has not been realized.
Elemental Cognition is an AI company bringing together natural language processing, machine learning, knowledge representation, and logical reasoning. We have developed an NL programming facility that combines these technologies to make it much easier and cheaper to build powerful applications. Not only programs are easier to write, they can also be read by any stakeholder: customer, supervisors, investors, subject-matter experts, etc. We believe this brings something fundamentally new to the space, and we are eager to share it with interested groups.
Natural Language Programming with Elemental Cognition
Nelson Rushton, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Elemental Cognition
People communicate using natural languages, but computers only understand programming languages. This simple fact is a major pain point for businesses: a computer needs knowledge to solve problems, but how do humans convey this knowledge? The standard approach is slow, expensive, and error-prone: have a business owner spec out their business logic in some document and then hire engineers to interpret, implement, test, and maintain it.
Is there a better way?
Machine learning promised a shortcut: don’t tell the computer anything directly, just let it learn patterns from data. This approach learns from examples, but with no interpretation, understanding, or explanation. For problems with tight success criteria, especially those involving precise logical reasoning and requiring explanation, machine learning is generally not viable.
Natural Language (NL) Programming is a third way: program the computer in plain English. This promises to dramatically reduce the cost of programming, putting power directly in the hands of business analysts and management teams. But, to date, it has not been realized.
Elemental Cognition is an AI company bringing together natural language processing, machine learning, knowledge representation, and logical reasoning. We have developed an NL programming facility that combines these technologies to make it much easier and cheaper to build powerful applications. We believe this brings something fundamentally new to the space, and we are eager to share it with small, interested groups.
In this workshop, we will explore the roles of ML, reasoning, and NLU in AI, introduce you to our technology, give you some hands-on experience, and get your feedback.
Keeping Leaders Engaged and Encouraged During these Difficult Times
LaJewel Harrison, President of LGH Consulting and Women Presidents Organization Chapter Chair
LaJewel Harrison is a lifelong resident of Philadelphia. She is a graduate of Temple University, Springfield College, and Saint Joseph’s University where she earned her Master’s in Business Administration. LaJewel has also received multiple Executive Leadership certificates from both Wharton and Harvard School of Business.
Mrs. Harrison worked 20 years in the Behavioral Health field, most recently as the Executive Director of WES Health System. As a result of her experience, LaJewel was able to start LGH Consulting Firm, where she provides business counsel across multiple industries. In addition, Mrs. Harrison is also a facilitator for Women Presidents Organization and Mental Health Provider coalitions.
LaJewel is a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women- PA Chapter, Black Women’s Leadership Council, board member for the McNamee Scholars Program, board member for Saving Just One Child, and Chair of the Coalition of Culturally Competent Providers. She is frequently called upon to participate in panel discussions regarding mental health issues in the community. Grateful for her education and life experiences, LaJewel is dedicated to ensuring all people have access to the basic resources needed for an effective life.
Modeling Supply Chain for Resilience
Modern-day supply chains make up a vast cyber-physical or Internet of Things system. There is product engineering, computers and networks that move information, agriculture and mining, shipping and logistics, payment service, contracts and agreements, business, government, consumers, and much more. Interactions between these elements are customized and optimized to ensure that what is needed at one location arrives in a timely fashion and in good condition; banking is charged with working with these partners to verify this and moving payments in accordance with agreements.
When all of this works as intended all parties benefit. But when demand for any of these elements surges, as in the case of emergencies like the COVID 19 pandemic, this fine-tuned machine can grind to a halt. Alternatives to established supply chain partners and solutions may pose new risks and can take time, months, or even years, to restore. We introduce a formal model for supply that captures supply’s key elements and supports data-based reasoning and advanced data analytics, including AI and ML, to identify and even predict disruptions and propose novel solutions.
Edward Griffor, Associate Director of Cyber-Physical Systems, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Edward Griffor is the Associate Director for Cyber-Physical Systems at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Prior to joining NIST, he served as Walter P. Chrysler Technical Fellow and Chair of the Chrysler Technology Council, and Chair of the MIT Alliance. He was named NSF/NATO Postdoctoral Fellow in Science and Engineering in 1980 to the University of Oslo. Griffor was awarded a Ph.D. in mathematics at MIT and Habilitation in mathematics and engineering at Oslo. He has served on the engineering and mathematics research faculties of universities in the US, Europe, Asia, and South America. Griffor is an Adjunct Professor of Biosystems at the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics of Wayne State University School of Medicine and in Computer Science at McMaster University in Canada, of Mathematics/Computing at the Laboratoire d’Informatique Grenoble (LIG) at Grenoble Alpes University in France and the Institute for Assured Autonomy at Johns Hopkins.
Breaking Barriers Impacting the Next Generation of Leaders
Kathy Heilig
Chief Accounting Officer and Controller, SEI
Colleen Stratton
Workforce Development, SEI
Kathy Heilig is the Chief Accounting Officer and Controller at SEI. SEI is a leading global provider of investment processing, investment management and investment operations solutions. In her current role, Kathy is accountable for all SEC and other regulatory filings for the Corporation. In addition, she is responsible for all internal reporting for the Company and supervises the accounting functions including tax and Sarbanes Oxley compliance. Kathy is also involved with commercial issues in the business segments of the Company primarily around client and product profitability, revenue recognition concerns around new contracts, and cost associated with larger expenditures.
Kathy served as one of the founding board members of the SEI Women’s Network, a group that encourages the professional success of SEI’s many talented women. She served as its president for the year 2011. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia and had served as the Vice Chair of the League’s Finance Committee.
Kathy has served in her current role since May 1999. She was the Treasurer from May 1997 to May 2005 and the Director of Taxes from 1987 to 1991. Prior to joining SEI, Kathy was a Tax Manager with Arthur Anderson LLP. Kathy has a BS from LaSalle University and earned her MBA from Saint Joseph’s University.
Colleen Stratton is the global head of the Workforce Development Team at SEI. She has been at SEI for fifteen years. She is responsible for all functional areas of Human Resources. Prior to joining SEI, Colleen was the Vice President of the Consulting Practice for CBI Group, which involved Human Resource Projects and outsourcing for high growth, start-up, and mature organizations.
Prior to joining CBI Group, Colleen held positions at the executive level in companies varying in size, from start-up to Fortune 1000. Past experience includes work with the Department of Defense, Shared Medical Systems, Gladwyne Software Surety, Innovative Consulting, XRT, and ICON Solutions.
Colleen has her MBA from Case Western Reserve University, her BA from Catholic University, and has also successfully completed her PHR certification. She is also a proud GMA graduate. Colleen is certified in Predictive Index and Gallup Strengths.Colleen has also served as an Officer of the SEI Women’s Network and is a member of the Forum of Executive Women.
The Innovation Process: From Ideation to Commercialization
Carmen Rivé, Principal and Department Head, Retirement Plan Client Services Institutional Investor Group, Vanguard
Dina Caggiula, Head of Participant Journeys, Vanguard
In this presentation, Carmen and Dina will share the innovation process that Vanguard uses to re-imagine their participant web experience and their objective to provide a “personalized” experience for every participant that Vanguard serves. This is all powered by the AWS platform, artificial intelligence, and working in new ways that integrate new technology development methodologies such as design thinking, client journeys, and agile methodology.
Carmen Rivé is a principal and department head in Vanguard Retirement Plan Client Services, where she leads a team of relationship executives who manage and oversee partnerships with Vanguard's largest full-service recordkeeping clients. Her team helps ensure successful plan administration, outstanding service, and fiduciary-duty compliance for plan sponsors with, in aggregate, assets of more than $125 billion and more than 1.3 million participants. Before her current role, Carmen spent seven years as the head of Primary Flagship Services in Vanguard Retail Investor Group, where she was responsible for maintaining client relationships that invest more than $1 million in assets with Vanguard. She started her professional career as a certified public accountant at Price Waterhouse LLP. After four years as a CPA, she began her Vanguard career in 1995. Carmen earned a B.S.A. from Saint Joseph's University, and she holds FINRA Series 6, 7, 24, and 63 licenses.
Dina Caggiula is the Head of Participant Journeys, whose team is responsible for the evolution of the digital participant experience. Previously, Ms. Caggiula was the department head for Education Services and Support, responsible for creating and delivering retirement education to Vanguard’s institutional participants. Ms. Caggiula, who joined the company in 2011, spent much of the early part of her career in the Retail Investor Group, leading crew who serve Vanguard’s highest-net-worth clients. She also helped launch the company’s hybrid advice platform, Personal Advisor Services®. In 2015, she became chief of staff for the Legal and Compliance Division (now the Office of the General Counsel), reporting to Vanguard’s general counsel. In this role, she oversaw board planning and served as point of contact for the board of directors and senior staff.
Ms. Caggiula earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and an M.B.A. from Saint Joseph’s University and serves on the university’s advisory board for the Pedro Arrupe Center for Business Ethics. She holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 63 and 65 licenses.
Materials that Matter: Enabling a Mobile, Intelligent and Electric future
Mary Jane Raymond
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, II-VI Incorporated
Julie Sheridan Eng
Senior Vice President and General Manager Optoelectronics and RF Devices BU, II-VI Incorporated
Mary Jane Raymond has been Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of II-VI Incorporated since March 2014. Previously, Ms. Raymond was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hudson Global, Inc., from 2005 to 2013. Ms. Raymond was the Chief Risk Officer and Vice President and Corporate Controller at Dun and Bradstreet, Inc., from 2002 to 2005. In addition, she was the Vice President, Merger Integration, at Lucent Technologies, Inc., from 1997 to 2002, and held several management positions at Cummins Engine Company from 1988 to 1997. In 2019 Ms. Raymond was named to the Board of Directors and Audit Committee of Veeco, Inc. Ms. Raymond holds a B.A. degree in Public Management from Saint Joseph’s University, and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.
Julie Sheridan Eng serves as Senior Vice President and General Manager of II-VI’s Optoelectronic and RF Devices Business Unit, which includes GaAs VCSELs for 3D Sensing as well as CMOS/BiCMOS Integrated Circuits. Prior to joining II-VI, Dr. Eng served as General Manager of Finisar’s 3D Sensing, EVP of Finisar’s Transceiver Engineering, and Director of Transceiver Engineering at AT&T/Lucent/Agere. She holds a B.A. in Physics from Bryn Mawr College, B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. She has published over a dozen papers and holds seven patents.
Answering Women’s S.O.S. – How Leading in the Jesuit Tradition Can Avert a National Workforce Emergency
Kate Shields, CEO of Vault Communications
Ms. Shields will present on the call to empathetic leadership in the Catholic Jesuit tradition. She will further highlight its imperative in the current COVID-19 context. Named a 2020 Most Admired CEO by the Philadelphia Business Journal, Kate has nurtured a core values-driven, talent-centric culture at Vault, which has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing marketing communications firms in the country by Inc. magazine.
Co-Sponsors: The Faith-Justice Institute's Joseph William and Madeline Eberle Klein Fund, Women’s Leadership Program, and Department of Communications
Developing an Innovative and Entrepreneurial Mindset
Sunny White
CEO, Xavier Creative House
Sunny drives the promotion of global brands for pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device. She founded Xavier Creative House (XCH), a healthcare marketing agency that builds BOLD and EVOCATIVE solutions, pushing the edge of creativity.
Sunny is the point person for positioning your brand into a “Powerhouse.” As CEO, she leads Operations and Client Management, using a wealth of experience gained from her roles in communications, compliance, and sales in rapid-growth companies.
Sunny shines when it comes to creating opportunities, solving problems, and enhancing your business, with her greatest contributions being determination and drive. She never lets up when it comes to building your brand and your business.
Sunny is currently enrolled in SJU’s The Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Marketing Post-Master's Certificate program. Prior to that, she completed Wharton’s Leadership in a New Era of Healthcare Certificate program. Sunny earned an MBA with a concentration in international marketing from Saint Joseph’s University, Haub School of Business. She studied business administration at Saint Michael’s College, graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science.
Creating a Culture of Possibility and Talent Within Your Team
Dee Adeyemo
Executive Director, Accounting Operations, Comcast
Dee Adeyemo is currently an Executive Director of Accounting Operations for Comcast Business. She’s spent 17 years in corporate America and specializes in turning around underperforming teams, establishing policies and procedures, and standardizing KPIs. Inside and outside of the office she’s always had a passion for improving race relations, creating equity, and driving inclusion. A 2020 graduate of SJU’s eMBA program, Dee is committed to continuing education and looking forward to spending time in university classrooms in the future. Dee resides in Delaware county PA with her 2 sons Kamau (12) and Kaleb (10)
It's Not a Start-Up, It's a Mission
Smart Adaptive Clothing was developed for all those with any kind of difference—be it physical or otherwise—that requires the easy fasten, effortless style this line provides. The company creates clothing that allows people to dress with dignity. In this presentation, Nancy will discuss the importance of changing your mindset and breaking out of your traditional mindset.
Nancy Connor, Founder and CEO
Smart Adaptive Clothing
Nancy M. Connor is the founder and CEO of Smart Adaptive Clothing, based in Philadelphia, PA. Nancy is breaking barriers as an innovative designer and advocate for adaptive clothing for people who struggle with dressing themselves or others. The company's easy to fasten apparel builds confidence, independence, saves time with effortless style. Throughout her career, Nancy has received many awards and made numerous media appearances. More recently, Nancy was featured in London Fashion Week and Philly Fashion Week (Feb 2020). She has appeared on Today Show, Fox 29 Philly, 6abc news Philly and featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Nancy was a 2019 finalist in the QVC The Big Find; New and Innovative Products that Improve Lives Design Philly; Best in Design Competition – Innovation 2019.
Innovation in a Highly Regulated Environment: How the McKinsey of Cannabis Cultivates Innovation
This presentation will address the acceleration of entrepreneurs in the innovative and highly regulated cannabis industry. In this presentation, Phil will explore the process of creating an innovative product or service, including understanding market needs, building prototypes, scaling, and leveraging technology. He will also discuss the importance of execution, including overcoming the capital challenge and dealing with the unexpected (e.g., COVID).
Phil Valvardi, Managing Partner and CFO
Global Go Consulting, Los Angeles, CA
Phil Valvardi has spent most of his career leading innovative businesses within the highly regulated financial services industry and, more recently, in the highly regulated cannabis industry. Most recently, Phil was the CEO of Highroad Consulting Group, a leading cannabis consulting firm. Before that, Phil served as CFO at GlobeOne, a financial technology company developing a mobile financial platform. Phil also served as CEO of Maverick Network Solutions and presided over its acquisition by Fiserv. Phil was also President of the MAC Network, one of the largest debit networks in the U.S., which was sold to Concord EFS/First Data for over $1.0 billion. Early in his career, he held executive positions in the payments and financial divisions of CoreStates Financial Corp., now part of Wells Fargo Bank.
Pivoting During a Crisis: How NEST responded to the Covid-19 Pandemic
During Covid-19, many businesses struggle with financial instability, unpredictable work order volume, loss of industry contacts, furloughing and, remote collaboration. In this presentation, Rob Almond will share how NEST survived and thrived in this challenging environment.
Rob Almond
CEO, Nest
Rob Almond officially joined NEST in 2002, although he has been in and around the company since its inception in 1994 under his father's direction. Since taking over leadership of NEST in 2015, Rob has led the charge to bring industry-leading software solutions to both NEST clients and service providers. Rob's direction and guidance in developing the Integrated Facilities Management enterprise-wide solution has brought new offerings to clients, including best-in-class business and financial analytics that help drive real cost savings. His strong desire for a great workplace culture has allowed the organization to see double-digit percentage growth each year since 2015. Rob recently appeared on CNBC and Fox Business.
One, Two, Three Strikes . . . I'm Now, CEO?!
Today, to advance your career is not necessary to remain with a "big company for 25-years". Instead, the opposite, moving within and even outside of your industry can be the key to success. In this presentation Jim Moran, CEO of Biocoat, will share how being part of three RIF's (reduction in force) actions helped his career and fueled his desire to be 'in control' of his life. He will share how to engage your entrepreneurial and innovative spirit and how your attitude and ability to network can lead you to places you never thought possible.
Jim Moran, CEO
Biocoat
Jim Moran ('86) comes to the Haub Innovation Speakers Series with over 30-years of global executive leadership experience in the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Japan/Asia. He has dedicated his career to 'Helping People Lead a Better Quality of Life.' by specializing in innovative technologies in the Life Sciences. He has experience in the areas of; Biomaterials, Advanced Wound Care, Balloon Sinuplasty, Ophthalmology, and the Veterinary Market, to name a few. Jim brings extensive knowledge of leading domestic and international organizations in the areas of Executive Management, General Management, Sales & Marketing and Corporate Vision & Strategy. Also, he brings a broad base of experience having worked in Fortune 100 Companies, Private Equity, Venture Capital Start-ups, and has founded two startup companies of his own. He currently serves as President and CEO of Biocoat, Inc. (Horsham, Pa); is a Visiting Board Member at Saint Joseph's University; and is a Board Member and Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee at Arcadia University.
Entrepreneurship and the Road to Success
Is being a successful entrepreneur an innate talent or a skill that can be taught? The road to becoming a successful entrepreneur is far from the Hollywood versions and is littered with failures, learning, and hard-earned successes. In this session, Russ Kliman will help define what an entrepreneur is, key traits, skills needed, and explore what it means to be a successful entrepreneur.
Russ Kliman, Global Leader
SEI Ventures
Russ is the global leader of SEI Ventures, SEI's corporate venture capital program. Throughout his career, Russ has led product design, technology, and innovation strategies for several businesses, ranging from startups to billion-dollar enterprises. During his 19-year tenure at SEI, he has led various strategic initiatives, including new business marketing, business development, product design, and technology. Russ is an innovator and design leader. He is a global speaker on fintech, innovation, and design thinking.
How To Prevent Innovation Stall
Many I.T. and data teams talk about innovation, transformation, and being Agile – but buzzwords aside real innovation only occurs when the culture is accepting, and the climate is ready. We will explore some examples of where culture was the greatest resistor or enabler to innovation and how to overcome some of these challenges.
Eric Hagopian, Chief Information and Data Officer
PCAOB
Eric Hagopian is currently the Chief Information and Data Officer for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). In this role, Mr. Hagopian will advance and enhance the PCAOB's information technology and data management strategies.
Before joining the PCAOB, Mr. Hagopian served as the Director of Data Governance at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, where he was responsible for developing a data governance framework. Before joining CareFirst, Mr. Hagopian was a Chief Technologist for the Booz Allen Hamilton Strategic Innovation Group and he also spent several years as the Chief Data Officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Throughout his career, Mr. Hagopian has served in a variety of technical and data analytics roles at several companies. Mr. Hagopian earned his master's degree in applied information technology at the Volgenau School of Engineering at George Mason University and also holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Syracuse University's L.C. Smith College of Engineering.
Landing Your Dream Job in Corporate America: The Little Things Matter
Brendan will share tips that have helped him quickly advance his career and scale his brand at a large, global corporation.
Brendan Gillespie, Senior Sales Executive, Large Enterprise Accounts
SAP
Brendan is an enterprise software professional with over eight years of SAP experience across The Office of the CEO, Global Operations, Sales, Presales and Consulting. Brendan graduated from Saint Joseph's University with an Accounting Degree in 2013 and began his career as a Consultant at PwC. Two years later, he left PwC to start a career at SAP. Within five years, Brendan was working directly for SAP's Co-CEO as a trusted advisor, responsible for the strategic planning and execution of the Co-CEO's engagement with key customers and partners globally to drive revenue, cloud adoption, and customer success.
Brendan is now a Senior Sales Executive at SAP and leads cross-functional teams across SAP to deliver technology solutions and transformational business outcomes for large enterprise customers across the Northeast. He is also a Member of SJU's Haub School of Business Board of Visitors.
Opportunities in a Time of Crisis
In this presentation, Dan will discuss the process of identifying opportunities during challenging times and share examples from the food industry.
Dan Croce
SVP, Sprouts Farmers Markets
Dan Croce is a food industry executive with over 35 years of experience with the last two years at Sprouts Farmers Markets. Dan joined Sprouts Farmers Markets in 2018 to develop, support, and expand the Sprouts brand through the eastern United States. Before joining Sprouts, Dan was with Albertsons holding various positions of increasing responsibility to include division President for ACME Markets.
Dan is a graduate of the University of Delaware where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business in 1991 and attended the Executive Education Program of the American Food Management System at the Haub School of Business, Saint Joseph's University in 1998. Dan currently sits on the board for St. Joseph's Academy for Food Marketing and has had held various board seats over the years with The New Jersey Food Council and the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association.
Innovation Starts with Culture
In a world characterized by disruptive business models and technology, consumer hyper-adoption, and hyper-abandonment, and where startups not only challenge but conquer well-entrenched incumbents, enabling an an innovative culture is more critical than ever. In this session, Russ Kliman will examine how to create culture-based initiatives that foster innovation and creative problem solving for today's workforce.
Russ Kliman, Global Leader
SEI Ventures
Russ is the global leader of SEI Ventures, SEI's corporate venture capital program. Throughout his career, Russ has led product design, technology, and innovation strategies for several businesses, ranging from startups to billion-dollar enterprises. During his 19-year tenure at SEI, he has led various strategic initiatives, including new business marketing, business development, product design, and technology. Russ is an innovator and design leader. He is a global speaker on fintech, innovation, and design thinking.
How Hulu is Transforming Digital Advertising through OTT and Connected Devices
In his presentation, Steve will share Hulu's innovative approach to advertising. All of Hulu's Advertising products are focused on giving the user choice, customizing the ad experience based on consumer viewing, or driving purchase intent for marketers. Steve will showcase products and offerings and demonstrate how Hulu is genuinely the Innovator in OTT Advertising.
Steve Dorn, Director of Ad Operations
Hulu
Steve Dorn, a fellow Hawk from the class of 2011 #THWND has been in Advertising since he graduated. He started his career at Universal McCann, an Ad Agency in NYC. Approximately two years later, he made a move to Hulu.
Digital Advisor: Purpose-driven Innovation at Vanguard
From inception, Vanguard has been on a mission to take a stand for all investors. In the 45 years since Jack Bogle founded Vanguard, a company owned by its investors, the model has disrupted investing across the globe leading to broad acceptance of the once-radical idea that low-cost passive investing is the best chance for financial success. Yet millions of people still need help; millions still can't access the power of the markets; millions still struggle to progress up the economic ladder. In 2019 Vanguard launched "Digital Advisor" it's all-digital advice platform built for everyone and remaining faithful to its roots the "DA" team imagined the service from scratch. With the ambitious task of making holistic financial advice and the power investing accessible to millions, the team used tools such as design thinking, machine learning, and LEAN development to launch a new product and business line in record time.
Matthew Flickinger Head of Strategy, Vanguard Digital Advisor
Vanguard
Matt Flickinger graduated from Saint Joseph's Haub School of Business in 2005. For the past fifteen years, Matt has worked in roles across technology and business at Vanguard. Beginning as a software developer, he then applied the tools of technology to traditional business roles. His background includes quantitative analytics in investment management for Vanguard's equity funds, managing the mutual fund trading operation in their retail brokerage division, overseeing the offshore development footprint in India, and most recently, leading product and software delivery for Vanguard's entrant into the field of robo advice: Vanguard Digital Advisor.