Philly Tech Week 2019

Currently a Search Outreach Specialist at Google, Aurora supports site owners and content creators in improving content accessibility through search. Before joining Google in her previous role as a Brand Specialist, Aurora spent time at Twitter and Youtube, and also has a background in journalism. Before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, Aurora lived in Dublin and Madrid.

As Director of Innovation at Independence Blue Cross, Michelle uses Design Thinking to help internal and external customers creatively solve challenging business issues. She is also an Assistant Professor at Temple University, where she teaches creativity and innovation in the Fox School of Business, and is the Associate Director of the Flinders project, leading an initiative to develop the innovation curriculum at Flinders University in South Australia. She loves helping people realize their creative potential and develop new ideas. She has her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and her master’s in Writing Studies from St. Joseph’s University, and will begin her Ph.D. in Creativity & Innovation this summer at University of the Arts.

When she’s not drawing flip charts and ideating, Michelle spends her time in South Philadelphia with her husband and three amazing boys, who do their best to exhaust her tireless energy.

Sujay received his BS in Electrical Engineering from Osmania University in India. After college, Sujay formed Jyothi, a nonprofit organization that provided victims of physical abuse with a platform to voice their complaints anonymously. He then obtained his Masters in Electrical Engineering from University of Pennsylvania where he started prototyping the original Lilu Massage Bra alongside his cofounder, Adriana. Today, after 3 years of research, product development in Shenzhen, China and user testing with over 130 moms, Lilu has successfully launched the Lilu Massage Bra and will start shipping to moms in the US in May 2019.

When Sujay is not building things for Lilu, loves to sketch and enjoys playing with electronics & creating frankenstein watches from broken parts.

Brian Musburger is the founder and CEO of the Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN), the first media network dedicated to sports gambling information. Before launching VSiN in January 2017, Brian spent nearly two decades as a talent agent, negotiating contracts for some of the top names and personalities in sports and entertainment. In that time, he negotiated more than $250 million in sports, broadcasting and media contracts and endorsement deals for a diverse client base of leading figures across industries, including radio and television broadcasting, live television production, columnists, authors, digital content providers, coaches, and sports franchise owners and executives.

In 2012, Brian won a Regional Emmy Award for his role as Executive Producer of “Reporting For Service with Bryan Anderson” a show about service, highlighting Iraq War Veteran Bryan Anderson.

Laurie Actman serves as the Chief Marketing, Communications and Program Officer at the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) at the University of Pennsylvania. Laurie as part of the Executive Team oversees the strategic implementation of PCI’s programs and partnerships, marketing, and communications and helped to plan and launch the Pennovation Center, Penn’s new startup incubator where she actively manages programs and partnerships as well. Previously she served as PCI’s Chief Operating Officer from launch in 2014 to December 2016. Before PCI she has worked for notable organizations in the private, non-profit and public sectors in Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, D.C. including as Chief Policy Officer for the CEO Council for Growth, Consultant to Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter on his sustainability and ARRA initiatives, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Viridity Energy, and Deputy and Interim Director for the Consortium for Building Energy Innovation, a $150 million public private project capitalized by the US Department of Energy and based at Philadelphia’s Navy Yard.. She received her undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a Masters Degree in Urban Planning and Real Estate from UNC-Chapel Hill. Actman lives in Bala Cynwyd with her husband and three children and is an elected Board Member of the Lower Merion School District.

Dan has been working with youth for the past two decades in a variety of capacities, working as a teacher, school administrator, and organizational leader. Beginning in the juvenile justice field, Dan has developed extensive expertise in the use of restorative practices and trauma informed methodology both inside the classroom and in the larger community.

Over the years, Dan has been recognized numerous times for his work with young people, including a Meritorious Service Award from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the Distinguished Educator of the Year for Eastern North America, the United Way’s Reis Community Advocate Award, and the Campbell Soup Foundations “Seek the Power of Different” Award.

At Hopeworks, Dan is responsible for the overall implementation of the learning culture of Hopeworks throughout the entire Hopeworks organization, managing all program aspects of Hopeworks and corresponding staff, including Hopeworks’ training program, residence, and social enterprises.

Recently, Hopeworks was honored to be recognized as the 2016 Greater Philadelphia Non Profit of the Year, and the 2016 South Jersey Non Profit of the Year, as well as winning the prestigious 5th Annual Scattergood Innovation Award.

Alexis is a forward thinker and autodidact. She is a writer, producer and director with over 9 years of experience in various aspects of television and digital production - including shooting and editing. Having worked with companies and brands such as HBO, VH1, CBS, The Food Network, Coach, Hello Sunshine, etc… Alexis specializes in creating premium content, both scripted and unscripted - including short and long form branded, lifestyle and docu-series'.

In 2012, Alexis created an award-winning documentary series called, "The Peculiar Kind." It has been shown around the world, including a special exhibition at the Tate Modern and over 50 colleges and universities, including Yale University, Brown University and the University of Sydney. Soon after it's premiere Alexis partnered with Afropunk and was also asked by Model, Activist and 2013 TED Talk Special Curator, Cameron Russell, to give a TED Talk about the need for multi-hyphenate diversity in film and television.

“The Peculiar Kind” is an excellent series-turned-documentary project that encourages widespread conversation concerning every inch of the fight for gender parity and LGBTQ equality within the framework of civil rights. With the permission of its producers, the “Peculiar Kind” documentary is available for screenings. - Indiewire

Currently, Alexis is freelancing, writing a YA dramedy for network television and continues to working with her talented colleague, creating innovative content.