CATHIE WOOD, RICH MULHOLLAND AND SORAYA FOULADI…
WE UNVEIL THE FIRST SPEAKERS AT MTL CONNECT
We’ve been telling you about our event MTL connect: Montreal Digital Week for months now and we couldn’t wait to let you discover some of the digital minds who will be part of this edition.
Here are 10 of the 300+ speakers who will be present from October 12 to 17 for the third edition of MTL connect, which will take place in a hybrid format.
Cathie WOOD, CEO, ARK Investment, USA
With over 40 years of experience identifying and investing in innovation, Cathie founded ARK to focus solely on disruptive innovation while adding new dimensions to the search. With an open approach that crosses sectors, market capitalizations and geographies, Cathie believes ARK can identify large-scale public market investment opportunities resulting from technology innovations focused on DNA sequencing, robotics, artificial intelligence, energy storage and blockchain technology.
Dr. Hossein RAHNAMA, CEO, Flybits, Canada
Dr. Hossein RAHNAMA is a recognized figure in ubiquitous and pervasive computing. His research explores artificial intelligence, mobile human-computer interaction, and effective contextual service design.
In 2012, Hossein was recognized by MIT Technology Review as one of the world’s top innovators under the age of 35.
Hossein has 30 publications and 10 patents in the field of pervasive computing. He is the founder and CEO of Flybits, a contextual services company that enables companies to unify disparate data sources and create highly personalized customer experiences.
Dr. Parin SOMANI, Academic researcher, HRDC Visiting Faculty, India
Dr. Parin Somani is an independent scholar, educator, international motivational speaker and author. She holds five doctorates and four world records, including the “World’s Thickest Book.” She facilitated over 146 sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting her research and building bridges between international societies. Parin has traveled to more than 70 countries around the world to bring about positive change. She is also the recipient of several international awards.
François NAUDE, CEO, Super Teacher, South Africa
Francois Naude’s experience in evolutionary biology and science education earned him the National Teacher’s Award in South Africa. He wrote his entire PhD in just 8 months, while under contract and marital gunpoint. He has trained over 1,400 teachers in five years, launched two start-ups. He shares his knowledge of science, software, and school leadership with business leaders and principals so they can transform their schools into superhero headquarters.
Hanne FUGL ESKJAER, Ambassador of Denmark to Canada
Her Excellency Hanne Fugl Eskjær has been the Kingdom of Denmark’s ambassador to Canada since 2019. Prior to her appointment, Ambassador Eskjær has served as Arctic Ambassador and the Kingdom of Denmark’s ambassador to Bangladesh and has held various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including postings to Syria, Czech Republic and the UN Mission in New York. In February 2021, the Danish government presented a new Strategy for Denmark’s Tech Diplomacy 2021-2023. The strategy outlines Denmark’s tech diplomacy and three strategic priorities: responsibility, democracy and security. As part of the strategy, the Embassy of Denmark in Ottawa has been selected as a member of a tech network of Danish embassies and missions that works to strengthen Denmark’s global advocacy in the field of technology in collaboration with close allies such as Canada.
Kosta PERIC, Executive director, Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, Belgium
Kosta Peric of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a seasoned technologist interested in the nexus between technology, finance and innovation.
He is also Deputy Director of Financial Services for the Poor and leads the digital payments team. From governance to technology to business models – from ideas to architecture and development: he oversees strategy and grants to deliver digital payment solutions to the poor. The countries he is currently focused on are Nigeria, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.
Philippe BEAUDOIN, CEO and Co-founder, Waverly, Canada (Québec)
Philippe Beaudoin is a former Google engineer who returned to Montreal a year ago to co-found Waverly AI, a new startup inspired by the belief that putting people at the center can help us harness recent advances in AI and enable us to fight the toxicity that creeps into the information delivery systems that connect us.
Prior to Waverly, Philippe also helped found Montreal-based specialist Element AI.
Rich MULHOLLAND, CEO, Missing Link, South Africa
Having spoken in over 30 countries on six continents, Rock-and-Roll roadie turned entrepreneur Richard Mulholland knows first-hand the impact that memorable presentations can make. That’s why he works with executives and speakers around the world, helping them deliver unforgettable presentations that activate audiences and generate income.
He’s the founder of presentation powerhouse Missing Link and has written three books; Legacide, Boredom Slayer, and Story Seller.
Rob HIGH, Vice president and chief technology officer, IBM, USA
Rob High is responsible for the architecture and technical strategy for offerings that will enable a new generation of edge computing – where work is placed close to where data is produced and actions are performed. Prior to this assignment, he was CTO of IBM Watson, responsible for defining the technical strategy and vision for IBM’s leadership in AI. Rob is recognized as a global technical leader and was named an IBM Fellow in 2008 for his pioneering work in Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and for his leadership on WebSphere.
Soraya FOULADI, CEO, Jara, USA
Soraya Fouladi is an international entrepreneur who leads a multinational team to achieve Jara’s goals of empowering children in disadvantaged communities to receive a quality education anytime, anywhere.
Her invention is a solar-powered, hand-cranked educational device that allows children to access curriculum-based educational content offline. This innovative combination of hardware and software can mimic a workbook, a personal tutor, or a textbook.
Her work has been featured by Cisco, Samsung, Forbes and the United Nations.
And that’s just the beginning as more than 300 speakers will be present to help you discover the digital trends of today and tomorrow.
Don’t wait any longer and book your ticket today!
