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Emad Mostaque is a visionary entrepreneur and a leading figure in the world of artificial intelligence. He is the founder and former CEO of Stability AI, the pioneering company behind the popular open-source generative AI model, Stable Diffusion. Stability AI has made significant strides in democratizing AI technology, enabling widespread access to advanced generative models in imaging, language, code, and audio domains.
Mostaque’s career is marked by his diverse experiences in both technology and finance. Prior to founding Stability AI, he launched Symmitree, a startup aimed at reducing the cost of technology for impoverished communities. He has also held various roles in hedge fund management and strategic advisory, working with prominent funds and governments on issues related to technology and geopolitical developments.
Educated at the University of Oxford with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science, Mostaque combines a strong technical background with strategic insights gained from over a decade of experience in global markets. His work with Stability AI reflects his commitment to making AI accessible and beneficial for all, fostering innovation and creativity on a global scale (Wikipedia) (Stability AI) (FinNotes) (Weights & Biases).
This blend of technical expertise and visionary leadership has established Emad Mostaque as a key influencer in the AI industry, advocating for open and decentralized AI technologies to unlock humanity’s full potential.
Cathy Hackl is a globally recognized tech & gaming exec, futurist, & speaker focused on spatial computing, virtual worlds, augmented reality, AI, & gaming platforms strategy.
She’s the co-CEO of Spatial Dynamics, a spatial computing and AI solutions company & a top tech voice on LinkedIn. Hackl has worked at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Magic Leap, and HTC VIVE and has worked with companies like Nike, Ralph Lauren, Walmart, Louis Vuitton, & Clinique on their emerging tech & gaming journeys. As a sought-after keynote speaker, she’s spoken at Harvard Business School, MIT, SXSW, Comic-Con, WEF, CES, MWC, & more. She’s one of Ad Age’s Leading Women of 2023, was featured on the cover of Forbes Latam’s 100 Most Powerful Women 2023 issue, and is on the Vogue Business 100 Innovators inaugural list. She hosts Adweek’s highly successful TechMagic podcast and is popularly known in tech circles as the Godmother of the Metaverse.
Cathy has been a fixture in the world of immersive technology for almost a decade with many media appearances in CNBC’s Squawk Box, 60 Minutes, CNN, Good Morning America, GQ, Time, The Economist, Bloomberg, and is a guest editor for Vogue Singapore. In 2022, she became the first human to ring NASDAQ’s opening bell and open the financial markets both in physical and avatar form while doing so on live television.
Arturo Elizondo is the co-founder and CEO of The EVERY Company, a pioneering food technology firm focused on creating animal-free proteins through precision fermentation. Established in 2015, The EVERY Company aims to transition the world to sustainable, animal-free alternatives, starting with egg proteins. Under Elizondo’s leadership, the company has developed groundbreaking products like the first animal-free egg white, offering sustainable solutions that match or exceed the taste and functionality of traditional animal products (Wikipedia) (Vegpreneur).
Elizondo’s journey to entrepreneurship was driven by a deep commitment to combating climate change and reducing factory farming. After graduating from Harvard University, where he was active in various community service initiatives, he briefly served under Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor before pivoting to the food and biotechnology sector (TheEveryCompany) (Harvard Elections).
Recognized as an influential leader, Elizondo has received numerous accolades, including being named among Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” Newsweek’s “America’s 50 Greatest Disruptors,” and the National Hispanic Institute’s “2019 Person of the Year.” His innovative approach and dedication to sustainability have positioned him as a significant figure in the efforts to create a more sustainable and humane food system (Vegpreneur) (TheEveryCompany).
Dr. Mark Nasila is the Chief Data and Analytics Officer of FNB Risk, and a Singularity University Faculty for Artificial Intelligence, Data science and Data strategies. He is also a steering committee member of the National Institute for Theoretical Physics and Computational Sciences (NITheCS), a research fellow at Stellenbosch University and a Professor of practice in Artificial intelligence at the University of Johannesburg. As an experienced AI and data science expert, he ensures the techniques and methodologies he introduces into FNB are at the forefront of where banking is headed, both locally and internationally. He is the developer and the brain behind an AI system FNB has harnessed to reimagine its risk management and forensic due diligence processes.
In addition, Dr. Nasila is a board member of the advisory board for Moody’s Analytics Europe and Africa, where he has expanded his audience for his insights and reinforced his credibility as a subject-matter expert. Additionally, the Golden Key International Honour Society awarded him an honorary member award.
He was named one of the Corinium Global Intelligence ‘2020 Global Top 100 Innovators in data and analytics’, He was named the 2022 Southern Africa Finnovator (Financial Services Innovator) of the year by Exibex at the FINNOVEX 2022 awards, the recipient of the Excellence in Data & Analytics 2022 and 2024 award at the DigiBank Summit, and a 2023 Technology Excellence Award winner at the IITPSA Annual President’s Awards
A researcher in philosophy of technology, Alix Rübsaam investigates the societal and cultural impact of exponential technologies. She focuses on human activity in technological contexts such as Artificial Intelligence, information technologies, and digital environments and on deploying emerging technologies responsibly.
Alix’ research centres around two projects. The first explores responsible AI, algorithmic bias and exclusion. The aim is to map the impact of automated decision-making algorithms, to explicate how design decisions can lead to unwanted outcomes, and to empower leaders to build AI that is equitable, fair, and just. The second project investigates the digitalisation of information, and its effects on decision making. The goal is to investigate and challenge computational paradigms and to reposition leaders to informed decision making in a manner that befits 21st century dilemmas.
Alix is VP of Research, Expertise and Knowledge at Singularity. She oversees SU’s research efforts, body of knowledge, and community of experts. Prior to this, Alix was a PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam and ASCA.
Benjamin Rosman is a Professor in the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, where he runs the Robotics, Autonomous Intelligence and Learning (RAIL) Laboratory and is the Director of the National E-Science Postgraduate Teaching and Training Platform (NEPTTP).
He received his Ph.D. in Informatics from the University of Edinburgh in the UK in 2014, and previously obtained his M.Sc. in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh. He also has a B.Sc. (Hons) in Computer Science and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Applied Mathematics, both from the University of the Witwatersrand. His research interests focus primarily on reinforcement learning and decision making in autonomous systems, specifically on how learning can be accelerated through abstracting and generalising knowledge gained from solving related problems.
He is a founder and organiser of the Deep Learning Indaba machine learning summer school, with a focus on strengthening African machine learning. He was a 2017 recipient of a Google Faculty Research Award in machine learning, and a 2021 recipient of a Google Africa Research Award. In 2020, he was made a Senior Member of the IEEE.
Jaya Baloo is the CSO of Rapid7. She is recognized in 2017 as one of the top 100 CISO’s globally for her work at KPN in the Netherlands. Jaya works with an amazing information security team of highly driven specialists. Working in the information security arena for the past 18 years, she has worked mostly for global telecommunications companies such as Verizon and France Telecom. Jaya is also a frequent speaker at security conferences on subjects around lawful interception, mass surveillance, and cryptography.
Dr Adam Pantanowitz is an iconic biomedical and electrical engineer, well-known for initiating and leading the first group in the world to connect a human brain live and mobile to the internet in a project called the Brainternet – a term he coined. As a technologist, he enjoys using his applied sciences skills to have real-world impact. He has co-founded a number of businesses/social impact projects including AURA, Resolute Education, PRTL Medical, shift.stream, and others. Adam lectured Engineering and Medicine at Wits University in Johannesburg, where he currently holds the Angela & David Fine Chair in Innovation and is the Director of the Wits Innovation Centre.
His innovations are numerous and include a variety of human computer interaction devices, assistive devices, and novel AI technologies and applications. He is one of the youngest global Fellows of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (UK), and is an Expert at the Singularity Group. Adam is an internationally chartered engineer and holds a PhD in AI applied in healthcare innovation.
Carlo van de Weijer has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the TU Eindhoven and a PhD degree with honors from TU in Graz. He carries a broad experience in the automotive industry with a.o. executive positions at Siemens and TomTom.
Currently he is managing director of the newly founded Eindhoven AI System Institute EAISI at Eindhoven University of Technology, and Fellow for future of mobility and transport within the Deloitte Center for the Edge. He advises ministries and industries around the world on the future of mobility and is member of the supervisory board of several high-tech companies, investments firms and start-ups. Furthermore, he is a weekly columnist in a leading Dutch national newspaper.
Karine, also known as Kay, boasts an extensive 20-year tenure in Investment Banking. Her career highlights include leading Fixed Income sales teams at prestigious firms such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and RBS. Her expertise in this field is augmented by her diverse international exposure, having been based in key financial hubs like Paris, London, and Singapore.
In 2015, Kay embraced her entrepreneurial spirit, venturing into the wellbeing industry by founding a successful business. This pivot marked a significant transition in her professional journey. Three years later, in 2018, she further expanded her horizons by joining IOV (Internet of Values), a pioneering blockchain-protocol start-up, as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Head of Investor Relations.
Currently, at SGH, the team’s investment strategy centers primarily on Machine Learning and AI as tools to screen and track companies, representing a novel class of venture funds. SGH’s strategy harnesses the power of a new generation of machine learning algorithms, with an approach uniquely underpinned by an extensive proprietary dataset.
Jos Dirkx is an acclaimed tech entrepreneur, public speaker, best-selling author, World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer and the founder of Beenova AI, a groundbreaking startup aimed at harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to revolutionize education and the Future of Work.
With a dynamic career spanning various technological advancements, Jos’s contributions to the field of AI have been instrumental in shaping its future. She consistently challenges the status quo with insightful keynotes, sparking conversations around the tactical, ethical and practical implications of AI in our daily lives. This combination of tech-savviness and visionary leadership makes her a compelling voice in the global tech community.
Jos advises global business leaders and their boards, educational institutions, and multi-nationals on their AI strategy, leveraging relevant real-world examples and immediate applications.
My name is Rajesh, and I am the Founder and CEO of Resolute Education. I earned my Honors in Electronic Engineering from the University of Pretoria in 2016. Throughout my degree, I was deeply committed to teaching Mathematics to high school students, and I continued this dedication post-graduation by teaching both Maths and Science in a public school. Observing the challenges students encounter in bridging abstract theoretical concepts with real-world applications, I was driven to better equip them for life after high school. My goal became ensuring equitable access to transformative, tech-based education.
Through our innovative robotics and coding programs at Resolute Education, we aim to cultivate creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in students from all backgrounds. To date, we have impacted over 300 schools, 150,000 students, and more than 5,000 teachers. As we influence the future of education, our commitment lies in readying learners for a rapidly evolving world. I am firm in my belief that education is among the few tools that can level the field, enabling students to ascend socially and make significant global impacts.
Innovation for social good and the use of technology to help humanity are Vivian Lan’s biggest drives, who in addition to studying graphic design at CDMX, majoring in fine arts in New York and being a Montessori teacher, has always been involved in projects of social impact. As a social entrepreneur and consultant with experience in leadership, innovation and design, Vivian believes in tackling global grand challenges through creativity and collaboration; working together to change the world.
After several years of working with marginalized communities in Mexico, Israel and Kenya, in 2011 she launched a cost-free social media campaign to help the hunger in Africa caused by the drought, in which she raised $ 100,000 USD in 10 days, brought together 57 international volunteers and delivered 40 tons of food and medical care to 20,000 affected people.
In 2013, she attended Singularity University at NASA, where she studied the use of exponential technologies, to integrate them into humanitarian work and apply them to change the world.
After graduating Vivian became the Singularity University ambassador in Mexico, in addition
to being the Director of the Innovation Ecosystem of at the Presidency of the country and the Exponential Growth Director at ExO Works.
After 10 years of working with top business people, Government leaders and successful entrepreneurs, Vivian understood that the only way to change the world is through education, so in 2023 Vivian Co-founded Uma School, a Montessori institution of conscious based education, pioneering a new paradigm. In this approach, education serves as a life tool, empowering individuals to discover their purpose, nurture a desire to be their best selves, achieve self-realization, and consequently, expand their capacity while uncovering inner happiness and vital force.
Taddy Blecher is part of the SingularityU South Africa faculty with a focus on Exponential Education. He is CEO of the Maharishi Institute and the Imvula Empowerment Trust. Taddy is a pioneer of South Africa’s free tertiary education movement and has helped establish six free-access institutions of higher learning. He also co-founded the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship with Sir Richard Branson.