Umesh Manathkar is SVP and CIO for NetApp and is responsible for leading NetApp IT’s continuing digital transformation and delivering business value throughout the organization. He leads NetApp IT’s efforts to solve business challenges with technology, reducing costs, and managing enterprise-wide security. Prior to joining NetApp, Umesh served as CIO at Amkor Technology, where he spent seven years leading the semiconductor manufacturer’s digital transformation and shift to smart manufacturing. He was also previously CIO at Cree, Inc. (seven years) and Silicon Labs (six years). Umesh is the author of Perfect Imbalance, an IT management book published in 2019 and has also been recognized with several prestigious CIO of the year awards. He holds a BE degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ambedkar Marathwada University in India, an MS in Industrial Engineering from Arizona State University (ASU) and an MBA from W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU.

Tatyana Mamut is a transformative leader in Silicon Valley who drives innovation by understanding customers deeply and leading through empathy. As a product executive, she led the development of successful new products at Amazon, Salesforce, Nextdoor, Pendo, and IDEO. She currently sits on the Board of Sauce Labs and advises startups, investment funds, and venture studios. She is dedicated to making the world better through human-centered product development and organizational leadership especially as we move toward a "multi-sapiens" future with AI. Tatyana has won many awards for her work and holds multiple patents for her inventions at Salesforce and Amazon. She has a PhD in cultural anthropology from UC Berkeley and a BA in economics from Amherst College. She is a refugee from eastern Ukraine and comes from three generations of Soviet professional women. Tatyana lives with her spouse and two daughters in San Francisco.

Kristian Bainey is an accomplished IT professional with 15+ years of diverse experience. Holding a master's and bachelor's degree in information systems, he is certified in PMP, SCRUM/Agile, Prosci, ITIL, and AI. Kristian excels in directing IT projects, digital transformation, AI, data management, and change management for medium to large organizations. He has a strong grasp of the software development life cycle and has worked as a consultant across public, private, and academic sectors. Kristian is currently the President of the Northern Alberta PMI Chapter (PMINAC).

Dr. Barnitz brings her extensive experience in non-profit leadership and in corporate leadership in biopharmaceutical program management to her current work as a community hospital chaplain and Coordinator of its new No One Dies Alone program. As Vice President of the Tri-City Interfaith Council, she coordinates the speakers and programs for monthly meetings and helps plan and lead interfaith events in the vibrant, culturally diverse Tri-City area (Fremont - Union City - Newark, California). Joy relishes the opportunity to integrate her education, training and experience in doing this work. She thrives on the challenge of adapting her leadership experience in new product development in rapidly growing biotech companies to working with volunteers and staff in a community hospital setting. Over her career, she has been an invited speaker at project management conferences and has taught in UC Berkeley Extension project management certificate programs

With a career spanning over 25 years, Anup Deshpande is a distinguished keynote speaker who has revolutionized program management, business operations, and security in the software industry. Anup's exceptional journey is defined by his resolute commitment to driving ambitious objectives and fostering transformation. Anup's leadership prowess extends beyond his professional roles. He has held influential positions at the PMI San Francisco Bay Area and PMI Silicon Valley Chapters, including President and Board Member. He has reshaped project management discourse through these roles and led initiatives that set new benchmarks. His reputation as a thought leader led him to serve as an Adjunct Faculty member at UC Berkeley Extension, where he imparted his insights to nurture the next generation of minds in the field. Currently serving as the Director of Program Management for the AI Portfolio at Stryker's Robotics division, Anup continues to be a trailblazer. His track record of driving cross-organizational goals has left an indelible mark on companies like Yahoo, Visa, and Broadcom, showcasing his ability to steer companies to success.

Leela Krishna is a highly experienced and accomplished professional with a strong background in program management and leadership. With an MBA in Marketing and extensive professional development, including certifications in PMP, CSM, SAFe, and ITIL, Leela possesses a diverse skill set that contributes to her success in driving large-scale, global technology and re-engineering programs. As a Senior Portfolio Lead of Program Management, Leela serves as a strategic advisor to senior executive leadership teams, providing guidance on enterprise-wide goals and objectives. She has a proven track record of enhancing business processes and driving gross margin performance in organizations like ServiceNow and Oracle. Leela's expertise extends to various areas, including Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), decision-based analysis, fiscal accountability, go-to-market strategies (GTM), master data management (MDM), order management, pricing management, product BOM modeling.

Dr. Gautham Pallapa is the award-winning author of Leading with Empathy: Understanding the Needs of Today's Workforce. He is the founder of Transformity and an executive advisor at VMware. He works with C-suite and executives at Global 1000 enterprises in transforming their processes, technologies, and culture to achieve their business outcomes. He has over 20 years of industry experience and has successfully transformed several organizations using Lean, Agile, and DevOps. Dr. Pallapa is an ambassador for several organizations such as Gartner Peer Insights and DevOps Institute. He has been recognized as a Global Executive Leader by HMG Strategy for his transformative contributions and community engagements, and he also writes/talks/works on transformation, helping underprivileged people, and giving back to the community.

Anthony Poponi is a human happiness expert, energetic professional speaker, workplace consultant, humorist and founder of Focus on the 40! He specializes in showing his audiences a path to more joy, fulfillment and success in our workplaces through live and virtual programs, retreats and team-buildings full of actionable tools and strategies to show you and your team a path towards being happier and successful! He calls Bend, Oregon home where he serves on the board for non-profits, plays outdoors and performs stand-up comedy and improv.

Max von Zeman is a healthcare professional with over 10 years experience in multiple sectors. She currently serves as the Director of Hospital and Clinic Activations at Stanford Health Care where she oversees a portfolio totaling over $1 Billion. Prior to joining Stanford, Max was the primary consultant for Kaiser Permanente Northern California's Improvement and Care Experience programs where she developed the curriculum for the Permanente Medical Group’s Improvement Leadership Program, and taught executive management courses to leadership across the organization. Max is certified in Human Centered Design, holds a Lean Six Sigma green belt, has a Bachelors of Science in Health Education from San Francisco State University, and a Master’s in Public Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She is passionate about improvement science and developing the next generation of health care leaders.

Marie Spark, MBA, PMP, is the director of the project management graduate program at Golden Gate University and is an active leader for the PMI San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. She came to academics following a career in project and quality management in banking, technology and non-profits. Her passion is to empower adult learners to their careers.

Vanessa is an Executive Director of Brand and Audience Development at KQED. She manages multiple teams: Audience Development, Creative, Communications and Marketing, and partners with teams across the organization to understand and grow our audiences and brand. Her expertise is understanding and growing audience and brand for nonprofits from public policy to healthcare to public media; growing internal communications and DEI programs; leadership/fertility coaching.

Carin has built a successful 20-year career as a Partner leader at EY and KPMG Consulting, where she specialized in leading global business and technology transformation programs. She empowers global businesses to innovate their operations, implement cutting-edge technology and transform their workforce. She enables powerful shifts in awareness by establishing a deep connection and belonging with others. Her passion is maximizing others’ potential through consulting, mentoring, and coaching. She guides others in discovering their unique talents and empowers them to thrive in their career journey. Carin leverages the breadth and depth of her digital transformation and program management experience to equip the next generation of leaders.

Lori's area of expertise is in Systems Engineering (Requirements, Verification, System Integration) as it applies to Space Systems. Lori has worked on over a dozen spacecraft projects in my 27 years at Lockheed Martin. She has a BA in Physics/Astronomy, MS in Physics/Astronomy, and a Certificate in Spacecraft Design and Operation Proficiency.

Aida Rivas, a seasoned technologist and resolute leader, with an illustrious career spanning over 25 years in the technology sector, Aida's profound expertise is enriched by her diverse industry experiences. Starting her journey as a Software Engineer and Consultant, Aida crafted her skills by building both backend and frontend applications, alongside conducting valuable customer training. As her career evolved, Aida seamlessly transitioned into project management roles, demonstrating her versatility and adaptability. across various industries, including oil and finance, she adeptly led software engineering project teams, driving agile methodology and cross organizational collaboration. A defining moment in her journey saw her step into the realm of program management, where she has excelled for over a decade, primarily in Silicon Valley. Since joining VMware in 2017, Aida has held a pivotal role as the guardian of open source license compliance obligations. Her current position underscores her commitment to fostering a culture of operational excellence. Aida's purview extends beyond the technical realm; her strategic focus encompasses delivering products and services that not only meet customers' needs but also resonate deeply with them, thereby driving customer satisfaction to new heights. Aida's commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion is evident in her mentorship initiatives and championing inclusive practices. She takes a hands-on approach by coaching and guiding aspiring professionals. Her efforts extend beyond just pushing for representation; Aida strives to create an environment where underrepresented individuals can thrive and contribute meaningfully across industries. Aida holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Houston, Texas.

Cynthia Maria Estalilla is a certified career services provider and owner of CME Beyond Career Success, LLC, with more than 30 years’ experience working in small, mid to global, brand-name organizations in financial services, apparel, technology start-up and hospitality with roles in human resources and client service management. She has the unique ability to identify potential of mid-career professionals , creating storytelling, personally-branded career marketing materials, providing coaching for clarity and transition, and designing career search strategies. Cynthia holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. She is a Certified Professional Career Coach, Digital Branding Strategist, Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®, and a Certified DISCstyles™ Communications Consultant. Cynthia is a member of the Project Management Institute San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, conducting résumé writing and interview clinics through the chapter’s mentorship program, career building track. On a personal note, she loves reading, cooking, watching sports, boating, fishing and traveling with her significant other.