Elodie Kwan is a Product Designer at Blink UX, an evidence-driven design and research agency. Her motto is “Human first, designer second.” Fascinated by the human experience and often with a camera in hand, her work is inspired by the beauty, the chaos, and the mundane she finds out in the world. Some of her recent project work includes NASA, Qualcomm, and Inland Empire Health Plan.
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Rand Fishkin is cofounder and CEO of SparkToro, makers of fine audience research software, and indie game developer Snackbar Studio. He’s dedicated his professional life to helping people do better marketing through his writing, videos, speaking, and his book, Lost and Founder. When Rand’s not working, he’s usually cooking a fancy meal for the love of his life, author Geraldine DeRuiter.
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Ashley Royalty is the GM of Add3SHOP, spearheading the launch of the eCommerce service vertical at Add3. She has over 11 years of experience in paid media, spanning performance marketing, brand awareness & the fast growing retail media space. Ashley is a thought leader at Add3 for commerce clients ranging from L’Oreal to Nestle brands. She can often be found golfing or out wine tasting and is a hoarder of dogs.
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Val Head is a Principal Designer at Adobe, author, and web animation expert. She is the author of Designing Interface Animation on Rosenfeld Media and teaches CSS Animation on LinkedIn Learning. Val has been published by Fast Company, A List Apart, and Smashing Magazine, and she’s spoken at dozens of events all over the world including Pixel Up, Web Directions, and An Event Apart.
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Agency head, creative strategist, and advocate with 15+ years of experience working across brand, advertising, culture, and social change.
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Chris has 20 years of experience in defining, growing and making brands successful--both regionally and nationally. Ascending through agency account management ranks, Chris is now the Executive Director of Business Development at Copacino Fujikado, overseeing new business acquisition, agency marketing, and helping drive agency operations. A creative-minded businessperson and a business-minded creative person, Chris combines strong business curiosity with an understanding of how to effectively reach and impact audiences. Chris has lead agency work for the Seattle Mariners, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Symetra Financial, MultiCare Health Systems, among several other local and national brands Close
Ruben Ayala has a passion for all things data and technology. He has over a decade of experience working alongside agency and brand direct partners to implement omni-channel media strategies that deliver innovative storytelling for consumers and business outcomes for brands. Currently, he is a Director of Sales at Viant, a leading people-based advertising software company, and is dedicated to educating marketers around the evolving digital landscape and its benefits to addressability and privacy for brands and consumers alike.
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Nilesh is the founder of OK Tomorrow, a specialized content company that delivers inspiration and innovation to creative companies. His entire career has been focussed on creating the right environment for the creative leaps and bravery behind important innovation. The OK Tomorrow client roster includes McDonald's, Coinbase, Mother, Spotify, Wieden+Kennedy, and other pioneering creative organizations.
Prior to founding OK Tomorrow, Nilesh led all Innovation at Wieden+Kennedy. He founded W+K Lodge, which focused on bringing emerging technology to brands, and oversaw a sizable new creative and technology innovation business.
Currently, Nilesh serves as an Innovation Advisor to the LA Philharmonic. In addition to OK Tomorrow, he works on advisory engagements, and bespoke strategic consulting projects that represent an opportunity to work on real problems, with great people, to find breakthrough ideas.
Nilesh is an energetic public speaker, whose speaking integrates the topics of creativity, emerging technology, and optimism. He has spoken on globally renowned stages including Cannes Lions, SXSW, and the Fast Company Innovation Festival.
Outside of work, Nilesh enjoys spending time with his wife Emily, their two wonderful kids, and their slightly addled dog.
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Tiff is an experiential designer who brings immersive, innovative environments to life for brands and people. She thrives on incorporating creative technology into her work to enable seamless human interaction. She has over 15 years of experience working in the design field with clients such as Microsoft, Climate Pledge Arena, Nordstrom, Amazon, and Netflix.
In her free time, she enjoys making and eating dumplings (mostly the eating part) and 3D printing silly objects for your home with https://www.instagram/strangemagic_shop">@strangemagic_shop.
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Madeline Burchard joined the Allen Institute in 2022. As a Digital Media Specialist, she is responsible for creating and managing digital content for the Institute's social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, Bluesky, Threads, and LinkedIn. For over 15 years, Madeline has been dedicated to making science accessible and engaging with roles spanning non-profits, biotech, academia, and government. In her role at the Allen Institute, she uses her skills in writing, design, video production and social media management to create content that is informative, engaging, and inspiring.
Madeline holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Environmental Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Science in Science Communication and Public Engagement from the University of Edinburgh. Her thesis research focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social media strategies of science museums.
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With over 20 years of experience as a multi-disciplinary product designer, I've collaborated with global brands, product companies, startups, and founders to create digital product experiences. My journey spans from initial discovery to design iterations, focusing on the user/customer, whether it's working on proofs-of-concept, MVPs, or V1 builds.
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Jenny joined the Allen Institute In 2017. As Digital Content Manger, she oversees the Institute’s digital storefronts on the website and social media. With over a decade of digital storytelling, she has dabbled in video, photography, animation, graphic design and interactive web stories. Jenny is passionate about supporting mission-driven organizations that benefit humankind. In 2015, she received a Master of Communication in Communities and Networks degree from the University of Washington’s Communication Leadership program.
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Yuanjie (Tukey) Tu is a PhD candidate at the University of Washington with a cross-disciplinary background in design, computer science, and engineering. With a passion for leveraging technology for positive change, Tukey focuses on advancing sustainability outcomes and fostering community engagement through data science and digital storytelling. When Tukey is not working on design, she enjoys hiking and backpacking in Pacific Northwest, playing piano, and reading.
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Jon Lakefish is a seasoned marketing and branding expert with over two decades of industry experience. Renowned for his deep insights into consumer behavior and a fervent passion for innovation, Jon has spearheaded marketing initiatives across various sectors, significantly enhancing brand presence and engagement.
A leading figure in the integration of AI in marketing, Jon is frequently invited to speak at industry events, offering engaging, insightful perspectives on AI's role in transforming marketing landscapes. His consulting services are sought after for empowering businesses to leverage AI, boosting their efficiency and creativity in brand growth strategies.
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Catherine Carr is the founder of Vitamin C Creative, a Seattle-based boutique brand strategy practice, and an expert on brand archetype theory. Over the past 20+ years, she has partnered with dozens of well-known brands including Cranium, Kohler, LiveRamp, and Vimeo to unlock creative inspiration and build enduring brands through the power of brand archetypes.
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Dana is a User Researcher with a background in Finance and Strategy. She is passionate about converging the business lens with the UX lens to deliver impactful insights. While working in the enterprise tech industry, she has done research on various topics including product, design systems and AI. Outside of UX, she enjoys playing badminton, sewing and exploring new restaurants.
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Jenni Chan is a Senior User Experience Researcher with a background in Human Computer Interaction, Design, Psychology, and Fine Art, providing a breadth of perspectives to reference in her work. She is passionate about inclusive and accessible research. As all things are connected, she is part of the global leadership team for an SAP employee network group. This provides the opportunity to collaborate with the Global Diversity and Inclusion Office to create learnings and events, and to advocate for inclusive practices at work.
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An early designer at Apple and Chief Designer of Beats by Dre, Robert is a globally acclaimed product designer with over 40 years of industry experience. As the Director of Industrial Design at Apple, he built its pioneering internal corporate design organization, Apple IDg. After Apple, Robert joined as partner at Pentagram and led strategic brand consulting and industrial design programs for Fortune 500 companies. He then founded Ammunition, which under his leadership, has developed iconic products such as Lyft's in-car icons, the Square Stand, and Polaroid's latest digital photography line. Robert has been named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business” and his work has received over 100 awards from organizations such as the Smithsonian Design Museum, Industrial Designers Society of America, and IF. His work is included in the permanent design collections of the MoMA in both New York and San Francisco and he is the co-author of the book “Do You Matter? How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company.”
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Matt’s been a leader in the Seattle creative community for 25+ years. Before co-founding the independent creative agency Little Hands of Stone in 2019, he led the WA State Department of Health and Amazon accounts at WongDoody Seattle. Matt’s work has been recognized internationally by Cannes, One Show, Communication Arts, and Clios. He has two semi-grown kids, lives in the semi-sticks, and frequently disappears to fly fish.
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Jaimee LaTorra is a senior growth marketing manager at Rover with over a decade of experience in digital marketing. Currently leading Rover's video marketing team, she oversees advertising channels including YouTube Ads, Linear TV, and OTT. Over the past few years, Jaimee has had the privilege of collaborating with Little Hands of Stone and Rover’s fabulous brand studio team, bringing a performance marketing perspective to their creative endeavors.
During her tenure at Rover, Jaimee has managed a variety of channels including paid search, affiliate marketing, app and paid social. Prior to Rover, Jaimee spent 5 years at a search agency, Two Octobers, where she managed paid search campaigns and SEO engagements.
When she’s not at work, you can find her doing anything active (running, cycling, hiking), throwing pottery, hosting bar trivia and spending time with her partner and rescue dog, Enzo.
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Donte Parks is founder of Getting the Nod, a career strategy firm providing support via individual coaching and group workshops. Leaning on his years of experience on the recruiter/hiring manager side of things, with Getting the Nod Donte is helping job seekers take ownership of their careers, stand out in a sea of applicants, and stay true to themselves while doing so. Every situation is unique and he enjoys the collaborative discovery of the different keys that unlock new paths for his clients.
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Damon Brown | Creative Lou is a multidisciplinary artist from Seattle, WA. He works in fine arts, public art, and commercial arts. He is known for blurring the line between classical and modern art using color, shape, story, and texture. He has created work for Xbox, Outdoor Research, Starbucks, Thomas Breads, Seattle Mariners, Steelheads Alley, and more! He has several public art installations in various locations as well.Damon Brown | Creative Lou is a multidisciplinary artist from Seattle, WA. He works in fine arts, public art, and commercial arts. He is known for blurring the line between classical and modern art using color, shape, story, and texture. He has created work for Xbox, Outdoor Research, Starbucks, Thomas Breads, Seattle Mariners, Steelheads Alley, and more! He has several public art installations in various locations as well.
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Olivia Bell is the Co-Founder and CEO of Incrowd and Principal Strategist at Invoke. She has a decade of experience guiding concepts from vision to market. Her work includes hundreds of businesses from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies, including Kickstarter and Toyota. Her expertise has been featured in The New York Times, Product Hunt, BetaList, Vancouver Tech Journal, and on-stage at SXSW.
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With over a decade of experience, Thig is a visionary creative director renowned for his joyful, inclusive, and elevated approach. His portfolio spans campaigns, brand identities, and content for brands like Nordstrom, T-Mobile, and Amazon, to name a few.
Join Thig as he shares his personal journey of developing a lifestyle brand that reimagines heritage for the modern era. Discover how his creative thought process can help you embrace your own unique voice and inspire your next passion project or idea.
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In a communications landscape that changes by the minute, my deep background in both traditional and digital mediums empowers me to tell digital stories across multiple channels — always with an eye on how to best lead to new thinking and inspire changes in behavior.
My career journey has lead me to Tokyo, Seattle, Denver, and my work has been recognized with hardware from Cannes Lions, Local and National ADDYS, EFFIES, Webbys, OneShow, Shorty Awards, and D&AD. The time spent abroad with esteemed agencies like Hakuhodo helped fine-tune my design aesthetic, as well as an approach to problem-solving that reflects a global perspective. I’ve had the privilege of leading work for some of the most recognizable Fortune 500 brands in the world including Coca-Cola, Samsung, Microsoft, AT&T, Adidas, Amazon, and The North Face to name a few.
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Anisa Khoshbakhtian is the Technology Industry Strategic Advisor at the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development where she prioritizes community impact in the local technology sector. Her work focuses on community, civic, and business partnerships, and she leads strategic initiative between the City of Seattle and industry executives to encourage more inclusive and equitable economic development in the region. Anisa comes to this role with a dynamic background, having started her career in apparel and accessories design in streetwear and action sports. She later transferred her creative skills into a successful career in marketing and business strategy, working in consumer packaged goods, higher education, media and entertainment, and emerging technology in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. Her passion for breaking barriers, strategizing for the greater good, youth empowerment, and bringing people together through innovative channels and shared experiences eventually led her to the intentional work that she does now. Anisa holds a BA in International Studies from the University of California, Irvine and an MBA from the University of Southern California.
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James van Leuven is the Sr. Director of Solution Delivery at iSoftStone, a global IT services and consulting company based in Seattle focused on technology solutions and digital innovation for retail and technology companies. His technology career started in publishing (The Stranger Newspaper, Chronicle Books), to digital retail at REI, and now at iSoftStone leading eComm, DAM, CMS, and AI content solutions for clients like Nike, Tapestry, Bob’s Furniture and Amazon. Outside of work, James enjoys being outside away from computer screens.
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Nicole Michels McDonagh
Freelance
Group Creative Director
For more than 20 years I’ve been helping ambitious brands, people, and agencies do amazing things — and loving every minute of it. Along the way, I’ve been honored to make Adweek’s Creative 100 list showcasing the country's top creative talent, serve on The One Show jury, and have my work recognized by Cannes Lions, Clios, The One Show, D&AD, Effies and Fast Co’s World Changing Ideas. Client partners include Tommy Hilfiger, Rao’s Homemade, Amazon Business, Samsung, Bacardi, Coca-Cola, Zico Coconut Water, Noosa Yoghurt, Mattel and AWS. I've been fortunate to work with some of the most insanely talented creative directors, strategists, account directors and producers in our industry and truly believe you're only as great as the people you surround yourself with.
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Copywriter | Brand marketer | Creative junkie | Believer in big ideas
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Zach Huntting is a community builder and marketing executive, best known as the founder and CEO of CROWN, a creative agency specializing in social and digital strategy, storytelling, and content creation. With two decades of experience in marketing and creativity, Huntting has been recognized for his blend of creativity with financial savvy and technological expertise. He has a notable commitment to global and compassionate leadership, with a track record spanning various markets and product categories. In addition to his role at CROWN, Huntting is a serial entrepreneur and has co-founded and invested in multiple ventures in the arts, culture, events, and talent sectors, aiming to support boundary-pushing creatives and artists.
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Devon Persing
Self-Employed
Devon has been in the digital accessibility field since 2012, and focuses on operations, education, and mentorship.
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Having spent 19 years in marketing, Jon’s career began with learning how to make musicians famous at EMI Records, before embarking on a 10 year journey through a number of agencies working for global brands.
In his current role at kids audio platform, Yoto, he built the marketing team from the ground up, growing the company from $0-64m revenue and profitability in 4 years, winning countless awards along the way including TIME Magazine Best Inventions, Fast Company Most Innovative Companies, Deloitte Fast 50, Sifted 100 and Bloomberg Startups to Watch.
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Experienced Executive with a wide range of expertise in all facets of the business. I love the creative process and brainstorming the brilliant campaign or innovative solution for our clients. In this phase of my career, I enjoy mentoring our talented team members and watching them shine.
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Didi Bethurum is the Chief Communications Officer of Meow Wolf, a US-based innovative arts and entertainment company that creates mind-bending experiences through immersive and interactive storytelling. Recognized in Fast Company's 2024, 2022 and 2020 list of Most Innovative Companies and as the first certified B-Corporation in the themed entertainment industry, Meow Wolf has opened permanent exhibitions in Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Denver. Didi has spent over twenty years designing and delivering global enterprise marketing solutions. Prior to Meow Wolf, Didi was the head of marketing at Gogoro, a high-performance electric vehicle company in Taiwan. She has built digital and influencer marketing campaigns for global brands such as Intel, AT&T, Nintendo, Unilever, and Nestlé, managed marketing for global social impact campaign Girl Rising, and launched dozens of products worldwide during many years at Microsoft. In her other lives, Didi enjoys moonlighting as a professional development coach, smashing plates to create mosaic art, and mountain biking across the southwest. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico..
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Marianne Goldin is a backend software engineer, creative technologist and mentor for under-represented groups in tech, impassioned by the synthetic turn in media architecture and media art. She blends her background in the ad agency space with big tech, and is developing and running mentorship programs introducing community college students to open source programming and to emerging tech such as the Rust Language with Mentors in Tech and CodeDay. She is the founder of the creative technology non-profit Src Material, and is an artist who tugs on the seams between camp and social disobedience (her Web 2.0 era curatorial collaboration with Icanhascheezburger was covered by Wired; her critique of the 2000’s tobacco-art industrial complex was chronicled in James McManus’ Physical).
Marianne was one of the first engineers hired at the Paul Allen-incepted startup Transparent Systems developing a digital dollar leveraging zero-knowledge encryption and is passionate about emerging tech such as post-quantum cryptography. In her spare time, Marianne is a member of the Rust language community team where she co-edits This Week in Rust (the weekly technical newsletter of the Rust community), and enjoys reading about media art and the history of computational creativity.
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James Miles worked as an educator in the New York City public schools for almost 20 years prior to moving to Seattle in 2017. Originally from Chicago, Miles has worked internationally as an artist and educator, and his work has been featured in magazines, books, podcasts, and newspapers. Miles is the Creative Economy Manager at Seattle’s Office of Economic Development, an assistant professor at Seattle University, and on the advisory board of SXSW EDU. His work has been featured in media including Complex magazine, the Seattle Times, the New York Times, NPR, Billboard Magazine, CBS, NBC, the US Department of Education, ASCD, and more. His acclaimed Tedx Talk focuses on his mission to narrow achievement gaps using the arts as a tool to navigate systems of educational inequality. He is the author of Gotta Stay Fresh and you can learn more about James at FreshProfessor.com.
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DAvide Colla is the founder of the award-winning 150UP, a creative agency shaping brands' vision through design, with headquarters in Milan. He has been the leading designer in projects for Alessi, Armani, Ferrari, Todd's Salvatore Ferragamo, Emilio Pucci, and Amazon, to mention a few. His love for design has allowed him to dream and create a future that caters to innovation and fosters a world of constantly changing user experiences. Nurtured in design hubs all around Europe, apart from his work, he's a Professor teaching aspiring designers how to become the future artists of the business world at the IED Istituto Europeo di Design.
His exceptional work has garnered recognition and accolades, including awards from the Indigo Design Award [https://www.indigoaward.com/winners/613] and the Awwards [https://www.awwwards.com/150UP/].
In addition to these impressive accolades, Davide has been featured in prestigious publications like Forbes and Elle Decor, further establishing his influence in the design and fashion world.
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With over 6 years as a merchant in the skincare and beauty industry and now diving into digital marketing and ecommerce, Andie bridges the gap between product and online success.
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Chike Ume is a veteran strategist and cultural maven, having worked across multiple disciplines. In his 10+ years in the industry he’s worked with global agencies and global brands like Xbox, Google, Netflix and more. Through his unique cultural lens, Chike has built world class thought leadership programs designed to unearth and inspire inspirational outputs for any brand. A former spoken word artist, his approach is rooted in leveraging unusual and unique insights to support BIPOC voices and initiatives - even winning an Anthem award for such efforts in 2022. He also has a ruthless commitment to dad jokes that will not be denied.
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Hua Lo is a designer-developer hybrid who thrives on building innovative solutions with emerging technology. Currently, Hua is a product designer at Expedia Group, where her primary focus is redesigning the app experience for post-pandemic travelers and gaining new users through personalized services. Throughout her career, she has worked with cross-functional teams at startups & big techs to design consumer-facing as well as internal-facing applications in several industries, including IT, travel, and online learning. Outside of her professional endeavors, Hua enjoys playing badminton with friends and swimming during the summer.
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Noa is a lead designer specializing in the creator space at Amazon, driven by the goal of establishing the ultimate platform for commerce creators and their content. Previously, she led design efforts at Amazon Devices, guiding customers through the research, selection, purchase, and usage phases. Prior to her tenure at Amazon, Noa founded her own tech startup, where she helped customers make purchase decisions through community-driven product reviews. Throughout her career, she has been instrumental in influencing user behavior by identifying optimal moments to engage users for educational, informational, and feedback purposes. Close
Noa is a lead designer specializing in the creator space at Amazon, driven by the goal of establishing the ultimate platform for commerce creators and their content. Previously, she led design efforts at Amazon Devices, guiding customers through the research, selection, purchase, and usage phases. Prior to her tenure at Amazon, Noa founded her own tech startup, where she helped customers make purchase decisions through community-driven product reviews. Throughout her career, she has been instrumental in influencing user behavior by identifying optimal moments to engage users for educational, informational, and feedback purposes. Close
Faye is a lead producer with 13 years experience in the games industry in both publishing and development.
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Dan Gifford is a Principal Data Scientist at Getty Images, based in Seattle, Washington. At the crossroads of science and creativity, Dan builds innovative products and algorithms that enhance the workflows of Getty Images photographers and customers alike. He currently provides technical leadership for several teams focused on visual intelligence, ranking, and generative AI. Previously, Dan modernized testing frameworks and analysis tools for Getty Images analysts and modeled content relationships for the Creative Research team. He holds a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Michigan, where he developed new algorithms for estimating the size of galaxy clusters.
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With over 15 years of experience in IT consulting and as a co-founder and board member of a nonprofit organization, Budi Mulyo’s experience in programming and computational manufacturing, as well as proficiency in immersive VR/AR/360/XR technologies, will be beneficial in advancing Seattle's film industry.
As a lead R&D for future mental healthcare technology innovation using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and virtual reality, Budi understands how emerging technologies can provide growth opportunities for local film industry businesses and workers. Budi has mentored VR/360 at Refugee Women’s Alliance and Franklin High School, and trained UW minority students and the public in VR development at the Seattle Public Library.
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