Speakers
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Bob HesskampSenior Vice PresidentCNN Broadcast Engineering and Systems TechnologyBob Hesskamp is senior vice president of CNN Broadcast Engineering and Systems Technology. Named to this position in 2004, Hesskamp’s duties include leadership of engineering and broadcasting-related IT resources, technology installations, support and maintenance, and engineering management development at CNN’s production centers in Atlanta, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong, and Abu Dhabi. His scope extends to all nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; CNN Newsource, and TruTV’s Broadcast Engineering and Operations. In this role, Hesskamp directed the launch of CNN HD, the network’s first 24-hour news network in high definition. Hesskamp was previously senior vice president of technical operations for CNN Worldwide. His duties included technology changes and implementation, technical facility improvements, developing new business, operations projects and operations management development. He played a key role in the operational design and production migration of CNN’s New York production center. Previous to that he was vice president of operations, international where he was in charge of international new business ventures and oversaw operations for the Atlanta, London and Hong Kong bureaus as well as CNN en Español. He also coordinated the relocation plans for the Hong Kong and London bureaus and helped to set into motion the production of the new newsroom in Atlanta. Hesskamp began his tenure with CNN in 1983 as a video journalist for Headline News. |
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Trish JonesChief Emerging Technologies OfficerTurner Broadcasting SystemTrish Jones is chief emerging technologies officer for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.) responsible for leading the emerging platform, audience-facing technology, sales solutions and audience data teams for Turner worldwide. Ms. Jones first joined TBS, Inc. in 2000, her previous roles with the company include senior vice president of Strategic Audience Solutions for TBS, Inc., deputy general counsel for TBS, Inc. and executive vice president and general counsel for TBS International, Inc. Prior to joining Turner, Jones held business and legal positions with The Coca-Cola Company from 1996 to 2000 and served as senior intellectual property and international counsel for Anacomp, Inc. from 1992-1996. She began her career as a member of the Corporate & Technology Practice Group with the law firm of Powell, Goldstein, Frazer and Murphy in Atlanta in 1989. Ms. Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Spring Hill College, a juris doctor degree from the University of Richmond and an LL.M with a concentration in international law from Georgetown University Law Center. She chairs the advisory board of the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy; is a member of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation, Women in Cable and Telecommunications and the National Center for Women in Technology; and is on the national board of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. |
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Joel LunenfeldDirector of Global Brand StrategyJoel Lunenfeld is the Director of Global Brand Strategy at Twitter, leading a team focused on creating custom advertising solutions for the most influential and iconic brands in the world. Joel has been one of the top influencers in the digital space for over a decade. He is known for encouraging his clients and teams to venture down unchartered paths to discover new ways of igniting conversations between brands and people. Prior to joining Twitter, Joel was a founding member and CEO of Moxie Interactive, a top digital agency, leading engagement with world-class brands such as Verizon Wireless, L’Oreal, Twentieth Century Fox and Coca-Cola. Joel is an entrepreneur and change agent that believes in the power of participation and the new role technology plays connecting brands and their customers. Joel’s degree in Cultural Anthropology has shaped the way he approaches the digital age. He is a published author whose bylines and commentary appear regularly in Ad Age, AdWeek, MediaWeek, MediaPost, Smart Business, Brand Republic, ClickZ and other national business and marketing publications. He is a sought after industry speaker, as his presentations are known for offering a unique, witty, and refreshing view of the digital industry. You can follow Joel on Twitter at @joell |
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Rob HunterVP of InnovationESPNRobert Hunter, ESPN's vice president, digital technology joined the network in December 2001. In this role, Hunter oversees development of advanced technical facilities that support studio and event production, ESPN International, ESPN Digital Media and ESPN the Magazine. Hunter’s team is also responsible for design, development, and implementation of systems and production workflows used to produce all of ESPN’s content on-air, online and overseas. In addition, his group is responsible for development of new tools and technologies to improve workflow across all of ESPN’s business units. Hunter began at ESPN as director, new media technology, a position he held until 2003. In this position he worked with ESPN Technology and Distribution in support of Affiliate Sales and Marketing on new distribution technology proposals, interactive TV initiatives and other business development initiatives. In 2004 Hunter was promoted to senior director media technology where he was responsible for defining the work flow and new HD technologies developed for ESPN’s state of the art Digital Center. From 2005 to 2007 Hunter served as senior director, engineering and media technology where he had management oversight of ESPN’s Broadcast Systems Engineering and Broadcast Information Technology teams. Hunter was President and CEO of RL Hunter & Co. Inc., from 1985 – 2001 prior to joining ESPN. In 1994, Hunter & Co. developed and launched ESPNet on Prodigy ESPN’s first online and interactive content venture. |
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Beth MynattExecutive DirectorGeorgia Tech Institute for People and TechnologyElizabeth D. Mynatt is the Executive Director of the GT Institute for People and Technology, and Professor in the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research program Everyday Computing examines the human-computer interface implications of having computation continuously present in many aspects of everyday life. Her research contributes to ongoing work in personal health informatics, computer-supported collaborative work and human-computer interface design. Named Top Woman Innovator in Technology by Atlanta Woman Magazine in 2005, Mynatt has created new technologies that support the independence and quality of life of older adults "aging in place," that help people manage diabetes, and that increase creative collaboration in workplaces. Mynatt is a member of the SIGCHI Academy, a Sloan and Kavli research fellow, and serves on Microsoft Research's Technical Advisory Board. Mynatt is also a member of the Computing Community Consortium, an NSF-sponsored effort to engage the computing research community in envisioning more audacious research challenges. |
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Renu KulkarniFounder and Executive DirectorFutureMedia at Georgia TechRenu is a seasoned executive with strong expertise in developing and leading global strategic partnerships, strategy formulation and execution, business development, management consulting and operations. She has 20+ years of experience in the high tech communications, consumer electronics, media, and higher education industries. Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Renu was VP, Technology Partnerships at Motorola where she drove strategic technology-based partnerships with leading companies, key customers, premier universities, and government research centers around the world to achieve break-through innovation and business results. Renu serves as Board Advisor to several start-ups in the high-tech industry. She is a Steering Committee Member at The World Economic Forum focused on ‘The Future of Content’. She is also a TiE Atlanta Charter Member, and a Member of the Collaborative Innovation and Academic Councils at the global Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals. Renu is a Technology and Innovation Public Speaker who is frequently invited to discuss the future of technology & media. She holds an MBA degree from Goizueta Business School at Emory University and a BS in Industrial Engineering/Management Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. |
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Carol MillerTechnology CoachAuburn School Department, Auburn, MaineCarol Miller is currently the Technology Coach for all elementary schools, Pre K through sixth grade, in the Auburn School Department, Auburn, Maine. Carol holds degrees in Early Childhood Education as well as Elementary Education and MSTE. Previously Carol taught primary grades for Auburn and later was the Site Coordinator for the Collaborative Learning And School Success, (CLASS) pre-service teacher education program with the University of Southern Maine Lewiston Auburn College which was based in one of Auburn’s schools. |
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Chris SpragueCEO and Co-FounderOpenStudyChris Sprague is CEO and co-founder of OpenStudy, a social learning platform that wants to make the world one big study group. Chris graduated from Stanford University in 2002 [Symbolic Systems], and Georgia Tech [MSCS] in 2004. It was during those studies that he began researching online education with his now co-founders Dr. Ashwin Ram [Professor Georgia Tech] and Dr. Preetha Ram [Dean of Science Emory University]. He previously worked at Oracle and startups in Silicon Valley in roles focusing on emerging technologies. |
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Linda NobleAssociate Vice Chancellor for Faculty AffairsBoard of Regents of the University System of GeorgiaLinda Noble completed her Ph.D. at the University of Georgia in 1985 and began her career at Kennesaw State University the same year. She served as Department Chair, as Dean of the College of Humanities & Social Sciences, and as Associate Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning during her 22 years at KSU. She held several leadership positions in Division Two of APA, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, including the Methods & Techniques Editor of the journal Teaching of Psychology and Division Two President in 2003. She is now serving as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs at the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia where she oversees faculty policies and procedures at all 35 state institutions, system-wide faculty development resources, the approval process for new degree programs at USG institutions, and other system-wide academic initiatives. |
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Paul BakerDirector of Research, Center for Advanced Communications PolicyGeorgia Institute of TechnologyPaul M.A. Baker is the Director of Research at the Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP) at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is also the Project Director of Policy Initiatives for both the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Mobile Wireless Technologies, and the Workplace Accommodations RERC. He is Adjunct Professor with the School of Public Policy, and on the faculty of IPaT and the GVU Center at Georgia Institute of Technology. Baker also is an Adjunct Professor in the Centre for Disability Law & Policy at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He has taught courses in the areas of political science, disability policy, public administration, information policy, and state and local government policy making. He is currently researching the role of policy in advancing technology and universal accessibility goals for persons with disabilities, and the role of educational technology in enhancing learning outcomes. Baker was recently appointed to the Educational Advisory Board for Footbridge International, a Limerick, Ireland, based educational software developer. |