Featured Speaker(s)

Parna Sarkar-Basu
CEO and Founder
Brand and Buzz Marketing

Leveraging her two passions - technology and brand building - Parna humanizes corporate brands, simplifies the complex and creates industry buzz to elevate companies to new heights. She has been instrumental in propelling tech companies into category leaders in highly competitive markets, including artificial intelligence, enterprise software, storage systems, robots, agtech and mobile platform.

Recipient of multiple awards, Parna serves as a strategic advisor to entrepreneurs and CEOs and works with their team on a variety of initiatives, including launching companies and innovative products, brand development, global expansion and reputation management.

Parna has led marketing and communications functions for various global companies, including Kaminario, iRobot, iCorps Technologies, Invention Machine (acquired by IHS), Verivo Software (acquired by Appery) and PTC.

A champion of STEM initiatives and innovation, Parna builds and supports programs to inspire future innovators and entrepreneurs. She is the WITI (Women in Technology International) Boston Network Executive Advisor and South Shore Innovation board member. She is also the V.P. Brand Marketing for American Marketing Association, Boston.

Tom Frost
President
Endeavor Robotics

Tom Frost is President of Endeavor Robotics, with direct responsibility for the day to day operations of the business. His oversight extends across the whole customer and product experience- from new product development, through sales and marketing, to customer service and support. Prior to assuming his current role, Tom served as General Manager of iRobot's Defense & Security Unit. Other assignments at iRobot included Vice President of Strategy (with a focus on new markets, new products and M&A), Program Manager of Maritime Systems, Program Manager for PackBot, Director of Engineering of Government and Industrial Robots, Project Manager for the DARPA project that developed PackBot and Software Developer. Tom holds a B.S. and M.S. in computer engineering with a focus in robotics from Lehigh University and an M.B.A. from MIT's Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership.

Pranav Pasricha
CEO
Intellect SEEC

Pranav Pasricha is the CEO of Intellect SEEC and a pioneer in deploying AI, big data and the IoT in the insurance industry.

As a reformed industry executive, his mission is to bring insurance out of the 1800s and into the 21st century. To achieve this, Intellect SEEC, is developing technology to personalize insurance coverage and pricing down to an individual, as easy to buy as name in - policy out, and slash cost by more than 80%. Pranav is a widely recognized thought leader, publishing a number of related articles and speaker at industry events.

An entrepreneur from an early age, Pranav launched a textile manufacturing business in India at 22. He subsequently worked with consulting firms Booz Allen Hamilton and A.T. Kearney. He 'fell into insurance' at QBE Insurance Australia where he was a member of its Australia and APAC executive teams, with oversight across strategy, technology, claims, e-Business and back office operations.

He has a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering and an MBA. Pranav has lived and worked in six countries and travelled through more than 35, and also speaks three languages. Outside of work, his interests include making great food and good coffee, portrait photography and controversial discussions on politics, religion and philosophy.

Judith S. Hurwitz
President and CEO
Hurwitz & Associates

Judith S. Hurwitz is president and CEO of Hurwitz & Associates - www.hurwitz.com - a consulting, research and analysis firm focused on emerging technology including cognitive computing, artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, hybrid cloud computing and management, software development and operations, and security and governance.

She is an author, thought leader, technology strategist, and consultant. In 2015 Hurwitz coauthored Cognitive Computing and Big Data Analytics (Wiley, 2015). A pioneer in anticipating technology innovation and adoption, she has served as a trusted advisor to many industry leaders over the years. Judith has helped these companies make the transition to a new business model focused on helping businesses to anticipate and solve customer needs.

She was the founder of CycleBridge, a life sciences software consulting firm and Hurwitz Group, a research and consulting firm. She has worked in various corporations including Apollo Computer, and John Hancock. In 2011 she authored Smart or Lucky? How Technology Leaders Turn Chance into Success. (Jossey Bass, 2011). She has co-authored numerous Dummies Books published by Wiley including Big Data for Dummies and Hybrid Cloud for Dummies.

Previously, she was the founder of CycleBridge, a life sciences software consulting firm and Hurwitz Group, a research and consulting firm. She has worked in various corporations including Apollo Computer, and John Hancock. In 2011 she authored Smart or Lucky? How Technology Leaders Turn Chance into Success. (Jossey Bass, 2011). She has co-authored numerous Dummies Books published by Wiley including Big Data for Dummies and Hybrid Cloud for Dummies.

Gabi Zijderveld
CMO
Affectiva

At Affectiva, Gabi is responsible for all marketing, the strategic direction of its products and solutions, expansion into new markets, and growing industry awareness and adoption of emotion recognition technology. She has successfully positioned Affectiva as the leader in Emotion AI and has enabled the company to break into new verticals. Gabi's career in high tech spans two decades. She has held a variety of marketing, product management and international positions, leading new product launches, go to market strategies and channel management for companies including ON Technology, Dragon Systems, Be Free, Centra and Segue Software. Prior to joining Affectiva, Gabi spent 8 years at IBM where she first led the product management team for the Tivoli IT Asset Management and IT Financial Management portfolio, and then worldwide marketing for Linux and Open Virtualization across the IBM company. Gabi has a graduate degree in Art History and Archeology from Utrecht University in The Netherlands.

Sara Strope
Director of Marketing
IBM Watson Data Platform

An experienced marketing strategist and business development manager for startups, corporations, and national non-profit organizations. Over the past 15 years, she helped a variety of companies launch interactive campaigns, introduce new products, gain market traction, retain customers, raise millions online, influence policy and shape their industries. She also combined her love of technology and triathlon to launch Share ICE - an emergency management platform for race directors, coaches, and event organizers. Today, she is helping developers at companies big and small create, deploy, and manage apps in the cloud through IBM Bluemix.