2025 Schedule

The Importance of Inclusivity: AI Governance in Government

9:10 - 9:30 AM

Samantha Spaulding (she/her)

“The presentation will discuss why inclusive AI governance in government settings is not merely beneficial but essential for upholding democratic values, ensuring equitable outcomes, and maintaining public trust in the digital age.”

Agile for Every Brain

9:35 - 10:15 AM

Ryan Etten

“Scrum rituals promise speed, yet they can exhaust the one in four developers who process information differently. Research shows that neurodivergent engineers spend 40 percent of their day context-switching, which fuels burnout and defects. This session demonstrates a brain-friendly sprint pattern, featuring agenda-first meetings, flow-protecting notification norms, and camera-optional stand-ups that help alleviate Zoom fatigue. You’ll leave with a one-page checklist ready for the next sprint and a simple metrics cheat sheet that proves inclusive habits accelerate delivery, with no new tools required.”

Empowering Leadership and Innovation in Technology

10:20 - 10:40 AM

Cacie Robichaux

“This presentation explores how Simon Sinek's leadership methodologies, combined with an understanding of managing diverse team members and insights from Adam Grant on feedback discussions, can enhance leadership effectiveness. Simon Sinek emphasizes the importance of leading with purpose and starting with "why" to inspire and build trust within teams. His approach fosters a culture where team members feel valued and motivated. Understanding that each team member is unique and requires an individualized management approach is crucial. Leaders must recognize and utilize the diverse strengths and needs of their team to engage and motivate them effectively. Moreover, integrating Adam Grant's strategies for giving and receiving feedback helps to cultivate an environment of openness and continuous improvement. By addressing the need for psychological safety, leaders can facilitate honest conversations that contribute to personal and organizational growth. This presentation aims to provide leaders with both theoretical and practical tools to elevate their leadership, improve team dynamics, and drive success.”

Design Thinking for Devs: A Crash Course to Up Your Game

10:55 - 11:35 AM

Holly Anne Burns (she/her)

“In fast-paced dev environments, it’s easy to skip over empathy and jump straight to building. But what if small design thinking habits could make your work more impactful—without slowing you down? In this fast, practical session, you’ll learn how to spot assumptions, gather real insights, and prototype smarter. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or engineer, or part of a team, you’ll walk away with accessible tools to build tech that people love.”

Inclusive Writing Isn’t About Being Vague — It’s About Being Precise

11:40 - 12:00 AM

Olivia Barrow (she/her)

“Inclusive writing isn’t about watering down your message to avoid offending anyone—it’s about clarity, precision, and respect. In this 20-minute talk, we’ll explore how writing inclusively starts with understanding exactly who you’re writing for: what they share, what they don’t, what you know to be true about them, and what you’re only assuming based on your own perspective. We’ll unpack the common misconception that inclusive writing means trying to speak to everyone, and instead show how it’s a practice rooted in curiosity, specificity, and intentionality. Whether you're writing web copy, blog posts, or UX content, this talk will leave you with practical tools to better serve your audience without losing your voice—or your message.“

Unlocking Innovation: Integrating Art and Technology for Inclusive Problem-Solving

1:30-2:10 PM

Shawn Spartz (she/her/they/them)

“What if the most overlooked feature of artificial intelligence… was its ability to reflect us?

In this interactive session, we’ll explore how AI is not only a tool for automation—but a mirror of its creators, users, and society at large. From biased outputs to algorithmic “hallucinations,” we’ll investigate how AI models inherit and amplify the values, assumptions, and blind spots of the humans who build and train them.

But more importantly—we’ll ask how to use this mirroring consciously.”

Inclusive Design for Analytics

2:15 - 2:35 PM

Jeff Kritzman (he/him)

“Inclusive design is essential for any analytics project! Whether you're building a data warehouse, a dashboard, a machine learning model, or a website, if you don't meaningfully engage with diverse end users, your product is more likely to have issues. This talk will discuss practical and actionable techniques to make sure your analytics product gives your users the experience they deserve!”

AI-Assisted Testing: DOs and DONTs

2:50 - 3:10 PM

Steven Boutcher (he/him)

“Gain a set of practical tools to make testing faster, easier, and smarter, without falling into common traps. AI can be used democratize testing for various audiences: developers without testing or test automation experience, product owners without testing experience, and testers without development experience.”

Mindfulness at Work: A Practical Guide to the Wellness Wheel

3:15 - 4:00 PM

Ross Larson (he/him)

“The goal of this talk is to focus on finding balance at work using the Wellness Wheel. This presentation covers several topics:

• An introduction to mindfulness and the RAIN method.

• A description of the Wellness Wheel and an overview of the dimensions of wellness

• A self-assessment to help give you a snapshot of your current status

• A roadmap to an experimental mindset”