Meet the Speakers: Cacie, Shawn, and Samantha!
Cacie Robichaux
Empowering Leadership and Innovation in Technology
Cacie Robichaux (she/her)
I am a scrum master and employee of Trustage for the last five years. I am also passionate about making those around me and myself a little bit better each day. In my spare time I enjoy volunteering, reading alone in my basement and coaching my children's various activities.
Here’s what she has to say about her talk:
“In this presentation, I will discuss ethical leadership and the process of building a trusting tech culture. I am a very large proponent of these tenets and frequently listen to podcasts and read books by Adam Grant, Brene Brown and Simon Sinek which pertain to these concepts.”
Shawn Spartz
AI as a Mirror: Designing Inclusive Intelligence through Reflection
Shawn Spartz (she/her/they/them)
Shawn Spartz is a multidimensional systems thinker, technologist, and intuitive strategist exploring the intersection of human consciousness and artificial intelligence. With over 25 years of experience in tech and transformation leadership, she guides individuals and organizations in designing technologies—and teams—that reflect deeper intelligence, empathy, and inclusivity.
Her work blends intuitive resonance with practical design, often engaging AI as both a tool and a mirror for self-awareness, feedback, and evolution. Shawn serves as a bridge between structured logic and living intelligence, inviting technologists to approach innovation not just from efficiency, but from reflection, resonance, and relational wisdom.
Here’s what they have to say about their talk:
“IWhat 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.
This talk offers a practical and inclusive lens on AI development:
How can we create AI that supports neurodiverse, culturally-rich, and ethically-grounded interactions?
What does it mean to treat AI as a feedback partner—one that requires mentorship, just like a junior teammate?
And how might reflecting on our own patterns of engagement with AI help us build more inclusive teams and products?
We'll close with a guided activity that invites participants to interact with AI as a mirror: surfacing strengths, biases, and self-insights through their own data trail.
This is a session for technologists who are curious not just about building smarter machines, but about becoming more aware, inclusive humans.”
Samantha Spaulding
The Importance of Inclusivity: AI Governance in Government
Samantha Spaulding (she/her)
Samantha Spaulding has a background in IT procurement and has spent the last few years focusing on AI - specifically in the Public sector. Samantha is dedicated to transforming how agencies serve the public through ethical, secure, and effective use of AI. She serves on multiple AI workgroups for the State of Wisconsin and Tax agencies across the US.
Here’s what she has to say about her talk:
“Without proper governance structures that prioritize inclusivity, AI technologies risk exacerbating existing inequalities and creating new forms of exclusion. This 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.”