Engage with industry leaders, explore emerging challenges, and turn insight into action through expert panels and interactive deep dives.
Delaware & Franklin Ballrooms
Overflow to Franklin C/D & Fairfield
During each time-slot, two concurrent sessions will be offered.
Technology is evolving faster than organizations can adapt. This session explores where innovation is creating real value and where it introduces new risks that leaders must actively manage.
This panel brings together business and technology leaders to examine the future of innovation from multiple perspectives - strategic, operational, and technical.
Discussion will explore how organizations are aligning expectations between business and IT, what emerging technologies like AI mean in practice, and where the greatest opportunities and vulnerabilities are beginning to surface.
Building on the panel conversation, this session shifts from ideas to application. Participants will work through a real-world scenario shaped by the challenges and opportunities discussed.
Together, we’ll explore how to evaluate trade-offs, identify risks early, and make informed decisions when implementing emerging technologies inside complex organizations.
As data becomes central to every decision, organizations face increasing pressure to use it responsibly. This session explores how leaders can balance innovation, insight, and accountability in a rapidly evolving data landscape.
This conversation brings together leaders across business and technology to explore how data is shaping modern organizations beyond just insight and analytics.
Panelists will discuss how expectations around privacy, transparency, and governance are evolving, how AI is changing the way data is created and used, and where organizations are being challenged to rethink long-standing assumptions about ownership and control.
This session moves from panel discussion into real-world tension points. Participants will work through a guided scenario that surfaces competing priorities around data use—speed vs. oversight, access vs. security, innovation vs. accountability.
Through facilitated discussion, we’ll examine how organizations can establish clear principles, navigate ambiguity, and make decisions that build long-term trust while still enabling progress.
Shereen Agrawal is the Associate Vice President of Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship and inaugural executive director of the Center for Software Innovation. She is a seasoned technology leader with experience ranging from early-stage startups to large, publicly traded companies. Throughout her career, she has gained experience launching new technology, leading go-to-market initiatives, forging networks across global technology communities and developing high-performing teams.
Previously, she served as vice president of business development at Columbus-based Root Insurance, where she developed innovative partnerships and products supporting the company’s growth through to IPO. At Twitter and Cloudera, she supported the growth of an ecosystem of software partnerships to develop new customer experiences and grow revenue. As part of the finance team at Intel, Shereen focused on developing a competitive advantage in new mobile technology.
Shereen earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
Coreen Rodgers is a not-for-profit leader with over 25 years of executive financial and operations experience across nonprofit sectors, bringing a track record of strengthening organizations through disciplined strategy and execution to The Everglades Foundation. Known for leading transformation through technology, she implements modern systems and processes that improve decision-making, increase efficiency, and help organizations meet strategic goals. As Chief Finance & Operations Officer, she serves as a direct partner to the Chief Executive Officer in delivering the Foundation’s strategic plan and objectives. An integral member of the Executive Leadership Team, she oversees the Foundation’s fiscal activities, day-to-day operations, and administrative functions, and advises on high-level organizational decisions and long-range strategy.
Rodgers is passionate about building collaborative, high-performing teams that envision the future, translate the vision into detailed plans, and achieve ambitious goals. Her expertise includes change management, capital planning, digital modernization and enterprise system implementations, negotiations, and improving the bottom line through operational efficiency and financial stewardship.
Prior to joining The Everglades Foundation, Rodgers served as Vice President of Business and Chief Operating Officer at Claremont McKenna College, where she oversaw financial and operational enterprises including finance and accounting, information technology and security, facilities, human resources, and campus services. Previously, she was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens; Chief Operating Officer of USC’s Keck School of Medicine; and Senior Administrator at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami.
Rodgers is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Pepperdine University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami. She enjoys Florida’s outdoor activities and resides in Jupiter with her husband and two children.
Steven has 30 years of consulting, project management, and IT operations management experience and has an extensive background in business process design and enterprise resource planning system implementations. Steven has delivered solutions in the Higher Education, Healthcare, Software, Financial Services, Energy, and Retail industries.
Mark began service as Chief Information Officer at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services in July of 2021.
The department is responsible for supporting Ohio’s workforce and unemployment programs, along with the programs for cash assistance, food assistance, energy assistance, and child support. The agency is also responsible for the end-point support of 17,000 users in 180 county departments, administering the above statewide programs.
Prior to joining JFS, Mark served as the Chief Operating Officer at OIT in the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. Over the course of a 30+ year career in state service, he has also held leadership positions at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and Ohio Office of Budget and Management.
Mark lives in central Ohio and is a graduate of Franklin University.
Ervan Rodgers is a nationally recognized technology leader with over 25 years of experience driving innovation across public and private sectors. Currently serving as Vice President of Information Technology at Duluth Trading Company, Rodgers oversees enterprise technology strategy and IT operations.
Previously, Rodgers was Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Designer Brands, parent company of DSW and other leading footwear and apparel brands. In that role, Rodgers spearheaded major modernization initiatives, including cloud-based ERP and order management upgrades, digital commerce enhancements, and technology driven innovations in product design.
Before joining the private sector, Rodgers served as State Chief Information Officer and Assistant Director for the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. There, he managed a $2 billion annual IT portfolio, consolidated statewide infrastructure, and advanced multi-cloud architectures to enable cross-agency data sharing.
In addition to his corporate leadership, Rodgers founded Visionary Resource Group, a consultancy focused on technology advisory, leadership coaching, and professional development.
Rodgers is deeply committed to community engagement and leadership development. He serves on the boards of National Church Residences and The Center for Healthy Families, supporting initiatives that improve quality of life for older adults and young families. Recently appointed by Governor DeWine to the Central State University Board of Trustees, Rodgers is also a fellow of the African American Leadership Academy and a coach for Handshake America, reflecting his dedication to mentorship and cultivating future leaders. He is also the President of the Chosen Few Vette Club, which is an organization dedicated to supporting the community far and near.
Rodgers holds a Master of Information Strategy, Systems and Technology (MISST) from Muskingum University and a Bachelor of Arts in Management and Organizational Development from Spring Arbor University.
His accomplishments have earned national recognition, including being named Top 10 Retail Chief Information Officer by Retail Tech Insights and receiving the ORBIE Chief Information Officer of the Year for Ohio Enterprise in 2023. He was also honored as a Government Technology Top 25 Doer, Dreamer, and Driver and received the Golden Gov Visionary State Executive award in 2021.
Mr. Bruce Barnes is an award-winning faculty member at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. As a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Accounting and MIS, he instructs in both the undergraduate and graduate level programs. In addition, Mr. Barnes was also the co-founder and on-going coproducer of the industry acclaimed “Digital Solutions Gallery™” series, nationally hosted out of The Ohio State University’s College of Engineering.
Coincident to his current faculty role, Mr. Barnes is the founder of BOLD VISION®, a senior consulting consortium of “C Level” executives, focused on building an active and creative network of senior leaders devoted to sharing best practices, leveraging their strengths and perspectives, and raising the level of digital and leadership “literacy” within their own organizations. He also continues to serve on multiple industry advisory boards and as an executive coach and advisor to a number of noted senior executives.
He also serves as an Executive Consultant for Business Development Specialists Inc. (BDS), based out of Phoenix AZ. BDS is an innovative firm providing trusted solutions to clients seeking greater levels of business success.
Mr. Barnes has over forty-five years of experience as a senior executive in the technology arena, including multiple influential CIO leadership roles up to and including the Fortune 100 level. He has a multi-industry background, and has received numerous industry accolades, including having been once recognized as one of this country’s most noted CIOs.
A former officer in the United States Army, Mr. Barnes remains a frequent, visible and familiar voice at national industry events and in major industry publications.
Rehgan Bleile is a seasoned leader in artificial intelligence with more than a decade of experience helping enterprises design and operationalize AI and machine learning initiatives at scale.
As the Co-Founder and CEO of AlignAI, she has worked with highly regulated enterprises to bring structure and clarity to how AI initiatives are evaluated, refined, and approved, enabling teams to accelerate innovation while maintaining strong controls and compliance. As a recognized industry voice, Rehgan has keynoted and spoken at more than 50 conferences, appeared on leading AI and data podcasts, and continues to shape the conversation around enterprise AI governance, operating models, and organizational readiness.
Rehgan is also the Founder of Women in Analytics, an industry initiative that elevates diverse voices in data, analytics, and AI. Over the past decade, she built and led an ecosystem that included the flagship DataConnect Conference, which has showcased more than 400 speakers and become a premier gathering for practitioners and leaders across the industry.
Nate Craig is an associate professor in the Department of Operations and Business Analytics, where he helps organizations and managers deploy artificial intelligence to create value. He researches applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science with a focus on the financial services, healthcare, and retail industries. His work has been published in leading outlets including Harvard Business Review, the Journal of Operations Management, Decision Sciences, and Manufacturing & Service Operations Management. At the Fisher College of Business, Nate designed and launched the college’s first course on artificial intelligence for business, and he currently serves as the academic director of the Executive MBA program.
Nate holds a doctorate in Technology and Operations Management from Harvard Business School, along with master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Systems Engineering from The Ohio State University. He has received several research honors, including the Wyss Award and the Ralph Gomory Industry Studies Award. Beyond campus, Nate mentors students in the FIRST Robotics League. He has served in community leadership roles with the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) Community Board and the Ohio Union Council.
Katie Schafer is a senior data and analytics leader with deep expertise in building and modernizing enterprise data platforms, governance, and decision‑critical reporting at scale. She combines analytical rigor, systems thinking, and cross‑functional leadership to help organizations improve data trust, accelerate insight, and drive measurable business outcomes.
Katie holds a PhD in Experimental and Quantitative Psychology from The Ohio State University and brings advanced expertise in statistics, experimentation, and programming. She is known for translating complex technical and statistical concepts into clear, actionable strategies that resonate with executives and business leaders. An RStudio Certified Instructor, Katie has delivered numerous technical and strategic talks at large community events and international conferences.
She is an active contributor to the analytics community, serving on advisory boards for Franklin University, the Erdős Institute, and CDO Magazine, where she supports the advancement of analytics talent and practice.
John Yoder is the Chief Data Officer at Grange Insurance, where he leads enterprise data strategy, governance, and platform modernization to enable faster, smarter, and more confident decision-making across the organization. He is responsible for advancing Grange’s data capabilities from foundational management to data activation, embedding trusted data into everyday business processes, analytics, and AI-driven insights.
With more than 25 years of experience in data architecture, data warehousing, and enterprise information management, John has built and scaled data ecosystems across financial services, insurance, and retail. He has a strong record of aligning data strategy to business outcomes, expanding data accessibility, and delivering measurable value through analytics and data-driven solutions.
Today, John focuses on accelerating the adoption of modern data platforms and AI to drive growth, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer and agent experiences. He is particularly passionate about helping organizations move beyond data accumulation to practical, value-driven AI while supporting the governance, quality, and trust needed to scale responsibly.
Michael Fulton is Enterprise Architect at Koch Industries and co-founder of Tech Community Nexus, a firm dedicated to building and growing technology communities in central Ohio and beyond. Mike is also adjunct professor for Digital topics at The Ohio State University.
Prior to starting Tech Community Nexus, Mike spent time at Vernovis where he was CIO and Senior Vice President, Consulting & Advisory Solutions; Expedient where he was Chief Innovation Officer along with other roles; Nationwide where he was AVP Technology Strategy & Innovation; CC&C Solutions where he was Chief Information & Digital Officer and President, Americas Division; and P&G where he was Chief Cloud Architect and Chief Shared Services Architect among many roles.
He has also been startup mentor, industry advisor and board member over the years.
Damian Synadinos spent 25 years as a software executive across many diverse industries, gaining deep experience in technology, quality, and leadership. Along the way, he’s also been a schoolteacher, an author, a comedic improviser, and a portrait artist - experiences that sharpened his ability to communicate, connect, and think creatively.
In 2016, he founded Ineffable Solutions to become a full-time public speaker focused on people and fundamental topics such as communication, empathy, risk, identity, and trust – areas that are timeless and universal. His keynotes, talks, and workshops have been delivered worldwide and feature original content that blends conceptual depth, practical insight, and interactive humor, engaging the audiences’ hearts, minds, and funny bones. The result is a thought-provoking, relatable message that creates a motivating, lasting impact in any context.
