FAV SUMMIT - Key Persons
Albert Gore is the East Coast Lead for Public Policy and Business Development at Tesla. Previously, he was Deputy Director, Policy and Electricity Markets-Finance at SolarCity, and prior to…
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder of Johnson & Roy
Alex Roy is co-founder of Johnson & Roy advisors, the Autonocast podcast, The Drive, and the Human Driving Association. Roy is Chairman Emeritus of The Moth, has set 7x Cannonball Run endurance driving records, and spent 4 years at Argo AI. He is also the author of The Driver, producer of APEX: The Secret Race Across America, and often cited as the godfather of Universal Basic Mobility.
Job Titles:
- President and CEO of Florida Trucking Association
Alix Miller is the President and CEO of Florida Trucking Association, the sole state liaison between the trucking industry and the legislative, regulatory and judicial branches of state and…
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- Senior Assistant General Counsel at Florida Blue
Ari Jolly is a Senior Assistant General Counsel at Florida Blue and provides corporate development, as well as, board governance support related to the various Florida Blue subsidiary and…
Aviv Shapira is an Aerospace Engineer mastered in Rocket Propulsion. He served as a Lieutenant in the Israeli Air Force as a Satellite launch manager. Aviv co-founded…
Bernard is responsible for providing strategic and technical leadership to JTA's Automation Division. Prior to joining the JTA in January 2019, Schmidt held multiple executive and senior leadership roles… Continue reading
Beth Kigel is a global thought leader in new mobility and smart city ecosystems and is responsible for assisting transportation agencies, cities and regions in developing smart and…
Job Titles:
- Director of the Office of Safety and Operations Research
Brian Cronin is the Director of the Office of Safety and Operations Research and Development, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In this capacity, he provides executive leadership and guidance for…
Job Titles:
- Head of Ford 's Autonomous
- Head of Ford 's Autonomous Vehicles Business Team
- Technology General Manager, Ford Motor Corporation: AV / EV Efforts and the SMART City Challenge
Brian Wolf is the Head of Ford's Autonomous Vehicles Business Team and is responsible for the strategy, partnerships, and go-to-market approach for Ford's self-driving business.
Brian has undergraduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Economics from Carnegie Mellon University, a Masters in Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Harvard Business school.
Catherine Wood - CEO, Chief Investment Officer, Founder
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chief Investment Officer
- Founder
Catherine Wood Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer Cathie registered ARK Investment Management LLC ("ARK") as an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in January 2014….
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- Policy Manager for the Electrification Coalition Policy Program
Celia Kosinski is a Policy Manager for the Electrification Coalition Policy Program. Her focus is on policy research and analysis to help policy makers create ambitious policy opportunities and…
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- Product Management Director, North America at ADASTEC Corp
Cemre KAVVASOGLU is the Product Management Director, North America at ADASTEC Corp (www.adastec.com). Mr. Cemre Kavvasoglu has 5+ years of experience in autonomous vehicles in the private…
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- Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting
Chris Tomlinson is a Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting and one of the national leaders in Deloitte's Transportation practice where he applies his expertise in tolling, transit, transportation financing,…
Christian Bauer has more than 15 years of experience in the mobility sector. He worked for Daimler in various functions including Business Development and M&A,…
Cleveland Ferguson III, J.D., D.H.L., is the Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) at Jacksonville Transit Authority (JTA). Cleveland is leading some of the most innovative approaches to…
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- Executive Director of Development for Distributed Technologies
Crystal Stiles is executive director of development for Distributed Technologies and Mobility (DT&M) at Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). In this role, Crystal leads DT&M functions that enhance…
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Bureau Chief Bloomberg 's Detroit
David Welch is Bloomberg's Detroit bureau chief and has covered the auto industry for nearly 20 years. Before being promoted to bureau chief, Welch was deputy team leader for Bloomberg's auto team. He also covered merger and acquisitions for Bloomberg in New York. Before joining Bloomberg in 2009, he was BusinessWeek magazine's Detroit bureau chief for six years where he was a finalist for Business Journalist of the year in 2006. He has an MBA from Michigan State and an economics degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
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- Principal, Co - Managing Director, Gensler Tampa Office
As a Principal and Co-Managing Director of Gensler's Tampa Office, Dawn's leadership builds client relationships to create transformative design with innovative solutions. With more than 25 years of experience, she works across many industries and has expertise in both high design and specialized technical spaces. As a champion of research, Dawn leverages Gensler's thought leadership with the client's goals to bring the highest level of design and industry knowledge to the project team. Gensler's research is leading the conversation within the industry and beyond on understanding the ripple effect self-driving cars will have on the future of cities.
Dawn works at the forefront of design to help clients navigate the effects of these global trends on the built environment and strategize for future-proofing. This translates to stellar design and delivery of game-changing developments in Florida, from 400 Channelside to Riverwalk Place Tower in Tampa. Her projects have been recognized by industry organizations including the Golden Brick Award, AIA Tampa Bay and NAIOP. Dawn earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Florida and a Master of Architecture from the University of South Florida.
Deana Haynes is a real estate executive with nearly 20 years of broad experience in the industry. As Director of Commercial Real Estate at ChargePoint, she's expanding ChargePoint's leadership in the Commercial Real Estate segment through the development of new technology solutions and business models that allow real estate organizations of all kinds to capitalize on the growing need for EV charging at their properties.
Throughout her career, she has led global and domestic transformative business initiatives and strategic projects for high-profile clients and multi-national corporations. Her professional career includes tenure at leading organizations including JLL, Lendlease and Ernst & Young. And she has worked with a number of clients across industries, including financial services, insurance, technology, consumer products, public sector, and non-profit, among others.
As a consultant with JLL and EY, Deana advised Fortune 500 executives on industry best practices and led consulting engagements to provide sustainability, workplace and real estate portfolio solutions that contributed to enterprise strategies and goals. Additionally, she advised internal stakeholders on sustainability trends and best practices for real estate portfolio and capital projects. A member of the extended global leadership team on JLL's P&G account, she led global initiatives and global communications across 68 countries to drive business performance, client satisfaction and employee engagement.
An experienced sustainability leader, Deana led the development and implementation of key corporate sustainability and green building transformation initiatives for Lendlease's Project Management & Construction division in the U.S. She also consulted on high-profile construction projects to meet client sustainability and green building requirements, including several LEED Platinum certified projects. She began her career in construction management on an iconic, 92-story skyscraper, the second tallest building in Chicago.
Deana holds an M.B.A. from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and earned a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Originally elected to the House of Representatives in 2020, then again reelected in 2022, McFarland has served on a number of committees. Currently, she is the chair of the Transportation & Modals Subcommittee and is a representative of the Infrastructure Strategies Committee, Civil Justice Subcommittee, Energy, Communications & Cybersecurity Subcommittee, and the Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee.
As the City Manager of Altamonte Springs (FL), Frank Martz brings more than 30 years of industry expertise, P3 creation, strategic direction, and executive management experience to his role…. Continue reading
Job Titles:
- Director of Government and Community Relations for the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority
Gina Evans Dew has served as the Director of Government and Community Relations for the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority since December of 2012. In this role, Mrs….
Job Titles:
- Founder & CEO of the Road to Autonomy
As founder & CEO of The Road to Autonomy, Grayson Brulte is an expert on what happens next. His vision and insight have established him as one of the world's leading authorities on the emerging universe of autonomous vehicles and trucks.
Grayson has leveraged his understanding of this dynamic and disruptive market to create a powerful and respected integrated data analytics and media platform - The Road to Autonomy®.
The platform includes the main components: The Road to Autonomy Index®, calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices, which tracks the 40 most influential companies investing in technology research and development of autonomy; The Road to Autonomy® Podcast, an award-winning program with nearly 200 episodes featuring the industry's most influential voices; and a new The Road to Autonomy® video series featuring in-depth looks at the players behind the trends, whose game-changing technologies will drive autonomy beyond what currently seems possible.
Grayson advises the executive teams of many of the leaders in the autonomy space, and he is in demand as a speaker at industry events and an expert source for the media. His insights and perspectives have been featured In The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg News, Reuters News, Forbes, CNN, and The Hollywood Reporter.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority
- Transportation Leader
Greg Slater is the Executive Director and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) - a dynamic transportation agency that owns, manages, and operates the Selmon Expressway, Meridian Avenue, Brandon Parkway, and the Selmon Greenway. With over 100,000 daily expressway commuters and thousands of pedestrians that utilize the agency's network of trails for last-mile commutes and urban walkability, Slater oversees an agency focused on adding value to the community and offering transportation options that enhance quality of life.
Slater is a transportation leader with over two decades of public service experience in a variety of transportation modes, most recently serving as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT).
He and THEA are committed to bringing the best technology and most progressive concepts possible to address transportation challenges. The agency processes 58 million toll transactions each year on the Selmon Expressway. It serves almost 2 million annual customers with an investment plan to deliver over $1.2 Billion worth of capital improvements to the Selmon Expressway over the next 10 years.
Job Titles:
- General Manager of HOLON US
Gregory Crandell is the General Manager of HOLON US. He began his career as a 3rd generation GM employee which grounded him with a historical automotive perspective and through…
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- Senior Port and Intermodal Planner
Hardik Gajjar is a senior port and intermodal planner at WSP and has contributed significantly to various port and intermodal rail projects involving master planning, terminal planning,…
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- Director at Citi Research
Itay Michaeli is a Director at Citi Research covering the U.S. Autos & Auto Parts sector, having joined the firm in 2001. Itay also heads the Global Auto Pod for Citi Research. In recent years Itay has ranked Runner-up in the Institutional Investor All-America Research Survey.
In 2012, Business Insider named Itay as one of "The 36 Best Analysts on Wall Street". In 2016, Itay was ranked #1 for stock picking accuracy in the Thompson Reuters Analyst Awards, after also achieving a #1 ranking in the 2014 Starmine awards. Itay earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance & Accounting from New York University.
Jared W. Perdue was named Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) by Governor Ron DeSantis on April 7, 2022. As Secretary, Perdue oversees the lead agency in state government with the statutory responsibility to coordinate the planning and development of a safe, viable, and balanced transportation system serving all regions of the state, and to assure the compatibility of all components, including multimodal facilities.
Secretary Perdue has devoted his career to the FDOT since entering public service through the Professional Engineer Training Program with FDOT District Three. After completing the program, he served in various leadership roles within the Department, including Geotechnical Engineer, Interim District Maintenance Engineer, District Traffic Operations Engineer, District Design Engineer, and Director of Transportation Development for District Three. Before being appointed as Secretary, he served as the District Five Secretary for two years during which he was responsible for projects and operations in the nine-county region, including SunRail, the multibillion-dollar I-4 Ultimate Project, and Wekiva Parkway.
Jason Eichenholz is a serial entrepreneur and pioneer in laser, optics and photonics product development and commercialization. Before joining Luminar as CTO and co-founder, Eichenholz was the CEO and… Continue reading
Jason Eichenholz is a serial entrepreneur and pioneer in laser, optics and photonics product development and commercialization. Before joining Luminar as CTO and co-founder, Eichenholz was the CEO and founder of Open Photonics, an open innovation company dedicated to the commercialization of optics and photonics technologies.
Eichenholz is a fellow of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, as well as a fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA). He has served as the principal investigator for Air Force and DARPA funded research and development programs and holds twenty U.S. patents on new types of solid-state lasers, displays and photonic devices. Eichenholz has an M.S. and Ph.D. in Optical Science and Engineering from CREOL - The College of Optics and Photonics at the University of Central Florida and a B.S. in Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Jennifer Brace is a Trends and Futuring Manager at Ford where she leads discussions on long-term thinking, planning, and strategic development. By researching demographic shifts, identifying market outliers, and developing data-driven scenarios for the future, she challenges her colleagues to think through a broad range of possible narratives before settling on a plan of action. Throughout her 19-year career with Ford, she has launched multiple versions of SYNC in vehicle technology, lead user experience research projects on autonomous vehicles, and drove innovation in mobility from Greenfield Labs in Palo Alto, California. Jennifer currently resides in Plymouth, Michigan, and holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Engineering Management from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Parrish has recently been appointed as the Chief Economist at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. He was previously the Director of State and Local Policy Analysis at the Florida…
Jim is the Chief Administrative and Legal Officer of TuSimple. He has more than 15 years of executive leadership experience in the trucking industry.
Job Titles:
- CEO / Executive Director Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority
- Executive Director for the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority
Joe Waggoner is the Executive Director for the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA). Under Joe's leadership, THEA's maintenance, operation and financial positions have significantly improved. Conversion of THEA's Lee Roy Selmon Expressway to all-electronic tolling in 2010 made it Florida's first expressway to be completely electronic. In 2014, THEA became a member of the Affiliated Test Beds under the USDOT's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, offering its facilities for use in the advancement of automated and connected vehicle technologies. In 2015 THEA was selected to develop a Connected Vehicle Pilot Project by the USDOT.
Job Titles:
- CEO & Co - Founder, Grew Up a Lover of Woodworking, Machines, and a Student of Industry His Grandfather Owned the Legendary Indian Motorcycle
- Founder and Vice Chairman of LM Industries
John B. Rogers, Jr. is the Founder and Vice Chairman of LM Industries, a technology company that designs, builds and sells vehicles and other high-technology products in partnership…
John "Jay" B. Rogers, Jr., CEO & Co-Founder, grew up a lover of woodworking, machines, and a student of industry; his grandfather owned the legendary Indian Motorcycle…
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- Director of Policy at Shell Recharge Solutions
Josh Cohen is the Director of Policy at Shell Recharge Solutions (Americas). Josh serves as Shell Recharge Solutions' focal point for policy and regulatory engagement federally and in a…
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- CEO
- Founder
- Certified Data Scientist
Joshua Aviv, Founder & CEO, SparkCharge Joshua Aviv is a certified Data Scientist and the Founder & CEO of SparkCharge. His experience in entrepreneurship and startups…
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- Director of Solution Engineering at Hitachi America
Justin Hopson is the Director of Solution Engineering at Hitachi America's Environment Business Division (EBD). Mr. Hopson provides strategic guidance & solution support for new business models. Current focus…
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- Senior Director of Global Fleet
Kevin George Miller is Senior Director of Global Fleet and Urban Policy for ChargePoint, the world's leading provider of electric vehicle charging solutions. Kevin works with policymakers and regulators…
Job Titles:
- Autonomous Trucking & Logistics Expert
- President of LM White Consulting
Lee White is an Autonomous Trucking & Logistics expert with deep strategy and operations expertise in the AV trucking space. With four decades of experience, he works at the forefront of the autonomous trucking industry to position stakeholders in the AV ecosystem for long-term success.
Lee's own career is an authentic success story. Starting out as a peak-season driver for UPS during college, he went on to progress through multiple leadership positions to be the senior engineering leader in multiple operating areas. He has a track record of achieving improvements in service, production, and cost results. He developed and led programs that laid the foundation for future successful deployments. Directing the transportation technology projects required him to work across technology, strategy, and engineering disciplines, and his successes include managing the Autonomous Trucking Project Charter, leading the platooning project, and deploying systems and new business models globally.
More recently, as the Vice President of Strategy for TuSimple, he built the autonomous freight network business model, partnerships, operations, and ecosystem, enabling multiple customers to test autonomous trucking for hundreds of thousands of miles with real freight on real lanes. His mandate spanned all aspects of the network-from defining the business model to engaging and onboarding partners-resulting in a $9 million network with 15+ customers across 11 states.
Today, as the President of LM White Consulting, Lee works with fleets, OEMs, and carriers in developing forward-looking strategies, business models, and roadmaps for AV operations. His unique background allows him to bring all systems, planning, operations, and structures together to allow his clients to rapidly adopt, integrate, and scale the technology.
Lee earned a bachelor's degree in economics at the University of Georgia. He is a recognized expert in the autonomous vehicle space and has given numerous media interviews, as well as presentations at industry conferences.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems, North America and CEO of Bytemark, Inc
Marcus Welz leads the Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems business in the U.S. The company offers advanced software and systems to modernize and improve urban and interurban traffic. In this role, Welz manages all functions including sales, R&D, product management, customer service and drives strategic business direction.
On November, 2018, Welz was also named as CEO of Bytemark, Inc. Joining Siemens in 2001, Welz progressed through a number of management roles throughout Europe and the United States. Prior to his current position, Welz served as Senior Vice President and Head of Global Sales & Project Management at Siemens AG, headquartered in Munich.
Welz holds a Business Administration degree from Munich University of Applied Science and a Master of Science Degree in Energy Engineering from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Head of Partnerships and Network Development, Americas at Lilium Aviation
Matt Broffman is the Head of Partnerships and Network Development, Americas at Lilium Aviation, developer of the first all-electric vertical take-off and landing ("eVTOL") jet. In his role, Broffman…
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- Vice President of Business Development for the Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Maynard Factor is the Vice President of Business Development for the Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Unmanned Systems Division. He is responsible for the generation of…
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- Director of Government Relations for Lyft
Megan Sirjane-Samples is the Director of Government Relations for Lyft, the nation's leading rideshare and transportation network company. She leads a team of professionals across the Eastern…
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- Managing Director of Ryder
Michael "Mike" Plasencia is Managing Director of RyderVentures and New Product Strategy at Ryder System, Inc. He is responsible for coordinating the ideation and development of new…
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- Public Affairs Officer for the Central Florida Expressway Authority
Michelle Maikisch is Chief of Staff and the Public Affairs Officer for the Central Florida Expressway Authority, a 125-mile expressway system serving the nearly 80 million residents and visitors…
Job Titles:
- Commercial Growth Lead and Head
Mike McGhan is RRAI's Commercial Growth Lead and Head of Business for the yard truck vertical, focusing on OEM and customer partnerships, and adoption of automated vehicles into revenue…
Job Titles:
- Director of Public Affairs & Government Relations
As Director of Public Affairs & Government Relations, Morgan Crapps leads external affairs for Redwood Materials in the Southeast. Redwood Materials is developing a fully closed-loop, domestic supply chain for lithium-ion batteries. Redwood combines recycling, refining and remanufacturing on the same continent to return critical battery components to local battery manufacturers in a sustainable, closed-loop fashion. Today, Redwood is headquartered in Nevada and is in the process of building battery materials campuses in Northern Nevada and South Carolina. At each campus, Redwood plans to produce over 100 GWh of cathode and anode components per year - enough to power more than two million EVs. Prior to joining Redwood, Morgan was a principal at Parker Poe Consulting, where she led site selection and incentive negotiation projects for manufacturers across the country. She has also practiced law at a large regional law firm and served as a project manager and international business recruiter for the South Carolina Department of Commerce. She is a graduate of Clemson University and the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority
Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr. is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), in Jacksonville, Florida. His distinguished career in the public transportation industry spans nearly four…
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Transportation Research Board ( TRB )
Neil Pedersen has been Executive Director of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) since 2015. In that role he provides executive direction and leadership to TRB's technical activities, including its annual meeting of over 13,000 transportation professionals, its more than 200 technical committees, its conferences, and its publications; its peer-reviewed policy consensus studies; and its multimodal cooperative research programs.
Prior to joining TRB, Neil spent 29 years at the Maryland Department of Transportation, where he served the last eight years as State Highway Administrator and Governor's Highway Safety Representative.
Over his career, Neil has been involved in volunteer leadership roles in both TRB and the American Association of Transportation Officials (AASHTO). He chaired a number of TRB and AASHTO committees, including serving as Chair of TRB's Executive Committee in 2011.
Appointed in August 2019, Nicola Liquori serves as the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. She has over 20 years of experience in the transportation… Continue reading
Job Titles:
- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Florida 's Turnpike Enterprise
Nicola Liquori, appointed in August 2019, serves as the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. She has over 20 years of experience in…
Job Titles:
- GENERAL PARTNER and CO - FOUNDER, REDBLUE CAPITAL
Olaf is led by a sense of curiosity to try to understand the kernel of what makes something unique or interesting. While serving in the Israel Defense Forces, he discovered how the rapidly emerging autonomous vehicle technology could transform transportation and be a unique opportunity for the Israeli tech ecosystem. He met Michael Granoff in 2014 and over the course of six years built Maniv Mobility into a leading global venture capital fund focused on mobility, managing $150 million and backed by leading industry players including Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, Hyundai, BMW, Shell, Aptiv, LG and Valeo.
Born in South Africa, Olaf attended Princeton University where he majored in Anthropology, writing his thesis about frontier medicine and global health policy. The same interest in culture and understanding complex systems are what give him a deep sense of fulfillment from partnering alongside founders to build great companies which solve critical problems.
Olaf founded RedBlue Capital, an early-stage mobility-focused venture capital firm along with Prescott Watson in 2021. He's also the author of Mobility Disruption Framework, a book that unpacks the rapid transformation happening in the mobility industry through the lens of microeconomics and colorful comparisons to household pets. He has spoken at numerous conferences such as Web Summit and Tech Crunch and has been quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and Bloomberg.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and CEO of Voyage
Oliver is a co-founder and CEO of Voyage.
Voyage's mission is to super-charge communities with autonomous vehicles. Voyage's fleets power essential, everyday services designed to enhance each resident's quality of living. Oliver was previously leading the autonomous vehicle, artificial intelligence and deep learning curriculum at Udacity.
Pete is the Manager of New Products and Services. He launches new strategic programs and initiatives at OUC. OUC is a vertically integrated Municipality that serves Electricity…
Job Titles:
- Acquisitions and Partnerships Manager
- US Acquisitions and Partnerships Manager for Skyports Infrastructure
Philip Brady is a US Acquisitions and Partnerships Manager for Skyports Infrastructure. Philip heads up the
company's efforts in the east of the US, where he leads on the acquisition, design & build, and operation of vertiports for air taxis. Philip's team addresses real estate agreements, local stakeholder engagement, regulatory approvals, airport planning, operational procedures, and enabling technology required to develop and operate safe, efficient, passenger-friendly vertiport infrastructure. Philip began his career as a tenant broker with Savills in Washington, D.C. Following that, he worked in property management and construction at industry-leading companies, including Gilbane Building Company. Philip holds a Master's in Real Estate Development from George Mason University.
Prashanthi Raman has nearly 15 years of experience navigating challenging, highly charged, and complex political environments. As the Vice President of Global Government Affairs for Cruise, an…
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- Manager of Emerging Technologies at the Florida Department of Transportation
Raj V. Ponnaluri is the Manager of Emerging Technologies at the Florida Department of Transportation. After previously leading the state's connected and automated vehicles (CAV), arterial management,…
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- Founding Partner at Trucks
Reilly P. Brennan is a founding partner at Trucks, a seed-stage venture capital fund for entrepreneurs changing the future of transportation. He has over 50 venture investments in transportation, including Roadster, Gatik, May Mobility, JetZero, nuTonomy, Zendrive, AEye, Bear Flag Robotics, Universal Hydrogen and Joby Aviation.
Reilly taught classes at Stanford University (2013-2021), in the School of Engineering and the d.school, focused on transportation, design and entrepreneurship. Prior to Trucks, Reilly was Executive Director for Stanford's automotive research program, Revs.
His influential newsletter FoT is a radar for what's happening in transportation. He was a member of the Le Mans-winning factory Corvette C5-R program. His personal land speed record is 168 mph, behind the wheel of a Chaparral 2E.
Job Titles:
- Head of Policy and Communications at Gatik
Rich Steiner is Head of Policy and Communications at Gatik, the market leader in autonomous middle mile logistics. Rich leads Gatik's government affairs and regulatory strategy across North America….
Job Titles:
- Uber 's Global Head of Regulatory
Richard Willder is Uber's Global Head of Regulatory and Autonomous Policy. Working at the intersection of corporate affairs, geopolitics, strategy and operations, Richard leads public policy and government affairs…
Senator Jeff Brandes is a highly respected and accomplished leader who served in the Florida Legislature from 2010 to 2022. He represented District 24, which covered a majority of Pinellas County, and was known for his innovative and independent policy-making. Throughout his tenure, he consistently advocated for solutions to address Florida's most challenging issues.
Jeff has been an advocate for improving Florida's corrections system, insurance regulation, affordable housing and transportation.
Brandes is a strong advocate for free market principles and has worked to reduce regulations and taxes to promote business development in Florida. He is a vocal supporter of cutting-edge technologies and has played a vital role in the state's advancing self-driving vehicles, rideshare, and other emerging technologies. For over a decade, he has hosted the Florida Automated Vehicle Summit, which assembles industry leaders from around the country to address transportation technologies, operations, and policy issues.
Brandes is a veteran, having served as an Army officer in the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. This experience gave him a unique perspective on leadership and public service. He has also advocated for prison reform, worked to increase public safety through improvements in the criminal justice system, and was a leader in property insurance reform.
In addition to his legislative duties, Brandes is a business owner and serves on the boards of several community organizations. He is dedicated to making Florida a better place to live, work and raise a family. Since leaving office, he has founded the Florida Policy Project, which researches best practices across different policy areas to inform state policy-making. Senator Brandes lives in St. Petersburg with his wife Natalie and their four children.
Sheryl Connelly has served as Ford's corporate futurist for over fifteen years. As the Chief Futurist, Connelly and her team led discussions on long-term thinking, planning and strategy. Her responsibilities include identifying global trends, exploring potential implications and cascading the futuring insights to organizations throughout the company, including design, product development and corporate strategy. Forbes Magazine recently recognized her as one of the Most Influential Women in Futuring, Fast Company has identified her as one of the Most Creative People in Business and TechWeek has included her in its Top 100. At the request of the World Economic Forum, she sat on its Global Advisory Committee on transportation in 2015 and 2016. Sheryl has been featured speaker around the world included TED2018 and TED Global 2013. Before working for Ford, she practiced law. In addition to a Juris Doctorate, she holds a bachelor's degree in finance and a master's in business administration. Connelly lives in Michigan with her husband and their two daughters.
Job Titles:
- CEO and Founder of Starsky Robotics
Stefan Seltz-Axmacher is CEO and Founder of Starsky Robotics, a driverless truck startup launched in August 2016 which aims to make roads safer and allow truck drivers to work closer to home. Starsky Robotics began moving freight on the highway in February 2017, and in February 2018 drove a truck fully unmanned for seven miles on the highway. Starsky raised a $16.5 million Series A round led by Shasta Ventures, with substantial contributions from previous investors like Y Combinator, Trucks.vc, 50 Years, 9Point Ventures, and many others.
Prior to founding Starsky Robotics, Stefan worked with a number of Silicon Valley startups, partnering with innovators in logistics and technology fields. He holds a degree in International Business from Drexel University.
Job Titles:
- CEO and Co - Founder of Coord
Stephen Smyth is CEO and co-founder of Coord, the data platform for the mobility market. An engineer by training, Stephen began his career in transportation, developing virtual reality and robotics simulation software for BMW in Munich. Subsequently, he worked in both product management and cross-functional leadership roles in digital media, education technology and, most recently, financial technology at lending marketplace Prosper in San Francisco.
Stephen received his B.A. in Mathematics and B.A.I. in Mechanical Engineering from Trinity College, University of Dublin, and his M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Safety at Kodiak Robotics
Steve Kenner is the Vice President of Safety at Kodiak Robotics. Steve is a widely-respected automotive safety executive with 40 years experience at technology and automotive giants, including Apple,…
Job Titles:
- Chief Engineer at the Honda Research
Sue Bai is a chief engineer at the Honda Research Institute USA, Inc. Bai's areas of research include wireless communication for in-vehicle navigation systems, telematics system design…
Tara Olds is the Director of MnDOT's Connected and Automated Vehicles Office. Tara leads Minnesota's CAV engineering, policy, planning, and research and deployment programs. She works to create programming…
Job Titles:
- Senior Government Relations Executive
Thomas F. Jensen is a senior government relations executive located in Washington, DC, for autonomous trucking firm TuSimple. In this capacity, he is TuSimple's leading federal and state chief…
Tomer Shahaf, CEO & Co. Founder, has more than 15 years of experience in high-level management and business development in the energy infrastructures & fuel sectors and…
Job Titles:
- Specialist for the Electrification Coalition
Torin Spencer is an Electric Vehicle Specialist for the Electrification Coalition. His work is focused on supporting the American Cities Climate Challenge in Orlando as well as working directly…
Trey provides statewide technology leadership for the Florida Department of Transportation, including information technology, operational technology and emerging technology initiatives. Trey is responsible for FDOT's Office of…
Job Titles:
- Technology Portfolio Project Manager for the Texas Department of Transportation 's Strategic Planning Division
Zeke Reyna works as an Emerging Technology Portfolio Project Manager for the Texas Department of Transportation's Strategic Planning Division focusing on connected and automated vehicles, advanced air mobility, and other emerging…