Achille Ettorre is a strategist, speaker and author helping organizations bridge the gap between AI theory and real-world transformation. As the author of The Digital Advantage, he equips leaders with a field-tested approach to aligning culture, data and technology to drive sustainable results. Achille brings a rare blend of boardroom strategy and frontline execution, shaped by his work with Fortune 500 brands like Loblaw, national AI advisory boards and entrepreneurial ventures like GTA Equipment Rentals. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Smith School of Business and the National AI Business & Industry Leadership Team (BILT), where he helps shape the future of AI education, workforce development and responsible innovation.

Presented Magic Happens: Culture, Clarity and Community from The Digital Advantage

Andrew Wright, a Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development principal, develops advanced technologies to improve the work of fellow Imagineers and Cast Members. With 19 years at Disney, he has contributed to diverse analytic and emerging technology teams. Prior to Disney, Andrew worked in financial services and consulting. He holds a degree in foreign affairs and graduate degrees in business and applied statistics. Andrew lives in Southern California with his wife and their retired rescue greyhound.

Presented Beyond the Local Maximum: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in Data Science

Brian Walters, Professional Engineer, is senior manager of the Modeling, Simulation, and Training Tools (MST) team within Global Engineering and Technology (GE&T) at Disney Experiences. The MST team develops simulation, training, data acquisition and analytics tools for Disney Parks worldwide. Brian graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and a Master of Science in engineering management.

Presented Simulation for Disney Parks and Experiences

During her tenure with Disney, Cara Dienes has delivered pricing, inventory control and forecasting capabilities to businesses across the enterprise. These solutions empower decision-makers with techniques from statistics, optimization, simulation and machine learning into applications. Beyond delivering solutions, Cara seeks to empower team members and develop analytics leaders of the future. Prior to joining Disney, she worked in systems engineering in the defense industry. She holds a doctorate in industrial engineering from Iowa State and is currently Vice President, Decision Science Application Development, Sustainment & Operations.

Presented Human Intelligence: Leading with Wisdom in an Algorithm-Driven World

Chris Szydlo’s team designs shelf and customized learning experiences about Disney’s approach to uplevel business professionals and organizations. With over 30 years of Disney experience in strategic and creative roles, Chris leverages his vast Disney network to transform business and leadership insights into powerful content that consistently receives extremely high positive participant ratings. Prior to Disney, he was a master model builder and GM of the LEGO Imagination Center. Chris has a bachelor’s degree, specializing in education, from Rensselaer.

Presented Five Ways to Balance People and Business, Disney Style

Christopher Fults facilitates professional development courses for individuals and learning events for groups. He has held roles at Disney Imagination Campus, operations leadership in transportation and training content development manager at National Geographic, where he collaborated with explorers to amplify their grant work. Before Disney, Christopher taught English in Tennessee and earned his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary education. He is pursuing his doctorate in organizational leadership and learning at Vanderbilt University.

Presented Five Ways to Balance People and Business, Disney Style

Frederick Zahrn is a director of decision science transformation within Disney Decision Science & Integration (DDSI). He leads a team producing prototypes and pilots in support of business decision making across the company in technical domains including optimization, causal inference, simulation, machine learning, statistics and decision analysis. Prior to starting his Disney career in 2010, Fred completed his Master of Science in operations research and doctorate in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech.

Presented Simulation for Disney Parks and Experiences

Haley is a senior resorts revenue management analyst with a passion for Disney, analytics and solving complex problems. Known for asking thoughtful questions and uncovering actionable insights, she brings analytical expertise, hospitality experiences and creative thinking to her work. Her curiosity and love for learning drive continuous improvement and meaningful results.

Presented To Saving the Planet and Beyond

Jeff Hollan is Director of Product at Snowflake for Cortex AI Agents and Apps. His team is focused on how agents and AI can be built with secure and instant access to enterprise data at scale. He has also led the teams around Python and Snowpark. Previous to Snowflake, Jeff was Director of Product at Microsoft Azure running the cloud web app and serverless organization. Jeff is always tinkering and building and loves to demo exciting technology and work with the community on how technology can unlock new value for every organization.

Presented Beyond the Dashboard: Making Agentic AI Real for Enterprise Data

Joe Duane leads business operations tools for Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & Technology, overseeing efforts unifying internal tools into a connected suite of services and data. He has worked as a software engineer, consultant and product manager, and focuses on using advanced technologies and tools to enhance human insight. Before joining Disney, he led product management for Oracle’s Marketing Cloud, helping streamline and centralize the creation of multi-channel marketing campaigns.

Presented Silos to Synergy: Unifying Data and Analytics for Operational Excellence

Justin Hoffman is a business integration manager with consumer insights and market analytics (CIMA), where he works in survey methodology, data management and transformation projects. Prior to Disney, Justin worked in marketing roles in Sydney, Australia and Seoul, Korea. Once in Orlando, he served as a product analyst in the gas and power industry, then in project management for pharmaceutical research. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from The Ohio State University and a Master of Business Administration from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Presented Andy's Toy Box: Sketching Out Research Methodology

Justin T. Huang is a researcher, marketer and economist at University of Michigan Ross School of Business. For over a decade, he has studied how digital platforms motivate creative content production and enable small businesses, with research published in top journals including Nature: Human Behaviour, Marketing Science and Information & Management. At Ross School of Business, he teaches courses on marketing strategy and new product innovation management and advises firms on marketing attribution, AI strategy & implementation and data analytics. Justin holds a PhD in quantitative marketing from Stanford Graduate School of Business and degrees in mathematics and economics from the University of Maryland.

Presented The Generative Internet: How AI Is Rewriting Search, Content and Advertising

Kevin is currently Head of Sport Partnerships EMEA, as well as IBM Partnership Executive to the AELTC and IBM Client Experience Executive for Scuderia Ferrari. He is responsible for ensuring that IBM’s investment in our EMEA sponsorship properties is maximized, supporting our clients’ business objectives through IBM’s Consulting and Technology capabilities to enhance the value of the client case study from which we create compelling marketing stories.

Kevin has a proven track record of building and demonstrating his client and industry understanding and he is seen as a trusted advisor on technology innovation adoption in the sports industry.

Presented Lights, Camera, Analytics: How Data and AI are Driving the Future of Business

Kevin Masick began his Disney career in August 2021 as a research systems manager in Consumer Insights and Market Analytics (CIMA). Prior to joining Disney, he spent 16+ years as a health care leader driving analytic innovation, research education and storytelling with data and an adjunct professor teaching research methodology and statistics. Kevin has co-authored three textbooks and published 25+ peer-reviewed journal articles. He holds a doctorate in applied organizational psychology from Hofstra University.

Presented Andy's Toy Box: Sketching Out Research Methodology

Kiran Pendyala is a senior business analyst for Disney Entertainment’s direct-to-consumer business, including Disney+ and Hulu. With a passion for storytelling through data, he focuses on analyzing content performance and uncovering valuable insights into subscriber preferences that can inform strategy and investments. Prior to Disney, he held positions in consumer research and insights at Warner Bros. Discovery and Sony Pictures. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics and statistics from Arizona State University. Outside of work, Kiran combines his love for music and service by supporting nonprofit youth programs that use art therapy to empower underprivileged communities.

Presented Bubbling Up Insights Without Boiling the Ocean: Framing Data for General Audiences

Kristen is a conservation and science technician with the Disney Conservation team where she leverages her background in biology and data science to drive impactful conservation efforts across Disney’s parks, resorts, and experiences. Her work bridges field research, data strategy, and storytelling to support Disney’s long-term biodiversity goals, from protecting sea turtle populations at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort to creating data systems that improve conservation practices. Passionate about translating science into impact, Kristen ensures that data is a key driver in shaping conservation strategies that support Disney’s mission to protect wildlife and wild places.

Presented To Saving the Planet and Beyond

As senior manager of business insights and analytics at National Geographic, Lauren Boyer drives data-based decision-making for the organization's subscription business, including editorial efforts. Lauren joined National Geographic in 2017, initially spearheading social media intelligence. As a former newspaper reporter, she's passionate about how data-driven approaches can bolster newsrooms' resilience and sustainability. Lauren holds a degree in journalism from Penn State University, where she is an adjunct instructor and curriculum contributor for the communications college.

Presented From Uncharted Waters to Actionable Charts: Navigating Data with a Reporter's Mindset

Lauren is a conservation biologist with a passion for the intersection of technology and the natural world. Throughout her career, she has always gravitated toward technology-based solutions to solve complex environmental challenges. In her role as a conservation and science technician, she drives the Disney Conservation team’s efforts in animal movement ecology, leveraging innovative, rapidly changing technology to better understand and protect wildlife. Known for her collaborative approach, Lauren blends scientific insight with cutting-edge technology to advance conservation through innovation.

Presented To Saving the Planet and Beyond

Maham’s passion for clean energy and astrophysics started at a very young age. Growing up, she dedicated her education and career towards sustainability and climate change. Data science and analytics has played a crucial role in her time at The Walt Disney Company as a senior manager for renewable energy & emissions where she has developed a dynamic energy and emissions forecasting model for the global portfolio of the company and leveraged it to inform strategy to achieve the company’s 2030 Environmental Goals. Outside of her role at the company Maham advocates for inclusion of women in STEM fields across the world and loves to hike in nature.

Presented To Saving the Planet and Beyond

Mark is a passionate product marketer with a technical and solution consulting background and more than 20 years of experience in enterprise and open-source technology. He has launched several database and analytic solutions throughout his career and has worked with customers across a wide variety of industries, including financial services, automotive, gaming, hospitality, high tech and healthcare. With expertise in analytics and AI, Mark loves all things data and is an emphatic supporter of data-for-good initiatives.

Presented Why Your Database Matters More Than Ever in an AI World

As Director of Decision Science Transformation at Disney, McKay Curtis leads the development of analytical methods and tools that enhance decision-making across the enterprise. Over his 14 years with Disney, his solutions have benefited diverse businesses including Disney Cruise Line, The Walt Disney Studios, Disney Parks, ESPN, ABC and Disney Theatrical Group. McKay’s expertise in causal inference, Bayesian statistics, machine learning and experimental design provides the foundation for analytical solutions in marketing, revenue management and finance. He earned his doctorate in statistics from North Carolina State University. Prior to Disney, McKay was a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Washington, where he contributed to developing statistical methods for analyzing Alzheimer’s disease data.

Presented The Missing Lecture: What Stats Courses Forgot to Tell You

Melissa Hadley is the Southeast regional strategy leader for AI productivity. She helps innovators with assessing AI value, driving outcome-oriented technology strategy and leveraging AI agents to optimize businesses. Her IBM career started in Chicago where she specialized in the financial services industry and how to modernize middleware and integration in that space. She pivoted to intelligent automation, content management, decision management and robotic process automation in the insurance and public sectors. Now, she advises organizations on leveraging agentic AI in a transparent, safe and return-on-investment-driven way. Melissa lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, is passionate about diversity inclusion and sits on the board of several employee resource groups at IBM. She's a pilates fanatic, amateur chef, loves to travel and recently ran her third marathon in April of 2025 - The London Marathon!

Presented Lights, Camera, Analytics: How Data and AI are Driving the Future of Business

Moritz Bächer is the associate lab director of Disney’s Zurich-based robotics team, where he leads a strategic program focusing on the development of novel model- and learning-based tools for the design and control of believable robotic characters. His core expertise is the optimal design and control of both soft and rigid systems, using a combination of differentiable simulation and reinforcement learning. Prior to joining Disney, Moritz received his doctorate from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and his master’s degree from ETH Zurich.

Presented Insights into Disney's Robotic Character Platform

Paige Berry is a data science manager for the commercial strategy organization at Walt Disney World Resort. Her team leverages data, domain knowledge and connected intelligence to inform revenue-driving strategies. During her 12 years with the company, she previously supported merchandise revenue forecasting and helped bring date-based ticket pricing to market. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in business analytics, both from the University of Central Florida.

Presented Pop Hits and Power Moves: Career Lessons from Pop Music

Peter is a solutions engineer who enjoys solving hard problems in the data and analytics space. With over 40 years experience in tech, he works with companies in media, hospitality, gaming and beyond. His favorite part of the job is collaborating with brilliant colleagues and the best technology to make his customers' lives better. Outside of work, you'll find him cooking, spending time with his wife and family or swimming in the Santa Monica Bay.

Presented Why Your Database Matters More Than Ever in an AI World

As a passionate marketer, Sara Shapiro is focused on continually improving the ‘art’ of marketing through the ‘science’ of analysis, by providing strategic insights around performance and digging deep into the conversion funnel to uncover optimization opportunities. She is currently the manager of growth strategy for subscription services at National Geographic and holds a Bachelor of Arts in advertising from the University of South Carolina.

Presented From Uncharted Waters to Actionable Charts: Navigating Data with a Reporter's Mindset

Sierra Duncan is a senior manager of business intelligence for Disney Entertainment’s direct-to-consumer business, including Disney+ and Hulu. Sierra’s work is focused on executive reporting and business insights, where she is constantly searching for ways to connect dots for insights to inform the big picture of business performance and strategy. Coming from a theatre background and currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration from New York University Stern School of Business, Sierra thrives on connecting conventional and unconventional viewpoints to tell the most complete and engaging story.

Presented Bubbling Up Insights Without Boiling the Ocean: Framing Data for General Audiences

Teresa Causin is a Director, Technical Program Management, leading data tooling, workforce systems, and operational governance across internal and out of the box platforms. She oversees the Talent Track program and aids in resource planning and reporting across Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & Technology . With deep experience in infrastructure and program delivery, Teresa fosters innovation, cross-functional alignment, and operational excellence. Based in Seattle, she is passionate about technology and creating exceptional, scalable solutions in complex, dynamic environments.

Presented Silos to Synergy: Unifying Data and Analytics for Operational Excellence

Tong Wang is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Yale School of Management. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research lies at the intersection of machine learning and business, where she develops novel, interpretable algorithms tailored to solving real-world business problems. Tong has published in top-tier outlets across both machine learning and business disciplines. She has also consulted for leading firms on applying machine learning to real-world business challenges.

Presented Augmenting Experiments with LLM Knowledge: Robust Fine-Tuning for Content Marketing

Traci is an experienced executive with deep experience in leading programs focused on artificial intelligence, advanced analytics and emerging technologies. She is responsible for leading data and analytics teams in the Americas across the Consulting division; focused on building innovative approaches and platforms to enable digital transformation journeys. Traci partners with leaders and executives across industries to build sustainable data, analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities, focusing on moving beyond experimentation and prototyping.

Presented The Four Futures of AI