Xavier Bower is a PhD student in Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern University, applying synthetic biology and machine learning to create RNA technology for safer and more effective vaccines and therapeutics. They completed undergraduate studies in Molecular Engineering, with a minor in Spanish Language and Literature, at the University of Chicago in 2020. From 2020-2024, they worked in R&D on prenatal and oncology blood tests at BillionToOne, a molecular diagnostics startup in the San Francisco Bay Area. Long-term, Xavier aims to co-found an alternatively structured biotechnology organization with the goal of improving global healthcare equitability.

Abhinav Gandhi is a data science consultant who works with grocery retailers and CPG brands to translate customer data into actionable insights. At dunnhumby, he applies machine learning to support responsible decision-making while balancing business outcomes with consumer trust. Abhinav was an SDM fellow at MIT, where he obtained an M.S. in Engineering and Management from the School of Engineering and Sloan School of Management. His thesis examined optimizing marketing budgets in loyalty programs.

Vishal I. Khemani is a public-sector technologist working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, financial regulation, and public governance. He is a central banker and as serves a member of the Advisory Cabinet to the Prime Minister on Emerging Technologies, where his work focuses on ethical AI adoption and technology governance. A Fulbright scholar and ETH Zurich CAS fellow, Vishal is also Visiting Faculty where he teaches machine learning and public policy. His work emphasizes fairness, institutional accountability, and the responsible use of AI & data in high-stakes public systems.

Travis Lloyd is a public interest technologist and PhD student in Information Science at Cornell Tech. His research explores how emerging technologies, particularly AI systems, reshape power dynamics in society, with a focus on the relationship between AI and economic inequality. Prior to Cornell, he spent nearly a decade as a software engineer at organizations ranging from large public companies to small legal aid startups. He holds a combined A.B.-Sc.B. degree in Computer Science and Music from Brown University.

Polly Moser is currently a product activation manager at YouTube working primarily on creator monetization policy. Originally from Baltimore, Polly graduated from Stanford with a degree in Psychology and worked for several years in consulting before joining YouTube full-time.

Dr. Joseph Mwaka is a Ugandan medical doctor and global health innovator advancing the development and validation of artificial intelligence technologies in healthcare. At Mildmay Research Centre Uganda, he leads multidisciplinary projects integrating AI into infectious disease and maternal health systems. He also serves on a Research Ethics Committee, where he helps shape governance frameworks for emerging digital health technologies. With advanced training in vaccinology and international health, Dr. Mwaka is committed to ensuring that AI-driven innovations in Africa are scientifically rigorous, ethically sound, and locally responsive.

Rachel Newman earned a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia (UVA) and is currently a senior graduate student at UVA’s Center for Applied Biomechanics, working towards her PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Rachel is passionate about understanding injury mechanisms in motor vehicle crashes so they can be prevented in future crashes. Rachel’s research leverages a combination of small female occupant surrogates, to study the effects of reclined seating on small female kinematics and pelvis-lap belt engagement during frontal impact crashes.

Stephanie Pecaut is a 2nd-year NSF Graduate Research Fellow at Northwestern University, where her Ph.D. involves researching novel methods to harness electrons for green chemistry applications. She grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in German Studies from Rice University.

Arpitha Peteru works in Responsible AI, focusing on AI safety and evaluation. She recently graduated from Johns Hopkins University, where she concentrated on emerging technologies and international security. Her background spans science and technology policy, information ecosystems, and violence prevention, with a focus on systemic risk through systems modeling.

Wesley She is a dual-degree candidate at MIT, pursuing a Master of Science in Architecture Studies and a Master of Science in Computer Science. Prior to MIT, he was an architectural designer at OMA, where he played a leading role in more than thirty international projects across China, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and more, contributing to multiple winning design schemes. His experience spans early concept development and competition through design detailing and construction administration. He also spearheaded the development of an internal generative visualization tool. Wesley’s work centers on computational design and systems thinking; his current research investigates a next-generation design toolkit grounded in cybernetics, drawing on his combined experience in architecture, real estate, and artificial intelligence to develop strategies for complex urban environments.

Coby Simler is Chief of Staff to the CEO at Brex, a 1000+ person financial technology software startup. His interests include startups and venture capital, automation of knowledge work, and traveling the world. He received his Bachelors in Computer Science from Columbia University.

Madison Story is an architectural historian and graduate student in architecture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She works full-time with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, focusing on documentation and evaluation of historic structures, as well as conducting research on historic material resilience and the development of new preservation methodologies. Her research interests encompass building failure forensics, preservation engineering, material performance, and interpretation as placemaking and storytelling.

Hayley Thompson is a consultant and certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over seven years of experience enabling strategic leadership in the federal sector. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy with a Social Policy concentration from Duke University and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Tulsa. She applies Human-Centered Design (HCD) and Customer Experience (CX) to improve the effectiveness, usability, and accountability of complex systems.

Hansen Tjo is a PhD candidate in chemical and biological engineering whose research focuses on using genetically engineered microbes to produce sustainable biofuels from agricultural waste. Raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, he is motivated by the energy and environmental challenges facing developing nations in Southeast Asia. Alongside his research, he has been active in science policy and public engagement, including leading Princeton Citizen Scientists and examining the policy implications of emerging biotechnologies.