Amanda Blevins, Sr. Director and Chief Technologist, Office of the CTO at VMware, speaks across the world in customer briefings, industry events, and partner events about VMware’s vision and strategy and technology industry trends. She leads digital transformation for customers in many industries and markets while focusing on solving problems and achieving business goals. Amanda also leads programs inside VMware to develop technical talent and influence roadmap and innovation across all VMware technologies based on industry trends. She drives solutions for Multi-Cloud Automation, Machine Learning, and other Emerging Technologies. She has been in the IT field for over 20 years in roles such as infrastructure administrator, technical architect, enterprise architect, and transformation consultant. Her first position within VMware was Sr. Systems Engineer in the field organization in 2010. Amanda became VMware’s first female Principal Systems Engineer a few years later. As VMware’s first and only female Chief Technologist, she leverages her experience and network to increase awareness and action in STEM fields for girls and young women. Most importantly, Amanda believes in “Doing the Right Thing”.

Monica Coughlin serves as the Chief Operating Officerfor Colorado Technology Association, the state’s premier non-profit tech organizationadvancing the Colorado technology industry through advocacy, economic development, community building, and workforce development.Prior to joining CTA, Monica wasthe Chief Strategy Officer for Colorado Office of Information Technology (OIT). In her role with the State of Colorado, Monica’s responsibilities included development and execution of OIT’s overall organizational strategy ensuring alignment with the Governor’s Office and agencies’ goals. She also focused on attracting, growing and retaining IT jobsand businesses in Colorado andsupporting the Secretary of Technology in promoting Colorado as the ideal location for technology based companies and workers. In addition, her efforts also focused on defining the overall broadband strategy for the State of Colorado and promoting coordination and collaboration activities across the state.

Monica has over fifteen years experience in the IT industry with proven strategy development, business operations and program/project management expertise. This included Chief of Staff for Oracle’s Global IT Service Operations, the organization responsible for all data centers and computing operations worldwide. In this role, Monica was responsible for driving strategic goal alignment, organizational readiness, employee enablement and communications throughout the organization of 600+ employees. She also worked several years at Sun Microsystems, Inc. holding a variety of business, people and project management roles within IT Operations and Services.

Monica has a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration and Computer Science from Regis University in Denver. She alsocompleted the University of Colorado at Boulder Leeds School of Business 50 for Colorado Leadership Program. Monica is a recipient of the Denver Business Journal’s 2013Forty Under 40awards and the StateScoop 50 Awards Golden Gov: State Executive of the Yearand was also a finalist in the Colorado Technology Association’s APEX Woman in Tech of the Year award.

Mike Grigsby serves as an engagement leader in Cisco’s Smart+Connected Communities practice for North America. As a former public sector CIO he has undertaken several Smart City initiatives, including numerous transportation and public safety technology innovation projects. In addition to his work with Cisco, Mike serves as a member of the CompTIA Smart City Advisory Council, Kansas City Tech Council Board of Directors, advisor to the University Innovation Fellows at William Jewell College, and is a past member of the Kansas City Smart City Advisory Board. A thought leader in digital citizenry, he is an advocate and champion for Smart City Solutions, Public Safety Technology, Digital Equity and Inclusion, and Transportation Innovation. Mike is a veteran of both the military and law enforcement with undergraduate studies in engineering and information systems and he holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Mike and his family live in Kansas City, Missouri.

Mike Hess is the founder and executive director of the Blind Institute of Technology and serves on its Board of Directors. Determined to reduce the high unemployment rate among skilled blind and visually impaired IT and tech professionals in the U.S., Mike leads BIT’s mission to prepare blind and visually impaired people and the employers who hire them for success in the workplace.

Before founding BIT – a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Colorado in February 2013 – Mike spent four years as a senior software engineer for Level 3 Communications, where he led a variety of IT and other technical projects. Prior to Level 3, Mike held IT, software engineering and other technical positions with Qwest, U.S. West and other companies during the course of his 18-year career.

Mike, who has been legally blind since first grade, graduated from Community College of Denver (CCD) in 1995 with a certificate in applications programing and also received the Student of the Year award from the Computer Training for People with Disabilities (CTPD) program.

Dennis Kyle has more than 20 years of leadership experience in Technology and Communications related industries and currently serves as Senior Vice President, Fiber Solutions Rocky Mountain Region at Zayo where he is responsible for Zayo’s fiber business across 11 states and Western Canada. In this role, Dennis has full purview over the P&L for one of Zayo’s core products inclusive of business development, operations, and service. Previous roles at Zayo include sales and marketing positions where he had global responsibility for Zayo’s growth objectives across several sectors, including healthcare and education as well as with key Content and Media customers. Prior to rejoining Zayo in 2015, Dennis held leadership positions at two successful Silicon Valley funded startups in the IoT and Connected Devices space, and numerous leadership positions at companies such as McCaw Cellular, Nextlink Interactive, XO Communications, and Level 3. Dennis has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University as well as an MBA and an MA in Development Economics from Stanford University.

Cindy Patton is the Interim Director of Transportation Operations for Denver Public Works (DPW) where she works to implement new and innovative policies for a variety of work programs within the division – including signal maintenance, striping, signs, curbside management and other operations. Prior to her current role, Cindy served as the Strategic Advisor for DPW standing up programs like the Dockless Mobility Pilot Program (scooters) as well as the Manager of Parking and Mobility Services where she led a team committed to furthering multi-modal transportation through creative curbside management. She believes that new mobility and operations innovations can unlock powerful city building tools. Cindy earned her Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado in Denver and her Bachelor of Arts from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

Chuck is a Sales Director and Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Smart Spaces and Video Intelligence Division of Hitachi Vantara, based in Santa Clara, CA. With a corporate background of strategic sales and business development, Chuck also has extensive experience as a former law enforcement official in the Dallas Fort Worth area. His in-depth understanding of Smart Cities technologies, video intelligence and analytics is supported by 19 years in the industry with companies such as Tiburon (Tritech), Intergraph and Motorola Solutions.

As a former law enforcement official, Chuck had budget oversight for five police divisions and deployed technology to create efficiencies and improve service delivery to the public.

Chuck is a graduate of the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas, the Southwestern Legal Foundation School, and the Texas A&M School of Business.

Marty is the North American Director of Business Development for Real Estate Innovation for Siemens Smart Infrastructure, Inc. He specializes in working with long-term accounts, as a Technology Partner, in developing, designing, implementing and servicing their integrated digitally connected infrastructure, and energy and water needs. Marty has been involved in the integration and energy management field since 1981. He has broad experience in systems integration, energy performance contracting, energy management, IoT, advanced metering, and renewable energy systems from conceptual design through project implementation. Marty holds a Bachelors degree in Industrial Systems from University of Northern Colorado and a Masters degree in Energy, Power Instrumentation and Controls from Bowling Green State University, Ohio. Marty is also functions as the Account Executive for Siemens for the Sterling Ranch development in northwest Douglas County, which is under construction and designed the first true gigabit community in Colorado and one of the most technologically advanced communities of its size in North America.