Speakers and panelists
Hosein Badran
Former Senior Director, Internet Growth and Trust
Senior Director, Internet Growth and Trust, at Internet Society until August 2024. Read more about Hosein Badran
Michèle Beck
Vice President, North American Sales, Telesat
Michele Beck is Telesat’s Vice President of North American Sales responsible for both Enterprise and Broadcast sales in Canada. Ms. Beck joined Telesat in 1987 where she began her career in engineering developing new products in digital video compression, HDTV and direct-to-home satellite services. She was then hired by the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association serving as their Vice President Technology.… Read more about Michèle Beck
Geoffrey Blackwell
Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel, AMERIND Risk Management Corporation
Mr. Blackwell is the executive manager of AMERIND’s legal, finance, IT, HR, communications, and broadband teams. He is also responsible for strategic innovation and diversification. AMERIND is a federally chartered Tribal risk management corporation that provides insurance coverage to over 400 Tribal Nations and entities. In 2016, AMERIND founded a groundbreaking Critical Infrastructure division that helps Tribes build and finance… Read more about Geoffrey Blackwell
Cat Blake
Senior Program Manager, Next Century Cities
Cat Blake is the Senior Program Manager at Next Century Cities, a nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization that provides municipal governments with the tools and information they need to bring fast, affordable, reliable broadband to their constituents. Specifically, Cat researches and advocates for effective broadband policy at all levels of government, oversees member engagement and strategy, and coordinates organizational operations. Cat… Read more about Cat Blake
Mark Buell
Former Regional Vice President - North America
Mark Buell was Internet Society's Regional Vice President - North America, from 2016 to March 2022. Read more about Mark Buell
Darian Danner
Government Affairs Association, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC)
Darian Danner is the Government Affairs Association for Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC), a private, for-profit Alaska Native corporation owned by and representative of the business interests of approximately 13,000 Iñupiat members in the North Slope villages of Alaska. In her role, Darian advocates, monitors, and promotes legislative issues that affect the prosperity of the Iñupiat people, traditional land use,… Read more about Darian Danner
Linnea Dick
Writer
Linnea Dick is a motivational speaker and creative writer from the Kwakwaka’wakw, Nisga’a and Tsimshian nations located on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. She became involved in Indigenous advocacy in 2013 with a conviction to create social change and help heal the injustices faced by Indigenous peoples. Through this work, she began to heal and recognize her purpose in… Read more about Linnea Dick
Crystal Gail Fraser
Dr. Crystal Gail Fraser is Gwichyà Gwich'in and originally from Inuvik and Dachan Choo Gę̀hnjik, Northwest Territories, Canada. She recently completed her PhD in Canadian History at the University of Alberta. Crystal's research explores the histories of Indian Residential Schools in the North, gender and sexuality, and Indigenous methods and theories. Read more about Crystal Gail Fraser
Katie Jordan
Former Director, Public Policy and Technology
Katie Jordan was a Director, Public Policy and Technology at the Internet Society, from March 2018 to April 2021. Read more about Katie Jordan
May Lynn Lee
Program Manager, Cybera
May Lynn Lee is the Program Manager at Cybera, a government-funded technology agency. Cybera works with government, educators, researchers, and innovators to develop Alberta’s digital infrastructure — which includes advanced networking, cloud computing, and data science resources. Our goal is to see Alberta leading the world in technology innovation, implementation, and disruption. May Lynn works with Cybera’s members to deliver… Read more about May Lynn Lee
Burt Lum
Strategy Officer, State of Hawai'i
Burt Lum is the State of Hawaii’s Strategy Officer for the Hawaii Broadband Initiative dedicated to ensuring that Hawaii establish robust, resilient connectivity to the global broadband network. His work also includes broadband policy work and community collaborations. He has more than 30 years in Hawaii's technology and communications sector and is a frequent speaker and panelist on the topic… Read more about Burt Lum
Rob McMahon
Associate Professor, University of Alberta; Master of Arts in Communication and Technology (MACT) and Master of Arts in Community Engagement (MACE)
Dr. Rob McMahon is an Associate Professor in Media and Technology Studies and Political Science, in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. Rob’s research focuses on the development, adoption, and use of broadband and internet technologies by rural, Northern, and Indigenous communities. He is the coordinator of the First Mile Connectivity Consortium, a national non-profit association of… Read more about Rob McMahon
Edward McNair
Executive Director, NANOG
Edward McNair is the Executive Director of the North American Network Operators Group (NANOG). He is also the co-founder of Kaskadian, an agency that provides branding, marketing and sales support for startups and new businesses. Prior to Kaskadian, Edward served as Chief Executive Officer for Verilan, an IT company that delivered just-in-time, enterprise-quality networks. Previously, he was Vice President of… Read more about Edward McNair
Christopher Mitchell
Director, Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
As director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative, Christopher is a leading national expert on community networks and Internet access. On a day-to-day basis, Christopher runs MuniNetworks.org, the comprehensive online clearinghouse of information about local government policies aimed at improving Internet access. The website’s interactive community broadband network map tracks more than 500 such networks. Christopher… Read more about Christopher Mitchell
Cliff Miyake
Vice President, Sales and Business Development, Ocean Networks, Inc
Cliff Miyake has worked in the telecommunications market in Hawaii for the past thirty years. He has worked in Business Development, Marketing and Sales, and C suite telecommunications management. His corporate career has included 20 years with tw telecom/Level 3, and 7 years with GTE Hawaiian Tel. His final position with Level 3 Hawaii included overall State Of Hawaii P… Read more about Cliff Miyake
Matthew R Rantanen
Director of Technology, Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association (SCTCA)
Matthew R. Rantanen is the Director of Technology for the Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association (SCTCA) and Director of the Tribal Digital Village (TDVNet) Network/Initiative that was started in 2001 designing and deploying wireless networking to support the tribal communities of Southern California. He is also “Partnering and Business Development” for Arcadian Infracom, a fiber infrastructure company, drawing new lines… Read more about Matthew R Rantanen
Scott Rasmussen
Founding Board Member and Organizer, NYC Mesh
Scott Rasmussen focuses on telecommunications policy and strategy through the lens of equity and access. Scott is currently a founding Board Member and organizer for NYC Mesh, an open, neutral, and resilient community network aiming to make a home or business internet connection accessible and affordable to all New Yorkers. NYC Mesh is the largest community network in North America,… Read more about Scott Rasmussen
Chris Ritzo
Program Management & Community Lead, Measurement Lab
Chris Ritzo is the Program Management & Community Lead for Measurement Lab, where he supports researchers, policy makers, advocacy groups, and individuals interested in M-Lab’s open Internet measurement data. Chris is a librarian and technologist whose research examines technology’s impact on and use within communities, particularly within public institutions such as schools and libraries. His work is grounded in experiences… Read more about Chris Ritzo
Andrew Sullivan
Former President and Chief Executive Officer
Andrew Sullivan served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Society from 1 September 2018 until 31 August 2024. Andrew has focused on Internet infrastructure and standards since 2001, when he worked to launch the .info Internet top-level domain. Because of that experience, he was part of the team that collaborated with the Internet Society to… Read more about Andrew Sullivan
Trinity Thorpe-Lubneuski
Senior Director of Program Administration & Strategy, Internet Essentials
Trinity Thorpe-Lubneuski serves as the Senior Director of Program Administration & Strategy for Comcast Corporation’s Internet Essentials program. She is responsible for building innovative strategy, partnerships, and narratives for Comcast’s signature community impact initiative. Additionally, Trinity oversees research exploring the educational, economic, health, and social outcomes associated with internet adoption and use across multiple ethnicities and cultures. Previously, Trinity was… Read more about Trinity Thorpe-Lubneuski
Mariel Triggs
CEO, MuralNet
Mariel is the CEO of MuralNet, a nonprofit working with Native nations to build high-speed internet networks and connect their communities. Her responsibilities include coordinating deployments, partnerships, and policy advocacy efforts. She has taken part in every aspect of builds from applying for licenses and funding, staging and mounting equipment to monitoring and troubleshooting operations. Prior to her work with… Read more about Mariel Triggs
Patrick Webre
Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, FCC
Patrick Webre serves as Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In this capacity, he oversees the Commission’s rulemaking efforts regarding issues such as robocalls, slamming, cramming and disability-related matters. He also oversees the Commission’s outreach initiatives with consumers, and with state, local, and tribal governments, and manages the agency’s consumer inquiries… Read more about Patrick Webre
Denise Williams
CEO, First Nations Technology Council
At the intersection of Indigenous sovereignty, technological advancement and a rapidly expanding technology and innovation economy, Denise has the privilege of working with Indigenous peoples, governments, academics, technology futurists and social change makers to map an ecosystem that will result in fair and equitable access to the tools and education required to lead digital transformation in the 21st century. Denise… Read more about Denise Williams
Danae Wilson
Manager, Nez Perce Tribe Department of Technological Services; Tribe Member
Danae Wilson is an enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe; she lives and works on the Nez Perce Reservation in Idaho. Danae has been doing advocacy for broadband in Indian Country for many years and sits on many regional and national committees which has lead her to speaking engagements representing underserved communities. Read more about Danae Wilson
