XR for LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT: 2021

Chike Aguh is the Chief Innovation Officer at the United States Department of Labor. He leads efforts to use innovative technologies, partnerships and practices to accelerate the Department’s mission of delivering a future of work that includes and dignifies every American. Previously, Chike was the inaugural Head of Economic Mobility Pathways at the Education Design Lab, Technology and Human Rights Fellow at the Harvard Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Venture Partner at New Markets Venture Partners, member of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Future of Work Taskforce, Lecturer at Columbia University and guest speaker at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy.

Samuel Akey is the manager of renewables training and innovation at Avangrid, a global energy services and delivery company. He is an experienced operations training manager with a demonstrated history of working in the renewables and environment industry. Samuel is skilled in power plants, management, strategic planning, project management, and energy. He graduated from the University of Louisville, College of Education.

Dave Beck is the founder and managing partner at Foundry 45, an immersive technology company that develops enterprise-level virtual reality training experiences. His company has built hundreds of experiences for notable clients such as Delta Air Lines, Chevron, and UPS. A passionate advocate of his industry, Dave is a frequent speaker on topics related to technology and the future of learning. Before starting Foundry 45, he held leadership positions in both training and technology. Dave also serves on advisory boards at Georgia Tech, where he earned his MBA, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and the MAK Historic District.

Clare Bertrand is a director at JFFLabs. She leads efforts to integrate technology and innovative best practices to ensure that young people can make well-informed decisions about their education and career pathways. Clare focuses on innovating and scaling career pathway decision making for young people who are over-age, under-credited, and low-income. She leads a team that works with communities, networks, and districts to identify and take advantage of career pathways for young people using technology. Her achievements include launching JFF’s first web and mobile platform, MyBestBets.

Daniel Blair is the CEO and founder of Bit Space Development Ltd where he focuses on building innovation-focused research projects for clients exclusively from the planet earth. Daniel is an award-winning entrepreneur & software developer. Through initiatives and organizations, Daniel has been directly involved in the interactive digital media and entrepreneurship ecosystem by sitting on boards and committees that align with a singular goal, to create the best possible ecosystem for hacking and building. Daniel is well known for being a tinkerer, mad scientist, and lifelong learner.

Katie Booth is based in the SF Bay Area, joined SAP North America in 2013, and now leads Corporate Social Responsibility for the region. In this role, she is responsible for bringing to life the three global CSR pillars: connecting employees to purpose, accelerating best-run non-profits & social enterprises and building digital skills for underrepresented youth. She works closely to co-innovate with education partners, social enterprises, collaboratives, and community organizations. She spent her early career working within large organizations where she mobilized 100K+ volunteers and managed multi-million dollar corporate donations to improve communities and schools across North America.

Laura Chadwick serves as the XR Association’s Vice President of Industry Relations. In this position, Chadwick leads membership, member and partner development, market research and oversees marketing and event strategies. Chadwick previously served as a director of corporate member engagement at the National Restaurant Association and as a federal lobbyist within its government affairs department. Additionally, Chadwick worked for the Consumer Technology Association as a federal lobbyist, U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) and U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff (CA-28)

Ashley Coffey is a Consultant on Emerging Technology Accessibility at the Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT). In this role, she works to advance the accessibility of emerging workplace technologies to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. She is an active member of the XR Access Initiative and collaborates with industry stakeholders to further the adoption of inclusive design for accessible technology.

Bill Curtis-Davidson is a Co-Director and Sr. Emerging Tech Accessibility Consultant at the Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT). In this role, he works to advance the accessibility of emerging workplace technologies, including XR and AI, to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. He is a key advisor to XR Access and partners with the disability community, tech companies, and the public to advance adoption of inclusive design and promising practices for tech accessibility.