Keynotes and Speakers

Mainstage Keynote: Why We Need Human-Centric AI

AI is the single most transformative innovation of our lifetime, offering a massive economic opportunity and the potential to solve humanity’s biggest challenges. But to truly unlock its power, we must focus on building human-centric, ethical AI that serves both people and the planet—making us healthier, happier, more knowledgeable, productive, and connected.

In this talk, Emotion AI Pioneer and investor, Dr. Rana el Kaliouby, reveals how organizations can harness AI—both predictive and generative AI—to achieve operational effectiveness as well as drive innovation, all while keeping critical ethical considerations at the forefront. She’ll also explore the rapidly evolving AI landscape and applications in health & wellness, productivity & learning, and sustainable living. Finally, she offers a future-forward look at AI’s expanding role in robotics, education, and future of work, and explores the new reality that will emerge as AI becomes fully embedded into our personal and professional lives.

About Dr Rana el Kaliouby

Rana is a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence, scientist and entrepreneur turned AI investor, founder and CEO with a track record of innovation and investing in disruptive AI-first startups. Rana is co-founder and General Partner at Blue Tulip Ventures, an early-stage venture firm that invests in startups building Human-Centric AI—AI that is good for people, good for the planet and is ethical.

In 2022, Rana co-founded AI Operators Fund, an early-stage fund and invested in 40 AI-first companies. Rana is also a venture partner at BOLD Capital Partners (Peter Diamandis’ fund) as well as an angel investor. As a well-recognized expert in AI, Rana has exclusive access to disruptive AI startups and has decades of AI experience to support these startups in their growth and ability to drive significant returns. Prior to Blue Tulip Ventures, Rana was a founder and CEO of MIT spin-out Affectiva, which she sold in 2021.

Rana is also an executive fellow at the Harvard Business School and co-chair of the Fortune Brainstorm AI conferences. Her best-selling memoir, “Girl Decoded: A Scientist’s Quest to Reclaim Our Humanity by Bringing Emotional Intelligence to Technology” was published by Penguin Random House in 2020. Rana has been recognized on Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list, Forbes' Top 50 Women in Tech, and the Boston Globe’s Top 50 Tech Power Players. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and a Post Doctorate from MIT.

Drew joined Liverpool Football Club in June 2019 and is the club's Senior Vice President of the Digital Business. In this role, Drew is responsible for all digital revenues and services that span three areas­

• Club Media: Spans LFC TV, content development, and all social channels and associated content marketing.

• Club Marketing: Alongside club campaign management, marketing insight and operations, and digital design, also includes the international supporters clubs.

• Product and Proposition: Covers all fan-facing product development such as the club app and Match Centre, digital Memberships and MyLFC products, and all back-office IT support, operations, and cybersecurity.

Drew is also responsible for the club's digital transformation and reinventing how it digitally connects with fans to provide greater marketing services for partners.

Prior to joining Liverpool FC, Drew was an executive partner at IBM for seven years and, in this time, has held varying significant roles. Drew led IBM's mobile practice and Apple partnership across Europe for the communications sector. After this, Drew went on to run IBM's iX (digital agency) practice within the same sector across Europe.

Drew holds a Master's degree in Cybernetics and Control Engineering and more recently achieved a diploma from the Said Oxford Business School in Business Strategy and Innovation. Drew is passionate about fusing fan experience and technology to create new digital products, marketing services, and commercial markets.

Gilles is a French multi-entrepreneur and represents France in the Digital Champions group built by the European Union in 2013. He is also co-president of the Conseil National du Numérique, a body advising the French government on digital matters. Babinet founded numerous companies in fields as diverse as consulting (Absolut), construction (Escalade Industrie), mobile music (Musiwave), co-creation (Eyeka), and decision-making tools (CaptainDash), and he has helped develop many startups.

Babinet was elected the first president of the Conseil National du Numérique in April 2011. After a 14-month mandate, he was appointed Digital Champion by the French Minister for Digital Affairs, Fleur Pellerin. In this position, Babinet represented France's digital challenges to the European Commission. He returned to the Conseil National du Numérique in September 2018 as vice-president and was again elected co-president in 2021.

Babinet collaborates with the Institut Montaigne on various projects related to competitiveness and digital technology. He writes in various newspapers on these themes and teaches in various schools in France (Sciences Po Paris, INSP, HEC in particular) and abroad (UM6P in particular) for which he offers training in digital transformation. Babinet has published several books, including Transformation digitale; l'avènement des plateformes (2016) and Refondre les politiques publiques avec le numérique (2020).

Your Path to Growth: Partnering for Success with AI, Insights, and Innovation

Join us for a comprehensive session combining insights from the week and an exclusive partner program preview. In the first half of the session, you will hear from our CEO Ed Meyercord and CTO/CPO Nabil Bukhari about Extreme Platform ONE, its built-in AI capabilities, and the exciting new opportunities for you as an Extreme Networks partner.

In the second half, you will hear from CCO Norman Rice and Lauren Duda, Vice President of Partner Marketing and Channel Programs, about our goals for the coming fiscal year and our go-to-market plans with partners. They will share how we are making it easier and more efficient to do business with us and achieve mutual growth, delving into new opportunities in the partner program, including our MSP and Extreme Partner Support Services programs, updates on incentives and rewards, and powerful tools to create demand and pipeline. All these efforts are designed to help you achieve success and drive profitability with Extreme.

Ed was also a Vice President in the investment banking division of Salomon Brothers (now Citigroup), and previously served on the board of Tollgrade Communications, Inc.

Ed has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Extreme since April 2015. He joined our Board of Directors as an independent director in October 2009 and served as Chairman from March 2011 through August 2015.

Prior to assuming an operating role at Extreme, Ed was Chief Executive Officer and Director at Critical Alert Systems, LLC, a software-driven, healthcare information technology company that he co-founded in July of 2010. Previously, he served as CEO, President, and Director of both Cavalier Telephone & TV, a privately held voice, video, and data services company with an extensive fiber network; and Talk America, Inc., a publicly traded company that provided phone and Internet services to consumers and small businesses throughout the U.S.

Ed was also a Vice President in the investment banking division of Salomon Brothers (now Citigroup), and previously served on the board of Tollgrade Communications, Inc.

Nabil firmly believes technology and business have a responsibility to improve the human condition. As a futurist, business leader and humanist, he has a passion for the democratization of technology and is determined to contribute to a world where tech has a positive social impact.

As Chief Technology & Product Officer and General Manager of Subscriptions at Extreme Networks, Nabil’s vision is to make tech work for people in the age of the Infinite Enterprise. He believes in a future built on the art of possibility, centered around the brilliance of his teams and the promise of tech innovation.

Nabil’s career has taken him around the world, including entrepreneurial growth opportunities and leadership roles at some of the most recognized names in tech, including Cisco and Dell, among others. He holds a degree in Engineering, studied extensively in the arts, and earned an Executive MBA from London School of Economics, NYU Stern, and HEC Paris.

Monica leads the company’s go-to-market strategy and global marketing organization focused on initiatives that elevate the company’s brand and unique value proposition to drive customer and revenue growth.

With more than 20 years of experience in enterprise technology, Monica has an extensive history of accelerating growth through compelling product differentiation as well as championing business transformation, sustainability, and equity initiatives. She is a passionate advocate for inclusion and belonging, and supports those initiatives as an active board member for UPWARD Women and City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley, and as a founding member of Neythri Futures Fund.

Prior to joining Extreme, Monica served as CMO at Hitachi Vantara, where she launched Hitachi’s new brand strategy and narrative, and led a product simplification strategy that brought the company’s portfolio of data storage products together into one easy-to-consume, scalable, and resilient platform. Previously, she served as SVP of Marketing and Cloud go-to-market at Nutanix and spent more than 20 years at Oracle in a variety of marketing roles, most notably as the CMO of the Oracle Data Management and Database Cloud business.

Monica has a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the Malaviya National Institute of Technology India and a Master of Business Administration from San Jose State University.

Norman serves as Chief Commercial Officer leading the company’s sales, services, and supply chain organizations with a focus on driving revenue growth. In addition, Norman is the Executive Sponsor for the Sports and Entertainment industry and the company’s National Football League (NFL) partnership.

Rice joined Extreme in 2015 and, during his tenure, he has architected successful go-to-market sales motions including building the company’s stadium and venue business, orchestrating large opportunities with Verizon and Kroger, and managing the company through a complex macro supply chain environment.

Prior to Extreme, Norman worked in private equity as an operating partner with Marlin Equity, as managing director for New Castle Capital group, and had management roles in technology firms CA (NASDAQ: CA), Concord Communications (Acquired by CA), Aprisma Management Technologies (Acquired by Concord), HoustonStreet Exchange and MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR). Previously, Norman was a Director on the Boards of DSP Group (NASDAQ: DSPG) and NitroSecurity (Acquired by McAfee) as well as on the Advisory Board of vKernel (Acquired by Quest Software).

Norman holds a master’s degree in management and an MS in Engineering, both from Dartmouth College, where he was a Scoville Fellow and Woodhouse Scholar award winner, as well as a BS from the University of Michigan.