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One honoree has implemented generative artificial intelligence to help airline customers book flights. Others are using AI to create new cancer drugs, or to advance healthcare for underserved populations. Still others are developing the technology to manage traffic networks, detect and respond to cyberthreats, and accelerate real-world AI learning by up to 1,000 times.

All these breakthroughs are happening in Dallas-Fort Worth, which is uniquely positioned as a burgeoning hub for applied AI and advanced AI research. This is all-important, because the AI revolution is reshaping the global economy andaccording to a Deloitte survey of top executiveswill be the key to business success over the next five years.

Thats why Dallas Innovates, in partnership with the Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC) and Dallas AI, has compiled the following, first-ever AI 75 list of the most innovative people in artificial intelligence in DFW. Consisting of academics, entrepreneurs, researchers, consultants, investors, lawmakers, thought leaders, and corporate leaders of every stripe, our 2024 AI 75 spotlights the visionaries, creators, and influencers making waves in AI in seven categories.

Online nominations for the inaugural list were opened in February, focusing on North Texans making significant contributions to AI, whether through innovative research, catalytic efforts, or transformative solutions. Nominees were reviewed for demonstrated excellence in key criteria, including recent AI innovations, adoption impacts, industry technological advancement, thought leadership, future potential, and contributions to society.

The editors of Dallas Innovates, including Co-Founder and Editor Quincy Preston, led the nomination review and honoree selection process. Aamer Charania and Babar Bhatti of Dallas AI and the DRCs Duane Dankesreiter provided strategic guidance and input on the editors selections across award categories.

The inaugural class of AI honorees is set to be announced live on Thursday, May 2, at the DRCs Convergence AI event at the Irving Convention Center. The AI 75 is supported in part by the City of Plano, the University of Texas at Dallas, and Amazech.

Because this is the first year for Dallas Innovates AI 75, we know there must be other AI leaders you need to know who are deserving of future consideration. We invite and welcome your feedback on the 2024 programas well as your suggestions for next years list.

RENOWNED IN REALTY Naveena Allampalli Senior Director AI/Gen AI Solutions and Chief AI Architect, CBRE

Allampalli is a leader in the fields of AI, machine learning, and cloud solutions at Dallas-based CBRE, a commercial real estate services and investment company. A frequent conference speaker on AI and AI applications, she has advised AI startup companies, served as a mentor for data scientists, and was recognized as a woman leader in AI and emerging technologies by Fairygodboss, a career community for women. Allampalli, who previously was director of AI/ML and financial analytics for IT services and consulting company Capgemini, holds a masters degree in computers and mathematics focusing on computer science and artificial intelligence.

RETAILING REVOLUTIONARY Sumit Anand Chief Strategy and Information Officer, At Home

Anand is part of the executive team and is responsible for leading the technology and cybersecurity capabilities, among other things, for At Home, a Dallas-based chain of home dcor stores. There, he has partnered with Tata Consulting Services to leverage Tatas patented Machine First Delivery Model to create standardized processes and, eventually, run At Homes infrastructure operation with AIOps. Up next: leveraging AI with AR and VR to help merchants visualize product assortments. Says Tatas Abhinav Goyal: Sumit is a strategic thinker and sets the vision for the organization. In 2023, Anand was named to the Forbes CIO Next List of 50 top technology leaders who are transforming and accelerating the growth of their businesses.

TEAM TRANSFORMER Jorge Corral South Market-AI Lead, Accenture

Corral leads the large Data and AI Transformation team for Accentures South Market unit. That unit helps Fortune 500 companies digitize their enterprises in a number of areas, including productivity, supply chains, and growth outcomes. To hasten the effort, Accenture said in 2023 that it would invest $3 billion globally into generative AI technology over three years. Recently, Corral spoke on Bringing Business Reinvention to Life in the Era of Gen AI at HITEC Live!, a gathering of the Hispanic Technology Executive Council. Hes also among the expert speakers appearing at Convergence AI, the Dallas-Fort Worth regions first-ever conference dedicated to enterprise AI.

INDUSTRY INFLUENCER Robert Hinojosa Sr. Director, AI/ML, Staples

Before becoming senior director, AI/ML at Staples, Hinojosa worked at Ashley Furniture Industries. As the chief AI officer and vice president of IT at Ashley, he led the manufacturer/retailers AI transformation across the company, overseeing its data science function, its enterprise innovation lab, and the AI upskilling of its workforce. Before Ashley he was CTO at Irving-based Cottonwood Financial and a software engineering leader at Fort Worth-based Pier 1 Imports. He currently serves as an industry advisor on various academic boards, including at Texas Christian University and The University of Texas at Arlington.

AUTONOMY ACE Chithrai Mani CEO, Digit7

Under the leadership of Mani, who has an extensive background in AI and digital transformation, Digit7 has become a trailblazer in the field of self-checkout and autonomous stores. Leveraging his experience in artificial intelligence and machine learning, Digit7s cutting-edge systems like DigitKart and DigitMart have been pivotal in shaping the future of the global retail and hospitality industries. Before becoming CEO of Richardson-based Digit7, Mani served as the chief technology and innovation officer at InfoVision Inc., where he helped drive innovation and digital transformation for Fortune 500 companies. The much-sought-after tech influencer is a frequent keynote speaker on topics related to AI and ML, and an emerging-tech evangelist.

ENGINEERING ORIGINATOR Shannon Miller EVP and President of Divergent Solutions, Jacobs

Miller, a 26-year veteran of Dallas-based Jacobs, is the point person for a collaboration between the company and Palantir Technologies to harness the power of artificial intelligence in critical infrastructure, advanced facilities, and supply chain management applications. Last year, for example, Miller explained in a YouTube video how Jacobs was harnessing the power of Palantirs comprehensive AI solution in wastewater treatment to optimize decision-making and long-term planning. As president of Divergent Solutions, Miller is responsible for delivering next-generation cloud, cyber, data, and digital solutions for the companys customers and partners globally. She has a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering and petroleum refining from the Colorado School of Mines.

CASHIER-LESS CREATIVE Shahmeer Mirza Senior Director of Data, AI/ML and R&D, 7-Eleven

A public speaker and inventor with a robust patent portfolio, Mirza is responsible for data engineering, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and innovation at Irving-based 7-Eleven. Earlier at the company, he led an interdisciplinary team that delivered a fully functional, AI-powered solution from prototype to full scale in less than a year. The so-called Checkout-Free tech solution tracks what customers take and automatically charges them, making for a frictionless shopping experience in a cashier-less store. Before joining 7-Eleven, Mirza was a senior R&D engineer with Plano-based PepsiCo, where he piloted projects to demonstrate the long-term impact of AI/Machine Learning in R&D.

TWINS POWER Timo Nentwich Executive Vice President and CFO, Siemens Digital Industries Software

Nentwich has made a significant impact on AI through his role as Siemens EVP and head of finance. His recent projects have centered around development of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, a key part of Siemens transformation into a Software as a Service company. The portfolio is designed to help engineering teams create and leverage digital twins, harnessing the potential of advanced AI-driven predictive modeling. A partnership between Plano-based Siemens and NVIDIA is intended to take the industrial metaverse to the next level, enabling companies to create digital twins that connect software-defined AI systems from edge to cloud. Nentwich, a native of Germany, holds an MBA from Great Britains Open University Business School.

ENGINEERING EMINENCE Justin J. Nguyen Head of CS Data Engineering and Analytics, Chewy

Nguyen is an accomplished leader with a strong background in AI, analytics, and data engineering. As head of data and analytics at Chewy, he has improved the companys operational efficiencies using AI and designed anti-fraud algorithms. He has demonstrated his thought leadership in the field with articles in multiple publications, peer-reviewed research papers, symposiums, and podcastsincluding hosting Chewys AI in Action podcast. In 2022, he was recognized in CDO Magazines 40 Under Forty Data Leaders. With undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Nguyen previously was a senior director and head of enterprise data and AI at Irving-based 7-Eleven.

TECH TSAR Joe Park Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Yum! Brands

Park has been a leader in the integration and advancement of an AI-first mentality within Yum! Brands, which owns several quick-service restaurant chains including Plano-based Pizza Hut. Hes helped develop and deploy innovative technologies aimed at enhancing kitchen operations, improving the tech infrastructure, and bolstering digital sales growth. For example, Parks team oversaw the rollout of an AI-based platform for optimizing and managing the entire food preparation process, from order through delivery. Yum! has doubled its digital sales since 2019 to about 45% of total sales, thanks in part to his AI initiatives. Park, who joined Yum! in 2020 as its first chief innovation officer, previously was a VP at Walmart.

DIGITAL DOER Joshua Ridley Co-Founder and CEO, Willow

Ridley, a serial entrepreneur, leads Willow, a global technology company whose tagline is Digital twins for the built world. The companys AI-driven, digital-twin software platform analyzes and manages data to power smart buildings at scale. Launched in Australia in 2017, Willow relocated to Dallas in 2022 and has partners and customers including Johnson Controls, Walmart, Microsoft, and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The companys collaboration with D-FW Airport, which includes creating a digital twin for the maintenance and operation of assets including Terminal D, was called a game-changer for our industry by an airport official. Ridley previously founded a pioneering Australian digital design/construction firm and a company that leveraged the internet to deliver building services.

CYBER SOVEREIGN Shri Prakash Singh Head of Data Science & Analytics, McAfee

Singh is a prominent thought leader in AI, particularly in the context of cybersecurity. His position at Dallas-based McAfee has him playing an increasingly significant role in detecting and responding to cyber threats, which are constantly evolving and growing in sophistication. Singh has shared his expertise in AI and data science at a number of public forums, including at last years Dallas CDAO Executive Summit. At a private, executive boardroom session there, he discussed opportunities for data-driven innovation, among other things. In 2023, AIM Research named Singh one of the countrys 100 Most Influential AI Leaders.

BANKING BRAIN Subhashini Tripuraneni Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase

As a managing director, Tripuraneni serves as JPMorgan Chase & Co.s global head of people analytics and AI/ML. In that role, she leads machine learning initiatives and applies artificial intelligence to enhance the giant financial institutions critical business processes. Previously the head of AI for Dallas-based 7-Eleven, Tripuraneni was recognized as one of the top women aiding AI advancement in Texas in 2020. She has spoken widely about the use of AI in retailing and banking and co-authored Hands-On Artificial Intelligence on Amazon Web Services, a book aimed at data scientists and machine learning engineers.

DATA DOYEN Vincent Yates Partner and Chief Data Scientist, Credera

Yates serves as the chief data scientist and a partner at Credera, an Addison-based company that helps transform enterprises through data from strategy to implementation. One of Crederas analytics platforms, for example, leverages generative AI to provide marketers with insights and personalized consumer experiences. Previously, he held leadership roles at companies including GE Digital, Zillow Group, Uber, and Microsoft. Yates is a member of the Global AI Council, where hes contributed to developing a framework to assess AI readiness. He has spoken widely about the economic impacts of GenAIespecially in customer operations, marketing, R&D and software engineeringand has addressed the challenges executives face aligning AI with their business objectives.

AUTHENTICATION ILLUMINATOR Milind Borkar Founder and CEO, Illuma Labs

Borkar is founder and CEO at Illuma, a fintech serving credit unions and other financial institutions with voice authentication and fraud prevention solutions. The Plano-based software companys AI, machine learning, and voice authentication technologies derived from its R&D contracts with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Illuma says its flagship product, Illuma Shield, utilizes AI and advanced signal processing, among other things, to achieve much faster and more accurate authentication compared to traditional methods. Borkar, who previously worked at Texas Instruments, graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Ph.D and masters degree in electrical and computer engineering.

AGI PATHFINDER John Carmack Founder, Keen Technologies

The legendary game developer and VR visionary shifted gears in 2022 by founding Dallas-based Keen, intent on independently pursuing his next grand quest: the achievement of artificial general intelligence. Last fall, Carmack announced a new partnership for his pioneering, out-of-the-mainstream effort with Richard Sutton, chief scientific advisor at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute. Now the two are focused on developing an AGI prototype by 2030, including establishing and advancing AGI signs of life. Its likely that the important things that we dont know are relatively simple, Carmack has said. In 2023, he was a keynote speaker at the Future of AI Summit hosted by the Capital Factory Texas Fund at the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas.

REAL-WORLD AI REVOLUTIONIST Dave Copps Co-Founder and CEO, Worlds

Serial entrepreneur Copps, whos been building artificial intelligence in North Texas for more than 15 years, is one of the regions most accomplished and respected AI pioneers. With a string of successful startups, including Brainspace, Copps latest venture is a leader in the field of real-world AI. Dallas-based Worlds, co-founded with President Chris Rohde and CTO Ross Bates, recently launched its latest groundbreaking platform called WorldsNQ, creating the Large World Model (LWM) concept in AI. The breakthrough technology, ushered to completion by Bates, leverages existing cameras and IoT sensors to improve and measure physical operations through LWMs and radically accelerates AI learningby 100 to 1,000 timeswithout needing human annotation. This enables systems to continually learn and adapt from their surroundings autonomously. Copps, a University of North Texas grad who hosts the Worlds of Possibility podcast and speaks about AI at conferences worldwide, received EYs regional Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2022.

SUPPLY-CHAIN SAGE Skip Howard Founder, Spacee

Howard, the mastermind behind Dallas-based Spacee, is blazing a trail in the retail and hospitality industries with AI solutions for real-world challenges. By leveraging computer vision AI, robotics, and spatial augmented reality, Spacee is transforming how businesses operate and engage with customers. Its Deming shelf-mounted robot tracks inventory in real-time, while the HoverTouch platform turns any surface into an interactive touchscreen. Howards vision extends beyond Spacee, as he helps nurture other AI-oriented tech ventures seeking a community of like-minded companies. A sought-after speaker and key contributor to The University of Texas at Dallas Center for Retail Innovation and Strategy Excellence (RISE), Howard also bridges the gap between academia and the STEM side of retail. In 2019, his industry expertise earned him recognition as a finalist for EYs regional Entrepreneur Of The Year award.

RETAILING WUNDERKIND Ravi Shankar Kumar Co-Founder and CTO, Theatro

Kumar has pioneered multiple AI and generative AI technologies at Theatro, a Richardson-based software company offering a mobile app platform for hourly retail workers. As CTO and co-founder, he was instrumental in developing an award-winning application for Tractor Supply called Hey Gura, for example, enabling store associates to seamlessly access detailed information about products, processes, and policies. He also has led the development of prototypes and new projects that utilize GenAI to initiate diverse digital workflows, and worked to establish initiatives ensuring that Theatros AI applications are ethical and unbiased. Kumar has more than 40 patents in analytics, voice technology, and AI, and Theatro has been ranked No. 1 in technology innovation for four straight years by RIS News.

REWILDING RINGLEADER Ben Lamm Co-Founder and CEO, Colossal

Lamms breakthrough company, Dallas-based Colossal, is putting AI on the map for genetics. The serial entrepreneur co-founded the VC-backed company to focus on genetic engineering, reproductive technology, and AI solutions in support of renowned geneticist George Churchs de-extinction efforts. Recently Colossal has been leveraging synthetic biology as well as software and hardware to bring back the woolly mammoth. As a prelude to that so-called rewilding effort, the company has partnered with an elephant orphanage in Africa, deploying AI to study elephant herd dynamics. Lamm has appeared as a thought leader on innovation and technology in publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He previously founded multiple successful tech companies including AI startup Hypergiant.

VENTURE VISIONARY Richard Margolin Associated Partner, Highwire Ventures

A serial entrepreneur and researcher, Margolin is an associated partner at Highwire Ventures, a strategy-led, Dallas-based consulting firm where he builds AI tools for evaluating investment deals. He also co-founded and, until last November, was CEO of Dallas-based RoboKind. RoboKind is an EdTech company that designs and builds facially expressive robots that facilitate learning for STEM education and individuals with autism. Margolin is a Forbes Technology Council member, a 2017 Tech Titan, and a 2019 winner of EYs regional Entrepreneur Of The Year award. More recently, he was a presenter at the Global AI Summit 2022 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

ONCOLOGY UPSTART Panna Sharma President, CEO, and Director, Lantern Pharma

As president, chief executive, and director of Dallas-based Lantern Pharma, Sharma is the driving force behind Lanterns use of AI in oncology drug discovery and development. The companys proprietary AI and machine learning platform, called RADR, leverages billions of data points and more than 200 advanced ML algorithms to personalize and develop targeted cancer therapies. Under Sharmas leadership, Lantern has made strides in using AI to reduce the time and cost associated with oncology drug development. Using AI, he told a reporter, the cost of drug development could be slashed from the typical $2 billion or more to less than $200 million. Before joining Lantern, Sharma was president and CEO of Cancer Genetics, where he helped expand the companys global footprint.

MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR MAN Sanjiv S. Sidhu Co-Founder and Chairman, o9 Solutions

Pioneering technologist and thought leader Sidhu continues to shape the future of AI applications after creating two multibillion-dollar companies in Dallas: i2 Technologies and o9 Solutions (the former with co-founder Ken Sharma, the latter with Chakri Gottemukkala). Supply chain software company i2 came out of Sidhus foundational work in computerized simulations for manufacturing processes at Texas Instruments AI lab. o9the name stands for optimization to the highest number, he sayshas developed a dynamic business-planning platform that enables AI-driven decision-making. Sidhu has shared his insights on the role of AI in transforming business operations in podcasts, feature interviews, and appearances at prominent industry events.

PILOTLESS PARAGON Patrick Strittmatter Director of Engineering, Shield AI

Strittmatter, whos director of engineering at Shield AI, has years of experience in engineering and product design. Shield is currently building Hivemind, an AI pilot, which it says will enable swarms of drones and aircraft to operate autonomously without GPS, communications, or a pilot. Strittmatters previous employers include Amazon Lab126, where he led product design teams for Kindle E-readers and IoT products, and BlackBerry, where he served as mechanical platform manager. He holds an MBA from The University of Texas at Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management and a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University.

RADAR RISK-TAKER Dmitry Turbiner Founder and CEO, General Radar

Turbiner says the startup he founded and serves as CEO is to the militarys large space radars that detect aerial threats what the commercial company SpaceX is to NASA. While the main customers so far for General Radars advanced, AI-enhanced commercial aerospace radar have been in the defense industry, the groundbreaking technology has applications in other areas, including for providing early hazard warnings in autonomous cars. Turbiner previously was an engineer at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where 12 of his phased array antennas continue to orbit on a group of six heavy NASA satellites. He has a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from MIT and a partial masters of science in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

AUTOMATION ADVOCATE David C. Williams Assistant Vice President, AT&T

As the leader of hyper-automation at Dallas-based AT&T, Williams develops and deploys AI tools and strategies and advocates for responsible AI use and digital inclusivity. His organization has solved multiple business challenges with AI innovations, including projects to fine-tune AT&Ts software-defined network platform and to summarize conversations between the companys agents and customers. Williams, a sought-after speaker on tech topics, also has authored two patentsfor reprogrammable RFID and bridging satellite and LTE technology. They illustrate his ability to innovate across different technology domains, an essential quality for creating comprehensive AI solutions leveraging data from diverse sources and systems.

IMAGE INNOVATOR Feng (Albert) Yang Founder & Advisor, Topaz Labs

Yang, a seasoned entrepreneur and expert in video and signal processing, founded Topaz Labs, a provider of deep learning-based image and video enhancement for photographers and video makers. Under his leadership, the Dallas-based company has developed cutting-edge, AI-driven software tools that improve sharpening, noise reduction, and upscaling of images and videos. A former assistant professor at Chinas Harbin Institute of Technology, Yang remains a Topaz advisor but stepped down as the companys president and CTO in 2021. Says one of his former employees: He was the core developer of the code base for every single Topaz product. He is a doer and not a talker.

CAPITAL IDEAS Bryan Chambers Co-Founder and President, Capital Factory

Chambers is a leading, high-profile proponent of AIs transformative potential, proactively building and nurturing a supportive ecosystem for the space as the Capital Factorys co-founder and president. An accelerator and venture capital fund thats described as the center of gravity for Texas entrepreneurs, Capital Factory has invested in a number of AI-focused companies, including Dallas-based Worlds and Austins Big Sister AI. Under Chambers, Capital Factory also has hosted a wide variety of AI events, co-working sessions, and challenges. Among them were The Future of AI Summit in Dallas last September, Februarys AI Salon at Old Parkland in Dallas, and the $100,000 AI Investment Challenge held during the companys 2019 Defense Innovation Summit in Austin.

BRILLIANT BILLIONAIRE Mark Cuban Founder, Mark Cuban Companies

Cuban, the influential, nationally known billionaire entrepreneur, has long championed the AI ecosystem through multiple initiatives, investments, and educational efforts. Hes stressed the importance of AI education for everyone, including business owners and employees, and founded the Mark Cuban Foundations Intro to AI Bootcamp program for underserved high school students. AI-powered companies Cuban has invested in include Node, a San Francisco-based startup, and British company Synthesia. The minority owner of the NBAs Dallas Mavericks has predicted that AI will have a more significant impact than any technology in the last 30 yearsand has warned that those who dont understand or learn about AI risk becoming a dinosaur.

PRAGMATIC PIONEER David Evans Managing Partner, Sentiero Ventures

Evans Dallas-based VC firm, Sentiero Ventures, invests in seed-stage, AI-enabled SaaS companies that improve customer experiences or enhance financial performance. Evans, a veteran technologist and serial entrepreneur, was exposed early to AI while working on a NASA project in the late 1990s. Widely considered one of the most knowledgeable, best-connected thought leaders and speakers on Dallas-Fort Worths AI scene, hes said Sentiero is most interested in founders with velocity, revenue, and pragmatic strategies for growth. In the last year, hes led investments in the likes of Velou, a San Francisco-based e-commerce enablement startup, and Montreal-based Shearwater Aerospace. Sentieros successful exits include Dallas-based MediBookr, a healthcare navigation and patient engagement platform.

HOUSE HEADMAN Rep. Giovanni Capriglione Texas House of Representatives

Capriglione, a Republican House member representing District 98 with an IT background, co-chairs a new state advisory board on artificial intelligence with Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound. The states Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council will submit a report to the Legislature by Dec. 1 that makes policy recommendations to protect Texans from harmful impacts of AI and promotes an ethical framework for the use of AI by state agencies. Capriglione says he recognizes AIs potential for streamlining and fiscal efficiencies. But, in a video recorded for the National Conference of State Legislatures, he added, We have to be careful with how its being used, that its being done in a similar way as humans would have done it, and that we measure outcomes.

ALLIANCE ALPHA Victor Fishman Executive Director, Texas Research Alliance

Fishmans in the middle of the action as executive director of the Richardson-based Texas Research Alliance, which works to ensure that North Texas industry, universities, and governments are able to leverage research and innovation resources to grow and lead their markets. Last fall, the alliance was pivotal in the first-ever DFW University AI Collaboration Symposium, where Fishman was a participant. Our students are running towards AI, so we need to run faster, he told the symposium. Lets keep this momentum to create more collaboration between our North Texas universities and partners, turning Dallas-Fort Worth into a leader for AI research. The alliance also was instrumental in proposals supporting the Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub, led by Southern Methodist University.

SENATORIAL CHARGER Sen. Tan Parker Texas State Senate

Parker, a North Texas businessman and Republican state senator representing District 12, was named earlier this year to the states Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council, where he serves as co-chair with state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake. The council, created by the Legislature during last years session, studies and monitors AI systems developed or used by state agencies. The council also is charged with assessing the need for an AI code of ethics in state government and recommending any administrative actions state agencies should take regarding AI. Its supposed to submit a report about its findings to the Legislature by Dec. 1. Observers say the council could recommend a new office for AI policy-making, or advise designating an existing state agency to craft policy for artificial intelligence.

FAIRWAY FUTURIST Kevin J. Scott CTO/CIO, PGA of America

Scott is a thought leader driving AI adoption and comprehension inside the PGA and the broader golf industry, as well as among Dallas-Fort Worth technology executives. While hes set the PGAs internal strategy for efficiency improvementsincluding enhancing the organizations app user experience with AIScott says the Frisco-based group is planning additional AI initiatives that are more sophisticated and comprehensive. At the same time, hes helped guide industry leaders in crafting their own AI roadmaps via workshops and public speaking appearances. A former senior director for innovation and advanced products at ESPN, Scott also has worked with Frisco ISD to facilitate AI meetups and mentoring for its students.

NEWSLETTER NOTABLE Deepak Seth Creator/Founder, DEEPakAI: AI Demystified Product DirectorTrading Architecture Platform Strategy & Support, Charles Schwab

Seth has been recognized as a Top 50 global thought leader and influencer for generative AI, in part on the strength of his DEEPakAI: AI Demystified newsletter. The weekly LinkedIn missive with more than 1,500 subscribers has played a key role in making AI more accessible and understandable to a wide audience, as well as opening up discussion about inclusivity, ethics, and the practical applications of AI. In addition to his thought leadership, Seth has been a driving force in the adoption and integration of AI technologies at Charles Schwab, where he initiated C-suite engagement for generative AI adoption, analyzing risks and tools, developing use cases, and achieving a proof of concept that enhanced customer service response by 35%. The product director also pioneered a cross-functional AI-driven employee engagement initiative targeting a 15% boost in agent engagement metrics, earning recognitions with the Presidents Innovation Award. An adjunct professor at Texas Christian University, Seth has been a featured guest on multiple webcasts.

COLLABORATION CATALYST Dan Sinawat Founder, AI CONNEX

After arriving in North Texas from Singapore a few years ago, Sinawat has made a name for himself as a visionary leader in the local AI community with a decidedly global perspective. His enthusiasm for the space led him to found AI CONNEX, a Frisco-based community and networking group for AI enthusiasts, experts, and professionals. Under Sinawats proactive leadership, the group put together an accelerator program for early-stage startups as well as various events promoting AI and technology. The latter included one in partnership with Toyota Connected that focused on innovation in the auto industry. Sinawat also has conducted podcasts and been active in AI panel discussions and on social media.

PATENTED EXPERT Stephen Wylie Lead AI Engineer, Thryv

Wylie, who leads all AI and ML projects at Grapevine-based Thryv, has more than 130 software patents in the AI, AR/VR, Blockchain, and IoT spaces. Above all, he has said, I innovate. A Google Developer Expert in AI/ML, Wylie has long been an active AI educator, writing a blog and speaking frequently before user groups and conferences locally (at UT Dallas and TCU), nationally, and internationally. His talks, aimed at engineers, have included topics such as fusing AI with augmented reality and how AI will affect the careers of future engineers and practitioners. Wylie worked earlier as a senior software engineer for rewardStyle and Capital One.

TRANSIT VISIONARY Khaled Abdelghany Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Southern Methodist University

Abdelghany is a faculty member at SMUs Lyle School of Engineering and a pivotal member of the National Academies Transportation Research Board committee on AI and advanced computing. His groundbreaking work, documented in multiple peer-reviewed journals, focuses mainly on the use of advanced analytics and AI to make infrastructure more efficient, resilient, and equitable. He has developed and adopted AI techniques in such problem domains as real-time traffic network management and urban growth predictions, for example. Over the last year, he secured a three-year, $1.2 million federal grant to develop advanced AI models for traffic-signal operations, elevating SMUs reputation as a hub for cutting-edge AI research and innovation.

PROFESSORIAL PACESETTER Lee Brown Associate Professor of Management and Director of Research, Texas Womans University

In his roles as a management professor and research director at Texas Womans University in Denton, Brown is continually learning about and exploring ways to apply generative AI technologies to improve classroom engagement and workplace efficiency. In addition to incorporating AI in MBA courses, enabling students to take advantage of AI for data analysis, decision-making, and strategic planning, he has spoken extensively at TWU and at outside conferences about how AI can revolutionize educational methodologies, promoting innovation and inclusion. Says Brown: My commitment to leveraging AI in education is driven by a vision of creating an empowered and adaptable workforce, capable of contributing meaningfully to our increasingly interconnected and technologically driven world.

INSIGHT ICON Gautam Das Associate Dean for Research and Distinguished University Chair Professor, The University of Texas at Arlington

Das is an internationally known computer scientist with more than three decades of experience in AI, ML, and Big Data analytics. His research has been supported by grants totaling more than $9 million, and he has published 200-plus papers, many of them featured at top conferences and in premier journals. As a professor and associate dean for research at The University of Texas at Arlingtons college of engineering, he is responsible for promoting research excellence across the college and at UTA. Over the years Das research has included all aspects of AI, machine learning, and data mining. Hes currently working in areas such as machine learning approaches for approximate query processing, and fairness and explainability in data management systems.

SOLUTION STRATEGIST Douglas DeGroot Director, Center for Applied AI and Machine Learning, The University of Texas at Dallas

DeGroot is co-founder and director of the Center for Applied AI and Machine Learning (CAAML) at UT Dallas in Richardson. The center was founded in 2019 to help Texas companies and organizations use leading-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance their products, services, and business processes. So far, the industry-facing, applied R&D center has been involved in about 10 projects for companies including Vistra Corp., Rayburn Corp., Infovision, and Nippon Expressway Co. The projects have been diverse, from building an explainable machine learning system to coming up with an optimal model for electricity pricing. In addition, DeGroot has shared insights on solving industry problems using AI and ML at community events such as The IQ Brew. At CAAML, he works closely with Co-Director Gopal Gupta, a professor of computer science known for his expertise in automated reasoning, rule-based systems, and artificial intelligence.

AI STEWARD Yunhe Feng Director, Responsible AI Lab, The University of North Texas

As an assistant professor in UNTs department of computer science and engineering, Feng directs the Denton schools 2-year-old Responsible AI Laboratory, which advances AI research with a focus on Responsible AI, Generative AI, and Applied AI. He also co-directs UNTs masters program in artificial intelligencethe first of its kind in Texas. He has published research on a variety of AI topics and co-authored a paper on the impact of ChatGPT on streaming media. Financial Times and Business Insider have reported on his work, and hes served as a guest lecturer for various courses, including AI for Social Good. Last year, Feng received the IEEE Smart Computing Special Technical Community Early Career Award for his contributions to smart computing and responsible computing.

TCU TRAILBLAZER Beata Jones John V. Roach Honors Faculty Fellow at Neeley School of Business, Texas Christian University

Jones is a professor of practice in business information systems at TCUs Neeley School of Business in Fort Worth. As a regular contributing writer for Forbes, she often explores the transformative potential of AI in higher education and its impact on business. (Another TCU Neeley faculty member, marketing instructor Elijah Clark, also is a regular Forbes contributing writer on AI.) Jones has written for the publication about how generative AI tools are transforming academic research by fact-checking, for example, or by supporting data visualization or by offering feedback on drafts. Jones, whos been passionate about artificial intelligence since her teenage years, has bachelors and masters degrees from New Yorks Baruch College and a Ph.D. from The Graduate Center at City University of New York.

BIOMEDICAL BARD Guanghua Xiao Mary Dees McDermott Hicks Chair, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Xiao has made significant contributions to the field of medical AI, especially in the application of artificial intelligence to pathology and cancer research. He holds the Mary Dees McDermott Hicks Chair in Medical Science at UT Southwestern in Dallas. Hes also a professor in UTSWs Peter ODonnell Jr. School of Public Health, Biomedical Engineering, and the Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics. Xiaos research has focused on AI models that enhance cancer understanding and treatment through advanced image analysis and bioinformatics tools. His key contributions have included developing an AI model called Ceograph, for analyzing cells in tissue samples to predict cancer outcomes, and helping develop the ConvPath software tool. It uses AI to identify cancer cells from lung cancer pathology images.

MASTER MOTIVATOR Amy Blankson Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist, Digital Wellness Institute

Blankson, a wellness author and motivational speaker on overcoming the fear of AI through the lens of neuroscience and fearless optimism, co-founded the Digital Wellness Institute, a Dallas-based tech-based startup. As the institutes chief evangelist, she uses AI to benchmark the digital wellness of the institutes organizations and speaks externally about the evolving future of AI in the workplace. A graduate of Harvard and the Yale School of Management, Blankson has been a contributing member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards for Artificial Intelligence. Earlier this year she presented at SHRMs inaugural AI+HI (Human Intelligence) Project conference, where she discussed AI and the Future of Happiness at Microsofts campus in Silicon Valley.

GAMING GUIDE Corey Clark CTO and Co-Founder, BALANCED Media Technology

Clark co-founded and serves as CTO at BALANCED Media Technology, whose tech infrastructure fuses AI and machine learning with data to bring purpose to play through distributed computing and human computational gaming. Securing nearly $30 million from various funding sources, the Allen-based company was co-founded with CEO Robert Atkins. The motivation behind establishing BALANCED was to leverage the intersection of human intelligence and machine learning through video games to solve complex problems, particularly in the medical field. This innovative approach works to develop, among other things, AI-powered games that aim to combat human trafficking and treat ocular diseases more efficiently. Clark also is an assistant professor of computer science at Southern Methodist University and deputy director for research at the SMU Guildhall. Last year, he contributed to a research paper on eXplainable artificial intelligence, focusing on making AI decision-making more transparent.

AI INCLUSIVIST Pranav Kumar Digital Project Manager, LERMA/ Agency

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