Data AI and CMO Think Tank

Jason Clark is a creative solutions engineer and former architect specializing in driving business value through innovative, out-of-the-box thinking. With a strong focus on AI, agentic engineering, and automation, he stays at the forefront of technological advancement. At LaunchDarkly, Jason has carved out a niche as a thought leader, strategist, and collaborative visionary. He has partnered with numerous large enterprises to define best practices for feature releases, code enhancements, and modern software delivery. Prior to his time at LaunchDarkly, Jason worked in the cloud and Kubernetes security space, further deepening his expertise in scalable, secure systems.

George Wang is a multi-faceted Chief Marketing Officer at Peterson Technology Partners, recognized as a "Super Connector" in the Chicago tech ecosystem. A 2020 Chicago CIO of the Year nominee, George brings over 30 years of rare, balanced experience across CIO, COO, and CMO roles. From launching Motorola’s first digital cellular handset to architecting the State of Illinois’ 45-year technical modernization, his career is defined by "industry firsts." George has successfully led teams of up to 175, fostering a culture of trust and accountability across seven different verticals, including Healthcare, Finance, and Government. An expert in Agile DevOps, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity risk quantification, he leverages his deep technical roots and Lean Six Sigma expertise to help leaders execute with elite talent. A dedicated mentor and "pay-it-forward" advocate, George excels at bridging the gap between business innovation and technical excellence.

Grant Ecker is a senior technology executive leading Enterprise Architecture and Integration at Ecolab, managing a global team of architects and integration leaders. With 20+ years of experience, he drives transformation and innovation across billion-dollar IT portfolios, building proactive architecture communities and aligning technology strategy with business value. Grant is also the Founder and Chairman of the Chief Architect Network, the largest vendor-neutral community for Chief Architect executives, connecting 600+ members across 400+ Fortune 500 companies. Through this network, he leads global virtual and in-person events, sponsors specialized topic groups, promotes diversity in architecture, and shares thought leadership via publications and conferences, further advancing the profession and enabling architects worldwide to drive impactful business outcomes.

With more than 20 years of technology corporate-side leadership and consulting service experience across highly-regulated industries and verticals, including distribution and transportation, retail, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and energy services, Sandeep has managed multimillion-dollar budgets and aligned globally dispersed teams to accelerate business transformation, creating higher customer satisfaction and competitive advantage for major corporations. Recognized for balancing futuristic vision, down-to-earth execution, and a sense of business urgency, Sandeep leverages business acumen and technical expertise to transform IT into a strategic company partner. As a trusted advisor to executive leadership teams, he provides expert advice on developing and integrating the best enterprise solutions and applications to enable organic growth, integrate M&A’s, and build profitability in the marketplace. Motivated by a “people-first” mindset, Sandeep propels business performance to the next level by developing world-class staff, transforming IT teams to deliver strong business value, and instilling a culture that rewards “bold moves”, process simplification, and customer focus. He proudly built an award-winning CIO 100 IT team, recognized for creating industry-pioneering applications.

As a Senior Strategic Advisor at Salesforce, Sandesh Gawali provides expert advisory services to CxOs, guiding the decision-making process for high-stakes, transformational projects designed to elevate organizational performance. With over 20 years of experience in innovation and technology consulting, Sandesh has a proven track record of leading and delivering complex digital solutions for Fortune 500 clients across diverse industries. By leveraging a deep technical arsenal that includes data, AI, ML, cloud computing, and information security, he bridges the gap between technical possibility and strategic business value to drive sustainable growth and innovation.

For more than twenty-five years, Chris has been helping financial powerhouses like Visa, Northwestern Mutual, U.S. Bank, Capital One and TD Bank discover ways to motivate consumers to act. His experience has involved working for industry leaders like McGuffin Creative Group, Leo Burnett, and DraftFCB. Before joining McGuffin, he launched a digital agency Slant Marketing and grew it to over 25 people. An expert in marketing, Chris has often been quoted in trade publications and has been a featured guest on podcasts offering insights into how technologies impact consumer interactions with brands. He is currently serving his second term as the President of the AMA Chicago chapter and has also been on the ANA Promotion Committee. He was elected and served as Chair and Secretary for more than ten years on the local school council at Newberry Math and Science Academy. During his free time, you’ll find Chris on the tennis courts, attending events around the city and hanging with his lovely wife and two adorable daughters.

Jenny Lopez Riley is a visionary and results-oriented Chief Growth Officer at RTM Engineering Consultants, bringing over 20 years of experience in accelerating revenue through digital transformation and integrated growth strategies. Throughout her career, she has led brand transformations and marketing initiatives for complex global organizations across the AEC, infrastructure, healthcare, and technology sectors. In her current role at RTM, Jenny orchestrates enterprise growth, innovation, and strategic expansion - overseeing everything from M&A and data analytics to client experience - by aligning technology and talent to unlock new market opportunities and deliver measurable business outcomes.

Ian Coe is a presales leader with 15+ years in analytics and software. As Director of Solutions Engineering at Amplitude, he leads teams focused on helping customers solve their hardest questions with data. He's built SE organizations at Snowflake, Alteryx, and Tableau. A two-time Americas SE Leader of the Year at Alteryx, Ian is known for building systems that scale to $1B and developing people who go on to do great things.