Iris Pan is a seasoned design leader specializing in spatial computing (XR) and AI-driven experience design. Formerly a Lead Designer at Amazon (XR & AI) and Sr. Designer at Mastercard Labs, Iris has led the development of industry-defining digital experiences, including interactive installations reaching over a million participants and sustainability-focused platforms that have driven significant global environmental impact (100 million trees planted through gamification). Iris is a recurring speaker at global conferences, including HarvardXR, Design Shanghai, and SF Design Week. She has served as a jury member for over 20 international design awards, such as the A’ Design Award and the IxDA Interaction Awards. Additionally, she frequently shares her expertise as a guest lecturer at top-tier institutions and maintains a design blog with over 220k followers.

Evo Heyning, CEO, Realitycraft: Evo teaches generative and participatory media methods with agencies, governments and creative teams worldwide and designs worlds from her design lab, Realitycraft where she serves as a producer, writer, strategist and showrunner for global art and media clients. Over the last year Evo has co-produced over 100 generative videos for clients and partners and over the last 4 years has streamed over 500 hours of live participatory media. Her multimedia musical group Auricles focuses on the art of collective intelligence using AI tools to reveal our humanness and creativity while expanding our capacities in Promptcraft, a book she published in 2023. Evo serves as producer on the Holo Art team, curator at the Virtual Worlds Museum and works as a US-based producer, strategist, showrunner and multimedia artist creating protopian and participatory futures that merge physical and digital media into interactive stories and creative play. Mixing generative works with physical art and antiques, Evo creates immersive and interactive worlds with AI, XR and metaverse tools, projection mapping and crystalline structures that connect people to new visions and futures. Her recent showrunning production work can be seen in The Polys: WebXR Awards where virtual production, live and virtual worlds are blended into a single video event along with art galleries and museums where her recent generative music videos have been featured in exhibitions and talks. Evo curates and creates out of Realitycraft in Oakland; she has exhibits work around the world including projection mapping at Art Basel, large scale mural and collaborative tile projects in Providence, RI and Los Angeles, glass art and painting works in Los Angeles, painting and photography in Boston, MA galleries. Together with local teams she has designed large scale street games, immersive theatre, VR and interactive stories from game shows to livestreaming programs with metaverse exhibitions spanning 6 continents. Evo's metaverse and XR works have won international art, screenwriting and media awards over 2 decades since contributing to the Metaverse Roadmap formation in 2005. Her current original productions include a series from the Virtual Worlds Museum, a feature film, live XR shows, television series, games, interactive installation art and an upcoming book on AI and concept worldbuilding as a design process.



Leila Amirsadeghi launched first-to-market products and experiences across AI, XR, mobile, web, entertainment, live events, and immersive technology. My work has included collaborations with many including Microsoft, Disney, Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Activision, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Live Nation, Mattel, Sky, among others. I've also spent decades producing live experiences—from large-scale corporate events and brand activations to festivals, immersive environments, community gatherings, and experiential productions designed to inspire, connect, and create lasting impact. What ties it all together is a passion for connecting the dots. She believes the most transformative ideas happen at the intersections—between industries, technologies, disciplines, and people. My strength lies in bringing together the right vision, talent, partners, and execution to turn possibility into reality. She has spoken at events and conferences including CES, SXSW, Digital Hollywood, VRARA, DPP, AWE, Trimble Dimensions, and other global forums exploring AI, immersive technology, innovation, storytelling, and the future of experiences. Whether helping a customer shape an AI strategy, building a new product, designing an immersive experience, or bringing together a community around a shared vision, she is driven by the same goal: Creating meaningful experiences, fostering connection, and making extraordinary things happen.

Matthew Wenhardt, Head of AI Production, Gennie: As a digital creator with a unique and meticulously honed expertise in leveraging AI for digital media – video production and photography being my key forte. Why simply tell a story when you can engineer an immersive narrative experience, right? In the electrifying world of AI, where the scenery is as mutable as quicksilver, I've taken to heart the philosophy of being an "AI-first" thinker. I've adopted cutting-edge tools like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, transforming them into the Swiss Army knife of my creative process. This is no magic trick, but a precisely crafted skill I've developed - like a mixologist fusing an Old Fashioned with a Futuristic twist. Delving deeper into the AI landscape is my pastime, my passion, and my profession. I'm a technophile that takes the road less traveled, traversing the dynamic terrain of this brave new world. Much like a Mad Men episode, you're never quite sure what's around the next corner, but you can bet it's going to be original and engaging. My approach to AI can best be compared to jazz improvisation - a splash of whimsy here, a strategically placed surprise there. I savor the serendipity of prompts, turning them into light-hearted yet impactful elements in my creative repertoire. Trust me, when it comes to wit, I've got the syntax to make your neural networks chuckle. At the end of the day, my goal is simple: to merge my love for AI, video production, and photography to craft visually stunning, captivating narratives that move, inspire, and ultimately, deliver your message in the most impactful way possible.

LORI H. SCHWARTZ is a true technology catalyst (‘Tech Cat’). As a leading advisor and speaker in marketing and tech innovation, Lori collaborates with executives of multiple brands, tech, and content companies to ensure their understanding of emerging content models. Los Angeles-based, Lori is a CNN Technology contributor. Lori’s StoryTech initiative facilitates communication between storytellers and technology companies. Their trends briefings, curation, and tour products have become well known globally through the work @CES, @NAB, @NATPE, and @IBC. Previously Lori was a Governor for the Television Academy’s Interactive Media Peer Group, driving thought leadership for the future of interactive media. She was Chief Technology Catalyst for McCann Worldgroup, North America where she drove tech and content innovation and was the key principle to launching the highly regarded IPGLAB where she facilitated emerging media upfronts for Microsoft, Intel, General Motors, Nestlé, and Sony. She has been profiled as one of the “30 Executives Shaping the Evolution of Media and Technology” by Variety and “100 People to Have Lunch With” by MediaPost Publications. An active spokesperson, Lori launched Digital Hollywood’s ‘Women’s Entertainment and Technology Mentor Program’ and is a recipient of the Lucy Hood Digerati Award for her contributions to the Television Academy.