Free- Fireside Chat on Broadband and AI: Innovation, Strategy and Actions on Digital Equity and AI Education
We are thrilled to invite you to a Fireside Chat on Broadband and AI: Innovation, Strategy, and Actions on Digital Equity and AI Education.
Your invaluable expertise and efforts are crucial for our community, state, country, and the world. Together, let's make IEEE Seattle a vital force in our community.
The United States federal government and Washington state have grants aimed at bringing broadband to rural areas and all people. Simultaneously, applying AI innovation is essential for many facets of infrastructure and daily life.
In 2025, the IEEE Seattle Section and IEEE New Era AI, in collaboration with Washington State, are focusing on two pivotal areas: promoting digital equity in rural and underserved populations and advancing AI education. These initiatives are a strategic collaborative effort by the IEEE Seattle Section, Joint Communications Chapter, Computer Society Chapter, other chapters, corporations, and WA State.
This Fireside Chat will delve into the innovation, strategy and formulation of the action plan for 2025.
Our distinguished panelists include WA State Senators Lisa Wellman, Vandana Slatter, and Dr. Juan LaVista Ferres, Corporate VP & Chief Data Scientist for Microsoft AI for Good, along with other leading technical experts.
Mini presentations on satellites, networks, and AI will be inspiring.
Event Details:
· Date: January 9th, 2025
· Time: 6:00PM - 7:45PM
· Location: Microsoft Research Building 99, Room 1927, 14850 NE 36th St, Redmond, WA 98052
We look forward to your valuable contribution to this important discussion.
In addition to the Fireside Chat, we will also present awards to those who missed the 'Sip and Inspire with AI' event in December 2024.
Date and Time
Location
Hosts
Registration
- Date: 10 Jan 2025
- Time: 02:00 AM UTC to 03:45 AM UTC
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Add Event to Calendar
- 14850 NE 36th St, Redmond, WA 98052
- Redmond, Washington
- United States 98052
- Building: Microsoft Research BLDG 99
- Room Number: 1927
- Contact Event Hosts
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Chair, Dr. Sheree Wen swen@ieee.org
- Co-sponsored by IEEE Seattle Section, Telecommunication chapter, Joint chapter, computer society chapter
- Starts 07 January 2025 05:00 PM UTC
- Ends 10 January 2025 04:00 AM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Lisa Wellman of Washington State Senate
Fireside chat Broadband and AI: Strategy and Actions on Digital Equity and AI Education”.
Biography:
Lisa Wellman represents 41st Legislative District (Mercer Island, Bellevue, Newcastle and parts of Issaquah, Sammamish, and Renton) in the Washington State Senate. She was elected in 2016 after a 25-year career in technology and marketing including executive level positions in Fortune 100 companies.
She served as VP of Worldwide Publishing, Entertainment and New Media Markets at Apple.
In the Senate, Lisa serves as the chair of the Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee. She serves on the Energy, Environment & Technology Committee, and the Ways and Means Committee.
Vandana Slatter of Washington State
Fireside chat Broadband and AI: Strategy and Actions on Digital Equity and AI Education”.
Biography:
Dr. Vandana Slatter is a Washington State Senator representing the 48th Legislative District, which includes parts of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland and all of Clyde Hill, Medina, Yarrow Point and Hunts Point.
A Doctor of Pharmacy (UW), Vandana worked for over twenty years at leading biotechnology companies, including Amgen and Genentech, bringing multiple parties together, making sense of complex information, and achieving safe and efficient solutions to best serve patients. She is a licensed pharmacist in the State of Washington
She chaired the House Post Secondary Education & Workforce Committee and serves on the Environment & Energy, and the Appropriations Committees. She also is Co-chair of the Science, Technology and Innovation Caucus, and serves on the Future of Work Task Force, the Electric Airplane Working Group, and the Sustainable Aviation Biofuels Work Group.
Juan Lavista Ferres of Microsoft
Fireside chat Broadband and AI: Strategy and Actions on Digital Equity and AI Education”.
Biography:
Juan M. Lavista Ferres is currently the Microsoft Corporate Vice President, Chief Scientist and Lab Director of the Microsoft AI For Good Research Lab, where he works with a team of data scientists and researchers in AI, Machine Learning and statistical modeling, working across Microsoft AI For Good efforts. These efforts includes projects in AI For Earth, AI for Humanitarian Action, AI For Accessibility and AI For Health.
Juan has two computer science degrees from the Catholic University in Uruguay, a graduate degree in Data Mining and Machine Learning from Johns Hopkins University, and Ph.D. in AI on Healthcare from Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam.
Agenda
Thursday, January 9th, 2025
6:00pm - 6:20pm Reception with food and drink
6:20 pm- 6:45pm Award Presentation
6:45pm- 7:45pm Fireside Chat on Broadband and AI: Innovation, Strategy and Actions on Digital Equity and AI Education
Mini presentations by expert.