Securing Stakeholder Buy-In for Safe and Swift AI Adoption

At the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Megan Lowry employs her 10+ years of public affairs and public relations experience in Washington, D.C. to promote science that shapes national policy. She specializes in achieving accurate media coverage for complex and technical topics – everything from genetics research to AI and space exploration – with strategic placement in top national outlets. Each year, she coaches hundreds of scientific experts at the top of their field on how to best communicate their work to the media and public. In her role at the National Academies, Lowry also leads strategy for communications on AI, with a focus on ensuring the technical nuances and tradeoffs of the technology are preserved in conversations about the Academies’ work. She also manages day-to-day operations in the Academies’ central news office, and advises leadership on communications strategy, including reputation management. Lowry holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from American University.

Neeha Curtis is a seasoned communications professional with two decades of experience in media strategy, communications, and technology. She specializes in developing Trustworthy and Responsible AI frameworks and principles, with a particular focus on crisis and corporate communications. Neeha's work centers on integrating ethical AI practices to strengthen communication strategies to protect brand reputation and ensure corporations are prepared for the future. As the Corporate Communications Executive at Jugo, Neeha spearheaded global communication and marketing strategies for an immersive communication platform built using NVIDIA AI, AWS, and Unreal Engine 5. She positioned Jugo as an AI-driven, immersive streaming platform designed to make digital connections as meaningful as face-to-face interactions. Neeha's extensive background includes roles as a morning news anchor and executive producer, where she successfully expanded and rebranded news programs, leading to increased viewership and revenue. Throughout her career, she has worked with top-tier media outlets such as CBS News, Eye Opener TV, and NBC News. As a news anchor, she has covered major markets like Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Cleveland. Additionally, Neeha has contributed to NBC Olympics, USA Today Live, BBC, and ABC News. As an Adjunct Professor of Mass Communication, Syracuse University, Neeha focuses on critical topics such as AI ethics, disinformation, media economics, privacy, data, and consent issues.  Neeha's commentary has been featured in The Daily Show, CNN, Fox News, and Forbes. She has also been a speaker at notable events such as Event Tech Live, Future of Work, and Experiential Marketing, sharing her knowledge and expertise with diverse audiences. Neeha holds a Master's in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, one of the world's leading schools of communication, and a Bachelor's in English with a Minor in Philosophy and Ethics from The College of New Jersey.

As the Director of Digital Experience and AI at Withum, Willinger pioneers the integration of state-of-the-art employee solutions with market-leading artificial intelligence, Microsoft Copilot.  With a career spanning over two decades, he has served as a keynote speaker and a recognized expert in all facets of enterprise content management solutions.  He is a Microsoft MVP and internationally recognized online influencer, analyst and expert on all things Microsoft Cloud, Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, web collaboration, enterprise social networking and enterprise IT strategy. Jeff is also one of the top SharePoint and Microsoft 365 personalities globally. He specializes in advising clients on migration strategies, creating a digital workplace, enterprise software, collaborative intranets and portals, increasing employee engagement and developing world-class partnerships.