Edward Knapp, Chief Technology Officer, American Tower; CEAS Dean’s Council Member – Fireside Chat Panelist
Ed Knapp is American Tower’s Chief Technology Officer. He is responsible for leading the company’s global innovation program, technology investments and strategy for the wireless and data center platforms. Before joining American Tower in 2017, Ed served as Senior Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm. There, he led a global team focused on pioneering 5G research and silicon products. He created the small cell silicon product division investing over $1B in R&D over multiple chip cycles. His journey with Qualcomm began after its acquisition of Flarion Technologies, an innovative start-up that made significant intellectual property and systems design contributions to today’s broadband cellular data networks.
Ed’s extensive start-up and new venture experience also includes his role as Chief Technology Officer at PacketVideo Corporation, where he worked on applications software for MPEG-4 video streaming services over cellular networks. As a co-founder and CTO of NextWave Telecom, Inc., he played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s business direction, capital raise and initial design of its US network. Additionally, Ed served as Executive Director of Technical Services for Bell Atlantic/NYNEX Mobile (Verizon Wireless), overseeing the operations and buildout of the merged New York area wireless network. His early engineering work was in naval radar and optical networks.
Mr. Knapp has a diverse set of technology and business interests. He serves on the Board of Directors of AST SpaceMobile a public NASDAQ corporation and is a Board Director for the non-profit Center for Automotive Research (CAR). His volunteer work centers on STEM, primarily as a member of the CEAS Dean’s Advisory Council at Stony Brook University as well as the Rutgers University Industry Advisory Board. Ed is an advisor to i4SD a social impact start-up targeting sustainable development in Africa. He is also a founding member of the Outthinker Strategy Network which is focused on innovation and the impact of AI transformation on corporate strategy.
Ed holds five U.S. patents and regularly makes contributions to conferences, podcasts and industry publications. He earned an M.B.A. from Columbia University, a Master of Science in
Electrical Engineering from Polytechnic University (NYU) in New York and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Stony Brook University.
Bob Wild, CEO, Intelligent Product Solutions – Fireside Chat Panelist
As CEO of Intelligent Product Solutions (IPS), Bob Wild drives the company’s vision in delivering cutting-edge connected and wearable products, and essential medical devices that improve lives. His extensive background, spanning over three decades, encompasses engineering leadership, operational excellence, and strategic business development. In his leadership roles at IPS, he played a crucial role in expanding the company’s capabilities in electrical, software, and systems engineering. Earlier in his career, Bob made significant contributions to large-scale defense projects at BAE Systems and pioneered key wireless connectivity solutions at Symbol Technologies and Layer One. His expertise is grounded in advanced degrees in Electrical Engineering and an MBA, allowing him to bridge technical innovation with business strategy.
Bill Forman, President & CEO, North Atlantic Industries; ECE External Advisory Board Member – Fireside Chat Panelist
Bill Forman is the President and CEO of North Atlantic Industries, Inc. (NAI), a leading independent designer and manufacturer of unique Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) and custom electronic subsystems for military, industrial, and aerospace markets. Bill acquired the business in 1992 and broadened its focus through a series of acquisitions and significant engineering investments.
Bill has been named “Long Island Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year” and won the “40 Under 40” award sponsored by Long Island Business News. Bill’s philanthropic pursuits focus on the lives of disadvantaged children. He serves as a board member of Publicolor, a not-for-profit organization that engages at-risk youths through the beautification and revitalization of public and civic spaces, and NAI supports FIRST, a high school robotics program meant to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. Bill is a board member of the U.S. Eastern Region of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and serves on the Advisory Board of Enlightenment Capital.
Previously, Bill held positions as Director of Finance at Dell Computer and Division Controller at Advanced Micro Devices. He holds a BA and MBA from the University of Rochester, NY.
Robert Pang, VP of Engineering at Zebra Technologies
Robert Pang is a seasoned technology executive with over two decades of experience in software and systems engineering, with a strong track record of leading high-performing teams in embedded systems, wireless technologies, and enterprise solutions. He currently serves as Vice President of Engineering at Zebra Technologies, a global leader in mobile computing, data capture, and printing technologies.
Since joining Zebra Technologies in 2014, Robert has steadily risen through the ranks, holding multiple leadership roles including Director, Senior Director, and now Vice President of Engineering. In his current position, which he has held since January 2022, Robert oversees strategic engineering initiatives and drives innovation across Zebra’s software platforms. His work supports a diverse portfolio of mission-critical solutions used across industries including retail, logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Prior to Zebra, Robert held senior engineering leadership roles at Motorola Solutions and Motorola Inc., where he spent over a decade contributing to enterprise mobility and communications technologies. As Director of Software Engineering at Motorola Solutions (2011–2014), he led complex software development initiatives and managed cross-functional global teams. Earlier roles at Motorola included Distinguished Member of Technical Staff and Senior Software Engineer.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Stony Brook University, where he built the strong technical foundation that continues to inform his leadership in engineering and product development.
A thoughtful and strategic leader, Robert is known for his collaborative style, technical depth, and ability to translate complex engineering challenges into scalable solutions that meet real-world customer needs.
Jessica Bian – Challenges & Opportunities in
Sustainable Energy
George Sullivan – Amateur Radio Lecture
Ali Abedi – Faculty Counselor Training
John Vodopia – Intellectual Property Lecture
Joseph Ott – Software Defined Radio Lecture
Katelyn Serpe – Faculty Counselor Training
Li Bai – Faculty Counselor Training and MangDang Workshop
Samuel Stone – IEEE YP & Machine Learning Lecture
Libin Varghese – IoT Ideathon
Marco de Fazio – Technologies to Enable Sustainable AI at the Edge
Marco joined STMicroelectronics in 2001 working in microfluidics design, fabrication and packaging. Since 2006 he worked on MEMS, photonics and microfluidics, with focus on applications and prototyping of demos, he built ST’s “More than Moore” research lab with the mission of supporting product divisions with longer term research, he was tutor of several master thesis and PhDs works with strong collaborations with European Universities. He worked in several European Research Projects has been Assistant Professor at the “Politecnico di Milano” for several years.
Marco moved to US in 2013 as ST’s visiting scientist at MIT working on new technologies for power electronics and has since then joined the Strategic Marketing team in the Americas focusing on developing collaborations with academia and research partners. Marco holds a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering at “Politecnico di Milano” with specialization in solid state physics.
Frank P. Saladis – Project Management Institute
Frank P. Saladis, PMP, PMI Fellow is the Owner/Founder of Blue Marble Enterprizes Inc. and Project Imaginers. Frank is an accomplished leader and contributor in the discipline of project management. He is the author of 12 published books, the past editor of the All PM Newsletter (an IIL publication) and the author of over 200 published project management articles. Frank provides training and consulting services internationally and has educated and entertained countless audiences with a special blend of project management knowledge and tasteful humor. Mr. Saladis’s 40 year career includes 28.5 years with AT&T, 3 years with Cisco Systems, and many years in a parallel track as a Board member of PMI NYC Chapter, professional trainer, facilitator, mentor, and keynote speaker.
Frank is the Originator/Founder of International Project Management Day which launched in 2004 and has been growing in recognition yearly.
Frank was PMI’s 2006 Person of the Year. Frank is a Project Management Professional, a graduate from the PMI Leadership Institute Master’s class, and has contributed significantly to the organizations growth and knowledge base for more than 33 years. His leadership activity within PMI included the position of President of the New York City PMI chapter from 1991-2001, 2005, 2015, and 2020-2022, President of the Assembly of Chapter President-1999-2001, and Chair of the Education and Training Specific Interest Group. He received the high honor of the “PMI Fellow Award” in October 2013 and received the very prestigious “PMI Distinguished Contribution Award” in October 2015.
Udit Sharma – IBM Cyber Campus: Pioneering the Future of Cybersecurity Education
Udit Sharma was the First Vice Chair of the IEEE Long Island Section and is currently an IBM Business Leader. Please visit his LinkedIn profile to learn more about his background: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uditsharma/