Biography
SaLisa L. Berrien is the Founder and CEO of COI Energy with over 25 years of experience in energy technology. She has been a trailblazer in climate technology and played a pivotal role in the global growth of EnerNOC in the Demand Response industry. Additionally, she is the founder of STRIVE Inc., an organization that promotes STEM leadership development among students, and the COI Ladder Institute, which offers empowerment services to women and BIPOC founders. Throughout her career, she has awarded over 50 scholarships to students and established a fund to support African descent students in Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh.
SaLisa holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Pittsburgh, an Executive MBA from Saint Joseph’s University, and is completing a Corporate Innovation Certificate at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. She has been a guest speaker at events like SXSW, IEEE – Tampa Bay, and Morgan Stanley’s Sustainable Futures Summit. In 2019, she joined the Board of Trustees at the University of Pittsburgh, and in 2022, she became a mentor for W.E.
SaLisa L. Berrien is the Founder and CEO of COI Energy with over 25 years of experience in energy technology. She has been a trailblazer in climate technology and played a pivotal role in the global growth of EnerNOC in the Demand Response industry. Additionally, she is the founder of STRIVE Inc., an organization that promotes STEM leadership development among students, and the COI Ladder Institute, which offers empowerment services to women and BIPOC founders. Throughout her career, she has awarded over 50 scholarships to students and established a fund to support African descent students in Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Sudeendra Thirtha Koushik, an experienced innovator with a PhD in Innovation Management, serves as the Chief Innovator at Innovation by Design and is the President-Elect at IEEE TEMS. With over 32 years of experience, he has held key roles at Philips and Volvo, specializing in business-centric innovation and fostering people-focused organizational cultures.
With about 48 patents to his name and a track record of successful innovation projects, Dr. Koushik is a trailblazer in the field of consumer electronics. He has published papers in esteemed journals and conferences, further cementing his reputation as a thought leader in innovation management. Apart from his professional endeavors, Dr. Koushik is deeply committed to education and serves as a visiting faculty at institutions like the National Institute of Design.
Dr. Sudeendra Thirtha Koushik, an experienced innovator with a PhD in Innovation Management, serves as the Chief Innovator at Innovation by Design and is the President-Elect at IEEE TEMS. With over 32 years of experience, he has held key roles at Philips and Volvo, specializing in business-centric innovation and fostering people-focused organizational cultures.
Marcelo Deschamps d’Alvarenga is an expert in finance, banking and capital market regulation with international experience and an innovative leader with over 25 years’ of experience in leading multidisciplinary teams in evaluating worldwide regulatory trends and monitoring new and changing regulatory requirements on a timely basis.
He is currently the President of Gavea Angels, an Angels Investors Network from Brazil.
Marcelo is a mentor at the DIGIFI Startup Program, aiding early-stage startups in developing scalable tech products, with a focus on leveraging blockchain for Brazil’s emerging financial system. As President of the Self-Regulatory Board of BEE4, a stock trading environment for companies with annual revenues between R$10 million and R$300 million, he oversees operations where shares are represented by tokens. Marcelo is also an advisor for Pluggy in Brazil, an Open Finance fintech, and Pythiana in Germany, which creates open surveillance and compliance networks. Additionally, he is a Venture Partner at Equity Rio, supporting early-stage fintech and healthtech startups.
Marcelo Deschamps d’Alvarenga is an expert in finance, banking and capital market regulation with international experience and an innovative leader with over 25 years’ of experience in leading multidisciplinary teams in evaluating worldwide regulatory trends and monitoring new and changing regulatory requirements on a timely basis.
Mohamed El Dallal is a serial Entrepreneur currently the Vice-Chair of the IEEE Entrepreneurship Global Committee. He is the cofounder, ex-CEO, and board member of Techne, cofounder, ex-CEO of Innovideas, LLC, and Cofounder of Dcodes, LLC.
Earning his BSc degree in computer and communication Engineering-, MBA holder specializing in International Business, a researcher in the digital marketing field. Currently doing his DBA specializing in Entrepreneurship.
He has conducted hundreds of Talks/ Panels /workshops in 30+ countries about his Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and business development. In addition, he works as a lecturer at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport University as well as working on Marketing & and offering Business Consultations for Egyptian SMEs and mentoring Startups over the EMEA region.
Mohamed is also an avid volunteer, participating with several NGOs, projects, and youth initiatives both inside and outside of Egypt since 2009. He is currently Vice-Chair of the IEEE Entrepreneurship Global Committee, a Global Shaper Alumni, a Member of the Egyptian Junior Business Association (EJB), and a Rotarian.
Mohamed El Dallal is a serial Entrepreneur currently the Vice-Chair of the IEEE Entrepreneurship Global Committee. He is the cofounder, ex-CEO, and board member of Techne, cofounder, ex-CEO of Innovideas, LLC, and Cofounder of Dcodes, LLC.
Earning his BSc degree in computer and communication Engineering-, MBA holder specializing in International Business, a researcher in the digital marketing field. Currently doing his DBA specializing in Entrepreneurship.
Roberto Melo is a high-level executive with over 25 years of experience in business innovation and digital transformation. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Aden University. As a serial entrepreneur, he has founded and sold multiple technology companies and holds director and C-level positions at several innovative companies including Escala Latam, MaiaHR, and dCHAIN Global. Roberto is a promoter of collaboration and clustering facilitated with AI to promote open sustainable innovation.
Roberto Melo is a high-level executive with over 25 years of experience in business innovation and digital transformation. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Aden University.
Víctor-Andres Almeida is the executive director of the Digital Transformation Cluster of Guayaquil and has five years of experience in developing clusters and digital ecosystems in Ecuador. He holds a degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the Autonomous University of Madrid, a master’s degree in Economics, and is a doctoral candidate at Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid. Additionally, he is a Cybersecurity Analyst by IBM and a candidate for the SC2 professional cybersecurity certification. From 2021 to 2023, he coordinated technology clusters in Guayaquil and Quito and was a university professor of Sustainable Development.
Víctor-Andres Almeida is the executive director of the Digital Transformation Cluster of Guayaquil and has five years of experience in developing clusters and digital ecosystems in Ecuador. He holds a degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the Autonomous University of Madrid, a master’s degree in Economics, and is a doctoral candidate at Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid.
David Bridges is the Vice President of the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Since joining Georgia Tech in 1994, Bridges has worked in various practice areas serving manufacturing firms, national labs, international governments, and innovation ecosystems. He has been a Principal or Co-Principal Investigator on over $20 million in grants and has contributed to winning proposals totaling more than $40 million. Bridges has won over 100 proposals from U.S.the largest and most successful economic development organization of any university in the U.S. He is also the Director of the Economic Development Lab (EDL) within EI2, working on workforce development, economic impact analysis, and downtown revitalization projects in Georgia, as well as collaborating on global innovation research and projects in 23 countries.
David Bridges is the Vice President of the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Since joining Georgia Tech in 1994, Bridges has worked in various practice areas serving manufacturing firms, national labs, international governments, and innovation ecosystems. He has been a Principal or Co-Principal Investigator on over $20 million in grants and has contributed to winning proposals totaling more than $40 million.