Philly Tech Week 2018

Amanda is the cofounder and COO of NeedsList, the first marketplace for humanitarian aid that connects the supply, volunteer, and funding needs of NGOs with donors anywhere who can help. Prior to founding NeedsList, Amanda was Founder and Principal of ThirdSpace, a consultancy working at the intersection of human-centered design and social change with startups, government agencies, nonprofits, and some of the largest NGOs in the world, including Catholic Relief Services and the US Fund for UNICEF. Prior to ThirdSpace, Amanda was Director of Operations and Policy Programs at Hope Street Group, a think tank and nonprofit dedicated to increasing economic opportunity for all Americans. She is the cofounder of VOZ: Workers’ Rights Education Project in Portland, Oregon.

Alan Flake is an attending surgeon in the Division of General Thoracic & Fetal Surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where he is Vice Chair of Research, holds the Ruth and Tristram C. Colket, Jr. Endowed Chair in Pediatric Surgery and acts as Director of the Center for Fetal Research. He is also Professor of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Dr. Flake has led a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded research laboratory directed toward surgical correction of fetal anomalies and fetal stem cell and gene therapy for over 20 years. Under Dr. Flake's leadership, the Center for Fetal Research is exploring innovations in prenatal treatment, particularly in the areas of gene and stem cell therapy, and for life-threatening anatomic malformations and diseases. Recently, the Center has developed new technology for physiologic support of the extreme premature infant, a development that could have major implications for the treatment of prematurity.

Dr. Flake has published extensively with authorship of over 350 peer-reviewed publications and over 100 review articles and book chapters. Clinically, Dr. Flake actively participates as a Fetal Surgeon in the Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Program at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with interests in fetal diagnosis and therapy, in utero stem cell and gene therapy, extracorporeal support of the extreme premature infant (the artificial placenta/uterus), hepatobiliary surgery, and minimally invasive neonatal and pediatric surgery.

Christina Lopes is a co-founder of The One Health Company. Previously, Christina was a Managing Director of Cerberus Capital Management and since Cerberus, Christina has been working on deals in the innovation space including Biotech for AIMCO. Christina has served on the Board of International Planned Parenthood for the Western Hemisphere, participated in The United Nations Commission for the Status of Women, and lectured at Columbia University. She was selected by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader in March 2010. This honor is bestowed each year to recognize the most distinguished young leaders nominated below the age of 40 from around the world. Christina was also honored a Rising Talent by the Women’s Forum in 2014. She holds a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, a Masters in International and Political Affairs from Columbia University, and Doctoral Coursework in Ethics at Princeton University.

Lindsay T is our Lady Engineer™. She began developing software in 2002 while studying engineering in college. She translates two languages: (1) people and psychology, with (2) engineers and technology. Thru her 15 year career, she has worked with over 100 startups and investors, as well as teams across Fortune 500 companies. She's in her 5th year of working full-time on her consulting practice where she focuses on getting entrepreneurs to sell the right product before investing too much building the wrong one.

David Dylan Thomas serves as Principal, Content Strategy at Think Company and is the creator and host of the Cognitive Bias Podcast. He has developed digital strategies for major clients in entertainment, healthcare, publishing, finance, and retail. He helps organize Content Strategy Philly, and teaches content strategy for Girl Develop It Philly. The founder of Content Camp, he previously consulted at the Corzo Center for the Creative Economy and is the creator, director, and co-producer of Developing Philly, a web series about the rise of the Philadelphia tech community. He has given standing-room-only presentations at TEDNYC, SXSW Interactive, and the Wharton Web Conference on content strategy and emerging content trends.

Josh is the founder and CEO of Bluecadet, an experience design agency that works with cultural institutions, universities, and mission-driven organizations.

With offices in both Philadelphia and New York, Josh built Bluecadet’s interdisciplinary team to unite revolutionary innovations with a sense of human craftsmanship. He has overseen the design and development of interactive experiences and planning strategies for clients such as MoMA, The Smithsonian Institution, Doctors Without Borders, National Geographic, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

As a pioneer in the technological transformation of the cultural sector, Josh is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and symposia, has appeared on CNN, CBS News, and NPR, and has been featured in publications including The New Yorker, USA Today, HOW magazine, Communication Arts, and People magazine. His work has been widely recognized with top awards including an Emmy from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, as well as honors from the American Alliance of Museums, the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, The American Institute of Graphic Arts, and South by Southwest.

Josh holds a B.A. from Tufts University and studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. He lives with his wife and two children in Philadelphia, where he is an active member of the design and technology community.

As Amino’s VP of Engineering, Daniel leads the overarching strategy for the processing and infrastructure that deliver Amino’s products. With nearly two decades of experience managing and scaling internet startups, Daniel is thrilled to work with other leaders in their fields on a transformative product with boundless opportunities in the digital advertising and tech spaces.

Daniel began working professionally as a teenager when he engineered an ISP to bring connectivity to NJ public schools with T1s, frame relay, and BSD Unix. His early .com career was focused on high-volume direct marketing and ad tech. Later, he moved into engineering very large backend and data platforms, growing his consulting firm, DW3 LLC, to nearly $700K in annual revenue. His clients included dating, streaming, and large brands like Jango Radio (10M+ monthly users), SNAP Interactive (social and dating apps with 50M+ users), Livestream, howardstern.com, Spring Moves, and PetSmart.

Michael Tonge is a Brooklyn native, with a Sociology degree from Bucknell University. While still in school he conceived The Culture LP, formerly a blog that has evolved into a marketing consultancy for independent artists and galleries. Upon graduating, he and his partners started collaborating with local artists and creators. At the same time, Michael began his professional career as a corporate analyst for J.P. Morgan, before making the career switch to marketing and advertising. Developing grassroots events across the city coupled with a broad set of skills from the ad industry, has led to Michael’s latest role — Senior Marketing Manager, at the Brooklyn Museum. In December 2017 he also joined the NYC hub of the Global Shapers, a youth led venture in partnership with the World Economic Forum. Living and working in Brooklyn, New York — you’ll probably catch him at a local art show, or anywhere with good music, food and people. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @Mikey718_