Philly Tech Week 2018

Jennifer Baker is an entrepreneur and executive producer who recently joined WRG, a part of The Creative Engagement Group as the Operations Director for the US. With nearly two decades of producing experiences and content for Fortune 500 brands under her belt, Jennifer knows how to craft an authentic story, creating an emotional connection between brand and consumer using the power of technology and innovation.

Some of her most recent projects have included the Lexus LIT IS which was featured in Dua Lipa's 'Be the One' video, an AR experience for Intel and working on The Single's Project which won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media - Multiplatform Storytelling.

Sylvester Mobley is the founder and CEO of the youth tech education nonprofit, Coded by Kids. Through Coded by Kids, Sylvester works to increase access to tech education opportunities for those who are underserved, especially children of color and children who come from underserved communities. Sylvester’s mission is to ensure that every child has the support, resources, and opportunity to build the next Google, Microsoft or Facebook, regardless of what they look like or where they come from.

Because of the dominant role technology plays in our society, Sylvester believes that building a tech industry that is diverse, inclusive and equitable is one of the most pressing issues we face today.

Under his leadership, Coded by Kids has grown from an organization that served fewer than 15 children in one Philadelphia recreation center to serving more than 200 students per week in schools and community centers in three states. Sylvester has received awards for his work from several organizations including Philadelphia City Council, the Philadelphia Business Journal, The Philadelphia 76ers, Billy Penn, and Philadelphia Academies.

Sylvester got his start in technology while serving in the United States Air Force. He is a veteran of the war in Iraq, who served in three branches of the United States military over 12 years. Sylvester is also a graduate of Temple University’s Fox School of Business.

Since joining Comcast’s Technology & Product (T+P) Team in 2014, Fraser has been on the fast track to success – not only because of his broad and deep knowledge, but also because he is a catalyst for change. His collaborative approach, business acumen and innovative solutions drive important strategies that continue to evolve Comcast from a fast follower to an industry leader in the technology and innovation space. Fraser’s impact to our company has been swift and significant. He has quickly become an integral part of the T+P leadership team and a proven player for Comcast internationally. He has facilitated and fostered important relationships for Comcast and is highly regarded in the company and across the vendor community from OEM’s, SOC and WiFi partners. He is an influential and charismatic leader whose personality can charm and disarm; enabling him to build teams across functional boundaries. As Senior Vice President, Product and Technology, Devices Fraser is responsible for executing on our overall hardware development for all premise devices with a mission of improving new product service velocity, product differentiation and cost management. Fraser is a domain expert in high volume, device deployment, and manufacturing. Since joining Comcast, Fraser conceptualized and led the effort to transform Comcast device Industrial Design standards, putting focus on the product. He has been integral to reimagining the industrial design of Comcast devices helping the consumer see the Product as more than just another piece of technology in the home. He and his team launched the first voice controlled remote control improving functionality and providing accessibility capability that did not exist before. Fraser & Co. have also revamped the device product portfolio delivering a set of superior devices while driving cost down and quality up. Presently Fraser leads the company–wide effort to move to all IP, allowing customers to stream video over WiFi in their homes. Through his leadership and contributions, Fraser is making a lasting mark on Comcast and the broader Cable and Telecommunications industry. Fraser has broad leadership experience. Before joining Comcast he led the OnCue Hardware and Software Engineering team at Intel Media. Prior to that Fraser served as Director of Product for Intel Media and previously held various roles at BSkyB, including Head of Hardware, Planning and Design; Head of Emerging Product Strategy; and Design Manager, among other positions.

Morgan is a Principal with Genacast Ventures where his responsibilities include evaluating investment opportunities, sourcing new deals, and managing the growth of existing portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Genacast, Morgan worked at Bloomberg Beta, the venture firm backed by Bloomberg. He also spent time as a software engineer at Tapad and Market-Based Management instructor at the Charles Koch Institute. Morgan earned his BS from Northeastern University.

Scott Landau is a member of the Partner Engineering team at Slack with the goal of making everyone’s working lives simpler, more pleasant, and more productive. Previously, he was an engineer at DocuSign, and prior to moving to the Bay Area, worked and lived just outside of Philadelphia. He is a Drexel graduate, southern NJ native, and flew back to Philadelphia just to watch the birds take the trophy home. Go Eagles!

Rebecca Etter is the Senior Manager of Innovation at Acelerada, a division of Bimbo Bakeries USA, where she is designing an innovation roadmap in the bread & baked goods categories. Rebecca’s innovation experience extends into the snack and wine categories, where she worked in ideation and commercialization at KRAVE Pure Foods/The Hershey Company and Diageo.

Prior to traditional roles in innovation Rebecca spent several years on the agency side (Raison Pure, Interbrand and Landor Associates) supporting strategic development for her clients; and three years at Conde Nast Publications as a travel and photo editor for Cookie Magazine.

Rebecca has a B.A in Communications from the University of Arizona and a Masters of Professional Studies in Branding from the School of the Visual Arts in New York.

Karissa is the Manager of People Operations at Azavea. She provides a large portion of the administrative support that keeps the company running. Karissa manages the hiring process, provides daily accounting support, assists with marketing, and much more.

Karissa came to Philadelphia in 2009 to study Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2013, she graduated with a degree in Fine Arts instead, and took a job managing facilities projects at Drexel University. During her time at the University of Pennsylvania, Karissa developed a love for technology and also worked for four summers with Penn Hospitality Services supporting conferences and events.

Outside of work, Karissa loves to bake sweet things, read, and play fetch with her cat. She is also a prolific PC gamer and has played most MMOs on the market.