Athicha Dhanormchitphong, Digital Reality Ecosystem Architect, ExxonMobil
Athicha joined ExxonMobil working in the Research & Engineering Information Technology section. There he held a position as a lead developer in web & desktop applications. He then joined Architecture & Technology where he conducted proof of concepts with Extended Realities (XR) for the business units. This led to the creation of Immersive Technology Studios, an internal IT organization that provides XR services to the business units. In that role as the Extended Reality Domain Architect, Athicha led the R&D efforts within the 3D space. Learnings from those R&D efforts were applied and integral to the creation of the Digital Reality Ecosystem where he is now the lead architect for the entire project.
Mr. Daniel Hettema, Director of Digital Engineering, Modeling and Simulation, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
Mr. Daniel Hettema is the Director of Digital Engineering, Modeling and Simulation (DEM&S) within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. He oversees DoD-wide strategy, policy, and coordination in DEM&S and promotes the advancement of digital practices in defense acquisition.
Mr. Hettema joined the Federal Government supporting the Systems Engineering Directorate of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), where he championed digital engineering as a time saving, data-centric approach to development. He led teams focusing on data management, configuration management, and training. He adopted Product Line Management approaches for engineering data, developed model-based systems engineering (MBSE) methodologies, and established an MBSE Community of Practice.
Mr. Hettema has also served in the private sector supporting the Government, applying systems engineering and advancing the state of digital engineering. In support of the Joint Staff, he developed models to enable two-step dependency analysis for mission assurance, developed an innovative approach to perform policy consistency checking, and applied natural language processing for DoD-wide organizational alignment. For the National Nuclear Security Administration, he coordinated systems engineering efforts across labs and developed a stockpile sustainment model to rapidly assess alternative sustainment approaches. For the Intelligence Community, he led teams developing MBSE products including ontologies, meta models, modeling patterns, data exchanges, and training material.
Mr. Hettema is active in the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and has served as Communications Chair for the Washington Metro Area chapter. At the international level, he served as NRO’s representative on INCOSE’s Corporate Advisory Board. He has presented at numerous INCOSE and other systems engineering events.
Mr. Hettema holds a B.S. in Systems Engineering from George Mason University and an M.S. in Space Systems from Johns Hopkins University. He is a certified Systems Model Builder Advanced from Object Management Group (Level 4) and an INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional.
Michael Wadden, Chief Commercial Officer, VERSES AI (Keynote Speaker)
For over three decades I have helped build and scale global businesses that deliver positive human, financial and planetary impact. For almost 20 years I was a leader at Accenture helping build and scale both Accenture’s global outsourcing business and the new businesses / acquisitions (M&A) business that eventually became Accenture Digital. I have owned and helped scale a portfolio of businesses that focus on revenue growth and global expansion with a unique focus on conscious leadership and culture.
Currently I am the Chief Commercial Officer for Verses AI and responsible for the Go-To-Market, Sales and Marketing capabilities of the company. I provide strategies to maximize overall revenue in collaboration with the executive leadership team and serve as both an internal and market facing leader working closely with key customers and partners.
Prior to Verses AI, I was the President of Gravity Group, a venture capital impact fund and accelerator. Our mission was to accelerate positive change in the world by helping our companies fund, build and scale their business models.
Dr. Ed Chow, Manager of the Civil Program Office, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Keynote Speaker)
Dr. Edward Chow, Manager of the Civil Program Office at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), has been instrumental in guiding a variety of JPL projects. His work involves collaboration with several civil agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Additionally, Dr. Chow plays a key role in developing partnerships with academic institutions, philanthropic organizations, and international governments.
One of Dr. Chow’s notable achievements includes establishing and expanding JPL’s relationship with the DHS. With over twenty-five years in networking, security, and artificial intelligence, Dr. Chow has contributed significantly to the field of advanced IT technology. His leadership in the NASA Secured Advanced Federated Environment project led to the integration of dynamic virtual enclaves across six NASA centers. He also served as the agency-wide leader for the NASA Collaborative Engineering Environment (CEE), managing its development and deployment across NASA’s ten centers. His involvement in global network video implementations for NASA’s Deep Space Network further demonstrates his expertise in technical and project management.
In academia, Dr. Chow served as a Research Associate Professor at the University of Southern California for five years, teaching graduate-level classes and sharing his industry knowledge. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1988.
Dr. Chow’s exceptional contributions to the field have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal and the JPL Lew Allen Award, underscoring his impact and commitment to aerospace information technology and collaborative efforts.