Chattanooga Connect Speakers

Gary Brady, Jr. 

Gary Brady has dedicated his career to engineering and wireless communications systems sales for US State and Local governments, primarily with Motorola Solutions. Now the Eastern US Senior Business Development Manager for Smart Cities at Commsignia, Gary leverages his extensive experience to drive advancements in connected vehicle (V2X) and smart city technologies. Known for challenging the status quo, Gary thrives on innovation and finding new solutions to longstanding issues—especially when it comes to traffic. His passion for smarter, more connected cities stems from living in Atlanta and navigating its traffic daily. Outside of work, Gary enjoys white water kayaking. He holds an MBA from Duke University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech.

 Gary Brady on LinkedIn

Brandon Branham

Brandon Branham, chief technology officer (CTO) and assistant city manager, leads the City of Peachtree Corners’ groundbreaking smart city and Internet of Things (IoT) programs. Overseeing one of the first real-world smart city ecosystems deployed in the United States, he is bringing the region to the forefront in the development of next generation IoT technologies that will change the face of business and society in the near future – both within the country and across the world.

Alasdair Cain

Alasdair Cain is the Director of Research, Development and Technology Coordination in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mr Cain is responsible for strategic research planning and coordination of the Department’s $1.5 Billion p.a. Research, Development and Technology portfolio, spread across nine DOT Operating Administrations. Mr Cain works with national and international stakeholders to advance high-priority cross-modal research initiatives. Mr Cain’s professional background is in academia, having worked for universities in the U.S. and in his native United Kingdom.

Jennifer Caldwell is the Director of Technology Transfer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) which is operated and managed by UT-Battelle, LLC. She oversees the Technology Commercialization Group, Technology Transfer Engagements, and the Innovation Crossroads Program. She focuses on developing a strategic vision and plan to maximize the impact of ORNL innovations, implementing partnering programs focused on researcher satisfaction and partner engagement, and collaborating with ecosystem stakeholders to grow the regional innovation engine and partnerships.

Prior to joining ORNL in 2006, Caldwell commercialized technology at Research Corporation Technology, Inc. (RCT) located in Tucson, Arizona. RCT is a technology management company that licenses technology and invests in promising early-stage biomedical companies and innovations. She managed and licensed a technology portfolio concentrating in life sciences, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals.

Caldwell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Florida State University in 1994 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (with emphasis in Biochemistry) from the University of Florida in 2000. Before pursuing a Ph.D., she was employed by EG&G Florida, Inc. at Kennedy Space Center as an Environmental Health Specialist.

Andres Castrillon

Andres Castrillon is Senior Director of Government Affairs at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. where he serves as the lead U.S. policy advocate for automotive, Artificial Intelligence, and other emerging technology areas. Prior to joining Qualcomm, Andres led technology and motor vehicle safety policy for Stellantis where he was responsible for developing and implementing strategic state and federal lobbying initiatives on a range of automotive industry issues, including automotive safety, connected and automated vehicle technologies, privacy, cybersecurity, trade, and supply chain. 

Before transitioning to the private sector, Andres led the automotive team at the U.S. Department of Commerce, advising leadership on global policy issues impacting the competitiveness of the U.S. automotive industry. 

Andres holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Denison University and studied law The George Washington University Law School.

 Andres Castrillon on LinkedIn

Laura Chace

Laura Chace was named President and CEO of ITS America in August 2021. Her focus is to promote policies that advance the development and safe deployment of intelligent transportation technologies throughout the United States to save lives and reduce crashes on U.S. roadways, reduce congestion, minimize transportation’s carbon footprint, and provide seamless mobility and transportation choices for all Americans. Previously, she served as the association’s Chief Operating Officer.

Chace serves on U.S. DOT’s Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee offering advice on how to plan for a transportation future that leverages technology and innovation to solve complex mobility challenges. She also serves as a member of the Electric Vehicle Working Group, formed by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, to provide recommendations regarding the development, adoption, and integration of EVs into the transportation and energy systems.

She is passionate and speaks often about the need to include more female and diverse voices in the transportation workforce to create better outcomes for all who use the transportation system. Chace has founded initiatives and partnerships focused on advancing gender equity in transportation.

 Laura Chace on LinkedIn

Danielle Chou

Danielle Chou is a program manager for enabling technologies at the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Safety and Operations R&D. She is also the chair of the Steering Committee for the Center of Excellence on New Mobility and Automated Vehicles ("Mobility COE") that conducts research on the broader system impacts of emerging transportation technologies, including on land use, health equity, and municipal budgets. She earned her degrees in mechanical engineering at MIT and spent 14 years at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL) working on missile defense control systems before serving as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office. Her focus at DOT has been on studying how automation, connectivity, electrification, sharing, and other trends can make the transportation system safer, more sustainable, and more equitable.

Callie Cook

Callie Cook joined the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) as a Director of Business Development in February 2022. As a statewide project manager, she focused on attracting companies to Tennessee, with a particular emphasis on companies in the Healthcare & Life Sciences and Clean Technology sectors. Since 2022, Callie has been instrumental in bringing over 1,700 high-quality jobs to Tennessee, recruiting major companies such as Schneider Electric, Type One Energy, NewBasis LLC, and Orano USA. 

In July 2024, Callie advanced to the position of Global Director of Research and Development Initiatives. In this role, she spearheads efforts to attract research and development investments to the state by showcasing Tennessee’s robust R&D infrastructure. Callie works alongside colleagues and stakeholders to position the state as a premier destination for innovation-driven enterprises. 

A native of Nashville, Callie graduated from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Communication and a minor in General Business. Before returning to Tennessee in 2021 with her husband, Reed, she spent five years on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., honing her skills in project management and government relations. In 2024, she was named one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers by Consultant Connect, further underscoring her contributions in the field. 

Callie finds the greatest fulfillment in her role by fostering strong relationships with community partners, managing complex projects, and playing a pivotal part in creating well-paying, impactful job opportunities for Tennesseans.

 Callie Cook on LinkedIn

Kelley Coyner

Kelley Coyner, co-founder of Innovation4Mobility, brings communities and technology providers innovation know-how needed for Accessible, Automated, Connected, Electric, and Shared (A2CES) mobility systems. Her experience includes three Chief Executive Officer positions at public agencies, Senate-confirmed leader for the US DOTs Research and Special Programs, NCR homeland security and emergency planning programs, and Northern Virginia Transportation Commission. She worked as a lawyer, adjunct professor, writer and researcher, as well as advisor to more than 60 local, national, and global organization’s boards. Coyner honed her expertise in transportation innovation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard Kennedy School, and Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. Currently affiliated with the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University and with Leidos, Ms. Coyner is completing an 11-part series for the Society of Automotive Engineering on Automation and Infrastructure. Her innovation work includes policy, planning, and pilot projects in AI, electrification, and data analytics.

 Kelley Coyner on LinkedIn

Timothy Drake 

Timothy Drake serves as ITS America’s Vice President for Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs. He brings 10 years of experience in the private and non-profit sectors working on federal, state, and local transportation and infrastructure policy and has experience developing and implementing comprehensive strategic plans regarding policy, legislative, regulatory, and funding priorities. Tim is responsible for developing ITS America’s policy positions on transportation and infrastructure issues including automated and connected vehicles, spectrum, sustainability, resiliency, and smart infrastructure. He is also responsible for ITS America’s interactions with federal agencies, including USDOT, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Department of Energy, as they develop guidance and regulations to implement federal law and policy in these areas. Prior to joining ITS America, Tim was a Public Policy Associate at Squire Patton Boggs, LLP, working on transportation and infrastructure policy and regulatory affairs. He advised public and private sector clients in a variety of issue areas, including infrastructure funding, automated vehicles, transportation technologies, safety regulations, unmanned aircraft systems, economic development, public transportation, and federal agency procurement.

Kate Evans

Katherine (Kate) J. Evans is the Director of the Office of Institutional Strategic Planning for Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Until June of 2024, she served in science management roles including most recently, Division Director for the Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, which delivered scalable computational science to address challenges across the physical, engineering, health, and quantum information sciences. Evans has been an active researcher in the areas of computational earth science applied to weather and climate models. She earned her PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2000, where she was awarded the William Rhodes fellowship and the senior Dean’s fellowship for most outstanding senior PhD student. She is a member of the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematicians, where she received the 2024 prize for the Mathematics of the Planet Earth activity group.

 Kate Evans on LinkedIn

Elise Feldpausch

As the Connected Vehicle Technical Specialist for the Michigan Department of Transportation’s statewide ITS Program Office, Elise ensures the continued development of Michigan’s statewide connected vehicle program. This program is where statewide project and device consistency operate hand in hand with the assurance that Michigan continues to remain at the forefront of the national CAV conversation. She works directly with regional and national efforts to move the needle on the implementation of transformational technologies while performing as Chair of the MAASTO CAV Committee and Co-chair for the ITS America V2X Committee.

Elise is a licensed professional engineer with the state of Michigan and is a graduate of Michigan State University where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. Elise is a licensed professional engineer with the state of Michigan and is a graduate of Michigan State University where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering.

 Elise Feldpausch on LinkedIn

Charles D. Frazier

Charles D. Frazier is Chief Executive Officer of the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), the public transit system serving Chattanooga and Hamilton County, providing mobility, infrastructure, and parking services in the region. Charles has served for more than 24 years spearheading local government projects and facilitating the work of human service organizations, nonprofit corporations, and industry associations. Charles is a member of the American Public Transportation Association and in 2018 was one of 25 industry leaders in the nation appointed to APTA’S most prestigious development program, Leadership APTA.

Before joining CARTA, Charles served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), directing the performance of passenger transportation services serving the Jacksonville Florida metropolitan region, with an annual budget of $175 million and 850 employees, and providing public transit service seven days a week.

Charles also served for four years as Chief Executive Officer of Rock Region METRO, the public transit system serving central Arkansas, and as Assistant Executive Director of Palm Tran, Inc., the transit system serving Palm Beach County, Florida.

In 2013, after graduating Leadership Palm Beach County (Palm Beach County’s premier leadership program), he was elected by his class to the LPBC Board of Governors. He then served as Treasurer of the organization in 2014 and 2015, as First Vice President in 2016 and 2017, and then was elected President of the organization in 2018.

In 2021, Charles received the prestigious “Arkansas Traveler” from the Governor of the State of Arkansas and was named an “Ambassador of Goodwill” from Arkansas to other states and nations beyond the borders of the United States in recognition of his distinguished accomplishments for the state.

Charles earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Finance and information systems from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He started his professional career as an English language consultant in Fukuoka, Japan, developing school curricula for the Japanese Education Consulate.

Erwin Gianchandani

Erwin Gianchandani is the assistant director for the NSF’s newly established directorate of Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP). He previously served as the senior advisor for Translation, Innovation and Partnerships, helping to develop plans for TIP, and as the deputy assistant director for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), twice serving as acting assistant director. Before joining NSF in 2012, Gianchandani was the inaugural director of the Computing Community Consortium, where he led the identification and pursuit of high-impact research directions such as health information technology and sustainable computing. Gianchandani holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia. In 2021, Gianchandani received the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, awarded to members of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive Service for sustained extraordinary accomplishment.

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Dean Gustafson

Mr. Gustafson serves as a Vice President for Iteris’ Mobility Consulting Solutions division and has been with the firm since January 2024. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the transportation industry, spanning both the public and private sector, supporting Departments of Transportation in planning and designing stronger transportation infrastructure systems that improve safety and mobility. Mr. Gustafson was an instructor at the National Operations Academy on TSMO/ITS Procurement. Dean is a Technical Advisor to National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE).

Tara Hairston 

As Senior Director, Technology Policy at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Tara supports policy development on artificial intelligence, connected vehicles, cybersecurity, intellectual property rights protection, emerging transportation technologies, and new mobility models. Prior to joining the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Tara spent fifteen years in the automotive and cybersecurity sectors. She holds a double B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Saint Joseph’s College in Indiana.

 Tara Hairston on LinkedIn

Neo Toprak Han

Neo Han is an experienced Senior Manager at the Global Business Division of LG CNS America, an IT Services and Smart Solutions provider. Neo is in charge of Strategic Partnerships & Business Development with IT industry key players, targeting Digital Transformation (DX)-based projects both in the US market and the global arena. Prior to his career at LG, he was an entrepreneurial professional and a diplomat with government experience and 23 years of business development success. Neo is a multilingual communicator, columnist, media moderator, and frequent keynote speaker at global events and corporate functions, covering future strategies for smart cities with smart technologies.

Kevin Heaslip

Dr. Kevin Heaslip is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Also, he is the director of the United States Department of Transportation-funded Center for Freight Transportation for Efficient and Resilient Supply Chain, housed at UT Knoxville. He has been awarded over $50 million in research grants and contracts from federal governments, state governments, and industry as an expert in transportation engineering, transportation technology, and critical infrastructure cybersecurity. Dr. Heaslip received a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Kevin Heaslip on LinkedIn

Victoria Hirschberg

Victoria Hirschberg serves as the Assistant Vice President for Research, Outreach and Economic Development for the University of Tennessee System. Based in the office of UT Government Relations and Advocacy, Victoria’s role intersects policy, economic development, talent, and corporate engagement to create opportunities to strengthen the university system and state. She liaises with companies and policy stakeholders to leverage diverse and innovative UT resources to build long-term partnerships. Victoria joined the UT System in August 2022. 

Also, Victoria served as the interim executive director to launch the TNGO (Transportation Network Growth Opportunity), a new economic development strategy aimed to attract more research and development, engineering, and innovation jobs to Tennessee. This initiative was led by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), where Victoria previously worked as a director of business development from 2012-2022. While at TNECD, her tenure led to relationships with more than 250 global and domestic companies, $13 billion in new capital investment and thousands of new jobs for Tennesseans. Her work focused on key sectors such as automotive/mobility, advanced manufacturing, and energy. 

Prior to joining TNECD, she held positions with Thomas P. Miller and Associates in Indianapolis, Ind. and the McAllen Economic Development Corporation in McAllen, Texas. Hirschberg earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and Latin American studies from State University of New York at Plattsburgh, and a master’s degree in community and regional planning, and a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico. She is a 2022 graduate of Leadership Tennessee NEXT and has been recognized as a top economic developer by the Site Selectors Guild, Consultant Connect and the International Economic Development Council. Victoria resides in Nashville and when she’s not working, she’s booking her next adventure or playing outdoors.

 Victoria Hirschberg on LinkedIn

Peter Jin

Peter J. Jin, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He got his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007 and 2009 respectively. His research interests include connected and automated vehicles, traffic operations, transportation big data analytics, especially video analytics, and unmanned aerial vehicles. He has published more than 110 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers and holds five patents on Connected and Automated Vehicle Highway and Drone-based 3D sensing. He was the PI in the DataCity Smart Mobility Testing Ground project funded by FHWA, NJDOT, and Middlesex County. The project will instrument a 2.5-mile corridor on Route 18 and 27 in New Brunswick with self-driving-grade sensing and computing technologies to create a living lab for smart mobility and smart city technology testing and data collection.

James (Jimmy) J. Kim

Jimmy Kim is Senior Manager – Business Development with Verizon’s 5G Acceleration Group. In this role Jimmy leads business development efforts addressing the increasingly complex technology, data, and smart infrastructure requirements of a diverse transportation ecosystem, including logistics providers, fleets, governments, campuses, airports, and port authorities. Jimmy is a seasoned technology solutions executive with a successful track record of bringing disruptive technologies to the market place, including IOT, CAV, big data, enterprise mobility, and mobile payments. He has spearheaded large scale business transformation across Asia, North America, and Europe in multiple leadership roles at Samsung, Accenture, and smaller ventures. Jimmy graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University.

Asad Lesani

Asad Lesani is the Vice President of Smart Infrastructure Products at Ouster. He has a Ph.D. in Transportation from McGill University, Canada, and B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering. 

He has more than ten years of experience in the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems and Transportation Safety. After finishing his Ph.D., Asad co-founded Bluecity Technology Inc in 2018, a startup that developed an AI-Powered Multi-Modal Traffic Monitoring and Data Analytics Powered by Lidar Technology. The solution has been deployed at over 250 intersections globally, helping cities improve road safety and mobility. 

The company was later acquired by Ouster in 2022.

 Asad Lesani on LinkedIn

Reinhold Mann

Reinhold Mann has been the Vice Chancellor for Research (VCR) at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) since January 2024. He joined UTC in July 2015 to support program development activities in the VCR Office, most recently in Quantum Information Science and Engineering.

Prior to joining UTC, Dr. Mann held leadership positions at the Associate Laboratory Director level at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory, and he was the Senior Vice President for Research and Development at the former Battelle Science and Technology Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Mann’s work has been at the intersection of the physical and computational sciences with the life and environmental sciences. He has been leading multi-disciplinary R&D teams since 1986 and developed several R&D efforts in intelligent robotics, human-machine interactions, advanced information processing, computational biology, bioinformatics, systems biology and bioenergy.

He is a Senior Member of the IEEE, and member of the APS and the AAAS. He obtained a Diplom-Mathematiker degree (MS in Mathematics), and a Dr. rer. nat. degree (PhD equivalent, in Physics) from the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. He was an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Feodor Lynen Fellow in 1981 and 1982, performing research at ORNL.

Stuart C. McWhorter

Stuart C. McWhorter has served as TNECD commissioner since July 2022. During his tenure, TNECD has nearly 160 projects, which represent more than 21,700 job commitments and $10.9 billion in capital investment. Of those projects, more than 28 percent were the result of foreign direct investment. McWhorter has a diverse background in entrepreneurship, corporate finance and strategic planning. He served as co-founder and chairman of Clayton Associates with over 25 years of experience in entrepreneurship and early-stage investing.

McWhorter stepped away from Clayton Associates in 2019 to join Governor Lee’s administration as commissioner of the Department of Finance and Administration. He led the drafting of two fiscal year state budgets, co-chaired the Governor’s Healthcare Modernization Task Force and was appointed director of the Tennessee Unified Command Group to coordinate the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, McWhorter previously served as the CEO of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and chairman of the Board of Directors of Nashville-based FirstBank Financial Corporation (NYSE: FBK).

He received his Master of Health Administration from The University of Alabama-Birmingham and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Clemson University.

McWhorter resides in Nashville with his wife, Leigh Anne, and their five children.

Ayan Mukhopadhyay 

Ayan Mukhopadhyay is a senior research scientist at Vanderbilt University, where he works on developing artificial intelligence techniques to solve challenges in transportation, emergency response, and health. He is also the co-founder of Mobius.AI Tech, a company that uses AI for large-scale fleet management. Ayan is the recipient of the Google AI Impact Scholar (2021) Award for Social Good. Before this, I was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Stanford Intelligent Systems Lab at Stanford University, USA, where he was awarded the 2019 CARS post-doctoral fellowship by the Center of Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS). He holds a doctorate in Computer Science from Vanderbilt University. His doctoral thesis, focused on decision-theoretic and machine learning-based approaches for multi-agent planning was nominated for the Victor Lesser Distinguished Dissertation Award 2020.

Jerele Neeld

Jerele D. Neeld is versatile, executive leader with more than twenty years’ experience working for Fortune 500 global technology companies and a track record of delivering customer and business value beyond what’s normally anticipated. His broad expertise, willingness to take risks responsibly, and multi-disciplinary approach enable him to lead, build, run, transform, and scale-up functions and capabilities no matter the leadership role. Jerele is uniquely skilled at using his entrepreneurial background to see opportunities, to make business cases for pursuing them, and to build strategic plans and the delivery engine to realize them.

Jerele joined the City of Chattanooga, TN in January 2024 to be the Director of Intelligent Cities. In March 2024, Jerele was asked to expand his responsibilities to be Interim Chief Information Officer for the City of Chattanooga. In July 2024, Jerele was appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council to be the city’s permanent Chief Information Officer. Our goal is to make Chattanooga the preeminent mid-size city in the US using leading-edge technologies to make citizens’ use of City infrastructure and services easier, simpler, and better.

Jerele has a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University. He has done additional coursework at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. Jerele was selected to Who’s Who in America 56th Edition.

 Jerele Neeld on LinkedIn

Osama Osman

Dr. Osman is the strategic growth lead and project manager with Leidos, Inc. He is also a Cheif Scientist in the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress at UT Chattanooga. 

With 17 years of experience in transportation and traffic engineering, he leads smart mobility projects that leverage data analytics, artificial intelligence, and connected and automated vehicle technologies to improve traffic safety, efficiency, and sustainability. He have successfully led multiple projects for multiple federal and state agencies with a total value of over $26M. He is passionate about advancing the state of the art and state of practice in smart mobility and connected and automated vehicles, and he aims to make a positive impact on the quality of life and the environment in urban areas.

Patrick Sabol 

Patrick Sabol is a Strategic Advisor at the U.S Department of Transportation’s Advanced Research Projects Agency - Infrastructure (ARPA-I), a new agency focused on making high risk, high reward investments in emerging transportation technologies. Previously, he served as a Senior Program Officer at the National Academies, the founder and CEO of United for Infrastructure, and a researcher at the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. He also has experience in venture capital and renewable energy development. Patrick holds a bachelor's degree from Colgate University and master's from Duke University.

 Patrick Sabol on LinkedIn

Arman Sargolzaei

Dr. Arman Sargolzaei's expertise is developing, testing, and verifying connected and autonomous vehicles. His mission is to enhance the quality of life for people by assuring safety, security, and efficiency concerns through extensive collaboration among multi-disciplinary fields. He has received more than $2.5M funding from state and federal agencies, including NSF, FDOT, and FTA. He is the recipient of the NSF CAREER award for his research on testing and verifying the security of connected and autonomous vehicles. He was recognized with the honor of the "Faculty Research Excellence Award" for two consecutive years. He received his doctorate degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida, and Florida International University. He is currently an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at University of South Florida (USF) and director of Resilient, Autonomous, Networked Control System (RANCS) research group.

 Arman Sargolzaei on LinkedIn

Mina Sartipi

Dr. Mina Sartipi is the Executive Director of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) Research Institute and the Founding Director of the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP) at UTC. She is also the Guerry Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at UTC and maintains a joint appointment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, focusing her expertise on improving urban mobility and safety through advanced technology. Her goal as the director is to advance R&D and experiential learning profiles in key cross-disciplinary areas leveraging Chattanooga and UTC’s unique assets such as city-wide R&D testbed for the future of mobility and the first commercially available quantum network.

In recent years, Dr. Sartipi has led projects as Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) that have secured over $25 million in grants from organizations including the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and others. She has received the 2024 UT President’s Award in the “Nimble and Innovative” category and the 2024 Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award. Her contributions to smart city initiatives earned her recognition as a 2019 Chattanooga Influencer, and her work has been honored with the 2019-2023 Smart 50 Awards and the 2019-2021 and 2024 International Data Corporation (IDC) Smart Cities North America Award. Dr. Sartipi earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Sharif University of Technology and her master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical and computer engineering from Georgia Tech.

She has delivered several keynotes and presentations including presentations to the U.S. Congressional Briefing on Infrastructure, the U.S. Congressional Caucus on Smart Cities, the Smart Cities Connect conference, and the National Transportation Training Directors. An IEEE senior member since 2016, she serves on the board of directors for EPB, The Enterprise Center of Chattanooga, Chattanooga Design Studio, Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation, and Variable, Inc.

Aleksandar Stevanovic

Dr. Stevanovic is an Associate Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. He is an ASCE Fellow and Fulbright Specialist for Traffic Control Systems. He has been principal investigator on 40+ research projects for a total of ~ $5.2 million in funding and has authored dozens of technical reports for various transportation agencies, including TRB/NAS, FHWA, NSF, DOE, PennDOT, FLDOT, NJDOT, UDOT, UTA, and others. He is a member of ITE, TRB, ITS, and other professional transportation societies. He is best known for his contributions to Adaptive Traffic Control Systems (ATCS), a topic on which he has been invited many times to give talks and teach, both nationally and internationally. His research has been highlighted in a range of media articles - from local newspapers to the TIME magazine.

 Aleksandar Stevanovic on LinkedIn

W. Celeste Stragand

Celeste is a collaborative mobility maven who serves to implement transportation strategies that balance stakeholder interest and equity resulting in freedom of movement for all. She’s a 40 Under 40 Denver Business Journal award winner and has served on numerous boards including the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Exchange, which is responsible for technology transfer and commercialization for NCAR and UCAR scientists. Presently, she’s a 2025 SXSW Advisory Board member, Vice Chair for 5GAA’s Business Model Working Group 5 and serves as Chair for Women of Ford Integrated Services Chapter. She has led international teams focused on everything from in-vehicle audio to C-V2X pilot deployment to transportation demand management to Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free highway driving ADAS feature. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Celeste holds bachelors’ degrees in Chemistry and English. She received her Masters of Fine Arts in Writing and Poetics from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.

 Celeste Stragand on LinkedIn

Selika Talbott

Selika Josiah Talbott is a leading industry voice in Mobility and Transportation Technology. The CEO of Autonomous Vehicle Consulting, LLC, she advocates for investment and implementation of Connected, Autonomous, Share and Electric transportation. Selika is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California, teaching policy in Transportation Technology and the Future of Mobility.

She is an author of the "Sammie and Sally” book series which educates young readers on new mobility concepts and traditional safety messages and a frequent contributor to Forbes.com and a renowned global speaker on transportation, clean-tech, leadership, and safety principles.

Her distinguished career in public service spans federal, state, and local levels, including role Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and Deputy Administrator at the State of New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. In her leadership roles, she significantly contributed to revenue generation and enacted policy changes in public commissions.

As a seasoned attorney, Talbott specialized in product liability defense. She holds a J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law, a B.A in Political Science and Socio-legal studies minor from SUNY Stony Brook, and certifications from Santa Clara University, American University, and Cornell University.

 Selika Talbot on LinkedIn

Joda Thongnopnua

Joda Thongnopnua serves as Special Advisor for the Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Thongnopnua joined NSF after several years of serving in leadership roles in local government and philanthropy. He currently helps lead directorate-wide efforts to deliver on the CHIPS and Science Act, with a particular focus on building intergovernmental and cross-agency partnerships to jumpstart and support America's new frontiers of innovation that are critical to establishing U.S. leadership in key technology focus areas like quantum computing, synthetic biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. Before being appointed to serve as Special Advisor for the TIP Directorate, he served as a program director for the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program, working as part of the team that helped launch the NSF's inaugural portfolio of historic place-based investment programs.

Previously, Thongnopnua served as chief of staff to Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. He was Mayor Kelly's top aide and principal advisor and was chiefly responsible for implementing the mayor's agenda and leading major policy priorities across a 2,600-person organization and $350 million annual budget. Prior government service, Thongnopnua also served in leadership roles at various Chattanooga-based non-profit, philanthropic, and private sector institutions, including the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, Metro Ideas Project, and Lamp Post Group.

  Joda Thongnopnua on LinkedIn

 Joda Thongnopnua on X

Prachi Vakharia

Prachi J. Vakharia works in Washington DC, USA at the intersection of innovation, financing and technology deployment in the transportation sector. 

Prachi was recently asked to join the founding team of ARPA-I, a new agency, modeled after DARPA, to fund moonshots in the transportation sector. Previously, she worked at Amazon where she worked with ports, airports and road agencies to design and enable the adoption of new technologies and digital infrastructure. She also worked with the MBTA leading innovative IoT-based projects to further station access; in clean transportation, where she brought in by AES Next, the venture arm of energy firm AES, to invest in electric mobility.

 Prachi Vakharia on LinkedIn

Jarrett Wendt

Jarrett Wendt is a recognized entrepreneur, having led multiple private companies from inception through to divestiture as well as founding transformative businesses. Jarrett is co-founder and CEO of Spoke, the world’s first connected VRU2X TM company to leverage dedicated C-V2X chip sets, together with LTE/5G modem-based Basic Safety Messages connecting cars to VRU’s and VRU’s to cars. Spoke utilizes automotive grade HW/SW/Cloud Applications, and in partnership with Qualcomm, the first to introduce a reimagined form factor allowing a true C-V2X embedded solution scaling with OEM bicycle, motorcycle, and scooter partners globally. Spoke is headquartered in Denver, Colorado and Bergamo, Italy.

Prior to founding Spoke, Wendt led Panasonic’s global digitization strategy from 2015 to 2019. During his tenure, Jarrett created Cirrus TM by Panasonic, the world’s largest Connected Vehicle (V2X) software platform establishing a consortium of global ecosystem partners, including Qualcomm, Amazon, Ford, Toyota, Kapsch, Verizon and Cisco to move Connected Vehicle technology from theory to real-world deployment and scale. Cirrus TM signed the largest V2X contracts in US DOT history with Colorado Department of Transportation, the Utah Department of Transportation, and the Georgia Department of Transportation (in partnership with The Ray) and is currently the most recognized V2X software platform worldwide. In 2019, Jarrett received the Hall of Fame Award from ITS America and the ITS World Congress in recognition for his impact on Intelligent Transportation, scaled deployment, and his impact on Connected Mobility safety. Jarrett also founded CityNOW TM, Panasonic’s global Smart City business, leveraging the strengths of Panasonic’s tremendous history in smart and sustainable solutions, including solar, battery storage, microgrids, traffic and mobility solutions, healthcare, and more.

Prior to joining Panasonic, Jarrett spent 8 years as President and CEO of CPI International, a private equity backed leading analytical and life science manufacturer. He grew CPI’s global business by successfully launching markets in over 40 countries. While as CPI, he attained 12 patents, and presented before the US EPA gaining two EPA approvals for Colitag TM, a novel drinking water test that detects e. coli and coliforms.

Jarrett holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, played Division 1 basketball for the University of New Mexico, and was an international recording artist, songwriter and performer. He splits time between his hometown in Santa Monica, CA and Denver, Colorado with his wife, Tara and two sons, Hawkins and Leopöld.

 Jarrett Wendt on LinkedIn

Peyton Winstead

Peyton Winstead is director of Digital Solutions at DENSO in North America. Located at the company's satellite R&D facility in San Diego, California, he is part of DENSO North America’s Smart City leadership team. In the role, Winstead has direct responsibility for DENSO's world-class V2X development team, which he joined six years ago.

Previously, Winstead was director of Manufacturing and Quality Engineering at DENSO Wireless America Manufacturing, having played a key role in launching many of DENSO’s cutting edge ITS products including Navigation, Telematics, Wireless Charges, Video Processing Modules and In-Vehicle Infotainment systems.

Winstead is passionate about bringing DENSO’s value for quality and customer service from the OEM to the aftermarket world and has continued that passion by playing an integral role in the development of V2X OBU and RSU PCBA products under DENSO's newly launched MobiQ brand.

Before DENSO, Winstead has worked for the Nokia handset development team and Delphi exterior lighting division, holding various roles in Project and Quality Management.

Winstead earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering from Purdue University.

  Peyton Winstead on LinkedIn