Jamila Hashil is a Senior Tech Business Development Manager for the Support Organization at Amazon Web Services (AWS), bringing over 18 years of experience in customer and partner cloud innovation and education. She holds both the AWS AI Practitioner and AWS Cloud Practitioner certifications, underscoring her technical expertise in cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

After graduating from Rutgers University, Jamila’s international career began with the Japanese Exchange Teaching (JET) Program, where she taught English to junior high school students in Fukui, Japan. This experience not only refined her teaching abilities but also added Japanese to her multilingual skillset, which includes Kiswahili and Arabic.

Her pivotal role in educational technology emerged during her tenure as an Engagement Manager at Microsoft in Qatar, where she spearheaded the nation’s transition to e-learning. This comprehensive initiative involved managing operating system upgrades and training both educators and students in STEM-focused technology integration. The success of this program caught the attention of Jordan’s Minister of Education and Queen Rania, leading to a special invitation to present the e-learning initiative for potential implementation in Jordan.

Recognizing her exceptional work in educational technology, the VP of HP Education recruited Jamila to lead HP’s education portfolio in the Middle East from their Dubai office. Over nine years, she successfully expanded HP’s educational footprint across the GCC region before returning to the United States to join AWS.

Currently, Jamila serves as the Vice President of BEN Women Global and sits on the board of The Musicianship, a DC metropolitan area nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth and emerging musicians from historically marginalized communities through music programs and funding opportunities.

Throughout her career, Jamila has demonstrated a consistent commitment to education, technology integration, and community empowerment.

Joe Briggs is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in public policy, education, and advocacy. He is an accomplished sports lawyer, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion expert, and professor.

Briggs earned his undergraduate degree as a scholarship athlete at Texas Christian University, where he joined Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He later obtained a Master&aposs Degree from Florida A&M University and a law degree with honors from FSU College of Law.

Currently, Briggs serves as the global head of executive engagement and initiatives at Amazon, overseeing key programs across the enterprise. His career prior to Amazon includes roles as Special Assistant to the President at Florida A&M University and a legal fellow in the United States Senate. Immediately before joining Amazon, Briggs worked at the NFL Players Association, leading their government relations efforts and serving in a litigation role as senior counsel.

Briggs continues to share his expertise as a professor at both Georgetown and the University of Kansas and as a global subject matter expert on sports and ethics topics. His diverse background in law, sports, education, and corporate leadership has established him as a multifaceted professional with a unique perspective on policy, advocacy, and business development.

Jerome Johnson II is a technology executive and AI strategist serving as Director of Professional Services for U.S. Federal, Defense, and Aerospace at Amazon Web Services (AWS). In this role, he leads a large-scale services organization focused on helping government and national security customers translate strategy into measurable mission outcomes through cloud, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies.

With over 20 years of experience across federal consulting and enterprise technology, Jerome drives the responsible adoption of generative and agentic AI at scale across the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and civilian agencies. His leadership centers on operational rigor, AI-enabled solution development, and bridging cutting-edge innovation with real-world implementation in high-stakes environments.

Jerome was recognized as an AFROTECH 2025 Future 50 Corporate Catalyst for his leadership in advancing AI technologies and shaping enterprise AI adoption. A respected thought leader in the national defense community, he regularly speaks at industry conferences and strategic forums on responsible AI, autonomous systems, and the future of AI-powered cybersecurity, including featured expert interviews and keynote presentations at the AWS National Security Conference.

Jerome serves as Executive Sponsor for Amazon’s Machine Learning University (MLU) Educators Consortium, leading strategic partnerships connecting ML education with Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Management at Georgetown University (expected Spring 2027), complementing executive education from the Wharton Chief Technology Officer Program, MIT Quantum Computing Certifications, and the McKinsey Black Executive Leadership Program. He holds an MBA in International Business & IT Management from Virginia Tech and dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from Charleston Southern University.

Dr. Margie Vela serves as Head of Strategic Academic Initiatives for Machine Learning University at Amazon Web Services, where she transforms AI and machine learning education across universities nationwide. She builds strategic partnerships that bring together teaching and research faculty from community colleges, HBCUs, and R1 research institutions — creating a collaborative community advancing AI teaching and innovation across higher education.

Beyond academia, Dr. Vela designs global technology programs that break down barriers and unlock opportunities for individuals entering and advancing in tech — ensuring equitable access to advanced learning across diverse communities.

Dr. Vela is a NIFA Fellow with a PhD in Water Science and Management from New Mexico State University, an MBA, and a BS in Marketing. She bridges technical expertise with business acumen, advancing innovation through talent development and empowering student innovators to drive the next generation of technology breakthroughs from classroom to industry.

Joilyn Spears is the Operational Program Manager for Amazon Web Services Machine Learning University also supporting the Educators Enablement Program (AWS-MLU EEP), where she leads AI/ML professional development and digital transformation initiatives. She is passionate about making emerging technologies accessible and bringing people and teams together to turn ideas into meaningful impact.

Joilyn began her Amazon career in Fulfillment Operations, leading teams, driving process improvements, and building a strong foundation in operational excellence, change management, and people leadership. She later transitioned to Amazon Web Services, where she leads strategic AI/ML initiatives, including generative AI education, technical bootcamps, Tech Talks, and large-scale AI events. Her work focuses on expanding access to AI education, accelerating technology adoption, and connecting cross-functional teams to deliver impactful learning experiences at scale.

Joilyn is a proud graduate of Fort Valley State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Her commitment to leadership, scholarship, service, and community continues to shape both her professional and personal work.

Throughout her career, Joilyn has remained committed to developing people, creating opportunities, and building connections at the intersection of technology, education, leadership, and community.

Thansha Sadacharam is a Senior Manager, Software Learning at Amazon, where she leads the Amazon Software Learning Experience team within Software Builder Experience. Her team's mission is to ensure builders onboard, learn skills to fuel innovation, and share their knowledge with others at Amazon.

Thansha has spent more than a decade at the intersection of people, learning, and technology. She began her career in talent and culture roles in Toronto before finding her calling in developer education, building the technical learning function at Peloton, and supporting research and development teams learn and grow at Shopify. Today at Amazon, she focuses on ensuring engineers have the knowledge they need to deliver value to their customers, bringing them trusted information the moment they need it, and building the tools and training that let them do their best work.

A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University with an Honours B.A. in Political Science, she's passionate about how AI is reshaping who gets to build software and what's possible for the next generation of builders.

Gerard Spivey is a Principal Engineer at Amazon Web Services with 14 years of experience designing, building, and operating distributed systems and infrastructure platforms. He is a founding engineer of AWS Mission Networking, a suite of managed connectivity services that enable customers to securely connect to AWS from anywhere. Before AWS, Gerard was Chief Engineer at BluVector, an AI-powered network detection and response cybersecurity company, where he helped scale the company from 10 people pre-revenue to eight-figure revenue and private-equity acquisition.

Gerard holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Howard University and an M.S. in Computer Science from Capitol Technology University. A Howard alumnus, he has spent four years as a Technical Advisor for Amazon's Black Employee Network (BEN) Tech HBCU Capstone Program at Howard, mentoring student teams building real-world applications on AWS. He is a Software Engineering career coach at Management Leadership for Tomorrow's (MLT) Career Prep program, where he has supported the Software Engineering/Technology track for over five years and created a 10-week summer course, Building Full Stack LLM Services on AWS, reaching over 350 students across the last three summers (llm-aws.course.gspivey.com). In 2014, two years after graduating from Howard, Gerard received the Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) STEM Conference 'Most Promising Engineer' award. He writes about software development, AI, and developer tooling on his blog(gspivey.com) and YouTube channel (Gerard’s Curious Tech).

Beth Gomolka is a Senior Customer Solutions Manager at Amazon Web Services, where she partners with ISV customers to drive cloud adoption and business outcomes across services.

Beth holds a Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia and a Master's degree in Engineering from Linkoping University. Her engineering background gives her a strong foundation in problem solving and systems thinking, which she applies daily to help customers architect solutions and navigate complex cloud transformations. She holds multiple AWS certifications and is a featured speaker at both the Society of Women Engineers Conference and the Grace Hopper Celebration.

As a career panelist, Beth hopes to show students that technical foundations like engineering open doors across the industry, and that curiosity and a willingness to learn can take you further than any single credential.

Toechukwu Udegbue is a Project Manager with Amazon Web Services, where she leads retrofit and capacity projects within AWS's Data Center Acquisition & Construction organization—the team responsible for expanding and modernizing the physical infrastructure that powers the cloud, including the computing capacity behind AI and machine learning.

A mechanical engineer by training and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Toechukwu Udegbue earned her degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio and began her career at Dow Chemical in plant reliability and equipment integrity. She joined AWS in 2022 as a Mechanical Field Engineer before moving into project management, where she now leads complex infrastructure projects across live data center environments, coordinating engineering, construction, and vendor teams to modernize facilities while maintaining reliability and uptime.

Her experience gives her a practical perspective on the technology behind today's AI-driven world—grounded in the power, cooling, controls, capacity, and engineering required to make increasingly demanding computing possible at scale.

Toechukwu Udegbue is also passionate about STEM education, mentorship, and expanding access to engineering and technology careers. That commitment began during her university years through involvement with organizations including the National Society of Black Engineers and Society of Women Engineers and continues through her engagement with the next generation of technical talent.

Chris Hall is a Solutions Architect at Amazon Web Services (AWS), working within the Public Sector organization to help customers leverage cloud technologies to solve complex challenges.

A U.S. Air Force veteran with a background in Special Operations aviation, Christopher brings a perspective shaped by service, adaptability, and an unconventional journey into technology. His path to AWS began as a Cloud Computing student and included two AWS internships, first as a Cloud Support Associate and later as a Solutions Architect. Those experiences ultimately led to his current role as a full-time Solutions Architect.

Christopher is trilingual and holds multiple AWS certifications and a B.S. in Cloud Computing. His interests include cloud architecture, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and generative AI. As a career panelist, he hopes to encourage students to embrace unconventional paths, remain curious, and recognize the possibilities available within technology.

Annia Matthews is a Software Development Engineer at Amazon Prime Video, working within the PV Sports and Linear Tech org. She works with her team to deliver various discovery methods for thousands of live TV content options to millions of customers worldwide.

Throughout her short time at Amazon (joining in May 2025) she has led and contributed to initiatives including but not limited to experimentation with different layouts of the Live TV page, recording capabilities, operational improvements, and most recently the creation of a new sub-service to help power a cross-ranking algorithm for more accurate customer recommendations on the Home page.

Annia hails from the illustrious Howard University, where she graduated in May 2024 with a degree in Computer Science. As a career panelist, she hopes to provide practical advice to students about searching for internships/full-time roles, interview prep, and thriving (not just surviving) in any new role. She is passionate about sharing her perspectives with the BEN community and hopes to leave a lasting impact at Amazon beyond her technical contributions.

Darnell J. Moore, Ph.D. is the Managing Director of the Distributed Teaching Collaboratives Consortium (DTCC) and founder of Janssense, a boutique technology consulting firm focused on technology strategy, program management, and product development in AI, robotics, and perception. In his role with DTCC, he helps lead strategy, partnerships, governance, and implementation for a national, faculty-focused consortium advancing collaborative teaching, open-source course development, and mentorship to expand pathways into AI and robotics. Supported by the Sloan Foundation, Amazon, and the Toyota Research Institute, DTCC brings together faculty from R1 universities, minority-serving institutions, teaching-focused colleges, and community colleges to scale high-quality robotics and AI education.

Dr. Moore brings a cross-sector perspective to grant development rooted in his experience building university–industry research partnerships, translating emerging technical needs into actionable programs, and aligning sponsors, faculty, and institutions around shared outcomes. Prior to DTCC, he led Academic Partnerships for Amazon Consumer Robotics, where he developed research collaborations with institutions including Georgia Tech, MIT, Stanford, the University of Texas at Austin, Carnegie Mellon University, and Howard University. His work supported advances in robotics and AI while strengthening programs that broaden participation in engineering and promote responsible technology development.

Before Amazon, Dr. Moore was a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff and manager of Texas Instruments’ Perception & Analytics Laboratory, where he led development of computer vision, perception, and analytics capabilities integrated into processors used in highly automated vehicles, autonomous robots, and unmanned aerial systems. He has also held technical roles at Xerox PARC, 3M, NCR, and Ford.

Dr. Moore holds nine patents, has authored numerous technical publications, and has chaired multiple technical conferences and symposia. He served on the University of Michigan Robotics Department Advisory Board and has held significant civic and nonprofit leadership roles, including president of The Dallas Assembly and board member of the AT&T Performing Arts Center. A Lifetime Member of the National Society of Black Engineers, he was named NSBE’s 2017 Distinguished Member of the Year.

A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Dr. Moore earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University and his master’s and doctoral degrees in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech.

Kemal Atkins, EdD is an accomplished higher education leader with more than 25 years of experience in institutional leadership and a deep expertise in enrollment management, student success, governance, strategic planning, and organizational development. As a senior consultant at the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), Atkins works with institutions across the country to implement transformative practices in business model innovation, revenue growth, change management, and board development.

In his previous roles, Atkins served as vice president at both Keene State College and Delaware State University. He has also held leadership positions at East Carolina University, the University of North Carolina System Office, and Appalachian State University and was the founding director of ThinkCOLLEGE, a college access program of Communities In Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Throughout his career, Atkins has demonstrated an ability to build and lead high-performing teams, improve institutional effectiveness, and achieve equitable student outcomes. His strategic leadership has led to increased revenue through innovative enrollment strategies, fundraising, and entrepreneurship.

Atkins is also a passionate educator and currently serves as an adjunct associate professor of educational leadership at Delaware State University. His classroom work integrates his professional expertise and scholarly research, providing students with valuable insights into higher education leadership. Atkins has developed and implemented college-wide initiatives to promote and foster environments where students, faculty, and staff from all backgrounds can thrive.

Currently, Atkins serves on the board of directors of San Francisco Bay University, where he continues to lend his expertise to institutional governance and strategic direction.

Atkins holds a BA and MA in English from Appalachian State University and an EdD in educational leadership from Delaware State University. He is also an alumnus of several prestigious leadership development programs, including the American Academic Leadership Institute’s Executive Leadership Academy and Gavin de Becker & Associates’ Advanced Threat Assessment and Management Institute. In addition, Atkins holds an Executive Coaching Certification from the Center for Executive Coaching and is a fellow of the North Carolina Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).

For over 25 years, Ayoka Noelle Mota Samuels has been a civic and community leader committed to the improved quality of life for people belonging to underestimated communities throughout metropolitan Chicago and the country. She has been dedicated to this work through various roles. As the Associate Vice Chancellor for Technology Sector Strategy, Ayoka currently serves as the lead for City Colleges of Chicago ensuring that Chicago residents have access to supports, services, and opportunities related to post-secondary computer technology education, tech upskilling/career development training, and quality job placement in the tech workforce ecosystem. Preceding her role with City Colleges, Ayoka was the Vice President of Bitwise Industries Chicago where she worked to establish the South Side as a competitive base for tech-talent. Before her time with Bitwise, Samuels was appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to serve as the Executive Director for the Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. Prior to her tenure as a public servant with the state, for 15 years she served as the Director of the Gary Comer Youth Center in the Grand Crossing community.

Ayoka also served Chicagoland youth and their families at various organizations including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, Muntu Dance Theatre, and New Concept Development Center. She has been an advisor, trainer, and contributor for several organizations including After School Matters, UCAN, the Chicago Park District, Chicago Department of Support Services, and LISC. Ayoka serves on the board of the Leadership Fellows Association of Leadership Greater Chicago and is a former advisory board member for the Trauma Center at University of Chicago Medicine and the Seminar Co-op Bookstore. A native Chicagoan, she studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign then later received a Master of Nonprofit Management degree from Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies.

Dr. Cherese Winstead obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech). She is a Full Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Delaware State University (DSU) and currently serves as Dean of the College of Agriculture, Science & Technology (CAST). Prior to her deanship, she provided a decade of leadership as Chair of the Department of Chemistry at DSU.

Since joining the DSU faculty in Fall 2008, Dr. Winstead has made transformational strides in research, teaching, and service. She has successfully secured and managed more than $60.4 million in funding as Principal Investigator, co-PI, or key personnel on numerous large-scale projects. Her work reflects a strong inter-institutional and interdisciplinary approach, building collaborations with regional, national, and international agencies as well as non-profit organizations to integrate research with education.

In her research and scholarly activities, Dr. Winstead has engaged with community-based organizations, government agencies, and academic partners across disciplines. She is an active member of several professional organizations, serving on boards and committees that shape the future of science and education. Her affiliations include the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP), Delaware NASA Space Grant, Nemours Delaware Comprehensive Sickle Cell Research Center, Materials Research Society, American Chemical Society, and the Delaware Science Coalition. Through these roles, she has contributed to advancing the practice, definition, and scholarship of both research and teaching.

Beyond academia, Dr. Winstead has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to service and STEM education access. She is Founder and President of the Young Chemists Society (YCS) and Helping Young People Excel (H.Y.P.E.), two nonprofit organizations that, for over two decades, have provided early science and mathematics education opportunities for underrepresented students in STEM.

Her national leadership was further recognized when she was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden to serve two terms on the National Medal of Science Committee. Established by Congress in 1959, the committee recommends recipients of the National Medal of Science—the highest honor awarded by the United States to scientists and engineers whose work has made exceptional contributions across the physical, biological,

Michael Widell MBA is a seasoned leader in higher education, innovation, and workforce development experience across public colleges, state government, and private industry. He currently serves as Vice President for Information Technology, Innovation, and Workforce at Oklahoma City Community College, where he manages technology-focused initiatives centered on workforce alignment, institutional innovation focused on student success.

His AWS journey began in 2018 when his university partnered with Amazon to support hiring and onboarding for Oklahoma’s first fulfillment center. The institution quickly recognized the scalability and strategic potential of AWS technologies to expand institutional capacity, strengthen knowledge infrastructure, and accelerate student success. During the global pandemic, AWS-enabled solutions played a critical role in sustaining growth and continuity. His team’s leadership in this space was further demonstrated through presentations at AWS re:Invent, AWS Summits and numerous shared best practice opportunities with universities and corporate partners nationwide. As the AWS Machine Learning University Regional lead OCCC is leading change through academic and operational focused innovations.

Widell’s career consistently focuses on building cross-sector systems that link education, labor markets, and economic development to boost individual wealth. Previously, Widell served at Oklahoma State University (OSU), including roles as President of OSU-Oklahoma City (OSU-OKC) and Vice President. Before pursuing a career in higher education, his professional experience includes leadership roles at the Walmart General Office, AT&T, Mercy Health Systems, and the State of Oklahoma. He served as a global workforce leader, as the Oklahoma Deputy Secretary of Workforce under both the Obama and Trump administrations, and as the Oklahoma liaison to the National Governors Association. He served under two Oklahoma Governors as Deputy Secretary of Workforce and Chief Administrative Officer for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. He anticipates completing his Ed.D in Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University in December 2026.

Yuanxia Ding leads Amazon Career Choice for the Americas, providing education and job training that enables frontline employees to advance their careers, at Amazon or elsewhere. She oversees a wide range of educational programming, including high school diplomas/GEDs, associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, language learning programs, and curated upskilling programs aligned with employer needs. She leads a team that manages relationships with employer partners committed to hiring Career Choice graduates and over 600 educational provider partners, including 4-year institutions, community colleges, workforce development non-profits, start-up training providers, and corporate training companies all focused on helping Amazon employees gain skills to take their next career step.

Prior to Amazon, Ms. Ding’s served as Chief Impact Officer for Skills Fund, a quality assurance and lending platform for skills-based training programs. She was appointed by President Obama to serve as Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, where she managed postsecondary education initiatives, and led consulting engagements focused on education and economic development for McKinsey & Company. She has also served in various leadership, advisory, and board positions in education and workforce development organizations including Teach For America, Opportunity@Work, Credential Engine, the Workforce Talent Educators Association, and the Postsecondary Commission. Ms. Ding holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Northwestern University.

Lisa Chandler is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for BEN Tech at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where she has proudly served for five years. Over her nine+ year tenure at AWS, Lisa has grown into key leadership roles including Sr. ADC Engineer, Technical Account Manager, ADC Engineering Manager, and Delivery Practice Manager, building deep expertise in cloud technology, customer success, and strategic execution.

A proud alumna of Howard University, Lisa’s career is anchored in a dual commitment: developing others and fostering equitable opportunity. In her role in BEN Tech, she spearheads initiatives like the HBCU Capstone Program and Cloud Connect, which empower students by providing hands-on technical training, professional development, interview preparation, and direct access to emerging technologies and AWS senior leaders. These programs equip aspiring technologists with the tools, mentorship, and confidence needed to thrive in the tech workforce.

As a technology pioneer reflecting on a 34-year career, Lisa’s driving purpose is to “be what she wishes she had had earlier in her journey,” dedicating her expertise to empower early-career professionals with the support, resources, and wisdom they deserve.

Willie is a seasoned Cloud Technology Manager with over 10 years of experience in cloud deployment, migration, and GenAI transformations, managing multiple multi-million dollar accounts across public and private sectors. He leads cross-functional teams using Agile methodology and holds certifications in SAFe, Scrum Master, Product Owner, AWS Cloud Practitioner, GenAI, and Solutions Architect. His technical expertise spans MLOps, Database, SaaS, PaaS, Data Lakes, on-prem migration, Data Recovery, and AI-DLC implementations.

Beyond technology, Willie is an accomplished public speaker with more than two decades of experience, captivating audiences at events and conferences across North America. He is a published author with a book available on Amazon, a PRFAQ, and several whitepapers contributing to his field. Whether addressing C-Suite executives or large conference audiences, Willie possesses a remarkable talent for engaging listeners and driving impact.

His background also includes Operations Engineering expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma Black Belt, Continuous Improvement, and U Cell Development — earning him a Shingo Excellence Award.

Antionna has spent three years at Amazon in the technical recruiting space, hiring Software Development Engineers in specialized domains alongside Solution Architects, Software Development Networking Engineers, and Embedded Software Engineers all in the University space. Being a natural community builder, Antionna thrives on gaining meaningful connections and asking the questions others leave on the shelf to help others dive deep within. There is deep pride in preparing the next generation of professionals and raising the bar here at Amazon.

Prior to Amazon, Antionna studied Business Administration at DePaul University. While on campus, a sharp skill for connection and resourcefulness took shape — gaining quality recruiting experience through student organizations and learning what resources were readily available to students. Holding many leadership positions on campus was the norm, and that same drive carries into everyday life. Antionna drives the decision to leave every room, every conversation, and every person with a better impression of life itself — contributing not just to Amazon&aposs next generation of builders, but to the world those builders will create.