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.

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.