Moderator

Rita Kallas is a globally experienced SaaS Enterprise Business Development Consultant, award-winning public speaker, and passionate Diversity & Inclusion leader. With a career rooted in relationship-driven growth and cross-cultural insight, Rita brings a dynamic blend of strategic leadership, storytelling mastery, and deep social impact work to every table she sits at.

Founder & CEO of Total Kallas Consulting, Rita excels in crafting partnerships, spearheading outreach strategies, and championing equity through both business and education. Her work reflects a lifelong commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and making the business case for inclusion—with poise, power, and purpose.

Pek Pongpaet is an accomplished tech entrepreneur, innovator, and AI advocate currently serving as CEO of Impekable, a software product development consultancy and Google Cloud Partner that delivers end-to-end digital solutions for leading enterprises and startups. With over two decades of experience in software development, digital transformation, and strategic business innovation, Pek has guided Fortune 500 companies, retail giants, airlines, telecoms, and numerous technology startups in leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive sustainable growth.

As a recognized thought leader in AI-driven business solutions and customer experience automation, Pek regularly speaks at industry events and webinars, sharing actionable insights on harnessing AI's potential for competitive advantage. He is deeply committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within the technology sector, actively supporting initiatives that empower minority-led businesses through strategic technological adoption and innovation.

Pek's leadership and innovative approach have positioned him as a valuable voice in discussions around the practical application of AI and its transformative impact on diverse industries.

Huy Ly is a seasoned technology leader and entrepreneur with nearly two decades of experience spearheading innovation and delivering impactful solutions. From his early days tinkering with computers and building websites, he has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of technology's transformative power. As the Founder and CEO of Meijun, a leading technology consulting firm, and through C-level roles in diverse industries, Huy has proven his ability to leverage technology to solve complex challenges, drive growth, and optimize operations. His extensive board service and leadership in non- profit organizations underscore his commitment to community impact and fostering collaboration. Huy's strategic acumen, operational experience, and passion for technology continue to position him as a driving force in the ever-evolving tech landscape.

Chike Agbai is the founder and CEO of Azumo, a nearshore software development company that helps organizations build intelligent applications with top-tier engineering talent from Latin America. Under his leadership, Azumo has supported startups and enterprise customers alike—including names like Meta, Discovery, and Twitter—through a mix of dedicated teams, staff augmentation, and project-based delivery.

Before launching Azumo, Chike spent nearly two decades in investment banking, advising on over $100 billion in technology M&A, IPOs, and capital raises. He founded Azumo on a core belief: that cloud computing, open APIs, and AI would fundamentally lower the cost of building powerful software—and that talent to build it existed everywhere.

At Azumo, Chike blends technical vision with operational execution, drawing on his background in finance to lead a distributed team that delivers clean code, scalable solutions, and measurable business value.

Moderator

Pek Pongpaet is an accomplished tech entrepreneur, innovator, and AI advocate currently serving as CEO of Impekable, a software product development consultancy and Google Cloud Partner that delivers end-to-end digital solutions for leading enterprises and startups. With over two decades of experience in software development, digital transformation, and strategic business innovation, Pek has guided Fortune 500 companies, retail giants, airlines, telecoms, and numerous technology startups in leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive sustainable growth.

As a recognized thought leader in AI-driven business solutions and customer experience automation, Pek regularly speaks at industry events and webinars, sharing actionable insights on harnessing AI's potential for competitive advantage. He is deeply committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within the technology sector, actively supporting initiatives that empower minority-led businesses through strategic technological adoption and innovation.

Pek's leadership and innovative approach have positioned him as a valuable voice in discussions around the practical application of AI and its transformative impact on diverse industries.

Amy Clark has over 20 years of experience in supply chain in the electric utility and gaming industries. After retiring from the Tennessee Valley Authority, Amy joined NV Energy as a supply chain and procurement manager. Amy is currently a senior manager at Aristocrat focused on supplier diversity, environmental social governance, and compliance. In addition to her supply chain experience, Amy was an adjunct professor at Georgia Northwestern Technical for five years. At GNTC, she taught business law, economics, HR management, leadership and management principles, labor relations, managerial accounting, and employment law. Amy holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Masters in Business Administration. She is a Certified Professional in Supply Management as designated by the Institute for Supply Management, Inc. Amy continues to further her education and will graduate this year with her Doctorate in Business Administration with a focus on Global Supply Chain Management.

Roderick Pressley Aiken is a seasoned marketing executive and entrepreneur with over two decades of leadership in retail, branding, and casino gaming. Based in Las Vegas with his wife and two children, Aiken is the Founder and CEO of RSWP, Inc., the first minority-owned U.S. casino gaming company, holding patents for the historic Casino Dominoes game. As Chief Marketing Officer at WSS, he was instrumental in the company’s $750M acquisition by Foot Locker, driving sales past $600M and overseeing rapid retail expansion. Previously, he built Eurostar Inc.’s marketing infrastructure from the ground up, managing $40M+ budgets and guiding the brand to national prominence. His early career includes pivotal work at Johnny Blaze Sportswear, where he drove global sales and celebrity partnerships. Aiken is also a former Executive Chairman of the DTLA Artwalk and an active member of the International WeLoveU Foundation.

Derrick is the Director of Technology & Innovation for Live Gaming at MGM Resorts International. He leads the technology strategy for MGM’s live dealer studio, overseeing platform development, new game creation, programming initiatives, and the integration of emerging technologies such as AI and XR. His work is focused on scaling interactive gaming experiences and shaping the future of live entertainment through innovation.

Previously, Derrick led enterprise-wide innovation initiatives at MGM, partnering with senior leaders to explore bold ideas that enhance guest engagement and operational excellence. His approach bridges product thinking with emerging tech to deliver real-world impact in the evolving casino and hospitality landscape.

Moderator

Donna Ruff is an accomplished corporate leader with more than 20 years of management experience and a solid background in Supplier Diversity, executive leadership, and business development. Her expertise in program direction, contract negotiations, and sustainability initiatives has enabled her to develop and implement metrics, analyses, improvements, timelines, budgets, and processes that drive cost-saving innovations. Donna's vision for empowering minority-owned businesses will drive positive impacts in Northern California, Nevada, and Hawai'i. Recognized with accolades like the 2020 WRMSDC MBEIC People's Choice, the 2022 Supplier Diversity Leader of the Year, and the 2023 Top 5 Most Influential Women in D&I by CIO Views, Donna is a powerful advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Christine Maddela is a lifelong storyteller. She’s a veteran broadcast journalist and media coach who now puts her decades of experience to work for her clients. That’s how Storyville Road was born. Storyville Road specializes in full-service video production and public speaking/presentation coaching.

Christine has served as a news anchor, reporter, and national correspondent all over the country including in Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Nashville, Washington D.C. and El Paso, TX.

She’s a proud graduate of The University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.

Christine is active in the Las Vegas community and serves on the board of Teach For America Nevada, Nevada Corporate Giving Council, Southern Nevada’s Industry Sector Partner for Creative Industries, NATAS National Emmy Awards Committee, Advisory Board for the annual Philanthropy Leaders Summit, Raiders Den entrepreneurial summer camp advisor, Community Advisory Board for St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, and video production advisor for Doral Academy’s Career and Technical Education program. She is a member of the Leadership Las Vegas Class of 2025.

Shaundell Newsome is Founder & Visionary of Sumnu Marketing is a three-time SBA Nevada Award winner;

Small business Champion of the Year (2008), Family-Owned Business of Year (2015) and Entrepreneurial

Spirit of the Year (2023). He started his rst business in 1982, as a teenager while attending the High School

of Graphic Communication Arts. He created iers, posters and tape covers for early hip hop and rap artists in

his Bedford Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy) Brooklyn neighborhood. Shaundell credits his mentor Michael Collins,

owner of Lou-Edna Graphics and Printing for his interest in the industry and entrepreneurship.

Prior to starting the marketing rm, Shaundell served a decade in the United States Air Force and worked for

Station Casinos as a Marketing Director. New technology and innovation became his calling card over the

past 30 years in Southern Nevada. In the Air Force he participated in Top Secret missions to develop Stealth

and drone technology. He was a member of the Station Casinos Board Pass launch team that created

gaming’s most successful loyalty program. Finally, he is one of the architects of the Vegas Chamber’s

Leadership Advance Program and a graduate of its inaugural class.

Reggie Burton is Founder and Owner of Reggie Burton Communications, LLC, doing business as RB Group – Public Relations. The firm specializes in traditional public relations, social media marketing, advocacy, web-development and design as well as strategic diversity communications. We have vast experiences on both small and large-scale projects. Our clients include the Vegas Golden Knights, Lexus of Las Vegas and Henderson, Centennial Subaru and the Las Vegas Urban League.

Prior to starting his own public relations firm, Burton served as director of communications for MGM Mirage, a publicly traded hotel and gaming company headquartered in Las Vegas, NV. He directed the corporation’s strategic public relations, marketing and communications campaigns on both the local and national levels. During his tenure, the company generated Advertising Equivalency Value (AEV) annually in the tens of millions of dollars and received regional and national acclaim, including being named to the prestigious “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” by DiversityInc Magazine.

For more information, visit www.reggieburton.com or www.averyburtonfoundation.org