I’m excited to announce the Dreamforce 2016 Luminary Developer sessions! These amazing thought leaders will inspire, teach, and show us the future. Whether you are looking to level up your career, treat your brain to some new technology, or bring back concrete ways to make your workplace more inclusive, we’ve got you covered.

Bookmark these Luminary Developer sessions today so you’ll be ready to select them when the Dreamforce Agenda Builder opens September 7, 2016. Dreamforce is sold out, but you can still get in on the Dreamforce inspiration with a free Expo+ pass, or sign up to watch it live from anywhere in the world.

Professional Development Sessions

6 Things I Wish I’d Known About People, Profit, and Product

Sherisse Hawkins is an engineer who abruptly left corporate America to become the co-founder and CEO of tech startup Beneath the Ink. In a frank, funny, but tough conversation, she shares the 6 things she wished she’d known about people, profit, and product. From pitching an idea to skeptics on the TV show Shark Tank, to raising the capital needed to launch a product, to seeking out critical feedback from end users and determining the next step after a major failure, Ms. Hawkins shares the honest findings you can apply to make a positive impact on the people, profit, and products in your world without having to give up great health insurance. [Register here!] [Tweet This!]

Sherisse Hawkins

CEO/Co-founder, Beneath the Ink

Sherisse Hawkins, an engineer who started her career as a Walt Disney Imagineer and eventually served as a VP at Time Warner Cable, applied two decades of corporate experience to the launch of her own tech startup in 2012.  Now CEO and co-founder of Beneath the Ink, a software company providing tools for interactive digital content creation, Sherisse brings expertise in product development, managing high-tech teams, and developing innovative products to client projects around the globe.

Beats, Rhymes, and 5 Million QPS: Lessons in Bringing Your Whole Self to Work

Theresa Vu is a VP of Engineering AND a hip-hop artist, and she’s learned that the typical advice of compartmentalizing yourself in the workplace is well-intentioned but short-sighted.  Join us as Theresa shares the advantages of bringing your whole self to the workplace, from the vantage point of an engineering lead who’s rap career helped her build the largest independent ad tech platform in the world. [Register here!]

Theresa Vu

VP of Engineering, AppNexus

Theresa Vu is the Vice President of Engineering of the Real Time Platform group at AppNexus.   Vu was the first developer hired at AppNexus and, with a tiny but dedicated team of engineers, built the real-time ad serving system which is now the largest independent and tech platform in the world (150+ billion impressions daily).  In 2015 she was named to LinkedIn’s Next Wave list of top 10 professionals under 35 in Marketing/Advertising.  When she is not coding, Vu is part of the hip-hop group Magnetic North & Taiyo Na, whose album “Home:Word” hit #3 on the Japanese hip-hop charts.

Salesforce Community: a Culture of Curation

Curation is “a way of approaching and making sense of the world by engaging in a collective rather than an individual process” – Ben Betts. Leah McGowen-Hare, Director, Content Strategy Trailhead T&P at Salesforce, feels this describes the Salesforce Community perfectly: a community where people share information freely to hopefully inspire others. What are the benefits and obstacles in this culture? How do you know if it’s for you? Join this discussion to learn how can you bring this aspect of the Salesforce community to your organization. [Register here!] [Tweet This!]

Leah McGowen-Hare

Director, Content Strategy Trailhead T&P, Salesforce

Leah McGowen-Hare, MSEd is a Director, Content Strategy Trailhead T&P with Salesforce. Leah identifies the learning strategy for Salesforce’s software engineers using Salesforce’s learning tool, Trailhead. Prior to her current role, Leah was an accomplished and dynamic Master Technical Trainer, for Salesforce. She uses her knowledge and experience to demystify and make technology more accessible to youth, girls, communities of color and Veteran’s through organizations such as BlackGirls Code, Technovation, Girls Who Code, and Vetforce and was recently awarded Powerful Woman of the Bay 2016 Honoree for her efforts.

The Future of Technology Sessions

3D Printing: The Future is Now

Leanne Gluck is the Deputy Director at America Makes, a national accelerator for 3D printing. In this talk, Leanne will share the latest and greatest in 3D printing technology – like the October, a 3D-printed, farting, gummy octopus, Food Inc, the world’s first 3D Printed restaurant, and Made in Space, the first zero gravity printer on the ISS. Join us and see the future now! [Register here!] [Tweet This!]

Leanne Gluck

Deputy Director, Workforce, and Education Outreach at America Makes

Leanne Gluck is the Deputy Director at America Makes, a national accelerator for 3D printing and the nations collaborative partner in 3DP technology research, discovery, creation and innovation. Previously, she was the Director of Social Impact at 3D Systems where she managed education and corporate philanthropy initiatives, helping 3D Systems build digital literacy skills in the next generation and deliver on its mission of “Making Good.” From inspiring students to fix the world someday, to using 21st-century tools to change the world now, she believes 3D printing enables everyone to turn ideas into opportunities for impact and action.

CityDrones: Building an Innovative Urban Airspace

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. Nope. It’s a drone. Drones are fast becoming critical parts of the U.S. (and global) economy, but airspace is one of the most heavily regulated areas. Will regulations kill innovation in the drone industry? Charles Belle, CEO, and founder of Startup Policy Lab will talk about working with the City of San Francisco to develop the City’s first drone policy. We’ll talk lessons learned, open data, and new opportunities in the urban sky. [Register here!] [Tweet This!]

Charles Belle

CEO & founder, Startup Policy Lab

Charles works extensively in the policy space at the intersection of law and technology as it impacts startups. A combination public policy wonk and entrepreneur, He work at the intersection of law, technology, and policy in a variety of areas with the objective of empowering startups and building centers of innovation.

Analytics as Currency: How New Methods are Turning Data into Actual Dollars

Jon Gosier is Co-Founder and CEO of video ad-targeting company, AuDigent. Audigent is a powerful audience measurement and monetization platform that is drastically changing the economics of the entertainment industry. The technologies and methods they use have implications for many other industries. Join the alum TED-speaker and data scientist for a conversation about the future of monetizing data and the greater implications. [Register here!] [Tweet This!]

Jon Gosier

CEO & founder video ad-targeting company, AuDigent

Jon Gosier is Co-Founder and CEO of video ad-targeting company, AuDigent. He has nearly a decade of experience in data science and international business. His work has been recognized with awards from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Harvard Initiative for Global Health, and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF). Jon is a long-time member of the TED’s Senior Fellowship program. His 2014 TED Talk on “Techonomics” discussed the dual-nature of technology’s effect on capitalism and society.

Inclusion in Technology Sessions

Advancing Equity for Women and Girls of Color

All communities seek economic empowerment. Women and girls of color face unique obstacles. Join Kalisha Dessources, Policy Advisor to the Council on Women and Girls at The White House, to hear what the federal government is doing to tackle these obstacles and how you can be part of the solution. [Register here!]

Kalisha Dessources

Policy Advisor to the White House Council on Women and Girls

Kalisha Dessources serves as a Policy Advisor to the White House Council on Women and Girls, where she works on issues including girl’s education, diversity and inclusiveness in STEM, working families policies, and the advancement of women and girls of color. Previously, Kalisha served as a Staff Assistant for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, where she engaged state elected officials on a variety of issues.

Data Driven Diversity

Technologists are by nature lovers of data. When we look at diversity in technology, we already have so much of the data demonstrating that technology isn’t providing equal opportunities, we’re failing to recruit, support and reward diverse talent, and diverse teams perform better. Join us as Jessica Rose, Founder of jessica.tech, takes a look at our collective inability to separate our biases from the data available and our need to use technological intervention to track and disrupt our biases and the behaviors they spawn. [Register here!] [Tweet This!] 

Jessica Rose

Founder, jessica.tech

Jessica Rose, Founder of jessica.tech, is a self-taught technologist focused on fostering equal access to technical education, employment, and digital spaces. She’s founded the Open Code event series, co-founded Trans*Code, and is always excited to hear about new projects. Find her and tell her all about what you’re passionate about.

Most Valuable Startup: Increasing Value Through Inclusion

What do we mean when we say, “Make your workplace more inclusive” and how does it add value to your organization? Bianca L. St. Louis, inclusive community builder formerly of Pinterest, CODE2040, LinkedIn, and Startup America, approaches it like staging a house for sale. Join us to learn how to authentically convey value to potential employees, make everyone feel welcome, and help people visualize themselves in your space. [Register here!] [Tweet This!]

Bianca L. St. Louis

Independent Consultant

Bianca L. St Louis is an independent consultant and community builder with experience supporting tech companies on their quest to build a more inclusive environment. She has experience building programs, systems and community networks. In the past, she’s worked at and CODE2040, Pinterest, a16z, LinkedIn, Startup America and The White House: Office of Presidential Correspondence.  At CODE2040 she supported the mission of creating access, awareness, and opportunities for top Black and Latino/a engineering talent to ensure their leadership in the innovation economy. She maintained and expanded relationships with corporate partners, identified best in class talent and best practices for companies and partners to succeed.

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