Panel 1: AI in the Enterprise – From Hype to Implementation

Joydeep Bhattacharjee, AVP Engineering – GenAI, The Hartford
With over 24 years of experience in IT, engineering, and leadership at The Hartford, CVS Health, Southwest Airlines, and Capgemini, Joydeep now leads a team of Engineers, Data Scientists, and ML architects on a mission to develop a human-in-the-loop GenAI Platform (AIOps) that is set to revolutionize insurance and underwriting.
Throughout his career, he has driven key initiatives including enterprise IT modernization, digital transformation, cloud app and data migration, IT security modernization, and the adoption of an AI-first strategy. Joydeep also paved the way for innovative Cognitive AI capabilities, developed multi-modal AI for customer sentiment analysis and QnA, and invented a patented Markov Chain-based cache optimization method. Outside of work, he is passionate about astronomy and tennis, having won the 2017 USTA National Championship.


Kapil Gupta, VP Engineering - Digital Channels, UPS
Digital Product and Engineering leader with considerable experience designing and developing enterprise-level software and products at UPS, AT&T, and Verizon. Currently, responsible for product management and engineering for customer-facing digital channels, omni-channel, and single view of customer technologies at UPS: ups.com, UPS mobile app, online shipping and package tracking, customer onboarding, digital and voice assistant, agentic AI, etc.


Krishna Kishore Gajjala, Director, Generative AI & Software Engineering, UnitedHealth Group
With over 25 years of experience, Kishore has grown from a passionate software engineer into a strategic IT and AI leader. Kishore has led digital transformation initiatives at Honeywell and Target, driving the development of enterprise applications deployed across thousands of retail locations. Over time, Kishore deepened his expertise in machine learning and AI and now leads Generative AI initiatives at UnitedHealth Group—focused on enhancing operational efficiency, improving user experiences, and driving measurable productivity gains through Responsible AI solutions.


Rahul Shah, Senior Director of GenAI, Albertsons Companies
Rahul is the Sr. Director of GenAI Powered Customer Advocacy Platform at Albertsons Companies and is at the forefront of leveraging Generative AI to revolutionize customer and associate support. Rahul spearheads the creation of intelligent automated AI chatbots and voice bots that drive productivity gains, improving efficiency and empowering millions of shoppers and employees. With over 20 years of experience in Big 4 Management Consulting and Fortune 500, Rahul ensures a strategic and results-oriented approach to complex challenges.


Moderator: Crissi Cupak, Head of Product, PMG
Product strategist for enterprise-level software. A former marketing professional with ample experience in online media purchasing, social marketing, and publisher network relationships. Advisor to early-stage startups at Techstars in martech, adtech and sales tech.



VC Fireside Chat: Vision for What is Next

Jayson Kim, General Partner, Legendary Ventures
Jayson Kim is a General Partner @Legendary Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in companies across the consumer, retail, and technology space. Their investment portfolio includes OpenAI, xAI, Pinterest, Airbnb, Etsy, and many other prominent companies. Previously, Jayson served in a variety of senior leadership roles at some of the most iconic retail brands in the world, including J.Crew Group, Jones (Nine West) Group, Perry Ellis International, and BCBGMAXAZRIA Group. Jayson is also a Board Trustee with the Girl Scouts of America.


Keith Kaplan, Maykr, CEO
Keith Kaplan is the CEO of Maykr Inc., a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with a diverse background spanning capital, technology, and media. Maykr Inc. exemplifies the cutting edge of innovation and investment in technologies that define the future. Through a comprehensive and integrated ecosystem, Maykr Inc. advances AI and robotics solutions that revolutionize industries while addressing global challenges such as energy sustainability. Under his guidance, Maykr has directed significant capital toward innovative projects through Maykr Capital, including AI, Robotics, sustainable and nuclear energy, and advanced data infrastructure, demonstrating his commitment to a technologically sophisticated and environmentally conscious future.


Moderator: Vlad Pavlov, Senior AI & Software Engineering Director, PMG
Vlad is a hands-on AI Engineering leader with 20+ years at startups to Microsoft & Intel. Built top ML / Engineering teams (250+ people) & led major projects in Martech (1Bln+ consumers), Healthcare, Telecom (600Mln+ consumers). Award-winning researcher, author, speaker. Panel 2: Enabling the Future – The Tech Behind GenAI and Agents

Farah Deendar, Director, Azure AI, Microsoft
Seasoned Technology Leader with 20+ years of industry experience working alongside a wide range of Microsoft’s Global Enterprise Strategic customers. Farah is driven to deliver high business results through nurturing trusted relationships, building and leading high-performance teams and creating business solutions with Microsoft’s Cloud technology stack.


James Harding, Head of Gen AI Technical Solutions, Google
With a solid background in Electrical Engineering (BS) and business principles (MBA), James thrived in the airline industry, demonstrating an exceptional ability to adapt to new technologies and align them with strategic business goals. By pursuing an MS in Data Science, he further enhanced his technical expertise, successfully transitioning into a specialized role as an AI/ML specialist. In his new role as a Generative AI Field Solutions Architect Manager, James leads a team that identifies, assesses, and develops Generative AI and AI/ML applications through the application of key industry tools, techniques, and methodologies to solve problems.
Before joining Google, James spent 21 years specializing in relational, columnar, and non-relational document databases.


Kalpana Mahesh, Head of Data & Gen AI Architecture, AWS
As the Head of AI/ML GTM at AWS, Kalpana lead the global go-to-market strategy and execution for one of the fastest-growing and most impactful business segments at the world leading cloud provider. With over 25 years of experience in the technology industry, she has a proven track record of delivering innovative products, driving change, and building customer relationships around the world.


Moderator: Evan Wooten, AI & Software Engineering Director, PMG
Evan Wooten, leader in AdTech, is transforming how enterprise brands leverage technology to drive exceptional business outcomes. Based in Texas, Evan has over a decade of experience innovating for global brands like Apple, Nike, and Ralph Lauren. At PMG, he leads the evolution of the Alli marketing operating system, a proprietary technology that manages billions of dollars in annual media spending and delivers actionable insights to the world’s most iconic brands.