Speakers

Karmen is a Lead Designer at Moment where she helps clients envision, create, and evolve digital products through research and strategy.

Katie leads the experience strategy for Allstate online marketing products including the Allstate.com quoting experiences and My Account. Originally educated as a theatre director, she brings a unique perspective to digital work.

Fei is a UX designer and researcher at Cappex in the Chicago area. He likes to hear and share stories and tips regarding UX.

Alina Cvetkova is a product designer with a passion for user-centered design and setting up UX processes. Originally from Latvia, Alina has at the moment settled in the sunny Barcelona.

Jen Blatz is a Principal UX Researcher at BECU. Jen's path to UX started in journalism and graphic design to UX design and finally at UX research and strategy. She has worked in a number of fields including finance, mortgage, cloud storage, security and pet health.

Neil is a Chicago transplant working as a podcast producer as well as a teacher’s assistant and design mentor with Designation. He loves the design research process, talking to users, then bringing back ideas to them for testing.

Alissa is Director of Design at Tempus. Her work has always been driven my impact—currently it’s cancer, but before it was progressive politics, K12 educational technologies, and non-profit marketing.

Don Bora has been a professional software developer in Chicago since 1990. In his career, Don has started 6 companies two of which he sold and two of which are still alive and making a lot of noise.

Jason Kunesh finds simple solutions for gnarly problems wherever people meet technology.

Danielle is CIO and Commissioner of the Department of Innovation and Technology. Most recently Danielle was the City’s Chief Technology Officer, leading efforts to leverage data and technology to make government more effective, efficient, and innovative.