Conference Agenda
2008 Technology Innovators Conference: Thriving in a Global Marketplace
November 20-21, 2008, Washington DC
Thursday, November 20
7:30 am — Continental Breakfast and Registration
8:30 – 9:00 am — Welcome and Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Remarks
Tracy Gray, Director, National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI)
9:00 – 10:15 am — Keynote Address: Yes You Can!
Jim Stovall, Co-founder and President, Narrative Television Network; Author, The Ultimate Gift
10:30 – 12:00 pm — Panel Discussion: Future of Global Computing
Join a visionary tour of the architecture for global computing and networking. What does the future hold for education and technology development?
- Gregg Downey, Editor and Publisher, eSchool News (Moderator)
- Gordon Freedman, Vice President, Education Strategy, Blackboard, Inc.
- T.V. Raman, Computer Scientist, Google, Inc.
12:00 – 1:15 pm — Lunch with Speaker Secretary Thomas E. Perez, Creating an Inclusive Workforce
Examine the critical issues facing education, business, and workforce development. Learn how to be part of the solution.
Secretary Thomas E. Perez, Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation
1:30 – 2:45 pm — Panel Discussion: Where Do U.S. Students Rank in Global Competitiveness?
Discover technology’s role in developing 21st century skills to strengthen U.S. students’ competitiveness in the global economy.
- Kevin Bushweller, Executive Editor, Education Week’s Digital Directions (Moderator)
- Charles Fadel, Global Lead, Education, Cisco Systems, Inc.
- Susan Traiman, Director of Education and Workforce Policy, Business Roundtable
- Mary Ann Wolf, Executive Director, State Educational Technology Directors Association
3:00 – 4:30 pm — Breakout Sessions
Getting Serious About Gaming – Understand the opportunities in the $2 billion gaming economy.
- Chris Dede, Timothy E. Wirth Professor, Learning Technologies, Harvard Graduate School of Education (Moderator)
- Chinwe Onyekere, Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Alex Quinn, Executive Director, Games for Change
- Ben Sawyer, President, Digitalmill, Inc.; Co-founder, Serious Games Initiative and Games for Health Project
Power of Digital Learning – Open the world through online learning. How far can it go?
- Gordon Freedman, Vice President, Education Strategy, Blackboard, Inc. (Moderator)
- Barbara ‘Bobbi’ Kurshan, Executive Director, Curriki
- Anne Murphy, Executive Director, Digital Promise
- Susan Patrick, President and CEO, North American Council for Online Learning
Understanding the Global Marketplace - Explore new international markets to expand your reach and grow your business.
- Jeffrey Bigham, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Washington CSE; WebAnywhere, Winner of the Accessible Technology Award for Interface Design in the 2008 Microsoft Imagine Cup international competition
- Leslie Conery, Deputy CEO, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
- Annuska Perkins, Accessibility Program Manager, Product Planner, and User Experience Strategist in the Accessible Technology Group, Microsoft Corporation (Moderator)
- Yong Zhao, Distinguished Professor, Michigan State University; Founding Director, Center for Teaching and Technology and the U.S.-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence
Mobile Global – Unlock the potential of wireless mobile technologies.
- Larry Goldberg, Director of Media Access, WGBH (Moderator)
- Tom Greaves, Chairman, The Greaves Group
- John Horrigan, Associate Director for Research, Pew Internet & American Life Project
- Bruce Wilcox, Founder and CEO, ¡Aprender!
4:30 – 5:30 pm — Networking Session
5:30 – 7:00 pm — Tech Expo Event and Reception
Friday, November 21
The Innovators Marketplace: Reframing the Market
What are the implications of shifting demographics, developing economies, converging platforms, and the realization of a true information society mean for learning and assistive technologies and U.S. education? Join us for a discussion with exciting boundary-spanners and visionaries who will reframe your work in our global marketplace.
7:30 – 8:30 am — Continental Breakfast and Registration
8:30 – 8:45 am — Looking Ahead
Tracy Gray, Director, National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI)
8:45 – 9:15 am — Breakfast with Alan Brightman: Exploring DisabilityLand
Join us for a special breakfast session with Alan Brightman, Senior Policy Director, Special Communities, Yahoo!, Inc. He will be introduced by David Rose, Founder and Chief Education Officer, Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST).
9:15 – 10:30 am — Panel Discussion: Reframing the Market: What’s Next for Learning and Assistive Technologies?
Discuss with foundation and business leaders how they have successfully expanded their markets to achieve economies of scale and respond to the trends.
- Mary Furlong, President and CEO, Mary Furlong & Associates
- Tracy Gray, Director, National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI) (Moderator)
- Larry Grossman, Co-chair, Digital Promise Project
- Noel Gunther, Vice President, Learning and Interactive Media, WETA-TV-FM
- Marshall Raskind, Former Director of Research and Special Projects, Schwab Learning; Fellow and Vice President, International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities
- Jeff Zimman, Co-founder, President, and CEO, Posit Science
10:45 – 12:00 pm — Panel Discussion: Public Private Partnerships
Explore the critical role of collaboration to scale up and sustain technology innovation and initiatives.
- Chris Dede, Timothy E. Wirth Professor, Learning Technologies, Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Barry Fingerhut, Managing Director, Synconium Partners (Moderator)
- Larry Goldberg, Director of Media Access, WGBH
- Steve Seleznow, Deputy Director, U.S. Programs, Education, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Robert Sinclair, Director, Accessible Technology Group, Microsoft Corporation


