Aaryn has been an interpreter for 20 years, earning her first certification in 2010. Aaryn values collaboration and strives to establish best practices within interpreting communities for managing vicarious trauma, navigating ethical decisions and building our businesses. The majority of her career, Aaryn has served on designated interpreter teams for medical professionals, PhD candidates and government employees. Aaryn has extensive experience working with CDIs. Her practice currently specializes in conference and business travel interpreting. Aaryn is a practitioner first, which is reflected in her interpreting practice, presentation topics and business relationship style. Each of her workshops include intrapersonal awareness and interpersonal navigation components for consideration. Aaryn fosters spaces in which participants co-create knowledge and understanding.

Adam Stone is a director of analytics engineering at Brooklyn Data, a data consultancy. He has worked in the tech industry as a data scientist and analytics engineer in the US and UK, holding individual contributor and management roles at Netlify, Deliveroo, and Convo. He earned a PhD in educational neuroscience from Gallaudet University; prior to this, Adam was a kindergarten teacher at P.S. 347 The ASL & English Lower School. Outside of work Adam's chilling with his British husband Jordan and their dog Penny, jogging in NYC's Riverside Park, and playing Nintendo games.

Since 2009, Alana has been empowering and guiding people in reaching their true designations using powerful, transformative coaching techniques gained from Certified Coaches Federation from which she received her certifications in executive, professional and life coaching. Her area of expertise is guiding individuals who are searching for their purpose and meaning in life to a place of actualization and contentment. In her coaching work, she draws from personal and professional experiences in working in corporations such as Purple Communications, NexTalk, Inc.,MCI/Verzion, and currently, with T-Mobile. As the founder and principal of Creative Consultations, Inc., she has been privileged to work with individuals and teams across the country to help them move past obstacles, uncover their potential, to gain clarity and moving forward with their goals. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from Gallaudet University and her Master’s Degree in Organizational Development from University of Phoenix.

Amanda David is a staff interpreter at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds the Certificate of Interpretation and Certificate of Transliteration through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf; Level III, Medical, and Master interpreter certifications through the Texas Board for Evaluation of Interpreters; and the CoreCHI-Performance certification from the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters. Her interests focus on interpreting for deaf and hard of hearing health care professionals in their training and careers, patient access to health care systems, and conference interpreting.

Tony Barraza is a nationally certified trilingual interpreter with over 30 years of experience in American Sign Language interpretation. Growing up in a Spanish-speaking home with a Deaf brother, Tony was introduced to sign language at an early age it quickly became a natural part of his life. He got his start in Milwaukee and, in 1999, headed to Washington, D.C., where he had the opportunity to interpret in a variety of high-profile academic, government, and community settings, including extensive work at Gallaudet University. Over the years, Tony has worked as an independent contractor, providing both in-person and video interpreting services nationwide as well as internationally. Now back home in Milwaukee, he continues to do what he loves most—bridging communication and building connections through language.

Bill is a graduate of Gallaudet University (BA) and The George Washington University (MS), with degrees in Computer Science. His employment background has ranged from software development, being a University professor (at Gallaudet), self-employment as a photo/video professional, and a number of positions in communications (photo, video, writing, copy editing, web development). He has been using interpreters since he was 15. He recently published an article (co-written with Wyatte Hall and Kelby Brick) in RID's Journal of Interpreting, titled "From Principles to Practice". He is a lifelong hobbyist, ranging from blacksmithing and blademaking to sewing, sailing, woodworking, and more.

Chris Moreland, MD MPH, is a Professor of Medicine at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. He serves as division chief for hospital medicine and works clinically as a hospitalist. As a clinician educator, he has held multiple education roles over his career. His research addresses the experiences of people with disabilities as both healthcare learners/professionals and as patients, as well as the delivery of accommodations. He has worked with designated interpreters throughout his career.

Christopher Tester, Ph.D., is the founder and visionary behind With Direction, LLC. As a Deaf individual with decades of experience in interpreting and consulting, Christopher brings a unique perspective that bridges cultural and linguistic gaps. His work spans various fields, including legal, academic, and corporate settings, where he ensures precise and impactful communication. An accredited International Sign Interpreter with the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and a member of the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC), Christopher’s expertise is globally recognized. Throughout his career, Christopher has worked with high-profile organizations, including the United Nations and UNICEF, delivering interpretation and consulting services that are both technically accurate and culturally sensitive. He has a passion for enhancing the practice of sign language interpreting and works tirelessly to improve accessibility and inclusivity for the Deaf community. As an educator and consultant, he has shaped conversations about disability rights, interpreting practices, and cross-cultural communication through his workshops and presentations worldwide. His leadership at With Direction, LLC reflects his commitment to elevating communication standards and ensuring that every interaction is clear and meaningful.

Claire Labry was born and raised in the 512 (Austin, Texas), and now calls Indianapolis home—where she's spent the last two years dabbling in real estate and learning how to survive actual winters. By day, she's a release engineer (a software engineer with a flair for dramatic deadlines), helping product teams launch their stuff without setting anything on fire. By night (and on weekends), she's either sign-whispering sweet nothings to her tomato plants, wrangling sourdough starter like it's a science experiment, or elbow-deep in some sort of food prep situation she definitely didn't plan for.

Clara Baldwin is a lifelong advocate and educator committed to improving Deaf Education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children in Alaska. Raised in the Bay Area within a vibrant Deaf community, Clara’s passion for advocacy was shaped by her experiences and her pride in being part of a Japanese-American Deaf family. The intersection of these identities has profoundly influenced her leadership and advocacy work. Now based in Anchorage, Alaska, Clara serves as the Assistant Director of Special Education for the Anchorage School District. As she enters her fifth year in this role, Clara has successfully navigated the challenges of working in a hearing-dominated environment—a stark contrast to her Deaf upbringing—while continuing to grow both personally and professionally. In addition to her work, Clara is an active member of the Alaska Deaf Council and chairs the Deaf Education & Outreach Committee. She has collaborated closely with the Alaska Legislature to enhance accessibility to Deaf Education statewide. Clara’s passion for making a difference extends beyond policy, as evidenced by her recent TEDx talk in Anchorage, where she shared her vision for making Anchorage as the most Deaf-friendly city in the nation. Clara also serves as a board member of the Alaska Airlines External Disability Advisory Board (X-DAB), furthering her mission to improve accessibility and inclusion across various sectors.

Corey Axelrod, MBA, is the founder and CEO of 2axend, a Deaf-owned strategic consulting and training firm working with organizations to provide user-centric experiences to Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Prior to founding 2axend, Axelrod served in several business development roles for Communication Service for the Deaf, as well as principal and digital marketing consultant for Synergetic Business Solutions, digital marketing coordinator for Purple Communications and director of marketing and business development for Hager Productions. Axelrod earned his master of business administration (MBA) with a concentration in marketing and sales management and his bachelor of science in business administration from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Corryn has been working as a corporate sustainability professional for two decades. She has worked for public schools, Fortune 500 companies, and small firms. Corryn is an expert in driving adoption of ESG strategies and showcasing success stories. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy and a Master’s of Public Administration degree in Environmental Management. In 2022, she was recognized by Crain’s Chicago as a Notable Leader in Sustainability. She serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Friends of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for ecological restoration and preservation of native habitat in the preserves around Chicago’s communities.

Debra Patkin is Associate General Counsel at Gallaudet University, where she provides legal advice and support on a wide range of university matters, including labor and employment, contracts, student matters (K-12 and post-secondary), risk mitigation, litigation, compliance and institutional policy. Prior to joining Gallaudet, she served as an Attorney Advisor with the Federal Communications Commission, where she worked on policy and regulatory issues to ensure accessible communications for individuals with disabilities. Before that, as a staff attorney with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). At NAD, she litigated civil-rights cases, advocated on behalf of the deaf and hard of hearing community, addressed consumer legal inquiries, and conducted outreach and education. Earlier in her career, Debra was a litigation attorney at the Disability Rights Legal Center in Los Angeles, California. She received her J.D. from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, an M.A. in Linguistics from Gallaudet University, and a B.S. in Psychology from Rochester Institute of Technology. Debra now balances her legal career with her unofficial side gig as a full-time taxi driver for her children. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor recreation and cheering on Boston sports teams.

Aside from being a life coach, Diana Cho is an ASL tutor who helps people grow in both skill and confidence. She works with ASL learners, interpreting students and working professionals, aiming to support clear and confident communication. For hearing individuals, she keeps an eye on the link between confidence and inner sincerity in their signing, so their communication feels more natural and is better received within the Deaf community.

Eric Epstein is an ASL consultant & educator whose work has been featured in the New York Times article “American Sign Language Reveals Wordplay Beyond Sound”. He has provided multiple nationwide ASL interpreter training programs through various nonprofits, school districts, and government offices. His groundbreaking research in advanced ASL can be found in the website Signplaying.com, which is currently being used as part of the ASL curriculum at various university courses.

Jeremy Quiroga is an accomplished professional who channels his passion for life and American Sign Language (ASL) through national workshops and performances. Beginning his career as a medical interpreter, Jeremy became the first staff Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) for the University of Rochester Medical Center, marking a pivotal moment that steered his focus toward medical interpreting. With exceptional ASL mastery and a wealth of life experience, Jeremy delivers dynamic interpreter workshops equipped with a wide array of tools tailored for diverse interpreting settings. Currently, he works as a Video Remote Interpreter (VRI) specializing in the medical field. Outside of work, Jeremy enjoys cooking, hiking, and gardening, pursuits that reflect his zest for creativity and connection with nature.

Julie Rems-Smario, Ed.D.serves as an Education Programs Consultant for the Deaf Education Unit at the California Department of Education. In this role, she supervises SB 210 data (California’s LEAD-K law), develops resources for families of Deaf children, supports and trains Early Start teachers, and provides technical assistance to K–12 Deaf education teachers. As part of California's LEAD-K Family Services, Julie is one of two statewide coordinators for California’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs. From 2018 to 2020, she served as an Education Programs Assistant at the California Department of Education, where she directed California’s Newborn Hearing Screening Project as the principal investigator (PI) for the HRSA EHDI grant.

With over 20 years of experience in Deaf education, Julie Stewart brings a wealth of knowledge to her role as Assistant Principal at Ohio School for the Deaf. She is dedicated to fostering a supportive learning environment where all students and teachers can reach their full potential, both academically and personally. Ms. Stewart served in several roles supporting Deaf children. Ms. Stewart started as a classroom teacher and remained in the classroom, teaching Deaf children from Preschool to high school, for ten years. Also, at Statewide Services and Outreach at the Ohio School for the Deaf, Ms. Stewart served as an ASL Specialist and Educational Consultant, supporting Deaf children in mainstream settings. She also worked at the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence at the Outreach Center for Deafness and Blindness, providing resources and training to school districts. She looks forward to leveraging more leadership in our teachers and students to strengthen Deaf education for the years to come.

Katherine Lees is the trailblazing CEO and Co-Founder of dozanü innovations, an award-winning agency redefining how businesses communicate through accessible marketing, multilingual content, and inclusive technology. With deep roots in marketing and a bold vision for equity-driven innovation, Katherine empowers organizations to embed access into the core of their strategy, driving measurable impact and market growth. Based in Austin with offices in LA and DC and nationwide team members, dozanü’s three core divisions—marketing, accesszanü (accessibility), and technology (PIVOT)—deliver scalable, progressive solutions across corporate, government, education, and entertainment sectors. As a Deaf, Women, Queer, and disabled leader, Katherine brings a lived-experience lens to every conversation—challenging norms and delivering solutions rooted in authenticity, empathy, and results. Her personal journey fuels her work, driving dozanü’s commitment to cultural competence, accessible design, and systems-level change. Katherine’s latest venture, PIVOT, is a groundbreaking, patent-pending platform that transforms digital content into fully accessible formats—including video for Sign Language, audio translations for those who don’t read and write their native language, and multilingual written content—through one line of code. Designed to eliminate access barriers without disrupting infrastructure, PIVOT is already reshaping how companies deliver inclusive digital experiences.

Mark Davis is a Senior Lecturer entering his seventh year of teaching Precision Machining courses at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) in Rochester, NY, where he resides with his wife and two children. He holds a Master of Science degree and brings over 14 years of hands-on industrial experience to the classroom. His focus is on providing students with both technical knowledge and essential life skills to prepare them for careers in the manufacturing industry or for transfer to four-year degree programs. He is deeply committed to student success and actively supports their job placement and academic progression. As co-chair of the NTID Curriculum Committee, he plays a key role in maintaining high standards in NTID's Precision Manufacturing Technology (PMT) program, ensuring the curriculum remains current, relevant, and aligned with industry demands.

Roberta Mather is a seasoned strategist, communicator, and policy advisor with over 25 years of experience in federal leadership, international relations, and global labor policy. As a Deaf professional, she has led transformative campaigns and advised Cabinet- level leaders on national security, diplomacy, and economic equity. Her portfolio includes organizing G7 and G20 labor ministerials, shaping bilateral partnerships like the U.S.-Brazil Partnership for Workers’ Rights, and directing enterprise-wide communications for agencies advancing accessibility and worker protections. Roberta’s work blends lived experience with strategic insight, making her a trusted voice in both policy and people-centered design. She is the creator of the Hierarchy of Interpreter Needs and has conducted nationwide surveys on Deaf professionals in executive roles. Roberta is passionate about building equitable partnerships between Deaf leaders and interpreters—especially in spaces where both have long been underrepresented.

Sheryl grew up amid the turbulent 1960s, witnessing riots and the fierce struggle for civil rights. At 13, she became deaf due to spinal meningitis. Her great aunt taught her the Old English two-handed alphabet, fostering her ability to communicate and igniting a lifelong passion for advocacy. At 22, Sheryl became the founding president of the National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA) organization. In October 2023, she returned as NBDA’s president. Her advocacy took her to Chicago, where she served as Director of Social Services and Advocacy at the Chicago Hearing Society. Following that she moved to Michigan and created initiatives such as the Macomb School to Work program and the Deaf HEAL and Shield programs at Deaf C.A.N! She made history as the first Black Deaf woman to lead a state-mandated Deaf agency, directing Michigan’s Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She is the primary author Michigan’s original Sign Language interpreting regulations. A Gallaudet University alumna with a B.A. degree in Social Work and a M.A., in Rehabilitation Counseling from NYU, Sheryl now resides in Colorado, continuing her work as a Disability Community Equity and Engagement Specialist.

TJay comes from a predominantly Deaf and hard of hearing family and is approximately the eighth generation in his family to be born with hearing loss. He grew up navigating both the Deaf/Hoh and hearing worlds spaces often entangled in racism and ableism. TJay holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a focus on Human Rights from the University of Minnesota, and a master’s degree in International Business from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. He currently works at Fairview Health Service as an ADA/ACA Coordinator, where he advocates for accessibility and equity in healthcare. Outside of work, TJay enjoys spending time with his wife, Genna, and their two daughters. He loves hiking throughout the state, gardening in his backyard, and staying active in local community advocacy efforts.

Trenton Marsh has been a communicator since he was knee high to a short chihuahua. Born to deaf parents and deaf siblings, he grew up attending the California School for the Deaf in both Berkeley and Fremont. After a year and a half at NTID majoring in Art, he went back West as a young man. His long and winding journey led him to Salt Lake City, Utah where he got his Deaf Interpreting certification and started interpreting and mentoring in the mid 2000s. Trenton has interpreted in a wide variety of settings and has specialized in medical interpreting over the past two years. He still lives in Salt Lake City with his wife Bonnie and two COCA-CODA kids, Madi and Rider.

William Harkness serves as the Inclusive Systems Engineering Leader and Head of Accessibility Engineering at Boeing Commercial Airplane (BCA), a role in which he champions the integration of accessibility into product development, workforce practices, and toolsets. His extensive career at Boeing includes directing the globally recognized Engineering Career Foundation Program, which significantly reduced attrition rates, and orchestrating enterprise-level strategies across various engineering domains. A Sacramento native, Harkness holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Management, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Strategy & Innovation with a focus on accessibility in aircraft cabins. His commitment to innovation is evidenced by over a dozen patents and his distinction as Boeing's inaugural Systems Engineering Research Council (SERC) fellow. Recipient of the 2016 M. Atkins Ability and Achievement in Science, Engineering, and Technology Award, he also co-founded the Boeing Employee Awareness Association (BEAAA), which later partnered with Disability: IN, and established the Boeing Deaf Employees and Friends (BDEAF) initiative, earning him multiple Boeing Change Agent awards. Beyond Boeing, Harkness is President of the Board of Directors at the Hearing Speech & Deaf Center and recently advised the governor of Washington on accessibility, all while balancing his professional life with his roles as a husband and father.