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.

Juliana Apfel is a certified Deaf Latine interpreter, trainer, consultant, and Founder of IGNIX LLC, a company providing high-impact training, mentorship, and consulting that elevates standards across the interpreting profession. She works nationally in complex legal, healthcare, and different settings and holds master’s degrees in Forensic Psychology and Healthcare Interpreting. A national presenter and educator, Juliana is known for her bold, justice-driven approach and her commitment to expanding access for Deaf communities, bringing an empowering, forward-focused lens to every space she enters.

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.

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.

David “DT” Bruno is a Deaf doctoral student at Simmons University School of Social Work and a licensed master social worker specializing in integrated behavioral health, with a focus on Deaf communities and reducing health disparities. He earned a B.A. in Social Work from Gallaudet University and an M.S. in Social Work from Columbia University. As a panelist, he will discuss his experiences navigating a hearing-centric doctoral program, collaborating with remote interpreters, and the implications for interpreting practice.

Diana Cho's path to becoming a personal, leadership, and executive development coach and catalyst was paved by years of working alongside some of the most diverse groups of people, from age 18 to 85, across women's groups, men's groups, ethnic communities, survivors of abuse, trained interpreters, and leaders of different kinds of organizations. Those roles didn't just prepare her for coaching; they called her to it. In her downtime, she's drawn to the bay, walking the shoreline, breathing in the sky and the sea.

Dr. Regina Daniels is the Program Lead of the Carlstrom Interpreter Training Program at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a Deaf educator and American Sign Language (ASL) instructor, she is passionate about preparing future interpreters through engaging, student-centered instruction that emphasizes language proficiency, cultural competence, and professional growth. She also serves as an Interpreter Development Specialist with Sonshine Interpreting, where she mentors and evaluates interpreters and supports their professional development. Dr. Daniels previously taught ASL at Columbia College Chicago and worked in its ASL/English Interpretation Department. She holds a Master of Arts in Performance Arts Management and earned her Ph.D. from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Her professional interests include Deaf-centered interpreter education, ASL instruction, mentorship, and fostering confident, reflective interpreting professionals.

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.

Alayna Finley is a Deaf creative, educator, and PhD student in Education at the University of British Columbia and a recipient of the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship. She is the co-founder of Lila & Pip, an ASL–English early language program that supports families with young children, and has taught Deaf learners using bilingual approaches in post-secondary settings. Alayna also serves as coordinator for the Motion Light Lab × Project ECHO series, a Deaf-led professional learning initiative for healthcare and EHDI professionals focused on equitable language access for deaf infants and young children. Her research focuses on early ASL use with deaf children, Deaf Cultural Competency in healthcare and early intervention systems, and representations of deaf experiences in biomedical narratives.

Corinna S. Hill, Ph.D., is a historian and assistant professor at NTID/RIT. Her work explores Deaf and Disability history in the United States, focusing on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. She is currently working on a Deaf club oral history collection project, documenting the cultural impact and legacy of Deaf clubs nationwide.

Jordann Hoelzel is a nationally certified ASL interpreter and designated interpreter with nearly 20 years of experience partnering with Deaf professionals across the technology, nonprofit, and entertainment industries. She specializes in highly technical environments, including cloud computing, AI, Kubernetes, DevOps, and engineering, as well as the networking events where professional relationships are built. Jordann has interpreted board meetings, strategic planning sessions, industry conferences, and entertainment events. She believes language access should extend beyond presentations to include the networking conversations where careers, partnerships, and opportunities are built. Outside of interpreting, Jordann is a mom of three, has fostered lots of dogs, and is an avid reader with a bit of a pottery habit.

Sarah-Anne Hrycenko is a Procurement Advisor with Procurement Assistance Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and a Certified Management Consultant. A proud culturally Deaf ASL user, she brings a rare dual perspective to interpreter services as both a procurement professional and a consumer. She holds an MBA from Royal Roads University (2025), where her applied research examined how the design of interpreter service procurement influences organizational efficiency, cost effectiveness, and workplace equity for Deaf public servants. Sarah-Anne is passionate about building procurement practices that are inclusive and deliver best value.

Casey King was born with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. In 2013, prior to high school, Casey was implanted on her left side. Casey graduated from Capital University’s School of Nursing in May 2023. Along with her nursing degree, Casey also earned a minor in mathematics. Casey has been a nurse for over two years in the SICU/NCCU at the James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Her previous medical experience includes over two years at the Ohio State East Hospital on a stroke/geriatrics unit as a patient care associate. Casey obtained her CCRN this year and she plans to continue her advanced nursing education.

A tech enthusiast who thrives on steering projects from their initial spark to successful fruition, Rob Koch is Principal at Slalom Build, AWS Hero, and Co-chair of the CNCF Deaf and Hard of Hearing Working Group. His expertise in architecting event-driven systems is firmly rooted in the belief that data should be harnessed in real time. Rob relishes the challenge of examining existing systems and mapping the journey towards an event-driven architecture. With a versatile skill set encompassing software development, database management, Kubernetes orchestration, security protocols, data analytics, and enterprise architecture, Rob has worked across various industries, including energy, healthcare, finance, insurance, marketing, telecommunications, and the nonprofit sector.

Karen Magoon is a nationally certified ASL/English interpreter with more than 30 years of professional experience working in partnership with Deaf and DeafBlind communities. As a child of Deaf adults (CODA), ASL has been an integral part of her life from an early age, shaping both her personal and professional journey. During 15 years in Video Relay Service, Karen served in interpreting, training, mentoring, and leadership roles, most recently as Regional Manager for Community Interpreting, overseeing Canada and the Southeastern United States. Her work has also included opportunities to contribute to international disability diplomacy initiatives through ASL/English interpreting in Ireland, Austria, the United Arab Emirates, and China, where she also provided interpreter training and conference presentations. Currently, she works as a freelance interpreter specializing in ASL/English and Tactile ASL interpreting, primarily in government, training, and conference settings. Karen remains committed to equitable communication, thoughtful collaboration, and lifelong learning in partnership with the communities she serves.

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.

Sarah Tubert is a Deaf Latina actor, director, producer, author, and accessibility consultant who is passionate about building bridges between communities through storytelling, collaboration, and authentic connection. Her career has taken her from the stage and screen to classrooms, conference rooms, and production sets, where she has worked to advance accessibility and representation in meaningful ways. Whether she is acting, directing, consulting, or speaking, Sarah believes that communication is never one-size-fits-all and that the most impactful work happens when people are willing to listen, learn, and adapt. Known for her candid storytelling, humor, and practical approach, Sarah brings both professional expertise and lived experience to every presentation, creating conversations that are engaging, thought-provoking, and empowering.

Carly Weyers is a Deaf advocate, presenter, and podcast co-host. Carly always believes that communication is about far more than just words. Carly brings a unique perspective shaped by her experiences working with interpreting agencies, collaborating with interpreters across a variety of settings, serving as a behavioral health coordinator, and currently working for Lingvano. Throughout her life, she has experienced the good, the bad, and the unforgettable moments that happen when Deaf and hearing worlds intersect.