Opening Keynote
Lesley Henry Kadish
Wednesday, October 2
Lesley Henry Kadish is a digital cultural heritage worker and anthropologist. She works in sensory design and qualitative evaluation for museums and food producers. Lesley has built (and fished in) a classroom on a frozen lake, guided groups on closed-eye tours of botanical gardens, and excavated an archaeological site by the Crimean Black Sea. Her published papers include topics such as historic baseball and organic cereal box design. Lesley’s primary goal is to help people learn through their bodies. She is a former fellow and staff at the Smithsonian’s Accessibility Office, where she focused on cross-sensory evocations and helped develop the first pan-Smithsonian program for adults with dementia and their care partners. She was a longtime digital curator at the Minnesota Historical Society, directing projects on data visualization, 3D virtual modeling, and georeferencing historical maps. Her fellowships have included the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Spatial Narratives and Deep Maps: Explorations in Advanced Geo-spatial Technologies; Harvard METALab’s Beautiful Data workshop; Georgetown University’s Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship, and a Fulbright Scholarship with Espoo City Museum and the Finnish National Archives.
Professional Development Keynote
Ivan Wanis Ruiz
Wednesday, October 2
Ivan Wanis Ruiz is a dynamic and engaging public speaking expert with over 15 years of experience in the field. As a Senior Consultant at Public Speaking Lab, Ivan specializes in enhancing communication skills both in-person and online. He is a top-rated instructor on Coursera and Udemy with over 200,000 global students who have attended his courses.
His expertise extends beyond the classroom. He has served as the official emcee for high-profile events such as the Olympics, the PanAm Games, the Invictus Games, and the FIFA World Cup. The largest audience he has addressed was a crowd of 50,000 people. Ivan is also the author of "End Boring: A Tactical Approach to Communication."
When he's not speaking or teaching, Ivan indulges his passion for dance as a professional salsa dancer.
Scientific Keynote
Elizabeth Donald, Ph. D
Thursday, October 3
Elizabeth Donald, Ph.D., is the Assistant Vice President - Head of Sensory & Cognitive Sciences USA at L'Oreal. With over 15 years in global Consumer Products R&D, she specializes in sensory and cognitive sciences and innovation, advocating for responsible product development. Elizabeth holds a B.S. from Yale University and a Ph.D. from Stanford University.
She began her career at The Clorox Company, progressed to Director of Fragrance Technology at Givaudan Fragrances SA, and was recently Vice President of Global R&D at Applied Food Biotechnology International. In addition to her passion for science, she is an accomplished musician and adventurous mom, and enjoys performing and traveling with her family.
Closing Keynote
Lanette Shaffer Werner
Friday, October 4
Lanette is General Mills' Chief Innovation, Technology & Quality Officer, leading global teams in innovation and development of new products that delight and meet consumers' evolving needs and values. In her previous role as Vice President, ITQ, for Meals & Baking Solutions Lanette was accountable for innovation, core growth, and total value across a broad portfolio of iconic brands, N&O and North America Foodservice (NAF).
Lanette has held many roles in ITQ throughout her career, including as a scientist in Häagen-Dazs and Pillsbury New Ventures and Shapes cookies, G-Tech Materials Category Management lead for Sweeteners, Baking Manager, NAR Yogurt Business Unit Interface (BUI), Global Cereal Innovation Director, and Global Product Design Director. She also completed an overseas assignment in France, working on global yogurt and Häagen-Dazs businesses. Lanette first came to General Mills in 1994 as an intern with Häagen-Dazs (best internship ever!).