Janneta Tabakov, Enterprise Growth Lead, Perplexity

Kevin is the VP of Sales in the Americas for e-peas S.A., a semiconductor company which provides power management integrated circuits to operate wirelessly connected devices using ambient energy. He works directly with hardware device-makers to help them achieve their goals of eliminating disposable batteries, or to at least greatly extend their lifetimes. He provides guidance on choosing from a multitude of energy harvester suppliers for ambient lighting, vibration, RF, thermal and pulsed sources. He works with a broad range of rechargeable storage devices, and the gamut of wireless connectivity MCU vendors. Kevin advises customers across industry segments including Home Automation, Consumer Electronics, Building Automation, Security, Industrial IoT and Agriculture Technology.

Jon Li leads strategy and growth at Xthings, where he is driving the company’s evolution from connected devices to a unified Physical AI platform for intelligent homes and spaces. His work focuses on bringing together identity, perception, and control across smart locks, cameras, and edge AI systems to enable more adaptive, context-aware user experiences. Jon brings a cross-industry perspective shaped by leadership roles at XREAL, FLIR Systems, and SERES, spanning augmented reality, computer vision, and autonomous systems. He is particularly focused on how AI is transforming the smart home from a collection of devices into a cohesive, intelligent infrastructure.

Derek Richardson is the founder and CEO of Deako, a smart lighting technology company shaping the future of intelligent homes. Since founding the company, Derek has led Deako from a single connected light switch into a platform powering more than 350,000 homes nationwide, partnering with many of the country’s largest homebuilders. He founded Deako with a vision to create effortless, intelligent homes—accessible, scalable, and built for the way people actually live. Under his leadership, the company pioneered modular lighting infrastructure and is now expanding that foundation with Deako Intelligence™. This whole-home intelligent platform combines sensing, automation, and local processing to create a more adaptive living environment. With Deako Intelligence, Derek is leading the shift from connected devices to a truly intelligent home—one that understands presence, learns routines, and responds seamlessly, all while maintaining a privacy-first approach where data stays within the home. Derek remains focused on solving real-world challenges for builders and homeowners, driving the industry toward more intuitive, scalable, and future-ready living experiences.

Shanya Gill is the founder and CEO of Vigil Inc., a company that develops AI-powered surveillance cameras capable of monitoring environments for any potential threat or safety concern. She is a TIME Kid of the Year Honoree for 2024 and the national winner of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge in 2023.

Cathy Scruggs is the Director of Product Development for American Technical Publishers (ATP). Cathy is a former CTE teacher and curriculum specialist with decades of instructional materials development experience. Cathy enjoys working with industry representatives and technical educators to create applied resources that enable individuals to succeed in the workforce.

Jenniffer Mackey , Vice President, Strategic Accounts, Zyxel Communications

Alan DiCicco is the vice president of solution and product marketing at Calix, responsible for the full Calix solution portfolio of cloud, software, systems and SmartHome managed service offers for broadband service providers. He leverages a breadth of marketing and systems design experience to bring value to communications service providers and ecosystem partners and now explores how artificial intelligence will redefine operational efficiency and unlock new possibilities for subscriber experience.

Brian Bedrosian is Vice President, Strategic Marketing for the IoT Compute and Wireless business at Infineon Technologies. Prior to Infineon he was Vice President of Marketing for Cypress Semiconductor where he was responsible for product management, business development and outbound marketing programs for the IoT business. Mr. Bedrosian joined Cypress as part of the IoT Business asset sale from Broadcom after serving as the Sr. Director of Embedded Wireless in the Mobile & Wireless Group at Broadcom where he was responsible for the company's emerging IoT Wireless and Bluetooth business line. Mr. Bedrosian started the IoT Business at Broadcom with focus on audio, health care, smart-home, consumer appliances and industrial systems. In his 15 years at Broadcom Mr. Bedrosian ran various groups in the Wi-Fi business include PC, Broadband, and mobile combos which first launched in the Apple iPhone. He has 20 years of experience in digital communications and wireless technologies including mobile satellite, microwave radio, DSL, and 802.11x. He has held positions at LevelOne Communications, Applied Signal Technology and Globespan-Virata and holds a BSEE from UC Davis.

Joey Rao-Russell has worked in the Security industry for 25 years working in all aspects of the business including operations, sales up to her current position as the President & CEO of Kimberlite Corporation – An Employee-Owned Company. Kimberlite’s brands represent 13 Sonitrol Franchises, California Fire Life/Safety Systems Inc, and Security First Alarm King. She leads an award-winning team including a monitoring center specializing in audio and video verified security solutions for over 40 years. She is dedicated to helping create safer communities by technology and improved police relations. She currently serves as President of the Sonitrol National Dealers Association. She holds director positions with Partnership for Priority Verified Alarm Response “PPVAR”, Treasurer and The Monitoring Association.