2025 Speaker List
- Teena Piccione | Secretary & State CIO| N.C. Department of Information Technology
- Dr. Nan Zhang | Senior Customer Insights Manager | Instinct Science
- Dr. Matt Kelly | Assistant Professor of Finance | Campbell University
- David Mulford | Academic Technology Manager | Campbell University
- Dr. Ryan Newson | Associate Professor of Theology and Ethics and Program Director of Biomedical Humanities | Campbell University
- Dr. Douglas Kline | Partner | NC Capital Group
- Dr. Emi Barresi | Founder, HEARTH Team Leadership | Senior Technology Project Manager, Optum
- Scott Kelly | Director of Entrepreneurship and Instructor of Business and Entrepreneurship Coordinator | Campbell University
Speakers are continuously updated upon confirmation.
Teena Piccione | Secretary & State CIO | N.C. Department of Information Technology
Keynote Speaker
9:00 am Ballroom B
Teena Piccione (pronounced pitch-OWN-ee) joined the N.C. Department of Information Technology in January 2025.
As Secretary and State Chief Information Officer, she leads the agency responsible for strategic IT planning and the procurement and delivery of IT services and solutions as well as cybersecurity and efforts to expand broadband access and affordability across North Carolina.
Prior to NCDIT, Piccione was the managing director for Cloud and Customer Engineering over Telecommunications, Media, Entertainment and Gaming at Google. She has also worked at RTI International as executive vice president and chief technology officer, at Fidelity Investments as senior vice president and chief operating officer, and at AT&T as vice president and leader of the Big Data Center of Excellence.
Piccione has also served on the N.C. Information Technology Strategy Board’s Digital Transformation Committee where she advised NCDIT on vision, mission and goals for digital transformation and helped develop a digital transformation roadmap for the state.
Dr. Nan Zhang | Senior Customer Insights Manager | Instinct Science
10:00 am Ballroom A
Dr. Nan Zhang holds a Ph.D. in Marketing and over 15 years of experience driving data-led transformation. She has led high-impact analytics teams across SaaS, EdTech, research institutions, finance, and marketing to deliver strategic business value. Her expertise spans predictive modeling, executive reporting, and customer intelligence. She is passionate about empowering organizations through data leadership and insight-driven decision-making.
Dr. Douglas Kline | Partner | NC Capital Group
10:00 am Ballroom C
Douglas Kline is a Partner at NC Capital Group, a Raleigh-based private equity firm specializing in multifamily and neighborhood retail investments. At NCCG, he integrates artificial intelligence into business operations—from market research and financial analysis to marketing and investor communications.
Doug earned his Ph.D. in Business from Kent State University, specializing in Operations Research and Information Systems, and previously served as Distinguished Professor of Information Systems at UNC Wilmington. Over his 25-year academic career, he published research in neural networks, data analytics, and information systems, mentored nearly 30 master’s theses, and received the Discere Aude Award for mentorship.
Before academia, Doug worked in the software industry as a Software Engineer, System Architect, and Project Manager, later consulting in databases and SQL performance. Since the early 2000s, he has also been an active real estate investor, bringing analytical rigor and practical expertise to projects that generate returns while strengthening communities.
Dr. Emi Barresi | Founder, HEARTH Team Leadership | Senior Technology Project Manager, Optum
11:00 am Ballroom A
Dr. Emi Barresi, a human-centric global agile leader, brings a 15-year career in ethical technology and organizational transformation through the lens of industrial-organizational psychology. She has successfully coached a Fortune 100 organization through a rigorous Agile transformation and most recently spearheaded the establishment of business agility practices for a fortune 4 subsidiary medical organization. Emi is the developer of the Human Ethics Approach for Remote and Tech-Hybrid (HEARTH) Leadership Model. This framework champions human-centric leadership to foster ethical remote working and seamless technology integration. She is an expert in effective remote teaming and integrating advanced technologies—including AI and robotics—to improve collaboration and team performance. With a passion for humanity at the core of her work, she advocates for equitable, flexible, and innovative solutions that empower both organizations and individuals. Emi holds a doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University and a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology. Her academic and professional achievements, combined with numerous organizational accolades, underscore her expertise in ethical transformation, leadership, and the future of work.
Scott Kelly | Director of Entrepreneurship and Instructor of Business and Entrepreneurship Coordinator | Campbell University
11:00 am Ballroom C
Scott A. Kelly serves as an instructor at Campbell University, teaching courses in entrepreneurship and marketing. Kelly also serves as Director of Entrepreneurship and helps connect the Campbell community to the regional business community, mainly through Raleigh Founded, an entrepreneurial co-working space.
Kelly received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.
After several years of corporate life (IBM Global Services & KeySource Bank), Kelly began his career in academics by teaching at Ohio State. His experience also includes building innovation programs at Duke and Elon University. He was the Founding Director of Elon in San Francisco, a summer long initiative in Silicon Valley. During most summer months he leads teen entrepreneurship experiences in North Carolina and Texas through Startup High.
When he’s not working with Campbell students, Kelly enjoys mountain biking, pickleball, and most other outdoor experiences with his wife, Angie, and three children (Olivia, Andrew, Kathryn).
2024 Speaker List
- Mary Willis | President & CEO, Fidelity Bank
- Melanie Regner | SVP & Financial Advisor RHO Group, Morgan Stanley
- Kevin Mills | Wealth Planner, First Citizens Bank
- Matt Brubaker | President, Greenfield Communities
- Amanda Hoyle | Director of Land Acquisition, Tri Point Homes
- Phillip Neuhart | SVP Director of Market & Economic Research, First Citizens Bank
- Phillip Strickland | Executive Director Trust & Fiduciary Services & SVP, First Citizens Bank
- Ron Duffer | Business Advisor, NC Small Business & Technology Development Center
- Tyler Britton | Professor of Trust & Wealth Management, Campbell University
- Michelle Osborne | Director of the Risk Management Institute, Campbell University
2023 Speaker List
- Teena Piccione | C-Suite Executive | Global Transformation & Operations Executive at Google
- Paul Levering | Certified EOS Implementer
- Dr. Katherine Spradley | Partner, K. Cradley & Co.
- Aaron Lympany | Owner, Rhymes Video
- Dr. Michael Rodriguez | Associate Professor of Marketing
- Lisa Bamford | Director of Global Marketing and Sales, Sciencix
- Dr. Amanda Parker | Associate Professor of Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
- Dr. Sherri Yerk-Zwickl | Vice President of Information Technology, CIO at Campbell University
2022 Speaker List
- Jenny Hofler | Recruiting Manager, Amazon
- Doug Stewart | Author of 5 1/2 MENTORS, TEDx Speaker and certified Dale Carnegie Coach
- Chris Deshazor | Director of Talent and Organizational Development, Harness.io
- Dr. Michelle Osborne | Chair of Business Administration and
Economics, Campbell University - Lindsay Wrege | Co-founder and CEO, 321 Coffee
- Dr. Patricia J. Carter | CEO of Breakpoint Coaching, LLC
- Rebecca Brock | Senior Vice President and Fiduciary Director, Truist Wealth
2021 Speaker List
- Bryan McGann | Clinical Professor of Law and Director of Start-Up Ventures Clinic, Duke University
- Coach Mike Minter | Football Head Coach, Campbell University and CEO of Minter Enterprises
- Alison Sikes | President and CEO, Strategy Performance Business Solutions
- Dr. Laura Lunsford | Professor and Chair of Psychology Department, Campbell University
- Vicky Ismail | Co-founder, Carroll’s Kitchen
- Chris Bingham | Entrepreneur in Residence at Campbell University and Owner, Ship Simply
- Dr. Jenna Carpenter | Dean and Professor of Engineering, Campbell University
- Dr. Sherri Yerk-Zwickl | Vice President for Information Technology and CIO, Campbell University
- Sandy Connolly | Vice President for Business and Chief Financial Officer, Campbell University
- Dr. Faithe Beam | Vice President for Student Life and Christian Mission, Campbell University