Peace by Design: AI & Tech @ ZeroSpace Brooklyn

VENUE UPDATE: Peace by Design is Moving to ZeroSpace!

Big news! To create a more dynamic and immersive experience for our guests, we are upgrading the "Peace by Design" event to an incredible new venue: ZeroSpace in Brooklyn.

Get ready for an evening of high-level dialogue at a cutting-edge creative studio that is also a current host for New York Fashion Week - perfect for our conversation on AI and innovation.

On Monday, September 15th, as the United Nations marks its 80th anniversary during the General Assembly, join us at ZeroSpace Brooklyn for Peace by Design: an exclusive event focused on using trustworthy AI for the Global Goals.

"Peace by Design" brings together leading experts from technology, policy, and global development to shape the future of safe, secure, and trustworthy Artificial Intelligence.

Hear compelling talks on how responsible innovation in AI is essential for accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals and contributing to a more peaceful and equitable world.

Connect with experts and leaders. Learn how to use cutting-edge technology for positive impact. Engage in the dialogue and be a part of the solution.Your RSVP is still valid.

We are incredibly excited to welcome you to this amazing space!

AGENDA

5:30 PM – 6:00 PM | Welcome & Networking Visit our partner showcases, and enjoy refreshments before the program begins.

6:00 PM – 6:15 PM | Opening Remarks Welcome and introduction to the "Peace by Design" mission by organizers Anna Nerezova and Francesca Sala.

6:15 PM – 7:00 PM | Panel: Innovating with Intent (45 min) A discussion with leaders from fashion, finance, and technology on the practical application and future of trustworthy AI.

Moderator: Francesca Sala, Cybersecurity Specialist - A tech-savvy professional specializing in the intersection of cybersecurity, geospatial intelligence, and cloud computing.

Panelists:
Sean Fagan, Managing Director, Neuono - The technical co-founder of the world's first AI-led fashion brand, revolutionizing the industry with generative AI and 97.5% accurate sizing technology.
Shivika Arora, Product Manager - Enterprise Technology, J.P. Morgan - A product leader deploying key tech priorities and programs for senior leaders at J.P. Morgan.
Madonna Wambua, Principal Software Engineer, Capital One - A Google Developer Expert and Cornell MBA candidate specializing in scalable mobile solutions and leading high-performing engineering teams.
Udochi Nwogu, Co-Founder, Building African Fashion - A Wharton MBA with over a decade of experience in global strategy, leading a coalition to drive solutions in Africa's fashion and creative industry.

7:00 PM – 7:20 PM | Keynote: AI, Policy, and Global Security (20 min)

Denise Bowen, Founder & CEO, DB Connect | UNODC Cybercrime Advisor - A global policy leader shaping international cybercrime policy for the United Nations and scaling socially conscious ventures.

7:20 PM – 7:40 PM | Keynote: AI and the World Around Us (20 min)

Anu Srivastava, Sr. Staff Technical Marketing Manager, NVIDIA - Anu leads open model marketing at NVIDIA, working with partners like Meta, Google DeepMind, and Microsoft to grow the public AI ecosystem.

7:40 PM – 8:00 PM | Fireside Chat: Scaling Tech for Global Impact (20 min)

Dr. Christelle Scharff, Professor of Computer Science at Pace University & Serial Entrepreneur - A U.S. Fulbright scholar with a Ph.D. in Symbolic AI, Dr. Scharff has been awarded grants from NSF, IBM, Microsoft, and Google.
Peta-Gay Clarke, Strategy & Operations Executive and Global Programs Leader, Pace University - A former Google.org Global Programs Lead who directed a multi-million dollar portfolio of education and AI initiatives that reached over 150,000 women and youth.

8:00 PM – 8:05 PM | Closing Remarks

8:05 PM – 9:00 PM | Final Networking Hour

Open networking with food, drinks, and sponsor demos before the venue closes.

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Sponsorship & Partnership Opportunities

Showcase your organization's leadership and connect with 200 innovators, policymakers, and experts at the intersection of AI and global policy.
We offer a range of sponsorship benefits, including speaking opportunities and prominent brand visibility.

Click here to learn more and express your interest through our partnership form.

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Agenda

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Speakers

Christelle Scharff

Dr. Christelle Scharff is a Professor of Computer Science and Associate Dean at Pace University in NY. She has a Ph.D. in Symbolic Artificial Intelligence (Theorem Proving and Automated Deduction) from INRIA, the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology. She published more than 30 papers in artificial intelligence, mobile for social change and global software en…

Denise Bowen

Denise Bowen is a pioneering leader at the intersection of technology, social impact, and global policy. As founder of DB Connect, she propels socially conscious entrepreneurs to scale ventures that combine profitability with purpose through strategic guidance, legal counsel, and access to a global network. She earned the prestigious Harvard Law School Zero-L certification, a rigorous pre-law …

Shivika Arora - JPMorgan Chase & Co. (Product Manager - Tech Center (Enterprise Technology))

Shivika Arora has extensive experience in financial data analytics and product management. she has recently had the opportunity to build and showcase expertise in tech product evolution and adoption and be a strategic partner to senior Tech leaders in deploying key tech priorities and programs.

Jasmine Greenaway - Microsoft (Senior Cloud Advocate)

Jasmine is generalist in developer relations, focused on databases and AI for developers at Microsoft. I also have a passion for computer science education and sharing practical technical knowledge.
Jasmine empowers aspiring technologists by equipping them with the confidence and knowledge they need explore the infinite number of possibilities in this field; she believe this space has ro…

Akaki Khvedelidze - United Nations (Information Management Officer)

Combining technical expertise with strategic vision, I am an experienced ICT professional and Data Engineering Specialist with over 15 years of international experience. I have consistently delivered transformative IT solutions, data analytics, and AI-driven innovations for the United Nations. Currently based at the UN Headquarters in New York, I lead high-impact projects that leverage advance…

Anu Srivastava - NVIDIA (Sr Staff Technical Marketing Manager)

Anu Srivastava leads open model marketing at NVIDIA where she works with partners to grow accelerated frameworks in the open source and public AI ecosystem. She focuses on technical content collaboration with top open model builders: Llama (Meta), Gemma (Google DeepMind), Phi (Microsoft), Qwen (Alibaba) and key inference software projects such as Ollama, vLLM and SGLang.
She previously …

Peta-Gay Clarke

I am a Strategy & Operations Executive and Global Programs Leader with 15+ years of experience at the intersection of technology, education, and social impact. A former software developer turned executive leader, I bring a rare blend of technical depth, operational excellence, and people-centered leadership.
At Google, I helped launch and scale transformative initiatives across Googl…

Panelists

Madona Wambua - Capital One (Principal Software Engineer)

Madona S. Wambua is a Principal Software Engineer at Capital One, a Google Developer Expert for Android, an Author, and a Keynote Speaker with over a decade of experience in software engineering. She also serves as a Women Techmakers Ambassador and AnitaB.org Co-Chair, where she advocates for diversity and inclusion in technology. Madona hosts the p…

Ume Habiba - Microsoft (Software Engineer)

My name is Ume, and I’m a first-gen undergraduate student at the University of Maryland! I have a strong background in computer science, with major areas of focus being frontend development (ReactJS, Node, JavaScript, Angular), backend development (Java, Groovy), Mobile App Development (Swift), and teaching CS cirriculum to underrepresented individuals! I’m also experienced in C, Unix, R, asse…

Sean Fagan - Neuono (Managing Director)

Sean Fagan is the Managing Director of THDR Group, an Australian fashion technology startup that is revolutionizing the global fashion industry through artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. With nearly 20 years of company director and executive experience, Sean brings a unique blend of technical expertise and business acumen to his role leading one of fashion tech's most innovativ…

Hosts

Anna Nerezova - ANY Analytics (Digital and Cloud Marketing Consultant)

Anna Nerezova is a Google Cloud Engineer Scholar, using the Google Cloud Platform since 2017. Anna is combining the latest cutting edge technologies to bring better business results. She believes that technology transforms not only businesses, but changes people's lives for the better. Anna leads the Google Developers Group in New York City, educating developers, marketers, students from start…

Francesca Sala

Tech-Savvy Professional in Cybersecurity, Geospatial Intelligence, and Cloud Computing

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Partner

ZeroSpace (https://www.zerospace.co/)
ZeroSpace is a next-gen production & creative studio specializing in the integration of digital, virtual, and live content.

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Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-nyc-presents-peace-by-design-ai-amp-tech-zerospace-brooklyn/.