Judges

Hi, I'm Srija, a Creative Designer with a Master's degree in UX Design and over five years of experience. I've had the opportunity to work in various exciting fields like strategy, branding, product design, UX design, game design, illustration, and website design. My journey began with a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree in Digital Techniques for Design and Planning, where I delved into IT architecture, GIS, and multimedia, laying a strong foundation for my career.

Outside of her direct role, Kristin is a pillar lead for the joint Community Service Pillar, which connects Supply Chain Development Program (SCDP) and Supply Chain Immersion Program (SCIP) cohorts to global communites. She is a pillar lead for the ERG GenNext's New England Chapter's Grad Programming Pillar, providing resources for young professionals at Dell to pursue higher eucation while working, and also supports the UMass Amherst recruiting team within Global Operations. Outside of Dell, Kristin enjoys traveling, reading, playing tennis, and exploring new coffee shops.

Lauren is front-end focused software engineer with over ten years of experience building websites at companies large and small. She started coding as a hobby during high school and is thankful for the chance to share her enthusiasm with today’s students.

Joshen began his career at the YMCA of Greater New York, delivering leadership, civic engagement, and STEM based programming to Middle School and High School aged youth. He is passionate about providing youth with opportunities to create a brighter future for themselves. Outside of work, you can find Joshen binge-listening to podcasts or chasing after his fluff-ball pet chinchilla!

 

I am an accomplished engineering & design leader with over 15 years of experience in tech in NYC. I most recently worked in engineering leadership at Adobe, building and maintaining cloud infrastructure to enable artists across the world. In 2023, I left big tech to focus on AI and related projects. Since then, I’ve been making art, writing, and making apps with friends.

Engineering leader focused on solving problems in the renewable energy space.

I bring my diverse experience into everything I do (chemical engineer, software developer and coder, team leader and builder, data analyst, culture builder). 

Originally from New Zealand, I bring a global perspective and enthusiasm to my work as an engineer and team leader. 

I have 15+ years of experience focused on UX/UI and visual design, information architecture and research. I value collaboration, and I'm adept at working with diverse teams and stakeholders at all levels. I am a compassionate and dedicated design manager and excel as a servant leader and mentor. I am energized by the process of discovery and strive to create design solutions and experiences that transform everyday digital encounters into something rewarding, engaging and valuable for users.

Robert is a strategy and product leader at COMPLY, the industry standard for regulatory software and services for the financial services. Before that, Robert graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Applied Math and Economics with a secondary degree in Computer Science, and he is attending MIT to pursue his MBA starting this Fall. In his free time, Robert loves to adventure, play sports, and discuss his favorite television shows.

In college I studied TV and Radio, but figured out that I wanted to put computers and media together. I was eventually able to work at a design firm that developed interactive museum exhibits and multiplayer games, and eventually UX design.

In my current role I develop application flows and screen designs for Verizon’s workforce-facing and customer-facing applications. My daily work combines technical, design, and human-centered activity.

Blaine is the Principal Designer at Range, exploring the boundaries of finance and technology. Prior to Range, Blaine was a Sr. Product Designer at Apple where he worked on projects ranging from Vision Pro to product repair. Blaine has a background in Environmental Design from the University of Colorado Boulder and further specialized in strategic design and management at Parsons School of Design.

Darlene Bowman, a distinguished educator, specializes in teaching students with Autism. A NYC Teaching Fellow and English Prof. at the College Of Staten Island, she's dedicated 20+ years to empowering people with disabilities through computer science education. Now retired, Darlene serves as President of the Computer Science Teacher Association, Staten Island Chapter, and continues her work through AusomeTech & CUNY Creative Exchange Program, enriching the lives of students and educators alike.

I have a background in Psychology and transitioned to education once I fell in love with curriculum development. I enjoy supporting students' growth, learning, and opening doors to potential career paths. By connecting mentors with our Design League students, they can see themselves as UX/UI designers, Software developers, etc. to further diversify the STEAM career fields.

Since 2018, Valerie Brock has been a Computer Science Education Manager, working with educators across NYC Public Schools to bring computer science to all. Before this position, Valerie served as a teacher for Students with Disabilities, in grades K through 8th for 13 years. As an educator, Valerie has always integrated technology and computer science into the curriculum. Particularly, finding the bridge between students’ passions and real-world scenarios to captivate their interests. 

I loved technology when I was a little kid! I would go to yard sales and buy remote controls just to open them up and investigate the chip inside. As I went through school, though, my chances to study technology and computer science was limited. I do not remember a single thing that I learned between grades K and 12. This affected me in college.

I chose to study biology and pre-med since I had experience with them, knew that I enjoyed them, and knew that I could do well in them. I was intrigued by CS, but I didn't want to take a class, risking thousands of dollars in tuition on a subject that I didn't know if I would be good at or enjoy. I distinctly remember seeing the CS majors' projects, programming robots to play music and dance around the floor, and wishing that I could do that...yet I never did.

Fast forward a few years, and I am a high school science teacher. A friend tells me about an opportunity to be trained in something called Exploring Computer Science, an introductory high school curriculum for students with little-to-no background in CS. This is perfect! I can provide my students with the opportunities that I wish I had in school. I ended up creating a pathway for students to take ECS, AP CSP, and AP CSA, but I knew that I had done all I could at that school.

I left to become a professional developer. I now spend my time designing and implementing trainings for K-12 teachers who want to start teaching CS, either as a standalone class or integrated into another subject area. And I still occasionally run coding events for kids at my local library.

Jonah Brucker-Cohen, Ph.D. is an artist, writer, and Associate Professor at Lehman College / CUNY. His work has been exhibited at venues such as SFMOMA, Canadian Museum of Contemporary Art, MOMA, ICA London, Whitney Museum of American Art, Palais du Tokyo, Tate Modern, Ars Electronica, Transmediale, and more. His writing has appeared in publications such as WIRED and Make and his Scrapyard Challenge workshops have been held in over 15 countries on 5 continents.

I am a young professional in the supply chain organization at Dell Technologies! After graduating from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a degree in Operations and Information Management, I began my career in the Supply Chain Development Program at Dell. I am passionate about process optimization and improving current business practices. 

Lauren is a software engineer focused on writing compilers for quantum computers. She graduated with a double major in Physics and Computer Science from UC Berkeley.

Kevin Carew-Bynoe is a visual artist, graphic designer, and creative director. Since 2014 he has worked with various organizations, focusing on STEM/STEAM based learning. His goal has always been to stress the value of the arts and tech in marginalized communities, along with providing platforms for students to share their stories.

Michael is a Senior Product Manager at Range Financial, which aims to bring wealth management tools to the masses using technology and AI. He has worked in product in many industries including trucking, insurance, and project management. Before doing product, he was a trader on wall street and data scientist. He lives in Williamsburg.