Stephen Cannella, LC ETCP

Mr. Cannella started his career at the age of 15 working in the entertainment business, start his first firm at the age of 16. By the age of 18, Mr. Cannella had formed a company that was recognized as the east coast’s premier live event videography and visual design firm. With this early springboard into the entertainment market, Mr. Cannella became a fulltime member of the motion picture industry, where he was employed as a chief lighting technician on commercials, TV shows and major motion pictures. Working in film gave Mr. Cannella a unique view on lighting design which is the hallmark of his design portfolio. During the years Mr. Cannella was involved in the entertainment industry he acquired many industry credentials and certifications. He is proud to be a former member of the industry’s leading union, the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE). Mr. Cannella continues to take part in continuing education opportunities and is a recent recipient of the NCQLP’s Lighting Certified (LC) credential. Mr. Cannella is affiliated with many of the industry’s most recognized working groups and has lectured extensively including visits to Columbia University, NYU, and The Art Institute of Philadelphia to share his unique views on technology and lighting design.

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Angus Bryan

28 years into his career with BrandsMart USA, Bryan has seen his title change numerous times with BrandsSmart USA, going from sales, to merchandising, and settling into his current role as the Senior Vice President of Merchandising for the retailer. And in that time, the operation has expanded from just two locations in south Florida to 10 locations in two states.

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Gerry Demple

Gerry Demple has served in a variety of leadership positions over a 30-year career in the Consumer Electronics industry. With a passion for the customer experience, he is currently focused on fulfillment business development for DISH’s In-Home Services with clients encompassing a broad range of offerings including smart home and IoT, appliance repair, and home security, among others.

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Darius Bullock

Darius is currently the Sr. Business Manager for Extended Service Agreements (ESA) for Electrolux Major Appliances – North America, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is responsible for ESA direct marketing, pricing, and profitability strategies to differentiate the ownership solution experience for Electrolux and Frigidaire major appliances consumers. Darius also leads a team that ensures consistent year-over-year growth performance, new customer acquisitions, and business development enhancements. He is an Advisory Board member of the Global Warranty Service Contract Association and has served in multiple service contract program leadership positions since 2004 including at Electrolux, and at big-box retailer organizations such as Circuit City Stores, Inc. Darius has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration from Walden University, and also attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Actuarial Science.

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Dawn Pratt

Tech Up for Women is a collaborative technology hub created for the advancement of women. The organization provide resources, tech products & trends, education, and networking opportunities to take the fear factor out of technology. Their annual  Conference will be held on November 19, 2019, at the Javits Convention Center, NYC. Join the group to stay current on innovative new technology and advance your career through our tools, resources and powerful community.

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Michael Lawder

Michael Lawder oversees all U.S. customer service operations, including contact centers, field and depot operations, walk-in support locations, parts supply and quality assurance. Michael’s passion at Samsung is to help customers get the most out of their products. The Samsung Customer Care team is committed to making each day simpler, more productive and more enjoyable for customers.

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Andrew Sivori

Andrew Sivori is the Vice President of TV Product Marketing at Samsung Electronics America, where he is responsible for driving the growth of Samsung’s multi-billion dollar US TV business.  A 25+ year veteran of the CE space, Andrew has served in various merchandising and marketing roles with both retailers and manufacturers throughout his career.   Andrew joined Samsung in 2015 and led the Consumer IT division prior to joining the TV team.

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Chris Smith

With 32 years in the consumer electronics and technology industry, Chris is a seasoned contract, service and CX veteran with experience honed at Samsung, AIG, ServicePower, GE and Montgomery Ward. Chris serves as a board member of Encompass Supply Chain Solutions and was awarded by NESDA as Person of the Year 2019, National Friend of Service in 2017, the Richard Mildenberger Outstanding National Officer in 2017, the National Electronics Servicing Dealers Association, the NESDA Person of the Year 2015 and the General Electric President’s Award for Service in 1999. He is also a certified 6 Sigma Green Belt.

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Joshua Ness

Joshua Ness is a 5G Labs Manager with Verizon in New York City. He works with enterprise, startups, and academic teams to drive innovation around 5G technology. He also works to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs as a mentor on topics like corporate innovation and business networking.
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Toshiyuki Ogura

Toshiyuki (Toshi) Ogura is Chief Distinguished Engineer of Sony Visual Products Inc., responsible for R&D strategy for consumer TV products and its ecosystem, specializing and evangelizing new picture quality technologies of 4K/8K and HDR across the industry, impacting everything from content creation and platform technology to client devices such as consumer TV products. Toshi joined Sony in 1983 and experienced several product developments, product design and R&D roles for consumer TVs and digital imaging products. In 2016, Toshi was recognized as one of the “Chief Distinguished Engineers” within the whole Sony group, which is only given to selected Sony engineers with outstanding technical expertise in key technological fields and have made a significant contribution to Sony. In the same year, he received a Sony Outstanding Engineer award for establishing the ecosystem of HDR format, which was loyalty free and later become de fact standard in the industry.

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