Simon Roberts (he/him) considers himself to have the best job in the world: researching the emerging frontiers of people and technology and trying to land that understanding with impact in complex environments. His career began with a PhD on the satellite TV revolution in mid 1990s India. He started the UK’s first dedicated ethnographic research company, Ideas Bazaar, then led an R&D team at Intel’s Digital Health Group. In 2013, Simon co-founded Stripe Partners, a strategy and innovation consultancy. Simon has been an EPIC author/presenter, curator, peer reviewer, and co-chair of EPIC2012 and EPIC2013. He writes and speaks widely on anthropology, ethnography, and technology. His recent book is The Power of Not Thinking.

Shakima Jackson-Martinez (she/her) is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leader with 15+ years’ experience developing thriving workplaces. Her specialization lies in foundational DE&I practices, inclusive talent acquisition, and building organizational empathy through internal research. Shakima currently serves as the Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at AnswerLab, where she leads the DE&I and talent acquisition functions. Prior to this, she held roles in Human Resources, Strategy, and Operations. She is extremely passionate about using research to foster a deeper understanding of company culture and organizational needs while also creating spaces where people feel a true sense of belonging. Shakima recently presented The Myth of the Pipeline Problem: Creating a Diverse and Thriving Team at EPIC2022.

Alexandra Zafiroglu (she/her) is a Professor and Deputy Director of the School of Cybernetics at the Australian National University a Fellow of the ANU Futures scheme. A cultural anthropologist by training, she joined the ANU in 2019, after 15 years at Intel Corporation in the People and Practices, Digital Home, Client Computing, and Internet of Things divisions. She made significant contributions to the R&D and commercial development in a range of labs and divisions relating to smart systems including built environments and transportation. At the ANU she convenes the School of Cybernetics Higher Degree by Research program.

Shriram Venkatraman is an Assistant Professor of Business and Management at the University of Southern Denmark and a Fellow of the Danish Institute of Advanced Studies. He is also an Adjunct Faculty at the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, India, and an Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, New Delhi, India. In addition to articles in peer-reviewed journal articles, he is the author of the book Social Media in South India (UCL Press) and co-author of the comparative book How the World Changed Social Media (UCL Press).

Crystal (she/her) is EPIC’s Director of Systems and Operations. Her experience in the nonprofit sector and prior consulting work have enabled her to support many organizations through strategic planning and implementation of enterprise systems. Through thoughtful design and continuous evolution of systems and processes, Crystal’s goal is to cultivate a virtual space where the entire EPIC community will continue to thrive. Outside of work, Crystal can be found making her way through an ever-expanding reading list or making over a home in Vermont.

Laura (she/her) is EPIC’s Communications and Community Manager. She creates cross-channel communications, supports EPIC programs and events, and builds meaningful engagement for EPIC’s incredible global community. Laura has supported communications, community engagement, and impact measurement efforts at several international nonprofits and think tanks and holds degrees in sociology/anthropology, environmental studies, and international policy and development.