Chris Porter

Chris Porter is the director of the Artificial Intelligence Program at Drake University and an associate professor of computer science. He is also the co-founder of Innovation Profs, a company that helps teams integrate generative AI into everyday workflows through workshops, consulting, and custom training. He has worked in higher education for more than 20 years, bridging theoretical work with real-world applications.

Chris Snider

Chris Snider is a professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Drake University in Des Moines, where he teaches social media and digital media courses. He’s also co-founder of the AI education company Innovation Profs. His research interest is in how young people shape the future of social media. Prior to joining Drake, Chris was a journalist in Baltimore, St. Louis and Des Moines. He moved to Des Moines in 2005 to start Juice magazine. Chris teaches workshops and gives presentations on topics ranging from Social Media Strategy to Personal Branding to Generative AI. He writes a weekly email newsletters on social media and generative AI.

Danielle Smid

Danielle D. Smid is a member attorney at BrownWinick and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. Danielle is also Chair of both the firm’s Culture Committee and the Employment & Labor practice group. Danielle’s employment practice includes counseling employers in human resources policies and procedures; unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation; FMLA; Iowa state and federal wage and hour issues; reduction in forces; union avoidance; restrictive covenants (noncompetes, non-solicitation agreements and confidentiality agreements); discipline and termination issues; and drug testing policies and procedures. She conducts management training concerning drug testing and personnel issues and has served as an investigator for clients regarding misconduct, discrimination and harassment allegations. Danielle spent seven years as in-house employment counsel and from that understands a company’s need to balance legal risk with running an efficient and successful business. Danielle has appeared in front of numerous administrative agencies such as the Iowa Workforce Development, Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations board, OSHA and the Iowa Office of Civil Rights, as well as state and federal courts on behalf of clients. In addition, Danielle has represented clients in employment-related mediations and arbitrations. Danielle is a frequent speaker on employment-related issues for clients, human resources and other professionals and has written several articles in regard to the same. Danielle was admitted to the Iowa bar, United States District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa, and the United States Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1998, and to the state bar in Wisconsin in 2012. She is a member of the Iowa State, American, (Member, Business Law Section and Labor and Employment Section) and Polk County Bar Associations. Dani is also a member of Metro Women Connect and serves on the executive committee at BrownWinick.

Jack Stahlmann

Jack Stahlmann’s informative and educational presentations are built around his experiences in Los Angeles as an actor, producer, director — and of course, a waiter. In Hollywood, he launched his own production company which created several films that enjoyed international success and was an Assistant Director for the Margaret Cho stand-up show, Cho Revolution. As an actor, his shining moment came in a co-star role on the CBS drama Cold Case, where he played a wimpy park ranger. He also appeared on Days of Our Lives and several commercials. Jack graduated with honors at DePauw University (yes, DePauw with a W) and has been a regular contributor to HuffPost. For the last decade he has been entertaining companies, schools and associations worldwide, while delivering actionable takeaways to make a real difference in the workplace.

Jess Doerr

Jess Doerr is an expert in strategic communications and content marketing. She transitioned to marketing leadership after spending a number of years in magazine editorial at a multinational publishing company. At her core, Jess is an artful storyteller endlessly committed to surfacing human stories and experiences. As client solutions director at Social Assurance, Jess leads a unique team that works closely with banks and financial brands nationwide to help them not only tell powerful stories, but share them in a way that leads to measurable business growth. Jess is especially proud to hail from a small rural community in Northeast Nebraska. Today, she lives in Lincoln with her partner Mikey and their pup, Granby.

Jordyn Swanson

Jordyn Swanson heads up business development at Social Assurance, where she works with community banks and financial brands nationwide. Jordyn is particularly adept at helping financial brands navigate their unique challenges when it comes to marketing, compliance, and digital transformation. She takes a practical approach, helping community banks lean into their strengths as values-driven, community organizations with deep ties to their communities. A skilled marketer in her own right, Jordyn’s channel of choice is social–where she’s guilty of falling down the occasional TikTok rabbit hole and posting photos of her adorable small humans, Ryker and Zoey. Jordyn is based in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she enjoys lake days with the family and watching Nebraska volleyball.

Lynsey Mulder

Lynsey Mulder is a dynamic speaker, elite coach, and SparkLife Connoisseur known for igniting passion and empowering individuals, teams, and organizations to unlock their full potential. With experience as a C-suite executive, entrepreneur, and nonprofit founder—plus her favorite role as a mom to four amazing boys—Lynsey brings a unique blend of real-world leadership and relatable authenticity. In today’s rapidly evolving world, where the future of work demands more than just a title, Lynsey equips you with the tools to lead with purpose, clarity, and connection. Her compelling stories, practical strategies, and energizing presence inspire leaders to embrace their authentic edge—the true X-factor for navigating what’s next.

Matt Mauntel-Medici

Matt Mauntel-Medici is Immigration Lead at BrownWinick Law Firm in Des Moines, where he advises employers on employment-based immigration strategy, compliance, and workforce planning. He works closely with HR teams, in-house counsel, and executive leadership to navigate complex hiring, onboarding, and work authorization issues across a range of industries, including financial services, healthcare, higher education, manufacturing, and professional services.

Prior to private practice, Matt served as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State, adjudicating visas and conducting fraud prevention and national security reviews at U.S. consulates abroad. This background gives him a practical, risk-focused perspective on how immigration decisions are evaluated, and where employer processes can break down.
Matt regularly speaks and writes on immigration compliance, I-9 and work authorization issues, and the intersection of immigration and employment law. He is known for translating complex legal requirements into clear, actionable guidance for HR and business leaders.

Patrick Smith

Patrick Smith is the Senior Vice President of Fraud Operations Management Optimization for the American Bankers Association.  In his role Patrick represents financial institutions’ interests in fraud prevention and detection controls.

Patrick’s career has spanned a broad spectrum of financial institutions, including PNC, Barclays, City National Bank, SECU, Bellco CU and Bethpage CU.  In these roles Patrick had the responsibility to manage, develop and test the institution’s fraud prevention and response strategy.  In addition to this experience and prior to his career with financial institutions, Patrick served as a Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, specializing in financial and cyber-crimes. Patrick has his Juris Doctorate from the University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. 

Tom Weishan