Tech Fair 2026: Using Tech To Rebuild Lives: Full Schedule

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

9:00am EDT

Wednesday April 29, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Start your day with a smooth check-in and a light breakfast. Grab a coffee, network with fellow attendees, and get ready for an exciting day of tech and innovation!

Wednesday April 29, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Break

10:00am EDT

Opening Remarks: Interim CEO of the Fortune Society

Wednesday April 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:10am EDT

Speakers

Rob DeLeon

Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, The Fortune Society

Rob DeLeon serves as the Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of The Fortune Society (Fortune), which provides comprehensive services to more than 18,000 people annually who are impacted by the criminal legal system. Fortune’s integrated model combines clinical and social... Read More →

Wednesday April 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:10am EDT

Speaker(s)

10:10am EDT

Keynote: Trent Griffin-Braaf, Founder of Success Map Initiative

Wednesday April 29, 2026 10:10am - 10:30am EDT

Trent's pioneering efforts have set a precedent for employers to become preferred employers for justice-impacted individuals. He curates and facilitates the Roadmap to Success program, which empowers justice-involved individuals to achieve socioeconomic mobility. His accolades include being named one of the "40 under 40" and receiving the Stellar Business Award, Nipsey Hussle Award, and Power 50...
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Speakers

Trent Griffin-Braaf

Founder, Success Map Initiative™

Trent Griffin-Braaf is a distinguished entrepreneur, visionary leader, and accomplished board director in transportation and workforce development. He is the founder of GB Logistics and Tech Valley Shuttle, with a remarkable track record in passenger transportation, trucking, and... Read More →

Trent Griffi Braaf Bio 2024 pdf

Wednesday April 29, 2026 10:10am - 10:30am EDT

Speaker(s)

10:30am EDT

Fireside Chat with Trent Griffin-Braaf

Wednesday April 29, 2026 10:30am - 10:50pm EDT

Speakers

Trent Griffin-Braaf

Founder, Success Map Initiative™

Trent Griffi Braaf Bio 2024 pdf

Wednesday April 29, 2026 10:30am - 10:50pm EDT

Panel

10:50am EDT

Networking Break

Wednesday April 29, 2026 10:50am - 11:05am EDT

Connect, collaborate, and share ideas! Use this time to meet fellow tech enthusiasts, exchange insights, and explore new opportunities.

Wednesday April 29, 2026 10:50am - 11:05am EDT

Break

11:05am EDT

Message from the NYC Office of Technology & Innovation

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:05am - 11:10am EDT

Speakers

Paolo Balboa

Chief Digital Equity Officer, External Partnerships, New York City Office of Technology & Innovation

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:05am - 11:10am EDT

Speaker(s)

11:10am EDT

Message from NYS ConnectALL

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:10am - 11:15am EDT

Speakers

Tisha Pryor

Director of Digital Equity, ConnectALL

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:10am - 11:15am EDT

Speaker(s)

about <br>

11:15am EDT

Panel Discussion: Raising a Generation of Digital Learners

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:15am - 11:30am EDT

Raising a Generation of Digital Learners explores what it means to parent and guide young people who are growing up surrounded by screens, digital platforms, and now AI tools, especially when many adults did not grow up with the same technology. The panel brings together perspectives from educational technology, media engagement, and lived parenting experience to examine the opportunities, risks,...
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Moderators

Tiffany Vulcain

Program Manager for Women Rising, The Fortune Society

Tiffany Vulcain is a Program Manager at The Fortune Society. She is also a former participant of the organization, bringing both lived experience and professional leadership to her work. She currently leads Women Rising, a holistic support program designed specifically for women impacted... Read More →

Speakers

Christopher Ross

Fortune Society Participant

Ilya Lyashevsky

Founder & CEO, ThinkHumanTV

Ilya Lyashevsky has been researching and teaching the topic of social and emotional learning (SEL) for over a decade. Together with his research partner, Dr. Mel Cesarano, he co-created one of the country’s first graduate courses on the cognitive foundations of SEL at Columbia Teachers... Read More →

Khye Borg Liew

Director of Teaching & Learning, All Star Code

Khye Borg Liew is the Director of Teaching and Learning at All Star Code, a nonprofit CS organization whose mission is to empower the next generation of tech innovators by creating pathways to economic opportunity through CS education and mentorship. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at New York University, and teaches a synchronous... Read More →

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:15am - 11:30am EDT

Panel

11:50am EDT

Panel Discussion: Prescribing Access to Digital Healthcare

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:50am - 12:25pm EDT

Prescribing Access to Digital Healthcare explores how technology is changing the way patients connect with care, from patient portals and health apps to virtual visits, remote monitoring, and wearable devices. The panel looks beyond the promise of digital healthcare to ask what actually works for patients, where people get stuck, and how access, trust, privacy, digital literacy, and workforce...
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Speakers

Mark Solomon

Digital Equity Trainer, The Fortune Society

From teaching art classes for the Police Athletic League to guiding students through the science of light and photography, Mark Solomon Jr. has always believed that creativity is a bridge to connection. His journey from the classroom to community health and now to digital equity reflects... Read More →

Dr. Arielle Elmaleh-Sachs

Medical Director of the Sunset Park Family Health Center, NYU Langone

Dr. Arielle Elmaleh-Sachs is an internal medicine physician at NYU Langone Health (NYULH) and medical director of the Sunset Park Family Health Center, where she focuses on chronic disease prevention and management for underserved communities. She leads innovative virtual care initiatives... Read More →

Adam Fleming

Senior It Executive: Healthcare Technology & Cybersecurity, Ryan Health

Strategic leader with 20+ years of experience driving infrastructure modernization, digital transformation, and cybersecurity resilience within complex healthcare environments. Proven track record in building high-performing teams, optimizing multi-million-dollar budgets, and ensuring... Read More →

Elaine Skaggs

Project Coordinator for the Family Health Centers, NYU Langone

Lainey Skaggs is a Project Coordinator at the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone Health (NYULH). Her work at NYULH aims to increase access to virtual health care and reduce health disparities, by increasing digital health literacy, access to technology and broadband, and utilization... Read More →

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:50am - 12:25pm EDT

Panel

12:25pm EDT

Lunch Break (Lunch will be served)

Wednesday April 29, 2026 12:25pm - 1:10pm EDT

Take a break, recharge, and connect with fellow attendees over a delicious meal.

Use this time to network, share ideas, and get ready for the next exciting session!

Wednesday April 29, 2026 12:25pm - 1:10pm EDT

Break

1:10pm EDT

Panel Discussion: Cultivating Justice in Modern Food Systems

Wednesday April 29, 2026 1:10pm - 1:50pm EDT

Cultivating Justice in Modern Food Systems explores how digital tools are reshaping the ways people access, understand, and participate in local food systems. We'll consider how organizations can use these tools to coordinate services, process information, and reach a wider audience, while also raising questions about what tradeoffs come with these new approaches. From community gardens to...
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Moderators

Andrew Maslowski

Food Access and Nutrition Services Manager, The Fortune Society

Andrew Maslowski has worked with the Fortune community since 2016. His credentials include a degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison’s College of Agriculture and over ten years’ experience in community-based programming, including designing and building food producing... Read More →

Speakers

Anne-Laure White

Project Coordinator of AgriMap NYC, NYU’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

Anne-Laure is an Associate Research Scholar at NYU’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, where she is the project coordinator of the AgriMap NYC project. She holds an MSc in Environmental Archaeology from the University College London. Her work is focused on the relationship... Read More →

Spencer King

Brooklyn Area Manager, New York Sun Works

Spencer King is a hydroponics expert and team manager at NY Sun Works, ensuring that all Hydroponic Classrooms run smoothly by providing technical support and guidance to the team and partner teachers. He has worked in many stages of the food system, from school farms to commercial... Read More →

Shellae Versey

Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, Fordham University

H. Shellae Versey, PhD, MPH: H. Shellae Versey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Fordham University. Her research interests include urban mobility and displacement, housing, health inequity, urban aging, and food justice. More about her work can be found at verseylab.com... Read More →

Wednesday April 29, 2026 1:10pm - 1:50pm EDT

Panel

1:50pm EDT

Panel Discussion: Decoding Pathways to Today's Job Market

Wednesday April 29, 2026 1:50pm - 2:30pm EDT

Decoding Pathways to Today’s Job Market explores how job seekers can navigate an increasingly competitive employment landscape shaped by emerging technologies, changing employer expectations, and unequal access to opportunity. As online applications become more crowded and automated, the panel will examine the particular challenges faced by nontraditional candidates. Bringing together...
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Moderators

Robert Weinstein

Director of Education and Work Readiness, The Fortune Society

Bob Weinstein is the Work Readiness and Education Supervisor for The Fortune Society's Employment Services Department. Bob started at Fortune in 2021 as an Employment Specialist and soon became a Group Facilitator where he taught participants work readiness skills to find and maintain... Read More →

Speakers

Vera FIsk

Account Manager - Recruiter, Workforce1

Vera Fisk is a Recruiter for the Upper Manhattan Workforce1 Center, where she has been for the past year. She has the opportunity to match New Yorkers of all backgrounds with employment opportunities throughout the city. Vera has been able to bring her prior experience with Fortune... Read More →

Subana Paramuthevar

Principal Consultant, Postcode Future

Subana Paramuthevar is the Principal Consultant at Postcode Future, a venture focused on redesigning how opportunity is distributed in an AI-driven economy.

With over 15 years across global tech and startup ecosystems, she has architected and scaled inclusive hiring systems and workforce strategies focused on retention, progression, and long-term talent development across APAC, EMEA, North America, and Latin America. Her work intersects... Read More →

Harley Blakeman

Founder, Honest Jobs

Harley Blakeman is a formerly incarcerated technology entrepreneur and a leader in the reentry and workforce development space. He is the founder of Honest Jobs, a national platform that helps justice-impacted individuals find employment and critical resources, which he recently sold... Read More →

Wednesday April 29, 2026 1:50pm - 2:30pm EDT

Panel

2:30pm EDT

Networking Break

Wednesday April 29, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT

Connect, collaborate, and share ideas! Use this time to meet fellow tech enthusiasts, exchange insights, and explore new opportunities.

Wednesday April 29, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT

Break

2:45pm EDT

Panel Discussion: Making Music in the Age of the Algorithm

Wednesday April 29, 2026 2:45pm - 3:20pm EDT

Making Music in the Age of the Algorithm explores how music production has evolved alongside new technology, from recording tools and digital platforms to streaming algorithms and AI systems. As these tools shape how music is created, distributed, discovered, and valued, artists face a familiar choice: resist the change or learn how to work with it. This panel considers technology as both a...
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Moderators

Caleb Knight

Creative Arts Senior Associate, The Fortune Society

Caleb Knight is a musician, audio engineer, educator, and abolitionist in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder. He serves as the Creative Arts Senior Associate at The Fortune Society, where he facilitates songwriting and production workshops and engineers recording sessions in Blustone... Read More →

Speakers

Spencer Hattendorf

Producer

Spencer Hattendorf is a producer and composer based in New York. Starting his musical journey as a touring musician and songwriter, Spencer eventually found his way into producing for artists and composing for ads, TV, and film. He has worked across a broad collection of styles ranging... Read More →

Malik Simmons

Fortune Society Participant

Malik Simmons is a multidisciplinary artist—poet, songwriter, and producer/engineer—who uses music as a tool to shift perception and spark change. Driven by both his passion for creative arts and his role as a father of two, he brings authenticity, purpose, and innovation into... Read More →

Mark Brown

Producer, Song writer, and Composer

Mark “Boogie” Brown is a Brooklyn-bred producer, arranger, and musician whose work helped redefine the sound of New York’s underground hip hop during a pivotal era. A key architect within the Boot Camp Clik and Duck Down movement, Brown played an instrumental role in evolving the crew’s sonic identity... Read More →

Wednesday April 29, 2026 2:45pm - 3:20pm EDT

Panel

3:20pm EDT

Closing Remarks

Wednesday April 29, 2026 3:20pm - 3:30pm EDT

Speakers

Dr. Ronald Day

Chief Operating Officer, The Fortune Society

Andre Ward

Executive Director, John Jay College Institute for Justice and Opportunity

Andre Ward is a highly experienced national and international advocate, activist, and leader in transformative education, with over 15 years of commitment to criminal, social, and educational justice reform. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Social Work at the University of Southern California... Read More →

Wednesday April 29, 2026 3:20pm - 3:30pm EDT

Speaker(s)

9:00am EDT

10:00am EDT

10:10am EDT

10:30am EDT

10:50am EDT

11:05am EDT

11:10am EDT

11:15am EDT

11:50am EDT

12:25pm EDT

1:10pm EDT

1:50pm EDT

2:30pm EDT

2:45pm EDT

3:20pm EDT

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