The Leading Speakers Bureau

Pioneering Robot Scientist, Founder & Director of RoMeLa

Dr. Dennis Hong is an Associate Professor and the founder and Director of RoMeLa (Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory) of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Virginia Tech, that has pioneered several breakthroughs in robot design and engineering. He has also pioneered various innovations in soft-body robots, using a “whole-skin locomotion” as inspired by amoebae. Marrying robotics with biochemistry, he has been able to generate new types of motion with these ingenious forms.

“An exceptional scientist and speaker”

[expand title=”In detail”] Dennis Hong received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1994), his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University (1999, 2002). Dr. Hong also has a number of patents for novel robot locomotion mechanisms and devices for medical applications. TEAM DARwIn for RoboCup 2007 where he served as the advisor, was the first and only team from the US ever to qualify for the RoboCup humanoid division, and TEAM Victor Tango for the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge (an autonomous vehicle race in the urban environment) where he served as the co-team leader, won third place with a cash award of $500,000. His senior design teams have been winning top prizes year after year at various design competitions. He is also a serious gourmet chef and a magician performing annual charity magic shows and lectures on the science of magic.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Named as one of Popular Science’s Brilliant 10, Dr. Hong’s research expertise lies in the area of novel robot locomotion mechanisms, design and analysis of mechanical systems, kinematics and robot mechanism design, humanoid robots, and autonomous systems. He expertly guides his audiences through his projects on robot locomotion and mechanism design at prestigious events worldwide including TEDxNASA in 2010.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Dennis Hong is a captivating, engaging and passionate speaker, who enthuses about his pioneering scientific breakthroughs.[/expand]
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Indian-born British TV Chef, Award-winning Author & Food Writer

Manju Malhi is the the UK’s leading spice pundit and expert on Anglo-Indian home cooking. As well as her own Simply Indian series aired on the Taste Network in 2001, she has appeared amongst several programmes, on ITV’s Saturday Cooks and This Morning, Channel 5’s Open House and The Terry and Gaby Show, Sky One’s Taste, UKTV Food’s Great Food Live, Food Uncut and Market Kitchen and BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen. In her cooking, she draws up on her past and combines it with the realities of urban Western life and has come up with her own unique Brit-Indi style of food.

“Manju Malhi won the BBC’s Food and Drink competition in 1999”

[expand title=”In detail”] Manju Malhi was raised in North West London where she grew up surrounded by Indian culture, traditions and lifestyles. She comes from a non-conformist Asian family. Her parents moved to England in the late sixties at a time when things were tough, not only for the host community but for people who were coming from the Indian sub-continent in search of a better life. Her foray into the TV world has taken her to India for a forty part series entitled Cooking Isn’t Rocket Science for one of India’s leading broadcasters NDTV, preparing British cuisine for India. She writes on Indian food for newspapers and magazines, voice overs and television continuity for BBC1 and BBC2 (her favourite channel) and is the voice of BBC Food.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Having spent several years of her childhood in India where she explored and experienced the vast and varied cuisines of the country, Manju Malhi loves hosting cookery theatres around the country promoting the easy ethos of Indian home cooking. Specialising in Anglo-Indian cuisine, she writes on Indian food for newspapers and magazines, voice overs and television continuity for BBC1 and BBC2 (her favourite channel) and is the voice of BBC Food.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Manju Malhi is very much at home in any media situation and is a natural, charismatic personality, very much in demand at prestigious cookery events.[/expand]
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Founder & CEO of Ariadne Capital, Online Dragon for the BBC

Julie Meyer is one of the leading champions for entrepreneurship in Europe. With over 20 years investment and advisory experience helping start-up businesses, she is the well known founder & CEO of Ariadne Capital, co- founder and Managing Partner of the Ariadne Capital Entrepreneurs Fund, founder of Entrepreneur Country and co-founder of First Tuesday. Julie has added a successful media career to her business commitments, recently joining BBC’s Online Dragon’s Den, in addition to her regular contributions to Business Week, Computing, FT Digital Business, Spectator Business.

“Wall Street Journal’s Top 30 Most Influential Women in Europe”

[expand title=”In detail”] From 1998 to 1999, Julie was part of the team at NewMedia Investors, which became early stage investment firm Spark Ventures in October 1999. At NewMedia Investors, she led deals in key internet success stories like lastminute.com and WGSN. In 1998, she co-founded First Tuesday, the largest global network of entrepreneurs, which many credit for igniting the Internet generation in Europe. It was sold for $50million in cash in and shares in July 2000.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]With 20 years of experience with high growth new technology businesses in Europe and the US, Julie is ideally positioned to advise decision makers from private and public Internet based companies which are currently undergoing significant growth or change. She shares insights into her personal dedication that truly sets her apart. [/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]An inspiring and captivating speaker, straight-talking Julie’s invaluable presentations are filled with useful actionable information, essential for all expanding Internet-orientated companies.[/expand]
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Expert on Social Media, Technology & Digital Strategies

Tiffany St James is a social technologist and digital strategist advising governments and industry on greater digital competency. Her achievements in digital and social media: She launched the world’s first social media monitoring laboratory now used for a global advertising agency. The Former Head of Public Participation (Social Media) for the UK Government, the only role of its kind in the world. She wrote social media policy and guidance for the UK Govt and delivered civil service training.

“One of the UK’s leading Social Media experts”

[expand title=”In detail”] Now a social media digital strategist for leading technology companies and projects Tiffany works for The Guardian, Microsoft, Channel4 and Euro RSCG London. She also advises the Speaker of the House of Commons on Public Engagement and is Special Advisor to The British Interactive Media Association. Tiffany launched data.gov.uk the UK Government’s data repository and the largest in the world working with Sir Tim Berners-Lee[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Tiffany works with sponsors, producers and corporate clients to ensure her presentations take them on an interesting journey of discovery in digital and social media. She bringing campaigns to life, finds useful, entertaining and relevant examples, grounds technology and its application and inspires use through practical and useful strategy and guidance.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Tiffany is renowned for her clear and fluent speaking style and abundance of practical examples. She continues to be in great demand by corporate clients the world over.[/expand]
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Co-Founder of lastminute.com & Travelocity European Operations, Chairman at made.com

Brent Hoberman co-founded lastminute.com in 1998; three years after he had drafted the initial idea when working as a strategy consultant. Lastminute.com was the UK’s highest profile site and is one of Europe’s leading ecommerce companies. He was CEO until 2006 and then became the chairman and chief strategic officer of lastminute.com. He admits to being bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and has founded or backed a number of other companies since lastminute.com

“One of the most accomplished leaders in the rapidly changing E-commerce sector”

[expand title=”In detail”] Brent was educated at Eton and holds a MA in French and German literature from Oxford. After building revenues more successfully than his peers, he was hailed as a survivor of the dot-com crash, and remained as CEO of Lastminute.com Ltd. through 2005, when the company was sold to Sabre for £577m. Brent was also Head of Business Development and founding member of QXL. He is also an angel investor in several internet companies including Viagogo, erepublik, Wayn.com and academia.edu. In 2009, he joined The Business Council for Britain and co-founded PROfounders Capital.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Co-host of the European Founders Forum and non Executive Director at Guardian Media Group, TalkTalk plc and Time Out Group, Brent’s initial vision remains unchanged – to delight customers with great value, inspiration and solutions when they are going away, going out or staying in. He will lead the way for countless E-businesses due to his first-hand knowledge on what gives a company the competitive edge to survive, especially in daily changing sectors such as E-commerce. His entrepreneurial vision ensures the customer experience is continually enhanced by the latest innovations in technology.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Strategy consultant and Internet entrepreneur, Brent is a dynamic speaker and a “Dot com icon”. He illustrates points from his own experiences and always seeks to be provocative and inspirational whilst using humour to add some fun to the occasion.[/expand]
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Leading UAE Media Personality, Former Member of the UAE Federal National Council

Najla Al Awadhi is a former Member of Parliament of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a distinguished media leader in the Middle East. Her Excellency is also the first woman from a Gulf Cooperation Country to hold a chief executive post in a state run media organization. For over a decade Her Excellency served as CEO of Channels at Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI), previously serving as General Manager of Dubai One and Deputy CEO of Dubai Media Inc.

“Few can deny the force that is Najla Al Awadhi”

[expand title=”In detail”] Her Excellency is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders and also the Global Agenda Councils of the WEF. She is a Fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Middle East Leadership Initiative and acting Chairperson of the regional board of Young Arab Leaders. Her Excellency graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of New Hampshire where she was President of both the Muslim Student Association and the Human Rights Committee. Her Excellency is currently completing her graduate studies at Harvard University.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]One of the first women in the history of the UAE to become a member of the UAE’s Parliament, its youngest parliamentarian and the youngest female member of any Arab legislation body in Khaleeji history, Najla Al Awadhi covers a range of socio-political topics, broadly speaking about anything that falls under media, government, or the role and rights of women, in the context of the Arab and Muslim world. She is brimming with dreams to initiate positive change in society through the development of women’s rights in the region.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Energetic and dynamic, Najla represents the up-and-coming generation of passionately fired-up Arab women who take their role as enterprising and productive members of society very seriously. [/expand]
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Author, Public Intellectual, Strategic Consultant

Gurcharan Das is an author, venture capitalist, public intellectual and strategic consultant. He writes a regular column on Sundays for the Times of India and Dainik Bhaskar and occasional guest columns for the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Time magazine. In 1995, after a 30-year career in six countries, he took early retirement to become a full time writer.

“In life, action is more important than thought”

[expand title=”In detail”] Gurcharan Das graduated with honours in Philosophy and Politics, later attending Harvard Business School (AMP). He is the author of the international bestseller, ‘India Unbound’, which has been published in many countries and languages and filmed by the BBC. He has served on the juries of the McKinsey award for the best Harvard Review Article (2005) and US$ 500,000 Milton Friedman prize (2004). His career at Procter & Gamble included being CEO of India, Vice President of the Far East and later Vice President and Managing Director, Procter & Gamble Worldwide. Prior to P&G, he was Chairman and Managing Director of Richardson Hindustan Ltd.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]As a consultant for a number of companies on global corporate strategy and being associated with a venture capital fund, Gurcharan Das is in an ideal position to offer concise, relevant and current advice on a number of issues.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Gurcharan Das’ presentations are full of actionable points, valuable insights, humour and charisma, leaving his audiences enlightened, focused and empowered[/expand]
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Indian Entrepreneur, CEO and President of Globals Inc.

Suhas Gopinath is an Indian Entrepreneur, the founder, CEO and President of Globals Inc. which currently has offices in more than 11 countries. Suhas Gopinath is currently the visiting faculty at IIM Ahmedabad for Start-Up Finance and Entrepreneurship, and is also the Brand ambassador at PETA. He is also designated as the Indian Representative for UN Youth Federation and Action Program, and Coordinator for Indo-Pak Youth programs.

Suhas Gopinath is an outstanding business pioneer

[expand title=”In detail”] At the age of 14 Suhas was recognized as the world’s youngest web-developer through his project coolhindustan.com and as the world’s youngest entrepreneur by CNBC and e-Business, Canada. At the age of 17 he was recognized as the “World’s Youngest CEO” by leading Medias across the globe. His foremost motive remains to establish a platform for youth which encourages them in their chosen IT career and also to build their entrepreneurial skills.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Suhas Gopinath has a passion so energetic, that it drove him to setup his multi national company. He explains how to manage and lead teams and the strategies that have helped him to give direction to a team that has grown from a mere 4 members to a staggering 600.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Suhas Gopinath’s presentations show his mental strength and how to achieve what you want in your life. His sheer determination is obvious in his insightful and thought provoking presentations that energize and motivate people to success.[/expand]
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Editor of British GQ, Author, Style Aficionado

At the helm of GQ since 1999, editor, author and style aficionado Dylan Jones is dedicated to great journalism and innovative ideas in popular culture. Famed for developing the GQ brand and revolutionizing the magazine’s reputation, he is also a consummate networker and an accomplished writer with a number of hugely varied and successful publications. A staunch advocate of the sharp suit and a dedicated follower of bespoke tailoring, Dylan Jones has emerged as one of Britain’s leading style and etiquette gurus.

One of Britain’s Leading Style Gurus” CNN.com

[expand title=”In detail”] Dylan Jones studied design and photography at Chelsea School of Art and St. Martins School of Art in London before becoming the Editor of i-D magazine in 1984. He has since been an Editor at The Face, Arena, The Observer and The Sunday Times. He has won the BSME Editor of the Year award four times, once for his work on Arena (1993), and three times for GQ (2001, 2002, 2004).[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Dylan Jones draws on his wealth of experience to provide audiences with fascinating insights into the business of editing GQ as well as insights relevant to the creative industries such as PR, fashion, branding, working with creative people and much more. With publications on the subjects of modern technology, fashion, style and music too, Jones’s plethora of topical experience is extraordinary.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Jones is an awe inspiring speaker. Informal but professional, humorous but thought-provoking, he will add pace and energy to your event.[/expand]
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Internationally Renowned Speaker on Consumer Trends, Chairman of BrainReserve

Faith Popcorn is a futurist, author and founder and CEO of marketing consulting firm, BrainReserve, an innovative consultancy firm she established over 30 years ago. Prior to founding her consultancy, she was an advertising agency creative director. Her best selling book is ‘The Popcorn Report’. Leading companies in a wide array of industries employ her actionable advice to advantageously position brands.

“With a 95 percent accuracy rate in her predictions of social, economic & political trends, she certainly is one of the most impressive futurists”

[expand title=”In detail”] Faith Popcorn is a graduate of New York University and New York’s High School of Performing Arts. Hailed as the “the trend oracle” and the “Nostradamus of marketing”, major media sources including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, BusinessWeek, Fortune and CNN.com have run prominently placed features highlighting her capabilities. She also produces the Popcorn Report Live!, an informative, in-person presentation that illuminates the connection between timely cultural shifts and global branding initiatives.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Faith Popcorn is an expert in cultural trend prediction offering corporate client’s deep insight into consumer desires, allowing for long-term, sustainable growth. Harnessing the technology of the information age, she gleans highly pertinent data from numerous sources, translating seemingly disparate facts into pointed trending strategy directives.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]A firm believer in the power of reinvention, Faith Popcorn is not one to stand still and her insightful and innovative presentations are memorable and accurate.[/expand]
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