Panelists & Speakers

 Session: Keynote

   Olivia Duane Adams (Libby) is the chief advocacy officer (CAO) and co-founder of Alteryx, and one of only a handful of female founders to take a technology company public, along with her founding counterparts, Dean Stoecker and Ned Harding. Libby’s vision and leadership in the creation of the world’s leading data science and analytics community is a key factor in the company’s 24-year success. She is responsible for strengthening upskilling and reskilling efforts for Alteryx customers to enable a culture of analytics, scaling the presence of the Alteryx SparkED education program and furthering diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Under Libby’s leadership, the Alteryx Community has grown both on- and offline, serving as an incubator for the workforce of the future and empowering all workers to become data workers, with an intentional focus on supporting diversity in analytics. As the former chief customer officer, Libby recognized early on that creating a customer-centric culture went beyond delivering a successful product experience and set out to enable a global community of passionate data lovers, where Alteryx users can solve more together, boldly step into the unknown and achieve more than they ever thought possible.

Today, Libby’s passion for customers holds strong as she works closely with Alteryx users and the global analytics community on key initiatives to diversify their workforces, upskill their people and deliver meaningful outcomes and insights in our ever-changing business world. Libby spearheads the Alteryx SparkED program, which provides free software and resources to learners of all skill levels to develop the analytics skills they need to question, understand and solve with data. SparkED is empowering thousands of students and job seekers with in-demand certifications that will set them up for success in their careers and beyond.

Before co-founding Alteryx, Libby held various sales, customer, and marketing roles at Strategic Mapping, Donnelley and VNU Business Media.

Libby earned a bachelor’s degree from Castleton University in Vermont and is an active member of the university’s alumni association. 

Session:  "Landing the First Role" Panel

 Nisar Ahmed is a Lead Decision Scientist at CVS Health with 20 years of experience in data analytics. He also serves as a mentor, coach, and data analytics instructor at various institutions such as General Assembly, phData, and GreenFig. He is passionate about using Tableau and specializes in building effective data solutions to gain valuable analytical insights. 

Session: Co-host and "Survey results! What the DATA says about data professionals & what it means for you"  

Brandi Beals is a Tableau Ambassador, certified both in Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server. She has been using Tableau for over 10 years in a variety of enterprise capacities. She is focused on developing a scalable data strategy, building a data literacy program, delivering an enterprise analytics platform, and growing a community interested in data science and analytics. In addition to co-leading the Milwaukee Tableau User Group and Wisconsin Tableau User Group, Brandi runs the Data Book Club. 

Session:  "LinkedIn Networking"

Albert Bellamy grew up only wanting to do two things: Blow stuff up, and do math. In 20+ years in the Marine Corps, he blew up all the stuff, so he became a data analyst. Prior to leaving the military, he jumped into Linkedin, building a solid brand as a data learner.

He got his foot in the door working on the "How to Get an Analytics Job" podcast, and interning for Google. From there, he got his first job with the marketing analytics firm Annalect.

After cutting his teeth for 2 years in analytics, he signed on as an Alteryx instructor. In between teaching thousands of students at Inspire 2023, he got to meet his data influencer idols, among them Dustin Schimek.

Albert has over 26,000 followers on Linkedin, and less than that on Youtube and Instagram.

He is a firm believer in the power of a personal brand. 

Session:  "Landing the First Role" Panel

   Mark Freeman II is a community health advocate turned data engineer interested in the intersection of social impact, business, and technology. His life’s mission is to improve the well-being of as many people as possible through data -— especially among those marginalized. As the founder of On the Mark Data, Mark uses this platform to help brands connect to data professionals through captivating content. 

Session:  "Resume Transformation"

   Marcell Jackson, CPRW is the Staff Technical Project Manager in Cybersecurity at GE Corporate, focused on Asset Intelligence. He has been with GE for 11 years, holding various technical roles, including spearheading GE Healthcare's initiative to connect, collect, and visualize machine data across all manufacturing sites. Marcell is also a Career Coach and Certified Professional Résumé Writer, helping individuals land more job interviews without getting ghosted by recruiters. On average, his clients see an increase of $20,000 in their annual salary. Marcell has a BS in Electrical Engineering from NC A&T. Marcell is a husband, father, and mentor committed to increasing data literacy across the organization and in the community. 

Session: "Career Paths" Panel

     Sonali Kumar currently works as a Data Analyst at a Fortune 500 company, specializing in HR Analytics. Sonali successfully transitioned into the field of analytics with a Liberal Arts degree and is passionate about helping others with achieving their personal and professional goals.

Apart from her day-job, Sonali is also a podcast host for her brand new show called “Success Beyond our Greatest Fears”, in which she dives deeper into mental barriers we face and need to overcome in order to attain success in our personal and professional lives. 

Session: "Career Paths" Panel

    Yamil is a Senior BI Solutions Engineer and Trainer at Seek, renowned for his expertise as a Tableau Ambassador and certified Trainer. With a rich background spanning across diverse industries such as retail, CPG, entertainment, travel, e-commerce, financial services, and survey data, Yamil has honed his data prowess through his tenure with esteemed organizations including Comcast, NBC/Universal Parks and Resorts, SunTrust Banks, and Morgan Stanley.

His leadership extends beyond his professional roles, with over a decade of service as a co-leader for the Florida Orlando Tableau User Group and three years with Comunidatos Latino/Hispanic Tableau User Group. Furthermore, Yamil boasts extensive experience in Center of Excellence initiatives, internal user group facilitation, large-scale Tableau Desktop Trainings, and the art of crafting wireframes and data visualization best practices. 

Session: "Landing the First Role" Panel

Annie Nelson is a data analyst on the Enterprise Data Team at GitLab (she just joined the company on 8/21!). In 2022 she finished her masters degree in occupational therapy and left her job as a nanny so she could (surprise!) become a data analyst. She documented her entire journey - learning, job searching, and working at her first job as a Tableau Consultant for a year on her Tik Tok and LinkedIn pages. In her free time she continues to talk about data online, and rock climb, and travel the world! 

Session: "Career Paths" Panel

 Sarah's professional journey has been one of transformation. Previously a seasoned advertising executive then a dedicated stay-at-home parent, she found her passion for data-driven insights irresistible. Sarah began her Tableau journey three years ago when she discovered #Datafam community initiatives, namely Makeover Monday, Workout Wednesday, RWFD and TUGs.

Sarah accessed these online resources along with Tableau's eLearning modules to fuel her learning and seamlessly transitioned into her role as a proficient data visualization consultant. Working with a diverse clientele spanning the marketing, healthcare, and insurance sectors, she crafts compelling narratives through data.

Originally hailing from the vibrant city of Toronto, Sarah now calls Los Angeles home, where she resides with her family and two feline companions, the spirited Ron Weasley and the wise Maggie Smith. 

Session: Co-host and "Data Jobs Report: The latest trends on what employers are looking for"

Dustin is an entrepreneurial thought leader in the analytics field, passionate about leveraging data to create new opportunities.  He has held progressive analytics roles in the corporate world, and recently launched "Data Ideas" to promote the potential of analytics.  Data Ideas shows what analytics makes possible by building a repository of analytics project ideas and hosting events honoring impactful work in the field. 

Session: "Landing the First Role" Panel

 Laura is the current Director of Career Services for the MS Business Analytics program at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. With nearly two decades of experience across K-20 education, Laura is passionate about helping others achieve their professional and personal goals.