Our people

Meet Our Team

The leaders, advisors, and community builders who make FWA’s mission a reality.

Board of Directors

Provides strategic leadership, governance, and oversight to advance FWA’s mission, impact, and long-term sustainability.

Ross Smith

Ross Smith, FRSA

Co-Founder & CEO

Ross Smith is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a longtime advocate for responsible technology and inclusive workplaces.

Ross Smith

Ross Smith, FRSA

Co-Founder & CEO

Ross Smith is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a longtime advocate for responsible technology and inclusive workplaces. A 30-year Microsoft veteran currently focused on M365 and AI deployment, he holds seven patents and is a PhD scholar at University College Dublin’s SMARTLab, studying AI, automation, worker displacement, and the future of work. He’s the author of The New AI Revolution in Customer Service and Support and AI in the Classroom, and has been recognized as a White House Champion of Change. He co-founded the Seattle Women in Tech Consortium, serves on the board of Spreeha, and is a Sequoyah Fellow with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society.

Phaedra Boinodiris

Phaedra Boinodiris, FRSA

Co-Founder, Ethics & Governance

Phaedra Boinodiris is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts who has championed inclusion in technology since 1999.

Phaedra Boinodiris

Phaedra Boinodiris, FRSA

Co-Founder, Ethics & Governance

Phaedra Boinodiris is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts who has championed inclusion in technology since 1999. She leads IBM Consulting’s Responsible AI Practice, which she co-founded, and in 2025 was appointed by the Governor of North Carolina to serve on his AI leadership council. She’s the author of AI for the Rest of Us, named the #1 book to read in 2024 by Constellation Research. Her accolades include the 2030 Responsible AI Leader of the Year award and the United Nations Woman of Influence in STEM and Inclusivity Award, and she’s recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in the Games Industry.

Lori Ada Kilty

Lori Ada Kilty

Vice President

With more than two decades spanning technology, gaming, and military service, Lori Ada Kilty brings leadership, creativity, and discipline to her work.

Lori Ada Kilty

Lori Ada Kilty

Vice President

With more than two decades spanning technology, gaming, and military service, Lori Ada Kilty brings leadership, creativity, and discipline to her work. She spent 23 years at Microsoft, including as a Group Manager at Xbox Game Studios running a multi-disciplinary team that served a global audience. She has also held key roles across the gaming industry, including Production Lead and Co-Studio Manager at Epic Games, and roles at Niantic and Probably Monsters. In parallel, Lori served 20 years in the military, combining active duty and Air National Guard time.

Padmarchana Kandi

Padmarchana Kandi

Director of Strategy & Programs

Padmarchana Kandi helps shape initiatives at the intersection of technology, education, and global impact.

Padmarchana Kandi

Padmarchana Kandi

Director of Strategy & Programs

Padmarchana Kandi helps shape initiatives at the intersection of technology, education, and global impact. She leads efforts to expand access to AI literacy, no-code innovation, and collaborative learning. With a background in software engineering, entrepreneurship, and product management, she has contributed to global AI learning cohorts, buildathons, and innovation programs for educators, builders, and creators. She earned her MBA from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Daniel Englebretson

Daniel Englebretson

Director of AI

Daniel Englebretson is Founder and CEO of Elynox and serves as Director of AI for Future World Alliance.

Daniel Englebretson

Daniel Englebretson

Director of AI

Daniel Englebretson is Founder and CEO of Elynox and serves as Director of AI for Future World Alliance. He’s a technical founder, educator, and AI strategist focused on expanding AI literacy and helping people and organizations apply AI in practical, responsible, and human-centered ways. With a background in digital transformation and change leadership, he works to make advanced AI capability more accessible across communities.

Joe Fatheree

Joe Fatheree

Director of Education

Joe Fatheree, the 2007 Illinois Teacher of the Year, has taught Technology and History at Effingham High School since 1990.

Joe Fatheree

Joe Fatheree

Director of Education

Joe Fatheree, the 2007 Illinois Teacher of the Year, has taught Technology and History at Effingham High School since 1990. He received the NEA’s National Award for Teaching Excellence in 2009 and the Cable Industry’s Leaders in Learning Award the same year, and has won three Mid America Emmy Awards for producing and writing for television.

Lynann Bradbury

Lynann Bradbury, ACC

Director of Philanthropy

Lynann Bradbury is a business executive, communications strategist, and internationally accredited leadership coach.

Lynann Bradbury

Lynann Bradbury, ACC

Director of Philanthropy

Lynann Bradbury is a business executive, communications strategist, and internationally accredited leadership coach. A former Vice President at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and a 30-year leader in the technology industry, she’s a committed advocate for STEM education and the advancement of women in technology. Based in Seattle, she has lived, worked, and volunteered across seven countries on four continents, launching women’s tech mentorship programs in Kenya, digital storytelling initiatives in India, and social entrepreneurship in South Africa. She has been a member of Future World Alliance since 2022.

Program Operations Manager Part-time

Jeseena Parveen K

Runs day-to-day program execution, coordination, and KPI reporting across FWA.

Jeseena Parveen K

Program Operations Manager

Jeseena is a PL-300 and DP-600 certified data professional and program leader with nearly a decade of experience across education, operations, and technical program management. As Program Operations Manager, she leads cross-functional coordination, builds data-driven systems, and ensures timely delivery of program deliverables, and builds dashboards that track KPIs and improve visibility across programs.

She also volunteers as a Technical Project Mentor for AI initiatives and is the founder of Numuv Labs, where she has built and shipped four live products including Little Noories (a storybook app), Tamilingo (a Tamil language learning app), Rawha (a lightweight wellness web app), and Rihla+ (an AI powered healthcare companion).

She brings technical depth, operational discipline, and a product mindset to every project she leads, with a focus on building tools and systems that serve families and communities.

Ambassador Program

A passionate volunteer community that amplifies FWA’s mission and brings our programs to life across learning, content, partnerships, and technology.

Ambassador leads

  • Brian Randisi

    Strategic Communications & Engagement Lead
  • Anupama Hatti

    Content Ambassador
  • Manasi Modi

    Partnership Ambassador
  • Sumati Natarajan

    Community Growth Ambassador
  • Atisha Banjare

    Community Growth Ambassador

Ambassador mentors

  • Vaishali Goel

    Ambassador Mentor
  • Jeseena Parveen K

    Ambassador Mentor

Technical ambassadors

A dedicated team of volunteer builders and technologists who support program delivery, mentor learners, and build real-world AI solutions.

  • Aakash Bhandary

    Technical Ambassador
  • Anjali Singh

    Technical Ambassador
  • Bojamma Kunjangada Arun

    Technical Ambassador
  • Lakshmi Lavanya Inturi

    Technical Ambassador
  • Madhavi R Shetagar

    Technical Ambassador
  • Maitreyi P

    Technical Ambassador
  • Nisarg

    Technical Ambassador
  • Pradip Katalath

    Technical Ambassador
  • Prathika Ponnuswamy

    Technical Ambassador
  • Rakshita Woodi

    Technical Ambassador
  • Siddhi Hemant Khaire

    Technical Ambassador
  • Sinchana Kandiga

    Technical Ambassador
  • Yash Chaudhary

    Technical Ambassador
  • Zahid Hussain

    Technical Ambassador

Want to represent FWA where you live? Applications for Ambassador Cohort 3 are open.

Explore the Ambassador Program