Steve Wozniak
A Silicon Valley icon, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist for more than forty years, Steve Wozniak has helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products the Apple I and II. He also influenced the popular Macintosh. In 1976, Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer Inc. with Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer. The following year, he introduced his Apple II personal computer, featuring a central processing unit, a keyboard, color graphics, and a floppy disk drive. The Apple II was integral in launching the personal computer industry. He is listed as the sole inventor on four Apple patents.
In 1981, he went back to UC Berkeley and finished his degree in electrical engineering/computer science. To date, Wozniak has received ten Honorary Doctor of Engineering degrees. In May 1982 and 1983, Wozniak, founded the company Unuson, an abbreviation of "unite us in song”, which sponsored two US Festivals. Initially intended to celebrate evolving technologies, the festivals ended up as a technology exposition and a rock festival as a combination of music, computers, television, and people.
For his achievements at Apple, Wozniak was awarded the National Medal of Technology by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, the highest honor bestowed on America’s leading innovators. In 2000, he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, The Economy and Employment for single-handedly designing the first personal computer and for then redirecting his lifelong passion for mathematics and electronics toward lighting the fires of excitement for education in grade school students and their teachers.
Through the years, Wozniak has been involved in various business and philanthropic ventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools and stressing hands-on, experiential learning that encouraged creativity and innovation by students. Making significant investments of both his time and resources in education, he adopted the Los Gatos School District, providing students and teachers with hands-on teaching and donations of state-of-the-art technology equipment.
He also founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and was the founding sponsor of the Tech Museum, Silicon Valley Ballet and Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose. In 2014, he was awarded the Hoover Medal, a prestigious honor given for “outstanding extra-career services by engineers to humanity,” and was inducted into the IndustryWeek Manufacturing Hall of Fame. In 2015, Wozniak received the Legacy for Children Award from the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose. The Legacy for Children Award honors individuals whose legacy has significantly benefited the learning and lives of children. The Cal Alumni Association (UC Berkeley's Alumni Association) presented Wozniak with the 2015 Alumnus of the Year Award.
Wozniak is the author of iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon (Norton Publishing), his New York Times best-selling autobiography. His television appearances include: ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, The Big Bang Theory, My Life on the D List, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Conan, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Celebrity Watch Party.
Wozniak continues to pursue his entrepreneurial and philanthropic interests to this day. In October 2017, Steve co-founded Woz U — a postsecondary education and training platform focused on software engineering and technology development. He has also recently co-founded Efforce — which leverages disparate applications of blockchain technology.
When Woz and his wife, Janet, are not traveling the world trying to inspire the next generation or building sustainable businesses, they live a happy life in Los Gatos, California with their four Bichon Friese dogs Ziggy, Zelda, Jewel and Wozzie.
Steve Wozniak
Dr. hab. Kacper Gradoń
Dr. hab. Kacper Gradoń, Ph.D.,D.Sc. is also the World Health Organization Global Infodemic Manager, Fulbright Senior Award Scholar and the recipient of the Kosciuszko Foundation Fellowship. He is a double TED Speaker, expert in information warfare, AI-applications in security, human-centric dimensions of cybersecurity and frequent consultant of law enforcement agencies and intelligence institutions worldwide. He has spoken at over 200 conferences on all continents. He has lectured at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY), University of Southern California, University of Greenwich, Memorial University of Newfoundland and at law-enforcement academies, such as the Portland Police Department Training Division and Indian National Police Academy in Hydrabad. He was also a civilian expert of the General Headquarters of the Polish National Police (where he was responsible for the creation of the criminal intelligence and analysis framework). He has published extensively on the issues of cybercrime, future crimes, Artificial Intelligence, hybrid warfare and criminal investigation.
Dr. hab. Kacper Gradoń
Dr. Marek Dietl
He has spent almost 20 years in the consulting and venture capital industries. He collected experience as a non-executive board member of more than 25 organizations.
Dr. Marek Dietl frequently undertakes community and academic activities. He used to serve as a mediator at the arbitration court of the Financial Supervision Commission and adviser to the President of Energy Regulation Office. Marek Dietl is also an assistant professor at the SGH-Warsaw School of Economics.
Dr. Marek Dietl
Grzegorz Zwoliński
Entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in new technology projects. Business strategist focused on management, sales, marketing and investor
relations. Since 2010, co-founder and COO of gaming company T-Bull S.A., and since 2016, co-founder and CEO of SatRev S.A. - a company involved in the
design, manufacture and launch of observational nanosatellites collecting optical data. He supervised the missions of the following satellites: Światowid,
KRAKsat, AMICal Sat, SW1FT. Member of the Programme Board of the Polish Space Agency.
Grzegorz Zwoliński
Dr. Lars Frølund
Currently, he is a Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he formerly was a Research Director, Visiting Fellow, and a Fulbright Scholar.
In 2021-2022, he was Special Advisor at NATO HQ for the creation of the Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) and NATO's One Billion EUR Innovation Fund – the world's first multi-sovereign venture capital fund.
He serves on the Board of Directors of the European Innovation Council (Europe’s largest investor into deep tech ventures), the EIC Fund (the 7B EUR equity investment part of the EIC), and the Danish Innovation Fund.
Most recently, he was appointed Special Advisor for Digital and Technological Sovereignty to Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission.
Dr. Lars Frølund
Dr. Colin W.P. Lewis
Lewis provides training in AI and is a Lecturer and Professor of Artificial Intelligence: (AI, Data Science, including AI for Cybersecurity). He developed an AI educational / tutoring system, interactive video and an AI music system utilising Deep Learning for music correction and streaming improvement (Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube). Lewis was previously Head of Complex Projects and a Data Scientist with Palantir Technologies implementing Palantir in Banks and Government institutions.
His AI and Data Science Research is frequently used in mainstream media and by governments, corporations, and institutions to understand developments in advanced technologies. Has contributed to Harvard Business Review, the Financial Times, Bloomberg and many others. He holds a Ph.D. in Behavioural Economics & Data Science from the London School of Economics.
Early career - Worked at the AXA Group HQ responsible for global strategic acquisitions and compliance with SEC regulations. Building and stock listing a startup software company as co-founder and CEO and Director of a brokerage with BP, Shell, Texaco/Chevron, Lazard Brothers and Booz Allen Hamilton. Director for Siemens within the field of technology in maritime, aviation and on land search and rescue and satellite communications.
Dr. Colin W.P. Lewis
Zuzanna Podgórska
Alumni of the Warsaw University of Technology. She specializes in the dosimetry of radioactive gas radon, and radiological protection. In addition to her scientific activities, Zuzanna Podgórska is also an active science communicator. She conducts courses, workshops and lectures for scientists and non-scientists, during which she explains complex phenomena in an accessible way. Since the fall of 2020, she serves as a Board Member of the Association of Science Spokesmen, since 2021 - as a President.
Finalist of the FameLab competition organized by the British Council and the Copernicus Science Center. A member of the Team organizing TEDxWarsawWomen events.
A devoted fan of Maria Skłodowska-Curie for years involved in expanding people's knowledge about the life and the legacy of the Polish Nobel Prize winner.
In her private life, a mother of two.
Zuzanna Podgórska
Professor Agnieszka Jastrzębska
Prof. Jastrzębska received her PhD degree (2012) and habilitation (2018) as a young scientist at the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering at Warsaw University of Technology. She specializes in the chemistry of materials and the research of their biological and catalytic activities. Her current interests are focused on the area of nanocomposites and 2D materials for biomedical and environmental applications.
Leader of an interdisciplinary research group at WUT called "Bioactive nanomaterials with 2D crystal structure", co-author of publications in prestigious journals like Advanced Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Scientific Reports, book chapters in Springer Nature and Elsevier. As of 2021 listed among the World's TOP 2% Scientists according to Stanford University.
Manager of research grants, funded by the National Science Centre, Horizon 2020 Cost Actions, Excellence Initiative - Research University. Co-inventor of numerous inventions and patent applications. Coordinator of implementation of scientific research results into industry through the sale of patent licenses or creation of spin-offs.
Member of Materials Research Society, USA, American Chemical Society and numerous committees and teams, active in the field of science and promoting science in Poland and abroad. Member of the Council for Higher Education, Science and Innovation, within the National Development Council.
Reviewer in Polish and foreign science funding institutions such as ERC, Horizon 2020, National Centre for Research and Development. Expert of Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, Polish and Czech Fulbright Commission and MoRePro program, Slovak Academy of Sciences.
For her research work and scientific activity, she has received many awards and prizes for the technology of production of nanoparticle sterilizing composites, including the Teraz Polska statuette (2023), the Presidential Economic Award in the category of Research and Development (2022), the Polish Product of the Future (2022), and the Award of the Minister of Education and Science for implementation achievements (2021).
Professor Agnieszka Jastrzębska
Professor Anna Maria Wierzbicka
Head of research teams. Expert in the field of architecture and urban planning.
Long-time academic teacher, supervisor of awarded engineering theses (50), and supervisor of doctoral dissertations (7).
Author and co-author of 3 books and more than 40 scientific publications.
Specialist in the field of sacred architecture, monumental architecture, and concerning multi-family housing for families and socially excluded people.
Head of the Ukrainian Reconstruction Support Centre at the Faculty of Architecture, Warsaw University of Technology. Laureate of EU Grant - ProModSe - Standardisation of Refugee Settlements in Lviv.
Leader of research groups in the field of modernization of multi-family buildings.
Head of Specialisation - A3- Architecture of Technology and Structure - Context and Meaning-WAPW
Professor Anna Maria Wierzbicka
Dr. Yuri Felshtinsky
As of recently, Dr. Felshtinsky has focused his research on the interaction between the political processes in the United States and Russia. He has given a number of interviews and authored several publications on that topic.
Dr. Felshtinsky’s latest book about contemporary Ukraine, „World War III: The Battle for Ukraine,” was published in February 2015. Since 2002, Dr. Felshtinsky has also been in charge of the Kuchma Tapes project (decoding approximately 600 hours of conversations recorded in the office of Leonid Kuchma, the Ukrainian president from 1994 to 2005).
Dr. Felshtinsky co-authored the book „Blowing Up Russia” with Alexander Litvinenko, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the FSB who was poisoned with radioactive polonium in London in 2006. The book describes the gradual appropriation of power in Russia by the security apparatus, and details the FSB’s involvement in a series of terrorist attacks that took place in Russia between 1994 and 1999. „Blowing Up Russia” has been published in twenty countries. The book and subsequent documentary have been banned in the Russian Federation.
He has also published a number of other books such as „The Corporation: Russia and the KGB in the Age of President Putin”, „The KGB Plays Chess”, „Lenin and His Comrades”, „Lenin, Trotsky, Germany and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: The Collapse of the World Revolution, November 1917-November 1918” and has compiled, edited, and annotated several dozen volumes of archival documents on Russian history.