Celebrated director and executive producer Rob Hardy believes that family is the foundation of success.
Rob is the CEO of Rainforest Entertainment and is known for his groundbreaking work on hit shows such as STARZ’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan, The CW’s All American, and BET Network’s The Quad to name a few. His directorial genius has been recognized by top industry publications with Entertainment Weekly naming episodes of Power and All American to ‘The 30 Best TV Episodes” in 2018 and 2020. He continues to direct some of TV’s hottest shows, including Prodigal Son, Evil, Shameless, Black-ish, The Flash, and Grey’s Anatomy.
A 2014 NAACP Image Award nominee, Rob is credited for being a foundational force in Atlanta’s thriving television and film production industry. He co-founded nonprofit The Amazing Stories Foundation to train and place apprentices from diverse backgrounds on film and TV sets.
AAFCA salutes Rob Hardy at 2017 Synergy Awards
Rob Hardy Inks First-Look Deal With Lionsgate & Courtney Kemp’s End of Episode, Deadline
Omer Inan creates medical devices and systems that improve human health and well-being. He believes that wearable technology can revolutionize healthcare by providing personalized feedback, improving diagnosis, and enhancing treatment.
A smart patch that measures fluid accumulation in the lungs of heart failure patients, a wireless device that monitors joint inflammation in arthritis patients, and a wearable system that can track muscle activity and fatigue in athletes are just some of projects powered by his research.
Omer is Professor and Linda J. and Mark C. Smith Chair in Bioscience and Bioengineering in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Adjunct Professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech.
His work has earned him numerous accolades, including an Academy Award for Technical Achievement and the IEEE Sensors Council Young Professional Award.
Kris Braman works at the intersection of pollinator health, ecology and conservation.
She leads the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia. Her research not only advances our scientific understanding of insects, it has also informed public policy on issues such as pesticide use and environmental protection. The sustainable pest management practices developed by her team has helped farmers around the world reduce their reliance on harmful chemicals and increase their yields.
For her contributions in the field, Kris has received numerous awards including the Entomological Society of America’s Distinguished Achievement Award in Horticultural Entomology and Georgia Green Industry Association’s Environmental Friend of the Industry Award.
The ultimate bee book for bee enthusiasts and experts alike
Scale-dependent effects of landscape context on urban bee diversity.
What if AI can be used to unlock the secrets hidden in medical images and data that human eyes cannot see? What if the aggressiveness of cancer tumors can be predicted more accurately and treatments tailored more precisely to save lives?
These questions drive Anant Madabhushi’s pioneering research which improves diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of cancer and other diseases. He is a faculty member at Emory University’s Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering.
A world-leading authority on medical imaging and AI with more than 500 scientific papers and 100 patents to his name, Anant received the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society award in 2017 for technical achievements in computational imaging and digital pathology.
New AI-based biomarker can help predict immunotherapy response for patients with lung cancer
How people and machines can work together to diagnose diseases in medical scans
Debra Lam believes that technology can be a force for good and inclusion.
She is passionate about creating more equitable, resilient and sustainable communities through innovation. Debra has worked with cities nationwide and those in the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Hong Kong on addressing climate change, urbanization and social inequality.
Debra is the founding director of the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation in Georgia and previously served as the city of Pittsburgh’s first Chief Innovation Officer.
Apolitical named Debra a top 100 most influential people in digital government. She is an Atlanta Business Chronicle and Georgia Trend 40under40 honoree and serves on the U.S. Department of Commerce Internet of Things Advisory Board.
Smart City Digital Twin Convergence Workshop Report
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto: Humans Negotiating Autonomous Vehicles is the New Driver’s Ed
Small and Smart: Why and How Smart City Solutions Can and Should be Adapted to the Unique Needs of Smaller Cities[abstract only]
Alistair “Al” Dove is one of the foremost experts on the whale shark, the world’s largest fish. He is a leading voice in marine research and education inspiring audiences around the world with his passion, expertise and storytelling skills.
From the depths of the Arctic Ocean to the coral reefs of the Caribbean, Al has explored and documented the biodiversity of some of the most inhospitable environments on Earth. His work has contributed to our understanding of the complex and interconnected ecosystems that make up our blue planet.
As Vice President of Science and Education at the Georgia Aquarium, he leads education, research and conservation initiatives and spearheads partnerships with other institutions. His work with policymakers and industry leaders have contributed to advancing sustainable marine resource management and conservation practices.
The Whale Shark, by the Georgia Aquarium
Whale Sharks: Biology, Ecology, and Conservation, edited by Alistair D. M. Dove and Simon J. Pierce
Moe Ari envisions a world where we all embrace our innate authenticity and diversity so that all people experience belonging and love just for being who they are.
He is passionate about helping LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies find their authentic selves and connect with others in meaningful ways. As a transgender, non-binary person and a licensed marriage and family therapist, he brings a unique perspective when helping others navigate identity, relationships and belonging in a diverse world.
An authority on relationships, Moe Ari has featured in a broad array of media outlets from USA Today to Out Magazine to Discover Magazine.
About transgender people, Nation Center for Transgender Equality
Helpful links and resources curated by GLAAD
Monisha believes that striving to die well is an extension of striving to live well and she has dedicated her life to helping patients proactively manage their decline.
With more than a decade of experience as a palliative and hospice care physician, Monisha is known among her peers for her novel approach that offers terminal patients the option of hospice care in the home setting. She currently serves as Longleaf Hospice’s medical director.
Monisha is board certified in hospice and palliative care in addition to holding a Hospice Medical Director certification. She received her internal medicine training at the Mayo Clinic.
Tara has dedicated her life to saving the world’s last gorillas from extinction.
A renowned primatologist, she has studied gorillas for over 20 years and her research has been instrumental in developing conservation strategies for these majestic creatures, including the creation of new protected areas and the establishment of community-based conservation programs.
In recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the field of conservation, Tara has received numerous awards and honors, including the prestigious Indianapolis Prize, widely considered to be the Nobel Prize of conservation. Her work has also been featured in a number of documentaries, including the acclaimed film “Virunga,” which chronicles the efforts to protect gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The National Geographic Magazine, CNN and NPR are just some of the press outlets that have covered Tara’s work.
She is the president and CEO of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.
Joe believes that upholding the tenets of representative democracy is a cornerstone to building more sustainable, equitable and resilient communities.
He is passionate about solving global challenges. Joe has a wealth of experience in the law, arts, and technology having served as president and CEO of Atlanta’s Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center and as a senior litigation partner at King & Spalding.
In 2012, he was appointed chair of the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech. Today, he continues to make an impact as a professor of international affairs.
Active in the community, he chairs the boards of the Fulton County Arts Council, which awards over $1 million annually in support of the arts, and the Georgia Foreign Trade Zone.
Atlanta magazine named him to the Atlanta 500 in 2019 and in 2020 he was awarded the Honorary Alumni Award by Georgia Tech.
Brennan Center for Justice: Gerrymandering
Opinion: How to Protect Real Integrity of Elections
Opinion: Thoughts on Gerrymandering and Georgia’s Constitution
