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Josh Fleig is responsible for fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across the state, while assisting small businesses with access to award-winning programs and services designed to accelerate growth and elevate Louisiana’s standing as a hub for innovation and high-value jobs.

He is an experienced senior executive with over 20 years at the intersections of technology, economic development and education.

Most recently, Fleig served as the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Greater New Orleans, Inc., where he led his team to developing a project pipeline of over $20 billion. Under his guidance, the team engineered strategies to develop key industries across Louisiana’s Southeast Region, with initiatives ranging from entrepreneurship and innovation to future energy and entertainment.

Before his tenure at GNO, Inc., Josh was a trailblazer in the growth of Louisiana’s technology industry. Starting with the Jindal administration in 2012, he was the architect of a recruitment strategy that sparked dozens of software and digital media project wins at Louisiana Economic Development. His contributions included the co-creation of the state’s Entertainment Development Fund.

Earlier in his career, Josh established a track record of innovation as the Director of Media and Brands at SinglePoint (now Bally’s Corporation). There, he managed publisher relationships for the SaaS business, driving interactive TV engagements that captivated audiences across major broadcasters like CBS, Disney, Viacom and Discovery. His journey into the media industry began at NBCUniversal, where he thrived as a technical producer in interactive media product design, creating hundreds of groundbreaking fan engagements for NBC Sports, Bravo, Syfy, MSNBC, CNBC and more.

Josh’s spent four years as an instructor at St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge, where he chaired the computer science department and developed the school’s first multimedia program.

He is a proud graduate of Lafayette High School and holds a B.A. in Art History from LSU and an M.F.A. in Interactive Design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He serves as an adjunct instructor in LSU’s College of Art + Design and serves on the advisory board for Tulane’s SoPA Digital Design program.

Josh, his wife Amanda, an HR professional and Baton Rouge native, and their two young daughters, Eva Jane and Eloise, live in Uptown New Orleans.

Asim Ali, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Biggio Center at Auburn University, where he advances professional development programs and resources to enhance academic innovation and support scholarly and creative activities. Prior to this role, he served as Founding Director of Auburn Online. Asim earned a bachelor’s in software engineering, a master’s in information systems management, and a doctorate in adult education from Auburn University. Asim co-leads work on artificial intelligence to build capacity for understanding and implementing AI. He has modeled the implementation of generative AI in the Introduction to Information Systems Management course he teaches for the Harbert Business School. Asim also co-leads innovative initiatives for micro-credentials and AR/VR. Asim serves as president-elect of UPCEA, the online and professional education association. He has been an invited keynote speaker and presenter nationally and internationally at conferences and universities.

Scott is the Vice President of Experience and Digital Transformation at Ochsner Health, partnering in leadership of the organization’s digital vision to create a modern, seamless healthcare experience. He focuses on designing digital capabilities that enhance care, reduce friction, and deliver value across patient, provider, and employee interactions.

In this role, Scott serves as the leader of innovationOchsner (iO), driving Ochsner’s innovation strategy through emerging technologies, novel care models, and scalable digital health solutions, as well as head of Ochsner’s AI Center of Excellence, which is focused on responsible AI development and governance to improve patient outcomes, efficiency, and clinician experience.

Additionally, Scott oversees Ochsner’s Virtual Care Center, a centralized shared service for the delivery of acute virtual care, including virtual nursing, centralized virtual monitoring, and virtual critical care. His work advances the integration of virtual and hybrid acute care models to optimize efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and enhance clinician support.

With over 15 years in healthcare strategy, Scott has advised major health systems and payers on enterprise strategy, digital transformation, and operational improvement. Before joining Ochsner, he led Consulting Services at AVIA, and held consulting leadership roles at Innosight, Huron Consulting Group, and Change Healthcare.

A certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and nationally registered paramedic, Scott holds a master’s degree in Health Administration from Duquesne University. He earned a dual bachelor’s degree in Physics and Emergency Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh.

As Assistant Secretary for Workforce Development at the Louisiana Workforce Commission/LA Works, Osmar leads efforts to integrate education, workforce development, and social services to strengthen career pathways and support statewide economic growth. Their work focuses on building demand-driven, data-informed systems that align with the needs of both job seekers and employers.

Over the past decade, Osmar has worked across state government, higher education, and economic development to design and implement workforce development initiatives, expand career pathways, secure competitive federal and philanthropic grants, and foster cross-sector collaboration. Prior to state service, he led regional workforce strategy at Greater New Orleans, Inc., launching initiatives in infrastructure, energy, and advanced manufacturing while aligning secondary and post-secondary education systems with regional economic development priorities.

Earlier in his career, Osmar held roles at Emory University, Louisiana State University, and the University of New Orleans, with a focus on expanding professional education, employer partnerships, and work-based learning. Osmar holds a Bachelor of Arts in Disaster Management and a Master of Science in Human Resource Education & Workforce Development, both from Louisiana State University.

Tony Zanders, an award-winning software entrepreneur and technology executive, serves as the President & CEO of Nexus Louisiana, the state’s only statutory support organization for technology entrepreneurs.

He is also the founder and CEO of Skilltype — a software platform for information professionals and their teams to analyze, develop, and share expertise. Prior to Skilltype, Zanders served as the inaugural entrepreneur-in-residence at the Boston University Libraries and advised the senior leadership team on talent and the future of work. For nine years, he held executive roles at EBSCO and Ex Libris, where he consulted library leaders across six continents on technology strategy.

Tony is a frequent speaker and writer in the technology and entrepreneurship ecosystems. He is an honors graduate from Washington and Jefferson College, where he double majored in English and Philosophy, and was awarded the college’s Young Alumni Award in 2015. A proud native of New Orleans, Louisiana, he currently lives in Baton Rouge with his wife and children.

My research topics include: 1) Research on the etiology of diabetes and obesity; 2) Research on advanced diabetes technologies, focusing on artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and wearable device; 3) Diabetes translational medicine research, focusing on screening, diagnosis and intervention by AI-powered bioinformatics.

"Dr. Yun Shen is a researcher in diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Dr. Shen has spent years investigating issues related to disease prediction, prevention, diagnosis, metabolic monitoring technologies, and intervention programs. "

Andy Quick has been with Entergy for 29 years and is currently Vice President, Chief AI Officer. He leads an organization focused on developing the company’s artificial intelligence strategy and helping to solve major business problems with AI solutions. Andy has held many different leadership roles over his career at Entergy including advanced data analytics, robotic process automation, business transformation, enterprise architecture, telecommunications, IT strategy, data center operations, outsourcing relationship management, innovation, and two business unit CIO organizations.

Prior to joining Entergy, Andy worked for Andersen Consulting (Accenture) where he was an IT consultant for global, multi-industry companies.

Andy has served as an adjunct instructor at Tulane University and University of New Orleans where he taught robotic process automation courses. Andy’s robotic process automation online course, currently offered on Udemy, has an enrollment of over two thousand students from seventy-six countries.

Andy holds a B.S. in computer science from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Tulane University. Andy is a certified Automation Anywhere RPA trainer and the winner of the inaugural Automation Anywhere Bot Games competition in 2018.

Outside of work, Andy enjoys spending time with his wife and four daughters.

Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 8,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of $11 billion and approximately 12,000 employees.

Abe Baggili is Chair of the Division of Computer Science and Engineering and Roger Richardson Professor at LSU. He is the founder of the BiT Lab and has published extensively in the domain of digital forensics and cybersecurity.

Baggili has won numerous awards, including the CT Civil Medal of Merit, the Medal of Thor from the Military Cyber Professional Association, CT 40 under 40, and is a fellow of the European Alliance for Innovation.

Previously he was the director of the Connecticut Institute of Technology and Elder Family Endowed Chair of Computer Science and Cybersecurity at the Tagliatela College of Engineering at the University of New Haven. He received his BSc, MSc and PhD all from Purdue University, where he worked as a researcher in CERIAS.

Baggili’s work with his students has uncovered vulnerabilities that impact over a billion people worldwide and has been featured in news and TV outlets in over 20 languages. He has also published extensively in the domain of digital forensics.

For more than 20 years, Dr. Timoll has devoted her career in education to serving students, families, and communities in Louisiana, particularly focusing on prioritizing equity and opportunities for all students.

Dr. Timoll began her career as a classroom teacher in East Baton Rouge Parish before transitioning into leadership and administration. She previously served as Chief of Staff at the Louisiana Department of Education. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction and the Innovation Network Leader for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. Under Dr. Timoll’s leadership, the district set and executed an agenda to restore shareholder trust and engagement, build a meaningful correlation between autonomy and accountability, and ultimately deliver better outcomes for all students.

Dr. Timoll also previously served as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in St. John the Baptist Parish, a rural district in south Louisiana. In these roles, Dr. Timoll raised the bar for teaching and learning through the adoption and strategic alignment of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development.

Dr. Timoll holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Louisiana State University, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Southern University A&M College, a Master of Education in School Administration and Supervision from University of Louisiana Monroe, and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration from University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Dr. Timoll is most proud of her role as a mother of two daughters in Louisiana public schools. She is driven by a moral imperative to uphold a standard of excellence for every child who calls Louisiana home to the same expectation she has for her own. Dr. Timoll’s drive and determination are further evidenced by her love of participating in half marathons—constantly seeking to reach new heights and conquer new challenges.

Dr. Katie Dawson is the Associate Vice President for Enrollment, Innovation, and Talent Strategy for the University of Louisiana System. She leads initiatives focused on enrollment sustainability, returning adult learners, digital learning, AI literacy, and talent development. With a background in communication and experience as both faculty and administrator, Katie brings a collaborative, data-informed approach to systems leadership. Her work aligns strategy with student and campus needs to expand access and strengthen public higher education in Louisiana.

Since 2009, James McCrary has been an educator & administrator in the Baton Rouge & New Orleans area sand currently serves as Director of Innovative Teaching & Learning at River Parishes Community College. Since 2017, his impact on education has been internationally recognized numerous times, including Pioneer of the Year from the International Society for Technology in Education, Apple Distinguished Educator, Google Certified Innovator, and most recently, Higher Ed Top 30 Influencer from EdTech Magazine. He is passionate about integrating technology skills into the classroom and positively impacting students globally with a focus on spatial computing, immersive development, and emergent technologies.