Valentina Vacarez
Microsoft
Valentina Vacarez is a Sr. Solution Engineer on the AI Workforce team at Microsoft, where she has spent over 7 years helping organizations adopt secure, transformative technologies. She specializes in Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agents, with a strong focus on cybersecurity and responsible AI adoption. Valentina earned both her B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. Growing up in Naples shaped her deep appreciation for community and access to opportunity, which continues to influence her work today. She is passionate about technology and the evangelism of transformation, with a personal mission to help individuals and organizations - especially in underserved communities - maximize technology to their advantage. .
He also served as Legislative Director for Representative Tom McClintok of California and was a Legislative Assistant for former Representative Steve King of Iowa.
Stern is a graduate of Emory University and holds a bachelor of arts in Economics.
Phil Jones
Amazon Web Services
Phil transforms federal security challenges into mission advantages through AI-ready Zero Trust architectures. He removes critical security blockers that prevent DoD, Federal Agencies, and Defense Industrial Base (DIB) organizations from securely adopting AWS cloud technologies. As an AWS Executive Security Advisor with Top Secret clearance, Phil specializes in AI/ML security, responsible AI governance, Zero Trust architecture, and federal compliance (CMMC, ITAR, FedRAMP). Phil partners with AWS Systems Integrators and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to deliver comprehensive security solutions for customers. He collaborates with leading federal systems integrators, government consulting firms, and cybersecurity vendors to architect secure cloud environments that meet the most stringent federal requirements, including AI-specific security controls and model governance frameworks. Unique Background: • Founding member of U.S. Navy Cyberwarfare program • Leader of AWS Zero Trust Accelerator for Government (ZTAG) • Secured Joint Chiefs of Staff sensitive networks • Established Critical Infrastructure Protection criteria (PDD 63) • Built and managed five successful security/privacy consulting practices Phil delivers clear, accountable security guidance grounded in AWS Well-Architected Security practices. He translates technical controls into business risk language executives can act on, focusing on measurable outcomes. .
He also served as Legislative Director for Representative Tom McClintok of California and was a Legislative Assistant for former Representative Steve King of Iowa.
Stern is a graduate of Emory University and holds a bachelor of arts in Economics.