Agenda

Emmy Lou Versoza-Delfin is currently serving as the Director of the ICT Industry Development Bureau (IDB) and also the Regional Director for Region IV-B (MIMAROPA Region) of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). With 24 years of dedicated public service, she focuses on enhancing the lives of Filipinos, particularly in rural areas, through various initiatives. Her work includes bringing digital jobs to cities outside Metro Manila, empowering rural talents in online freelancing, and promoting the Philippines as a global hub for IT-BPM services as well as programs to develop and promote the Philippine digital startup ecosystem and emerging technologies.

Ms. Versoza-Delfin is an ICT Industry and Countryside Development Advocate. With 25 years of forwarding the local ICT industry, she brings a fresh perspective on the role of government in accelerating the country’s digital transformation. She is at the forefront of initiatives to ensure that technology serves as a catalyst for empowerment and equal opportunity for all Filipinos, especially women in the tech sector. Some of these initiatives include promoting diversity in leadership, creating safe and inclusive workplaces, offering training and skill development programs, and opportunities for networking and community-building.

Ms. Versoza-Delfin has received numerous awards for her contributions to countryside and ICT industry development. Among them include her being recognized and awarded by the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP) as a Countryside Development Champion for her dedicated work in implementing initiatives that promote countryside development in 2017. She was recognized as one of the Ten Women in Blockchain because of her advocacy on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain in 2020-2022. She was recognized also as one of the 21 Amazing Filipino Women leading in the Web3 revolution in the country by Megamaxi in 2023.

LinkedIn Profile Link

Dr. Jaha Mvulla is currently serving as a Manager for Research, Innovation and Training at e-Government Authority (e-GA) Tanzania.

He received the BSc in Computer Engineering and Information Communication Technology Engineering from University of Dar es Salaam in 2007. Obtained the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Department of Information and Communication Engineering, Donnguk University, South Korea, in 2014, and 2019, respectively.

From 2007 to 2010, he was a Senior Engineer with Vodacom, Tanzania and from 2010 to 2012 as IT Manager with Presidential Trust Fund, Tanzania.

As a senior researcher and expert in wireless technologies, Dr. Jaha Mvulla has presented and published multiple scientific papers in various international conferences and Journals. He is an active IEEE Member.

His research interests include network performance analysis, resource allocation, quality of service, and MAC protocol design of wireless networks, Emerging technologies (AI, ML, Blockchain, IoT and Data Science) in relation to digital economy and payment systems.

LinkedIn Profile Link

Jānis Ziediņš is the Deputy Director for Digital Development at the Culture Information Systems Centre under Latvia’s Ministry of Culture. Since 2004, he has played a key role in modernizing Latvia’s cultural and public administration sectors. His leadership has driven the creation of national systems like the State Unified Information System for Archives and the Joint Catalogue of the National Holdings of Museums, enhancing access to and preservation of cultural heritage.

Mr. Ziediņš holds a bachelor’s degree in E-commerce and a master’s in business management, providing a strong foundation for leading complex IT initiatives. He has represented Latvia in European Commission expert groups, contributing to cross-border digital policy and standards.

Among his notable achievements is the development of Hugo.lv, Latvia’s language technology platform offering machine translation and speech services. He continues to champion open data, interoperability, and AI-driven innovation, including the Large Latvian Language Model (LV-LLM) and LV-GPT - ensuring the Latvian language and culture thrive in the digital age.

LinkedIn Profile Link

Ms. Galway is the Founder and Director of The Document Project. Its purpose is to make it easier for people, worldwide, to access the government services for which they are eligible by addressing problems of government processes, forms, and instructions that are unclear, missing, or incorrect.

Her extensive experience working on economic development included living in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, and Sri Lanka. She worked for a wide range of organisations, and her work involved capacity building and creating multi-stakeholder partnerships.

• United Nations (UNCTAD; FAO; IFAD)
• Government, at municipal and national levels (City of Providence; US Department of Agriculture; US Department of Commerce)
• Business membership organisations, including chambers of commerce (Manufacturer's Council of Papua New Guinea; Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; local Chambers of Commerce in Bangladesh)
• Bilateral international aid organisations (DANIDA; USAID)
• Private sector (Ernst&Young; Marsh McLellan; Chemical Bank)
• Entrepreneur (CyberInstitute; The Document Project)

University Education at Brown University (BA); Johns Hopkins SAIS; New York University (MA)

LinkedIn Profile Link

Ms. Weill-Halle has over 30 years of experience working in international development, business development, and strategy, as well as fundraising.

She was Director both at the United Nations and the International Fund for Agricultural Development and is knowledgeable on development and fundraising issues. She secured significant bilateral and multilateral donor funding for international organizations and private entities from sources as diverse as the United Nations Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Fondation Copernic, among others.

Ms. Weill-Halle has served on numerous boards supporting the development of women, including AWID, Women in Environment and Development, the Congressional Hunger Centre, Hand in Hand Switzerland, and as the Chairperson of WOCAN. She is the co-founder of Brighter Ventures, Inc.

Ms. Weill-Halle holds a Bachelor's degree (iBA) in Political Science and History from Baldwin-Wallace University and, Master’s Degree from George Washington University, as well as an Executive MBA from Trium Programm, a partnership of the London School of Economics and Political Science, HES Business School in Paris, and New Stern Business School of the New York University.

LinkedIn Profile Link

.