VOICE Talks | Voice tech livestream presented by Google Assistant

Watch the next episode of VOICE Talks

Why Inclusivity Builds a Better Voice Ecosystem

June 24th at 2 PM ET

To affect change tomorrow, we need to understand the past. This episode will highlight innovative voice-enabled apps and collaborations that are reintroducing history to new audiences and feature experts discussing why it is important for the voice tech community to build for everyone.

Tune in to hear how innovators like Dr. Carl B. Mack of the NSBE, Sara Dayton of Penguin Random House, and Matthew Calamatta of Matchbox Mobile are taking a creative approach to making stories of the past accessible and relatable today through technology.

Join us to celebrate diversity in voice and the individuals trailblazing initiatives to make the industry more inclusive. Plus, we have a BIG announcement. You won't want to miss it!

Meet the Speakers

Dr. Carl Mack

Former Executive Director of NSBE

Dr. Carl B. Mack is a graduate and Distinguished Engineering Fellow of Mississippi State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. In 2005, he was named as the fourth executive director of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), one of the nation’s largest student-governed organizations. Dr. Mack made an immediate impact, setting records for membership.

He went on to win several other awards, including the Capt. Charles L. Tompkins Award (the National Naval Officers Association’s top honor for work in the field of diversity) and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Clarkson University.

Leslie Garcia-Amaya

Global Product Partnerships Lead at Google at Google

Leslie Garcia-Amaya is a Global Business Development Lead at Google, working on the artificial intelligence-powered Google Assistant, installed on more than one billion devices, from phones to smart displays.

She is responsible for the global go-to-market strategy for Recipes on Assistant, partnering with global brands such as All Recipes and Food Network, to power experiences that allow users around the world to find and make their perfect recipe using step-by-step cooking instructions on over one billion devices.

Lilian Rincon

Senior Director of Product Management at Google

With over 20 years of consumer internet experience and 15 years of management, Lilian Rincon is the Senior Director of Product Management at Google.

She was selected as one of the Top 15 power women at Google in 2019, a top women in tech by Refinery 29 in 2018, a top power women by Marie Clare in 2017, and Top 20 Latinos in Tech (CNET) in 2016.

Sara Dayton

Director, Strategic Projects at Penguin Random House

Sara Dayton has been with Penguin Random House for 8 years and is currently the Director of Project Management/Strategic Project, Creative Strategy. This was Sarah’s first job in publishing, coming from the digital media team for the Museum of Modern Art. During that time, she did freelance eBook production on the side for clients such as Workman and NBC.

Matthew Calamatta

Chief Technology Officer at Matchbox Mobile

Matthew Calamatta has been with Matchbox Mobile, experts in IoT integrations, custom apps, and cloud services, for over 11 years, starting as the Technical Consultant & Communicator before becoming the Chief Technology Officer in 2013. Matthew has nearly two decades of prototypes, product launches, consulting, public speaking, and research under his belt.

Bertrand A. Damiba

Group Product Manager, Google Assistant

Bertrand Damiba has a passion for the intersections of technology and speech, human, and computer-facilitated communication. For nearly six years, he’s been able to pursue it at Google as a product manager. Bertrand and his team work on natural language generation for the Google Assistant, combining their language skills and diverse interests to reinvent how we interact with machines and teach the Google Assistant the art of conversation.

Bertrand believes that there is an opportunity to build products that make people’s lives better.

Alana Conner

Staff UX Researcher, Assistant Foundations at Google

Alanna Conner, PH.D. is cultural scientist who writes, speaks, and conducts research on culture, psychology, health, and social change. She is currently a Staff UX Researcher at Google, where her team aims to improve users' experiences on Assistant. Before Google, she led research on toxicity at Twitter as a Staff Researcher, Health and on bullying at Instagram as a Product Researcher.

Alana’s goal is to enhance the well-being of diverse communities around the world.

Ashwin Karuhatty

Global Database Partnerships Lead for Google Cloud

Ashwin Karuhatty has been with Google for 3 years, recently transitioning to Global Database Partnerships Lead for Google Cloud. Prior to Google, he spent time at Amazon and Microsoft. With over 20 years of experience, Ashwin is a senior leader who believes in maximizing business value through collaborative and strategic partnerships, achieving success via democratic and empathetic leadership, and driving business results through data-driven decision-making.

Ashwin was an Executive Producer on VOICE Talks when the show was created in April 2020.