Global Judges
#HACK FOR THE UNREACHED
John C. Dyer
USA
Channeling Eric Liddell, John likes to say, “When I code, I can feel God’s pleasure.” This desire to glorify God by showing how our creativity is an important aspect of our role as image bearers, drives John’s work and teaching. John currently serves as the dean of Enrollment Services and Educational Technology and is an adjunct professor in Media Arts and Worship at Dallas Theological Seminary. A former youth pastor, he enjoys working with students to see how the biblical story brings insight and clarity to the ideas found in science, sociology, and culture. He is the author of “From the Garden to the City: The Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology.” John loves his wife, Amber, and their two beautiful kids. He also enjoys coffee, technology, Star Wars, and JavaScript.
So-Young Kang
USA/ SINGAPORE
@Gnowbe, a mobile transformational learning platform that shifts mindsets and behaviors in a bite-sized, experiential way.
I’m a Transformation Designer, mobile tech entrepreneur, education expert, global speaker, CEO coach and advisor, innovator, TEDster, pioneer, culture connector, design thinker, StrengthsFinder expert and global citizen. Davos 2018 Speaker. Recipient of the Young Global Leader 2014 by the World Economic Forum.
I am a global citizen who has traveled to nearly 50 countries including North Korea and Saudi Arabia to observe, listen, experience, and be transformed so that I, in turn, can catalyze sustainable change.
Joanna Ng
CANADA
During her IBM career, as an IBM Master Inventor, Joanna has been granted 44 patents from world wide patent offices & 12 more filed, pending for grant. Joanna served on two patent review boards & has published 3 books, 20+ peer-reviewed publications. Joanna held a 7 yr tenure as the Head of Research, Director of Center for Advanced Studies, IBM Canada Lab.
Books co-authored:
The Personal Web (2013) , The Smart Internet (2010) , Collaborations & Innovations (2016)
Joanna’s tagline for her professional aspiration & passion: #InnovateToBless
Rufus Rajaratnam
INDIA
Rufus is passionate about engaging, equipping, empowering and envisioning NextGen Leaders. Rufus Rajaratnam serves as a Leadership Consultant with NextGen Global Leaders. Rufus has worked in the corporate and Non-Profit world across India, Middle East (Dubai and Bahrain) and US (Plano) working in organizations including ICICI Bank, Stylus and Cognizant . He has led in roles across retail banking operations, financial services, product management, project management and IT Consulting. Rufus and his wife Cherub are blessed with two daughters Sakshi, Stuthi and a son Ashish. They are based in Chennai, India.
Alex Shih
USA
Alex Shih is a Product Lead at Slack, working on initiatives that improve how we collaborate in our new normal. He’s passionate about serving the developing world through increasing access to information and opportunity, and thereby the Gospel.
Previously, Alex was the Director of Product at a space startup called Planet, led emerging market products and initiatives at Twitter, built developer products at Airbnb, and co-founded a social enterprise called Global Cycle Solutions (acq. by Greenlight Planet) that deliver affordable, quality technology to rural villages. He’s also working on Karibu, a side project to bring different cultures together. Alex studied at MIT and Cornell, and he and his wife Naomi live in San Francisco with their two young children.
Porcho Marguerite Sogoba
Mali
I love programming, writing, speaking, traveling and taking on challenges. I am an entrepreneur and founder of Musodev.com, a non-profit organization working for the empowerment of women and young people through new technologies.
Porcho is also co-organizer and Lead of the Google Developer Bamako, Women Techmakers Bamako communities, all of Google’s programs for the digital inclusion of young people and women.
She was a speaker at the first edition of Abidjan Women In Tech where she animated the theme; “Breaking down the barriers of the code and becoming the code”. Locally, she hosts conferences and activities related to computer coding and the empowerment of women in technology. She also led the establishment of a Kids Lab on computer programming and robotics in Bamako.
Christeen Rico
USA
Christeen is a daughter of the Most High King, a committed follower of Jesus intent on pursuing a vision found in Proverbs 11:10 (NIV). Belief in the unique role business can play to help set right things that are broken and bring flourishing in our communities fuels her life’s mission. Christeen has 8+ years in the tech industry with expertise launching online and offline customer experiences in new markets. Christeen serves on the Advisory Board of Faith and Work Movement Global, the Office of Innovation at Biola University, the Lausanne Movement Global Workplace Ministry, and is the founder of the Dream Bigger Manila entrepreneurship program for Filipino youth.
Charles Kondi
Togo
Holder of a Master’s degree in Software Engineering, Komi-Kpandja N. KONDI has since 2010, first worked as a volunteer at Africa Missions with Nations as IT and communication Manager. He had consultations in the field of web application development for several companies and organizations. His vision is to improve the quality of life of people in Africa through digital. This is what led him to create since 2016 the startup e-Media to create digital applications with high social impact and solutions to support Startups especially in digital communication.
In order to contribute to the development of the ecosystem for the growth of Startups in Togo, he became Director of the Lomé Chapter of Startup Grind, a Global Community of Entrepreneurs.
He has participated in programs and several awards like CITIZEN CONNECTIONS, G20 Young Global Changer 2017 and Talking Across Generation on Education (TAGe) at TECH Conference of UNESCO MGIEP. He is Fellow of Tony Elumelu Foundation and Mandela Washington Fellowship of YALI.
Volunteer at Campus pour Christ Togo, Charles is also Indigitous Lomé (Togo) and is coordinating Indigitous in francophone Africa.
