Program Guest Speakers Include Thrive Global Founder and CEO Arianna Huffington, The Ohio State University Dean of Engineering Ayanna Howard, PhD, Governor of Colorado Jared Polis, and Constellation Research Founder and CEO R “Ray” Wang

Emmy Award-winning TV Personality and Technology Expert Katie Linendoll Returns as Emcee

Avaya, a global leader in customer experience and communications solutions, today announced the guest speakers and new interactive experiences at Avaya ENGAGE®─ the premier event where CX-savvy customers converge to discover how Avaya and its global ecosystem of partners empower organizations to engage customers and employees for maximum value, offering diverse pathways to drive business momentum.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240410336298/en/

Emcee & Main Stage Presenter, Katie Linendoll: Technology Expert and Emmy Award-Winning TV Personality. (Photo: Business Wire)

“The contact center is at the tip of the spear in CX, and Avaya, with our expertise in some of the world's most complex integrations, emerges as a natural leader,” said Alan Masarek, Avaya CEO. “We’re committed to delivering the solutions our customers choose along their CX journey, so they in turn can deliver the best experiences and greatest value for their customers and employees while accelerating their own business momentum.”

Thrive Global Founder and CEO Arianna Huffington, The Ohio State University’s Dean of Engineering Ayanna Howard, PhD, Governor of Colorado Jared Polis, and Constellation Research’s Founder, CEO, and Principal Analyst R “Ray” Wang are presenting on the main stage at the Avaya user conference held May 13-15 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.

Returning as program emcee this year, Emmy Award-winning TV personality and consumer technology expert Katie Linendoll joins these captivating speakers who will inspire attendees to engage their customers and employees in ways that may deliver the greatest value.

Hosted by Avaya and the International Avaya User Group (IAUG), Avaya ENGAGE 2024 will feature:

• Arianna Huffington: Founder and CEO of Thrive Global, the founder of The Huffington Post, and the author of 15 books, including Thrive and The Sleep Revolution. In 2016, she launched Thrive Global, a leading behavior change technology company with the mission of improving productivity and health outcomes. She has been named to Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list.

• Ayanna Howard, PhD: Innovator, entrepreneur, leader, and international expert in robotics and AI. She is also the author of the best-selling audiobook – Sex, Race, and Robots: How to be Human in the Age of AI. Currently, Dr. Howard is the Dean of Engineering at The Ohio State University and Monte Ahuja Endowed Dean's Chair. In addition, she serves on the board of directors for Autodesk and Motorola Solutions. Her career spans higher education, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the private sector.

• Colorado Governor Jared Polis: Entrepreneur, education leader, and public servant. After launching several successful companies, Polis committed himself to making sure other Coloradans had the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Polis founded schools for at-risk students and new immigrants and focused on supporting businesses and creating new jobs. Prior to becoming Governor, Polis served on the State Board of Education and represented Colorado's 2nd Congressional district. In October 2023, Colorado and the TechHubNow! Initiative secured one of two federal designations as a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hub) focused on advancing quantum technology, including quantum computing, sensing, networking, and enabling hardware.

• R “Ray” Wang: is the Founder, Chairman and Principal Analyst of Silicon Valley based Constellation Research Inc. He co-hosts DisrupTV, a weekly enterprise tech and leadership webcast that averages 50,000 views per episode and authors a business strategy and technology blog that has received millions of page views per month. He has written a ground-breaking and best-selling book on digital transformation, Disrupting Digital Business, published by Harvard Business Review Press in 2015. Wang’s new book about digital giants and the future of business titled: Everybody Wants to Rule the World, was released July 2021. Wang also serves as a non-resident Senior Fellow at The Atlantic Council's GeoTech Center.

• Katie Linendoll: is an Emmy Award-winning TV personality, consumer technology expert, and one of the leading women in the technology industry. She makes regular appearances as a contributor on TV in digital segments and series such as the TODAY Show, Rachael Ray, and The Weather Channel. She has been named a Silicon Valley Visionary and leads a faith-filled, active lifestyle while also devoting her time to select philanthropic causes in healthcare and with retired K9s and U.S. veterans.

Avaya customers, partners and internal experts will share innovation and insights through 80 interactive deep-dive sessions that illustrate how organizations can innovate without disruption. In a new offering this year, Avaya customers can participate in hands-on labs, with exercises and scenario-based learning opportunities to gain firsthand experiences. These sessions focus on innovation for Avaya Experience Platform™ in public cloud, private cloud, and on-prem deployment models.

Our breakout sessions will also cover a broad range of topics from AI and security to cloud migration, featuring these Avaya customers and more: American Heart Association, Comcast, Delgado Community College, Michigan State University, Seneca Foods, Southwest Airlines, State of Missouri, University of Texas Medical Branch, and University of Washington.

Avaya ENGAGE 2024 general session keynotes will be an entertaining and informative feature of the event. Register now to attend.

Additional Resource

• See the Avaya ENGAGE: Agenda at A Glance and register to attend here.

About Avaya

Businesses are built by the experiences they provide, and every day, millions of those experiences are delivered by Avaya. Organizations trust Avaya to provide innovative solutions for some of their most important ambitions and challenges, giving them the freedom to engage their customers and employees in ways that deliver the greatest business benefits. Avaya contact center and communications solutions power immersive, personalized, and unforgettable customer experiences that drive business momentum. With the freedom to choose their journey, there’s no limit to the experiences Avaya customers can create. Learn more at https://www.avaya.com

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Source: Avaya Newsroom

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