Edward Buckley
Sword Intelligence
General Manager
A serial tech entrepreneur with 3 exits in the past 5 years, Ed brings his immense experience to lead Sword Intelligence as it deploys its innovative solutions across the globe. During his time as founder/CEO, he has been recognized as an award winning leader by Forbes, Bloomberg, USA Today and Entrepreneur.
A serial tech entrepreneur with 3 exits in the past 5 years, Ed brings his immense experience to lead Sword Intelligence as it deploys its innovative solutions across the globe. During his time as founder/CEO, he has been recognized as an award winning leader by Forbes, Bloomberg, USA Today and Entrepreneur.
Mark Ratnarajah
Sword Intelligence
Clinical Director, Strategic Accounts
Dr. Mark Ratnarajah is a pediatrician with over 30 years of front line clinical experience and a prominent UK-based healthcare technology expert, particularly the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve patient outcomes and system efficiency. As the Clinical Director at Sword Intelligence, he specializes in utilizing AI and data analytics to enhance patient safety and optimize clinical and operational outcomes of Ai enabled care pathways, addressing challenges such as clinical variation, enhanced access and productivity. His experience in clinical leadership and implementing enterprise-ready AI solutions provides a practical perspective on the adoption of digital health tools, a major focus for both U.S. and UAE healthcare modernization efforts.
Dr. Mark Ratnarajah is a pediatrician with over 30 years of front line clinical experience and a prominent UK-based healthcare technology expert, particularly the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve patient outcomes and system efficiency. As the Clinical Director at Sword Intelligence, he specializes in utilizing AI and data analytics to enhance patient safety and optimize clinical and operational outcomes of Ai enabled care pathways, addressing challenges such as clinical variation, enhanced access and productivity. His experience in clinical leadership and implementing enterprise-ready AI solutions provides a practical perspective on the adoption of digital health tools, a major focus for both U.S. and UAE healthcare modernization efforts.
Deborah van Eck
Uluru
Co-Founder & President
Deborah van Eck is President and Co-Founder of Elula, Inc. and its subsidiary, Uluru. Uluru is an interactive psycho-educational platform that empowers families and students with the tools to achieve academic success by improving parents’ understanding of their children’s cognitive processes and equipping students with real-time executive function coaching.
In her work as an educational advocate, she has served on the board of trustees at The Episcopal School in the City of New York and The Browning School. An active supporter of mental health initiatives, she supports the Foundation for Art and Healing and Dr. Lisa Miller’s work at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
A former Wall Street technology analyst and Emmy Award-winning film producer, Deborah is passionate about creating change through innovative technology, art, and philanthropy. She currently sits on the Chairman’s Circle at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is a former board member of the Park Avenue Armory.
Deborah van Eck is President and Co-Founder of Elula, Inc. and its subsidiary, Uluru. Uluru is an interactive psycho-educational platform that empowers families and students with the tools to achieve academic success by improving parents’ understanding of their children’s cognitive processes and equipping students with real-time executive function coaching.
In her work as an educational advocate, she has served on the board of trustees at The Episcopal School in the City of New York and The Browning School. An active supporter of mental health initiatives, she supports the Foundation for Art and Healing and Dr. Lisa Miller’s work at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.
A former Wall Street technology analyst and Emmy Award-winning film producer, Deborah is passionate about creating change through innovative technology, art, and philanthropy. She currently sits on the Chairman’s Circle at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is a former board member of the Park Avenue Armory.
Deveren Fogle
Uluru
Co-Founder & CEO
Deveren Fogle is an executive function coach and technology entrepreneur with over a decade of experience supporting students and families navigating rigorous academic environments. Trained in both law and education, Deveren brings analytical discipline and practical insight to his work, specializing in helping learners build organization, focus, self-regulation, and independence—particularly students with ADHD and complex learning profiles.
Deveren is the co-founder of Uluru, an AI-powered assistive technology designed to support learners throughout their educational journeys by strengthening executive function skills. Prior to founding Uluru, he led and contributed to large, technically complex projects spanning software development, product strategy, and cross-functional team leadership. This combination of experience across education, law, and technology shapes Uluru’s approach to applying AI thoughtfully, supporting students in managing academic demands while helping them grow into confident, self-directed learners.
Deveren Fogle is an executive function coach and technology entrepreneur with over a decade of experience supporting students and families navigating rigorous academic environments. Trained in both law and education, Deveren brings analytical discipline and practical insight to his work, specializing in helping learners build organization, focus, self-regulation, and independence—particularly students with ADHD and complex learning profiles.
Deveren is the co-founder of Uluru, an AI-powered assistive technology designed to support learners throughout their educational journeys by strengthening executive function skills. Prior to founding Uluru, he led and contributed to large, technically complex projects spanning software development, product strategy, and cross-functional team leadership. This combination of experience across education, law, and technology shapes Uluru’s approach to applying AI thoughtfully, supporting students in managing academic demands while helping them grow into confident, self-directed learners.
Karl Ricanek
Univ of North Carolina Wilmington
Professor
Dr. Karl Ricanek Jr. is a world-renowned artificial intelligence researcher, entrepreneur, and technologist with more than 30 years of experience spanning academia, industry, and government. His career centers on the design, deployment, and ethical use of AI systems in computer vision, facial analytics, and identity science. A pioneer in facial analytics, Dr. Ricanek conducted seminal research in AI-based biometrics and face recognition, developing transformative solutions for the U.S. Government and Intelligence Community that advanced identity verification, national security, and forensic applications.
As CEO and Chief AI Officer of Lapetus Solutions, Inc., a global AI company headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, Dr. Ricanek led the creation of groundbreaking AI technologies that integrate facial analytics with actuarial and behavioral science to transform the life insurance and health-risk assessment industries. Under his leadership, Lapetus raised over $11 million in private equity funding and successfully negotiated AI deployments across Europe, South Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and North Africa, bringing North Carolina innovation to international markets.
Dr. Ricanek has directed or co-directed over 40 government research programs with the U.S. Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and Department of State; and collaborated with the UK Home Office, Australian Defence Department, and the Norwegian Government on AI technologies. He has also partnered with leading Federally Funded Research & Development Centers such as MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, MITRE, and Noblis, as well as private-sector defense and technology firms including CSC, DynCorp, and SAIC.
A Ronald McNair NASA Fellow at North Carolina A&T State University, where he studied machine learning and artificial intelligence, in his three-degree programs, BSEE, MSEE, and Ph.D. Electrical Engineering. Dr. Ricanek leveraged his dissertation on face recognition to build a research agenda that has stretched on for two decades. Dr. Ricanek holds multiple U.S. patents and has published more than 90 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. His work has been featured in Nature, Science, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Financial Times, and The Washington Post, to name a few. His journey from the modest income community of Deanwood in Washington, DC to an international scholar in AI was featured in the book “Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI”, by Madhumita Murgia.
An AI ethicist and global thought leader, Dr. Ricanek has delivered keynote lectures and invited talks in nearly 40 countries, shaping international dialogue on AI innovation, governance, and ethics. He is an active member of the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce AI Working Group and serves as an advisor to multiple companies on their AI strategies, helping them adopt responsible, innovative, and scalable AI solutions. At UNC Wilmington, he continues to advance North Carolina’s AI ecosystem—mentoring startups, cultivating the next generation of innovators, and driving academic–industry collaborations that turn AI research into economic and societal impact.
Dr. Karl Ricanek Jr. is a world-renowned artificial intelligence researcher, entrepreneur, and technologist with more than 30 years of experience spanning academia, industry, and government. His career centers on the design, deployment, and ethical use of AI systems in computer vision, facial analytics, and identity science. A pioneer in facial analytics, Dr. Ricanek conducted seminal research in AI-based biometrics and face recognition, developing transformative solutions for the U.S. Government and Intelligence Community that advanced identity verification, national security, and forensic applications.
As CEO and Chief AI Officer of Lapetus Solutions, Inc., a global AI company headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, Dr. Ricanek led the creation of groundbreaking AI technologies that integrate facial analytics with actuarial and behavioral science to transform the life insurance and health-risk assessment industries. Under his leadership, Lapetus raised over $11 million in private equity funding and successfully negotiated AI deployments across Europe, South Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and North Africa, bringing North Carolina innovation to international markets.
Dr. Ricanek has directed or co-directed over 40 government research programs with the U.S. Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and Department of State; and collaborated with the UK Home Office, Australian Defence Department, and the Norwegian Government on AI technologies. He has also partnered with leading Federally Funded Research & Development Centers such as MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, MITRE, and Noblis, as well as private-sector defense and technology firms including CSC, DynCorp, and SAIC.
A Ronald McNair NASA Fellow at North Carolina A&T State University, where he studied machine learning and artificial intelligence, in his three-degree programs, BSEE, MSEE, and Ph.D. Electrical Engineering. Dr. Ricanek leveraged his dissertation on face recognition to build a research agenda that has stretched on for two decades. Dr. Ricanek holds multiple U.S. patents and has published more than 90 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. His work has been featured in Nature, Science, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Financial Times, and The Washington Post, to name a few. His journey from the modest income community of Deanwood in Washington, DC to an international scholar in AI was featured in the book “Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI”, by Madhumita Murgia.
An AI ethicist and global thought leader, Dr. Ricanek has delivered keynote lectures and invited talks in nearly 40 countries, shaping international dialogue on AI innovation, governance, and ethics. He is an active member of the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce AI Working Group and serves as an advisor to multiple companies on their AI strategies, helping them adopt responsible, innovative, and scalable AI solutions. At UNC Wilmington, he continues to advance North Carolina’s AI ecosystem—mentoring startups, cultivating the next generation of innovators, and driving academic–industry collaborations that turn AI research into economic and societal impact.