We are thrilled to announce our 2025 Annual Conference speakers!
Speaker: Sterling Shury, PMP
Sterling Shury, PMP is a seasoned operational leader with global experience in Business Operations, Strategic Consulting, Annual Planning Governance & Execution, and Enterprise Program/Portfolio Management. He has a proven track record of scaling strategic solutions for enterprise-wide initiatives, consistently delivering impactful results that drive organizational success. Currently, Sterling is the Senior Director of the Strategic Transformation Office at Smartsheet where he leads the team responsible for the development and delivery of Smartsheet's enterprise strategic portfolio and chairs the Portfolio Management Committee.
Prior to joining Smartsheet, Sterling held roles as Director of Business Operations & Enablement at Nike and Head of Global Strategy Programs & Implementation for Airbnb. Sterling has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Virginia Tech and earned his Project Management Professional credential from the Project Management Institute.
In addition to his professional responsibilities, Sterling has spent several years serving in various non-profit leadership positions including on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Somerville, Massachusetts, Board of Freshman Advisors at Harvard University, Founding Advisory Board member of Soccer Without Borders - Seattle among others.
In his session, "Avoiding Burnout with a Change-Ready Culture," Sterling will share actionable strategies for fostering resilience and adaptability within organizations. Learn how to create a culture that not only navigates change effectively but thrives in it—all while safeguarding team well-being.
Speaker: Amber McMillan
With a career spanning over 30 years across both profit and non-profit sectors, Amber McMillan, widely known as 'The Feisty PM,' is a powerhouse in impact coaching, executive education, and project management thought leadership. Her work centers on empowering individuals to harness their unique strengths, driving transformative change and inclusivity across every organization she serves.
Amber is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, championing the reality that diverse project teams consistently achieve greater success. Her expertise lies in the people-driven elements of project management—communication, relationship management, change, and conflict resolution—addressing the very human challenges that can become roadblocks to meaningful progress. With an empathic leadership style, Amber connects people to the broader vision of a project, illuminating paths they may not initially see and fostering a collaborative spirit that allows teams to thrive.
As a mentor, educator, and advocate for growth, Amber currently serves as Executive Director and Chief Visionary Officer of Rogers Society and as the PMI Region 1 Mentor for the Pacific Northwest of the Americas. She also shapes future leaders in her role as Executive Educator at York University's Schulich School of Business, the University of Victoria's Gustavson School of Business, Continuing Education and Biomedical Engineering, and UBC’s Biomedical Engineering program.
Speaker: Leslie Ann Kainoa
Leslie Ann Kainoa is the Cybersecurity State Coordinator for Region 10, Oregon. She started with CISA in July of this year she is focused on supporting the Critical Infrastructure private sector entities throughout the state of Oregon.
Leslie has spent over 19 years in cybersecurity. Originally from Hawaii, she began her cybersecurity career as a helpdesk technician supporting the US Army Reserves as both a Reservist and contractor. Her duties included applying security technical controls to hardware and software as well as education users on current computer best practices. These duties sparked an interest in information technology security which eventually led to a career in cybersecurity. During Leslie’s time in Hawaii, she worked as an Information Assurance analyst with the US Army Pacific, US Marine Corp Pacific, Special Operations Command Pacific, and INSCOM. A portion of her time working with the military included a deployment to Afghanistan providing cybersecurity support to the US Army.
2013 brough a year of change when Leslie moved to Oregon. She settled in the Portland metro area where she joined Portland General Electric as a cybersecurity analyst. There she provided cybersecurity services to the operation technology ensuring all substations, operations, and information supporting the generation and delivery of power was protected. Leslie joined TriMet, the public transportation provider for the Portland metro region, as a Senior Cybersecurity Engineer to help build a cybersecurity program while providing cybersecurity assessment, security architecture, and operational technology expertise. When the Cybersecurity State Coordinator position posted she jumped on the opportunity to help a greater number of people with cybersecurity support, education, and outreach.
Some of the extra-curricular activities Leslie enjoys is participating in student outreach programs to introduce cybersecurity and cybersecurity concepts to K-12 students and coaching soccer. Leslie earned a Master of Science in Information Systems from Hawaii Pacific University. The certifications Leslie holds are Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE), and Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GISCP).
Speaker: Curtis Milander
At Nike, Curtis led digital transformation initiatives, advancing the adoption of technology solutions to support business transformation. He managed complex change portfolios, activated communities of practice, and standardized methodologies to enhance alignment and consistency across global teams. His current focus is delivering a unified approach to managing digital transformation for a children’s medical research institute.
Curtis’s focus on operational excellence was evident in innovative projects, including developing and launching products worn by Olympic athletes. With a B.S. in Business from San Jose State University and certifications in Prosci Change Management and Design Thinking, he bridges strategy with execution to deliver measurable results.
Speaker: Demet Tuncer
A two-time Turkish “Tony” Award winner, master of stagecraft, the voice of Walt Disney, TEDx speaker, performer turned charisma coach, Demet Tuncer has spent over three decades captivating audiences on stage, on screen, and at world-renowned events. From Davos to the FIFA World Cup, FIBA Championships, and U.S. Presidential engagements, she has shared the spotlight with world leaders, captivating thousands with her magnetic presence and authentic stage mastery.
She has worked with global giants like, Coca-Cola, Intel, Ford, Microsoft, and the BBC.
Now recognized as “The Queen of Charisma,” Demet teaches the very skills she mastered—captivating audiences and creating experiences through connection and engagement. Contrary to popular belief, charisma is not an exclusive gift of actors, politicians, or extroverts—it is a learnable skill, and a vital component of sustainable leadership, fostering authentic, impactful connections that last.
Determined to break charisma into a structured framework, she reverse-engineered its essence to create her signature framework “5 Banks and The Master Key.” Now taught in MBA programs and corporate settings, this proven system empowers leaders and executives to break through barriers. By transforming charisma into a tangible, learnable skill, Demet equips professionals with practical tools they can apply immediately This proven framework is a game-changer for data-driven teams, helping technical professionals translate complex information into compelling narratives without compromising accuracy. Recognizing its impact, Pfizer brought Demet on to train its Medical Directors, refining their communication to be both scientifically precise and powerfully engaging.
Beyond corporate leadership, Demet is the Creative Director and Performance Coach for The Immigrant Story Live, helping storytellers bring their narratives to life with power and authenticity. As a Commissioner for the City of Portland’s Immigrant and Refugee Policy Committee, she advocates for representation and inclusion, ensuring underrepresented voices are heard. She mentors women globally, guiding them to embrace their presence, show up with confidence, and make an impact.
Meeting Demet leaves an imprint. Her vibrant energy, magnetic presence, and insightful guidance inspire those she works with to realize their potential, build meaningful connections, and shine their brightest.
After 30 years of captivating audiences, she’s passionate about teaching you to do the same.
Speaker: Naveen Gudigantala
Naveen Gudigantala is an Associate Professor at the University of Portland's Pamplin School of Business. He holds a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University (2009) and his research focuses on issues concerning consumer and firm behaviors in online environment, the use of Artificial intelligence/machine learning in organizational settings, creation of value from the use of business analytics, gray markets and intellectual property rights, and information systems education. His journal articles have appeared in internationally reputed journals in information systems (IS) and in reference disciplines of marketing and management (e.g. Communications of AIS, Decision Support Systems, Journal of Information Systems Education, etc.). He has also presented his work at many prestigious international conferences (e.g. The International Conference on Information Systems, The Americas Conference on Information Systems, etc.) He has served as a reviewer for more than ten of Information Systems' top academic journals (e.g. Journal for Associate for Information Systems, Decision Sciences, Decision Support Systems, etc.), in addition to serving as an associate editor for Information Systems' leading academic conference (ICIS). He has taught courses in graduate, undergraduate and online format and some of his courses include: business analytics, data science, operations and technology management, systems analysis, and decision modeling. He has won the "difference maker" award from the University of Portland in 2011 in addition to being nominated multiple times for the university- wide teaching excellence award. Prior to his Ph.D., he earned his M.S. from Texas Tech University (2004), P.G.D.B.M. from Institute of Public Enterprise, India (2000), and a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Osmania University, India (1998).