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AquAeTer, Inc., Brentwood
Ms. Hoover’s work experience has included a wide range of projects including due diligence for property transfers, permitting activities, site assessments, and site closures for industrial clients. Her experience includes wastewater, stormwater, and indirect discharge permitting for small to large industrial firms, such as inorganic chemical, pulp and paper, wood treating, coal mining, and compressed gas facilities. She is a member of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Harmful Algal Bloom Working Group. In addition to working at AquAeTer, Ms. Hoover is a doctoral student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Vanderbilt University located in Nashville, Tennessee. Her research interest is in the development of resilient community systems. In particular, her research involves assessing the relationship between weather, water quality, and water treatment processes to inform decision making by water treatment utility management. Previously, she earned a B.S degree in Environmental Science and an M.S. degree in Environmental and Water Resource Engineering from Vanderbilt.

AquAeTer, Inc., Brentwood
Dr. Marotta is in charge of technical aspects of wastewater and air quality projects for AquAeTer. He provides a broad range of expertise in mechanical, nuclear, industrial and environmental engineering. His environmental experience includes facility and corporate-level environmental compliance responsibilities. Dr. Marotta currently directs design and mathematical modeling for air, water, wastewater, soils, and groundwater treatment projects. His nuclear experience includes thermal design and performance analysis for the naval reactors (RSPA), design and installation of emergency fill systems, reactor vessel brittle fracture prevention analysis and new reactor prototype concept development. These areas required extensive computer modeling using complex dynamic simulations and three-dimensional finite element analysis. Dr. Marotta has successfully facilitated high performance work teams within an established unionized manufacturing environment. His industrial experience includes several positions within pulp and paper manufacturing, with management expertise ranging from large capital projects, to plant manager, to technical consultant. Dr. Marotta is an adjunct assistant professor and teaches graduate level Heat Transfer and Thermodynamics at the University of Tennessee Space Institute.

Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc., Franklin
Dr. Pezeshk is an Assistant Project Manager at Civil and Environmental Consultants (Nashville Office) and an adjunct faculty at Tennessee State University. Parsa earned his Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Memphis in 2015. His experience includes modeling, simulation, optimization, laboratory experimentation, and pilot-plant operation of wastewater treatment systems. Prior to working as an environmental engineer consultant, Parsa served as a natural gas pipeline inspector with the State of Tennessee.

Dynamita, France
Dr. Takács, born Hungarian, naturalized Canadian, living in France, has done a similar circle in wastewater process modeling. As principal developer of GPS-X, BioWin and in the past eight years his own new Sumo process simulator at Dynamita, he has close to 40 years of experience in process modeling. Dr. Takács’ interests are widespread from nutrient removal and recovery to phase separation, main and sidestream treatment and energy-efficient technologies. He will lead the group through the development of a virtual wastewater treatment plant from BOD removal to nutrient recovery using the Sumo process simulator.

Of Counsel at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, in Washington D.C.Mr. Cohn is co-chair of the firm’s Blockchain and Digital Currency practice, and is counsel to the Blockchain Alliance, a public-private forum for blockchain companies to engage with law enforcement and regulatory agencies. He counsels companies on cybersecurity, blockchainand distributed ledger technology, and national security issues. He previously served at the US Department of Homeland Security for almost a decade, most recently as the Assistant Secretary for Strategy, Planning, Analysis & Risk and second-in-charge overall of the DHS Office of Policy. Mr. Cohn serves as an advisor to several blockchain companies, including companies focused on blockchain transaction analysis, identity validation, enterprise blockchain applications, and device authentication for the Internet of Things.

President and Chief Executive Officer of OpCenter, Inc. in Washington, D.C.Mr. Cronin is a serial entrepreneur with more than 20 years of entrepreneurial experience ingrowing and managing high technology product and services organizations in a global market. He has started and lead organizations at the precipice of market-changing technologies such as geographic information systems, electronic document management, Internet and now blockchain. OpCenter, Inc. helps construction owners manage construction projects by orchestrating the flow of project-critical information and providing transparency and accountability to project stakeholders. For more than 20 years, leaders in the construction industry have entrusted OpCenter with their time-sensitive project critical information.

Attorney+Expert Witness in Washington D.C.Mr. Delston is a certified anti-money laundering specialist (CAMS), and former regulator (FDIC) with more than 40 years of experience in the financial services sector. He has specialized in Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering issues in the US and internationally, for both private clients and government bodies. He is the author of an op-ed piece on Bitcoin published in Money Laundering.com News (2013) entitled “Did FinCEN Just Burst Bitcoin’s Bubble?” He is a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences throughout the world.

Attorney in Washington, D.C.Mr. Gross is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University where he teaches a comprehensive course on international business transactions which covers cryptocurrencies and blockchain, and their growing applications in finance and international transactions. He has extensive international and transactional experience, and has worked with numerous governments and organizations on international legal and financial issues. Mr. Gross has worked in two large international law firms, as general counsel of a corporation, and as deputy assistant general counselat a major federal regulatory agency in the U.S. Federal Government. He earned a B.S. degree in Physics from Case Institute of Technology, an M.S. degree in Applied Physics from Stanford University, and a J.D. degree from Case Western Reserve University.

Partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP in Washington D.C.Ms. Lee is co-chair of the International Trade Regulation and Compliance Practice Group. Her areas of expertise include: USA Patriot Act, FCPA, economic sanctions and embargoes, export controls, and CFIUS. She also advises on virtual and digital currency issues. Ms. Lee was selected by Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a leading lawyer for USA international trade in export controls and economic sanctions in 2016 and 2017. Chambers and Partners has also selected Ms. Lee as a leading international trade lawyer from 2007 through 2017 in its Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business Guide.

Partner at BakerHostetler in Washington D.C.Ms. Van Cleef provides legal and strategic advice to depository institutions, money services businesses, other financial services companies, and FinTech firms on federal and state regulatory, compliance and enforcement matters. She advises a range of clients, from startup businesses to publicly traded companies, private equity funds and other entities on understanding the BankSecrecy Act (BSA), the USA Patriot Act, sanctions regulations, and state money transmitter licensing statutes. She has also advised on creating, evaluating and enhancing anti-money laundering and OFAC compliance programs and on addressing consumer protection issues including privacy and data security and unfair, abusive and deceptive practices. A certified anti-money laundering specialist (CAMS), Ms. Van Cleef created a series of AML compliance training programs sponsored by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors. She also developed and leads an AML compliance bootcamp for virtual currency and blockchain technology companies.

Andrew M. “Drew” Hinkes is an attorney and recognized authority on legal issues related to the digital currency space. Mr. Hinkes is a co-founder and the general counsel of Athena Blockchain, a start up investment firm focused on compliant offering of tokenized investment products. He is also an adjunct professor, appointed by both the NYU Stern Business School and the NYU School of Law, where he co-teaches “Blockchains, Digital Currencies and the Future of the Financial Services Industry” to JD/MBA students. Mr. Hinkes is frequently quoted and cited in articles related to digital assets and blockchain technology, and he regularly speaks at legal, industry, and academic conferences. Previously, he was a partner at Berger Singerman LLP. He holds an A.B. degree in History from Washington University in St. Louis and a J.D. degree from the University of Miami.

Charles Evans, PhD, of Evans Economics, retired from teaching in May, 2018. He was associate professor of Finance and Economics at Barry University’s Andreas School of Business in Miami, Florida. Dr. Evans has been involved, commercially and academically, with virtual currencies since the first moneypunk wave during the 1990s Dot.Com era. His research focus is on virtual currency applications and the value of ephemeral goods. A native of Miami, Dr. Evans has lived in the New York City area, Metropolitan Washington DC, Los Angeles, Southern Germany, West Berlin, Anguilla (Eastern Caribbean), and the Bahamas. He speaks German fluently and enough Spanish to get by. Dr. Evans is a member of the national Association of Forensic Economists, the Financial Management Association and the Financial Education Association.

Rene Palomino Jr. worked as a criminal defense attorney for Essen & Essen P. A. immediately upon graduation from law school, until he established his own law firm in 1987. In 2008 he joined the Office of Regional Counsel where he defended indigent defendants charged with very serious crimes. Mr. Palomino joined the Hillsborough County Public Defenders in July 2017, where he presently works as an assistant public defender. During more than 34 years practicing law, he has handled over 3,200 cases in state court and approximately 200 cases in federal court. Throughout his career he has also been involved in civil litigation. He obtained multi-million dollar verdicts, including a jury verdict for $253 million against Fidel Castro and the Republic of Cuba. Mr. Palomino was admitted to The Florida bar in 1983, and he is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the American Bar Association. He was born in Havana, Cuba in 1959 and arrived in Miami, Florida, in 1962, where he was raised. After obtaining a degree in Business Administration, with honors, in 1980 from the University of Miami, he enrolled at Nova Southeastern School of Law where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree in 1983.

Angelina Pluzhnyk is a consultant with Evans Economics. She has more than 15 years of accounting experience in several industries, including tourism, energy, insurance, and cryptocurrency. Ms. Pluzhnyk consults with clients on cryptocurrency accounting. She also teaches Accounting and Economics for Keiser University. Ms. Pluzhnyk is a member of the American Institute of Public Accountants and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Originally from Yalta, Ukraine, she has lived in Ukraine, Russia, the USA, and the Bahamas. She is fluent in Russian and English. She earned MAcc (Accounting), MA (Economics) degrees.

Frank A. Prieto opened the Law Offices of Frank Andrew Prieto, P.A., in 2007 and has quickly become one of South Florida’s premiere criminal defense lawyers. He began his legal career as an assistant state attorney (2001-2004). During his years as a prosecutor, Mr. Prieto gained comprehensive experience in the litigation of complex criminal enterprises, including international narcotics-trafficking, organized crime, white collar fraud, racketeering (RICO), theft, property crimes, crimes of violence, DUI, and many others. After 2004, he took his prosecutorial experience and applied it toward maritime and admiralty defense work. In 2007, Mr. Prieto began his own private practice focused in the areas of narcotics trafficking, organized crime, white collar crimes, RICO, property crimes, and crimes of violence at both the federal and state levels. Additionally, he has vast experience in the areas of credit card fraud, securities fraud, burglaries, robberies, theft, and all traffic offenses including DUI. Mr. Prieto is a 2001 cum la

Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Advisor, TheBitcoinCPA™Mr. Phillips, aka The Bitcoin CPA™, is an entrepreneur, certified public accountant (CPA) and a self-taught woodworker therefore an artist of sorts in all areas of life. He brings the same attention to detail necessary for creating finely crafted furniture into the business world. He is fanatical about technology, business processes, fraud prevention, time management, learning and peace of mind. Mr. Phillips brings more than 20 years’ experience working in public accounting including McGladrey, private industry while also starting multiple businesses. His journey since writing The Ultimate Bitcoin Business Guide™ has turned into a niche consulting practice in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space for both startups and individuals. Mr. Phillips is also a principal with Blockchain Catalytics working on several projects in the space to transform traditional financial market approaches and ways of doing business. He is also creating CryptoProResource.com, the premier website for accounting, audit and tax resources in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. He’s written numerous articles and blogs in publications such as yBitcoin Magazine, Bitcoin Magazine and CoinDesk. Mr. Phillips wrote and produced the AICPA’s Blockchain Fundamentals Course in 2018 and also contributed to the AICPA’s Virtual Currency Task Force in issuing a revised IRS comment letter on virtual currencies. Over the past six years he has attended numerous conferences, been featured on many podcasts, and regularly speaks and educates CPAs and attorneys about blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies.

Assistant Professor at Lehman College (CUNY)Dr. Stein Smith is an expert and sought after speaker focusing on the intersection of financial services, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies. He is a regular contributor to the official IBM’s Blockchain Unleashed website, analyzing applications for blockchain technology on business at large, as well as being a regular expert guest on China Global TV Network discussing blockchain and related applications. Dr. Stein Smith is a member of the Advisory Board for the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, which coordinates with the AICPA in developing standards and reporting frameworks in this emerging area. He continuously works with, and consults for the AICPA and several professional training organizations in the creation and delivery of blockchain and cryptocurrency related content. Additionally, his analysis and thought leadership in the blockchain and cryptocurrency area has been featured in dozens of articles, including a 2018 feature article in the CPA Journal. Dr. Stein Smith has given dozens of presentations of blockchain technology, both domestically and internationally. He is currently under contract to publish two full length books focusing on blockchain applications for financial services and other industry sectors.

Patrick D. Daugherty is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP in Chicago and New York. Mr. Daugherty is a corporate, M&A, finance and SEC lawyer who advises executives, entrepreneurs and investors on strategic transactions and governance. He also leads Foley’s Blockchain Task Force of forty lawyers. As both deal-maker and trusted counselor, Mr. Daugherty uses more than 35 years of experience in global markets and at SEC headquarters in Washington to customize solutions for clients. A graduate of Northwestern University and of Cornell Law School, Mr. Daugherty clerked in the Southern District of New York, is an elected member of the American Law Institute, and belongs to the Bar in five different states.

Joseph Pope is a Principal for Global Economics Group, an international independent disputes and regulatory consulting firm. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) and Certified in Blockchain for Accounting and Finance with more than 25 years of forensic accounting, independent investigation and consulting experience. Mr. Pope has extensive experience in analyzing economic damages, lost profits, financial reporting issues, contract disputes, post-acquisition disputes, enterprise valuations and commercial fraud. He has consulted clients in a wide range of industries including financial services, insurance, higher education, healthcare, digital currency and blockchain, telecommunications and public utilities. Prior to joining Global Economics Group, Mr. Pope was a managing director at Stout where he consulted lawyers and their clients involved in complex business disputes and forensic investigations. Prior to Stout, he was a founder and managing director at Huron Consulting Group and started his career at Arthur Andersen. Mr. Pope is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois CPA Society, and is a Treasurer and Finance Chair on the Board of Wellness House, a Board Member of Wellness House Foundation, and a member of the Finance Committee of the Chicago Bar Foundation. 

Nelson M. Rosario is a co-founder of Smolinski Rosario Law in Chicago. He is an attorney with a diverse set of skills and experience gained from working in private practice for multiple IP boutique law firms in Chicago, for the legal department of a large multi-national consumer electronics corporation, and for a federal magistrate judge. Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Rosario worked as an election official for a government agency. His practice has a strong focus on intellectual property, particularly patents and trademarks, and in legal issues related to blockchain and cryptocurrency. Mr. Rosario has a background in computer science, and he writes and speaks regularly on emerging technology issues relevant to attorneys and entrepreneurs. In addition, he teaches a class called “Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, and Law” at Illinois Tech, Chicago-Kent College of Law covering the legal and technology issues surrounding the blockchain space. Mr. Rosario is the founder and organizer of BLOC (Blockchain Lawyers of Chicago), a blockchain networking group in Chicago. He earned a JD degree from Illinois Tech – Chicago Kent College of Law, a B.S. degree in Computer Science from Florida State University and, a B.A. degree in History and Political Science from the University of Minnesota.
 

Rachel Schwarz is an associate with Freeborn & Peters LLP in theReal Estate Practice Group and a member of the Emerging TechnologiesIndustry Team. She concentrates her practice in the area of commercialreal estate, with an emphasis on acquisitions, dispositions, financing,leasing, and development. Her experience includes drafting purchaseand sales agreements, commercial leases, mortgages, and easements,and performing title reviews and other due diligence for real estatetransactions. Ms. Schwarz also has a significant interest in blockchaintechnology and the potential it has to streamline and revolutionize realestate transactions. She stays apprised of blockchain industry news andis a member of the Emerging Technologies Industry Team within the firm.Prior to practicing law, Ms. Schwarz worked as a commercial real estatebroker, providing her with a unique perspective in negotiating real estatedeals. She earned her J.D. degree from Washington and Lee UniversitySchool of Law.

Zach Smolinski is a co-founder of Smolinski Rosario Law in Chicago. He is an experienced general counsel having a focus on intellectual property, transactional, and mergers and acquisitions law and a strong interest in emerging technologies. Mr. Smolinski’s skills include evaluating and negotiating license agreements and cloud services contracts, coordinating IP due diligence for investors and purchasers, and working with founders and executives to optimize their companies’ legal strategies. He is a registered patent attorney with a background in physics. Mr. Smolinski presents regularly on legal matters of importance to founders, executives, and investors and, he coordinates and speaks monthly at BUZZ, a blockchain discussion group in Chicago. Mr. Smolinski graduated from the University of Illinois College of Law with a J.D. degree. He received a B.S. degree in Physics from Illinois State University.

Justin C. Steffen is a litigator for Fortune 500 and FinTech companies, a (late-in-life) technophile, and a legal futurist. By day, he is a partner at Jenner & Block LLP where he serves as a co-founder and leader of Jenner’s FinTech and Blockchain practice groups. Mr. Steffen routinely represents clients in large, “bet-the-company” litigation and internal investigations, and he helps online lenders, payments companies, and blockchain/cryptocurrency companies navigate the evolving regulatory and legal environment. Recently, he defended a subprime lending subsidiary of a large multinational corporation in a three-week, $1 billion Federal trial. By night, he is a technophile and blockchain devotee. Mr. Steffen was recently named an emerging leader by BAI and a FinTech Trailblazer by the National Law Journal, and he frequently educates, speaks, and writes on blockchain, algorithmic lending, and other financial technologies. Among other engagements, he spoke at the 2017 Fin(Legal) Tech Conference, the FinTank Chicago Blockchain summit, and the Block(Legal) Tech Conference that he co-organized. In the coming months, he is scheduled to speak at the FinTech Symposium and Lend360, and he is to serve as an adjunct professor at Loyola University School of Law, teaching a class on FinTech and the Law. Mr. Steffen is also the founder and chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s recently-formed Financial and Emerging Technologies Committee and a frequent FinTech commentator who has published articles in Law360, FinTech Weekly, Business Insurance Journal and LegalTech News.

Ms. Lathrop is licensed as a professional land surveyor in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, and as a professional planner in New Jersey. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and has been involved in surveying since 1974 in projects ranging from construction to boundary to environmental land use disputes. Ms. Lathrop is also a certified floodplain manager through the Association of State Flood Plain Managers (ASFPM) and a certified floodplain surveyor through the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors. A former adjunct instructor at Mercer County College in New Jersey, she has also taught as part of the team for the licensing exam review course at Drexel University in Pennsylvania. Ms. Lathrop has been teaching seminars for surveyors since 1986 and has been writing articles for surveyors since 1983. She is a contributing editor for The American Surveyor magazine, and she has four articles included in the American Bar Association’s text, Land Surveys: A Guide for Lawyers and Other Professionals. She and Stephen V. Estopinal, PLS, PE co–authored a book entitled Professional Surveyors and Real Property Descriptions: Composition, Construction, and Comprehension, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in 2011. She is also on the faculty of GeoLearn, a web-based educational provider. Ms. Lathrop is a past president of the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors and of the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and she has served on the Board of Directors for the American Association for Geodetic Surveying.