The American Bazaar presents Leadership @ Inflection Points: A C-Suite Perspective, a premier gathering of senior executives and business leaders in Washington, DC, on November 14, 2025.
Come listen to world-class panels of CEOs, CFOs, CIOs and CMOs on how to navigate through inflection points.
Curated by Rohit Tripathi in collaboration with The American Bazaar in a storytelling format.
Learn, network and enjoy the stories of remarkable transformation, resilience, success, and yes, failures, too.
Panel Conversations
Panel 1: The CEO: Mobilizing for Transformation
CEOs give a glimpse into the behind-closed-doors chaos that ultimately leads to clarity to mobilizing an enterprise to success.
Panel 2: The CFO : Harmonizing Capital and Strategy
CFOs walk us through managing internal aspirations and external capital realities; how to provide oxygen to sustain and grow.
Panel 3: The CIO/CDO: Data becomes the Linchpin
CTOs and CIOs discuss how data is re-imagined becoming foundational to strategy.
Panel 4: The CMO — Storytelling in the age of Data
CMOs, the unsung heroes, share the ultimate storytelling challenge that captures the imagination of markets and value while maintaining fidelity to strategy.
The event offers a comprehensive and panoramic view of leadership challenges from the vantage point of each of these executive roles and teams. It is an opportunity for business leaders, investors, and innovators to hear directly how personal and professional resilience emerges when it matters most.
Brown Rudnick
Andrew J. Sherman is a Partner at Brown Rudnick in Washington, D.C., where he co-leads the firm’s Emerging Growth Companies & Venture Capital practice. A highly respected corporate lawyer, he brings more than 30 years of experience advising Fortune 500 corporations, private equity firms, and emerging growth companies on franchising, mergers and acquisitions, licensing, cross-border transactions, and capital-raising strategies.
Andrew is a global expert in leveraging intellectual property and technology assets, intellectual asset management and harvesting, as well as international corporate transactional and franchising matters. He has advised dozens of Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of emerging growth companies across a diverse set of industries. Andrew has written nearly 30 books on the legal and strategic aspects of business growth and the leveraging of intellectual property. His book Harves4ng Intangible Assets was the basis for his TEDx talk on the same topic.
Beyond his legal practice, Andrew serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, where he teaches courses on business growth and corporate strategy.
Through his combined roles as advisor, educator, and author, Andrew J. Sherman has earned a reputation as a trusted voice for executives and entrepreneurs navigating critical inflection points in their businesses.
Ampcus Inc.
Anjali “Ann” Ramakumaran is the Founder and CEO of Ampcus Inc., a global consulting and professional services firm. A technology-savvy entrepreneur with over two decades of experience, Ann has led the design, development, and delivery of innovative technology and human capital solutions worldwide. Under her leadership, Ampcus has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list and honored as a Top Diversity Business.
She has received numerous accolades, including Women in Technology Entrepreneur of the Year, induction into the Women’s Business Enterprise Hall of Fame, and the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council Hall of Fame. Ann has also guided Ampcus to earn multiple Supplier of the Year and Minority Business Enterprise of the Year awards.
In addition to leading Ampcus, Ann serves on the National Board of WBENC and several other boards, while mentoring women- and minority-owned startups. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business and Commercial Management, and has completed executive programs at the University of Richmond and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Equum Medical
Karsten Russell-Wood is the Chief Marketing & Experience Officer at Equum Medical, bringing over 20 years of global experience in healthcare marketing, strategy, and product development. At Equum, he leads efforts to integrate innovation and service offerings to strengthen brand identity, foster thought leadership, and enhance customer engagement. He also champions initiatives to support employee culture and the delivery of a collaborative, joyful care environment.
Before joining Equum, Karsten held leadership roles in global product management and marketing at companies such as Philips and GE Healthcare, developing technologies and solutions tailored to diverse patient populations.
Karsten received both undergraduate and graduate degrees from The Johns Hopkins University, and holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Massachusetts. He is presently pursuing doctoral work at the LeBow College of Business, Drexel University, where his dissertation concentrates on the adoption of online health and pharmacy solutions in consumer populations and new marketing approaches in the healthcare solution market.
Beyond his professional career, he remains active in community development and nonprofit work focused on early childhood and revitalization.
AWS Leader
Lorraine Knerr is a senior technology executive with deep expertise in data, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation. She currently serves as a leader at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where she partners with enterprises to accelerate innovation through advanced cloud, data, and AI solutions. With over two decades of experience, Lorraine has built a distinguished career driving business value from data strategy and enterprise modernization across highly regulated industries, including financial services.
Before joining AWS, Lorraine held senior leadership roles where she led large-scale data initiatives, guided cloud adoption strategies, and shaped risk and capital markets technology programs. Her ability to bridge technical innovation with business impact has made her a trusted advisor to C-suites and boards navigating the opportunities and challenges of digital disruption.
Lorraine is also a recognized thought leader, frequently speaking on topics such as AI adoption, responsible data strategy, and the future of cloud-native architectures. She has been actively involved in mentoring emerging technology leaders and supporting initiatives to expand diversity in STEM. Lorraine holds an educational background from The Wharton School and continues to champion innovation, inclusion, and measurable outcomes in the data and AI ecosystem.
VU Capital
Rohit is a business strategist with a keen interest in geopolitics. Rohit’s professional work spans two decades of emerging technology development and innovation in telecom, the broader internet infrastructure space and a range of emerging enterprise technologies that span the functional gamut. He has advised emerging growth company leaders to achieve their strategic milestones. Rohit has also collaborated extensively with policymakers and civil society leaders across various policy areas. He enjoys exploring the nexus of business and policy through the prism of societal value and the leadership that nurtures it. Rohit derives his greatest professional fulfilment by working with thoughtful leaders on ideas with transformative power. Rohit is also an experienced public speaker, moderator and curator.
Rohit has an MBA and degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland. He has also taught globalization as an adjunct faculty at the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business.
Former CFO, Sodexo
Ramesh Mahal, a corporate board member, retired in 2021 as Chief Financial Officer for Sodexo Inc’s $10 billion North American operations. He has more than 30 years of experience in Finance, Operations, Information Technology and Supply Chain. He has led profitable growth across several organizations in US and Asia. Ramesh is a people-centric leader with a strong track record of rallying teams around a common vision. He has a unique talent for improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Ramesh has turned around loss making companies and driven profitable organizations to higher levels of profitability. He was CFO for five different organizations over a 20year period. Ramesh has partnered closely with business to achieve top line growth and taken out significant costs without impacting quality or value creation. His has been a C Level executive with four Fortune 1000 companies in fast growing developing markets in Asia as well as in the North American market.
Ramesh is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Marius Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on treating conditions that are primarily associated with hypogonadism.
22nd Century Technologies
Darnita Trower is a digital transformation leader with more than 15 years of experience driving IT modernization and customer experience innovation across federal civilian and defense sectors. As Chief Customer Experience Officer at 22nd Century Technologies, she designs enterprise CX strategies that enhance service delivery, strengthen client engagement, and foster long-term trust-based partnerships.
Previously, at the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Darnita led major initiatives under the IRS Modernization Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, introducing award-winning digital tools that transformed taxpayer services—digitizing 94% of interactions and achieving record operational performance.
Renowned for her human-centered approach to technology adoption, she continues to champion mission-driven innovation that simplifies complex systems, elevates user experience, and delivers measurable impact across government and industry.
Vyntelligence
Mayank Sharma, the Chief Data Officer at Vyntelligence, is a researcher, engineer, data scientist, systems thinker and problem solver, with a long track record of business and scientific impact. He works on addressing problems around decision-making within complex systems operating in uncertain environments.
Through his career, first as a senior researcher at the IBM TJ Watson Research Center all the way to his recent roles as Head of Data Science and Chief Data Officer, he has been at the forefront of innovation in diverse areas such as human capital management, business process automation, healthcare analytics, smart grids, FinTech and EdTech.
Mayank obtained a B.Tech. from IIT Delhi; and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford University, all in Electrical Engineering. He has a broad background and expertise in data analytics, operations research, machine learning and process redesign. He is Member of the Forbes Technology Council, a Senior Member of the IEEE, and a member of INFORMS and ACM. He is widely published in the scientific literature; has been granted 19 patents; and has been an Adjunct Professor with the department of Computer Science at Columbia University.
DataTribe
Maurice Boissière is a seasoned entrepreneur and startup leader with over two decades of experience guiding early-stage, venture-backed companies. As Partner at DataTribe, a leading cybersecurity startup foundry, he invests in and co-builds companies that push the boundaries of data and cyber innovation.
Maurice combines deep technical expertise with strategic business acumen, developed through roles in product leadership and customer success across data-driven enterprises. He also serves on advisory boards for the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland and UM Ventures’ Maryland Momentum Fund, supporting the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Marketing Executive
Jeff Bradbury is a results-oriented senior marketing executive with extensive experience leading strategic growth initiatives for Fortune 500 and high-growth technology companies. With deep expertise across B2B and B2G markets, he has a proven record of delivering double-digit business improvements and driving both top- and bottom-line performance in dynamic environments.
Jeff is recognized for his leadership in strategic planning, go-to-market strategy, and multi-channel marketing, with a strong ability to align marketing and sales for measurable revenue impact. His specialties include brand strategy, demand generation, partner marketing, and marketing analytics, supported by significant international experience across North America, Western Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.
A passionate advocate for marketing innovation, Jeff consistently helps organizations expand market reach, accelerate growth, and build enduring brand value.
Extreme Steel Inc.
George Skaros is a seasoned finance and operations executive with deep expertise in private equity, business transformation, and strategic growth. As Chief Financial Officer at Extreme Steel Inc., he leads financial strategy and operational performance for one of Virginia’s leading manufacturing firms.
His prior leadership roles include serving as Vice President of Operations at Ninth Street Capital Partners, Chief Financial Officer at USA Millwork, and Head of Finance & Business Intelligence at Fraport USA. George’s background spans M&A, fundraising, turnaround management, and data-driven decision-making across both domestic and international markets.
Recognized for his integrity and hands-on leadership, George Skaros excels at building cohesive teams, strengthening organizations, and driving sustainable, long-term business growth.
Brown Rudnick
Andrew J. Sherman is a Partner at Brown Rudnick in Washington, D.C., where he co-leads the firm’s Emerging Growth Companies & Venture Capital practice. A highly respected corporate lawyer, he brings more than 30 years of experience advising Fortune 500 corporations, private equity firms, and emerging growth companies on franchising, mergers and acquisitions, licensing, cross-border transactions, and capital-raising strategies.
Andrew is a global expert in leveraging intellectual property and technology assets, intellectual asset management and harvesting, as well as international corporate transactional and franchising matters. He has advised dozens of Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of emerging growth companies across a diverse set of industries. Andrew has written nearly 30 books on the legal and strategic aspects of business growth and the leveraging of intellectual property. His book Harves4ng Intangible Assets was the basis for his TEDx talk on the same topic.
Beyond his legal practice, Andrew serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, where he teaches courses on business growth and corporate strategy.
Through his combined roles as advisor, educator, and author, Andrew J. Sherman has earned a reputation as a trusted voice for executives and entrepreneurs navigating critical inflection points in their businesses.
Get ready to hear from investors, successful startup founders, industry leaders, and innovation experts who have built and scaled groundbreaking ventures.
The event offers a vibrant platform where startup founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, and early-stage innovators can engage with industry leaders who have forged remarkable success in the entrepreneurial landscape. Join us to gain invaluable insights, network with seasoned professionals, and ignite your entrepreneurial journey.
Are you an entrepreneur with an innovative startup? Here’s your chance to showcase your venture at the Startup Showcase! If you want your startup to be featured, reach out to us with your details. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain visibility, connect with investors, and engage with industry leaders. Our email ID is events@americanbazaaronline.com
1850 Towers Crescent Plaza, Vienna, VA 22182
Name: Anil Prayag
Phone: 301-343-7610
Email: anil@americanbazaaronline.com
1850 Towers Crescent Plaza, Vienna, VA 22182
Name: Anil Prayag
Phone: 301-343-7610
Email: anil@americanbazaaronline.com