New Product & Product Management Awards Judging Committee
Vivian Gomes
Co-Founder & Chief Design Officer SHNORH, San Francisco, California, United States
Vivian Gomes is an internationally respected design and product leader who has been at the forefront of creating, building, scaling, and judging new products that make an impact in the real world. With over two decades of experience across product design, management, human-centered design, and large-scale innovation, he is widely regarded for his ability to assess and vision not just what is new, but what is viable, durable, and well-executed at scale. Vivian’s professional journey reflects a deep invention mindset, one rooted in identifying unmet needs, framing the right problems, and translating insight into products that can scale across markets and cultures. He has led the creation and evolution of products and platforms used by millions, spanning consumer electronics, e commerce, healthcare, telecom, fintech, media, energy, smart infrastructure, and enterprise systems. His work consistently sits at the intersection of customer value, operational feasibility, and business value. As Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer of SHNORH and Human Factors Research & Design (HFR&D), Vivian has guided organizations through the full product and platform lifecycle, i.e. from early concept and validation to launch, governance, and long-term portfolio management. He is known for identifying and establishing strong teams, product foundations, clear ownership models, decision frameworks, design and delivery standards, and cross-functional collaboration between product, engineering, research, and business teams. These structures have enabled faster execution, higher adoption, and sustained product quality across complex ecosystems. Earlier in his career, Vivian held senior global roles at Hewlett-Packard, where he founded and scaled one of the company’s first offshore usability and user-centered design teams. There, he contributed directly to major product lines by embedding research and product thinking into development decisions, influencing hardware interfaces, software workflows, and service experiences across global markets. His work has supported products with high value revenue impact and long operational lifespans, proving his perspective on product experience longevity, manufacturability, and lifecycle management placing people at the center of his work. Vivian later led global design and product transformation initiatives, overseeing more than 80 enterprise-grade platforms across analytics, GIS, defense, utilities, and smart city systems for large enterprises. Many of these products operated in safety-critical and infrastructure-heavy environments, requiring disciplined product management, clear prioritization, and rigorous evaluation of usability under real-world conditions. These experiences shaped his practical approach to judging innovations, as strong products are not only inventive, but dependable, understandable, and responsibly built. Beyond industry leadership, Vivian actively contributes to the global product and design community as a mentor, board advisor, and jury member. He has served on juries for leading international awards including the IDSA International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), the iF Design Awards, A’ Design Awards, and the Stevie Awards. He has dedicated over 10 yrs as a lead mentor at Google for Startups. Across these roles, he is recognized for his balanced judgment, evaluating invention, product strategy, execution quality, and long-term value rather than surface-level novelty. A frequent speaker and author, Vivian writes and presents on product ethics, invention-led design, systems thinking, and the responsibilities of product leaders in shaping technology at scale. His perspective is grounded, analytical, and experience-driven…shaped by years of building products, leading teams, and helping organizations turn ideas into outcomes that endure.
Pulkit Aggarwal
Senior Product Manager, Workday, Inc., Livermore, California, United States
With 12+ years in software, Pulkit specializes in AI, machine learning, and platform product management. Pulkit led enterprise AI initiatives and evaluated innovation through both technical depth and business impact.
Rishabh Animesh
Senior Manager, Software Development, Cloud and Distributed Computing, Seattle, Washington, United States
Rishabh Animesh is an engineering leader with 13 years of experience in cloud computing and distributed systems. He holds multiple granted U.S. patents in areas such as scalable request handling, structured archival, and intelligent data placement. He has led high-impact engineering organizations, delivering innovations that power mission-critical workloads.
Kameswaran Arunachalam
Principal Engineer, Systems Architecture, T-Mobile, Snohomish, Washington, United States
Kameswaran is a seasoned wireless technology professional with recognized and consistent contributions in the field of telecommunications and wireless industry expertise with 17+ years of industry experience, including but not limited to Telco Architecture, Design, Technical requirement Analysis, Implementation, Integration, Validation, Proof of Concepts and Innovation with multiple USPTO patents awarded.
Esha Bangar Hira
Lead Systems Engineer, Visa Inc, Fremont, California, United States
Esha is a Technical DevOps Leader with nearly two decades of extensive experience, specialized in DevOps practices on prem and on cloud. Esha's expertise lies in engineering, scaling, and stabilizing DevOps tools.
Kaushik Bhattacharjee
Principal Software Engineer, Sr. Director, Charter Communications Inc, Highlands Ranch, Colorado, United States
Kaushik is a strategic IT architect and Technology leader with over 20+ years of software development experience in the telecommunications industry. He oversees the Spectrum Mobile & Connectivity Platform architecture at Charter Communications. He has an MS in Computer Science from CSU, Fort Collins, and holds several US patents.
Sushil Choubey
Principal Supply Chain Manager, Amazon, Mercer Island, Washington, United States
Principal Supply Chain Manager at Amazon, driving delivery experience transformation for Amazon's new shipping business. Sushil has 13+ years of experience in Supply Chain, e-Commerce and Operations across three market-leading companies. MBA graduate from Kellogg School of Management and previously led significant operational improvements at Bosch and Tata Power.
Chandrasekar Devaraj
Sourcing Manager, Nefab Packaging South Central LLC, Coppell, Texas, United States
Senior Sourcing & Supply Chain Leader with 20+ years of experience driving strategic sourcing, supplier development, cost optimization, and risk management across global automotive and manufacturing organizations. Proven track record in leading high-performing teams, executing complex negotiations, and delivering sustainable business results.
Zhongqi Fu
Senior Product Designer, Reveleer, Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Zhongqi Fu is an award-winning creative designer who excelled across healthcare, AI, renewable energy, and B2B SaaS. Now a Senior Product Designer at Reveleer, she previously led high-impact design initiatives for multiple unicorn startups. She is not only an outstanding designer but also a devoted mentor who guides junior designers in developing their craft and career paths.
Ananti Gupta
Product Manager Lead, Doordash, Seattle, Washington, United States
Ananti Gupta is a Product Manager Lead at DoorDash with 10+ years in payments, fraud prevention, and data privacy. She builds and scales ML- and analytics-driven fraud solutions using behavioral signals and real-time monitoring to strengthen trust and improve consumer experiences. She holds an MBA and a B.E. in Electronics & Communication and stays active via events and webinars.
Ashi Aziz Halani
Supply Chain Manager - Demand Planner, Amazon.com, Bellevue, Washington, United States
Ashi Aziz is a Supply Chain Manager at Amazon with 4+ years of experience in procurement, logistics, and inventory management. He is passionate about optimizing retail operations through data-driven planning, automation, and sustainable practices. His focus is on using analytics to enhance efficiency, customer experience, and global supply chain performance.
Alison Higgins-Miller
CEO, SalesonQ Pty Ltd, Dural, New South Wales, Australia
Alison Higgins-Miller is a global C-Suite executive and strategic advisor with over 20 years’ experience driving growth, transformation and commercial performance. She partners with boards and C-Suite to unlock enterprise value and build resilient organizations. A respected thought leader, Alison has proudly served as a multi-year judge for the Stevie Awards.
Narinder Kumar Hira
Broadcom, Research and Development Software Engineer, Fremont, California, United States
With over 20 years in software development, Narinder has expertise in Storage Area Networking, Data Security, Embedded Systems, and Telecom. His strong interpersonal skills, quick learning abilities, and effective project management consistently lead to successful outcomes. Narinder excels in problem-solving, swiftly mastering new concepts and technologies, and adapting seamlessly to different environments.
Sherone Hubbard
Owner and Principal Consultant, OSH Consulting, LLC, Savannah, Georgia, United States
Sherone Hubbard is the Owner and Principal Consultant of OSH Consulting, LLC. She has been a pharmacist for more than twenty years and has worked in various healthcare environments. She is a wife and mother to a four-year-old daughter. Sherone loves to spend time with family and friends, love outdoors and traveling.
Akash Jatangi
Senior Staff Product Manager, Intuit, Inc, San Francisco, California, United States
Akash is a product leader at Intuit focused on building financial technology products for small businesses. Previously at Deserve, he helped develop credit and payments platforms used by banks, fintech companies, and technology partners. He brings expertise in fintech innovation, digital platforms, and scalable financial infrastructure.
Ramprasad Kamisetty
Project Manager, Flowchem, Katy, Texas, United States
Ramprasad is an experienced new product development process engineer working in oil & gas and specialty chemical industry. He is also Secretary at AiCHE STS, and Fellow at IICHE.
Rebecca Koniahgari
Technical Lead, Uptrend Motion LLC, New York City, New York, United States
Rebecca holds a Master's in Computer Science from the New York Institute of Technology, and has over a decade of experience in software and AI. She has worked at award-winning digital agencies, develops impactful digital solutions, and mentors and empowers women to succeed and thrive in technology.
Nick Leonardo
Founder & CEO, Yapp Sailing Course, Seattle, Washington, United States
Nick Leonardo is a technology executive and system architect focused on building scalable mobile learning architecture for complex domains. Through Yapp Sailing Course, he combines product design, UX, and AI tooling to translate the sailing domain into a clear and well-structured, decision-driven digital experience.
Mallesh Miryala
Salesforce Solutions Architect – Business Continuity, ITDR & Emergency Management University of California, Davis, California, United States
Mallesh is a Software developer and technology leader with 15 years of full-cycle experience, currently working as a Salesforce Technical Lead. At the University of California, Mallesh designs and builds AI-enabled, resilient systems that support business continuity, ITDR, and emergency management across multiple campuses and health systems, with a focus on automation and practical, human-centered digital solutions.
Chiranjive Mittal
Director, Product Management, Amazon, Sammamish, Washington, United States
Chiranjive is a trailblazer in innovation and disrupting industries, with a 15+ years of distinguished career focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Privacy and Fraud Detection, and Product Management. At Amazon, he has spearheaded supply chain optimization using cutting-edge AI/ML algorithms leading to multimillion-dollar cost savings.
Nishant Motwani
Global Head, Top Connected TV Partners and Automotive Partnerships, YouTube Google, Mountain View, California, United States
Currently, Nishant spearheads strategic partnerships across Connected TV and Automotive at YouTube, negotiating with Fortune 100s, launching in-car media experiences, pushing YouTube’s reach across devices with cutting-edge innovations, and generating billions in revenue. Crafting new opportunities, steering strategic vision, and driving innovation are at the core of passion.
Sushrut Naik
Senior Director - Implementation, Machinify Inc, Palo Alto, California, United States
Sushrut Naik is a senior technology and implementation leader with expertise in enterprise data platforms, analytics, and large-scale program delivery. He has led cross-functional initiatives aligning technology execution with business strategy to deliver measurable outcomes. As a Stevie Awards judge, he wishes to evaluate innovation based on clarity, execution excellence, and real-world impact.
Fiyinfoluwa Openiyi
Data Analyst, Dare to Care Food Bank, College Station, Texas, United States
Data‑driven analyst with 3+ years of experience innovating systems in the food‑banking industry. Skilled in data engineering, analytics, and workflow optimization, delivering solutions that strengthen operations and expand community impact. Known for turning complex data into clear insights and driving mission‑focused improvements.
Thai Bao An Phan
Staff AI Solution Architect, Diligent Corporation, New York City, New York, United States
Annie Phan is a data and AI leader driving enterprise impact through AI/ML innovation and digital transformation. She is Staff AI Solution Architect at Diligent, previously led AI/ML programs at Fanatics Collectibles and McKinsey, and is a Founding Member of the AI Think Tank, Forbes Business Council member, and published author and judge in data and AI.
Sundara Raman Ramachandran
Staff Software Engineer for LLM Inference, LinkedIn, Santa Clara, California, United States
Sundara is a Tech Lead at LinkedIn specializing in large-scale LLM inference and AI infrastructure. Sundara builds high-performance systems for real-time ranking and recommendation workloads, driving efficiency, throughput, and scalability. Passionate about translating cutting-edge AI research into production-ready solutions with measurable impact.
Akash Rathi
Product Manager, Pixel Phones, Google LLC, Mountain View, California, United States
Akash has 16+ years of experience, specializing in Product Management, Engineering, & Operations in Consumer Electronics. He holds a Wharton MBA & UC Berkeley Masters. Passionate about solving real user problems through technology, he has successfully led multi-million dollar consumer hardware products from concept to launch with mass media acclaim.
Pabitra Saikia
VP, Senior Change Delivery Lead, Truist Bank, Morrisville, North Carolina, United States
Pabitra is a globally recognized technology executive with over two decades of experience leading Software Engineering Projects, Agile implementation of digital initiatives, Enterprise Change Management, E-commerce, and Data Governance across global enterprises. He currently serves as Senior Change Delivery Lead within the Enterprise AI and Data team at Truist Bank.
Sandeep Sambaraju
Product strategy lead Google-LLC, Pleasanton, California, United States
Sandeep excels at transforming complex data into actionable strategy. He spearheaded Google’s global retail measurement framework, driving significant efficiency and competitive edge through advanced analytical systems. With an MBA from UChicago Booth and 15+ years of experience, he is a recognized expert in marketing innovation and product analytics.
Anand Sharma
Senior Technical Program Manager, Oracle, Houston, Texas, United States
Anand is an Industrial Engineer with over 10 years of experience in strategic business planning and technical project management. Proven expertise in leading large-scale technical programs, optimizing supply chain operations, and developing AI/ML cloud infrastructure. Recognized for driving process improvements, enhancing operational efficiency, and delivering measurable business outcomes.
Sharad Sharma
Specialist Leader/Senior Manager, Deloitte Consulting, Cumming, Georgia, United States
Sharad Sharma is a Senior Manager at Deloitte Consulting. He is a seasoned IT professional and has over 19 years of experience in developing, managing, and advising clients on security, technology, and risk management programs. He is a Senior Member IEEE, CISSP and is an alumni of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK).
Mohnish Singh
Associate Director, ValueLabs, Temecula, California, United States
Mohnish is an accomplished product management leader with over 17 years of global experience in computer software, insurance technology and financial services industry. Recognized for driving value innovation and customer satisfaction through strategic initiatives, particularly in AI and analytics-based products, shaping industry evolution.
Vandana Tanu
Pega Lead Business Architect, Skysolutions LLC, Ashburn, Virginia, United States
Vandana is a senior technology leader with over 20 years of experience leading large-scale digital transformation and modernization initiatives across enterprise systems. She has successfully guided complex programs that modernize legacy platforms, streamline operations, and implement scalable, data driven solutions that improve efficiency, and long term organizational performance.
Bharat Thakre
Site Lead, Amazon, Desert Hot Springs, California, United States
Bharat Thakre is a senior operations and supply chain leader with 15+ years of experience driving AI-enabled logistics, fulfillment optimization, and digital transformation at Amazon. He specializes in intelligent automation, warehouse systems, and data-driven operations, delivering large-scale efficiency and cost improvements while evaluating innovation, strategy, and business performance.
Viswanathan Tiruchindurai Srinivasan
Associate Vice President, Persistent Systems, Austin, Texas, United States
Viswanathan is a highly experienced technical leader, adept in delivering large-scale, mission-critical platforms across FinTech, payments, Product engineering & Telecom with leadership roles in high-growth, AI driven, consumer-facing companies. And has delivered enterprise solutions for Visa, AMEX, First Data, BofA, RBS, Deloitte, and Verizon partnering with c-level execs.
Sreeja Vallamulla
Founding Engineer, Obviously AI, Inc, Alameda, California, United States
Sreeja Vallamulla is a San Francisco–based Founding Engineer at Zams, building reliable agentic AI systems. Former CTO of VedaVerse, she previously worked on enterprise software at Accenture and holds an M.S. in IT. She has published with IEEE, reviews IEEE conferences, and served as a 2025 Stevie Awards for Women in Business judge.
Narasimha Rao Vanaparthi
Assistant Vice President (AVP), State Street Financial Corporation, Norwood, Massachusetts, United States
With over 20 years of experience in IT, Narasimha specializes in Agile project implementation, project management, team leadership, and incident management. He possesses deep expertise in Agile and SDLC methodologies, along with a strong understanding of associated frameworks, and has a proven track record of successfully delivering large-scale, complex projects within budget.
