Jacqueline Cooper, Esq, NBCT, MA LDT, BMM, CCI
Role: Partner at Cogent Law Group, CEO, Blockchain Legal Institute | Director of Legal & Communications, Digital Asset Regulatory Authority (DARA)
Bio: Jacqueline is an organizer, legal strategist, and advocate at the intersection of blockchain technology, digital assets, and artificial intelligence. As the founder of the Blockchain Legal Institute (BLI) and co-founder of the Maryland Blockchain Association, she leads international workforce initiatives, policy frameworks, and continuing education programs designed to bridge the gap between emerging technology and legal/regulatory compliance.
Website: Blockchain Legal Institute
Dr. Bradford L. Sims
Role: President, Capitol Technology University
Bio: Dr. Sims serves as the President of Capitol Technology University, the host institution for the International BlockchAIn Bootcamp & Workforce Expo. An educator and academic leader, he has championed hands-on technical education.
Website: Capitol Technology University
U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks
Role: United States Senator for Maryland
Bio: Senator Angela Alsobrooks represents the state of Maryland in the U.S. Senate, serving on key committees including Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Prior to her election to the Senate, she served as Prince George’s County Executive and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney. Her keynotes focus on workforce development, economic growth, and federal policy frameworks for emerging technology.
Website: Senate Website
Dr. W. Scott Stornetta
Role: Co-Inventor of Blockchain | CEO, SureMark Digital
Bio: Widely recognized as one of the co-inventors of blockchain technology, Dr. Stornetta’s foundational 1991 research (alongside Dr. Stuart Haber) on cryptographically secured chains of blocks was cited extensively in Satoshi Nakamoto’s original Bitcoin whitepaper. Today, he serves as CEO of SureMark Digital and is a Fellow at the Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Toronto, advising deep-tech startups and institutional research groups.
Website: SureMark Digital
Anthony Howell
Role: Director & Foreign Overseas Representative, Government of Bermuda (Washington, D.C. Office) | Honorary Ambassador, Blockchain Legal Institute (BLI)
Bio: Anthony Howell serves as the Director and Foreign Overseas Representative for the Government of Bermuda based in Washington, D.C. In his keynote address, he focuses on cross-border diplomacy, sovereign digital asset frameworks, and the strategic economic alignment between international governments, state policy task forces, and global Web3 innovation hubs.
Website: Government of Bermuda D.C. Representative / BLI Honorary Ambassador
Graham Dodge
Role: Vice President of Venture Development, TEDCO (Maryland Technology Development Corporation)
Bio: Graham Dodge is a serial entrepreneur, patented inventor, and venture executive who leads venture development at TEDCO, managing Maryland’s state venture capital funds. Formerly the Executive Director of MAGIC and President of the PathCheck Foundation, he specializes in building regional innovation ecosystems, scaling tech startups, and accelerating early-stage digital enterprise models.
Website: TEDCO Maryland
John Lawniczak
Role: Web3 & Wallet Security Engineer, ABFinance | Founder, ZeroDayDev
Bio: John Lawniczak is a security engineer, smart contract auditor, and executive practitioner specializing in digital asset protocol security and Web3 infrastructure. Serving as a Web3 Security Engineer at ABFinance, his keynote address focuses on institutional-scale wallet security, protocol invariant design, and the convergence of asset-backed finance models with on-chain liquidity and security frameworks.
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abfinance-official/posts/
Matthew Rogers
Role: Co-Founder of the Blockchain Legal Institute & the Digital Asset Regulatory Authority
Bio: He is an accomplished executive, hackathoner, and college lecturer. His leadership spans decades in solutions architecture, software engineering, marketing and advertising, encompassing both Fortune 500 giants and innovative startups. Matthew’s hub is in multiple cities, where he spearheads strategic initiatives for the causes he supports including the continuing blockchain education of learners of all ages, developing global blockchain standards, creating projects to support cultural preservation and overseeing conferences, both virtual and in person.
