Yvonne Carlson is the Chief Technology Officer at Global Media Outreach, bringing her extensive experience in technology leadership across various industries to the organization. Before joining Global Media Outreach, Yvonne served as the Vice President of Product at Unite Life. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Colorado Christian University and completed graduate work in Information Communications Technology at the University of Denver.

Yvonne is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society and is actively involved in the National Religious Broadcasters Digital Media Committee, where she serves as Chair. As a leadership team member for Missional AI and the former Director of FaithTech Chicago, Yvonne is passionate about integrating faith and technology.

Throughout her career, Yvonne has held technology leadership positions in multiple industries, including broadcasting, global manufacturing, advertising, fundraising, and higher education. With her diverse background and expertise, she brings a unique perspective to her work at Global Media Outreach, where she is committed to driving innovation and technological advancement in the organization’s mission to reach people with the message of Jesus Christ.

Sean Cheng is the Asia Editor for Christianity Today. He has 28 years of experience in evangelism on the Chinese Internet. He is the author of three Chinese books about Christianity, a host of an evangelistic YouTube channel, podcasts, Clubhouse, and Twitter Space in Chinese, and a speaker and preacher serving Chinese churches all over the world. Before CT, he was the chief editor of the Overseas Campus magazine and a diaspora missionary of an international mission organization. He holds a Master of Arts in Religion degree from Reformed Theological Seminary and a Master of Science degree from the University of Alabama.

Dan is a bestselling author of several books, including The Original Jesus, The Dignity Revolution, The Characters of Christmas, The Characters of Easter, A Way With Words. and his latest, Agents of Grace: How to Bridge Divides and Love as Jesus Loves. He is the general editor, along with Trillia Newbell, of a small group study on racial reconciliation, The Church and the Racial Divide and is a contributor to The Worldview Study Bible. Dan is an award–winning writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications. He is a columnist for World magazine and a regular contributor to USA Today. Dan’s work is often featured in Christianity Today and The Gospel Coalition and his op-eds have appeared in The Washington Post, CNN, Washington Times, Time, Huffington Post, National Review, First Things, and other leading outlets.

danieldarling.com

Dr. Heather Thompson Day is an interdenominational speaker and has been a contributor for Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Newsweek and the Barna Group. She is also the host of Viral Jesus, a podcast with Christianity Today, that is in the top 200 of all Christian podcasts in the country. Heather is an Associate Professor of Communication at Andrews University. She is passionate about supporting women, and runs an online community called I’m That Wife which has over 270k followers. Heather’s writing has been featured on outlets like the Today Show, and the National Communication Association. She has been interviewed by BBC Radio Live and The Wall Street Journal. She believes her calling is to stand in the gaps of our churches for young people. She is the author of 8 books; including It’s Not Your Turn, and I’ll See You Tomorrow.

heatherthompsonday.com

Brandon Giella is the cofounder of Snapmarket.co, a hyper-efficient marketing subscription. He earned an MA in biblical studies and an MBA in finance. He publishes his ideas in an economics column for Common Good Magazine (commongoodmag.com), a newsletter at brandongiella.com, and a podcast called Working Theology (workingtheology.com). Brandon is also an Associate Fellow at the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge (kirbylaingcentre.co.uk), working on book projects on theology, economics, placemaking, and more.

Jon Hirst is the Chief Innovation Officer at SIL International. He has over 20 years of experience bringing global mission, innovation and communications together in service to the Kingdom. Early in his career, he helped develop one of the early interactive evangelistic websites for young people. Jon went on to help start two companies focused on serving nonprofit organizations with innovation, strategy, content and technology solutions. Jon is an author, marketer, publisher and, most recently, he was CEO for GMI (Global Mapping International), where he helped launch the first ministry infographic service.

Kenny Jahng is an entrepreneur, strategic advisor, and former pastor. He is the editor-in-chief of ChurchTechToday.com, founder of AiForChurchLeaders.com, and CEO of Big Click Syndicate, a strategic marketing advisory firm helping Christian leaders build marketing engines that work. Kenny has an MBA from Columbia Business School, M. Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and BA from Duke University.

Samuel James joined Crossway as associate acquisitions editor in 2017. Prior to that he served an editorial and research assistant at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Samuel is the author of two books, Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age, and Does It Matter What I Believe, and has published in the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Christianity Today, First Things, World Magazine, and elsewhere. 

Lark Kelsey has more than 20 years of experience in Christian ministry with a focus on creating intergenerational and cross-cultural learning environments. As a current student at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, she works as a Teaching Assistant for Greek and New Testament. Her research interests emerge at the intersection of psychology and theology. Online she writes as Lark TheoSis, encouraging others toward deeper union with God.

I grew up in the Moody Bookstore at LaSalle and Chicago Avenue. I read the paperbacks, the Christian comics, and cut my doctrinal teeth on Sailor Sam and Uncle Charlie (and later, on Founders Week messages). I learned to understand myself as a young Christian by reading Campus Life (cover to cover). And my doctoral dissertation at the University of Kentucky explored the ways Christian colleges and universities were, in a sense, made real and durable by whether or not they made use of a national media voice, whether it be in print, on the radio or by other media. I have taught thousands of young people in their teens and twenties to fall in love with the power of words and fear the implications of words used as weapons. I am a journalist at heart, having felt a call from God to wed the force of logical investigation with the persuasion of narratives told in sensory depth. I was a general assignment reporter in greater Chicago and greater Atlanta before entering academia and I’ve launched many of my students into the world as Christ-following journalists. But a good number of my former students use words well in public relations, ministry, missions and even in legal practice.

Kirsten McKinney is the founder of Digital Growth Mastery, a global digital marketing agency serving startups to 10-figure enterprises on a worldwide scale. She has lived in the digital marketing space for over a decade, collaborating with well-known, global organizations and award-winning campaigns. Her team has had 40+ viral social media videos ranging from 100K-9M views, managed over a million in ad spend, worked with LinkedIn 50 Top Startups, and grown social media accounts from scratch to thriving communities with hundreds of thousands of followers. Fueling her drive is a profound passion for equipping entrepreneurial creators and giving them the tools they need to thrive in the competitive online landscape.

digitalgrowthmastery.com

Katie has more than 24 years of sales and marketing experience. She currently works for FrontGate Media helping faith-based businesses/non-profits connect with faith-based audiences by developing and executing digital marketing strategies and creating content that produce results. Her focus is growing and engaging social audiences, recruiting donors, selling product, and generating leads. Her approach is unique because she knows successful digital marketing is more than just strategy and execution, it focuses on content that invites customers into your vision in a way that adds value to their lives.

Arlene Pellicane is a speaker, host of the Happy Home podcast, and author of several books including Parents Rising, 31 Days to a Happy Husband and Screen Kids. Arlene has been featured on the Today Show, Fox & Friends, the Wall Street Journal and Focus on the Family. Before becoming an author, Arlene worked as the Associate Producer for Turning Point Television with Dr. David Jeremiah. Arlene earned her BA from Biola University and her Masters in Journalism from Regent University. To learn more, visit her website at ArlenePellicane.com and check out her online courses at HappyHomeUniversity.com.

Karen Swallow Prior, Ph. D., is a reader, writer, and professor. She is the author of The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis (Brazos, 2023); On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books (Brazos 2018); Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist (Thomas Nelson, 2014); and Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me (T. S. Poetry Press, 2012). She is co-editor of Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (Zondervan 2019) and has contributed to numerous other books. She has a monthly column for Religion News Service. Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, First Things, Vox, Think Christian, The Gospel Coalition, and various other places. She hosted the podcast Jane and Jesus. She is a contributing editor for Comment, a founding member of The Pelican Project, a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum, and a Senior Fellow at the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture. She and her husband live on a 100-year-old homestead in central Virginia with dogs, chickens, and lots of books.

karenswallowprior.com

Dr. Allison Steinke is an award-winning researcher and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where she teaches and develops courses for hundreds of students including Social Media Management; Social Media Storytelling; Digital Content Development and Production for Brand Communications; Digital Media & Culture; and Digital Games & Society. She is passionate about building innovative brands, leadership, social media, branding, and solutions, and has industry experience as former editor of Wheaton magazine, as an online editor at Christianity Today, and as a former instructor in Bethel University’s MBA program. Allison is a professional member of the International Communication Association (ICA) and Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), where she has received awards for her groundbreaking projects on solutions journalism and social justice. Allison is committed to matters of diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging, and has published and produced hundreds of academic and journalistic articles, blog posts, and multimedia projects on topics including human trafficking, healthcare, cancer, marketing, and entertainment. Allison has professional and academic experience leading, designing, and executing transformational strategic communication and marketing campaigns and interdisciplinary research projects individually and as part of a team.

ajsteinke.com

Jason Thacker serves as assistant professor of philosophy and ethics at Boyce College and a research fellow in Christian ethics at The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. His work has been featured at Christianity Today, World Magazine, The Week, Slate, USA Today, Politico, The Gospel Coalition, and Desiring God. He is the author of several books, including “Following Jesus in a Digital Age,” “The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity,” and “The Digital Public Square: Christian Ethics in a Technological Society.”

jasonthacker.com

Thomas Umstattd Jr. built his first website at the age of 13 and taught his first web design class at only 16 years old. He founded Umstattd Media, his first web design and media company in 2007 while still in college.

In 2009 he started AuthorTechTips.com, a website to help authors use the web to promote their books. The site was twice featured in Writers Digest as one of the 101 most helpful websites for authors. AuthorTechTips.com changed its name to AuthorMedia.com in 2011. Umstattd Media was incorporated as a Castle Media Group, LLC in 2012.

In 2014 Thomas took on the role of Marketing Director for Enclave Publishing where he doubled sales over the following 18 months. In 2016, Thomas was hired by Fahrenheit Marketing as Marketing Director.

As a podcaster, he hosts the Novel Marketing Podcast, and the Christian Publishing Show. He also hosted The Creative Funding Show, and Liberty Buzzard podcasts which have concluded. 

Thomas still serves as the CEO of Castle Media Group LLC, the parent company of Author Media.

As an award-winning speaker, Thomas teaches audiences all over the world. His friendly speaking style blends multimedia and audience participation. He offers audiences a unique perspective to help them use the web in a whole new way.

thomasumstattd.com

Ron Weber is the Chief Operating Officer at Trinet Internet Solutions, Inc., a digital marketing firm with primary offices in Irvine, California. Trinet has a twenty-five year track record of developing advanced and successful digital media experiences including digital fundraising, websites, webinars, and streaming media designed specifically for high ministry impact. Trinet’s ministry clients include World Vision, Focus on the Family, Trinity Broadcasting Network and many others. Ron’s passion is to share how ministries can be successful using digital techniques and strategies.

Rusty Wright is an award-winning author, syndicated columnist and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. Over 2,000 websites – Christian and secular, based on six continents – have used his outreach articles in any of 14 languages. He trains broadcasters, print-media specialists, and Internet professionals in effective communication, and holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively.

rustywright.com

Kristy Glaspie is a displaced Ohioan living in the Pacific Northwest. She holds a bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism from Kent State University and has nearly 20 years of experience in writing, editing, storytelling and content marketing. She currently serves as manager of the content and story team at World Vision U.S., an international Christian humanitarian organization. In her role, she leads the team of editorial writers and photographers, and she also serves as editor-in-chief of World Vision magazine and its digital News & Stories site. Kristy’s team has earned numerous awards from several organizations for its writing, photography, and design across both its print magazine and digital stories site, and she has received numerous individual feature writing awards throughout her career as well. She believes all the ways that we experience creativity and rest outside of work can strongly influence how we actually do our jobs, so she finds joy and inspiration in hiking throughout the Pacific Northwest, exploring national parks, traveling internationally, and creating with LEGO.

For over 20 years Ben has created & captured moving and memorable moments for individuals, non-profits & corporations across the globe. Some of the fields he has worked in include pastoring, preaching, speaking, videography, photography, blogging, reporting & producing. He also consults for churches and speaks at conferences about leadership, communication and creativity.

Ben received a BA in Video Communication from MBI in Chicago. After graduating he worked in Toronto as a television producer for Context, a national news program. For a decade he designed compelling services at South Ridge Community Church as the Director of Programming & Media. In 2011 he received a MDiv from Missio Seminary in Philadelphia. For four years he worked at Liquid Church in NJ as the Creative Arts Pastor. For three years he worked at Christ Fellowship Miami on the executive team as the Experience Director overseeing worship, creative, production, online, communication & guest services.

Ben currently serves as the Executive Pastor at The Life Christian Church leading staff and volunteers to execute the vision and mission of the church. TLCC is located in West Orange, New Jersey and is known for its vibrant diversity.

Amy Van Drunen is a communications specialist with a heart for disaster response. Her work as a photographer, videographer, and writer spans across 12 countries, shedding light on societal and humanitarian issues and response efforts. Previously, she has lived across the Middle East and East Africa. Amy now resides in the Pacific Northwest, serving as a Multimedia Journalist for World Vision U.S. Her efforts help bolster her team’s capacity to share dynamic and compelling stories.

Amy strives for her work to act as a catalyst for social change, sharing commonalities that connect people across cultures, both on an international scale and close to home. Amy believes stories bridge the gap across cultural divides, and powerful imagery is a key element to bring communities one step closer together.