Dr. Andreas Mueterhies
EFTAS Fernerkundung Technologietransfer GmbH

SAR SESSIONS

As head of the Business Development department at EFTAS Fernerkundung Technologietransfer GmbH, Dr Müterthies is involved in the development of processes for deriving and updating geoinformation from aerial and satellite images. In particular, his work focuses on the development of processes for the automatic extraction of information from SAR- and optical image data to update environmental information. Since 2016, he has been Vice President of the German Umbrella Organisation for Geoinformation (DDGI e.V.) and Coordinator of the Copernicus Commission of the DDGI.

Dr. Oliver Muellenhof
Shell

SAR SESSIONS

Oliver Muellenhoff is a Principal Remote Sensing Consultant and Principal Technical Expert (PTE) for Remote Sensing at Shell, specializing in Earth Observation and geospatial intelligence (GEOINT). He leverages advanced optical and SAR data, combined with computer vision and geospatial analytics, to deliver actionable insights across the full energy value chain.

His work supports decision-making across all Shell business lines - including trading ('space to market'), exploration, maritime operations, corporate security, legal, and environmental domains - enhancing situational awareness, managing risk, and improving both operational and commercial outcomes in complex environments. In addition to his role at Shell, he serves as co-chair of the IOGP Remote Sensing Sub-Committee, contributing to the development of industry best practices and advancing the adoption of Earth Observation technologies at scale.

Richard Burren
ICEYE

SAR SESSIONS

Richard Burren is Earth Observation Applications Lead at ICEYE, where he has spent over three years helping customers unlock the full potential of the world's largest SAR satellite constellation. Working across multiple market sectors, he designs data programs, workflows, and training delivery that turn SAR capability into genuine operational impact - while keeping a close eye on market trends to shape the satellite capabilities and associated products that will define the next generation of SAR applications. With over two decades of experience in the commercial Earth observation (EO) sector, he brings deep perspective on how the industry has evolved and where it's heading. Richard holds an MSc in Remote Sensing from University College London and a BSc in Environmental Science from Aberystwyth University.

Dr. Giulia Tessari
sarmap

SAR SESSIONS

Giulia Tessari leads and coordinates projects at sarmap SA, developing tailored SAR-based solutions for environmental monitoring, strategic infrastructure monitoring, and safety and security applications. She manages ESA and international Earth Observation projects, specializing in SAR interferometry and change detection for geological hazards, infrastructure stability, environmental dynamics, and risk monitoring.

Andres Vargas
NV5

SAR SESSIONS LIDAR SESSIONS

An engineer by education, Andres has worked in the geospatial industry for the past 12 years. His expertise in sensor systems has helped bridge the gap between the world of acquisition and production. Andres is responsible for sensor integration, testing, and calibration, and oversees the topobathymetric data processing workflow. Additionally, Andres has been instrumental in developing NV5's topobathymetric LiDAR acquisition and calibration methods. As NV5's capabilities have grown, Andres now oversees the UAS remote-sensing production within the organization.

Dr. Alessandro Novellino
British Geological Survey (BGS)

SAR SESSIONS

Alessandro is a senior Remote Sensing Geoscientist in the Earth Observation team (12 people) at the British Geological Survey (BGS) in the UK. He has >12 years of postgraduate experience in Earth Observation (EO) and disaster risk management. He is also the Head of Education and Training at the UK Remote Sensing & Photogrammetry Society, where he runs their YouTube podcast.

He drives the development of new methods and tools (e.g., Artificial Intelligence) to identify, monitor and model natural and anthropogenic hazards (e.g., landslides, volcanoes) from satellite data. His science is advancing knowledge in the field of EO, Earth Sciences and computer science (e.g., automatic processing of petabytes of satellite data) for a better understanding of the impact of climate change and extreme weather events on our planet. He is currently leading a project funded from the European Space Agency to assess multi-hazards conditions in Türkiye and Italy using both optical and radar satellite data.

Dr. Salvatore Stramondo
National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Italy (INGV)

SAR SESSIONS

Salvatore Stramondo received the Laurea (M.S.) Degree in Electronic Engineering in 1996 from the University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy, and the Ph.D. in Geoinformation in 2007 from the University "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy. He joined the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) in 1997 where he is Research Director. From February 2017 to December 2023 has been the Director of the National Earthquake Observatory of Italy. Since January 2024 is Contract Professor of Earth Observation Data Analysis at the Dept. of "Ingegneria Informatica, Automatica e Gestionale – DIAG" at Sapienza Univ. (Rome). His main research activities concern the application of Satellite EO to Earth Sciences.

Dr. Burkhard Böckem
Hexagon

LIDAR SESSIONS

Burkhard Böckem was named Hexagon's chief technology officer in 2020 after serving as CTO of Hexagon Geosystems since 2015. In the latter role, he oversaw technology, innovation and product development for all of the Geosystems business units. He began his career in 2001, when he joined Leica Geosystems. As CTO of Hexagon, Böckem drives the innovation and continued development of Hexagon's autonomous technology vision. He holds a Master of Science in geodesy and a Ph.D. in technology.

Joseph Walters
The Nature Conservancy

LIDAR SESSIONS

Joseph Walters is a committed conservation professional with The Nature Conservancy, where he works to protect natural habitats and promote sustainable environmental solutions. His role focuses on collaborating with communities, partners, and stakeholders to advance conservation initiatives that balance ecological health with human needs. Joseph is passionate about preserving biodiversity, restoring ecosystems, and addressing climate challenges through science-driven strategies. His thoughtful approach is useful in creating lasting environmental impact. Through his work, Joseph helps support resilient landscapes and ensures that nature continues to thrive for future generations.

Abstract

Laser Vision for a Greener Detroit: How LiDAR Is Rebuilding the Urban Forest
Urban trees are essential for the functioning of a modern city. Understanding and managing the tree canopy can be both expensive and time consuming. In most cases only street tree and trees on the local government land are measured, but this only makes up part of the overall tree resource. To get both an understanding of the extent, diversity, health and distribution of the City of Detroit's tree resource, The Nature Conservatory (TNC) funded a project to map all the trees within the City's boundaries to support planting and management of the urban tree canopy by The Greening of Detroit (TGD) and the General Services Department (GSD) of the City of Detroit. Currently the City of Detroit has a tree canopy cover of around 26% and has a goal of increasing this Citywide to around 40%. To achieve these goals planting will be required on both public and private lands, so understanding the tree resource and opportunities for tree planting across all ownerships is important for both the management and the development of tree planting programs for public and private lands within the City boundaries, and across the region. The project leverages existing high resolution lidar dataset that was flown in 2021, tree inventory data, and 2025 summer imagery to create a wall-to-wall tree census of the City. This will result in information about every dominant tree within the boundaries of the City. These data will be integrated into enterprise systems for tree management and utilized for tree management and community engagement. The presentation will review the approach and results of the projects, and how tree census data will change the way we understand the urban forest and manage it.

Savion Stephens
City of Detroit

LIDAR SESSIONS

Savion Stephens is the Program Manager for the City of Detroit's Tree Planting Program within the Forestry Division of the General Services Department. He oversees the planning and implementation of citywide tree planting initiatives, manages multimillion-dollar urban forestry investments, and works collaboratively with the Detroit Tree Partnership to expand tree canopy, improve neighborhood health outcomes, and strengthen climate resilience across Detroit.

With a background spanning communications strategy, project management, and community engagement, Savion brings a unique perspective to urban forestry by connecting data, technology, and public service. His work focuses on using GIS, canopy analysis, and community-driven planning to help ensure every Detroit neighborhood benefits from the environmental, economic, and quality-of-life impacts of a healthier urban forest.

Abstract

Laser Vision for a Greener Detroit: How LiDAR Is Rebuilding the Urban Forest
Urban trees are essential for the functioning of a modern city. Understanding and managing the tree canopy can be both expensive and time consuming. In most cases only street tree and trees on the local government land are measured, but this only makes up part of the overall tree resource. To get both an understanding of the extent, diversity, health and distribution of the City of Detroit's tree resource, The Nature Conservatory (TNC) funded a project to map all the trees within the City's boundaries to support planting and management of the urban tree canopy by The Greening of Detroit (TGD) and the General Services Department (GSD) of the City of Detroit. Currently the City of Detroit has a tree canopy cover of around 26% and has a goal of increasing this Citywide to around 40%. To achieve these goals planting will be required on both public and private lands, so understanding the tree resource and opportunities for tree planting across all ownerships is important for both the management and the development of tree planting programs for public and private lands within the City boundaries, and across the region. The project leverages existing high resolution lidar dataset that was flown in 2021, tree inventory data, and 2025 summer imagery to create a wall-to-wall tree census of the City. This will result in information about every dominant tree within the boundaries of the City. These data will be integrated into enterprise systems for tree management and utilized for tree management and community engagement. The presentation will review the approach and results of the projects, and how tree census data will change the way we understand the urban forest and manage it.

Michael Stephens
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

LIDAR SESSIONS

Michael Stephens is a Lead Physical Scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where he supports efforts to better understand and protect the nation's oceans, weather systems, and climate. His work contributes to critical research and data analysis that inform environmental policy, disaster preparedness, and resource management. Michael is passionate about advancing scientific knowledge and applying it to real-world challenges, from improving forecasting to promoting environmental stewardship. Known for his analytical mindset and collaborative approach, he is committed to helping communities and ecosystems remain resilient in a changing climate.

Alexa Ramirez
NV5

LIDAR SESSIONS

Alexa Ramirez is the Director of the Enterprise GIS team focusing on Federal Civilian programs and leads GIS specialists in database and web development, cloud migrations, data analytics, and in executing solutions requiring complicated data sharing and product generation. She is a certified GIS Professional (GISP) and Project Management Professional (PMP) with a 17-year tenure at NV5 and it's predecessor companies. She has held many positions within the company from GPS field surveyor to lidar calibration lead to topobathy sensor processor to GIS Data Manager. Her breadth of experience allows her to work closely with a variety of clients to identify business needs and design plans for meeting those needs. Her background in geological oceanography also allows her to facilitate communication between our many scientist clients and our technical team.

Chancee Vincent
NV5

LIDAR SESSIONS

Chancee Vincent is a Geospatial Solutions Architect at NV5 and the driving force behind GeoAgent, the firm's MCP compliant platform that chains ENVI analytics with AI planned orchestration. Previously, Chancee supported U.S. Central Command as a Geospatial Solutions Engineer, served as an ISR Mission Supervisor with Air Force Special Operations Command, and worked as an All Source Intelligence Analyst for the 82nd Airborne Division.

Josh Magarick
Orbital Sidekick (OSK)

SPECTRAL SESSIONS

Josh Magarick is the Vice President of Government Affairs for Orbital Sidekick (OSK) where he generates space-based hyperspectral imagery (HSI) use cases for government customers, performs business development for Defense & Intelligence, and fulfils other contractual duties. Prior to joining OSK, Mr. Magarick previously spent nearly 20 years with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in Springfield, VA, USA where he similarly led, managed, and performed HSI processing and automation R&D for the government. During his tenure at NGA, he served with three Directorates, supported 5 deployments to Afghanistan, and chaired the Spectroradiometric Working Group. He was the recipient of two Joint Civilian Service Commendation Medals, a National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation, and a challenge coin from General David Petraeus. He holds an MS in Geoinformatics & Geospatial Intelligence from George Mason University and a BA in Geography from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Matthew Rigge
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

SPECTRAL SESSIONS

Matthew Rigge is an ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. His work focuses on quantifying the current and historical condition of rangelands across the western United States. He accomplishes this by producing and analyzing fractional vegetation cover maps derived from remote sensing and AI. These datasets support investigations into the drivers of change in rangeland ecosystems, including long term trends, interannual weather variability, and the effects of land management practices.

Abstract

Application of Hyperspectral and SAR Data to Rangeland Vegetation Classification
Many ecosystems are highly dynamic and shaped by factors such as weather, invasive plants, fire, and anthropogenic influences. Reliable geospatial data is essential for tracking changes and supporting management decisions. To address this need for Rangeland areas, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) developed the Rangeland Condition Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (RCMAP) project which produces annual, long term, floristically detailed vegetation cover maps at yearly time steps.

RCMAP estimates percent cover for ten rangeland components across the western and central United States using field training data, Landsat imagery, and AI. Rangeland classification remains difficult due to sparse vegetation, strong soil and senesced vegetation signals, heterogeneous life forms, and limited ground data. We investigated whether additional data sources—Sentinel Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) hyperspectral imagery could improve RCMAP performance over a difficult region in southwest Montana, USA. Our testing results indicate a clear accuracy benefit of adding SAR and EMIT data to the RCMAP model, with a 7.5% and 29% relative increase in independent accuracy (R2), respectively. SAR's sensitivity to vegetation height improved type differentiation, whereas EMIT's continuous characterization of the spectral response boosts discriminatory power relative to multispectral data.

Fergus Craig
NV5

SAR SESSIONS

Fergus Craig is the UK Sales Manager for NV5, a leading provider of remote sensing solutions and geospatial services. At NV5, Fergus has been pivotal in promoting the company's advanced remote sensing technologies, including ENVI, a powerful image analysis software.

In addition to his role at NV5, Fergus serves as the Co-chair of the Association for Geographic Information (AGI), where he advocates for the effective use of geographic information across various sectors. His leadership in the geospatial community is dedicated to advancing the field through collaboration and thought leadership.

Nicole Toigo
EarthDaily Federal

SPECTRAL SESSIONS

Nicole Toigo is the President of EarthDaily Federal, the U.S. government subsidiary of EarthDaily Analytics. She leads the company's mission to deliver advanced geospatial intelligence, analytics, and AI-driven insights in support of national security, defense, and humanitarian operations. Under her leadership, EarthDaily Federal has become a trusted partner to the U.S. Defense and Intelligence Community, accelerating the transition of cutting-edge commercial capabilities, including the EarthDaily Constellation, into operational GEOINT.

Nicole is focused on advancing technology that expands access to geospatial intelligence and enables faster, more informed decision-making. She builds practical, mission-ready systems that help users move beyond analytical bottlenecks and turn data into action. Her career spans roles as an analyst, integrator, program manager, and product leader, giving her a deep understanding of how technology must perform across the full mission lifecycle.

She has led teams that translate complex data into intuitive, operational solutions, simplifying workflows, improving data quality, and broadening access to geospatial insights across diverse mission users.

Nicole is a graduate of Northeastern University and is passionate about building technology that works in the real world, designed to be reliable, scalable, and aligned to mission outcomes.

Dr. Christian Haselwimmer
Chevron

SPECTRAL SESSIONS

Dr. Christian Haselwimmer is Senior Remote Sensing Scientist within the Biodiversity and Geospatial Team of Chevron's Health, Safety, and Environment function. He provides technical consulting, data analytics services, and strategic/technical leadership of R&D activities focused on the applications of remote sensing and earth observation to environmental monitoring across Chevron's traditional and new energies businesses. Christian has a PhD in Remote Sensing from Imperial College London and an MSc in Remote Sensing from University College London. He is currently the chair for the Geological Remote Sensing Group North America Chapter and a member of the IOGP Earth Observation Subcommittee.

Ash Hoover
Planet

AI SESSIONS

Ash Hoover is a leader in AI and earth observation, dedicated to leveraging satellite data and machine learning to understand and address global environmental challenges. Ash's work at Planet involves transforming satellite imagery into actionable insights for forest ecosystems, climate change, and other critical areas, using deep learning and AI R&D to make planetary change visible, accessible, and actionable.

With a background spanning physical chemistry, full-stack software engineering, and machine learning, Ash possesses a unique interdisciplinary approach. Ash has developed and deployed scalable ML models for earth observation and have been involved in innovative projects, including using LLMs for scientific publication analysis and data visualization tools. Beyond technical contributions, Ash is actively involved in leadership and mentorship, particularly for women in STEMM. Ash is a selected member of the Homeward Bound global leadership program and a mentor for TechWomen in San Francisco, emphasizing the importance of diverse voices and global networks in driving innovation for a sustainable future.

Prakash Menon
HCLTech

AI SESSIONS

Prakash is Industry Principal for Energy & Utilities at HCLTech, where he leads the development and execution of industry specific innovations, solutions, and services.

With over 40 years of experience across consulting, IT, and information systems, he has delivered large scale solutions for global power generation and engineering organizations.

Prakash brings deep Nuclear IT expertise, supporting digital modernization, IT OT integration, control system upgrades, cybersecurity readiness, and performance analytics in highly regulated environments. He has led OT initiatives for electric and water utilities, including Smart Water Analytics, AMI and GIS based NRW management, AI powered grid operations, and ADMS/OMS programs for grid modernization.

A serial entrepreneur, Prakash holds multiple advanced degrees and is an alumnus of UC Berkley, Cornell's Leadership Academy.

Vinay Viswambharan
Esri

AI SESSIONS

Vinay Viswambharan is Esri's principal product manager for imagery and AI. With more than 25 years of experience in the imagery and remote sensing field and 20 years at Esri, Vinay is instrumental in shaping Esri's imagery product development and capabilities, and he's passionate about everything imagery. He holds degrees in Geography, Business Analysis and Computer Science.

Zena Wood
Defence Data Research Centre (DDRC)

AI SESSIONS

Zena Wood is an Associate Professor in Digital Economy at the University of Exeter and Director of the Defence Data Research Centre (DDRC). Professor Wood's background is in Computer Science with her research focusing on how value can be derived from datasets that would help understand the impact of digital transformation within the Digital Economy and the Defence sector. Her research interests include the use of AI in collective analysis (e.g., for situational awareness and understanding mobility) and the use of emerging technology in decision-making. She is particularly interested in what can be learnt from other sectors, and the overlap between methods that can be applied to datasets relating to physical and non-physical environments. In 2024, Professor Wood was recognized as part of Digital Leaders 100 in category of AI Expert of the Year, and as one of the TechWoman100. She was a fellow of the Alan Turing Institute (ATI) between October 2021 and September 2023. In 2026, she was one of the contributors to the GeoAI UK Outlook Report. She is also the host of Biscuit Bytes, a podcast series that aims to help bridge the gap between academia, industry and government.

Dan Gruidel
NV5

AI SESSIONS

Dan Gruidel is a senior executive and business leader with extensive experience driving growth and innovation across the geospatial, energy and technology sectors. He serves as Vice President, Strategy & Business Development at NV5 Geospatial Solutions, where he focuses on advancing GeoAI solutions and next-generation analytics platforms. Dan is also the co-founder of Fast Data Inc., an AI company focused on accelerating natural language purchased by Cisco Systems. He has held leadership roles at organizations such as L3Harris, ABB, Ventyx and McGraw Hill Platts, and is passionate about helping organizations transform by better utilizing AI.

Francesco Holecz
sarmap

SAR SESSIONS

Co-founding owner and CEO of sarmap SA (www.sarmap.ch). MSc and PhD in Geography at the Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich, research associate at NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratories. Extensive experience in Earth Observation and in the development of operational services.

Abstract

Operational Applications of SAR Data in Agriculture: From Field to Global Scale
Where is the rice located, when will the rice be ready, and how much rice will be harvested is the underlying information produced by RIICE (Remote sensing-based Information and Insurance for Crops in emerging Economies), a service developed and implemented by sarmap in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute. RIICE relies on the integration of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) derived products – such as rice location (where), the beginning of the rice crop season (when), the Leaf Area Index (LAI) – and a crop growth simulation model to provide spatially explicit forecasts and estimate yield at harvest time. Given the temporal and spatial information provided by Sentinel-1 and Cosmo-SkyMed, the model is scalable to any extent – with the use of local rice agronomic knowledge incorporated in a rice ecosystem model – and it makes it possible to attain detailed spatial information. The ongoing Consistent Rice Information for Sustainable Policy project developed by ESA seeks to scale up RIICE around the globe to provide information on seasonal rice planted areas, growing conditions, yield forecast, and production at harvest.

Mark Congdon
NV5

FOCUS WEBINARS

Mark Congdon is an Enterprise Asset Management and Geospatial Solutions executive with extensive leadership experience across utilities, public sector technology, GIS, and infrastructure-focused enterprise software. He has held senior roles with NV5, SAM Inc., Oracle, Hydromax USA, and Trimble, where he has led go-to-market strategy, strategic partnerships, product development, business development, and operational performance.

Mark brings deep expertise in enterprise asset management, geospatial solutions, utility markets, and partner ecosystems, with a track record of driving growth and aligning technology solutions to customer needs. He has presented at major industry events including the American Gas Association Conference, Trimble Dimensions, Esri IMGIS, the Global Safety Conference, the Southern Gas Association, and the Western Energy Conference. He holds an MBA from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering from Arizona State University.

Kurt Baker
NV5

FOCUS WEBINARS

Kurt Baker is the Hydrospatial Program Manager at NV5. He has 16 years of maritime career experience, with 10 of those as a hydrographic and geophysical surveyor with NV5. He holds a BS in Physics concentrated in Physical Oceanography, and a Masters in Geographic Information Science and Technology. He resides in coastal North Carolina where he enjoys boating with his family and coaching his kids.

Abstract

Hydrospatial Survey & Mapping: Tools, Techniques, and Applications
There are many important applications that necessitate mapping below the water's surface. These include supporting coastal resilience, promoting safe navigation, preserving cultural heritage sites, enabling environmental monitoring, and informing the design, maintenance, and evaluation of coastal and offshore infrastructure. This webinar will dive into the tools and techniques that provide actionable information for these and other applications – from vessels and sensors to data infrastructure and analytical workflows that ensure quality, consistency, and reliability across deliverables.

Steve Mulberry
NV5

FOCUS WEBINARS

Steve Mulberry currently serves as a Geospatial Innovation Strategist at NV5 with over 35 years of experience designing and implementing enterprise GIS systems and location intelligence solutions. A former United States Marine Corps Cartographer and Terrain Analyst, Steve holds a degree in Cartography with an emphasis in Geographic Information Sciences and a minor in Computer Science from the University of Idaho. Steve's career spans federal, state and local government as well as leading private consulting firms, including 11 years at Esri as a Solution Engineer. Over the years, he has provided technical oversight for NV5's business units, guiding the integration and deployment of advanced geospatial technologies across industry standard platforms, enterprise database management environments, and mission critical business systems. He helps organizations adopt and operationalize Digital Twin strategies—delivering modernized infrastructure management through cloud services, automation, and sensor based technologies across enterprise GIS both indoors and outdoors, leveraging on premise data centers and cloud environments. Steve is also a member of Esri's Product Advisory Group.

Abstract

Advancing Infrastructure Management with Intelligent GIS Solutions
Acquire. Analyze. Answer. These three actions define the next era of geospatial innovation as it reshapes how we manage our infrastructure. Through the convergence of Enterprise GIS, GeoAI, Cloud Computing, and real-time connected data systems, organizations are gaining the ability to not just collect and store data, but to understand and act on it in real time. With geospatial AI agents and intelligent automation driving insight, we're moving beyond traditional workflows to create systems that are adaptive, scalable, and built for the future. This session explores how these technologies are transforming geospatial strategies and delivering smarter, faster solutions to today's most complex infrastructure challenges.