Joanna Doven

Executive Director of AI Strike Team

Joanna Doven, one of the U.S.’s youngest big city mayoral press secretaries, led stakeholder relations and communications for Pittsburgh’s 2009 G-20 Economic Summit and in 2013 founded Premo Consultants. A graduate of the world’s #1 AI school, Carnegie Mellon University, she has since helped some of the world’s largest companies and prominent real estate developers formulate game-changing ideas that resulted in record government funding, growth-generating strategic partnerships, and national media exposure. With a crisis communications background, Joanna thrives on creating out-of-the-box pivoting strategies. This has led to her success in working at the intersection of development and innovation where she serves as a senior strategic advisor to innovators bringing accelerated benefits and return on investment. She has recently partnered with leading urbanist Bruce Katz, authoring AI-based pieces in Governing Magazine, among other publications. She advises leaders of the region’s most transformational projects — including Downtown Pittsburgh’s most pivotal $200M conversion project.

In 2023, Joanna reshaped her consulting practice to help cities, developers and institutions remake themselves in the post-Covid world, including repositioning Downtowns for growth and advising how cities can lead in the new artificial intelligence economy. Her work as a strategist for Walnut Capital, the developer of Pittsburgh’s 34-acre Bakery Square development that’s home to Google and over 15 AI companies led to the reshaping of a commercial real estate and workforce strategy positioning a new AI Avenue Corridor.

Her expertise in strategic communications and partnerships led to the creation of an AI Working Group in Pittsburgh comprised of 20 stakeholders including the world’s #1 AI school, Carnegie Mellon, civic and nonprofit leader, and large and emerging tech companies including Duolingo, Google. This effort led to her organizing the inaugural AI Horizons Summit headlined by Governor Josh Shapiro and CNN’s Laurie Segall, the founder of Mostly Human Media. Notably, Joanna helped steer the signing of a historic partnership leading to Pittsburgh as Nvidia’s first “AI Tech Community.”

An expert positioner and energetic leader, Joanna’s no-barriers approach in helping clients unearth opportunities through big thinking, informing and leveraging deep governmental, corporate, civic and media relationships has earned her company’s respect from renowned business, government and nonprofit leaders.

As partner in Fezzik Energy, Joanna is working with strategic partners including municipal planning organizations, laborers and industrial property owners on transforming defunct steel sites into AI Factories to grow regional economies. It’s now well understood that AI consumes enormous amounts of power. The International Energy Agency predicts that by 2026, data centers alone could consume 1,000 terawatt-hours of electricity—double the amount in 2022 and comparable to the entire energy consumption of Japan. As the market evolves from data centers to AI factories, the demand for power will soar, driven by the supercomputing needs of self-driving cars, autonomous machines, and industrial robots.

Joanna Doven and Bruce Katz continue to author pieces communicating Pittsburgh’s significant advantage in the AI economy. The region sits atop one of the world’s largest natural gas reserves, has access to abundant water supplies, and boasts a skilled labor force.

Joanna is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, where she guest lectures graduate students. She is also a guest talk show host on the world’s first radio station, KDKA. Her crisis communications experience led to the creation of “On Crisis,” a podcast that featured Doven talking with leaders whose experiences with crisis management led to drastic career or company pivots. Joanna is currently repurposing the podcast to focus on the “crisis opportunity” in the rapidly evolving AI economy.

Luke Bernstein

President & CEO, PA Chamber of Business and Industry

Luke Bernstein is president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. A seasoned financial, government, and public policy professional, Luke came to the organization in 2022 with more than 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors.

Before leading the PA Chamber, Luke was most recently executive vice president, chief operations and technology officer at Orrstown Financial Services.  He had served as Orrstown’s corporate spokesperson since 2017.

He was previously senior vice president of external affairs at the Pennsylvania Bankers Association from 2015 to 2017 and deputy chief of staff for former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett from 2011 to 2015.

In addition to his executive leadership roles in the private sector and state government, Luke has experience working at the federal level, as a former appointed advisor in the Administration of President George W. Bush and as an aide in the U.S. Senate. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and policy studies from Dickinson College, where he also served as an adjunct professor.

Luke also completed the Duke Leadership Program at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.  He is a very active member of his community, serving on numerous boards and as a youth sports coach.

Representative Jesse Topper

PA House Republican Leader

Rep. Jesse Topper has been the voice of his neighbors of the 78th Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since he was elected in 2014. In 2024, his Republican colleagues elected him as the House Republican Leader for the 2024-25 session. 

Since taking office, Topper has been a strong advocate for improved healthcare options for residents, particularly for those in rural areas. In recent legislative sessions, he has worked toward better educational opportunities for Pennsylvania students. As the Republican chairman of the House Education Committee, he worked across state government and with stakeholders to bring to fruition several key education initiatives that will improve the lives of Pennsylvania’s students at all levels of education while respecting taxpayers.

Topper is a lifelong resident of Bedford County and has two sons. Throughout his life, he has been very active in his community, participating in 4-H and the Boy Scouts, where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He also coaches football at Bedford High School, where he was a three-sport athlete.

A homeschooled graduate, Topper earned his bachelor’s degree from Frostburg State University. He is also a graduate of Leadership Bedford County and the Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School.

Topper has remained active in his community, including having served as first and second vice president of the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce, as well as Bedford Borough Council. He also enjoys playing piano and organ at local churches and serving as a PIAA official in basketball and baseball.

PA Senator Gene Yaw

PA’s 23rd District

Senator Yaw serves on a number of Boards and Commissions including as Chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a member of the Environmental Quality Board, a member of the Pennsylvania Aggregate Advisory Board, and a member of the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority.

Senator Yaw is a member of the Lycoming Law Association and Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and a former member of the Board of Directors of Susquehanna Legal Services. He serves as “Of Counsel” with the McCormick Law Firm in Williamsport, a prominent firm which has been in continuous existence for 150 years.

A U.S. Army veteran, Yaw enlisted and went on to graduate from the United States Artillery and Missile Officer Candidate School in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He served an overseas tour of duty as an artillery officer and was honorably discharged as a 1st Lieutenant.

He graduated from Montoursville High School, attended Bucknell University, and earned degrees from Lycoming College and the American University School of Law in Washington, D.C.

Senator Yaw has coached Little League Baseball and coached and refereed for the American Youth Soccer Organization. He is a member of the National Rifle Association, Ducks Unlimited, the Nittany Lion Club, the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce and the Central PA Chamber of Commerce. He received the 2010 Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award from the Susquehanna Council, Boy Scouts of America, the 2011 Lycoming College Alumni of the Year Award, the 2011 CAPPA Community Partner Award, the Central Pennsylvania State of Israel Bonds 2012 Israel Unity Award, the 2013 Pennsylvania Winery Association Industry Supporter Award, the 2014 Pennsylvania College of Technology Centennial Leadership Award, the 2015 Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health Legislator of the Year Award,  the 2019 Pennsylvania Water Environment Association Public Official of the Year Award and the 2021 Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts Legislator Leadership Award.

Most recently, Senator Yaw received the 2023 WVIA Good Neighbor Award, the 2023 Marcellus Shale Coalition Shale Gas Advocate Award, and was selected as the 2023 Clean Water Champion by the Choose Clean Water Coalition. Yaw has also been recognized by the National Federation of Independent Business as a Guardian of Small Business for several legislative sessions and by Americans for Prosperity – Pennsylvania for his consistent conservative legislative voting record. In May 2023, Sen. Yaw was named to the City and State Pennsylvania 2023 Energy and Environment Power 100 list.

A Loyalsock Township resident, Yaw is married to Ann S. Pepperman, Esquire. Together they have two children, Scott and Mackenzie, and four grandchildren.