Speaker - Tess Gadwa

Tess is a passionate advocate of free software and bridging the gap between the arts and technology. She has lectured in Asia, North America, and Europe about the practical and ethical implications of open source, usability, and the connection between creativity and code. In January 2011, Tess launched Yes Exactly, a managed hosting company serving early stage startups and community organizations. As CEO, she led the push to release Zappen, an AR app licensed under the LGPL 3.0. This augmented reality app contained the first fully functional open source implementation of mobile visual search. She sold her company in 2017 and went on to create Lotus FM, a consulting firm specializing in applications of data visualization for music discovery, philanthropy, and financial services. In 2023, she chose to license her proprietary Lotus Petal Architecture framework under a Creative Commons license, making it freely available for non-commercial and educational purposes. Serious bouts of Repetitive Strain Injury and fibroids transformed Tess into an unexpected activist for disability rights and women's health. She is currently completing a yearlong engagement evaluating the feasibility and market potential of a blockchain patient health experience platform. Preliminary findings and whitepaper may be viewed at https://healthexperiencerepository.net.