Dr. Joe Perez is a powerhouse in the IT and higher education worlds, with 40-plus years’ experience and a wealth of credentials to his name. As a Business Intelligence Specialist at NC State University and a Senior Systems Specialist/Team Leader at the NC Department of Health & Human Services (and fractional CTO at a North Carolina firm), Perez is at the forefront of innovation and process improvement. With more than 22,000 LinkedIn followers and a worldwide reputation as a keynote speaker, data viz/analytics expert, and Amazon best-selling author (with multiple #1 New Releases), Perez is a highly sought-after resource in his field. He speaks at numerous conferences each year, reaching audiences in more than 20 countries and has been inducted into the prestigious Thought Leader communities at DataManagementU, Engatica, Gartner, and Global AI Hub, having won the 2021 Industry Insights' Thought Leader of the Year Award and featured on multiple billboards in Times Square. When he's not working, he shares his musical talents and gives back to his community through his involvement in his church's Spanish and military ministries.