Workshop Speakers

Eric Liga

Eric Liga is Chief Scientist at Net Edge Solutions VR, and is the co-founder of the HoustonVR meetup, one of the nation’s oldest and largest VR community organizations. He was technical adviser for a VR pain and anxiety management pilot study at Memorial Hermann Prevention and Recovery Center, director of programming for the Immersive Technology Conference, and has written and lectured extensively on applied uses of Virtual and Augmented Reality.

Brenda Quintanilla, PhD

Dr. Brenda Quintanilla has more than 20 years’ experience working with education technology in K-12 and Higher Education. She is past-president of Texas Distance Learning Association (TxDLA) and has presented at national conferences, as well as contributed to technology advisory committees. Her expertise includes instructional technology integration, interoperability, instructional design, distance learning, professional development, and personal device deployment. She is intrigued by emerging technologies, gravitating to innovative concepts such as virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented reality. She believes the next 10 years will bring groundbreaking advances in how we teach and learn using technology. Quintanilla earned an M.S. in Instructional Technology from the University of Houston – Clear Lake and a PhD in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas. She is currently the Regional Manager of Innovative Instructional Technology and Learning Services (East Region) at Houston Community College in Houston, Texas.

Valentina Gomez Bravo

Valentina Gomez Bravo is an award-winning creative multi-passionate entrepreneur, thought leader, and change-maker dedicated to helping entrepreneurs, business owners, professionals and influencers build the businesses and brands of their dreams; while working towards making the world a better place. She has over 17 years of experience in the industry working to build international brands and is on a mission to bring big-agency brand strategies, creativity, development, implementation, and growth everywhere. She is a multicultural creative brand strategist, an educator, a speaker, and a social activist. Valentina founded Bunker +58 (Bunker58.com), a bilingual and multicultural Branding and Design Studio and TexasenEspanol.com, an online business directory, magazine and event platform created to support, empower and recognize Hispanic businesses in Texas, along with several other projects that were definitely created to make a difference in the world. Creativity, Education, Empathy, and the growth, development, and advancement of women and Latinos are her leading platforms. Always striving to become a better version of herself and to make change happen on any scale, Valentina volunteers and works with many organizations locally and internationally to create lasting impact in many communities around the world.

Chris Wong

Chris Wong is a second-year medical student currently pursuing the Global Health Pathway at Baylor College of Medicine. Keenly curious about the social determinants of health discussed in his medical humanities classes, he developed his interest in addressing health disparities after a medical mission to Central America in collaboration with the Houston Shoulder-to-Shoulder Foundation. Since then, he has sought further opportunities to engage in global health outreach and education, including leadership in Baylor’s Global Health Interest Group, HGHC’s Executive Committee for the 2020 Conference, and the Committee on Global and Public Health within the Medical Student Section of the American Medical Association. His work in policy and advocacy spans pediatric mental health, LGBTQ+ health, and medical education. Chris graduated from the University of Houston in 2018 with a B.A. in Liberal Studies and French and a B.S. in Biology.