Moderator
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Vern Sallee is an Axon Air Strategist and a retired Chula Vista Police Department Captain who helped pioneer one of the nation’s first and most influential Drone as a First Responder (DFR) programs. With 25 years in law enforcement and deep, hands-on experience operationalizing public-safety Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) programs at scale, Vern now works with agencies nationwide to develop effective, responsible, and life-saving drone programs.
Speakers
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Sujoy Banerjee is a product leader with deep expertise in computer vision, perception, and real-world AI. At Skydio, he leads software development for autonomous drones that leverage advanced machine perception and AI to perform complex missions such as city navigation and robust obstacle avoidance. His career spans roles at Google, McKinsey, and Roblox, bringing cutting-edge perception, mapping, and AI technologies from research into production. Sujoy is passionate about building platforms that translate emerging AI capabilities into practical, scalable solutions across industries.
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Captain Jonas is the Commanding Officer of SFPD’s Strategic Investigations Division, which includes the department’s public safety technology initiatives. He oversees both the Real-Time Investigations Center (RTIC) and San Francisco Police Department’s Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program. He brings extensive experience leading a modern, technology-driven police organization and will share real-world examples of how advanced sensing and AI technologies are shaping day-to-day operations at the San Francisco Police Department.
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Nick Komianos is a machine learning engineer and founder working at the intersection of computer vision, AI agents, and real-world perception systems. He has built and deployed large-scale video intelligence and vision-language pipelines across industry and research, including work on video understanding systems at Google, high-throughput production ML systems at Amazon, and applied research at the Autonomous Control and Decision Systems Lab at Georgia Tech. He is the co-founder of Enloq, where he develops video agents that transform live video—from drones to fixed infrastructure— into AI first responders: systems that perceive, reason, and act in real time across complex physical environments.
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Tom Owen is a recognized leader in the integration of drone technology for firefighting and emergency response. As the UAS/DFR Senior Program Analyst and Pilot for the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, he directs a team of 17 pilots pioneering the district’s Drone as First Responder (DFR) initiative—one of the most advanced municipal drone programs in California. His work focuses on applying aerial imaging, data systems, and networked communications to improve situational awareness, operational efficiency, and firefighter safety.
A certified FAA Remote Pilot, Tom also serves with California Task Force 3 (US&R) as a Communications and GIS Specialist, supporting large-scale disaster operations and advancing drone-based reconnaissance and mapping.
Before dedicating his career to public safety, Tom spent more than two decades in wireless communications and technology innovation, holding leadership roles with Pix4D, DroneSense, Dejero, Kittyhawk (now Aloft), and Microsoft. Since 2017, he has been at the forefront of public-safety drone adoption, helping agencies across the U.S. deploy reliable, data-driven aerial systems for real-world incident response.
Event Details
FORMAT: Panel discussion followed by audience Q&A.MENU: Coffee, decaf, tea and water will be available nearby.
SETUP: Theater seating.