Colonel Nicole Malachowski (USAF, Ret.)

RETIRED U.S. AIR FORCE COLONEL, FORMER USAF THUNDERBIRD PILOT, AND LEADERSHIP SPEAKER

Colonel Nicole Malachowski (USAF, Ret.) served more than 21 years in the United States Air Force as an officer, leader, and fighter pilot. She was among the first group of women selected to fly modern fighter aircraft and became the first woman to fly with the USAF Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron.

During her military career, Nicole served in three operational F-15E squadrons, accumulated more than 2,300 flight hours including 188 combat hours, and commanded a fighter squadron. She also served as a White House Fellow and as an advisor to the First Lady of the United States on issues impacting service members, veterans, and military families.

Nicole was inducted into the U.S. National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2019. Today, she speaks on leadership, resilience, and overcoming adversity.

Andy Quick

INDEPENDENT AI ADVISOR & FORMER CHIEF AI OFFICER, ENTERGY

Andy is a former Chief AI Officer at a Fortune 500 company with 35 years of professional experience. Now an independent advisor, he helps organizations harness artificial intelligence responsibly and strategically. He brings deep expertise in aligning AI strategy with business outcomes, building data-driven cultures, and guiding leaders through the practical realities of enterprise AI adoption. He advises organizations on unlocking value through AI innovation, digital transformation, governance, and large-scale AI tool deployments.

He spent nearly 30 years at a major energy company, where he held thirteen senior technology leadership roles, including Chief AI Officer. Earlier in his career, he worked at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) as a technology consultant serving global, multi-industry clients.

Andy has also served as an adjunct instructor at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans, teaching robotic process automation. His online automation course has enrolled more than 3,000 students across 86 countries.

Beyond his advisory work, Andy is active in Louisiana’s startup ecosystem. He serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Idea Village and sits on the board of Nexus Louisiana, a nonprofit incubator. He is passionate about mentoring entrepreneurs and fostering innovation across the state, and he contributes to a Louisiana state-chartered AI working group focused on advancing AI literacy in K–12 education.

Andy holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Tulane University.