CTE Expo Early Speaker
Date: may 21 2026
Location: Room A101
Extra Credit Theme: What inspired you?
Proof of Experience
Caption:
Here's a photo of me and some others at the beginning of the presentation, ready to learn/listen! Along with a few pictures of things I thought were important during the presentation
Before the Event
I expected to hear about the safeballot software/playbook project, to hear the technical aspects of what they are, what they do,o and how the idea came about.
Curiosity Before Attending
I was curious to learn about both what SafeBallot is and what inspires CEO Elijah Johnson to create this technology, and who he was thinking of when making it.
What I Saw
I saw CEO Elijah Johnson present his backstory, where he came from, what he did growing up, and how his life led to his success in the safe ballot software.
Most Interesting Thing I Saw
I saw pictures of a project he did where he brought a bunch of kids together to teach them about voting, and even got Lamborghini to collaborate with him and bring a car to the event. This was really interesting, especially knowing that he built this company/project from the ground up and was able to get this far and to expand his project this wide.
What I Learned
"People don't buy products, they buy personality."This is one of the quotes/ideas repeated throughout Elijah Johnson's speech. It taught me essentially that no matter how smart/good your project is, it doesn't matter if you can't sell it. Another thing he taught was the importance of having connections/marketing yourself, because knowing people in high places can get your project so much more visibility.
What Surprised Me
I was surprised by his anecdote about the project he created (that ended up being very successful) and how it lost in the competition to a massage chair. This shows me how often successful products may be overlooked simply because of marketing and lack of visibility, showing how knowing how to talk to people can sometimes be worth more than having a better project
What Inspired Me
"It's not about the 99 no's its about the 1 yes."This is one thing that Elijah Johnson said that really inspires me. He talked about having faith in your project and starting before you know/think you're ready. This inspired me because I often have imposter syndrome and lack of faith in my projects, but this inspired me to take that leap of faith as he did, because that's the risk required for big success
Personal Connection
This connected to me and the personal project I'm working on because I need to start contacting the nonprofit organization I'm making this project for, and previously I didn't trust my lack of expertise/project and felt they wouldn't like it, it shouldn't try. However, his speech inspired me to take that leap of faith and send the email, because it's better to put yourself out there and get rejected than to never try
Interaction
Person or group I learned from: Elijah Johnson
He taught me what it means to be a CEO, and that entrepreneurship means more than just knowing code/tech, but knowing your audience and knowing how to present both your work and yourself.
Depth of Experience
It changed the way I think about live reviews and how to present my work, it made me realize that I can't present tech without purpose/personality, and vice versa
Connection to CS or Future Goals
This affects my current personal project/future project goals, because I want to make sure all of my future and current projects have a reason and a purpose that goes beyond me. I want to make sure I'm making my projects for other people/to know my audience.
Final Reflection
This was meaningful to me because this is a career pathway/field that I am interested in. It is definitely hard to just start being an entrepreneur; it's intentional and difficult, so hearing his story. Humble beginnings were inspiring to me and showed me how this is actually attainable if I put in the work and effort.
Biggest Takeaway
My biggest takeaway was that success is not immediate nor does it just come from being smart, success comes from long-term dedication, and from knowing how to market yourself and your ideas.
CTE Expo Early Speaker
Date: may 21 2026
Location: Room A101
Extra Credit Theme: What inspired you?
Proof of Experience
Caption:
Here's a photo of me and some others at the beginning of the presentation, ready to learn/listen! Along with a few pictures of things I thought were important during the presentation
Before the Event
I expected to hear about the safeballot software/playbook project, to hear the technical aspects of what they are, what they do,o and how the idea came about.
Curiosity Before Attending
I was curious to learn about both what SafeBallot is and what inspires CEO Elijah Johnson to create this technology, and who he was thinking of when making it.
What I Saw
I saw CEO Elijah Johnson present his backstory, where he came from, what he did growing up, and how his life led to his success in the safe ballot software.
Most Interesting Thing I Saw
I saw pictures of a project he did where he brought a bunch of kids together to teach them about voting, and even got Lamborghini to collaborate with him and bring a car to the event. This was really interesting, especially knowing that he built this company/project from the ground up and was able to get this far and to expand his project this wide.
What I Learned
"People don't buy products, they buy personality."This is one of the quotes/ideas repeated throughout Elijah Johnson's speech. It taught me essentially that no matter how smart/good your project is, it doesn't matter if you can't sell it. Another thing he taught was the importance of having connections/marketing yourself, because knowing people in high places can get your project so much more visibility.
What Surprised Me
I was surprised by his anecdote about the project he created (that ended up being very successful) and how it lost in the competition to a massage chair. This shows me how often successful products may be overlooked simply because of marketing and lack of visibility, showing how knowing how to talk to people can sometimes be worth more than having a better project
What Inspired Me
"It's not about the 99 no's its about the 1 yes."This is one thing that Elijah Johnson said that really inspires me. He talked about having faith in your project and starting before you know/think you're ready. This inspired me because I often have imposter syndrome and lack of faith in my projects, but this inspired me to take that leap of faith as he did, because that's the risk required for big success
Personal Connection
This connected to me and the personal project I'm working on because I need to start contacting the nonprofit organization I'm making this project for, and previously I didn't trust my lack of expertise/project and felt they wouldn't like it, it shouldn't try. However, his speech inspired me to take that leap of faith and send the email, because it's better to put yourself out there and get rejected than to never try
Interaction
Person or group I learned from: Elijah Johnson
He taught me what it means to be a CEO, and that entrepreneurship means more than just knowing code/tech, but knowing your audience and knowing how to present both your work and yourself.
Depth of Experience
It changed the way I think about live reviews and how to present my work, it made me realize that I can't present tech without purpose/personality, and vice versa
Connection to CS or Future Goals
This affects my current personal project/future project goals, because I want to make sure all of my future and current projects have a reason and a purpose that goes beyond me. I want to make sure I'm making my projects for other people/to know my audience.
Final Reflection
This was meaningful to me because this is a career pathway/field that I am interested in. It is definitely hard to just start being an entrepreneur; it's intentional and difficult, so hearing his story. Humble beginnings were inspiring to me and showed me how this is actually attainable if I put in the work and effort.
Biggest Takeaway