Skip to main content

Event details

MEF The Future of Mobile USA 2025
If you build, buy, or govern messaging in North America, this is your must-attend forum.
MEF convenes CEOs, product leaders, and technologists—U.S. members and global players active in the U.S.—for a focused, single-track day that turns market signals into operating decisions. Marquee voices include former FCC Commissioner Michael O’Reilly, Microsoft’s regulatory leadership, and category leaders across APIs, RCS/RBM, OTT channels, branded calling, and compliance.
We’ve designed a clear, fast paced two-act story. Act I (Growth) moves from policy context to execution: fresh MEF market data, API monetization and Open Gateway, a U.S.-ready RCS playbook, the economics of OTT conversational commerce, and RBM “voice of the customer.” Act II (Governance) clusters trust and scale discussion: compliance as a growth engine, Microsoft on regulatory strategy, a branded calling mini-track (market + standards), regional execution across Canada/Mexico/Caribbean, the latest legal fights—and MEF’s USA outlook for 2026.
Key Themes
  • Regulation to revenue: turning policy risk into advantage. See how federal/state actions reshape pricing power, channel bets, and timing.
  • Data-driven decisions for U.S. messaging growth. Fresh MEF insights reveal adoption curves, spend shifts, and winning use cases.
  • API & Open Gateway monetization, from connectivity to intelligence. Move beyond transport to value-based products, analytics, and measurable ROI.
  • A U.S.-ready RCS go-to-market playbook. When BASIC suffices, when RBM wins, and how to sequence scale.
  • OTT channels and the economics of conversational commerce. Position WhatsApp and superapps alongside SMS and RCS profitably.
  • Trust at scale: compliance, branded calling, identity. Reduce friction, cut risk, and keep deliverability and trust signals high.
  • North America as a region: Canada, Mexico, Caribbean. Navigate policy, interoperability, and cross-border execution without fragmenting operations.
  • Legal clarity to protect innovation and margin. Decode court rulings and state legislaive actions to avoid costly missteps.
Join the U.S. ecosystem’s most influential voices – across telcos, techcos, enterprises and platforms – and shape the next wave of business messaging transformation.
This isn’t just another telecom event – this is the roadmap to the future of messaging in America.

For guestroom reservations, please feel free to use the discounted guestroom Social Link: Palms Casino Resort

Silver Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor

Our Speakers

Michael P O’Rielly

Michael P O’Rielly

Former Commissioner, Strategic Advisor

MPOReilly

Anna Gentry

Anna Gentry

Senior Corporate Counsel

Microsoft

Pamela Clark-Dickson

Pamela Clark-Dickson

Principal Analyst, Business Messaging

MEF

Caitlin Long

Caitlin Long

Sr. Director, Product Management & Strategy

Bandwidth

Caitlin O'Neill

Caitlin O'Neill

Director, Messaging Product Development

Canadian Telecommunications Association

Stephanie Lashley

Stephanie Lashley

VP Messaging Strategic Alliances & Infrastructure

Bandwidth

Susan Duarte

Susan Duarte

Partner

The CommLaw Group

Shannon Donohue

Shannon Donohue

Vice President of Global Connectivity & Operations

Vonage

Ayshe Alp

Ayshe Alp

Product Director

The Campaign Registry

Cheryl Sanders

Cheryl Sanders

VP Mobile Strategy

Listrak

Erika Warren

Erika Warren

Manager, Customer Success Dept.

ClearSky Technologies

Alex Duncan

Alex Duncan

CEO/Co-Founder

Openmind Networks

Bert Katz

Bert Katz

N. American Sales

Infobip

Brien Jones Lantzy

Brien Jones Lantzy

Head of Compliance, Fraud, Security

Vonage

Dario Betti

Dario Betti

CEO

MEF

David Fernandez

David Fernandez

Senior Partner

Messaging Advisory

Glenn Richards

Glenn Richards

Partner

Dickinson Wright

Inderpal Mumick

Inderpal Mumick

CEO

Dotgo

James Lapic

James Lapic

Sr. Director, Product Management, Communications

Twilio

Jim Tyrrell

Jim Tyrrell

Vice President, Global Product Strategy

Transaction Network Services

John Bruner

John Bruner

CEO

Aegis Mobile

John T. McRae II

John T. McRae II

Executive Vice Chairman

VORTxT, a VVPUSA Company

Jonathan Vimont

Jonathan Vimont

Director, NA Compliance Operations

Sinch

Josh Whitehurst

Josh Whitehurst

Head of Product

First Orion

Matt Ekram

Matt Ekram

Advisor

MEF

Mijo Soldin

Mijo Soldin

VP Telecom Strategy and Partnerships

Infobip

Nathan Robbins

Nathan Robbins

Vice President of Go-to-Market Strategy and Alliances

Syniverse

Paul Ruppert

Paul Ruppert

Advisor

MEF

Ramy Riad

Ramy Riad

Director, AI GTM & Messaging Strategy, MEF Member Board of Directors

Cisco

Robert Ghiz

Robert Ghiz

President & CEO

Canadian Telecommunications Association

Ron Willet

Ron Willet

Vice President and GM

ClearSky Technologies

Sethumadhav Bendi

Sethumadhav Bendi

Wireless Solutions Architect

Verizon Wireless

Tyler McHugh

Tyler McHugh

Product Manager, Trusted Call Solutions

TransUnion

Type

InPerson

Agenda

  • Dario Betti, CEO – MEF

Dario Betti , MEF CEO welcoming remarks with an update of MEF activities and programs across the mobile ecosystem.

  • Michael P OReily, Former Commissioner, 

Policy isn’t background noise—it’s the market. In this keynote, former FCC Commissioner Michael O’Reilly shows how federal moves and state activism—from SMS/RCS oversight to tariff shockwaves—are recoding U.S. messaging. Get blunt guidance on platform bets, pricing power, and competitive models—and a playbook to anticipate, influence, and adapt before regulation makes the choices for you.

  • Pamela Clark Dickson, Data Advisor – MEF

Future of messaging is already hiding in plain sight? Drawing on fresh MEF data from the U.S. and North American markets, veteran analyst Pamela Clark-Dickson decodes the trends shaping channel strategy, enterprise adoption, user behavior, and market velocity. This session goes beyond the dashboards—offering insight into what’s rising, what’s stalling, and what’s coming next. For anyone charting messaging strategy in 2025 and beyond, these signals are impossible to ignore.

  • Dario Betti, CEO – MEF
  • Shannon Donohue, VP, Global Connectivity & Operations – Vonage
  • Mijo Soldin, VP Telecom Strategy and Partnerships – Infobip
  • Jonathan Vimont, Director, NA Compliance Operations – Sinch
The telecom API ecosystem is maturing into a commercial reality. This session highlights how APIs for identity, QoS, authentication, and messaging are evolving from pilots into enterprise-grade solutions. This panel explores Open Gateway momentum, developer engagement, monetization strategies, and real-world enterprise use cases.
  • Paul Ruppert, Advisor – MEF
  • Ayshe Alp, Product Director, The Campaign Register – TCR
  • John Bruner, CEO – Aegis Mobile
  • Brien Jones Lantzy, Head of Compliance, Fraud, Security – Vonage
  • Alex Duncan, CEP/Co-Founder – Openmind Networks
In an era where communication channels are expanding rapidly—from RCS to branded messaging, OTT platforms to APIs—trust, compliance, and accountability are no longer back-office checkboxes. They are front-line growth levers, key differentiators, and essential to customer, partner, and regulatory confidence.
  • Stephanie Lashley, VP, Messaging Strategic Alliances & Infrastructure – Bandwidth
  • Caitlin Long, Senior Director Commercial Product Management –  Bandwidth

Trust is at the heart of every customer interaction, yet it’s increasingly under strain as fraud, spam, and artificial traffic erode confidence in both voice and messaging. As these channels converge, businesses face new challenges—but also new opportunities—to rebuild customer trust.

  • Pamela Clark Dickson, Data Advisor – MEF
  • Stephanie Lashley, VP, Messaging Strategic Alliances & Infrastructure –  Bandwidth
  • Inderpal Singh Mumick, CEO – Dotgo
  • Sethu Bendi, Distinguished Member of Technical Staff – Verizon Wireless
  • James Lapic, Senior Director of Product Management – Twilio

RCS is gaining strong traction in North America, with over 1B rich messages exchanged daily and traffic surging 14× in 2024 following Apple’s adoption in iOS 18. This panel will explore the evolving verified RCS ecosystem—operator readiness, brand adoption, and the future of RBM. Industry leaders will share insights into how verified RCS is reshaping trust, security, and customer engagement.

  • Dario Betti, CEO – MEF
  • Erika Warren, Manager, Customer Success dept. – ClearSky Technologies

Messaging ecosystems are expanding into new channels—from RCS to branded messaging and API‑driven workflows—ClearSky’s experience in network trust, identity validation, and carrier collaboration offers a compelling lens on how to build truly accountable scale beyond just U.S. borders. Joined by ClearSky GM Ron Willett, this discussion will spotlight how strategic trust infrastructure and compliance partnerships are becoming the silent accelerators of messaging growth. 

  • Paul Ruppert, Advisor – MEF
  • Susan Duarte, Partner –  The CommLaw Group
  • Glenn Richards, Partner – Dickinson Wright
When it comes to the policies surrounding messaging, the legal battlefield has moved to your inbox. Robocall/robotext enforcement is intensifying at the federal level where FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has refocused regulatory and enforcement activities aimed at curbing communications fraud facilitated by robocalls and robotexts. Meanwhile, states are testing the limits of their own authority—now eyeing oversight of SMS and RCS. Layer in court rulings that constrain agencies, and the risk calculus changes for every product roadmap. Our panel of telecom policy and experts breaks down what’s enforceable, what’s likely, and what’s noise—so executives can prioritize compliance investments, influence rulemaking, and keep innovation on track.
 
  • Dario Betti, CEO – MEF
  • Anna Gentry, Senior Corporate Counsel – Microsoft
As messaging becomes the critical conduit for authentication, alerts, and consumer engagement, the regulatory burden has grown—especially in the United States. In this fireside chat, Anna Gentry, Corporate Counsel at Microsoft, joins Dario Betti, CEO of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum, to unpack the shifting regulatory landscape around messaging. Anna shares Microsoft’s dual perspective—as both a major sender and platform provider—on topics like the global rise of sender ID registries, anti-spam frameworks, and the future of SMS in a world increasingly shaped by RCS and WhatsApp.
  • Matt Ekram, Advisor – MEF
  • David Fernandez, Business Messaging Advisory Guru – Messaging Advisory
  • Cheryl Sanders, VP, Mobile Strategy – Listrak

Brands see mobile messaging as a powerful new “digital billboard” to drive results—but unlocking that promise is not without its challenges. In this 20-minute discussion, David Fernandez (Messaging Advisory) and Chery Sanders (VP, Mobile Strategy – Listrak) share first-hand experiences guiding brands through the realities of adopting rich messaging channels. From educating consumers to avoiding the “spammy” trap, to navigating platform maturity, proving ROI, and managing inconsistent execution across Android and iOS, they will highlight both the opportunities and the hurdles. Join us to learn what it takes to make a brand’s first campaign successful—and why that first win is the key to long-term engagement and channel growth

 
  • Matt Ekram, Advisor – MEF
  • Josh Whitehurst, Head of Product – First Orion
  • Tyler Mchugh,  Product Manager,  Trusted Call Solutions – TransUnion
  • Jim Tyrrell, Vice President, Global Product Strategy – Transaction Network Services

Branded calling is gaining real momentum across U.S. wireless networks, powered by carrier integrations and enterprise identity standards. This session will highlight the collaborative efforts of TransUnion, First Orion and TNS—now enabling billions of branded calls.

  • Paul Ruppert, Advisor – MEF
  • John T. McRae II, Executive Vice Chairman – VORTxT, a VVPUSA Company

Compliance doesn’t have to slow you down. In this session, VORTxT outlines a compliance-by-design approach—automated 10DLC/TCR steps, audit-ready consent, and deliverability hygiene—that cuts time-to-launch and lowers avoidable costs. A practical framework you can adapt to ship messages faster while reducing risk.

  • Robert Ghiz, President & CEO –  Canadian Telecommunications Association
Canadian Telecommunications Association President & CEO Robert Ghiz shares how Canada’s unique market structure — with strong national and regional network builders — has delivered lower prices, faster networks, and continued investment. He will highlight how collaboration across carriers, governments, and global partners is driving innovations like Rich Business Messaging and preparing Canada for 5G, direct-to-cell, and the next wave of mobile innovation.
  • Paul Ruppert, Advisor – MEF
  • Ron Willet, Vice President & GM – ClearSky Technologies
  • Caitlin O’Neil, Director, Messaging Product Development – CTA
  • Bert Katz, N. American Sales –  Infobip
  • Nathan Robins, Vice President of Go-to-market strategy and alliances
From regulatory friction to market fragmentation, doing business across Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean demands more than coverage—it requires alignment. This panel unpacks the untapped potential and persistent challenges of cross-border messaging. Hear from regional experts on interoperability gaps, policy divergence, and how to navigate three markets that are closer in geography than in execution.

Closing insights from MEF and the outlook for 2026.

Related Events

MEF