Build a GitOps-Powered Kubernetes Testing Machine with Open Source Tools

Shipping code isn’t the finish line; it’s just one step in making sure your software works the way it should. In this session, we’ll show how to build a GitOps-powered testing machine using open source tools to bring testing, validation, and policy enforcement into the same workflow that handles your deployments.

We’ll walk through a real-world example where a Git commit spins up an isolated vCluster environment, executes tests with Testkube, uses Kyverno to apply policy checks, and manages everything through Git with Argo CD.

Whether you're a platform engineer, SRE, or tester, this session will highlight how a GitOps-first approach can streamline Kubernetes testing, reduce manual troubleshooting, and improve release confidence using entirely open source tooling.

Crossplane is the answer! But what is the Question?

Why consider Crossplane when so many IaC tools exist—Terraform, Pulumi, CloudFormation, Config Connector, and KRO? What unique challenges does it solve, and is it always the right choice?
Join Cortney & Amit as they explore why Crossplane is gaining traction, not just as an IaC tool but as a Platform Engineering enabler. Learn how Crossplane extends the Kubernetes API to manage both infrastructure and applications declaratively, empowering platform teams.
Beyond provisioning, security and compliance are critical. Discover how the Crossplane + ArgoCD + Kyverno stack enables GitOps-driven automation, ensuring deployments align with organizational compliance and security policies.
Through real-world use cases, we’ll explore:
Where does Crossplane fit among IaC tools?
When is Crossplane NOT the right choice?
How can it enable scalable, self-service platforms?
How does it integrate with ArgoCD & Kyverno for GitOps and security?

Panel: Building Thriving Communities in Platform Engineering: Collaboration, Innovation, and Growth

Platform engineering goes beyond building internal tools—it’s about creating a culture that inspires collaboration, excitement, and a sense of ownership. This panel will explore how fostering these elements across teams accelerates platform adoption and drives impactful outcomes like innovation, stability, and long-term growth.
Panelists will share real-world strategies for engaging engineers, gathering actionable feedback, and building alignment between platform teams and users. Whether you are starting fresh or scaling an established platform, join us to discover how community-driven enthusiasm can break down silos, spark advocacy, and create platforms that truly deliver value.

Old meets new: The maintainer challenge in a new open source world of corporations and regulation

The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Cloud Native

For newcomers, stepping into the world of cloud native can feel overwhelming, with a maze of new concepts and technologies to grasp. According to the CNCF, cloud native is characterized by loosely coupled systems that interoperate in a manner that is secure, resilient, manageable, sustainable, and observable.

This session aims to break down these core concepts into simple, digestible pieces, helping participants understand what it truly means to be "cloud native."

Using relatable analogies and practical examples, we’ll explore the stages of the software development lifecycle, the fundamentals of cloud infrastructure, and an introduction to Kubernetes. Along the way, we’ll demystify the principles that drive the cloud native movement and the practices that help achieve its defining characteristics.

Whether you're brand new to cloud native or just seeking a clear way to explain your work to others—perhaps even your family—this session is designed for you!

Exploring eBPF Use Cases in Cloud-Native Security

Cloud-native security requires a shift in mindset. Workloads are ephemeral, the attack surface has grown and with it, the complexities. eBPF has emerged as a powerful technology, enabling deep visibility and dynamic security capabilities within the Linux kernel. This panel will explore use cases in which eBPF enhances cloud-native security.

We will explore how eBPF can be leveraged to perform real-time monitoring, threat detection, and mitigation across containerized applications and microservices. Our expert panelists will share insights on using eBPF for network security, application profiling, anomaly detection, and enforcing security policies at the kernel level. Additionally, we will discuss the integration of eBPF with popular cloud-native tools and platforms, showcasing practical implementations.

Testing in Modern CI/CD Pipelines: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

As organizations embrace Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to accelerate software delivery, testing becomes increasingly vital. Unfortunately, it also becomes more complex, too. In this talk we'll take a look at the various challenges faced by diverse teams when testing in modern CI/CD pipelines. We'll discuss different approaches and tooling that can help reduce complexity helping to orchestrate all testing processes from application testing to load testing and even infrastructure testing helping teams acheive seamless deployments.

Navigating the Path to Platform Engineering Excellence: A Comprehensive Guide

As organizations continue their digital transformation journey, the role of Platform Engineering is becoming more prominent. K8s is taking its position as the base to build platforms making the transition toward Platform-as-a-Product practices essential.

This panel brings together platform experts to discuss how we got here and where we're headed with a focus on the who, what, when, where, why, and how of getting started today.

We'll focus on actionable steps to ensure effective platform engineering and dissect critical considerations for anyone looking to invest in their own platform. Key discussion points include:

- Navigating distinct roles and dynamic intersection of DevOps and Platform Engineering
- Addressing the pivotal decision of building an in-house platform vs buying a PaaS provider and the long-term implications of each
- Integration of best practices and new tools over time
- The importance of a human-first mindset, collaboration, communication, and continuous learning