Gaines Kergosien
Technology leader, inspirational speaker, and lifelong learner.
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Gaines is passionate about helping people reach their full potential and providing the structure necessary to maximize their value. His strategic leadership capitalizes on a blend of technical vision and business acumen acquired through 20 years identifying, qualifying, building consensus for, and implementing solutions to meet business objectives.
Gaines serves as founder and CIO for Music City Tech, an educational non-profit responsible for organizing the Music City Code, Music City Agile, and Music City Data conferences in Nashville, TN. His public speaking and other thought leadership work led to becoming a three-time recipient of the Microsoft MVP award and serving on the board of directors for Technology Leaders of Nashville and the Nashville Technology Council.
Area of Expertise
Topics
Navigating Azure DevOps: Best Practices for Successful Software Delivery
Azure DevOps offers a wide range of customization options for managing software development, but these can be challenging to navigate. This session will provide insight into how professional consulting organizations use Azure DevOps to plan and deliver both short-term projects and ongoing deliverables. We will explore best practices for ensuring the successful delivery of high-quality software, and delve into the functionality and limitations of Azure DevOps. Attendees will learn how to configure the platform to support and enforce key process controls using useful extensions and advanced query techniques. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to Azure DevOps, this session will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to navigate the platform with confidence.
This workshop/presentation (available in all formats) is based on extensive efforts within our consulting organization to define best practices used across all of our projects with input from all departmental roles and levels of responsibility. By starting with a focus on process improvement, we have mapped key elements and handoffs to how they can best be accomplished on the Azure DevOps platform.
Content will continue to evolve as new functionality is released and our teams explore better ways of automating processes and facilitating collaboration.
Building a Slack Chatbot with Azure Functions
Chatbots have become an essential tool for businesses to improve customer support, automate tasks, and enhance engagement. However, building a chatbot from scratch can be challenging and time-consuming. In this session, we will show you how to build a chatbot for Slack using Azure Functions, a serverless computing platform.
We will start with an introduction to Azure Functions and how they work. Then, we will dive into building a chatbot for Slack, starting with creating a new Slack app and configuring the necessary permissions. We will then create a new Azure Function app and write the code to handle incoming messages from Slack. We will also cover how to authenticate users and respond to messages.
In addition, we will demonstrate how to integrate the chatbot with other Azure services such as SQL Server, Cosmos DB, and Azure Cognitive Services to enable natural language processing and sentiment analysis.
By the end of this session, attendees will have a better understanding of how to build a chatbot for Slack using Azure Functions and how to integrate it with other Azure services. They will also gain practical knowledge of how to handle user authentication, message handling, and responses, and how to ensure the chatbot is secure and reliable.
This workshop/presentation (available in either format) is based on my experience building a chatbot for internal company use and includes lessons learned with real-world examples.
7 Habits of Highly Successful Developers
Software and website developers are in extremely high demand and rates continue to climb, but many developers have not yet realized their potential. Being good at what you do is important, but it's equally important that you can communicate the value you bring to an organization and build a reputation that will provide opportunities for growth, both professionally and financially. We will work together to measure your accomplishments, establish a personal brand, and walk away with a resume that conveys your true value!
I began speaking at conferences on professional development for software developers in 2013 and this series of presentations and workshops have been incredibly well received over the years with some conferences inviting me back to present the same topic at future events. Past attendees have expressed appreciation for how the insight they gained benefitted their careers.
Some of the previous titles in this series were "How to be a Six Figure Developer" and "7 Habits of Highly Paid Developers".
An Engineer's Guide to Developing People
Making the leap to management isn't easy but, with the right skills and preparation, solving people and process problems can be incredibly rewarding and profitable. In fact, the experience and skills you've gained over the years may have prepared you for this new role without even realizing it!
In this session we will explore how software engineering principals and patterns can guide your journey to becoming a successful development manager. We'll cover what the role entails, common hurdles, and the mental shift required to do it effectively.
I've been working on a series of blog posts for over a year with the intention of publishing a guide on how to become a successful software development manager. Over time I began to notice a trend in the correlation of programming concepts to leadership strategies, so I decided to create a presentation which should resonate with developers and provide insight into how they might follow a similar path.
Succeeding with ADHD
The things that make us different are also often a potential advantage. People with conditions like ADHD must overcome challenges to conform and, in the process, often develop skills that make them exceptional leaders and entrepreneurs.
In this session we will explore how many of the most successful have turned these tendencies into an advantage and how you can do the same, regardless of your diagnosis.
This presentation is based on extensive research as well as personal experience. It is focused on techniques that, while they were developed as coping mechanisms, can be used by anyone with the desire to excel at achieving their goals.
How to Benefit from Employing Neurodiversity
The same traits that are viewed as problematic in certain environments can be a tremendous advantage for your organization. This talk will explore the topic of neurodiversity with a focus on how to utilize these special gifts and talents as a competitive advantage.
Not planning on hiring anyone new right now? You might be surprised to find that you're already working with differently abled individuals. Many of the most successful leaders and entrepreneurs exhibit ADHD tendencies such as wearing headphones to focus and getting into "the zone". Autistic individuals are known for being excellent at pattern recognition, mathematics, and memorization.
If this makes you want to add some superpowers to your team, keep in mind that with great power comes great responsibility. The neurodiverse can exhibit challenging eccentricities and may require special accommodations to realize their benefits. Your recruitment policies, interview process, and work environment may need to adapt for better access this untapped talent and innovative perspectives.
Whether you're looking to maximize the value of your existing team or tap into the vast pool of unemployed and underemployed neurodiverse population, there's opportunity waiting for those who can make the puzzle pieces fit.
I've designed this version of my presentation as an inspirational and informative keynote that will both introduce the topic of neurodiversity to a broad audience and provide insight into how it can be leveraged from a practical perspective.
Other versions are available which focus more on the science, psychology, and IT-specific applications.
Unleashing the Potential: Harnessing the Advantages of ADHD and Autism Traits
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often viewed as disorders with negative consequences. However, individuals with these conditions can exhibit seemingly superhuman abilities in the right setting. This session will explore the potential benefits of traits commonly found in individuals with ADHD and ASD, such as heightened attention to detail, strong focus, and an aptitude for pattern recognition. We will also discuss strategies for harnessing these advantages in the workplace and other environments. By understanding and utilizing these strengths, individuals with ADHD and ASD can achieve greater success and fulfillment in their personal and professional lives.
This session aims to shift the conversation from deficit-based thinking to a strengths-based approach, highlighting the unique and valuable contributions of individuals with ADHD and ASD.
This presentation has continued to evolve since I first started speaking on the topic of neurodiversity in 2019 and has become increasingly relevant as remote work has increasingly presented opportunities for adaptable work environments.
Greater Nashville IT Summit 2020
How to Benefit from Employing Neurodiversity
Technology Leaders of Nashville
How to Benefit from Employing Neurodiversity
Tennessee Developer Conference (TDevConf) 2020
Succeeding with ADHD
iR Sessions
Succeeding with ADHD
Connect.Tech 2019
7 Habits of Highly Successful Developers
dev up 2019
Succeeding with ADHD
An Engineer's Guide to Developing People
7 Habits of Highly Successful Developers
Music City Tech 2019
Organizer
DevSpace 2018
7 Habits of Highly Paid Developers
dev up 2018
7 Habits of Highly Paid Developers
From Developer to Data Scientist
Music City Tech 2018
Organizer
Music City Code 2017
Organizer
Music City Code 2016
Organizer
Music City Code 2015
Organizer