Torsten Strauß (MVP, MCT, MCSE) is the CEO of inside-sqlserver and Principal Microsoft SQL Consultant at Sarpedon Quality Lab. He specializes in Azure DevOps as well as the performance optimization and development of SQL environments. Torsten has delivered over 300 presentations at national and international conferences and user groups. Since 2018, he has been recognized annually as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for Data Platform – and since 2025, also in the Developer Technologies category. He has been listed among Sessionize’s top speakers for three consecutive years.

Torsten Strauß (MVP, MCT, MCSE) is the CEO of inside-sqlserver and Principal Microsoft SQL Consultant at Sarpedon Quality Lab. He specializes in Azure DevOps as well as the performance optimization and development of SQL environments. Torsten has del... Show more

Jessica Randall is a Master's graduate in Mathematics, an Android developer Co-lead at Mentorlst, and a Zindi Ambassador. Deeply immersed in the world of Android development, she is passionate about Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, thriving in the collaborative environment of Android Studio.

She applies her background in data science and Topological Data Analysis to address complex societal issues. As a Zindi Ambassador, she advocates for data science and machine learning, empowering others to solve real-world problems through technology.

As an organizer for GDG Cape Town, she fosters local developer communities and shapes impactful tech events in South Africa. Her journey as a Google Crowdsource Influencer sparked her interest in AI and Machine Learning, fueling her continuous learning. A forward-thinker, she is an inspiring figure in the ever-evolving tech landscape.

Jessica Randall is a Master's graduate in Mathematics, an Android developer Co-lead at Mentorlst, and a Zindi Ambassador. Deeply immersed in the world of Android development, she is passionate about Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, thriving in the collabo... Show more

I’m a Software Engineer and a Developer Advocate at Google in London. I build tools, demos, tutorials, and give talks to educate and help developers to be successful on Google Cloud.

I’m a Software Engineer and a Developer Advocate at Google in London. I build tools, demos, tutorials, and give talks to educate and help developers to be successful on Google Cloud. Show more

Feline Parein is a business consultant with a big focus on all things Microsoft. She’s a certified Power Platform consultant and has hands-on experience with setting up enterprise-level applications and processes within the Power Platform.

Feline Parein is a business consultant with a big focus on all things Microsoft. She’s a certified Power Platform consultant and has hands-on experience with setting up enterprise-level applications and processes within the Power Platform. Show more

Erland Sommarskog is an independent consultant based in Stockholm. He has worked with SQL Server since 1991. He was first awarded SQL Server MVP in 2001, and he has been re-awarded every year since. His focus is on systems development with the SQL Server Database Engine and his passion is to help people to write better SQL Server applications.

Erland Sommarskog is an independent consultant based in Stockholm. He has worked with SQL Server since 1991. He was first awarded SQL Server MVP in 2001, and he has been re-awarded every year since. His focus is on systems development with the SQL Se... Show more

Mathias is a data enthusiast with a great passion for the synergy between data analytics and cloud data platforms.

As a Principal Architect at Fellowmind he works with building up clients' data capabilities, implementing data platform technologies and all-in-all maximize the impact of their their data.

Being a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, he is very passionate about sharing anything with community, especially something around turning data into impact!

With a background in Product Development and Innovation, Mathias brings a unique 'Data Product' perspective to the realm of data architecture, and is obsessed with the bigger picture. With his slightly rebellious attitude, he's not afraid to challenge the status quo and break industry norms to find new and better solutions.

Mathias is a data enthusiast with a great passion for the synergy between data analytics and cloud data platforms. As a Principal Architect at Fellowmind he works with building up clients' data capabilities, implementing data platform technologie... Show more

Ásgeir brings nearly two decades of experience in designing and implementing scalable data platforms using Microsoft technologies. With deep expertise in data architecture, data engineering, and analytics, he helps organizations turn complex data landscapes into streamlined, high-performing solutions. In addition to hands-on delivery, Ásgeir advises clients on governance, security, and platform strategy.

As a recognized Microsoft Data Platform MVP and active speaker at global data events, he stays ahead of industry trends and brings cutting-edge insights to every project. In addition to speaking at events Ásgeir is a co-organizer of Data Platform Next Step, Power BI Next Step and Power BI Cruise in Denmark.

Ásgeir focuses primarily on the data technologies in the Azure cloud.

Ásgeir is the co-author of Pro Power BI Administration from APRESS and the Power BI MVP book

Ásgeir is passionate about data and loves solving problem with BI.

Ásgeir brings nearly two decades of experience in designing and implementing scalable data platforms using Microsoft technologies. With deep expertise in data architecture, data engineering, and analytics, he helps organizations turn complex data lan... Show more

My name’s Joe Griffin, and I’m CEO of proMX UK, a Microsoft Inner Circle partner within the proMX group of companies. I hold various Microsoft certifications in Dynamics CRM/365 Customer Engagement, Azure, Power BI and SQL Server and am also a PRINCE2 Project Manager and Agile Practitioner. I have a broad knowledge of working with and managing projects involving Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement, Azure, Power BI, .NET and other technologies within the Microsoft cloud stack. During this time, I’ve developed a keen interest in coding, and love working with Transact-SQL, JScript, PowerShell, DAX & C#. Thanks to my previous experience, I have practical knowledge operating within the energy efficiency, managed services, retail, print & direct mail and utility sectors. I love getting involved as part of the Business Applications technical community and was very fortunate to receive the Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award from Microsoft in 2020, in recognition of my contributions in this area. When I’m not blogging or tinkering, I enjoy reading, catching up on the latest films/TVs and also enjoy learning about and studying history.

My name’s Joe Griffin, and I’m CEO of proMX UK, a Microsoft Inner Circle partner within the proMX group of companies. I hold various Microsoft certifications in Dynamics CRM/365 Customer Engagement, Azure, Power BI and SQL Server and am also a PRINCE... Show more

Global AI & Data Science Lead at Avolta. Master's degree in Computer Science at Universidad of Alicante (2005-2011). Microsoft AI MVP

Global AI & Data Science Lead at Avolta. Master's degree in Computer Science at Universidad of Alicante (2005-2011). Microsoft AI MVP Show more

Lesley Cordero is currently a Staff Software Engineer, Tech Lead at The New York Times. She has spent the majority of her career on edtech teams as an engineer, including Google for Education and other edtech startups.

In her current role, she is focused on observability, shared platforms, and building excellent teams by setting reliability vision & strategy across The Times, improving our observability footprint, and cultivating culture that builds with the most vulnerable employees in mind first. She shows care for others by holding them accountable to the best versions of themselves – and by buying them the occasional bubble tea.

Lesley Cordero is currently a Staff Software Engineer, Tech Lead at The New York Times. She has spent the majority of her career on edtech teams as an engineer, including Google for Education and other edtech startups. In her current role, she is... Show more

Data Platform professional based in the Netherlands. Microsoft Certified Trainer and Data Platform MVP.

Many years experience with Microsoft Data Platforms. Along the way gained various Microsoft Certifications.

Held various roles over the years. Over that tome gained real-life experience with various Microsoft Data Platform offerings and ALM solutions such as Azure Devops and GitHub.

Involved with Microsoft technical community in various ways. Including blogs, videos, events and sharing various repositories in GitHub.

Data Platform professional based in the Netherlands. Microsoft Certified Trainer and Data Platform MVP. Many years experience with Microsoft Data Platforms. Along the way gained various Microsoft Certifications. Held various roles over the yea... Show more

Pragati is a Data Platform MVP (Microsoft Most Valuable Professional).
Currently, she is working as a Manager at Avanade in UK and works towards generating and delivering data insights to various customers. She holds a Master’s degree in Data Science and Analytics from Royal Holloway University of London.
She is skilled in various tools and technologies like Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, Microsoft Excel, Azure ML Studio, Azure Databricks Pyspark and SQL.
She has been using Power BI for few years now and is recognized as a Superuser on the Microsoft Fabric Community.
Outside work she enjoys photography, loves hiking, she is a trained Indian classical singer and has a passion for painting. She even has her Instagram page dedicated to painting.

Microsoft MVP: https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/PublicProfile/5004163?fullName=Pragati%20Jain

Pragati is a Data Platform MVP (Microsoft Most Valuable Professional). Currently, she is working as a Manager at Avanade in UK and works towards generating and delivering data insights to various customers. She holds a Master’s degree in Data Scienc... Show more

Julia Furst Morgado started her journey as a lawyer in Brazil, studied business at UC Berkeley, and worked in marketing before diving into tech in 2022. Today, as a Global Technologist at Veeam, she helps organizations unlock the power of cloud solutions to boost resilience, efficiency, and scalability.

A proud CNCF Ambassador, AWS Container Hero, Google Women Techmakers, Civo Ambassador, and Girl Code Ambassador, Julia is a driving force in tech communities. She organizes events like KCD New York, AWS Community Day New York, and Cloud Native Midtown meetup, while also leading the Lisbon User Group. Fluent in four languages, Julia is on a mission to make tech accessible and inspire others to thrive in the industry.

Julia Furst Morgado started her journey as a lawyer in Brazil, studied business at UC Berkeley, and worked in marketing before diving into tech in 2022. Today, as a Global Technologist at Veeam, she helps organizations unlock the power of cloud solut... Show more

Dennes is a DBA and Data Platform MVP (2020-2023) living in Malta who loves Data Platform, including Azure Data Platform, Microsoft Fabric, SQL Server and recently got involved by Generative AI. In the past, he was married with software development, resulting in a total of more than 20 years of experience between Data Platform, cloud and software development. He moved to Malta after more than 10 years leading devSQL PASS Chapter in Rio de Janeiro and now is a member of the leadership team of MMDPUG PASS Chapter in Malta organizing meetings, events, and webcasts about Microsoft Data Platform. He is an MCT, MCSE in Data Platforms and BI, with more titles in software development. He can be found working for DTower Software and speaking in SQL Saturdays around Europe

Dennes is a DBA and Data Platform MVP (2020-2023) living in Malta who loves Data Platform, including Azure Data Platform, Microsoft Fabric, SQL Server and recently got involved by Generative AI. In the past, he was married with software development, ... Show more

I have started in 2012 as SharePoint developer. My carreer has changed in 2019 while turning myself to the Power Platform. I am currently a Technical Lead on Power Platform. I love to share what I know and learn from others.

I have started in 2012 as SharePoint developer. My carreer has changed in 2019 while turning myself to the Power Platform. I am currently a Technical Lead on Power Platform. I love to share what I know and learn from others. Show more

Markus and his teams have been working on IDE tools for Java and database development, as well as various open-source projects for 20 years. Markus is CEO and co-founder of MicroStream, the company behind the Eclipse open-source projects EclipseStore, Eclipse Serializer, and RapidClipse IDE. He is also the editor-in-chief for the free JAVAPRO magazine in Germany and the founder and co-organizer of the Java community conference series JCON. He is an independent editor for several magazines, and a speaker at numerous international developer conferences, user groups, and meetups.

Markus and his teams have been working on IDE tools for Java and database development, as well as various open-source projects for 20 years. Markus is CEO and co-founder of MicroStream, the company behind the Eclipse open-source projects EclipseStore... Show more

Buck Woody is an Applied Data Scientist working on the Azure Data Services team at Microsoft, and uses data and technology to solve business and science problems. With over 39 years of professional and practical experience in computer technology, he is also a popular speaker at conferences around the world; author of over 700 articles and nine books on databases, machine learning, and R, he also sits on various Data Science Boards at two US Universities and specializes in advanced data analysis techniques. He is passionate about mentoring and growing the next generation of data professionals.
Specialties: Data, Data Science, Databases, Communication, Teaching, Speaking, Writing, Cloud Computing, Security

Clifton's Strengths: Individualization, Learner, Connectedness, Positivity, Achiever, Ideation

Buck Woody is an Applied Data Scientist working on the Azure Data Services team at Microsoft, and uses data and technology to solve business and science problems. With over 39 years of professional and practical experience in computer technology, he ... Show more

Ancienne astrophysicienne aujourd’hui coach professionnelle et experte en engagement salarié.e.s, j’interviens auprès des entreprises dans leurs transformations ainsi que la mise en place de leviers d’engagement. En tant que coach, j’accompagne également des particuliers et dirigeant.e.s dans l’atteinte de leurs objectifs, notamment via le travail des croyances en m’appuyant sur la systémique et les neurosciences.

Ancienne astrophysicienne aujourd’hui coach professionnelle et experte en engagement salarié.e.s, j’interviens auprès des entreprises dans leurs transformations ainsi que la mise en place de leviers d’engagement. En tant que coach, j’accompagne égale... Show more

Cathrine loves data and coding, as well as teaching and sharing knowledge 🤓 She is based in Norway and works as a Data & Analytics Principal Consultant in Evidi, focusing on Data Integration and Data Warehousing. Her core skills are Microsoft Fabric, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory, Azure SQL, SQL Server and T-SQL development, but she enjoys everything from programming to data visualization. Outside of work she’s active in the Azure and Microsoft Data communities as a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, international speaker, blogger, organizer, and chronic volunteer. She blogs at cathrinew.net and posts as @cathrinew.net on Bluesky.

Cathrine loves data and coding, as well as teaching and sharing knowledge 🤓 She is based in Norway and works as a Data & Analytics Principal Consultant in Evidi, focusing on Data Integration and Data Warehousing. Her core skills are Microsoft Fabric... Show more

J'ai toujours évolué dans le domaine des solutions Microsoft, en passant par des expériences professionnelles sur les technologies de gestion des identités et des accès, de messagerie, de communications unifiées, de réseaux et télécoms.

Initié dans le domaine de l'IAM Microsoft depuis la fin des années 90, Active Directory est une de mes passions et occupations quotidiennes depuis sa naissance, puis Azure Active Directory/Entra ID depuis son plus jeune age.
En complément, j'ai débuté sur les communications unifiées avec Live Communications Server et continue d'intervenir sur les communications unifiées avec Teams.

Depuis quelques années, mon expertise porte principalement sur les solutions de cybersécurité des services cloud Microsoft, et sur la téléphonie Teams.

J'ai toujours évolué dans le domaine des solutions Microsoft, en passant par des expériences professionnelles sur les technologies de gestion des identités et des accès, de messagerie, de communications unifiées, de réseaux et télécoms. Initié da... Show more

Ruben is a distinguished leader in the world of Data Analytics and AI, currently holding the position of Global Lead of Data Analytics and AI at DUFRY HQ in Switzerland. As the Global Data Lead Architect, he plays a pivotal role in shaping data strategies for this global organization. With a strong commitment to knowledge sharing, Ruben is an active member of the PASS Spanish Group and has taken the initiative to found SQLSaturday events in both Madrid and Barcelona, as well as Power BI Days Spain.
Ruben's expertise is widely recognized, as evidenced by his Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) credentials in SQL Server. His remarkable contributions to the field have earned him the prestigious Microsoft MVP Data Platform award for 10 years in a row.
Ruben regularly takes the stage at SQLSaturday and PowerPlatform events, captivating audiences with his insights and expertise. Events such as the SQL Server 2008 R2 and 2014 Spanish launch event, Power BI Days, Power BI Virtual Conf, PASS BA Chicago, TugaIT, .NetCoreConf, European SharePoint Summit, TechNet Webcasts, Microsoft Partner Program, and SolidQ Summit.

Ruben is a distinguished leader in the world of Data Analytics and AI, currently holding the position of Global Lead of Data Analytics and AI at DUFRY HQ in Switzerland. As the Global Data Lead Architect, he plays a pivotal role in shaping data strat... Show more

Liz loves a challenge, so everything from a business problem to troubleshooting an error in a system is just another learning opportunity. As a trainer and international speaker, she hopes to inspire others to learn something they can apply to their own work immediately. When she is not working in SharePoint or traveling, you may find her in a variety of activities as diverse as she is: playing music, riding motorcycles, training her dog and even a craft or two.

Liz loves a challenge, so everything from a business problem to troubleshooting an error in a system is just another learning opportunity. As a trainer and international speaker, she hopes to inspire others to learn something they can apply to their ... Show more

Gokan is an independent SharePoint and Office365 consultant for Neoxy where he assists customers with building innovative, intelligent and responsive cloud driven solutions. With the Mobile first, Cloud first ideology, his goal is to empower every person and organization to do more with the Microsoft cloud and the ecosystem is perfectly aligned to accelerate this. Creativity, automation and perspective are what he loves most when using the Microsoft cloud, so every customer can be more agile, responsive and competitive. Gokan is a frequent – and funny – conference speaker. He presented at numerous national and international conferences and is actively involved in European and American conferences: Microsoft Techdays, Microsoft Experiences, European SharePoint Conferences, SharePoint Days and SharePoint Fest are a few major ones.
A proud author of books that reached the half million of downloads and founder of several communities, Gokan is a real community warrior. Due to his active contributions in these domains, he has been honoured with Microsoft Regional Director and Microsoft’s Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award. Additionally, he is an active Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) and a Microsoft Regional Lead for all MCTs in Belgium.
You can always talk to me about: Soccer. World Traveling. Food. Next-Gen Cloud Systems. Architecture & Strategy. SharePoint + Office365!

Gokan is an independent SharePoint and Office365 consultant for Neoxy where he assists customers with building innovative, intelligent and responsive cloud driven solutions. With the Mobile first, Cloud first ideology, his goal is to empower every pe... Show more

Anu is a Data and AI Consultant with 20+ years of experience working in design and development of Data Warehouse, Business Intelligence, AI enabled applications and SaaS integrated solutions. Anu is a Microsoft Data Platform and AI MVP, Microsoft Certified Trainer and really passionate in sharing knowledge. Anu loves solving complex business problems with innovative solutions using technologies.

Anu do speak at Conferences (PASS Summit, SQL Saturdays, Data Platform Summit, Difinity) and organise local user group meetups.

Anu is a Data and AI Consultant with 20+ years of experience working in design and development of Data Warehouse, Business Intelligence, AI enabled applications and SaaS integrated solutions. Anu is a Microsoft Data Platform and AI MVP, Microsoft Cer... Show more

Professional Experience
More than 20 years of experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365
25 years of experience within different ERPs (SAP, Oracle Applications, Sage X3 and Dynamics 365)
University Invited Teacher
Career started in Portugal and moved to London 7 years ago
Different Roles in Consulting (Business Consultant, Functional Consultant, Project Manager, Programme Manager, Engagement Leader, Team Leader, Site Manager, Product Manager and Solution Architect)

Vertical Experience
Fashion, Food and Pharmaceutical (Retail and Manufacturing)
Real Estate

Some Personal
Food, Wine and Gin Lover
Runner (finished 4 marathons), Trekker (finished 10 ways of Camiño to Santiago), Padel and Bodyboarding

Professional Experience More than 20 years of experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 25 years of experience within different ERPs (SAP, Oracle Applications, Sage X3 and Dynamics 365) University Invited Teacher Career started in Portugal and move... Show more

Liji Thomas, a Microsoft MVP in AI, is a seasoned technologist with over 15 years of experience in creating transformative digital experiences. As Gen AI Manager at H&R Block, she drives innovation by leveraging generative AI to enhance customer experiences and deliver business value. Her expertise spans AI, machine learning, natural language processing, and conversational AI.

Liji is passionate about harnessing AI's transformative potential to revolutionize business and human interaction with technology. A thought leader in the field, she actively shares her insights through speaking engagements, publications, and community involvement. Committed to diversity and inclusion, she mentors aspiring technologists and advocates for the next generation of AI leaders.

Liji Thomas, a Microsoft MVP in AI, is a seasoned technologist with over 15 years of experience in creating transformative digital experiences. As Gen AI Manager at H&R Block, she drives innovation by leveraging generative AI to enhance customer expe... Show more

Jeremy helps developers by sharing his own struggles, mostly in technology, but also with being more social as an introvert, understanding potential for learning, and playing banjo. He has worked as a corporate developer, as a Chief Improvement Officer at a startup, and as a contract developer. Currently, he teaches developers through online courses, workshops, tech articles, and conference talks. He spends most of his time in C# and has recently ventured into Go (golang) and Rust (rust-lang) to explore some of his favorite topics: interfaces, delegates, concurrency, and parallel programming.

Jeremy helps developers by sharing his own struggles, mostly in technology, but also with being more social as an introvert, understanding potential for learning, and playing banjo. He has worked as a corporate developer, as a Chief Improvement Offic... Show more

With a high spirit and a low sense of mortality, Diana completed her master’s in CS regardless of never having coded prior to grad school. Through her passion for learning and teaching tech, she found her calling in advocacy, where she exercises her creativity through conference talks and content creation. Her hobbies include snowboarding, competing in beauty pageants, making lifestyle content on IG (@cachefeelings_), gardening, and eating oysters.

With a high spirit and a low sense of mortality, Diana completed her master’s in CS regardless of never having coded prior to grad school. Through her passion for learning and teaching tech, she found her calling in advocacy, where she exercises her ... Show more

Alex Soto is a Developer Advocate at IBM. He is passionate about the Java world and software automation and believes in the open-source software model. Alex is the co-author of Manning and O'Reilly books Testing Java Microservice, Quarkus Cookbook, Kubernetes Secrets Management, GitOps Cookbook, RHCE Ansible Automation Study Guide, Applied AI for Enterprise Java Development, and AI Agents with Java.
A Java Champion since 2017, he is also an international speaker (Devoxx, KubeCon, DevNexus, JavaOne, JavaLand, ...) and teacher at Salle URL University. You can follow him on Twitter (@alexsotob) to stay tuned to what’s happening in Java.

Alex Soto is a Developer Advocate at IBM. He is passionate about the Java world and software automation and believes in the open-source software model. Alex is the co-author of Manning and O'Reilly books Testing Java Microservice, Quarkus Cookbook, K... Show more

My name is Abdul Kazi and I am a Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVP) for Azure, Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), Solutions Architect with 18+ years of IT industry experience and have been working with Microsoft Azure since 2014. Also, I am the co-host of Come Cloud With Us meetup where we are joined by guest speakers to talk about cloud related topics.

My name is Abdul Kazi and I am a Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVP) for Azure, Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), Solutions Architect with 18+ years of IT industry experience and have been working with Microsoft Azure since 2014. Also, I am ... Show more