Rizel Scarlett is a Staff Developer Advocate at Block. With a diverse background spanning GitHub, startups, and non-profit organizations, Rizel has cultivated a passion for utilizing emerging technologies to champion equity within the tech industry. She moonlights as an Advisor at G{Code} House, an organization aimed at teaching women of color and non-binary people of color to code. Rizel believes in leveraging vulnerability, honesty, and kindness as means to educate early-career developers.Rizel Scarlett is a Staff Developer Advocate at Block. With a diverse background spanning GitHub, startups, and non-profit organizations, Rizel has cultivated a passion for utilizing emerging technologies to champion equity within the tech industry. She moonlights as an Advisor at G{Code} House, an organization aimed at teaching women of color and non-binary people of color to code. Rizel believes in leveraging vulnerability, honesty, and kindness as means to educate early-career developers.

Rizel Scarlett is a Staff Developer Advocate at Block. With a diverse background spanning GitHub, startups, and non-profit organizations, Rizel has cultivated a passion for utilizing emerging technologies to champion equity within the tech industry. ... Show more

Google Developer Expert for Android and Kotlin, enthusiastic public speaker, senior engineer, Kotlin aficionado, Multiplatform manipulator, prolific facilitator of cute cat photographs, spends more time travelling than working (he/him)

Google Developer Expert for Android and Kotlin, enthusiastic public speaker, senior engineer, Kotlin aficionado, Multiplatform manipulator, prolific facilitator of cute cat photographs, spends more time travelling than working (he/him) Show more

Gabi Münster (she / her) started working with SQL Server technologies in 2005 during her time as Web Application developer. After 11 years as BI consultant / Data architect and being awarded Data Platform MVP since 2018, she joined Microsoft in March 2022 as part of the Azure Data Customer Advisory Team and works as a Principal Program Manager covering Fabric.
She speaks at regional chapter meetings, national and international conferences. Since 2016 she also supports a regional chapter as co-lead.
Apart from BI topics she also supports Diversity topics.

Gabi Münster (she / her) started working with SQL Server technologies in 2005 during her time as Web Application developer. After 11 years as BI consultant / Data architect and being awarded Data Platform MVP since 2018, she joined Microsoft in March... Show more

Chirag is an Independent Consultant & Trainer at Patel Consulting, based in London UK, focusing on enabling secure & compliant collaboration and productivity solutions in organisations using Microsoft 365, Purview and Generative AI services.

With over 25 years of experience in technology professional services and training delivery, Chirag’s career spans from database development & administration, implementing collaboration & information management solutions to cloud deployments & migrations. Key roles include, Product Owner, Solution Architect & Engineer specialising hands-on delivery of technical solutions with demonstrated results in designing & implementing secure, reliable, scalable and fault tolerant mission critical enterprise solutions. Chirag’s contributions extends to various channels and partners on practical consultancy, classroom training, and personalised training with clients in many sectors, he establishes himself as leader and problem solver on projects for broad adoption of tech and is also a regular speaker at community events.

Chirag holds MSc in Business Systems Analysis & Design and is a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), TOGAF Certified Architect, BCS Chartered IT Professional and a recipient of Microsoft MVP award every year since 2020. He is also an Approved Chartered Membership Assessor at BCS (British Computer Society).

Chirag is an Independent Consultant & Trainer at Patel Consulting, based in London UK, focusing on enabling secure & compliant collaboration and productivity solutions in organisations using Microsoft 365, Purview and Generative AI services. With ... Show more

Kevin Griffin has been running production .NET applications and teaching developers for over two decades. A 16-time Microsoft MVP specializing in ASP.NET Core and Azure, Kevin brings real-world experience from his own SaaS products alongside his consulting work at Swift Kick. He's hosted the Hampton Roads .NET User Group since 2009 and founded RevolutionVA, the nonprofit behind Hampton Roads DevFest. Kevin's talks blend hard-won lessons from production systems with practical advice you can use Monday morning.

Kevin Griffin has been running production .NET applications and teaching developers for over two decades. A 16-time Microsoft MVP specializing in ASP.NET Core and Azure, Kevin brings real-world experience from his own SaaS products alongside his cons... Show more

I'm Alec Harrison, a Microsoft Azure MVP and software consultant specializing in cloud-native development, AI integration, and developer enablement. I lead several user groups, including the Iowa Microsoft Azure User Group, and I'm passionate about helping developers stay ahead of the curve with emerging tech.

I also host the Engineer in the Loop podcast and blog at EITL.ai, where I explore the intersection of AI, cloud, and real-world software engineering.

I'm Alec Harrison, a Microsoft Azure MVP and software consultant specializing in cloud-native development, AI integration, and developer enablement. I lead several user groups, including the Iowa Microsoft Azure User Group, and I'm passionate about h... Show more

Mauricio Salatino, also known as salaboy, works for Diagrid as an Open Source and Ecosystem Engineer. He is a Java Champion, Cloud Native Ambassador, and international Keynote speaker. Before working at Diagrid, Mauricio spent the last 10 years building tools for Cloud-Native developers at companies such as Red Hat and VMware. When he is not writing tools for developers or contributing to open source projects in the Cloud Native space, he teaches about Kubernetes and Cloud-Native via his Blog salaboy.com and/or LearnKube

Mauricio Salatino, also known as salaboy, works for Diagrid as an Open Source and Ecosystem Engineer. He is a Java Champion, Cloud Native Ambassador, and international Keynote speaker. Before working at Diagrid, Mauricio spent the last 10 years build... Show more

I am a Microsoft Business Applications MVP and Prosci® certified, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform functional lead. My experience is in business applications, CRM operations and enterprise change. With a FTSE 100 client background in Financial Services, CRM and Marketing across Microsoft, Adobe, and Salesforce platforms, I manage global transformation and adoption programs with deep human impact. I am also a speaker in the Microsoft Community, advocating as a human evangelist about user-centered design and enabling governance.

I am a Microsoft Business Applications MVP and Prosci® certified, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform functional lead. My experience is in business applications, CRM operations and enterprise change. With a FTSE 100 client background in Financial Service... Show more

Juan Carlos is a Telecommunications Engineer with more than 23 years of experience in diverse Microsoft products and technologies with a strong background in the SharePoint platform; although he currently works as Microsoft 365 SME & Delivery Manager skilled in Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Teams, the Power Platform and SharePoint platforms. Juan Carlos is a Microsoft 365 & Microsoft 365 Copilot MVP that received his first MVP award in 2008. He is also co-editor and co-director of the free Spanish digital magazine about Microsoft Products and Technologies: CompartiMOSS (www.compartimoss.com). To date, Juan Carlos has co-authored 21 books and several articles about Microsoft 365 &SharePoint platforms in Spanish and English.

Juan Carlos is a Telecommunications Engineer with more than 23 years of experience in diverse Microsoft products and technologies with a strong background in the SharePoint platform; although he currently works as Microsoft 365 SME & Delivery Manage... Show more

Staff Developer Advocate for Snyk, Java Champion, Oracle Ace Pro, and Software Engineer with over a decade of hands-on experience in creating and maintaining software. He is passionate about Java, (Pure) Functional Programming and Cybersecurity. Brian is a JUG leader for the Virtual JUG and the NLJUG. He also co-leads the DevSecCon community and is a community manager for Foojay. He is a regular international speaker on mostly Java-related conferences like JavaOne, Devnexus, Devoxx, Jfokus, JavaZone and many more. Besides all that, Brian is a military reserve for the Royal Netherlands Air Force and a Taekwondo Master / Teacher.

Staff Developer Advocate for Snyk, Java Champion, Oracle Ace Pro, and Software Engineer with over a decade of hands-on experience in creating and maintaining software. He is passionate about Java, (Pure) Functional Programming and Cybersecurity. Bria... Show more

Michael Johnson is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and co-lead of the Johannesburg Data Platform User Group. Professionally, he is the owner and principal consultant at Cobalt Analytics, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Michael regularly presents at many local and international user groups and conferences on topics including data engineering and analytics.

Michael Johnson is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and co-lead of the Johannesburg Data Platform User Group. Professionally, he is the owner and principal consultant at Cobalt Analytics, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Michael regularly presents a... Show more

James works at Microsoft as a big data and data warehousing solution architect where he has been for most of the last ten years. He is a thought leader in the use and application of Big Data and advanced analytics, including data architectures such as the modern data warehouse, data lakehouse, data fabric, and data mesh. Previously he was an independent consultant working as a Data Warehouse/Business Intelligence architect and developer. He is a prior SQL Server MVP with nearly 40 years of IT experience. He is a popular blogger (JamesSerra.com) and speaker, having presented at dozens of major events including PASS Summit, SQLBits, Data Summit, SQLDay, Enterprise Data World conference, Big Data Conference Europe, SQL Saturdays, and Informatica World. He is the author of the book “Deciphering Data Architectures: Choosing Between a Modern Data Warehouse, Data Fabric, Data Lakehouse, and Data Mesh”.

James works at Microsoft as a big data and data warehousing solution architect where he has been for most of the last ten years. He is a thought leader in the use and application of Big Data and advanced analytics, including data architectures such ... Show more

Gethyn is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and consultant helping organisations modernise their data platforms with SQL Server, Azure, Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, and AI. He leads a UK consultancy that supports clients across Europe and North America with migrations, high-availability design, performance engineering, analytics strategy, and data governance. A Microsoft Certified Trainer with over 200 courses delivered, he speaks widely on data transformation, analytics, and the future of AI-powered business.

Gethyn is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and consultant helping organisations modernise their data platforms with SQL Server, Azure, Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, and AI. He leads a UK consultancy that supports clients across Europe and North America wi... Show more

Mohamed is working as a Senior Solutions Architect for AWS Solutions Architecture team based out of Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is a subject matter expert in Cloud Architecture helping the customers scale their use of AWS safely and securely, accelerate their adoption of cloud and driving the value of their investment in AWS while acting as a technical liaison between customers and product teams to help evolve the AWS platform.

Mohamed is working as a Senior Solutions Architect for AWS Solutions Architecture team based out of Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is a subject matter expert in Cloud Architecture helping the customers scale their use of AWS safely and securely, accelera... Show more

I was touched by Agility, its principles and its values ​​in 2015.
For 5 years, I discovered the concept of “Serious game”: bring reflection, continuous improvement, ask the right questions, personal development and also a little letting go in business through play.
It was obvious: why not transpose what I do on the personal side into my professional life? Diverting existing games, creating new ones...
If like me, the subjects of Agility, Lean, Kanban, #NoEstimates and Serious games fascinate you, let's discuss it!

I was touched by Agility, its principles and its values ​​in 2015. For 5 years, I discovered the concept of “Serious game”: bring reflection, continuous improvement, ask the right questions, personal development and also a little letting go in busin... Show more

Enterprise Architect with 25+ years of experience delivering data-centric solutions, including big data, cloud, analytics, and data engineering strategies in both enterprise and consulting capacities. Proven expertise in AWS, Azure Cloud, Databricks, MLFlow, and Spark, driving scalable and efficient data solutions. A trusted advisor in enterprise data architecture for both existing and new platforms; Databricks Champion for CGI. Passionate about machine learning and leveraging advanced analytics to drive business value.

Enterprise Architect with 25+ years of experience delivering data-centric solutions, including big data, cloud, analytics, and data engineering strategies in both enterprise and consulting capacities. Proven expertise in AWS, Azure Cloud, Databricks,... Show more

Marino Wijay is a Canadian, Traveller, International Speaker, and Open Source Advocate and Architect for AI, API Platforms, Service Mesh, Kubernetes, and Networking. He is a CNCF Ambassador, Civo Cloud Ambassador, Lead Organizer for KubeHuddle Toronto, and Founder of EmpathyOps. He is passionate about technology and modern distributed systems. He will always fall back to the patterns of Networking and the ways of the OSI. Community building is his driving force; A modern Jedi Academy.

Marino Wijay is a Canadian, Traveller, International Speaker, and Open Source Advocate and Architect for AI, API Platforms, Service Mesh, Kubernetes, and Networking. He is a CNCF Ambassador, Civo Cloud Ambassador, Lead Organizer for KubeHuddle Toront... Show more

Christian Decker has been inextricably linked with Microsoft and the optimal use of tools for more than 20 years. After 9 years at Microsoft and over 12 years of experience with the best Microsoft Gold Partners, he is very familiar with Office 365 and Microsoft in general.
Christian is double MVP: Security and Teams - which reflects perfectly his passion

Christian Decker has been inextricably linked with Microsoft and the optimal use of tools for more than 20 years. After 9 years at Microsoft and over 12 years of experience with the best Microsoft Gold Partners, he is very familiar with Office 365 an... Show more

Anja Schröder is a Microsoft MVP and Modern Workplace Architect at Skaylink. She designs and builds Microsoft 365 architectures and leads their technical implementation from initial concept to rollout. Her approach ensures that solutions are not only secure and reliable but also improve the day-to-day work experience. Her expertise lies in Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Copilot. In her sessions, she combines deep technical knowledge with practical examples to show how organizations can unlock the full potential of Microsoft 365.

Anja Schröder is a Microsoft MVP and Modern Workplace Architect at Skaylink. She designs and builds Microsoft 365 architectures and leads their technical implementation from initial concept to rollout. Her approach ensures that solutions are not only... Show more

Viktor Gamov is a Principal Developer Advocate at Confluent, founded by the original creators of Apache Kafka®. With a rich background in implementing and advocating for distributed systems and cloud-native architectures, Viktor excels in open-source technologies. He is passionate about assisting architects, developers, and operators in crafting systems that are not only low in latency and scalable but also highly available.
As a Java Champion and an esteemed speaker, Viktor is known for his insightful presentations at top industry events like JavaOne, Devoxx, Kafka Summit, and QCon. His expertise spans distributed systems, real-time data streaming, JVM, and DevOps.
Viktor has co-authored "Enterprise Web Development" from O'Reilly and "Apache Kafka® in Action" from Manning. 
Follow Viktor on X—@gamussa to stay updated with his latest thoughts on technology, his gym and food adventures, and insights into open-source and developer advocacy.

Viktor Gamov is a Principal Developer Advocate at Confluent, founded by the original creators of Apache Kafka®. With a rich background in implementing and advocating for distributed systems and cloud-native architectures, Viktor excels in open-source... Show more

Principal Cloud Solution Architect focused on Modern Work and M365 Copilot. Trusted advisor for delivering the value proposition of Copilot and leading architectural design sessions. Former Director of Modern Work Customer Success, Teams Technical Specialist, Microsoft MVP and Office 365 solution architect in the Twin Cities, MN. She has been delivering business collaboration solutions for years with her focus on Copilot, Teams, Viva, SharePoint, and Office 365. Michelle is the board President of the Minnesota Microsoft 365 User Group, community organizer of MN M365 Workshop Day and has been a member of the SharePoint community since 2009.

Principal Cloud Solution Architect focused on Modern Work and M365 Copilot. Trusted advisor for delivering the value proposition of Copilot and leading architectural design sessions. Former Director of Modern Work Customer Success, Teams Technical Sp... Show more

Senior Agile Coach, Jean-Yves Klein has worn many hats: developer, project manager, program director, head of IT… This diverse background gives him a 360° view of agility — from hands-on delivery to executive strategy.

Certified in PMI, SAFe, and Disciplined Agile, he has coached teams across IT, mechanical engineering, electronics, marketing, and legal. His approach is always tailored to the team, the project, and the organization — no cookie-cutter solutions here.

A passionate educator, he has designed over 10 Serious Games, including several with LEGO, to bring Agile, SAFe, DevOps, and key roles like Product Owner and Scrum Master to life. With him, learning is hands-on, fun, and unforgettable.

Senior Agile Coach, Jean-Yves Klein has worn many hats: developer, project manager, program director, head of IT… This diverse background gives him a 360° view of agility — from hands-on delivery to executive strategy. Certified in PMI, SAFe, and ... Show more

CTO at Infinite Services, a company specializing in developing state-of-the-art data platforms for large enterprises. In his professional career Pawel has always been associated with data engineering and analytics (SQL, BI, Big Data). Founder of the Polish SQL Server Users Group (PLSSUG), today known as Data Community Poland. Regular speaker at conferences, community events and user groups. Former Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP).

CTO at Infinite Services, a company specializing in developing state-of-the-art data platforms for large enterprises. In his professional career Pawel has always been associated with data engineering and analytics (SQL, BI, Big Data). Founder of the ... Show more

Hasan is an expert in Azure data products and has been recognized as a Microsoft Data Platform MVP. He owns SavranWeb Consulting and holds the Senior Business Intelligence Manager position at Progressive Insurance. His work involves designing advanced business solutions using the latest web and database development technologies. Hasan is a seasoned professional with more than two decades of experience in software as a developer, architect, and manager. He is a global conference speaker and enjoys blogging about SQL Server, Azure Cosmos DB, C#, and front-end development.

Hasan is an expert in Azure data products and has been recognized as a Microsoft Data Platform MVP. He owns SavranWeb Consulting and holds the Senior Business Intelligence Manager position at Progressive Insurance. His work involves designing advance... Show more

I'm Michel Murabito, Mich to my friends! Born in 1986 in Turin with Sicilian roots, I now live in Milan. My journey in software began at 12, coding for fun. At 18, I started my first job as a software developer and have continuously sought new challenges to grow and learn. Today,

I'm a Tech Evangelist @Fractal Cloud and a Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) Ambassador, sharing my passion for cloud native technologies with a community of curious minds. I'm also an organizer of the Cloud Native Days Italy (formerly KCD Italy) and KCD San Francisco Bay Area, fostering collaboration and innovation within the cloud native ecosystem.

I'm Michel Murabito, Mich to my friends! Born in 1986 in Turin with Sicilian roots, I now live in Milan. My journey in software began at 12, coding for fun. At 18, I started my first job as a software developer and have continuously sought new challe... Show more

Paul is a Consulting Director & the Fabric Capabilities Owner for 3Cloud Solutions, and a 16-year Microsoft Data Platform MVP. He consults, writes, speaks, teaches & blogs at SqlServerBI.blog about business intelligence and reporting solutions. He works with companies around the world to model data at enterprise scale, visualize and deliver critical information to make informed decisions using the Microsoft data platform. He is a user group leader in the Portland/Vancouver metro area. As a published author on Power BI, Fabric, TSQL, SSAS & SSRS, he holds several Data Platform credentials and all current Fabric & Power BI certifications.

Paul is a Consulting Director & the Fabric Capabilities Owner for 3Cloud Solutions, and a 16-year Microsoft Data Platform MVP. He consults, writes, speaks, teaches & blogs at SqlServerBI.blog about business intelligence and reporting solutions. He wo... Show more

Gerrit Grunwald is a software engineer that loves coding for around 40 years already. He is a true believer in open source and he is an active member of the Java community, where he founded and leads the Java User Group Münster (Germany), he is a JavaOne rockstar and a Java Champion. He is a speaker at conferences and user groups internationally and writes for several magazines.

Gerrit Grunwald is a software engineer that loves coding for around 40 years already. He is a true believer in open source and he is an active member of the Java community, where he founded and leads the Java User Group Münster (Germany), he is a Jav... Show more

All my career, I've been working in the data field. Initially, I started my data journey with Excel and later transitioned to Tableau and, after a few years, to Power BI, which I've used almost since its creation.
But that's not all — I've also been sharing my data love with others, teaching them how to use these awesome tools during trainings and conferences. While doing this, I was accepted into the Microsoft MVP program (year 2024).
I'm super passionate about data, and nothing makes me happier than passing on my knowledge to kindred spirits so that they can rock the data world, too!

All my career, I've been working in the data field. Initially, I started my data journey with Excel and later transitioned to Tableau and, after a few years, to Power BI, which I've used almost since its creation. But that's not all — I've also bee... Show more

Ixchel Ruiz has been developing software applications and tools since 2000. Her research interests include Java, dynamic languages, client-side technologies, and testing. As a member of the JCP Executive Committee, Java Champion, Oracle ACE Pro, Testcontainers Community Champion, CDF Ambassador, Hackergarten enthusiast, Open Source advocate, public speaker, and mentor, Ixchel is deeply committed to fostering inclusive and collaborative tech communities. She actively mentors aspiring developers and champions initiatives aimed at increasing diversity and accessibility in the technology sector.

Ixchel’s work is characterised by a relentless pursuit of innovation, a deep understanding of user needs, and an unwavering commitment to ethical technology development.

Ixchel Ruiz has been developing software applications and tools since 2000. Her research interests include Java, dynamic languages, client-side technologies, and testing. As a member of the JCP Executive Committee, Java Champion, Oracle ACE Pro, Test... Show more

Hugo Kornelis is an established SQL Server community expert who spends a lot of time at various conferences. He is also a blogger, technical editor of a variety of books, and Pluralsight author. He was awarded SQL Server MVP and Data Platform MVP 17 times (2006 - 2016 / 2019 - now).

When not working for the community, he is busy at his day job: freelance database developer/consultant.

Hugo has over 25 years of SQL Server experience in various roles. Starting from a strong database design background, he has spent the last ten years specializing in execution plans and query performance tuning.

Hugo Kornelis is an established SQL Server community expert who spends a lot of time at various conferences. He is also a blogger, technical editor of a variety of books, and Pluralsight author. He was awarded SQL Server MVP and Data Platform MVP 17 ... Show more