Bob Ward is a Principal Architect for the Microsoft Azure Data team, which owns the development for Microsoft SQL, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, and Azure HorizonDB. Bob has worked for Microsoft for 32+ years on every version of SQL Server shipped from OS/2 1.1 to SQL Server 2025 including Azure SQL and SQL database in Fabric. Bob is a well-known speaker on SQL Server, Azure SQL, AI, Microsoft Fabric, and Azure PostgreSQL often presenting talks on new releases, internals, and specialized topics at events such as SQLBits, Microsoft Build, Microsoft Ignite, PASS Summit, FabCon, SQLCon, and VS Live. You can follow him at @bobwardms or linkedin.com/in/bobwardms. Bob is the author of the books Pro SQL Server on Linux, SQL Server 2019 Revealed, Azure SQL Revealed, SQL Server 2022 Revealed, Azure SQL Revealed 2nd Edition, and SQL Server 2025 Unveiled available from Apress Media.

Bob Ward is a Principal Architect for the Microsoft Azure Data team, which owns the development for Microsoft SQL, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, and Azure HorizonDB. Bob has worked for Microsoft for 32+ years on every version of SQL Server shipped f... Show more

Yannick (a Microsoft 365 & Business Applications MVP) was born and raised in SharePoint, starting his career in 2011 when SharePoint 2010 was still new and shiny. The changing reality of the cloud made him expand his knowledge to the whole of Microsoft 365, Azure, and Power Platform. He is a Managing Partner and Cloud Solution Architect at Qubix, a Belgium-based consultancy firm, responsible for the technical underpinnings of products and solutions. Problem-solving and development are his passions, and he is still working day-to-day with code. He always asks the important questions: How does it work? What do you want to achieve? Does it have an API? Do we really need development for this? Where's the coffee?

Yannick (a Microsoft 365 & Business Applications MVP) was born and raised in SharePoint, starting his career in 2011 when SharePoint 2010 was still new and shiny. The changing reality of the cloud made him expand his knowledge to the whole of Microso... Show more

Nicola Paro is a Solution Architect with over 10 years of experience in the industry, with a special focus on the Industrial IoT environment. He is passionate about software development, primarily using .NET, Blazor, and AI technologies.

Nicola Paro is a Solution Architect with over 10 years of experience in the industry, with a special focus on the Industrial IoT environment. He is passionate about software development, primarily using .NET, Blazor, and AI technologies. Show more

Massimo Crippa is a cloud enthusiast with 20+ years of experience shaping enterprise solutions on Microsoft technologies, with a tech-intensive mindset and a strong passion for exploring emerging technologies.

He began his career in the Italian ICT sector as a web developer before moving into messaging and cloud projects. Since 2011, he has lived and worked across Belgium and France, and today he is a Lead Architect at Codit.
Massimo’s expertise spans the full cloud journey: from defining strategy and demonstrating the value of Azure PaaS, AI, and container-based solutions to delivering hands-on implementations with customers.

Outside of work, he’s a proud dad of two, passionate about motorbikes, and always eager to explore the latest in cloud technology.

Massimo Crippa is a cloud enthusiast with 20+ years of experience shaping enterprise solutions on Microsoft technologies, with a tech-intensive mindset and a strong passion for exploring emerging technologies. He began his career in the Italian IC... Show more

Nicholas Chang is a Senior Platform Engineer at Kainos with a deep passion for Microsoft Azure.

With extensive experience across cloud technologies, he is the founder of the Microsoft Azure Community User Group, where he drives knowledge sharing, collaboration, and growth within the tech community.

Nicholas is also the creator and host of the Microsoft Community Insights podcast, connecting with industry leaders to share valuable perspectives on Azure and the wider technology ecosystem.

He has collaborated with Microsoft and the Azure community on initiatives that promote innovation, learning, and practical engineering experience.

As a dedicated community advocate, Nicholas regularly speaks at events and shares his expertise through his blog, nicholaschangblog.com. You can connect with him on Twitter: @nick_cloudops or visit his blog to learn more.

Nicholas Chang is a Senior Platform Engineer at Kainos with a deep passion for Microsoft Azure. With extensive experience across cloud technologies, he is the founder of the Microsoft Azure Community User Group, where he drives knowledge sharing, ... Show more

Steve is a Senior Engineer, Agentic Development Lead, and one of the core maintainers of the open-source Uno Platform project. When not at his computer, he is either watching the Montreal Canadiens lose or asleep on the couch.

Steve is a Senior Engineer, Agentic Development Lead, and one of the core maintainers of the open-source Uno Platform project. When not at his computer, he is either watching the Montreal Canadiens lose or asleep on the couch. Show more

Hugo is the world's laziest developer. He will always look for the easiest way to solve a problem.

He is also a member of the Microsoft 365 Patterns and Practices (PnP) team.

As a Microsoft MVP and former McKinsey & Company consultant, Hugo combines his love of technology and his management consulting experience to help organizations solve business problems quickly using enabling Microsoft technologies.

Hugo worked in Canada, the United States, Germany, Finland, Singapore, Hungary, France, and the United Kingdom, where he consumed vast amounts of coffee.

Hugo is the world's laziest developer. He will always look for the easiest way to solve a problem. He is also a member of the Microsoft 365 Patterns and Practices (PnP) team. As a Microsoft MVP and former McKinsey & Company consultant, Hugo c... Show more

Enrico van de Laar has worked with data in all shapes and sizes for over 25 years, focused on the intersection of data, AI and governance.
He helps teams and organisations make the move from BI and analytics into applied data science & AI, vendor-neutral, free of hype, and grounded in owning your own data.
A former Microsoft Data Platform MVP and (co)author of five data books, Enrico speaks and runs in-company workshops internationally on data privacy and ethics, sovereign open-source data platforms, and getting real, durable value from AI. He also co-founded Privinity, building software that helps organisations use data responsibly and is known for making genuinely complex topics easy to understand.

Enrico van de Laar has worked with data in all shapes and sizes for over 25 years, focused on the intersection of data, AI and governance. He helps teams and organisations make the move from BI and analytics into applied data science & AI, vendor-n... Show more

Wesley is a Customer Success Engineer at Duende Software, helping Duende's customers to be successful by assisting developers with issues, documenting common problems and teaching about security / identity.

He's also a Microsoft MVP, board member of the VISUG meetup in Belgium and speaker at meetups and conferences, such as NDC Copenhagen, London and Sydney, ConFoo Montreal, WeAreDevelopers Berlin, Update Conference, TechDays, Swetugg, DevConf, DeveloperDays and Techorama.

Wesley is a Customer Success Engineer at Duende Software, helping Duende's customers to be successful by assisting developers with issues, documenting common problems and teaching about security / identity. He's also a Microsoft MVP, board member ... Show more

Simon is a Microsoft MVP, Senior Cloud Consultant at CloudWay, international speaker, and technology blogger specializing in Microsoft Intune, Entra ID, modern endpoint management, and identity-driven security.

With 25+ years in IT, Simon has spent his career turning technology into working solutions. He helps organizations modernize and secure their endpoint environments, with a strong focus on reducing complexity and making identity and endpoints work together in a cloud-first world.

As an international speaker, Simon is known for practical, engaging sessions built around real-world challenges, lessons learned, and the how behind modern Microsoft technologies. His sessions combine deep technical knowledge with practical guidance that IT professionals can take back to their own environments.

Simon also shares his experience through blogging and community work, covering Intune, Entra ID, security, and modern endpoint management. His approach is straightforward: understand the technology, understand the problem, and build solutions that actually work.

Simon is a Microsoft MVP, Senior Cloud Consultant at CloudWay, international speaker, and technology blogger specializing in Microsoft Intune, Entra ID, modern endpoint management, and identity-driven security. With 25+ years in IT, Simon has spen... Show more

Hi, my name is Marjolein. I'm a Power BI consultant, trainer, and speaker who loves helping people get more value from their data. My passion lies in creating dashboards that combine strong visual design with a great user experience, making data easier to understand and act on.

I regularly share my knowledge through training courses, workshops, presentations, blogs, and videos, both online and in person.

Hi, my name is Marjolein. I'm a Power BI consultant, trainer, and speaker who loves helping people get more value from their data. My passion lies in creating dashboards that combine strong visual design with a great user experience, making data easi... Show more

Microsoft MVP for Azure & IoT, Senior Cloud Architect and tech enthusiast. Passionate about software architecture and solution design.

During my 13+ years of hands-on experience in Software Engineering, I have primarily focused on .NET-based solutions and Azure as a cloud-services provider. I have worked with pretty much all kinds of applications, from small Windows Forms tools to large-scale enterprise web-based solutions. The more I code, the more I realize that my true passion is solution design and software architecture, regardless of tech-stack and platform.

Sharing knowledge and insights is the finest thing I know and the one thing I love the most in the IT community.

Microsoft MVP for Azure & IoT, Senior Cloud Architect and tech enthusiast. Passionate about software architecture and solution design. During my 13+ years of hands-on experience in Software Engineering, I have primarily focused on .NET-based solut... Show more

Renato has extensive experience as a cloud architect, tech lead, and cloud services specialist. Currently, he lives in Berlin and works remotely as a principal cloud architect. His primary areas of interest include cloud services and relational databases. He is an editor at InfoQ and a recognized AWS Data Hero. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.

Renato has extensive experience as a cloud architect, tech lead, and cloud services specialist. Currently, he lives in Berlin and works remotely as a principal cloud architect. His primary areas of interest include cloud services and relational datab... Show more

Leonardo Micheloni has been a software developer for more than 22 years, and has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for the last 12 years thanks to his collaboration with the development community in Latin America and Spain.
For several years he has been involved with good development and agility practices, and everything related to creating quality software.
He currently works for Tokiota in Madrid.

Leonardo Micheloni has been a software developer for more than 22 years, and has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for the last 12 years thanks to his collaboration with the development community in Latin America and Spain. For several years he has... Show more

Baruch Sadogursky (@jbaruch) did Java before it had generics, DevOps before there was Docker, and DevRel before it had a name. He built DevRel at JFrog from a ten-person company through an IPO, co-authored "Liquid Software" and "DevOps Tools for Java Developers," and is a Java Champion, a Microsoft MVP for AI, and a CNCF Ambassador alum.

Today he's head of DevRel at Port, working on the agentic SDLC, and a self-certified Level 3 AI Context Sommelier. In addition to sharing knowledge with AI agents, Baruch also shares knowledge with developers through blog posts, meetups, and conferences such as DevNexus, QCon, Kubecon, and Devoxx, mostly on how to use Agentic SDLC platforms to turn off the lights in your software factory once and for all.

Baruch Sadogursky (@jbaruch) did Java before it had generics, DevOps before there was Docker, and DevRel before it had a name. He built DevRel at JFrog from a ten-person company through an IPO, co-authored "Liquid Software" and "DevOps Tools for Java... Show more

Microsoft MVP in Microsoft 365 Development since year 2020. He is a Microsoft Certified Azure Architect, Blogger, Speaker, PMP Certified Professional with 20+ years of experience. He loves exploring and sharing knowledge in MS Azure, Office 365 development, and the modern digital workplace. Specialized to utilize modern technologies in building customized business solutions and have been instrumental in multiple Enterprise solutions.

A Technology evangelist who is keen to learn new technologies and believes in the power of sharing the knowledge achieved by contributing through multiple mediums. He has also validated his knowledge by following certifications:

AZ-300 ,AZ-301, MCP in C#, PMP, 70-346, 70-332, 70-667, 70-573, 70-542, 70-630, 70-631
An active member of Global Power Rangers Community (2652 Members) to empower Citizen developers
An active contributor of C# corner community

Has participated in a large number of globally distributed projects, accompanying top Pharma companies in their digital transformation process, performing and leading Modern Workplace implementations and integration projects. His transparency and clarity on topics have helped him resolve complex business problems with a simple approach. His creativity, automation, and perspectives have helped clients to be more agile, responsive, and competitive.

Microsoft MVP in Microsoft 365 Development since year 2020. He is a Microsoft Certified Azure Architect, Blogger, Speaker, PMP Certified Professional with 20+ years of experience. He loves exploring and sharing knowledge in MS Azure, Office 365 devel... Show more

Katerina, an MVP, MCT, and renowned public speaker, focuses on Power Platform & AI. With twenty years of experience and key certifications in PROSCI, PMI, Power Platform Solution Architect, she leads in app development, AI, and adaptive work models. Active in the Microsoft community, Katerina mentors new tech talent and supports innovation. Katerina takes part in the #SharingIsCaring initiative, guiding community contributions to the Microsoft Sample Solution Gallery.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katerinachernevskaya/

Katerina, an MVP, MCT, and renowned public speaker, focuses on Power Platform & AI. With twenty years of experience and key certifications in PROSCI, PMI, Power Platform Solution Architect, she leads in app development, AI, and adaptive work models. ... Show more

AL Rodriguez is a .NET Microsoft MVP, developer, cloud enthusiast, 3 kids in a trench coat, sometimes-blogger, and international speaker. With a background in software development, and a clear lack of self restraint, he specializes in using .NET for everything. An ASP.NET Core backend and a Blazor frontend? Check. IoT devices, Playwright UI Testing, CI/CD DevOps, or even Infrastructure as Code? Oh yeah, all C#! When not working, he's playing games, making stupid jokes, or arguing with code. You can catch his latest rantings or videos at his site: https://ProgrammerAL.com or the freelance articles he contributes to https://globalGlob.dev

AL Rodriguez is a .NET Microsoft MVP, developer, cloud enthusiast, 3 kids in a trench coat, sometimes-blogger, and international speaker. With a background in software development, and a clear lack of self restraint, he specializes in using .NET for ... Show more

Konstantinos is a passionate IT professional and Microsoft Certified Trainer with over two decades of experience in crafting and deploying comprehensive IT solutions. His expertise lies in Microsoft technologies, evident in his Microsoft Azure MVP status. As a Cloud Solutions Architect, he specializes in designing enterprise architectures for cloud environments, including Azure, M365, and hybrid/multi-cloud solutions. Konstantinos is a lifelong learner, continually expanding his knowledge and certifications across various vendors, primarily Microsoft. He is a dedicated community leader and advocate, spearheading knowledge-sharing initiatives through his Microsoft Tech Group, live sessions, and blog posts.

Konstantinos is a passionate IT professional and Microsoft Certified Trainer with over two decades of experience in crafting and deploying comprehensive IT solutions. His expertise lies in Microsoft technologies, evident in his Microsoft Azure MVP st... Show more

A dual Microsoft Business Applications MVP in Customer Experience and Customer Service. An expert Microsoft Certified Dynamics 365 Solution Architect, who's led the delivery and implementation of several tailored and value-oriented solutions to meet diverse global and national business requirements, that lead to positive customer outcomes.

15x Microsoft Certified and Success by Design Accredited, I use its principles that blend strategic design, rigorous gap analysis, and the pursuit of excellence in service delivery, to craft pathways to success for customers.

As Founder of the Community-led organisation The Mentoring Hub, an award-winning mentor, knowledge sharer & educator; MVP Mentor Lead, and regular Community contributor and international public speaker, I have a 'thing' for learning, a thirst for knowledge, and a desire for sharing both to uplift and empower all.

A dual Microsoft Business Applications MVP in Customer Experience and Customer Service. An expert Microsoft Certified Dynamics 365 Solution Architect, who's led the delivery and implementation of several tailored and value-oriented solutions to meet... Show more

Brayan Kai is a Data Scientist passionate about Technical Writing and Open-source Advocacy, currently working as a Data Scientist. At work, he helps build Data Science solutions, facilitates technical mentorship sessions, and builds next-level data content to equip learners with hands-on, job-ready, in-demand skills for their next career move. He also volunteers at different developer communities, including Google Developer Group Nairobi, OSCA Nairobi, and the GitHub Community. Brayan is also a global tech speaker so far having spoken at over 30 conferences across Africa, Europe, North America, and Asia. It makes him happier and more balanced, and gives him a stronger sense of purpose to innovate, share, and teach in and with the community rather than just for it.

Brayan Kai is a Data Scientist passionate about Technical Writing and Open-source Advocacy, currently working as a Data Scientist. At work, he helps build Data Science solutions, facilitates technical mentorship sessions, and builds next-level data c... Show more

Jonah Andersson is a tech entrepreneur, Principal Cloud Engineer Architect and published book author.
She works as a IT Consultant with different tech hats. With a background in Computer Science and System Development, Jonah specializes in .NET technologies and excels in cloud development, particularly within Microsoft Azure. Passionate about solving complex problems and crafting modern applications, Jonah works with cloud platforms like Azure, and her expertise in cloud computing and development has earned her international recognition. She is recognized as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional and Microsoft Certified Trainer for her contributions to the tech industry.

Her book, 'Learning Microsoft Azure: Cloud Computing and Development Fundamentals' (O'Reilly), further highlights her expertise and the depth of her technical knowledge.

She actively engages in tech communities and international events such as Microsoft Ignite. She values genuine inspiration and connections, and shares insights with fellow developers. Jonah's leadership extends beyond her technical expertise. As the founder and leader of the Azure User Group Sweden, she guides, inspires, and leads others in tech. She is also an MCT Community Lead from Sweden, helping and supporting fellow Microsoft Certified Trainers in the community.

Her advocacy for gender equality and inclusion in tech, recognized by her Developer of the Year awards in 2023 at the Nordic Women in Tech Awards and in 2024 at Developers Day, is a testament to her commitment to making the tech industry a more inclusive space. She actively mentors aspiring women in tech careers and co-hosts the Extend Women In Tech Podcast, to inspire inclusive tech for all.

Jonah Andersson is a tech entrepreneur, Principal Cloud Engineer Architect and published book author. She works as a IT Consultant with different tech hats. With a background in Computer Science and System Development, Jonah specializes in .NET te... Show more

Florian Lenz is a Microsoft Azure MVP and Cloud Architect with over 10 years of experience building secure, scalable cloud platforms on Microsoft Azure. He specializes in Azure Landing Zones, DevSecOps, Infrastructure as Code, and cloud-native architectures, and has worked across industries including energy, finance, retail, and software.
As a speaker, author, and content creator, Florian shares practical lessons from real-world projects through conference talks, articles, and his YouTube channel—helping engineers and teams design systems that are secure, maintainable, and built for long-term success.

Florian Lenz is a Microsoft Azure MVP and Cloud Architect with over 10 years of experience building secure, scalable cloud platforms on Microsoft Azure. He specializes in Azure Landing Zones, DevSecOps, Infrastructure as Code, and cloud-native archit... Show more

Neel Shah is a Developer Advocate at StackGen and a Google Developer Expert (GDE) for Cloud, based in India. He helps platform engineers and DevOps teams understand and adopt cloud-native infrastructure through talks, live demos, and community building having spoken at 40+ events worldwide, including KubeCon + CloudNativeCon India, PlatformCon, HashiTalks, OpenSearchCon Korea, FOSSASIA, and LinuxFest Northwest.

His work centers on Kubernetes, GitOps, Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Vault), AI-powered DevOps tooling, and observability pipelines. Neel organizes the CNCF Gandhinagar, HashiCorp User Group Gandhinagar, and Google Cloud Gandhinagar communities, and has mentored 15+ hackathons and open-source programs.

He holds certifications including GCP DevOps Professional, Azure AZ-104, FinOps Certified Engineer, Terraform Associate, and Vault Associate, and has been recognized as Sessionize's Most Active Speaker in both 2024 and 2025.

Neel Shah is a Developer Advocate at StackGen and a Google Developer Expert (GDE) for Cloud, based in India. He helps platform engineers and DevOps teams understand and adopt cloud-native infrastructure through talks, live demos, and community buildi... Show more

Principal AI Advisor at Fellowmind | Microsoft MVP in AI & Microsoft 365 | Speaker | Blogger

Vesa “Vesku” Nopanen is Principal AI Advisor at Fellowmind, helping organizations transform work with AI, Copilot, and intelligent agents while creating AI-Native ways of working. A Microsoft MVP since 2019, he advises leaders and organizations on turning AI potential into measurable business value.

With more than 30 years of experience in enterprise IT, Vesku specializes in Microsoft AI and modern work technologies, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Foundry, and agentic AI solutions. His focus is helping organizations move from AI experimentation to measurable business value through Copilot, agents, and AI-Native ways of working.

A recognized international speaker, blogger, community leader, and workshop facilitator, Vesku shares practical insights, real-world experiences, and emerging trends in AI transformation, productivity, and the future of work. He writes at futurework.blog, speaks at conferences worldwide, and helps organizations navigate their AI journey with technology and people at the center.

🔗 linktr.ee/vesanopanen

Principal AI Advisor at Fellowmind | Microsoft MVP in AI & Microsoft 365 | Speaker | Blogger Vesa “Vesku” Nopanen is Principal AI Advisor at Fellowmind, helping organizations transform work with AI, Copilot, and intelligent agents while creating A... Show more

Jemima Abu is a self-taught front-end developer, Google Developer Expert, Microsoft MVP, and Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies. She is passionate about diversity in technology and accessibility in web development.

Jemima Abu is a self-taught front-end developer, Google Developer Expert, Microsoft MVP, and Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies. She is passionate about diversity in technology and accessibility in web development. Show more

Wesley is working as a Principal Azure Architect at Intercept. His day to day activities include designing, implementing and optimizing Azure solutions, focused on Cloud Native (Kubernetes) and platform engineering. When he’s not working on a project, he’s giving a workshop, training or test-driving new Azure features. As a big advocate of Cloud Native, Infrastructure as Code and DevOps you will probably hear him talking about any of these subjects at least a few times a day (or hour). If you want to talk Azure, get in touch!

Wesley is working as a Principal Azure Architect at Intercept. His day to day activities include designing, implementing and optimizing Azure solutions, focused on Cloud Native (Kubernetes) and platform engineering. When he’s not working on a project... Show more

Roland is a Microsoft MVP, MCT and Pluralsight author enjoying a constant curiosity around new techniques in software development. His focus is on all things .NET and browser technologies with a special focus on security.
As a long-time trainer and speaker, he led many courses on these topics and spoke about these topics at many international conferences. He's currently working with Duende software to help building out their products.

Roland is a Microsoft MVP, MCT and Pluralsight author enjoying a constant curiosity around new techniques in software development. His focus is on all things .NET and browser technologies with a special focus on security. As a long-time trainer and... Show more

Software Developer. In love with Web and .NET. I like to try and learn always something new.

I try to share my experience living the community. I'm the host of "Spike time" (https://www.ugidotnet.org/tv/3307/Spike-time) and sometimes you can find me live on my Twitch channel, writing code.

Software Developer. In love with Web and .NET. I like to try and learn always something new. I try to share my experience living the community. I'm the host of "Spike time" (https://www.ugidotnet.org/tv/3307/Spike-time) and sometimes you can find ... Show more

Ron Dagdag has spent 25 years figuring out which tool fits the problem—and when “good enough” is the right engineering choice. Today, he leads AI research engineering at Thomson Reuters, building agentic systems that hold up in production, not just on stage.

A Microsoft MVP since 2017, Ron is currently recognized in Web Development and Microsoft AI Foundry, with previous awards in Windows, Mixed Reality, and IoT. He speaks internationally, organizes community events across DFW, and keeps tinkering with agents, robots, and half-finished ideas.

He builds things, tests what breaks, and teaches what works. 🛠️

Code > Create > Coach > Repeat.

Ron Dagdag has spent 25 years figuring out which tool fits the problem—and when “good enough” is the right engineering choice. Today, he leads AI research engineering at Thomson Reuters, building agentic systems that hold up in production, not just o... Show more