With a background in ops, Björn got stuck in the DevOps movement a long time ago. Working alongside both dev and ops gave him a good view in to all sides of the company, and today he spends his days helping with everything from communication, through infra as code, to CI/CD pipelines.
By night he Maintains a number of PowerShell modules at https://GitHub.com/bjompen, Writes blog posts at https://bjompen.com, Builds pipelines in Azure DevOps and GitHub, Tries to figure out how Azure works, solders and repairs old tech, and dreams of playing in a Norwegian black metal band.

With a background in ops, Björn got stuck in the DevOps movement a long time ago. Working alongside both dev and ops gave him a good view in to all sides of the company, and today he spends his days helping with everything from communication, through... Show more

Jacqui Read is an internationally-recognised architect, and author of Communication Patterns: A Guide for Developers and Architects. She works across the public and private sector at Made Tech, helping customers to architect systems and determine direction in complex environments. Jacqui is a keynote speaker at international conferences, covering topics such as software design, architecture practices, and technical communication. 

Her professional interests include collaborative modelling, knowledge management, Domain-Driven Design, sociotechnical architecture, and modernising enterprise architecture practices. Her personal website is https://jacquiread.com.

Jacqui Read is an internationally-recognised architect, and author of Communication Patterns: A Guide for Developers and Architects. She works across the public and private sector at Made Tech, helping customers to architect systems and determine dir... Show more

Dave Stokes has worked for organizations ranging alphabetically from the American Heart Association to Xerox in areas ranging from anti-submarine warfare to webmaster. He lives in a small Texas town with the required hound dog and pickup truck. Dave is the Author of MySQL & JSON - A Practical Programming Guide, now in a second edition.

Dave Stokes has worked for organizations ranging alphabetically from the American Heart Association to Xerox in areas ranging from anti-submarine warfare to webmaster. He lives in a small Texas town with the required hound dog and pickup truck. Dave... Show more

I am a software engineer, focusing mostly on the Front-end, in a love-love relationship with Javascript. I worked professionally on all Big Three Frameworks (But secretly I love React the most, please don't tell my Vue-on-all-projects company)

I am forever trying to strike a balance between my desire to ship stunning UI and bringing fast and great value from a Product perspective but also trying to merge the cleanest, easily maintainable code I can possibly write.

I am a software engineer, focusing mostly on the Front-end, in a love-love relationship with Javascript. I worked professionally on all Big Three Frameworks (But secretly I love React the most, please don't tell my Vue-on-all-projects company) I a... Show more

Lori is the Director of Outreach for the Rust Foundation. She has a passion and enthusiasm for working with the developer and open source community. Lori participates in multiple open source foundations such as CNCF, CDF, OpenSSF, DoK and has volunteered as a program committee member for Kubecon, Cloud Native Rejekts, CdCon, SOOCon and FOSDEM. She has given talks at conferences around the world including Kubecon EU, All Things Open, FOSDEM, Devoxx Morocco, SOOCon, Open Source Summit, KCDC, The Linux Foundation Member Summit, SOSS Fusion, and CodeMash. She is committed to helping open source and other tech communities grow and adapt in our ever changing environment.

Lori is the Director of Outreach for the Rust Foundation. She has a passion and enthusiasm for working with the developer and open source community. Lori participates in multiple open source foundations such as CNCF, CDF, OpenSSF, DoK and has volunte... Show more

Brian is a Microsoft Azure MVP, speaker, author, trainer, and .NET developer with deep expertise across cloud and application development. He holds MCSA: Web App Certification, MCSD: App Builder, and thirteen Azure and GitHub certifications, including Developer, Administrator, DevOps Engineer, Solutions Architect, Data Administrator, Security Engineer, AI Engineer, and Cosmos DB — along with multiple Fundamentals certifications. Since 2019, he has also been a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT).

Brian earned a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Along with 25 years of development experience, he brings over 15 years of experience teaching computer science, SQL databases, object-oriented programming (C#, VB.NET, Java), and Microsoft Office in online university settings and professional training environments.

As an educator and creator, Brian has developed numerous online training courses available across multiple platforms and has authored several books with APress, including Practical Entity Framework Core 10 (with two earlier editions) and Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Certification Companion: Hands-on Preparation and Practice for Exam AZ-204.

Brian is a Microsoft Azure MVP, speaker, author, trainer, and .NET developer with deep expertise across cloud and application development. He holds MCSA: Web App Certification, MCSD: App Builder, and thirteen Azure and GitHub certifications, includin... Show more

"The Human side of IT" has always been Simons vision, with a passion for technology but with a focus on creating value for users. Simon holds dual MVP awards within Microsoft Intune and Azure Virtual Desktop and have been a part of the MVP program since 2018. He works as the Lead Workplace Transformation Architect at Advania, based in Sweden, and have a broad – and deep – technical background within workplace and security solutions. Simon is an appreciated speaker who travels the world talking about technology, workplace- and security strategy as well as the value technology partners to build an appreciated and security digital workplace. He hold numerous certifications and awards and is also a Microsoft Certified trainer.

"The Human side of IT" has always been Simons vision, with a passion for technology but with a focus on creating value for users. Simon holds dual MVP awards within Microsoft Intune and Azure Virtual Desktop and have been a part of the MVP program si... Show more

I've worked in software development for 15+ years (mostly Microsoft technologies) and love the problem solving aspect of the work. In recent years I have become very passionate about AI and machine learning technologies and how they can be applied to different aspects of our lives. When not coding I enjoy spending time with my family, soccer (watching, playing, and coaching), playing videogames and watching movies.

I've worked in software development for 15+ years (mostly Microsoft technologies) and love the problem solving aspect of the work. In recent years I have become very passionate about AI and machine learning technologies and how they can be applied to... Show more

Emiliano is a Uruguayan-Spanish software developer, Microsoft MVP in Developer Technologies, and passionate community advocate based in Tenerife. He’s also a proud dad, balancing family life with a deep commitment to tech and community.

As Team Lead at Intelequia Technologies, he drives the design of scalable cloud solutions using Microsoft technologies, blending strategic vision with hands-on execution. With years of experience tackling complex challenges, Emiliano brings strong expertise in cloud architecture and team leadership.

A frequent speaker and blogger, he shares practical insights to support and mentor the global developer community—giving back to the ecosystem that shaped his own journey.

Emiliano is a Uruguayan-Spanish software developer, Microsoft MVP in Developer Technologies, and passionate community advocate based in Tenerife. He’s also a proud dad, balancing family life with a deep commitment to tech and community. As Team Le... Show more

Saiyam is working as Principal Developer Advocate at Loft Labs. He is the founder of Kubesimplify, focusing on simplifying cloud-native and Kubernetes technologies. Previously at Civo, Walmart Labs, Oracle, and HP, Saiyam has worked on many facets of Kubernetes, including machine learning platforms, scaling, multi-cloud, and managed Kubernetes services. He has implemented Kubernetes solutions in various organizations. When not coding, Saiyam contributes to the community by writing blogs and organizing local meetups for Kubernetes and CNCF. He is also a CNCF TAG sustainability lead, runs a YouTube channel, and can be reached on Twitter @saiyampathak

Saiyam is working as Principal Developer Advocate at Loft Labs. He is the founder of Kubesimplify, focusing on simplifying cloud-native and Kubernetes technologies. Previously at Civo, Walmart Labs, Oracle, and HP, Saiyam has worked on many facets of... Show more

With 20+ years in data and analytics, I bring deep experience from consulting to product.

I’m passionate about building scalable, developer-friendly data solutions - and turning customer needs into powerful features. Today, I'm a PM helping shape Power BI within Microsoft Fabric.

As a seasoned speaker, I love sharing insights and continuously learning from the Microsoft data community.

With 20+ years in data and analytics, I bring deep experience from consulting to product. I’m passionate about building scalable, developer-friendly data solutions - and turning customer needs into powerful features. Today, I'm a PM helping shape... Show more

Dr. Nico Jacobs started his career as a data mining researcher at the university of Leuven, Belgium. He joined U2U in 2004 as an instructor, author and technology strategist. His current technical expertise focuses on Power BI and Data Engineering/Data Science on Microsoft Azure. As a passionate trainer, Nico likes to inspire his students to gain a thorough knowledge on the subject. Nico regularly speaks at local and international conferences. You can see what he’s up to by following @SqlWaldorf on Twitter .

Dr. Nico Jacobs started his career as a data mining researcher at the university of Leuven, Belgium. He joined U2U in 2004 as an instructor, author and technology strategist. His current technical expertise focuses on Power BI and Data Engineering/Da... Show more

Eric D. Boyd is a highly experienced entrepreneur, public speaker, and author with nearly 30 years of experience in the technology industry. He is the founder and CEO of responsiveX, a Microsoft partner and digital innovation consultancy. Eric is a sought-after speaker and thought leader, delivering keynote speeches, breakout sessions, and participating in panel discussions at many industry events. He is a Microsoft Azure and AI MVP, a Regional Director, and has extensive experience helping organizations with system design and architecture, cloud-native development, and artificial intelligence. Eric is the co-author of "Step-by-Step Azure SQL Database" and has contributed to several other publications. He shares his expertise and insights through his blog, social media, podcast interviews, and educational videos. Eric is committed to giving back to the community and supporting the next generation of technology leaders.

Eric D. Boyd is a highly experienced entrepreneur, public speaker, and author with nearly 30 years of experience in the technology industry. He is the founder and CEO of responsiveX, a Microsoft partner and digital innovation consultancy. Eric is a s... Show more

Steve Jones has been working with databases and computers for over two decades. He has worked with SQL Server since 1991, from v4.2 through SQL Server 2016. He has been a DBA, developer, and manager in a variety of large and small companies across multiple industries. In 2001 Steve founded SQLServerCentral with two partners and has been publishing technical articles and facilitating discussions among SQL Server professionals ever since. He currently is the full time editor of SQLServerCentral, as well as an evangelist for Redgate Software. Steve is a 10 year Microsoft Data Platform MVP and lives on a horse ranch in Colorado.

Steve Jones has been working with databases and computers for over two decades. He has worked with SQL Server since 1991, from v4.2 through SQL Server 2016. He has been a DBA, developer, and manager in a variety of large and small companies across mu... Show more

Luigi Fugaro's journey into the realm of computer science began in the vibrant world of video games, starting with the Vic 20 and Atari ST1040. This early exposure ignited a fascination with the inner workings of games, particularly the allure of manipulating game code to unlock endless lives and energy. This initial intrigue was the catalyst for Luigi's foray into programming, marking the start of a rich and diverse professional path.

Throughout his distinguished career, Luigi has demonstrated a remarkable versatility, mastering an array of programming languages from the structured precision of Fortran to the modern fluency of Java, Go, Delphi, Visual Basic, and Python. His relationship with JavaScript is a bit more nuanced, viewing it as borderline in the programming language spectrum. Though he doesn’t classify HTML as a programming language per se, Luigi holds a deep respect for its capabilities and applications.

As his career progressed, Luigi ventured beyond the boundaries of coding, exploring the increasingly critical domains of observability, monitoring, and data management. A pivotal chapter in his career unfolded at Red Hat and Redis, where he realized the critical role of application performance for clients, further enriching his professional expertise.

Now, Luigi remains as enthusiastic and driven as ever, constantly seeking new knowledge and challenges. His passion for technology not only leads him to embark on numerous side projects - most of which remain unfinished except for his notable literary contributions - but also keeps him at the forefront of innovation in the ever-evolving field of computer science.

Luigi Fugaro's journey into the realm of computer science began in the vibrant world of video games, starting with the Vic 20 and Atari ST1040. This early exposure ignited a fascination with the inner workings of games, particularly the allure of man... Show more

Dan Bergh Johnsson works at the intersection of software architecture, security, and large-scale system design. He has decades of experience designing and reviewing complex systems where security, stability, and delivery speed are in constant tension.
Dan is co-author of Secure by Design (Manning) and a frequent international conference speaker. His talks focus on how architectural and design choices — increasingly involving AI — shape long-term security, system behavior, and organizational responsibility. He is particularly interested in what gets lost when productivity increases faster than system understanding.

Dan Bergh Johnsson works at the intersection of software architecture, security, and large-scale system design. He has decades of experience designing and reviewing complex systems where security, stability, and delivery speed are in constant tensio... Show more

Rick is a managing partner @ Advantive and is an Office Apps and Services MVP. He has been working with SharePoint since 2007 and has now made the transition to Office 365. With a strong focus on development this job pushed him to become a versatile expert in both Office 365, Azure and all related technologies. His inquisitive disposition encourages him to continuously gain knowledge and share insights with everyone that shares the same interests.

Rick is a managing partner @ Advantive and is an Office Apps and Services MVP. He has been working with SharePoint since 2007 and has now made the transition to Office 365. With a strong focus on development this job pushed him to become a versatile ... Show more

I have a Masters degree in Statistics and have over 20 years of experience in designing and developing datawarehouses and analytical solutions.

I am a co-organiser of the NZ Business Intelligence - Power BI User Group and Auckland Artificial Intelligence Meetups. I am also an international Speaker at various events and conferences.

Volunteering and sharing my knowledge is my passion. In my pass time I teach game development for primary school kids. I have started teaching about databases and Power BI to 10 -15 year old kids and amaze myself at the creativity the younger generation is capable of

I have a Masters degree in Statistics and have over 20 years of experience in designing and developing datawarehouses and analytical solutions. I am a co-organiser of the NZ Business Intelligence - Power BI User Group and Auckland Artificial In... Show more

Maddy Montaquila (formerly Leger) is a Principal Product Manager at Microsoft and the product lead for Aspire. She’s been building dev tools at Microsoft since 2018 - before Aspire, she worked across the .NET stack and brought .NET MAUI to life. Maddy has been obsessed with making developers’ lives easier ever since her first dev tools internship, where she realized it perfectly combined her tech background with her passion for product development.

These days, she’s focused on making modern distributed app development suck a whole lot less. Maddy’s an experienced speaker who’s presented everywhere from local user groups to major keynotes, known for bringing great energy and a genuine love for dev tools to every talk.

You can find her on Twitter and GitHub at @maddymontaquila and BlueSky @maddy.fm!

Maddy Montaquila (formerly Leger) is a Principal Product Manager at Microsoft and the product lead for Aspire. She’s been building dev tools at Microsoft since 2018 - before Aspire, she worked across the .NET stack and brought .NET MAUI to life. Madd... Show more

Pieter Nijs is .NET Consultant at Xebia Microsoft Services where he helps customers with 'everything mobile and cloud'.

He has a keen interest in mobile and cloud development and has played a key role in numerous projects, ranging from expansive customer facing healthcare, telecom and media applications to smaller LOB applications.

Currently, Pieter is diving into the fascinating realms of artificial intelligence, exploring how these cutting-edge technologies can bring added value to customer projects and solve complex problems in innovative ways.

Pieter is passionate about constantly exploring and experimenting with new and innovative technologies both at work and in his spare time, which he eagerly shares with others. He is a seasoned speaker at conferences, trainer, and blogger at blog.pieeatingninjas.be. He has been awarded the Microsoft MVP Award since 2017, reflecting his unwavering passion and expertise in serving the community. His first book, 'The MVVM Pattern in .NET MAUI' (published by Packt Publishing), was recently released and has been very well received.

Pieter Nijs is .NET Consultant at Xebia Microsoft Services where he helps customers with 'everything mobile and cloud'. He has a keen interest in mobile and cloud development and has played a key role in numerous projects, ranging from expansive ... Show more

Heidi Hasting is a Business Intelligence professional and former software developer with over seven years experience in Microsoft products. She is an ALM/DLM enthusiast and Azure DevOps fan and co-founder and organiser of the Adelaide Power BI User Group. Heidi is a regular attendee at tech events including Azure Bootcamps, DevOps days, SQLSaturdays, Difinity and PASS Summit.

Heidi Hasting is a Business Intelligence professional and former software developer with over seven years experience in Microsoft products. She is an ALM/DLM enthusiast and Azure DevOps fan and co-founder and organiser of the Adelaide Power BI User G... Show more

Bradley Schacht is a Principal Program Manager on the Microsoft Fabric product team based in Jacksonville, FL. Bradley is a former consultant, trainer, and has authored 5 SQL Server and Power BI books, most recently the Microsoft Power BI Quick Start Guide. As a member of the Microsoft Fabric product team, Bradley works directly with customers to solve some of their most complex data problems and helps shape the future of Microsoft Fabric. Bradley gives back to the community through speaking at events such as the PASS Summit, SQL Saturdays, Code Camps, and user groups across the country including locally at the Jacksonville SQL Server User Group (JSSUG). He is a contributor on SQLServerCentral.com and blogs on his personal site, BradleySchacht.com.

Bradley Schacht is a Principal Program Manager on the Microsoft Fabric product team based in Jacksonville, FL. Bradley is a former consultant, trainer, and has authored 5 SQL Server and Power BI books, most recently the Microsoft Power BI Quick Start... Show more

Hi, I’m Elena Drakulevska, a Principal Product Manager at Microsoft working on Power BI Core Visuals, where I help shape the future of reporting and data visualization.

I’m also an international speaker, Microsoft MVP alumna, and founder of MoonStory, a platform focused on UX Design and Data Visualization. Through conferences, mentoring, blogging, and community initiatives, I share my mission of making technology more human, empowering, and joyful. ✨

Hi, I’m Elena Drakulevska, a Principal Product Manager at Microsoft working on Power BI Core Visuals, where I help shape the future of reporting and data visualization. I’m also an international speaker, Microsoft MVP alumna, and founder of MoonSt... Show more

Matteo is a Cloud Solution Architect in the ABS Tech Strategy - AI Stack team in Microsoft. In his role, he works with global companies to build innovative projects for the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, based on the latest innovations in the AI & applications development space. He has a strong passion for knowledge sharing and he supports the developer community by writing articles, blog posts and books and by speaking at conferences all around the world. Before joining Microsoft, he was a Microsoft MVP in the Windows Development category and a Nokia Developer Champion for almost 5 years.

Matteo is a Cloud Solution Architect in the ABS Tech Strategy - AI Stack team in Microsoft. In his role, he works with global companies to build innovative projects for the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, based on the latest innovations in the AI & applicat... Show more

I operate at the intersection of bold vision and brilliant teams. As a Principal Cloud & AI Strategist and Fractional CTO, I partner with companies to architect future-proof cloud solutions and build the high-performing engineering teams needed to execute them.

With over a decade of hands-on experience in Digital Transformation, I specialize in Google Cloud Platform, Generative AI (Vertex AI), and complex multi-cloud architectures. I don't just talk theory, I have built Cloud Business Units from scratch and led mission-critical migrations in fast-paced sectors like Oil & Gas.
My philosophy is simple: an elite strategy is useless without an elite team to execute it, so I build the team first, knowing that the results will follow.
As a passionate advocate for open knowledge, I am a Google Cloud Authorized Trainer, a Google Developer Expert (GDE) for Cloud, and the Community Lead for GDG Campobasso.
Whether I am live-coding a Gen AI agent or sharing insights on the dynamics of engineering leadership, I bring energy, clarity, and deep real-world experience to the stage. I love connecting with people who are eager to challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of what technology can solve.

I operate at the intersection of bold vision and brilliant teams. As a Principal Cloud & AI Strategist and Fractional CTO, I partner with companies to architect future-proof cloud solutions and build the high-performing engineering teams needed to ex... Show more

Marco is a Senior Android Engineer at Airalo and a Google Developer Expert for Android. He’s passionate about building great mobile experiences on both Android and iOS, and loves working with Kotlin Multiplatform to share code where it makes sense.

He also maintains open-source projects, shares what he learns on his blog, speaks at conferences, and helps organize GDG Venezia. When he’s not coding, he’s probably playing basketball.

Marco is a Senior Android Engineer at Airalo and a Google Developer Expert for Android. He’s passionate about building great mobile experiences on both Android and iOS, and loves working with Kotlin Multiplatform to share code where it makes sense. ... Show more

Devang Shah is a Principal Program Manager in the Microsoft Fabric engineering team, where he leads global product and execution for Fabric Real‑Time Intelligence and Fabric IQ. He runs a globally distributed team of program managers and is responsible for driving the end‑to‑end evolution of the real‑time intelligence product suite—from early concepts and product incubation to global adoption and operational scale.

Devang has been deeply involved in shaping and maturing Fabric’s real‑time intelligence stack, including Fabric IQ as the ontology and semantic layer that transforms high‑velocity events into business‑ready, decision‑grade intelligence and powers agent‑driven systems.

A highly hands‑on, technical program manager, Devang builds his own solutions and works directly in the nitty‑gritty of event‑driven streaming architectures, low‑latency pipelines, and real‑time analytics systems. With over a decade of experience designing large‑scale data platforms, he approaches product development as a system—connecting architecture, semantics, agents, and global operations.

Devang Shah is a Principal Program Manager in the Microsoft Fabric engineering team, where he leads global product and execution for Fabric Real‑Time Intelligence and Fabric IQ. He runs a globally distributed team of program managers and is responsib... Show more

Ivar Grimstad is the Jakarta EE Developer Advocate at Eclipse Foundation. He is a Norwegian Java Champion and JUG Leader based in Sweden.

Besides advocating the Jakarta EE technologies, Ivar is contributing to the Jakarta EE specifications as well as being the PMC Lead for Eclipse Enterprise for Java (EE4J). He is also one of the specification leads for Jakarta MVC and represents Eclipse Foundation on the JCP Executive Committee.

Ivar is also involved in a wide range of other open-source projects and communities. He is a frequent speaker at International developer conferences.

Ivar Grimstad is the Jakarta EE Developer Advocate at Eclipse Foundation. He is a Norwegian Java Champion and JUG Leader based in Sweden. Besides advocating the Jakarta EE technologies, Ivar is contributing to the Jakarta EE specifications as well... Show more

Monica Morehouse (Rathbun), a Microsoft MVP for Data Platform, resides in Virginia and brings two decades of experience across various database platforms, with a particular focus on SQL Server and the Microsoft Data Platform. She is a frequent speaker at IT industry conferences, where she shares her expertise on performance tuning and configuration management for both on-premises and cloud environments. Monica leads the Hampton Roads SQL Server User Group and is passionate about SQL Server and its community, she is dedicated to giving back in any way she can. You can often find her online (@sqlespresso) offering helpful tips or blogging at sqlespresso.com.

Monica Morehouse (Rathbun), a Microsoft MVP for Data Platform, resides in Virginia and brings two decades of experience across various database platforms, with a particular focus on SQL Server and the Microsoft Data Platform. She is a frequent speake... Show more

Emily is a lifelong learner and passionate advocate for seamless user experiences- specializing in information architecture and user interface design (UX master certified by Nielsen Norman Group). She thrives on building accessible structures to help people find what they are looking for and better understand their surroundings. Emily is a recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award for 5 consecutive years and a member of the Microsoft 365 Patterns and Practices team.

A results-driven professional, Emily is recognized for her expertise in implementing Microsoft 365 solutions. She consistently delivers projects on time and within budget, with a particular focus on enhancing user satisfaction and usability. Emily aligns projects seamlessly with company culture and overarching goals leading to higher adoption. Emily has developed scalable environments for companies experiencing 10x growth in less than 5 years, managed migrations due to large-scale mergers and acquisitions, and specializes in initial implementations with hesitant new users. She possesses a deep understanding of what business owners need to implement intuitive and scalable solutions.

Emily’s experience as a communications manager, leadership development facilitator, and teacher provides a well-rounded background for interpreting and translating user needs across industries. She embeds effective training programs and compassionate change management strategies in every project, ensuring that all users are actively engaged in the journey. Emily believes a human-centered process will yield the best results.

Emily is a lifelong learner and passionate advocate for seamless user experiences- specializing in information architecture and user interface design (UX master certified by Nielsen Norman Group). She thrives on building accessible structures to help... Show more