Ardalis (Steve Smith) is an entrepreneur and software developer with a passion for building quality software as effectively as possible. Ardalis has published dozens of courses on Dometrain and Pluralsight, covering DDD, SOLID, design patterns, and software architecture. He's a Microsoft ASP.NET MVP, a frequent speaker at developer conferences, an author, and a trainer.

Ardalis works with companies through NimblePros, the consulting firm he runs with his wife, Michelle. NimblePros is a team of experienced professionals who help organizations who want to deliver better software, faster. Ardalis and NimblePros have been described by clients as a "force multiplier", amplifying the value of existing development teams.

Follow Ardalis on BlueSky, YouTube, and ardalis.com.

Ardalis (Steve Smith) is an entrepreneur and software developer with a passion for building quality software as effectively as possible. Ardalis has published dozens of courses on Dometrain and Pluralsight, covering DDD, SOLID, design patterns, and s... Show more

Meet Sally! Sally serves as a Data Engineer with an expertise in Azure Cloud Analytics Services, with years of experience under her belt.
Since earning her M.Sc. degree in Software Engineering, Sally has become a significant voice in Azure Cloud Analytics Services, publishing over ten blogs on Microsoft's Tech Community blog. What excites Sally most about her work is the opportunity to build Proof of Concepts (POCs) that help Microsoft customers unlock their business potential – by doing so, she remains true to her ultimate mission: to empower innovation through Azure's boundless possibilities. Away from her professional endeavors, Sally finds joy in baking pastries, a hobby she shares with her followers on Instagram for inspiration.

Meet Sally! Sally serves as a Data Engineer with an expertise in Azure Cloud Analytics Services, with years of experience under her belt. Since earning her M.Sc. degree in Software Engineering, Sally has become a significant voice in Azure Cloud An... Show more

Jeff Taylor is a Principal Data Consultant, Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Redgate Community Ambassador, and Octopus Insider with over 28 years of experience specializing in performance tuning and critical data issues. He currently organizes the Jax Data and Day of Data Jacksonville (formerly SQL Saturday) and is a co-organizer of JaxDUG.

Jeff Taylor is a Principal Data Consultant, Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Redgate Community Ambassador, and Octopus Insider with over 28 years of experience specializing in performance tuning and critical data issues. He currently organizes the Jax Da... Show more

Ben Dechrai is a technologist with a strong focus on security and privacy, recognised as an MVP for his exceptional contributions to the community. Known for his ability to distil complex technical concepts into engaging, digestible portions, Ben empowers developers through a deep understanding of design principles, security considerations, and coding practices. With over two decades of experience in software engineering, security, and architecture, Ben is a published author and has consulted for companies and investors across numerous industries. He is deeply involved in the tech community, running technology conferences and workshops to share his expertise.

Ben Dechrai is a technologist with a strong focus on security and privacy, recognised as an MVP for his exceptional contributions to the community. Known for his ability to distil complex technical concepts into engaging, digestible portions, Ben emp... Show more

Esther Barthel has worked in different roles and functions as an IT consultant after she finished her Master’s degree in Computer Science in 1997. She soon discovered that End User Computing combined servers, desktops, and user experience technologies into one and specialized in virtualization solutions, like Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops and Azure Virtual Desktops

Esther works as a Senior Solutions Architect at cognition IT, where she combines her passion for designing and implementing End User Computing (EUC) solutions with her love for DevOps, using Infrastructure-as-Code, PowerShell scripting, REST APIs, and JSON payloads for process automation of managing infrastructure focused resources (both on-premises and Cloud).

Ever since she hosted introduction days for technical female student candidates Esther has shared her passion and knowledge for IT. She has also been a strong advocate of diversity and inclusion as one of the founders of the CUGC Women in Tech mentorship program.

In addition to her Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award, Esther is also awarded as a Nerdio Valued Professional (NVP), and Parallels VIPP.

Esther Barthel has worked in different roles and functions as an IT consultant after she finished her Master’s degree in Computer Science in 1997. She soon discovered that End User Computing combined servers, desktops, and user experience technologie... Show more

Jakub is a CNCF Ambassador and engineer at Cloudera with deep expertise in Kubernetes, streaming, and messaging. As a co-founder and maintainer of the Strimzi project, he has spent years bridging the gap between Apache Kafka and cloud-native infrastructure. Before his time at Cloudera, Jakub worked at Red Hat and in the financial sector, bringing a wealth of real-world operational experience to the open-source community.

Jakub is a CNCF Ambassador and engineer at Cloudera with deep expertise in Kubernetes, streaming, and messaging. As a co-founder and maintainer of the Strimzi project, he has spent years bridging the gap between Apache Kafka and cloud-native infrastr... Show more

Bob Ward is a Principal Architect for the Microsoft Azure Data team, which owns the development for Microsoft SQL ground to cloud to fabric. 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, and Microsoft Fabric 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 also learn Azure SQL from him on the popular series https://aka.ms/azuresql4beginners. 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 ground to cloud to fabric. Bob has worked for Microsoft for 32+ years on every version of SQL Server shipped from OS/2 1.1 to SQL Server... Show more

Emanuele is an entrepreneur, engineer, and researcher passionate about achieving impact with AI.

After earning his PhD in machine learning and working as a guest researcher at EPFL in Lausanne, he is now co-founder and Head of AI at xtream, a company that applies AI to solve complex business challenges. xtream was acquired by TeamSystem in September 2025.

Emanuele is also a professor of AI at the Catholic University of Milan and has been a guest lecturer at Italian, Swiss, and Polish universities.

He has published 8 papers in international journals with 175+ citations and contributed to over 30 international conferences, including AMLD Lausanne, ODSC London, WeAreDevelopers Berlin, PyData Berlin, PyData Paris, PyCon Italy, the Swiss Python Summit, and Codemotion Milan and Rome.

Emanuele is an entrepreneur, engineer, and researcher passionate about achieving impact with AI. After earning his PhD in machine learning and working as a guest researcher at EPFL in Lausanne, he is now co-founder and Head of AI at xtream, a comp... Show more

Onyinye is an IT professional with substantial work experience in the Information Technology industry. Her expertise lies in digitally transforming organizations via modernized communications, advising intelligent strategies to adopt hybrid workplaces, and promoting creative solutions to collaborate effectively. She has successfully led multiple projects across the Modern Workplace technology across various sectors.
She is passionate about innovations in Information Technology, technical research, and investigative studies which has led to her collaboration in publishing journal and conference papers on IEEE.

Onyinye is an IT professional with substantial work experience in the Information Technology industry. Her expertise lies in digitally transforming organizations via modernized communications, advising intelligent strategies to adopt hybrid workplace... Show more

I've been working as a .NET developer for over 16 years now in a variety of industries including government, retail and manufacturing. But I've been hacking around with computer code since I was old enough to read my Dad's copy of the ZX Spectrum BASIC coders manual.

I've been speaking about Functional C# at various user groups and conferences around the UK, USA, Europe and Australia and am particularly interested in seeing just how far we can push C# without breaking it.

In 2023 I released my first technical book: "Functional Programming with C#", published by O'Reilly Media.

When I'm not coding, or running after my two small children, I have been known to enjoy the classic series of Doctor Who, Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, Cryptic Crosswords, and rather more coffee than is probably good for me.

I've been working as a .NET developer for over 16 years now in a variety of industries including government, retail and manufacturing. But I've been hacking around with computer code since I was old enough to read my Dad's copy of the ZX Spectrum BAS... Show more

I believe that we can create products and services that make the world a better place. And that we can learn and grow in the process of doing so. Our challenge is that we waste time and money and human energy on untested ideas that, too often, turn out to be something that the customer does not want. Or, if we have an idea that is really good, we get in our own way by not executing it well, by not being able to communicate, inspire, and empower our collaborators and stakeholders as we must in order to do the impossible: launch and grow good ideas that the world needs, fostering sustainable and ethical growth.

I work to solve that.
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25 years + experience in Tech as Product Lead
Named TOP 50 Product Leader to follow in 2024 (worldwide)
Agile @scale expert
International speaker & keynoter since 2008
Worked for : Spotify, Airbus, Orange, Natixis, Legrand, ...

I believe that we can create products and services that make the world a better place. And that we can learn and grow in the process of doing so. Our challenge is that we waste time and money and human energy on untested ideas that, too often, turn... Show more

I am a Solutions Architect and Microsoft 365 MVP with a passion for turning technology into something people actually love to use. With more than 20 years in web development, IT administration, and systems integration, and over 16 years focused on SharePoint, Teams, the Power Platform, and Copilot, I specialize in modernizing legacy solutions, streamlining development processes, and building governance frameworks that are practical, sustainable, and human centered. In recent years I have focused heavily on Copilot readiness and adoption, helping organizations move beyond “just keeping the lights on” and toward unlocking creativity, collaboration, and new ways of working. Outside of work, I am a Certified Scrum Master, global speaker, community builder, and blogger at UnsuckM365, where I share no fluff stories from the field. I am also a bedroom DJ who believes music and technology share the same rhythm. Both connect people, tell stories, and inspire new ways of thinking.

More thoughts and occasional rants live at UnsuckM365.com.

I am a Solutions Architect and Microsoft 365 MVP with a passion for turning technology into something people actually love to use. With more than 20 years in web development, IT administration, and systems integration, and over 16 years focused on Sh... Show more

Responsable Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement & Power Platform chez Infoteam Business Solutions. Ma mission est d’accompagner les entreprises dans leurs projets de digitalisation des processus métiers.
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Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement & Power Platform Manager at Infoteam Business Solutions. My mission is to help companies with their business process digitalization projects.

Responsable Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement & Power Platform chez Infoteam Business Solutions. Ma mission est d’accompagner les entreprises dans leurs projets de digitalisation des processus métiers. -----------------------------------------------... Show more

Doing AI stuff since before it was cool!
• Developer / DBA / Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) focusing on Microsoft's Data Platform, AI, Azure, IoT and Security.
• Developing information and multimedia systems, DBA, project and IT management, for over 27 years.
• Speaker with over 350+ sessions delivered since 2015 at international conferences and community events (mostly in-person before pandemic times) on multiple technologies, Internet Governance and Human Rights, as well as volunteer and moderator.
• Organiser and founder at technical communities: IT Pro Portugal, PowerShell Portugal, Data Community Portugal, and multiple other online communities such as IPv6 Portugal, DNSSEC Portugal, etc.
• Organiser of technical events: Global AI Bootcamp Lisboa, Global Power Platform Bootcamp Lisboa, Ctrl-Alt-Shell, Ctrl-Alt-Xmas, Global Diversity CFP Day Lisboa, Power BI Roadshow Lisboa, Programar Saturday, Community Evenings, etc.
• Go to https://Andy.PT and you'll know the same as the NSA...

Note: The sessions listed below have been presented in at least one or more events. The list of events below only includes Sessionize-driven events.

Doing AI stuff since before it was cool! • Developer / DBA / Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) focusing on Microsoft's Data Platform, AI, Azure, IoT and Security. • Developing information and multimedia systems, DBA, project and IT management, for ... Show more

Years of experience in software engineering and the team's leading roles combined with his passion for Java made Pasha know all the hidden details in this IT niche. As a Developer Advocate for @Bellsoft, he educates the public on the latest software tools built by BellSoft and helps to create and test instruments for developers. He writes in Kotlin, speaks at conferences, composes a new articles, or maintains his pet projects.

Years of experience in software engineering and the team's leading roles combined with his passion for Java made Pasha know all the hidden details in this IT niche. As a Developer Advocate for @Bellsoft, he educates the public on the latest software ... Show more

Matthijs is a Coding Architect at Xebia. With a strong focus on Azure and AI, he helps clients achieve more on Azure. Matthijs has a passion for creating good work environments, writing great code, and building amazing teams.

Matthijs trained and led teams in different countries. He strongly believes that remote and distributed teams can be just as (or more) effective than sitting in the same old office together. Matthijs received the Microsoft MVP Award for five consecutive years.

Matthijs is a Coding Architect at Xebia. With a strong focus on Azure and AI, he helps clients achieve more on Azure. Matthijs has a passion for creating good work environments, writing great code, and building amazing teams. Matthijs trained and ... Show more

Senior Developer Advocate at Microsoft and a Google Developer Expert in Flutter & Dart with 14+ years of experience across Web, Android, Flutter, HarmonyOS, and Microsoft 365. Women Techmakers Ambassador, mentor at MentorCruise, international speaker, YouTuber behind whatsupcoders, and an active open-source community builder. Passionate about AI and developer technologies, she helps developers and organizations build innovative solutions using Microsoft and open-source platforms.

Senior Developer Advocate at Microsoft and a Google Developer Expert in Flutter & Dart with 14+ years of experience across Web, Android, Flutter, HarmonyOS, and Microsoft 365. Women Techmakers Ambassador, mentor at MentorCruise, international speaker... Show more

I'm a dual Microsoft MVP in the categories: Azure and Security, and an Omnissa Tech Insider. With close to two decades of experience in large-scale global IT environments, I specialize in Modern Endpoint Management, Enterprise Mobility and Security, and Microsoft Azure. I currently manage an endpoint engineering team in a Healthcare organization in the U.S.
I’m a global speaker, I hold 24+ technical certifications. Beyond engineering leadership, I’m a mentor and advocate for diversity and inclusion in technology; I won a Global Award for Leadership in 2025 from the WomenTech Network. I thrive by empowering fellow professionals through community-driven learning, purposeful guidance, and accessible technical education.

I'm a dual Microsoft MVP in the categories: Azure and Security, and an Omnissa Tech Insider. With close to two decades of experience in large-scale global IT environments, I specialize in Modern Endpoint Management, Enterprise Mobility and Security, ... Show more

Yannis Martin is an engineer and sociologist by training. With over twenty years of experience supporting digital transformations, he has worked for the past decade as a consultant in project management, cybersecurity governance, and interim management. In 2024, he began doctoral research on the interactions between artificial intelligence, complexity theory, and the humanities and social sciences. His research focuses on AI considered both as a mediating device for human cognition and as a constituent element of complex socio-technical systems. A lecturer at the University of Avignon since 2021, he joined emlyon business school and INSA Lyon in 2025. In 2026, he became a member of the CNRS research group "Internet, AI and Society."

Yannis Martin is an engineer and sociologist by training. With over twenty years of experience supporting digital transformations, he has worked for the past decade as a consultant in project management, cybersecurity governance, and interim manageme... Show more

A student in Computer Engineering (International Program) at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), who really got inspired about technologies, especially on Data Science and Machine Learning. Additionally, being a part of Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors, as the young technology evangelist among big technological industries and universities partners.

A student in Computer Engineering (International Program) at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), who really got inspired about technologies, especially on Data Science and Machine Learning. Additionally, being a part of Microsof... Show more

Scott McAllister is a software development speaker and educator. He has been building web applications in several industries for over a decade. Now he's helping others learn about a wide range of web and infrastructure technologies. When he's not coding, writing or speaking he enjoys long walks with his wife, skipping rocks with his kids, and is happy whenever Seattle Sounders FC, Manchester City, St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Bulls, Seattle Storm, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Reign FC, St. Louis Blues, Seattle Kraken, Barcelona, Fiorentina, Borussia Dortmund or Mainz 05 can manage a win.

Scott McAllister is a software development speaker and educator. He has been building web applications in several industries for over a decade. Now he's helping others learn about a wide range of web and infrastructure technologies. When he's not cod... 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

Morten is a Triple Microsoft MVP (Security, Azure, and Security Copilot), a Microsoft Certified Trainer, and holds over 17 active Microsoft certifications.

As a Cloud and Security Architect, he focuses on Azure infrastructure, Microsoft 365, automation, security, AI, and hybrid cloud.

He actively shares insights and tools with the community through his blog at aka.ms/morten / mortenknudsen.net, where his community tools have reached over 2,3 million downloads.

Morten is also a strong advocate for the tech community — speaking at events, mentoring professionals, and co-founding Experts Live Denmark.

Outside of work, he enjoys traveling with his family and is certified as both a PADI Dive Master and PADI Master Scuba Diver.

Morten is a Triple Microsoft MVP (Security, Azure, and Security Copilot), a Microsoft Certified Trainer, and holds over 17 active Microsoft certifications. As a Cloud and Security Architect, he focuses on Azure infrastructure, Microsoft 365, auto... Show more

Dean Schuster has been envisioning and creating human-centered digital products since the advent of the commercial web. He is founder and owner of the user experience strategy firm truematter, leading the team to help national and international organizations change the way they do business online. He travels all over the world to speak and teach, mentoring professionals and challenging teams to a higher standard for digital experiences.

Dean is also an avid ultra-marathoner and trail racer, often found in out-of-the-way places, including Antarctica.

Dean Schuster has been envisioning and creating human-centered digital products since the advent of the commercial web. He is founder and owner of the user experience strategy firm truematter, leading the team to help national and international organ... Show more

Data Platform Microsoft MVP
Business solutions should solve business problems and the business should own the problem and the solution. I've spent my whole career empowering businesses to do that.

Data Platform Microsoft MVP Business solutions should solve business problems and the business should own the problem and the solution. I've spent my whole career empowering businesses to do that. Show more

Manpreet leads the Modern Workplace AI Solutions Team at Cognizant, where he designs and scales transformative Microsoft-based solutions for global enterprises. Partnering with leadership across diverse verticals—from Media and Entertainment to Financial Services and Healthcare—Manpreet orchestrates Agentic AI strategies that move beyond simple automation to create truly autonomous, intelligent ecosystems. His mission is to redefine the "Agentic Experience," ensuring that AI doesn't just respond to prompts but proactively solves business friction for global customers. As a Microsoft MVP in M365 and AI, he bridges the gap between complex architectural innovation and real-world business impact.

Beyond his leadership at Cognizant, Manpreet is a titan in the technical community. A revered MVP, his insights have reached a staggering 10 million+ readers through his extensive library of articles and blogs. He is the driving force behind numerous annual boot camps, hackathons, and fundraisers, all aimed at nurturing the next generation of tech talent. Whether he is architecting a unified AI Command Center for a Fortune 500 firm or mentoring the next generation of developers, Manpreet is driven by a relentless "human-first" philosophy. Amidst the rapid evolution of the AI landscape, he remains easily recognizable by his warm smile—a reflection of his genuine passion for empowering organizations to achieve more through the power of Agentic AI.

Manpreet leads the Modern Workplace AI Solutions Team at Cognizant, where he designs and scales transformative Microsoft-based solutions for global enterprises. Partnering with leadership across diverse verticals—from Media and Entertainment to Finan... Show more

Peter has an extensive background in architecting, deploying, managing and training on Microsoft technologies, dating back to Windows NT4 Server in 1996, all the way to the latest and modern Azure and AI solutions available today. With a passion for Cloud Architecture and DevOps, Peter always has a story to share on how to optimize your Enterprise-ready cloud workloads, from skilling the world largest Microsoft customers through compelling workshops over the last 15 years. After 6,5 years at Microsoft as Microsoft Technical Trainer, he recently transitioned into the role of Senior Content Developer for Dev/AI/DevOps, focusing on DevOps/GitHub content on https://aka.ms/Learn and Instructor Led Training (ILT) material, used by global Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs).

You can follow peter on LinkedIn (/in/pdtit) and read his (mostly) technical blog adventures on http://www.007ffflearning.com

Peter has an extensive background in architecting, deploying, managing and training on Microsoft technologies, dating back to Windows NT4 Server in 1996, all the way to the latest and modern Azure and AI solutions available today. With a passion for ... Show more

Peter Eijgermans is a long-time software developer and an adventurous and passionate CodeSmith Frontend at Sopra Steria. He likes to travel around the world with his bike. Always seeking for the unexpected and unknown. For his job he tries out the latest techniques and frameworks. He loves to share his experience by speaking at conferences all over the World and writing for the Dutch Java magazine, Medium and DZone. He believes that you as the front-end developer are the spider in the web to bring the user, the team and the product together.

Peter Eijgermans is a long-time software developer and an adventurous and passionate CodeSmith Frontend at Sopra Steria. He likes to travel around the world with his bike. Always seeking for the unexpected and unknown. For his job he tries out the la... Show more

For over 25 years, Nicolas Georgeault has been shaping ecosystems where human intelligence and AI work hand in hand. A Microsoft MVP (16 years) and Microsoft Certified Trainer (8 years), he supports organizations in capitalizing on their collective intelligence: information architectures, knowledge networks, and now Copilot and Power Platform agents serving business lines.
At AFI/Edgenda, he designs concrete adoption paths (no-code, low-code, pro-code), combining Microsoft 365, Copilot, Copilot Studio, Viva, Power Apps/Automate/BI and governance best practices (security, compliance, RAI). A speaker in Canada, Europe, and the United States, and co-facilitator of communities (GUM365 / M365 Community Days Montreal, Microsoft Global Community Initiative – Canada), he enjoys transforming meetings and conversations into actionable knowledge thanks to Viva and generative AI. Its hallmark: measurable results, agent-first approaches supervised by humans, and ultra-practical teaching methods that take the drama out of AI to deliver quickly — without sacrificing quality or governance.

For over 25 years, Nicolas Georgeault has been shaping ecosystems where human intelligence and AI work hand in hand. A Microsoft MVP (16 years) and Microsoft Certified Trainer (8 years), he supports organizations in capitalizing on their collective i... Show more

Nicole Enders lives and breathes Modern Work.

As a Microsoft MVP and Evangelist for Microsoft based Solutions, she turns cloud tech into real‑world impact - think Microsoft Teams makeovers and Power Platform magic.

For 15 + years she’s crafted collaboration experiences that stick, blending out‑of‑the‑box features with tailor‑made code until every social intranet or digital workplace feels like it was built just for you.

Catch Nicole on conference stages, in her books, or on her blog, where she shares hands‑on tips and a healthy dose of geeky enthusiasm.

Nicole Enders lives and breathes Modern Work. As a Microsoft MVP and Evangelist for Microsoft based Solutions, she turns cloud tech into real‑world impact - think Microsoft Teams makeovers and Power Platform magic. For 15 + years she’s crafted ... Show more