Uwe Ricken has been working with IT systems since the early 1990s, with a deep focus on Microsoft SQL Server starting from his work on Membership Software for the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany - later rolled out across five European countries. His passion for SQL Server took off in 2007 when he joined Deutsche Bank AG as a database administrator, gaining hands-on experience in high-performance, enterprise-scale environments.

With over three decades of experience in database development and operations, Uwe earned the prestigious "Microsoft Certified Master – SQL Server 2008", the highest technical certification at the time. In 2013, he was honored with his first "Microsoft MVP Award" for his contributions to the SQL Server community across Germany and Europe.

Since 2010, Uwe has been sharing his expertise through his blog https://sqlmaster.de, offering deep dives into SQL Server internals, performance tuning, and real-world troubleshooting.

A regular speaker at international conferences and user groups, Uwe’s sessions focus on Database Internals, Indexing Strategies and Advanced SQL Development - always with a practical, performance-driven mindset.

Uwe Ricken has been working with IT systems since the early 1990s, with a deep focus on Microsoft SQL Server starting from his work on Membership Software for the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany - later rolled out across five European countri... Show more

💫🙆🏻‍♀️ Founder @ Stratadom
🎨📊 Data visualization and AI training
🧑‍🏫🤖 IA/ML Instructor @ LinkedIn Learning
🏅💻 Microsoft MVP Data Platform & AI Platform

I trust the power of data and persuasive communication.

Data visualization services: www.uxforpowerbi.com
More info: www.stratadom.com

💫🙆🏻‍♀️ Founder @ Stratadom 🎨📊 Data visualization and AI training 🧑‍🏫🤖 IA/ML Instructor @ LinkedIn Learning 🏅💻 Microsoft MVP Data Platform & AI Platform I trust the power of data and persuasive communication. Data visualization ser... 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

Community leader and CNCF ambassador, Alessandro has spent the last few years building cloud native infrastructures for Microsoft customers, animating the Dutch community, and training others to pass the CKx exams. He has passion for all things cloud native, he's been around open source for 25 years and recently moved to a new Developer Relations role. Twitter handle: @bongo

Community leader and CNCF ambassador, Alessandro has spent the last few years building cloud native infrastructures for Microsoft customers, animating the Dutch community, and training others to pass the CKx exams. He has passion for all things cloud... Show more

Sandra is a Microsoft MVP, speaker, and entrepreneur driven by one question: how can digital work feel more intuitive, motivating, and human? As founder of a company rooted in gaming and interactive experiences, she brings game thinking into the Microsoft ecosystem—from Microsoft 365 and Copilot experiences to Business applications and Collaboration workflows. Sandra translates proven game UX patterns into adoption-friendly solutions that help people navigate complexity with confidence.

Beyond technology, Sandra is a passionate community builder. She actively creates spaces where people connect, learn, and grow and she is especially committed to helping new speakers find their voice. Because her own speaker journey started late, she knows how intimidating the stage can feel. As a woman in tech, she also understands what it takes to be seen and taken seriously, and she mentors others to step forward, build confidence, and shape their own path in the community.

Sandra is a Microsoft MVP, speaker, and entrepreneur driven by one question: how can digital work feel more intuitive, motivating, and human? As founder of a company rooted in gaming and interactive experiences, she brings game thinking into the Micr... Show more

Ram Iyengar is an engineer by practice and an educator at heart. He was (cf) pushed into technology evangelism along his journey as a developer and hasn’t looked back since! He enjoys helping engineering teams around the world discover new and creative ways to work. He is a proponent of community-first product development.

Ram Iyengar is an engineer by practice and an educator at heart. He was (cf) pushed into technology evangelism along his journey as a developer and hasn’t looked back since! He enjoys helping engineering teams around the world discover new and creati... Show more

David is the Director of Architecture for NewDay, and the founder of Electric Head Software. Focusing on iterative software delivery, developer mentoring and cultural change - mostly working with London-based organisations.

He speaks about software design, culture, and ethics in technology - rounded out by an assortment of talks about software that probably doesn't need to exist but makes the world a little more fun. David has previously served as the chief coding technical architect for JustGiving and helped market-leading organisations including JUST-EAT, Trainline and Vodafone improve their technical capabilities.

David is a Microsoft MVP, has been part of the OpenUK Honours list for open-source advocacy, and is a twice bestselling author of children's books about programming.

You can find his open-source projects on NuGet, npm and GitHub, follow him on Twitter @david_whitney, or check out his technical blog at http://www.davidwhitney.co.uk/Blog.

http://www.electricheadsoftware.com
http://www.davidwhitney.co.uk

David is the Director of Architecture for NewDay, and the founder of Electric Head Software. Focusing on iterative software delivery, developer mentoring and cultural change - mostly working with London-based organisations. He speaks about softwar... Show more

Henk is a Cloud Advocate specializing in Artificial intelligence and Azure with a background in application development. He is currently part of the AI cloud advocate team and based in the Netherlands. Before joining Microsoft, he was a Microsoft AI MVP and worked as a software developer and architect building lots of AI powered platforms on Azure.

Henk is a Cloud Advocate specializing in Artificial intelligence and Azure with a background in application development. He is currently part of the AI cloud advocate team and based in the Netherlands. Before joining Microsoft, he was a Microsoft AI ... 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

Microsoft MVP since 2007.

Mediocre runner, average coder, good speaker, excellent trainer.

Most importantly, I enable others to build remarkable things on the Power Platform and Azure with code both high and low.

If you cannot find me online committing code to GitHub, tipping on https://crmtipoftheday.com, or talking on https://crm.audio, it must be a rare occasion when I run, spend time with the family, or travel from A to B.

Microsoft MVP since 2007. Mediocre runner, average coder, good speaker, excellent trainer. Most importantly, I enable others to build remarkable things on the Power Platform and Azure with code both high and low. If you cannot find me onlin... Show more

Your friendly neighbourhood Data Engineer. My background is in Finance, but I have had the pleasure to be working in IT for the past 8 or so years. In my daily life, I design and build scalable data solutions in the Azure cloud.

Your friendly neighbourhood Data Engineer. My background is in Finance, but I have had the pleasure to be working in IT for the past 8 or so years. In my daily life, I design and build scalable data solutions in the Azure cloud. Show more

Data enthusiast on a mission to make cost effective data platforms accessible to all while navigating the whims of an ADHD-powered mind – it's a bit like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle, but he makes it work!

Data enthusiast on a mission to make cost effective data platforms accessible to all while navigating the whims of an ADHD-powered mind – it's a bit like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle, but he makes it work! Show more

Ramona is a software engineer, Microsoft MVP and public speaker with a passion for creating inclusive and accessible applications. She likes to spread awareness about this topic and hopes to inspire people both in her daily work and by taking the stage whenever she gets the chance.

Ramona is a software engineer, Microsoft MVP and public speaker with a passion for creating inclusive and accessible applications. She likes to spread awareness about this topic and hopes to inspire people both in her daily work and by taking the sta... Show more

I'm an agile coach and a former developer, and also a speaker to share my discoveries on introversion, communication, as well as the importance of gentleness and kindness in teams.

I'm an agile coach and a former developer, and also a speaker to share my discoveries on introversion, communication, as well as the importance of gentleness and kindness in teams. Show more

Louis, also known as drsql (despite the lack of any post-graduate education) is a database design fanatic and has been for over 25 years when he started writing his first book on the topic. He has been a blogger, writer, editor, speaker, and champion of the idea that if you start any project with a firm foundation, it will serve you well for years and years. You can find out more on his website at drsql.link.

Louis, also known as drsql (despite the lack of any post-graduate education) is a database design fanatic and has been for over 25 years when he started writing his first book on the topic. He has been a blogger, writer, editor, speaker, and champion... Show more

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

Brian McKeiver is Co-Owner at BizStream, digital agency in Allendale, MI. At BizStream he is a solution architect, visionary, dual Microsoft Azure MVP (Azure AI and Azure PaaS), Kentico MVP, and Kontent.ai MVP. He has over 24 years of experience leading his agency of more than 40 employees, about a hundred clients spread out across North America, and one heck of an interesting story of how it all started from a two-person team. In addition to his expertise in web development, cloud, integration, and digital marketing, Brian is active with the tech community via his blog at Mcbeev.com.

Brian McKeiver is Co-Owner at BizStream, digital agency in Allendale, MI. At BizStream he is a solution architect, visionary, dual Microsoft Azure MVP (Azure AI and Azure PaaS), Kentico MVP, and Kontent.ai MVP. He has over 24 years of experience lead... Show more

Alex Riviere is a Senior Front End Developer for Hygiena and a Co-Organizer for the Atlanta Vue.js Meetup.

Alex Riviere is a Senior Front End Developer for Hygiena and a Co-Organizer for the Atlanta Vue.js Meetup. Show more

I'm a lifelong learner with a passion for creative problem-solving. I share my expertise and insights with the data community through talks, video content, and bringing people together with the DATA:Scotland event.

I'm a lifelong learner with a passion for creative problem-solving. I share my expertise and insights with the data community through talks, video content, and bringing people together with the DATA:Scotland event. Show more

Chris “Woody” Woodruff has spent more than 25 years making complex software simpler. A Microsoft MVP in .NET and Web Development (first awarded 2008, re-awarded 2025) and a director on the .NET Foundation board, he has architected distributed systems for companies from startups to Rocket Mortgage, served as a software forensics expert witness, and taught thousands of developers through 50+ conference talks across North America and Europe.

He is the author of ASP.NET Core Reimagined with htmx and is writing a second book on network programming with C# and .NET. He co-hosts The Breakpoint Show podcast and publishes The Simplicity-First Review, a newsletter on architecture judgment in the age of AI.

Today, Woody works as a fractional architect and leads the emerging practice of Agentic Relations™, helping companies make their APIs, documentation, and SDKs legible to AI coding agents like Claude, Copilot, and Cursor. His thesis is constant across all of it: as AI writes more of the world’s software, the scarce skill is knowing what not to build. He lives in West Michigan and takes his bourbon neat

Chris “Woody” Woodruff has spent more than 25 years making complex software simpler. A Microsoft MVP in .NET and Web Development (first awarded 2008, re-awarded 2025) and a director on the .NET Foundation board, he has architected distributed systems... 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

Massimo Bonanni is a Senior Technical Trainer, international speaker, and community leader passionate about Azure and developer technologies. A six-time Microsoft MVP in Windows and Developer Tools, as well as an Intel Black Belt and Software Innovator, he has delivered more than 200 technical sessions over the last decade. He loves turning complex topics into clear, practical, and engaging learning experiences — ideally with demos, real-world examples, and at least one nerdy joke. When he is off stage, you will likely find him reading or building LEGO sets.

Massimo Bonanni is a Senior Technical Trainer, international speaker, and community leader passionate about Azure and developer technologies. A six-time Microsoft MVP in Windows and Developer Tools, as well as an Intel Black Belt and Software Innovat... 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

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

Jacob Duijzer is an Engineering Manager at BIMcollab with 25+ years of experience in software engineering and technology leadership. He works at the intersection of engineering excellence, reliability, and team effectiveness, with a strong focus on DevOps transformation, platform leadership, and practical adoption of SRE and chaos engineering practices.

Over the years, Jacob has helped organizations improve how teams deliver and learn, including large scale transformations across multiple teams. He regularly shares practical lessons through talks and workshops on topics such as Team Topologies, Domain-Driven Design, fast flow, and resilient cloud-native systems.

Known for his grounded and hands-on style, Jacob translates complex ideas into clear steps teams can apply right away, helping technical audiences move from theory to measurable improvement.

Jacob Duijzer is an Engineering Manager at BIMcollab with 25+ years of experience in software engineering and technology leadership. He works at the intersection of engineering excellence, reliability, and team effectiveness, with a strong focus on D... Show more

Microsoft 365 advisor
Cybersecurity Architect

Microsoft 365 advisor Cybersecurity Architect 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

I am a data lover, especially in the ecosystem of Microsoft tools. I primarily focus on Power BI, Azure Synapse, and Azure SQL. In general, I follow a very simple motto.

"Don´t say it cannot be done, or someone who doesn´t know it will come and do it."

I am a co-founder and a Lead Technical Consultant at DataBrothers. We are Power BI experts and consultants with a focus on data analysis, reporting, and training in Power BI. We work with our clients across the globe on developing custom solutions and training their users on all levels (from business to development).

I am a data lover, especially in the ecosystem of Microsoft tools. I primarily focus on Power BI, Azure Synapse, and Azure SQL. In general, I follow a very simple motto. "Don´t say it cannot be done, or someone who doesn´t know it will come and do... 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

Johan Persson has worked as a consultant for more than 20 years and is at the moment employed as a Senior Technical Specialist at Engage Group. He is co-hosting three Swedish podcasts: ”En Liten Podd om IT”, "Dynamicspodden" and ”The Nerd Herd”. His main area of expertise is infrastructure but also works a lot with Microsoft Dynamics.

Johan Persson has worked as a consultant for more than 20 years and is at the moment employed as a Senior Technical Specialist at Engage Group. He is co-hosting three Swedish podcasts: ”En Liten Podd om IT”, "Dynamicspodden" and ”The Nerd Herd”. His ... Show more