Most Active Speakers 2024

Sessionize proudly presents the list of the most active speakers in the year 2024!

  • 1011 speakers
  • Auto-generated
Dylan Beattie

Dylan Beattie

Dylan Beattie is an independent consultant who has been building data-driven web applications since the 1990s. He’s managed teams, taught workshops, and worked on everything from tiny standalone websites to complex distributed systems. He’s a Microsoft MVP, and he regularly speaks at conferences and user groups all over the world.

Dylan is the creator of the Rockstar programming language, and the founder, vocalist and lead guitarist with The Linebreakers, the world's greatest nerd comedy classic rock disco alt punk covers band.

Dylan Beattie is an independent consultant who has been building data-driven web applications since the 1990s. He’s managed teams, taught workshops, and worked on everything from tiny standalone websites to complex distributed systems. He’s a Microso... Show more

Elkhan Yusubov

Elkhan Yusubov

Elkhan is a cloud architect, tech trainer, and mentor with experience in Microsoft Azure, AWS, IBM Cloud, and enterprise healthcare systems.
He is an active Microsoft MVP and MCT Regional Lead, a member of the Microsoft Tech Community, and an Azure SME (Architecture, DevOps, Security) - who is leading the cloud and infrastructure group at T-REX Solutions.

He is a community speaker and has volunteered for local and global events; Global Azure, Cloud Lunch and Learn, Azure Back to School, Azure Spring Clean, Festive Tech Calendar, Give Camps, Azure Data Fest, SQL Saturdays, Cyber Back to School, Come cloud with Us, and others.

Over the years, Elkhan proudly contributed to Microsoft Azure, Security, and HL7 FHIR communities to advance data interoperability, secure design, and help communities move forward.

Elkhan is a cloud architect, tech trainer, and mentor with experience in Microsoft Azure, AWS, IBM Cloud, and enterprise healthcare systems. He is an active Microsoft MVP and MCT Regional Lead, a member of the Microsoft Tech Community, and an Azure ... Show more

Johannes Bechberger

Johannes Bechberger

Johannes Bechberger is a JVM developer working on profilers and their underlying technology in the SapMachine team at SAP. This includes improvements to async-profiler and its ecosystem, a website to view the different JFR event types, and improvements to the FirefoxProfiler, making it usable in the Java world. His work today comprises many open-source contributions and his blog, where he regularly writes on in-depth profiling and debugging topics. He also works on hello-ebpf, the first eBPF library for Java. His most recent contribution is the new CPU Time Profiler in JDK 25.

Johannes Bechberger is a JVM developer working on profilers and their underlying technology in the SapMachine team at SAP. This includes improvements to async-profiler and its ecosystem, a website to view the different JFR event types, and improvemen... Show more

Dale Rodriguez

Dale Rodriguez

Dale Rodriguez is an experienced Solutions Engineer at Chainguard and a cybersecurity evangelist with a track record of helping clients eliminate open source security risks and meet compliance standards. Beyond his technical expertise, he is a passionate advocate for cybersecurity education, adeptly guiding security and IT professionals through best practices and the latest trends in the field.

Dale Rodriguez is an experienced Solutions Engineer at Chainguard and a cybersecurity evangelist with a track record of helping clients eliminate open source security risks and meet compliance standards. Beyond his technical expertise, he is a passio... Show more

Barbara Forbes

Barbara Forbes

Barbara Forbes is an Azure Architect & consultant at Zure in the Netherlands, a Microsoft Azure MVP, Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), and a GitHub Star. She works at the intersection of technology, strategy, education, and development. Her focus is on the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework, Generative AI, Infrastructure as Code, PowerShell, and GitHub.
Barbara loves explaining things in an accessible manner; in person, as a teacher for LinkedIn Learning and as a frequent speaker at conferences and user groups. She is actively involved in the tech community, including being part of the organization of European events

Barbara Forbes is an Azure Architect & consultant at Zure in the Netherlands, a Microsoft Azure MVP, Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), and a GitHub Star. She works at the intersection of technology, strategy, education, and development. Her focus is... Show more

Mary Grygleski

Mary Grygleski

Mary is a Technical Solutions Architect and Advocate in the Emerging Technology area. She started as an engineer in Unix/C, then transitioned to Java around 2000 and has never looked back since then. After 20+ years of being a software engineer and technical architect, she discovered her true passion in developer and customer advocacy. Most recently she has serviced companies of various sizes such as IBM, US Cellular, Bank of America, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, in topic areas that included Java, GenAI, Streaming systems, Open source, Cloud and Distributed messaging systems. She is also a very active tech community leader outside of her day job. She is the President of the Chicago Java Users Group (CJUG), and the Chicago Organizer of the AI Collective Chicago Chapter.

Mary is a Technical Solutions Architect and Advocate in the Emerging Technology area. She started as an engineer in Unix/C, then transitioned to Java around 2000 and has never looked back since then. After 20+ years of being a software engineer and... Show more

Ricardo Rincon

Ricardo Rincon

I have a degree in computer science, a passion for modeling and data analysis with Power BI, 13 years of experience in BI and 9 years with Power BI, and my entire career working with data and business metrics.

I have a degree in computer science, a passion for modeling and data analysis with Power BI, 13 years of experience in BI and 9 years with Power BI, and my entire career working with data and business metrics. Show more

Lewis Prince

Lewis Prince

Senior AI Engineer and international speaker, Lewis Prince specializes in building scalable AI solutions and predictive models that deliver real-world impact. He is known for his ability to simplify complex AI concepts and inspire organizations to innovate with confidence.

Senior AI Engineer and international speaker, Lewis Prince specializes in building scalable AI solutions and predictive models that deliver real-world impact. He is known for his ability to simplify complex AI concepts and inspire organizations to in... Show more

Shari Oswald

Shari Oswald

They call me Shortcut Shari...Why? I believe we should all work smarter, not harder and I love keyboards shortcuts. I've been using SharePoint since before it was even called SharePoint and I'm excited to share my knowledge and expertise who are as excited as technology as I am. I know stuff and I love to SHARE it!

My focus is the "People Side of Change". As a Microsoft 365 Solutions Architect and Consultant that grew up right along with SharePoint, my practical knowledge of the Microsoft Productivity stack coupled with my passion for empowerment via learning makes me an excellent resource as a consultant and evangelist for Microsoft 365. My philosophies for information architecture and SharePoint design are centered on solving business challenges with technology and ensuring usability and adoption for the organization.

As for my experience, I'm a Microsoft Certified Trainer, a Microsoft Certified Specialist Master, consultant, presenter, author and evangelist. When I'm not architecting SharePoint magic as a consultant, I'm in the classroom or creating online learning for LinkedIN Learning, ClipTraining.com and Pluralsight. Join me for my sessions, I promise they will not only be informative, but they will also be FUN!

They call me Shortcut Shari...Why? I believe we should all work smarter, not harder and I love keyboards shortcuts. I've been using SharePoint since before it was even called SharePoint and I'm excited to share my knowledge and expertise who are as ... Show more

William Huneycutt

William Huneycutt

Enterprise Collaboration Specialist based in Charlotte, North Carolina, I help organizations leverage the full potential of Microsoft 365 to boost productivity and collaboration.

My area of expertise includes Microsoft Copilot, Teams, SharePoint, Power Apps, and Power Automate. I’ve been recognized as a Microsoft MVP since 2017 for my contributions to the community.

I co-host the monthly YouTube series, 365 Deep Dive, which explores every aspect of Microsoft 365.

As a community speaker, I share my knowledge and insights on Microsoft 365. To stay updated on my work and insights, follow me on LinkedIn or Bluesky.

Enterprise Collaboration Specialist based in Charlotte, North Carolina, I help organizations leverage the full potential of Microsoft 365 to boost productivity and collaboration. My area of expertise includes Microsoft Copilot, Teams, SharePoint, ... Show more

David Martinez

David Martinez

Hi! I'm David. Sometimes a speaker, sometimes a listener, and always interested in web technologies. I work on complex projects involving anything related to PHP and JavaScript.

Also, I am a co-organizer of GDG Ponferrada and Global AI Ponferrada.

Hi! I'm David. Sometimes a speaker, sometimes a listener, and always interested in web technologies. I work on complex projects involving anything related to PHP and JavaScript. Also, I am a co-organizer of GDG Ponferrada and Global AI Ponferrada. Show more

Cortney Nickerson

Cortney Nickerson

Cortney Nickerson is the Head of Community at Nirmata and a CNCF Ambassador. She is highly active in the cloud native community, co-organizing the CNCF Bilbao Community and various Kubernetes Community Days, serving on the State of OpenCon Advisory Board, and co-hosting the "Code to Culture Platform Engineering Podcast" and "PolicyBytes" podcast.

A recognized speaker at international events, Cortney transitioned from a non-technical background to tech as an early employee (#7) at a startup later acquired by DataDog, where she wrote content for the Data on Kubernetes Community.

Beyond technology, she is a vocal advocate for DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and openly shares her experiences with imposter syndrome. On a personal note, she's also a parent navigating the challenge of getting her kids to bed on time.

Cortney Nickerson is the Head of Community at Nirmata and a CNCF Ambassador. She is highly active in the cloud native community, co-organizing the CNCF Bilbao Community and various Kubernetes Community Days, serving on the State of OpenCon Advisory B... Show more

Sergey Chubarov

Sergey Chubarov

Sergey Chubarov is a Security and Cloud Expert with over 15 years of extensive experience in Microsoft technologies. As an instructor, Sergey is dedicated to guiding companies through the complexities of securely adopting cloud solutions. His consulting experience spans both the red and blue sides.

Certifications and recognitions include Microsoft MVP: Cloud Security, OSCP, OSEP, MCT, MCT Community Lead, EC Council CPENT & LPT, CREST CPSA & CRT, and many more.

Frequent Speaker at Prestigious Conferences: Black Hat, Hacker Halted, DEF CON, Wild West Hackin' Fest, Workplace Ninja Summit, Midwest Management Summit, and many others.

Prefers live demos and cyberattacks simulations.

Sergey Chubarov is a Security and Cloud Expert with over 15 years of extensive experience in Microsoft technologies. As an instructor, Sergey is dedicated to guiding companies through the complexities of securely adopting cloud solutions. His consult... Show more

Norm Young

Norm Young

Norm Young is a Power Platform Solution Architect at AvePoint. He is a 6-time Microsoft MVP with a focus on building collaborative solutions using SharePoint, Microsoft Teams and the Power Platform.

Norm blogs and speaks about Microsoft 365, the Power Platform and how they are better together and with a little bit of help from the community we can all do awesome things with technology.

Norm Young is a Power Platform Solution Architect at AvePoint. He is a 6-time Microsoft MVP with a focus on building collaborative solutions using SharePoint, Microsoft Teams and the Power Platform. Norm blogs and speaks about Microsoft 365, the P... Show more

Alyssa Nicoll

Alyssa Nicoll

Alyssa is an Senior Developer Advocate for Progress and a Google Developer Expert for Angular. She has spoken at over 50 conferences locally and internationally. She is the host of the Angular Air podcast and emcees ng-conf as well as Monorepo World. She enjoys gaming, scuba diving, and has a little one that fondly goes by "Mr. Milks".

Alyssa is an Senior Developer Advocate for Progress and a Google Developer Expert for Angular. She has spoken at over 50 conferences locally and internationally. She is the host of the Angular Air podcast and emcees ng-conf as well as Monorepo World.... Show more

Joe Griffin

Joe Griffin

Joe Griffin is CEO of proMX UK Limited, a Microsoft Inner Circle partner within the proMX group of companies. As a holder of over 40+ Microsoft technical certifications covering the entire Microsoft cloud stack, including Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Microsoft Azure, Artificial Intelligence and more, Joe is a seasoned professional, technical architect and trainer, with a passion for implementing effective technology solutions. Joe's experience covers a variety of industries, including energy, managed services, retail, print & direct mail and the UK utility sector. Joe has been a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) since 2020, and contributes regularly at conferences and user groups across the globe. When Joe is not working, he enjoys reading, learning about history, walking, video games and catching up with the latest film and TV shows.

Joe Griffin is CEO of proMX UK Limited, a Microsoft Inner Circle partner within the proMX group of companies. As a holder of over 40+ Microsoft technical certifications covering the entire Microsoft cloud stack, including Dynamics 365, Power Platform... Show more

Peter Zaitsev

Peter Zaitsev

Peter Zaitsev is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Percona, Coroot and other tech companies. As one of the leading experts in Open Source strategy and database optimization, Peter has applied his technical knowledge and entrepreneurial drive to contribute as a board member and advisor to several open source startups. Additionally, Peter is the co-author of the book "High Performance MySQL: Optimization, Backup and Replication," one of the most popular books on MySQL performance.

Peter Zaitsev is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Percona, Coroot and other tech companies. As one of the leading experts in Open Source strategy and database optimization, Peter has applied his technical knowledge and entrepreneurial drive to contr... Show more

Barret Blake

Barret Blake

Microsoft MVP, husband, father, speaker, mentor, writer, architect@NimblePros, developer, former manager, gamer, LEGO enthusiast, Buckeyes fan, model railroader. When I'm not doing all that other stuff I also occasionally develop applications. Find links to my previous speaking, podcasts and sessions at my website: https://barretblake.dev

Microsoft MVP, husband, father, speaker, mentor, writer, architect@NimblePros, developer, former manager, gamer, LEGO enthusiast, Buckeyes fan, model railroader. When I'm not doing all that other stuff I also occasionally develop applications. Find l... Show more

Clarissa Rodrigues

Clarissa Rodrigues

Clarissa Rodrigues is graduated by University of Vale dos Sinos (UNISINOS), specialist in Software Engineering by Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and master student in Applied Computing by UNISINOS. With more than 10 years of IT experience, she has been working in different roles and companies, such as a Business Analyst at SISPRO, ADP, SAP and most current Technical Quality & Program Manager at Uber. On her journey, she has been advocated for quality inside QAs work to make sure goods and services are designed, developed, and made to meet or exceed customers’ expectations and requirements.

Clarissa Rodrigues is graduated by University of Vale dos Sinos (UNISINOS), specialist in Software Engineering by Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and master student in Applied Computing by UNISINOS. With more than 10 years of IT exper... Show more

Ivar Grimstad

Ivar Grimstad

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

Håkan Silfvernagel

Håkan Silfvernagel

Håkan holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational behavior. He has also taken courses on university level in psychology, interaction design and human-computer interaction. He has 25 years’ experience of software development in various positions such as developer, tester, architect, project manager, scrum master, practice manager and team lead.

Håkan is Chairman of the Norwegian .NET User Group Oslo (NNUG) and is active as an Ambassador for Oslo AI, the local chapter for the global City.AI community. In addition, he is the co-founder of AI42, an online school for learning about AI and Data Science and the Azure User Group Sweden, a meetup focused on Azure.

Håkan is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in AI, a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) and a MCT Community Lead.

Currently Håkan is working as an AI Evangelist at Sopra Steria.

Håkan holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational behavior. He has also taken courses on university level in psychology, interaction design and human-computer interaction. He has 2... Show more

Clément Serafin

Clément Serafin

I am Clément SERAFIN, architect and MVP on Microsoft 365.
Specialized in tenant 365 migrations during merge & acquisitions, I currently advise companies on several areas of Microsoft 365:
– Entra ID (Security, IAM)
– Teams (Call center, Teams Premium, Mesh)
– Exchange Online / Hybrid (Migration, Security)
– Copilot 365
– Defender for Office 365
– PowerShell advanced automation (Graph, Xaml Gui)

I am Clément SERAFIN, architect and MVP on Microsoft 365. Specialized in tenant 365 migrations during merge & acquisitions, I currently advise companies on several areas of Microsoft 365: – Entra ID (Security, IAM) – Teams (Call center, Teams Prem... Show more

Shivay Lamba

Shivay Lamba

Shivay Lamba is a software developer specializing in DevOps, Machine Learning and Full Stack Development.

He is an Open Source Enthusiast and has been part of various programs like Google Code In and Google Summer of Code as a Mentor and is currently a MLH Fellow. He has also worked at organizations like Amazon, EY, Genpact. He is a Tensorflow.JS SIG member and community lead from India.

Shivay Lamba is a software developer specializing in DevOps, Machine Learning and Full Stack Development. He is an Open Source Enthusiast and has been part of various programs like Google Code In and Google Summer of Code as a Mentor and is curre... Show more

Valerie Junk

Valerie Junk

Hi there. I am Valerie Junk.
I am passionate about creating insights from data and designing dashboards using Power BI. With my expertise in data analytics and visualization, I support companies in developing effective data-driven strategies that yield results and take the business to the next level.
Microsoft Data Platform MVP

Hi there. I am Valerie Junk. I am passionate about creating insights from data and designing dashboards using Power BI. With my expertise in data analytics and visualization, I support companies in developing effective data-driven strategies that y... Show more

Eickhel Mendoza

Eickhel Mendoza

Eickhel Mendoza is a Microsoft Business Applications MVP with extensive experience in project management, Microsoft Azure development, and Microsoft Power Platform technologies. He is also the author of the Power Apps Cookbook.

He manages the Business Apps, Data & AI department, overseeing all Microsoft 365 and Power Platform projects. Eickhel has made valuable contributions to significant community events such as the Power Platform Community Conference, Global Azure Bootcamp, Microsoft 365 Developer Bootcamp, and Dynamics 365 Saturdays.

He also coordinates the Power Platform Canarias user group, where like-minded developers come together to share knowledge in various areas. In addition, Eickhel is a member of the Bizz Summit Spain organizing committee.

Eickhel Mendoza is a Microsoft Business Applications MVP with extensive experience in project management, Microsoft Azure development, and Microsoft Power Platform technologies. He is also the author of the Power Apps Cookbook. He manages the Busi... Show more

Erissa Duvall

Erissa Duvall

Everyone has their niche in the world where they find the most joy and fulfillment. For me that has become Accessibility. Some of my experience comes from my personal ordeals I have gone through as I have steadily learned more about what makes my brain tick and what makes my joints throw a temper tantrum. My professional experience has helped me along the way because it is where I learned just how diverse the options were for accommodations, treatment, and more.

I was initially thrown into the deep end during my amazing journey with the American Printing House for the Blind's Internal IT department. I gained insight to some of the struggles caused when environments, processes, technology, and attitudes are not accessible. However, I also experienced great joy every time I managed to help make someone's day easier by helping them be more independent and confident in themselves. Since then, I have held many other Accessibility related roles and made it my mission to spread Accessibility awareness. I've done so through by improving Code Louisville's Accessibility policies and coursework as a mentor, speaking at domestic & international events, providing support online, and so much more. I plan to continue to do what I can for as long as I am able.

Everyone has their niche in the world where they find the most joy and fulfillment. For me that has become Accessibility. Some of my experience comes from my personal ordeals I have gone through as I have steadily learned more about what makes my bra... Show more

Juan Carlos González Martín

Juan Carlos González Martín

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

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

Fabio Bonolo

Fabio Bonolo

🚀 #FutureofModernWork - The future starts now!

👋🏻 Ciao! I'm Fabio, Microsoft MVP in the M365 Copilot category, Teamleader Productivity at redIT Switzerland, speaker and passionate community enthusiast with a clear goal: empowering people to actively shape the future of work with Microsoft 365 and Copilot. ✨

🎯 My mission
I support my network with practical insights and valuable knowledge about Microsoft 365 Copilot - so that you can extend your digital knowledge. It's not just about technology. It's about empowerment. Perspectives. The future. 🎯

🚀 #FutureofModernWork - The future starts now! 👋🏻 Ciao! I'm Fabio, Microsoft MVP in the M365 Copilot category, Teamleader Productivity at redIT Switzerland, speaker and passionate community enthusiast with a clear goal: empowering people to act... Show more

Isabelle Van Campenhoudt

Isabelle Van Campenhoudt

Isabelle Van Campenhoudt is a seasoned Microsoft Data Platform architect with thirteen years as an MVP in Data Platform, bringing over two decades of experience in data management. Based in Belgium, her expertise spans Business Intelligence and Database Administration.
Isabelle is a prolific trainer, speaker, and consultant, engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders including developers for BI solutions, architecture and performance design teams, infrastructure personnel, and business users. She has also served as a faculty member at EPHEC, Brussels, teaching in the Bachelor of Computer Science program.
An active contributor to the technical community, Isabelle co-founded the Global Francophone V-Chapter in 2015 and has held the vice presidency of the Club Power BI user group in Paris for multiple years. She organizes various professional gatherings such as meetups, master classes, Power Saturday, and other significant conferences.
Isabelle is a frequent guest speaker at international conferences, driven by her passion for knowledge sharing. Alongside fellow MVP Serge Luca, she co-founded Power Platform Associates, further solidifying her deep engagement with the entire Power Platform ecosystem.

Isabelle Van Campenhoudt is a seasoned Microsoft Data Platform architect with thirteen years as an MVP in Data Platform, bringing over two decades of experience in data management. Based in Belgium, her expertise spans Business Intelligence and Datab... Show more

Ron Dagdag

Ron Dagdag

Ron Dagdag brings over 25 years of experience as a software artisan to his role as Research Engineering Manager at Thomson Reuters, where he leads teams to develop transformative AI solutions. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Ron is an active member of the tech community, recognized as a Microsoft MVP in AI, Mixed Reality, and IoT. Ron is an international speaker, sharing his knowledge at industry events, and remains an active maker and tinkerer with a passion for Augmented Intelligence.
🚀 Code > Create > Coach > Repeat.

Ron Dagdag brings over 25 years of experience as a software artisan to his role as Research Engineering Manager at Thomson Reuters, where he leads teams to develop transformative AI solutions. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Ron is ... Show more

Please note that Sessionize is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the data provided by speakers.

Most Active Speakers 2024

Every year, we put together a list of the most active speakers. This list features the top 3% of speakers who have participated in events using Sessionize during the 2024.

The 3% is calculated from the pool of all speakers that have at least one accepted session in year 2024. We don't include inactive speakers or speakers that had no accepted sessions during the year. There are around 38,000 unique accepted speakers this year, the 3% is 1036. Not all of them have their speaker profiles set as public, and we respect that, so the list doesn't show all of them.

The calculation is based on the number of accepted events, that's the main criteria, but to get more refined results we also look at things like multiple sessions per event, sharing a session with a co-speaker and how big the event is. Number of submissions and declined sessions don't affect the list.

Please note that the count of events and sessions in this list does not represent the number of events and sessions from the year 2024. Instead, it shows the number of events and sessions featured on the speaker's public speaker profile; these numbers have nothing to do with the award itself.