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

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

My mission is to enhance workplace productivity through technology. As the founder of a successful company since 1996, with 80 employees, my expertise in business processes significantly aids in the adoption of Microsoft365, especially Microsoft Teams and Copilot, among our clients. I have spearheaded adoption workshops for SMBs since Microsoft Teams' launch in 2017, leading to numerous successful projects. Additionally, I support other partners in Microsoft365 implementations and frequently speak at industry events, including Microsoft conferences and virtual summits, to share insights and promote digital transformation. Since 2020 I am a Microsoft MVP and MCT for Microsoft365.

My mission is to enhance workplace productivity through technology. As the founder of a successful company since 1996, with 80 employees, my expertise in business processes significantly aids in the adoption of Microsoft365, especially Microsoft Team... Show more

A developer, business owner, consultant, cloud architect, Microsoft Azure MVP and an online instructor, Mike Benkovich is an alumni of Microsoft from 2004 to 2012 where he helped build developer communities across the US, thru work on Microsoft Across America, MSDN Events, MSDN Webcasts, DPE and Channel 9. He's helped to create and grow developer conferences and user groups in various cities across the US. While at Microsoft he helped create the Azure Boot Camp events that were run in cities across the US and at PDC and TechEd before it was transferred to the community. In 2009 he started a Toastmaster club for Geeks called TechMasters in Minneapolis where we still grow speakers for Conferences. He's a LinkedIn Learning Instructor for Azure, have developed many online courses. Mike actively works in Azure Cloud Governance, DevOps, Application Architecture and Software Delivery consulting.

A developer, business owner, consultant, cloud architect, Microsoft Azure MVP and an online instructor, Mike Benkovich is an alumni of Microsoft from 2004 to 2012 where he helped build developer communities across the US, thru work on Microsoft Acros... Show more

Hi, I’m Michiel Hamers — a Principal Cloud Expert, Implementation Manager, Trainer, and former Microsoft MVP with over 25 years of experience in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Since 2000, I’ve been helping organizations successfully adopt and optimize Microsoft technologies, with a focus on Azure, cloud architecture, performance, and cost management. As a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) and experienced consultant, I bridge strategy and execution, guiding both public and private sector teams through complex technical transformations.

I regularly speak at international conferences such as Developer Week, PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit, Global Azure, AzConf Chennai, Azure Fest, DevConf APG, FutureTech, and Dutch Cloud Meetup. I’m passionate about delivering hands-on workshops and tailored in-company trainings, helping teams sharpen their Azure, automation, and application lifecycle skills.

My mission is clear: help people and organizations get the most out of the cloud — with control, clarity, and confidence. Whether coaching colleagues, giving workshops, or advising on cloud-native modernization, I combine deep technical knowledge with a pragmatic, people-focused approach.

When I’m not working, I enjoy life with Sandra — cooking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. For me, technology is about empowering people, not just systems.

Let’s connect and build something great together.

Hi, I’m Michiel Hamers — a Principal Cloud Expert, Implementation Manager, Trainer, and former Microsoft MVP with over 25 years of experience in the Microsoft ecosystem. Since 2000, I’ve been helping organizations successfully adopt and optimize M... Show more

Daniel Oh is a Java Champion and Senior Principal Developer Advocate at Red Hat, where he leads efforts to advance cloud-native innovation through open-source technologies. Renowned for his ability to bridge technical and collaborative gaps, he empowers developers and organizations to build transformative solutions—from AI-driven applications and serverless architectures to resilient microservices. As a CNCF Ambassador, Daniel actively shapes the cloud-native ecosystem, fostering partnerships between enterprise developers, AI engineers, and platform engineering teams to accelerate hybrid cloud adoption. His technical leadership extends beyond code contributions, as he mentors communities and champions strategies that enable businesses to thrive in evolving digital landscapes. A dynamic storyteller and educator, Daniel captivates global audiences through keynote speeches, workshops, and interactive sessions, where he demystifies emerging technologies and inspires the tech community to embrace the future of open-source innovation.

Daniel Oh is a Java Champion and Senior Principal Developer Advocate at Red Hat, where he leads efforts to advance cloud-native innovation through open-source technologies. Renowned for his ability to bridge technical and collaborative gaps, he empow... Show more

I’m Zoe Steinkamp, a Developer Advocate at ClickHouse, with a strong foundation in front-end software engineering. My mission is to empower developers by enhancing their experience with ClickHouse’s high-performance database and real-time analytics capabilities. I also have a growing interest in data science. In my spare time, I love to travel and tend to my garden. Let’s connect on LinkedIn—I’m eager to exchange insights and knowledge at both virtual and in-person events!

I’m Zoe Steinkamp, a Developer Advocate at ClickHouse, with a strong foundation in front-end software engineering. My mission is to empower developers by enhancing their experience with ClickHouse’s high-performance database and real-time analytics c... Show more

James works at Microsoft as a big data and data warehousing solution architect where he has been for most of the last ten years. He is a thought leader in the use and application of Big Data and advanced analytics, including data architectures such as the modern data warehouse, data lakehouse, data fabric, and data mesh. Previously he was an independent consultant working as a Data Warehouse/Business Intelligence architect and developer. He is a prior SQL Server MVP with nearly 40 years of IT experience. He is a popular blogger (JamesSerra.com) and speaker, having presented at dozens of major events including PASS Summit, SQLBits, Data Summit, SQLDay, Enterprise Data World conference, Big Data Conference Europe, SQL Saturdays, and Informatica World. He is the author of the book “Deciphering Data Architectures: Choosing Between a Modern Data Warehouse, Data Fabric, Data Lakehouse, and Data Mesh”.

James works at Microsoft as a big data and data warehousing solution architect where he has been for most of the last ten years. He is a thought leader in the use and application of Big Data and advanced analytics, including data architectures such ... Show more

Dwayne has been working as a Developer Relations professional since 2015 and has been involved in tech communities since 2005. He loves sharing his knowledge, and he has done so by giving talks at over a hundred events worldwide. Dwayne currently lives in Chicago. Outside of tech, he loves karaoke, live music, and performing improv.

Dwayne has been working as a Developer Relations professional since 2015 and has been involved in tech communities since 2005. He loves sharing his knowledge, and he has done so by giving talks at over a hundred events worldwide. Dwayne currently liv... Show more

I am a Senior Platform Engineer and Keynote Speaker with expertise in Kubernetes, CI/CD, and infrastructure as code.
I build internal platforms that developers love.
Beyond engineering, I’m a keynote and public speaker at global conferences including Devoxx London, KubeCon North America, and DevOpsDays NYC - speaking about developer experience and scaling infrastructure.
May the force be with you.

I am a Senior Platform Engineer and Keynote Speaker with expertise in Kubernetes, CI/CD, and infrastructure as code. I build internal platforms that developers love. Beyond engineering, I’m a keynote and public speaker at global conferences includi... Show more

Samir Makwana empowers enterprises and government agencies to harness the full power of Microsoft Cloud—and especially its cutting-edge AI stack—to build secure, value-driven businesses. With 17 years as a software developer, pre-sales engineer, and solution architect, he’s architected end-to-end IT transformations that blend security, automation, and collaboration.

A true AI evangelist, Samir designs PoCs and production systems leveraging Azure AI services (Cognitive Services, Azure OpenAI, Semantic Kernel), Copilot Studio, and Power Platform AI—applying deep prompt engineering, vector search/RAG patterns, and grounding techniques to deliver next-gen user experiences. He’s integrated generative AI agents into Office 365 and custom apps, automated workflows with Power Automate and Logic Apps, and secured data with Zero Trust and Microsoft Purview.

As Founder & Principal Architect of Cloudtrify Inc., Samir crafts both short- and long-term cloud-native and AI solutions that drive ROI, user adoption, and maintainability—always with responsible AI and compliance top-of-mind.

Samir Makwana empowers enterprises and government agencies to harness the full power of Microsoft Cloud—and especially its cutting-edge AI stack—to build secure, value-driven businesses. With 17 years as a software developer, pre-sales engineer, and ... Show more

Co-Author of 'Coaching for Learning; the Art and Practice' and 'Create Your Dojo; Upskilling Your Organization for Digital Evolution,' Joel helps organizations evolve through learning. This combines a blend of XP, agile, lean, devops and product thinking practices all to embrace learning in the context of work.
With deep experience in architecture modernization, blending product discovery with delivery and architecture, and systems thinking, Joel helps organizations make it easier for their teams to do great work.

Co-Author of 'Coaching for Learning; the Art and Practice' and 'Create Your Dojo; Upskilling Your Organization for Digital Evolution,' Joel helps organizations evolve through learning. This combines a blend of XP, agile, lean, devops and product thi... Show more

Meet our data pro and Microsoft Certified Power BI specialist! She’s all about turning raw data into cool, actionable insights. With her deep knowledge of Power BI's advanced features, she's famous for her creative and innovative reports that really make data pop. She is also one of the four Finalists of the Microsoft Power BI DataViz World Championships 2025.

As a Product Lead, she does it all- market research, testing, collaborating with teams, brainstorming new ideas, helping with marketing, and creating engaging content.

She’s also an engaging speaker and loves sharing her knowledge with the data community on her Medium blog, offering tips and best practices. Passionate about diversity and inclusion, she mentors aspiring pros, especially women, to help them reach their full potential in the data field.

When she’s not diving into data, she’s a proud Corgi paw parent who loves outdoor adventures and trying new foods as a dedicated foodie.

Meet our data pro and Microsoft Certified Power BI specialist! She’s all about turning raw data into cool, actionable insights. With her deep knowledge of Power BI's advanced features, she's famous for her creative and innovative reports that really ... Show more

Christoph's professional journey has been shaped by his experiences at a German insurance group, a mid-sized IT consulting firm specializing in Microsoft technologies, and Microsoft itself. His passion lies in digital transformation and its impact on individuals and businesses. For Christoph, the human aspect and their needs within the digital transformation space take precedence, along with the ever-evolving technological challenges.

He also enjoys challenging the status quo occasionally. There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for every customer. Daily reevaluation is essential to achieve the best outcomes, recognizing that each customer and project is unique and cannot be replicated exactly.

Christoph's professional journey has been shaped by his experiences at a German insurance group, a mid-sized IT consulting firm specializing in Microsoft technologies, and Microsoft itself. His passion lies in digital transformation and its impact on... Show more

Danica began her career as a software engineer in data visualization and warehousing with a business intelligence team where she served as a point-person for standards and best practices in data visualization across her company. In 2018, Danica moved to San Francisco and pivoted to backend engineering with a derivatives data team which was responsible for building and maintaining the infrastructure that processes millions of financial market data per second in near real-time. Her first project on this team involved Kafka Streams and Kafka Connect. From there, she immersed herself in the world of data streaming and found herself quite at home in the Apache Kafka and Apache Flink communities. She now leads the open source advocacy efforts at Snowflake, supporting Apache Iceberg and Apache Polaris (incubating).

Outside of work, Danica is passionate about sustainability, increasing diversity in the technical community, and keeping her many houseplants alive. She can be found on X (Bluesky and Mastodon), talking about tech, plants, and baking @TheDanicaFine.

Danica began her career as a software engineer in data visualization and warehousing with a business intelligence team where she served as a point-person for standards and best practices in data visualization across her company. In 2018, Danica moved... Show more

I'm Ivan Pesenti. A passionate gopher who has been working in the software industry since 2014.

I'm a software engineer focused on server-side programming. Throughout my career, I've always been accompanied by two obsessions: testing and writing secure code. I consider myself a detail-oriented person.

My career took a turning point in 2021 when the Go programming language crossed my path. Since then, I've fallen in love with it.

I believe in empathy, kindness, mutual help, growth, determination, and trust. These values have led me to give back to the community through speaking, coaching, writing, and more. Helping others is one of the most satisfying experiences I've ever had.

During my free time, I train my body, play football, watch anime, and hang out with family and friends.

One of my favorite quotes is: "Hard work beats talent."

I'm Ivan Pesenti. A passionate gopher who has been working in the software industry since 2014. I'm a software engineer focused on server-side programming. Throughout my career, I've always been accompanied by two obsessions: testing and writing s... Show more

Aicha Laafia, a Java software engineer with a love for coding, an interest in sustainability, and a commitment to empowering women in tech.

I am a Women Techmakers and Girls Code ambassador, an IAmRemarkable facilitator, a member of the Moroccan Association of Computing Science and part of Jetbrains Community Contributor program.

I focus on creating software with minimal environmental impact while mentoring and supporting women in technology.

When I’m not coding, I enjoy exploring delicious food, phone photography, and watching Formula 1.

Aicha Laafia, a Java software engineer with a love for coding, an interest in sustainability, and a commitment to empowering women in tech. I am a Women Techmakers and Girls Code ambassador, an IAmRemarkable facilitator, a member of the Moroccan A... Show more

Microsoft Bizz Apps MVP and seasoned technology leader with over 16 years of global experience designing and delivering intelligent solutions across diverse industries. As an AI Solutions Specialist and Power Platform Architect, Alex has been at the forefront of integrating Cognitive Services, developing enterprise-grade chatbots and Copilot solutions, and driving automation through RPA and low-code platforms. His expertise spans cloud architecture on Azure and Microsoft 365, with a strong focus on empowering organizations through innovation, scalability, and user-centric design. A passionate advocate for digital transformation, Alex combines technical excellence with a deep understanding of business needs to create impactful solutions that bridge people and technology.

AI Solutions Specialist / Cognitive Services Integration / ChatBots / Copilot / Power Platform Architect / RPA / Cloud Architect / Azure / M365

Microsoft Bizz Apps MVP and seasoned technology leader with over 16 years of global experience designing and delivering intelligent solutions across diverse industries. As an AI Solutions Specialist and Power Platform Architect, Alex has been at the ... 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

Nico Vermeir is an application architect at Inetum Belgium since 2010, where he has a strong focus on building and architecting modern applications.
Being a strong believer in the importance of communities he tries to share knowledge wherever he can, be it on Twitter, at a user group or conference. He has spoken on many international conferences such as NDC Oslo, NDC Sydney, NDC London, Swetugg, Build Stuff, DotNext.
Nico is a Microsoft MVP in Developer Technologies, crew member of Techorama BE and NL and crew member of VISUG, Belgium's largest .NET user group.

In his spare time he enjoys brewing (and tasting) beer, playing the guitar, riding his Harley-Davidson and doing Karate.

Nico Vermeir is an application architect at Inetum Belgium since 2010, where he has a strong focus on building and architecting modern applications. Being a strong believer in the importance of communities he tries to share knowledge wherever he ca... Show more

Mihail Mateev is an owner, Solution Architect, Senior Technical Evangelist at SoftProject, responsible for .Net, IoT and cloud solutions. Mihail currently works as a Senior Solution Architect at EPAM Systems. He also worked many years like a Technical evangelist in the Infragistics. Last years Mihail was focused on various areas related to technology Microsoft: Visual Studio , ASP.Net, Windows client apps, MS SQL Server and Microsoft Azure.

Mihail Mateev is an owner, Solution Architect, Senior Technical Evangelist at SoftProject, responsible for .Net, IoT and cloud solutions. Mihail currently works as a Senior Solution Architect at EPAM Systems. He also worked many years like a Techni... Show more

Hannes is a developer, a coach and a father of 3.

In .NET development, he has always had a passion for performance, databases, distributed systems and large scale applications. But most of all, he likes playing devil’s advocate in technical discussions by drawing the ‘it depends’ card.

As a coach, he is enthousiastic about knowledge sharing, personal growth and building careers. All this while keeping in mind that the pace needs to be sustainable.

In his free time, when he’s not building LEGO® castles with his kids, he likes to spend time building guitars, playing chess or poker, tasting whisky and doing all round geeky stuff.

You can occasionally find him on an afterparty stage at PubConf or with Dylan Beattie & the Linebreakers.

Hannes is a developer, a coach and a father of 3. In .NET development, he has always had a passion for performance, databases, distributed systems and large scale applications. But most of all, he likes playing devil’s advocate in technical discus... Show more

Chris Klug is a developer badass-as-a-service that either creates or solves problems depending on who you ask. He loves creating and building things. Whether it be a new application, a new kitchen or a new RC helicopter, you will see him building things all the time. Most of the time, that means writing code and solving problems for clients at a company called Active Solution in Stockholm though. Except for the many days he spends at conferences and usergroups, talking about doing things he is passionate about, and for the days he goes mountain biking, IPSC shooting, kiteboarding or RC helicopter flying.
For the last 15-something years, he has been solving problems for customers, and loving it. But if he gets to choose, he'll go to the beach and kitesurf every day!

Chris Klug is a developer badass-as-a-service that either creates or solves problems depending on who you ask. He loves creating and building things. Whether it be a new application, a new kitchen or a new RC helicopter, you will see him building thi... 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

Thomas "Tom" Martens has been awarded an MSFT Data Platform MVP and works as a Solution Architect at Munich Re (www.munichre.com). For 25+ years, Tom has delivered Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing, and Analytics solutions. He applies analytical methods to small and large amounts of data and then provides users with the Microsoft Fabric and Power BI Platform to tackle analytical challenges. Tom is a regular speaker at international conferences and user meetings and co-authors the book Pro DAX with Power BI.

Thomas "Tom" Martens has been awarded an MSFT Data Platform MVP and works as a Solution Architect at Munich Re (www.munichre.com). For 25+ years, Tom has delivered Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing, and Analytics solutions. He applies analytica... 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

Cortney is Head of Community at Nirmata. As a CNCF and Civo Ambassador, she helps co-organize the CNCF Bilbao Community, various Kubernetes Community Day events, and KubeJam. Additionally, she is a recognized voice in the cloud native space. Initially, a non-techie, she turned techie as employee 7 at a startup acquired by DataDog while writing content for the Data on Kubernetes Community. When not talking tech, you can find her talking DEI, sharing about her struggle with imposter syndrome, and trying to wrestle her kids to bed at a normal time.

Cortney is Head of Community at Nirmata. As a CNCF and Civo Ambassador, she helps co-organize the CNCF Bilbao Community, various Kubernetes Community Day events, and KubeJam. Additionally, she is a recognized voice in the cloud native space. Initiall... Show more

After twenty years in the consulting world, serving as a project manager and scrum master, I decided that I was getting too far away from the code and started taking on small freelance projects.

A few years later, I began working exclusively on my own, bringing the knowledge I gained from large companies in the country (and some international ones) to small and medium-sized businesses.

I fulfill roles as a trainer and developer in various stacks, as a Scrum Master, and even as a database architect, thanks to the experience I gained during my years in the consulting world.

I am co-organizer of GDG Ponferrada and Global AI Ponferrada

After twenty years in the consulting world, serving as a project manager and scrum master, I decided that I was getting too far away from the code and started taking on small freelance projects. A few years later, I began working exclusively on my... Show more

Thomas is presently serving as a Test Automation Architect. He leads a team of testers, ops engineers, and production support analysts in the adoption of DevOps practices. Previously, he led the enterprise automation support of 73 applications at Huntington National Bank that encompassed testing, metrics & reporting, and data management. Thomas has a background in Physics & Biophysics, with over a decade spent in research science studying fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy before joining IT.

Thomas is presently serving as a Test Automation Architect. He leads a team of testers, ops engineers, and production support analysts in the adoption of DevOps practices. Previously, he led the enterprise automation support of 73 applications at H... Show more

Juan Carlos is a Telecommunications Engineer with more than 22 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-founder and coordinator of the following users groups: the SharePoint Users Group of Spain (SUGES), the Cloud Computing Users Group (CLOUDES) and the Comunidad de Office 365. 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 SharePoint & Office 365 platforms in Spanish and English.

Juan Carlos is a Telecommunications Engineer with more than 22 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