Torsten Strauß (MVP) is the CEO of inside-sqlserver and Principal Microsoft SQL Consultant at Sarpedon Quality Lab. He is a multi-certified Microsoft expert with a strong focus on Azure DevOps, SQL Server performance optimization, and the development of scalable SQL Server and Azure SQL solutions.
Torsten has delivered more than 330 technical sessions at national and international conferences and user groups. Since 2018, he has been recognized annually as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for Data Platform — and since 2025 also for Developer Technologies. He is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and has been listed among Sessionize’s Top Speakers for three consecutive years.

Torsten Strauß (MVP) is the CEO of inside-sqlserver and Principal Microsoft SQL Consultant at Sarpedon Quality Lab. He is a multi-certified Microsoft expert with a strong focus on Azure DevOps, SQL Server performance optimization, and the development... Show more

I have 7 yrs of experience in IT world and 2 years as a Data Architect in Azure.
I am a MSFT Data MVP and part of MSFT Community champion team in Data sector :
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/users/nandanhegde-7720/

And author of the blog: https://datasharkx.wordpress.com/

I have 7 yrs of experience in IT world and 2 years as a Data Architect in Azure. I am a MSFT Data MVP and part of MSFT Community champion team in Data sector : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/users/nandanhegde-7720/ And author of the blog: ht... Show more

They have a solid background in network and security, showcasing their expertise through certifications in Microsoft 365, Azure, and Veeam Software since 2017. As a Technical storyteller at Veeam Software in the office of the CTO, they focus on Microsoft 365 and Backup Technologies, engaging with industry peers and contributing to product development through insightful feedback. They are also a Knox County Career Center instructor, certified MCT, and Microsoft MVP. They teach various IT subjects, including CompTIA certifications and Microsoft Azure fundamentals, emphasizing practical, hands-on learning. Additionally, their work with the Board of Education involves collaborating on curriculum development and integrating current industry trends to enhance tech education programs. Their commitment is evident in their continuous learning and adaptation to new technological advancements. (See more: https://linktr.ee/rinbytes).

They have a solid background in network and security, showcasing their expertise through certifications in Microsoft 365, Azure, and Veeam Software since 2017. As a Technical storyteller at Veeam Software in the office of the CTO, they focus on Micro... Show more

Kevin Arnold is the Founder of Arnold Analytics, overseeing software management methodologies, deployment strategy, and optimal data architectures for clients. He is a senior data architect with over 20 years’ experience, including at large-cap and SMB consultancies. His work focuses on the Modern Microsoft BI Stack including Power BI, Analysis Services, SQL Server, PowerShell, DevOps, Azure, and Power Query.

He is a co-leader and frequent presenter for the Dallas/Fort Worth Power BI User Group, as well as presenting at conferences and other user groups. He has been recognized by Microsoft as a Data Platform MVP in 2022.

Kevin Arnold is the Founder of Arnold Analytics, overseeing software management methodologies, deployment strategy, and optimal data architectures for clients. He is a senior data architect with over 20 years’ experience, including at large-cap and S... Show more

Rick Ossendrijver is a Software Engineer at Picnic, a fast-growing online supermarket. Rick is a committer and enthusiast of the Error Prone project. Moreover, he is passionate about improving software quality through static analysis and automation, and works on Picnic's open-source Error Prone Support project.

Rick Ossendrijver is a Software Engineer at Picnic, a fast-growing online supermarket. Rick is a committer and enthusiast of the Error Prone project. Moreover, he is passionate about improving software quality through static analysis and automation, ... Show more

Jess Pomfret is a Data Platform Engineer and a dual Microsoft MVP. She started working with SQL Server in 2011, and enjoys problem-solving and automating processes with PowerShell.

She also enjoys contributing to dbatools and dbachecks, two open source PowerShell modules that aid DBAs with automating the management of SQL Server instances. She has also contributed to the SqlServerDsc module, adding several new resources to use when configuring your SQL Servers.

She grew up in the South West of England and outside of her DBA life enjoys Crossfit, cycling and watching proper football.

Jess Pomfret is a Data Platform Engineer and a dual Microsoft MVP. She started working with SQL Server in 2011, and enjoys problem-solving and automating processes with PowerShell. She also enjoys contributing to dbatools and dbachecks, two open ... Show more

Cloud Architect, Platform Evangelist, AI Enthusiast, Father, and Husband.

13+ years of experience in the IT Industry across Samsung, PwC, EY, and Accenture, last 5 years of which has been primarily focused on building, maintaining and selling platforms.

In my role as the Global Platform Presales Leader for EY Fabric, the foundational technology platform that powers all of EY, I am tasked with empowering our clients to thrive, thereby catalyzing the expansion of our business, augmenting client contentment, and raising the stature of EY within the industry.

The core of my responsibilities lies in guaranteeing that clients of EY Fabric fully leverage the benefits of our offerings. I am devoted to crafting a superior client experience that covers all phases of client interaction.

I am also a Platform Engineering Ambassador ( https://platformengineering.org/ambassador-program ), member of the CNCF Platforms Working group, DevOps Institute Ambassador, and the Chair for the Hashicorp User Group, Kolkata, and Argo User Group, Kolkata.

I have 31k followers on LinkedIn, and 1.6k subscribers on my YouTube channel.

I am an empath at heart, and want to do my part to help the community in any way possible.

Cloud Architect, Platform Evangelist, AI Enthusiast, Father, and Husband. 13+ years of experience in the IT Industry across Samsung, PwC, EY, and Accenture, last 5 years of which has been primarily focused on building, maintaining and selling plat... Show more

Alvaro Costa-Neto is a Senior Database Specialist Solutions Architect at AWS who specializes in helping customers implement cloud-based database solutions. With over 20 years of experience in database technologies, he has extensive expertise in both Microsoft SQL Server and various open-source database engines. His role focuses on designing and architecting database solutions for AWS customers.

Alvaro Costa-Neto is a Senior Database Specialist Solutions Architect at AWS who specializes in helping customers implement cloud-based database solutions. With over 20 years of experience in database technologies, he has extensive expertise in both ... Show more

Will is a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft, working in the Industry Solutions Engineering team.

Will has extensive experience in software development, building solutions in the financial, health and agricultural industries. Will has also previously been a Microsoft MVP for Kubernetes and Open Source before joining Microsoft.

Will regularly speaks at conferences, user groups and developer events around the world, such as Microsoft Ignite, NDC Conferences, and Techorama. When he is away from his keyboard, you'll find him hiking around the countryside.

Will is a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft, working in the Industry Solutions Engineering team. Will has extensive experience in software development, building solutions in the financial, health and agricultural industries. Will has also pre... Show more

Sayali Paseband is an accompalished cybersecurity expert with a passion for safeguarding the digital landscape. She is currently a Senior Security Consultant at Verisk, previously a Security Consultant at Amazon Web Services, She has over 10 years of experience in cybersecurity and cloud space and has earned over 7 academic degrees in Cybersecurity including Masters in Cybersecurity Analytics, MBA in Information technology Management, Cybersecurity Professional degree from Harvard University, B.Tech, B.S etc,
She is a published author, a youtuber, and has an exceptional ability to translate complex cybersecurity concepts into clear, actionable insights, making her a sought-after professional in the industry.
Audiences can expect a dynamic and engaging session where Sayali takes the stage, where she shares her wealth of knowledge, real-world experience, and practical advice on staying a step ahead in cybersecurity battle.

Sayali Paseband is an accompalished cybersecurity expert with a passion for safeguarding the digital landscape. She is currently a Senior Security Consultant at Verisk, previously a Security Consultant at Amazon Web Services, She has over 10 years of... Show more

Rod Trent is an experienced cybersecurity professional and best-selling author with deep expertise in content marketing, community development, and product and program management. During his long career, Rod has built and sold many successful businesses and regularly speaks and keynotes and provides hosting skills for various conferences, webinars, and live podcasts. In his spare time, Rod writes KQL queries, authors fiction and non-fiction books, tells proud stories about his grandkids, brags about his Six Million Dollar Man addiction, and teaches AI to behave.

Rod Trent is an experienced cybersecurity professional and best-selling author with deep expertise in content marketing, community development, and product and program management. During his long career, Rod has built and sold many successful busines... Show more

Patrycja is a principal consultant and founder of Yon Labs, a startup developing automated tools for detecting and refactoring security vulnerabilities, performance anti-patterns, and cloud misconfigurations. She brings deep expertise in Java, C++, SRE, DevOps, security, performance optimization, and cloud technologies.

She is a regular speaker at leading software conferences, including KubeCon, JavaOne, Devoxx, JFokus, and others. Patrycja has been recognized as a Java Champion and holds titles such as Oracle Groundbreaker Ambassador, Oracle ACE Associate, and Oracle ACE Pro. In 2016, she was named one of the Top 10 Women in Tech in Poland.

Her interests focus on automated software engineering, particularly static and dynamic analysis techniques to support software verification, optimization, and deployment.

Patrycja is a principal consultant and founder of Yon Labs, a startup developing automated tools for detecting and refactoring security vulnerabilities, performance anti-patterns, and cloud misconfigurations. She brings deep expertise in Java, C++, S... Show more

"Accidental Data Professional" started in finance and found a passion for analytics that, through a series of fortunate accidents, transformed me from Finance Director to Chief Data Officer. Now at Data Crafters, my team and I are bringing the power of Microsoft Fabric and Power BI into our customers' hands—creating visibility, enabling better decision-making, and freeing people from manual data drudgery. Together, we're transforming how organizations leverage data to achieve sustainable growth and success.

"Accidental Data Professional" started in finance and found a passion for analytics that, through a series of fortunate accidents, transformed me from Finance Director to Chief Data Officer. Now at Data Crafters, my team and I are bringing the power ... Show more

Experienced Software Engineer | Architect | Keynote & Public Speaker | Java Champion | Google Developer Expert for Cloud | Docker Captain | Oracle ACE Pro | Community Leader | Mentor | Ex-leader of JavaZone and Norwegian JUG – javaBin.

Experienced Software Engineer | Architect | Keynote & Public Speaker | Java Champion | Google Developer Expert for Cloud | Docker Captain | Oracle ACE Pro | Community Leader | Mentor | Ex-leader of JavaZone and Norwegian JUG – javaBin. Show more

Alex Nuijten is a director at allAPEX, a company specializing in Oracle database development with PL/SQL and Oracle Application Express (APEX).
Besides his consultancy work, he conducts training classes, mainly in APEX, SQL and PL/SQL. Alex has been a speaker at numerous international conferences, such as ODTUG, Oracle Open World, UKOUG, IOUG, OUGF, BGOUG, OGH APEX World and OBUG. For his presentations, Alex received several Best Speaker awards.
Alex has written many articles in Oracle-related magazines, and he regularly writes about Oracle Application Express and Oracle database development on his blog "Notes on Oracle" (nuijten.blogspot.com).
Alex is co-author of the book “Oracle APEX Best Practices” (Packt Publishers), “Real World SQL and PL/SQL” (Oracle Press) and "Modern Oracle Database Programming (Apress).
Because of his contributions to the Oracle community, Alex was awarded the Oracle ACE Director award in August 2010.

Alex Nuijten is a director at allAPEX, a company specializing in Oracle database development with PL/SQL and Oracle Application Express (APEX). Besides his consultancy work, he conducts training classes, mainly in APEX, SQL and PL/SQL. Alex has been... Show more

Michael Heath is an innovation strategist and Frontier Firm advisor who helps organizations move beyond digital transformation into intelligent transformation. With more than 15 years of experience across the Microsoft ecosystem and enterprise technology, Michael partners with leaders to align people, platforms, and purpose through AI, automation, and data.

Throughout his career, Michael has led enterprise initiatives that drive measurable growth, operational efficiency, and long-term adoption. His work focuses on translating strategy into practical execution, helping organizations modernize how work gets done while bringing teams along for the journey.

Michael’s perspective sits at the intersection of technology and human behavior. As a speaker and practitioner, he shares real-world lessons, practical frameworks, and honest insights that help organizations move from experimentation to meaningful impact at scale.

Michael Heath is an innovation strategist and Frontier Firm advisor who helps organizations move beyond digital transformation into intelligent transformation. With more than 15 years of experience across the Microsoft ecosystem and enterprise techno... Show more

Cristian is a “Project Management Professional turned into a Data Guy” working as a link between two worlds: Business and IT.
Having worked for the last 20+ years with data in different roles he was fascinated when he discovered Power Query and Power Pivot back in 2014 and then, Power BI in 2015.

He’s holding several Microsoft Certifications (MS Fabric Analytics Engineer, Power BI Certified Data Analyst, Trainer (MCT), MCSE Data Management and Analytics, MCSA BI Reporting, MOS Master, Excel Expert, etc) and he loves getting insights from data and then, using these insight solving real business problems.

He is the founder of Romania Power BI and Modern Excel User Group (https://www.meetup.com/romaniapug/) and has been recognized as Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in 2022.

Cristian is a “Project Management Professional turned into a Data Guy” working as a link between two worlds: Business and IT. Having worked for the last 20+ years with data in different roles he was fascinated when he discovered Power Query and Powe... Show more

For over a decade, Jared has been a data engineering consultant implementing Microsoft products. For more than three decades, he has been honing his skills in theater and other performing arts. As a speaker, Jared marries these two disciplines together, creating dynamic presentations that add entertainment to education. This symbiotic relationship can improve presentation engagement, support attendees in knowledge retention, and foster a culture of passion for the data industry.

As a speaker, Jared has spoken at events such as:
-Fabcon Vegas (Microsoft Fabric Community Conference)
-DataCon Seattle (Microsoft Data Conference)
-PASS Summit
-SQL Saturdays, Multiple
-Microsoft Fabric Global Online Conference
-Future Data Driven Summit
-GroupBy Conference
-and more!

He also runs the YouTube channel DataBard, focused on making Data fun and teaching techniques along the way.

Technically-speaking, Jared has multiple Microsoft certifications in both on-prem and cloud technologies. He has extensive knowledge in:
-Microsoft Fabric
-SQL Query Development and Performance tuning
-Kimball Data Modeling
-ETL design patterns
-Azure SQL DB and Azure SQL MI

In his spare time, he continues to perform in community theater productions, as well as musically for his church. Upon request, he would be happy to assist with more theatrical portions of events, such as performing musical numbers.

For over a decade, Jared has been a data engineering consultant implementing Microsoft products. For more than three decades, he has been honing his skills in theater and other performing arts. As a speaker, Jared marries these two disciplines togeth... Show more

Andrew is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Docker Captain, and VMware vExpert. He also helps organise Data Ceili and EightKB.

He is interested in all things database/kubernetes/container related and shares his passion for these topics by speaking at events across the world.

Originally from Wales but now exploring Ireland.

You can find him on Bluesky @dbafromthecold.com and blogging at dbafromthecold.com

Andrew is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Docker Captain, and VMware vExpert. He also helps organise Data Ceili and EightKB. He is interested in all things database/kubernetes/container related and shares his passion for these topics by speaking at... Show more

Cory is an author, a 12 time Microsoft MVP, and international speaker. He is founder of reactjsconsulting, where he helps companies transition to React. He has trained over 10,000 software developers at conferences and businesses worldwide. Cory has authored over a dozen courses on JavaScript, React, C#, testing, and web development on Pluralsight and Dometrain. He shares software development tips daily on X as @housecor.

Cory is an author, a 12 time Microsoft MVP, and international speaker. He is founder of reactjsconsulting, where he helps companies transition to React. He has trained over 10,000 software developers at conferences and businesses worldwide. Cory has ... Show more

Balkrishna works as an engineering lead at ING Bank. He is also a frequent speaker at renowned tech conferences. He has passion for continuous learning and genuine desire to sharing knowledge. He enjoys crafting elegant solutions while solving complex challenges. Although he has been working with Java for many years, he finds latest developments in Java quite exciting. In his free time, he enjoys playing chess. The analytical thinking and foresight used in chess is something he finds useful in software development.

Balkrishna works as an engineering lead at ING Bank. He is also a frequent speaker at renowned tech conferences. He has passion for continuous learning and genuine desire to sharing knowledge. He enjoys crafting elegant solutions while solving comple... Show more

I'm a results-driven data professional with nearly two decades of experience dedicated to transforming data into strategic assets. My journey began in the intricate world of data and systems integration, mastering ETL/ELT processes to build robust foundations. For the past 15 years, my expertise has deepened within the Microsoft data stack, spanning traditional BI tools (SQL, SSIS, SSRS, SSAS), the extensive Azure Data Platform services, and Power BI. Crucially, the last two years have seen me at the forefront of Microsoft Fabric, pioneering its capabilities.

Beyond core data integration, I bring 8 years of hands-on experience in creating and maintaining robust CI/CD pipelines within Azure DevOps, ensuring streamlined, automated, and reliable deployments for a diverse range of data projects. This commitment to operational excellence extends to my 3 years of experience in managing and nurturing a team of Data Engineers, fostering growth and driving collaborative success.

My dedication to the data community is a cornerstone of my professional identity. As a leader with the DFW Power BI User Group, I actively contribute to growing local talent and knowledge sharing. This year, I've had the incredible opportunity to share my deep knowledge of Microsoft Fabric as a speaker at various SQL Saturday events, user groups, and notably, at both the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference in Las Vegas and in Europe.

I'm a results-driven data professional with nearly two decades of experience dedicated to transforming data into strategic assets. My journey began in the intricate world of data and systems integration, mastering ETL/ELT processes to build robust fo... Show more

Network whisperer by day, code conjurer by night—living the double life of an NOC engineer and software developer.

Network whisperer by day, code conjurer by night—living the double life of an NOC engineer and software developer. Show more

John is an experienced data platform professional having spent over fifteen years working with Microsoft SQL Server, Azure, and AWS technologies. Working closely with clients to solve their data platform problems with innovative solutions with a focus on simplicity, maintainability, and automation.

John is an experienced data platform professional having spent over fifteen years working with Microsoft SQL Server, Azure, and AWS technologies. Working closely with clients to solve their data platform problems with innovative solutions with a focu... Show more

Sohan is a Lead Developer Advocate at AuthZed, based in the Netherlands. He started his career as a developer building mobile apps and has been living in the cloud since 2013, in companies such as Amazon, Fermyon and Gupshup. He is also an O' Reilly author, having created a course on Cloud Concepts for Everyone. He has always been interested in emerging technologies and how it shapes the world around us.

His interests outside work include visual arts, trivia, and playing frisbee.

Sohan is a Lead Developer Advocate at AuthZed, based in the Netherlands. He started his career as a developer building mobile apps and has been living in the cloud since 2013, in companies such as Amazon, Fermyon and Gupshup. He is also an O' Reilly ... Show more

I love to tell you a story! Whether it's about autonomous agents, boosting personal productivity, enhancing your company's efficiency, exploring the latest CRM innovations within Dynamics 365, or mastering social selling through LinkedIn, I bring each story to life with passion and energy.

I love inspiring audiences, whether it’s on stage, through writing, in videos, or via podcast hosting.

Curious about CRM, Copilot (Studio), Power Apps, Power Automate, or Power Pages? Ask me, and we could talk for hours.

With over 25 years of experience in the CRM field, I've supported marketing, sales, and service teams around the globe. While I’ve worked with almost every major CRM platform, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM has stole my heart over the past decade.

Also check my website: https://robkuijpers.com/

I love to tell you a story! Whether it's about autonomous agents, boosting personal productivity, enhancing your company's efficiency, exploring the latest CRM innovations within Dynamics 365, or mastering social selling through LinkedIn, I bring ea... Show more

After falling in love with coding in 2005, Connell became a fan of software architecture and design, and now spends a lot of time drawing boxes and arrows to help visualise concepts.

This led to the creation of his YouTube channel @DrawingBoxes, which establishes a simple animated visual presentation style shared by his talks and blog.

Always an advocate for developer communities, he co-organises the .NET Notts meetup, and now works at Stack Overflow where he continuously improves the site enabling communities worldwide.

After falling in love with coding in 2005, Connell became a fan of software architecture and design, and now spends a lot of time drawing boxes and arrows to help visualise concepts. This led to the creation of his YouTube channel @DrawingBoxes, w... Show more

Jeremy helps developers by sharing his own struggles, mostly in technology, but also with being more social as an introvert, understanding potential for learning, and playing banjo. He has worked as a corporate developer, as a Chief Improvement Officer at a startup, and as a contract developer. Currently, he teaches developers through online courses, workshops, tech articles, and conference talks. He spends most of his time in C# and has recently ventured into Go (golang) and Rust (rust-lang) to explore some of his favorite topics: interfaces, delegates, concurrency, and parallel programming.

Jeremy helps developers by sharing his own struggles, mostly in technology, but also with being more social as an introvert, understanding potential for learning, and playing banjo. He has worked as a corporate developer, as a Chief Improvement Offic... Show more

Andrew Connell is a full-stack developer who focuses on Microsoft Azure & Microsoft 365. He's a 21-year recipient of Microsoft's MVP award and has helped thousands of developers through the various courses he's authored & taught. Whether it's an introduction to Microsoft 365 development or a deep dive into specific software, Andrew's mission is to help web developers become experts in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and irreplaceable in their organization and for their customers. He does this through his company, Voitanos, where he offers courses, articles, videos, tutorials, and coaching.

Andrew Connell is a full-stack developer who focuses on Microsoft Azure & Microsoft 365. He's a 21-year recipient of Microsoft's MVP award and has helped thousands of developers through the various courses he's authored & taught. Whether it's an intr... Show more

Alan Smith is a Cloud & AI Trainer, Mentor & Coach at Active Solution in Stockholm, Sweden. He has a strong hands-on philosophy and focusses on embracing the power and flexibility of cloud computing to deliver engaging and exciting demos and training courses.

Alan has held the MVP title since 2005, and is currently an AI MVP. He is in the organization team for the CloudBurst and AI Burst Conferences.

Alan Smith is a Cloud & AI Trainer, Mentor & Coach at Active Solution in Stockholm, Sweden. He has a strong hands-on philosophy and focusses on embracing the power and flexibility of cloud computing to deliver engaging and exciting demos and training... Show more