Holly Smith is a Developer Advocate at Databricks, a multi‑award‑winning Data and AI expert, and a first‑rate tech educator. One of the earliest members of the Databricks crew, she’s spent over a decade at the sharp end of data and AI, helping teams turn big ideas into working solutions.

A familiar face on stage, Holly’s known for her clear, engaging talks and her knack for making complex topics click. She’s also the brains behind many YouTube videos on AI and data engineering - equal parts practical know‑how and good humour. In short: if it’s data, AI, and worth knowing, Holly’s probably already talking about it.

Holly Smith is a Developer Advocate at Databricks, a multi‑award‑winning Data and AI expert, and a first‑rate tech educator. One of the earliest members of the Databricks crew, she’s spent over a decade at the sharp end of data and AI, helping teams ... Show more

RabbitMQ team member, working with distributed systems, open source lover, Linux fan.

RabbitMQ team member, working with distributed systems, open source lover, Linux fan. Show more

Swetha Lakkaraju is an experienced IT professional with 18 years of expertise in mainframe-based core banking systems, credit card processing, and financial services technology. She has specialized in Systematics (SI) and Visionplus platforms, delivering high-impact solutions across banking and consumer finance domains.
Swetha currently serves as a Project Lead at Tech Mahindra Americas (Mar 2024 - Present), where she leads a conversion initiative for Citibank Commercial Banking, designing scalable interfaces, coordinating global teams, and implementing automation strategies that reduced manual testing by 30%.
Previously, she worked as a Senior Software Engineer at Narwal Inc. (Aug 2022 - Jan 2024) for FIS Global Services (BMO), spearheading the Bank of the West to Bank of Montreal conversion project. Her responsibilities included designing cost-optimized solutions, developing data migration programs, and automating testing processes to improve efficiency by 25%.
Before that, Swetha spent 12 years at Tech Mahindra (Nov 2010 - Aug 2022) in multiple roles, including Tech Manager, Team Lead, and Project Lead, delivering critical enhancements for Citigroup’s core banking systems using Systematics modules (IM, ST, RM). She ensured production stability, managed offshore teams, and played a key role in change management and release operations. Her earlier contributions at Tech Mahindra include compliance testing for RBTT (Royal Bank of Trinidad & Tobago) and implementing 28 regulatory fixes for credit card modules.
Swetha began her career at GE Money Japan (2008-2010), where she provided production support and optimized performance for Visionplus-based credit card processing systems. She successfully tuned batch jobs, improved SLAs, and supported disaster recovery operations.
Technically proficient in COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, VSAM, and tools like Control-M, CA-Intertest, and Changeman, Swetha also brings expertise in REST API integration with mainframe systems. She holds a B.E. in Computer Science & Engineering from Osmania University and is recognized for her leadership in delivering zero-incident operations, automation-driven efficiency, and client-focused solutions.

Swetha Lakkaraju is an experienced IT professional with 18 years of expertise in mainframe-based core banking systems, credit card processing, and financial services technology. She has specialized in Systematics (SI) and Visionplus platforms, delive... Show more

Cruz lleva trabajando en el ecosistema Microsoft Dynamics desde hace más de 20 años. Desde desarrolladora a líder técnico o consultora, ha ido asumiendo distintos roles siempre disfrutando del aprendizaje continuo. En los últimos años, ha estado implicada en proyectos de integración con otras aplicaciones y, recientemente su interés se centra en la integración de Finanzas y Operaciones con otras herramientas Dynamics, así como con Power Platform.
Cruz ha participado como ponente en eventos técnicos de la comunidad Dynamics, tanto en español como en inglés y está implicada en la promoción de carreras tecnológicas en niñas y jóvenes.

Cruz lleva trabajando en el ecosistema Microsoft Dynamics desde hace más de 20 años. Desde desarrolladora a líder técnico o consultora, ha ido asumiendo distintos roles siempre disfrutando del aprendizaje continuo. En los últimos años, ha estado impl... Show more

Srinivasa Rao Akyana is a dynamic and results-oriented Senior Principal Software Engineering Manager at Microsoft with over 10 years of experience in building and modernizing large-scale data systems. He is a visionary leader with a proven track record of driving strategic initiatives, leading high-performing global teams, and architecting AI-driven, cloud-based solutions that enable data-driven decision-making across organizations. His work primarily focuses on leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as Microsoft Azure, AI, and machine learning to drive impactful change.
Srinivasa has played a key role in modernizing Microsoft’s financial systems, including CAPEX, OPEX, and Headcount analytics, and has designed and implemented cloud-native data platforms that deliver real-time self-service analytics. He has successfully scaled engineering teams from 4 to over 120 engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and accountability. Additionally, he has led the development of solutions like OneSpend, a unified expense management platform, and worked closely with executive leaders to align AI-driven analytics with company-wide financial objectives.
With a strong foundation in engineering leadership, scalable system development, and AI integration, Srinivasa has a deep understanding of data analytics and financial decision-making. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Andhra University and is currently pursuing the Technology Leadership Program at MIT. He is also a frequent speaker and contributor at industry forums, engaging with leaders to align technology solutions with business strategies.
Srinivasa's expertise extends across engineering leadership, cloud data architecture, AI solutions design, financial analytics, cross-functional collaboration, and scalable systems development. He is certified as a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCPS) and a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS), and he is fluent in English and Telugu.

Srinivasa Rao Akyana is a dynamic and results-oriented Senior Principal Software Engineering Manager at Microsoft with over 10 years of experience in building and modernizing large-scale data systems. He is a visionary leader with a proven track reco... Show more

Pieter Vanhove is a Senior Program Manager in the Security & Governance Azure Database Platform team at Microsoft. He is the feature PM for ledger, Always Encrypted and Transparent Data Encryption which is all about bringing the power of Blockchain to SQL Server and data encryption. He has been working with SQL Server since 2000. Pieter has a profound knowledge in data security and loves the new Azure stuff. He is also a regular speaker at Belgian and international events.

Pieter Vanhove is a Senior Program Manager in the Security & Governance Azure Database Platform team at Microsoft. He is the feature PM for ledger, Always Encrypted and Transparent Data Encryption which is all about bringing the power of Blockchain t... Show more

Haripriya Naidu has been working as a SQL Server Database Administrator for 11 years in Boston, MA. She is passionate about databases and enjoys diving into SQL Server engine internals and optimizing performance. She is an AWS Certified Solutions Associate and won "Rookie of the Year" Award at work in 2024 for outstanding performance and "Bookworm of the Year" Award at work in 2025 for continuously learning and sharing knowledge with the team.
She recently started her speaking journey with New Stars of Data and spoke at SQL Saturdays Boston, Albany and San Diego and PASS Summit 2024.

Haripriya Naidu has been working as a SQL Server Database Administrator for 11 years in Boston, MA. She is passionate about databases and enjoys diving into SQL Server engine internals and optimizing performance. She is an AWS Certified Solutions Ass... Show more

Enrique López Mañas is a Google Developer Expert and independent IT consultant. He has been working with mobile technologies and learning from them since 2007. He is an avid contributor to the open source community and a FLOSS (Free Libre Open Source Software) kind of guy, being among the top 10 open source Java contributors in Germany. He is a part of the Google LaunchPad accelerator, where he participates in Google global initiatives to influence hundreds of the best startups from all around the globe. He is also a big data and machine learning aficionado.

In his free time he rides his bike, take pictures, and travels until exhaustion. He also writes literature and enjoys all kinds of arts. He likes to write about himself in third person. You can follow him on Twitter (@eenriquelopez) to stay updated on his latest movements.

Enrique López Mañas is a Google Developer Expert and independent IT consultant. He has been working with mobile technologies and learning from them since 2007. He is an avid contributor to the open source community and a FLOSS (Free Libre Open Source... Show more

I'm a Senior Site Reliability Engineer and currently work at Storyblok, with a postgraduate degree in Computational Forensics and doing a Master's degree in Operation, Evaluation and Advanced Management of Computer Networks at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO). I am Docker Community Leader awarded twice by Docker Inc, Hashicorp Ambassador, Docker Captain, Google Developer Expert, organizer and speaker of DevOpsDays and other DevOps events across Brazil and instructor by LinuxTips.

I'm a Senior Site Reliability Engineer and currently work at Storyblok, with a postgraduate degree in Computational Forensics and doing a Master's degree in Operation, Evaluation and Advanced Management of Computer Networks at the Federal University ... Show more

Joe Salisbury is VP Engineering at Giant Swarm. He’s tasked with making Giant Swarm an attractive work environment for engineers and generally a dope place to work. When he’s not ensuring engineering operational excellence, he can be found rowing and playing D&D, but just not at the same time… yet.

Joe Salisbury is VP Engineering at Giant Swarm. He’s tasked with making Giant Swarm an attractive work environment for engineers and generally a dope place to work. When he’s not ensuring engineering operational excellence, he can be found rowing and... Show more

Bogdan Trufanda is a Threat Hunter in CrowdStrike's Cloud Runtime Security Team.
Bogdan is responsible for gathering actionable application and security intelligence for CrowdStrike products, specialising in gathering Threat Intelligence and researching exploitation techniques involving containers and the cloud space.

Bogdan Trufanda is a Threat Hunter in CrowdStrike's Cloud Runtime Security Team. Bogdan is responsible for gathering actionable application and security intelligence for CrowdStrike products, specialising in gathering Threat Intelligence and researc... Show more

I am an Information Management, Business Intelligence and Project Management specialist with extensive data warehouse development experience and a passion for understanding client requirements to create the best solution achievable.

I am an Information Management, Business Intelligence and Project Management specialist with extensive data warehouse development experience and a passion for understanding client requirements to create the best solution achievable. Show more

Maya Shenhav is a Group Program Manager at Microsoft, leading the Power BI consumer experiences across mobile applications and Microsoft 365 integrations, including PowerPoint, Teams, and other Office products. In this role, she drives the vision and execution of features that enhance data accessibility and collaboration for millions of users worldwide.
Prior to joining the Power BI product team, Maya served as an Architect at Microsoft Consulting Services, where she partnered with enterprise customers to design and deliver complex business solutions. Before her tenure at Microsoft, she held key roles at multiple independent software vendors, focusing on building innovative software products and technology solutions.

Maya Shenhav is a Group Program Manager at Microsoft, leading the Power BI consumer experiences across mobile applications and Microsoft 365 integrations, including PowerPoint, Teams, and other Office products. In this role, she drives the vision and... Show more

I like hacking through software engineering problems. I am currently working as Developer Advocate & Product Manager. Over the past 4 years I have been developing solutions for software reliability. I love everything around cloud-native, open source, and security. As a CNCF ambassador this year, I am meeting other like-minded ambassadors, motivating each other to contribute, support, and inspire. I have also founded the Women in Cloud Native community

I like hacking through software engineering problems. I am currently working as Developer Advocate & Product Manager. Over the past 4 years I have been developing solutions for software reliability. I love everything around cloud-native, open source,... Show more

I am a Computer science graduate from Carnegie Mellon University, USA and I am working as a Staff engineer at
Linkedin in the Information Retrieval (IR) team, focusing on cutting-edge challenges in ML infrastructure, ranking algorithms,
and machine learning.

I am a Computer science graduate from Carnegie Mellon University, USA and I am working as a Staff engineer at Linkedin in the Information Retrieval (IR) team, focusing on cutting-edge challenges in ML infrastructure, ranking algorithms, and machine... Show more