Sarah Matta
Thinking beyond the obvious, solving beyond the expected
Actions
Sarah has a gift for spotting what most people miss. Whether it's a gap in a process, an unspoken tension in a team, or a hidden opportunity, she has a way of bringing the invisible into the light - and helping others see it clearly, too.
Doing the right thing isn’t just a principle for Sarah; it’s a practice. She brings a strong sense of integrity to everything she does, and she doesn’t shy away from tough decisions when they’re the right ones.
With a solid background in software development, plus real-world skills in project and organizational management, Sarah knows how to get things done without losing sight of the people behind the work. She’s equally comfortable diving into code or untangling a team’s workflow - and she brings her full self to both.
She also gives her time generously, volunteering to support causes and communities she cares about. Thoughtful, reliable, and just the right amount of curious, Sarah brings clarity, heart, and momentum wherever she goes.
Number Sense for Programmers: Why Math is Your Hidden Superpower
Target Audience:
This talk targets early- to mid-career software developers (while still appealing to senior and above), computer science students, and anyone who writes code but feels unsure about their math skills. It’s especially valuable for those who want to better understand the numerical foundations of programming (i.e. floating-point behavior, randomness, and performance optimization) and how intuitive number sense can help them debug, design, and think more clearly about code. Additionally it's a great fit for educators or mentors looking to explain complex concepts in a practical, accessible way.
Abstract:
Many developers claim they’re "bad at math," yet mathematical thinking is embedded in everything they do. From loops mirroring sigma notation to optimizing search algorithms through factorization, number sense - the intuitive grasp of patterns, estimation, and numerical relationships - shapes how we perform our jobs. From how we approach a challenge, think through an issue, or write efficient code.
Math in programming goes even deeper than that. Can computers generate true randomness, or is it all just clever illusion? Why does 0.1 + 0.2 ≠ 0.3, and how did floating-point errors lead to multimillion-dollar failures? In this talk, we’ll explore how embracing number sense helps developers troubleshoot bugs, write more scalable code, and unlock a deeper understanding of computation. Math isn’t just for theory, it’s a secret weapon every programmer can wield.
Everything You Ever Wondered About SQL Performance
This is not your typical SQL tuning talk. We’re deep diving --> beyond basic indexing tips --> into how modern relational databases actually parse, plan, and execute your queries.
- Do you know how SQL is parsed?
- Why does the optimizer sometimes pick the “wrong” plan?
Along the way we'll stumble upon subtle ways things can go wrong!
- How can correlated subqueries sabotage execution?
- When do query rewrites go sideways?
From PostgreSQL's bitmap scans to SQL Server's parallelism quirks to MySQL's index merge madness - learn to spot performance killers and know exactly which optimization lever to pull.
If you've ever stared at a slow query wondering "what exactly is the database _doing_ right now?", come find the answer in this talk. Packed with example code, edge cases, and real-world pathologies, it’s everything you’ve ever wanted to know about SQL performance (and probably a few things you didn’t - but should!).
Please note that Sessionize is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the data provided by speakers. If you suspect this profile to be fake or spam, please let us know.
Jump to top