Joshua Ofori Boateng is a Research Assistant Professor at Iowa State University whose work advances open, programmable, and AI-native 5G/6G wireless systems. His research spans Open RAN, wireless living labs, reliable networks, and intelligent connectivity, with a focus on bringing next-generation wireless technology to real-world, rural, and agricultural communities.

Joshua Ofori Boateng is a Research Assistant Professor at Iowa State University whose work advances open, programmable, and AI-native 5G/6G wireless systems. His research spans Open RAN, wireless living labs, reliable networks, and intelligent connec... Show more

Ashok Gopalakrishnan is a seasoned IT leader with over two decades of global experience in enterprise technology programs, specializing in integration delivery, cloud transformation, data center migrations, and large scale multi platform implementations. He currently serves as a Global Technology Senior Integration Manager and holds industry recognized certifications including PMP, SAFe, ITIL, and Professional Scrum Master. His experience spans financial services, consumer goods, manufacturing, and the global food and agriculture sector, where he has consistently delivered scalable, secure, and business aligned technology solutions.
Throughout his career, Ashok has demonstrated strong expertise in defining and executing enterprise integration strategies, establishing Integration Centers of Excellence, and driving end to end delivery across Azure, SAP, and API based platforms. He has led modernization initiatives, introduced cloud native architectures, and improved operational efficiency through structured governance and emerging technologies. His experience also includes infrastructure and environment management, where he has architected complex IT landscapes across hybrid cloud and on premise systems with a focus on performance, security, and compliance.
Ashok has led large transformation programs including SAP S4HANA implementations, enterprise cloud migrations, and infrastructure modernization initiatives. He has managed multi vendor global teams and delivered high impact projects such as SAP deployments, integration platform migrations, and hybrid cloud implementations. His work has resulted in measurable improvements in cost optimization, system performance, and delivery efficiency.
In addition to his technical leadership, Ashok is known for his people management and organizational development capabilities. He has led and mentored high performing teams, implemented structured performance management practices, and fostered a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. He collaborates effectively with senior leadership and stakeholders to drive strategic initiatives and build resilient and future ready IT organizations.

Ashok Gopalakrishnan is a seasoned IT leader with over two decades of global experience in enterprise technology programs, specializing in integration delivery, cloud transformation, data center migrations, and large scale multi platform implementati... Show more

Emma A. A. Rünzel is a software developer with a unique journey from linguistics to tech. With a bilingual background in literature and linguistics, she first explored communication through language before transitioning to code. After completing a coding boot camp, she freelanced as a developer, working across industries from finance to beekeeping (software). Her career has taken her through building web and mobile applications, working with startups, and navigating the fast-paced world of fintech. Now, she applies her skills in renewable energy, developing software to help drive a more sustainable future. Passionate about (computer) languages, AI, and community engagement, she loves both teaching and learning—especially when it means bridging the gap between seemingly unrelated fields.

Emma A. A. Rünzel is a software developer with a unique journey from linguistics to tech. With a bilingual background in literature and linguistics, she first explored communication through language before transitioning to code. After completing a co... Show more

Itay is a leading security researcher in the Argus Cyber Penetration Testing team, which is a red team, focused in the automotive industry. Before that, Itay worked as a developer and forensic data researcher. Among his roles, Itay specializes in pen-testing and security research for the automotive industry and specifically of various electronic control units (ECUs), e.g. telematic control units (TCUs) and body control modules (BCMs). Currently, Itay is working on his master’s degree in mathematics in Tel Aviv’s University, in tandem with his work in Argus.
Itay wrote the article “How Quantum Computing Could Affect the Automotive Landscape”, published in “CPO magazine”, and is set to talk about zero-day vulnerabilities in the automotive landscape in the ELIV conference this October.

Itay is a leading security researcher in the Argus Cyber Penetration Testing team, which is a red team, focused in the automotive industry. Before that, Itay worked as a developer and forensic data researcher. Among his roles, Itay specializes in pen... Show more

Clifford Agius, Freelance .NET Developer and also blogs from time to time, is currently a three-time Developer Technologies & IoT MVP, specialising in Xamarin/.NET MAUI and IoT. By day, an airline pilot flying Airbus A320 aircraft around Europe and when not doing that, Clifford freelances as a .NET developer. An active member of the .NET community, he is a regular speaker at conferences and meet-ups around the world.

Clifford graduated as an engineer from the Ford Technical Training Centre in 1995. After 11 years as an electrical/mechanical engineer working with Robotics and PLC Programming, he trained to become an Airline Pilot in 2001. Clifford became a Microsoft Valued Professional (MVP) in 2020.

Clifford Agius, Freelance .NET Developer and also blogs from time to time, is currently a three-time Developer Technologies & IoT MVP, specialising in Xamarin/.NET MAUI and IoT. By day, an airline pilot flying Airbus A320 aircraft around Europe and w... Show more

Currently an Engineering Manager at Thermondo, where we are making living climate neutral a reality!
I previously led a team of Android Engineers to build Android Apps at Kyosk. I have consulted on various tech projects as a developer and as a systems architect specialising in App optimisation for the developing markets. Ex-Intel, Ex-SnappMobile and ITU. I started one of the first coding bootcamps in Africa.
I love building and empowering developer communities: KotlinKenya, Android254 & AzureKe. A chef, reader, mountain climber, i play with cameras, pro-Lifeguard , pro-diver and swimmer.

Currently an Engineering Manager at Thermondo, where we are making living climate neutral a reality! I previously led a team of Android Engineers to build Android Apps at Kyosk. I have consulted on various tech projects as a developer and as a syste... Show more

15 + years of experience in AI and Data analytics. Speaker - mentor and trainer

15 + years of experience in AI and Data analytics. Speaker - mentor and trainer Show more

I am a Senior Software Developer with over six years of experience building secure, scalable, and user-friendly web and mobile applications across fintech, banking, and open-source communities. I specialise in React, Next.js, React Native, and TypeScript and have a strong track record of delivering products used by millions across West and Central Africa.

My work is at the intersection of technology, security, and human experience. Beyond my full-time job, I contribute to open-source projects like CHAOSS and WISDOM, where I help develop tools for ethical governance, impact measurement, and decentralised reputation systems.

I care deeply about building things that are not just functional, but also thoughtful; systems that are secure, inclusive, and designed to serve people well. I am also a published writer and advocate for ethical AI, accessibility, and responsible innovation in fast-moving environments.

Whether I am writing code or sharing ideas on stage, my goal is the same: to make technology more human, more impactful, and more equitable, one thoughtful decision at a time.

I am a Senior Software Developer with over six years of experience building secure, scalable, and user-friendly web and mobile applications across fintech, banking, and open-source communities. I specialise in React, Next.js, React Native, and TypeSc... Show more

Matt is the founder and President of Cynerge Consulting, Inc. (Cynerge), the co-founder of LocalHop, and the co-founder of Paissa Properties, all based in Pontiac. He is an accomplished leader with over 25 years of management experience, with a focus on information technology and business improvement. Matt is experienced at working with C-level executives and senior management on a variety of activities, including strategy, operations, and budget. His projects have saved taxpayers millions of dollars, supported tens of thousands of users, and reduced process times by over 50%. He is a motivated self-starter, speaker, and entrepreneur that is skilled at bringing groups together to orchestrate solutions. Matt moved his companies to Pontiac in the spring of 2017 and loves the gritty up-and-coming attitude in Pontiac, both from the business community and the residents, and is always looking for ways to help drive the city and Michigan forward! He serves on the board of directors for the Small Business Association of Michigan (aka SBAM). Matt has a B.S. in Environmental Planning and an MBA, both from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Matt is the founder and President of Cynerge Consulting, Inc. (Cynerge), the co-founder of LocalHop, and the co-founder of Paissa Properties, all based in Pontiac. He is an accomplished leader with over 25 years of management experience, with a focu... Show more

With over a decade of experience, Matthew, aka the "Decision Engineer", excels in many aspects of the data analytics spectrum. He focuses on smart decision-making, outcome measurement, and operationalising data with strong stakeholder management, and is also a prolific content creator.

With over a decade of experience, Matthew, aka the "Decision Engineer", excels in many aspects of the data analytics spectrum. He focuses on smart decision-making, outcome measurement, and operationalising data with strong stakeholder management, and... Show more

I’m a software developer and systems builder focused on creating scalable web applications, automation workflows, and developer-focused tools. My work spans full-sack web development, AI-assisted workflows, API integrations, and knowledge systems designed to improve developer experience and operational efficiency. I’ve worked on projects involving automation platforms, vector databases, internal support systems, payment integrations, and AI-powered retrieval workflows that help teams turn scattered documentation into accessible, searchable knowledge. I’m particularly interested in the intersection of developer experience, documentation, and practical AI applications for modern engineering teams.

I’m a software developer and systems builder focused on creating scalable web applications, automation workflows, and developer-focused tools. My work spans full-sack web development, AI-assisted workflows, API integrations, and knowledge systems des... Show more

I’m a Forward-Deployed AI Engineer at Namirial, where I work on enterprise AI agents, cloud-native automation, and operational knowledge systems. My background is in Kubernetes, AWS, Keycloak, CI/CD, and observability with Prometheus and Grafana. I focus on using LLMs and MCP to help engineering teams move from production signals to safe, governed actions.

I’m a Forward-Deployed AI Engineer at Namirial, where I work on enterprise AI agents, cloud-native automation, and operational knowledge systems. My background is in Kubernetes, AWS, Keycloak, CI/CD, and observability with Prometheus and Grafana. I f... Show more

John Athayde is a designer and developer who spends his days fighting bad coding practices in the Rails view layer. He runs Meticulous, a product design & branding consultancy that has been shipping with Rails since 1.0. He also is a partner in Ocufii, a startup focused on improving safety through movement notifications. He lives on a small permaculture farm outside of Charlottesville where he can garden and play in the dirt with his wife and four children, chickens, goats, and dairy cow.

John Athayde is a designer and developer who spends his days fighting bad coding practices in the Rails view layer. He runs Meticulous, a product design & branding consultancy that has been shipping with Rails since 1.0. He also is a partner in Ocufi... Show more

C. A. Fillekes is an IBM Red Hat partner engineer, actively porting and testing Kubernetes and OpenShift add-ons and features on the s390x architecture to run on the LinuxONE and System Z platforms.

C. A. Fillekes is an IBM Red Hat partner engineer, actively porting and testing Kubernetes and OpenShift add-ons and features on the s390x architecture to run on the LinuxONE and System Z platforms. Show more

For 20 years Bohdan Dmytryshyn has provided expertise as Solution Architect, Project Manager and Data Analysis consultant in one of the biggest Ukrainian IT outsourcing companies. Altogether, Bohdan has gained 25 years of experience in the universe of data management and software application development (java and open-source stack) and all related fields of software engineering, project management and technology.

For 20 years Bohdan Dmytryshyn has provided expertise as Solution Architect, Project Manager and Data Analysis consultant in one of the biggest Ukrainian IT outsourcing companies. Altogether, Bohdan has gained 25 years of experience in the universe o... Show more

Michael is a 40+ year veteran of the computer industry with a Master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo. Michael has worked for Microsoft, IBM, and a number of Microsoft partners. Currently, he is a Decentralized Systems Architect at the Web 7.0 foundation.

Michael is a 40+ year veteran of the computer industry with a Master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo. Michael has worked for Microsoft, IBM, and a number of Microsoft partners. Currently, he is a Decentralized Systems Arc... Show more

Igor is an expert in technical solutions and software engineering challenges with more than 15 years of industry experience. Being software engineer, technical lead, software architect and finally business leader for about 10 years in addition to engineering functions, Igor is actively engaged in solving client’s technical problems, facilitating business relationships and organizing technical supervision of client’s projects.

Igor is an expert in technical solutions and software engineering challenges with more than 15 years of industry experience. Being software engineer, technical lead, software architect and finally business leader for about 10 years in addition to eng... Show more

Kate is the Farm to Institution Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. In this role, Kate supports the development of institutional markets, like schools and early care settings, for Minnesota grown and raised foods. She coordinates statewide Farm to School training, technical support, and programming – including Minnesota’s Harvest of the Month program. Prior to her work at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Kate spent six years leading Minneapolis Public Schools’ Farm to School program, overseeing the district’s local food procurement and education. Kate holds a BA from St. Olaf College and a MS in Sustainable Food Systems from Arizona State University. Originally from central Wisconsin, Kate now calls Northfield, MN home.

Kate is the Farm to Institution Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. In this role, Kate supports the development of institutional markets, like schools and early care settings, for Minnesota grown and raised foods. She coordinates... Show more

Brendan Murphy doesn’t just lead implementations, he architects transformation. As CEO of Custom Systems, Brendan brings decades of hands-on experience guiding organizations through the complexity of enterprise change. From his early days as a consultant and program manager to his current role driving scalable solutions across industries, Brendan has always championed clarity, accountability, and partnership.
He’s known for turning process maps into strategic roadmaps, and for helping teams move from vendor relationships to true collaboration.

Brendan Murphy doesn’t just lead implementations, he architects transformation. As CEO of Custom Systems, Brendan brings decades of hands-on experience guiding organizations through the complexity of enterprise change. From his early days as a consul... Show more

Oluwatobi Yusuf is a low-code advocate, developer and consultant for about 5 years. He leads the Business Process Reengineering Team at AXA-Mansard.

He supports various clients in their journey towards the modern workplace using Office 365, Power Platform, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and SharePoint Online. He is a 2x Microsoft Certified Trainer and holds a high-level certification in Microsoft power platform, Office 365 and SharePoint/Microsoft Teams.

He specializes in Power App, Power Automate, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Power Virtual Agent, PowerBI, Office 365, SharePoint, migration, and adoption. His emphasis is on customizing Power Platform and SharePoint solutions for individuals and organizations.

Oluwatobi is one of the community leaders for the Nigeria Power Platform User Group.

He was awarded Business Applications MVP status on November 2022.

Oluwatobi Yusuf is a low-code advocate, developer and consultant for about 5 years. He leads the Business Process Reengineering Team at AXA-Mansard. He supports various clients in their journey towards the modern workplace using Office 365, Power... Show more

I help organizations turn fragmented data into real-time decisions — through end-to-end BI solutions built on Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, and the broader Azure data ecosystem.
With 5+ years of experience across supply chain, retail, aviation, and food industries, I've worked in international scrum teams delivering everything from legacy Qlik migrations to greenfield Fabric Lakehouse architectures. I specialize in building scalable semantic models, automated data pipelines, and executive-grade dashboards that stakeholders actually use.
-- What I work with:
Power BI (Desktop & Service) · Microsoft Fabric (Lakehouse, Warehouse, Dataflows, Data Factory) · Azure Data Factory · Azure Analysis Services · DAX · Power Query (M) · SQL · Python · PySpark · Tabular Editor · ALM Toolkit · Azure DevOps (CI/CD)
-- Certifications:
• Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate (PL-300)
• Microsoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate (DP-600)
• Microsoft Certified: Fabric Data Engineer Associate (DP-700)
• Databricks Certified: Data Engineer Associate
-- Recognition:
Microsoft Fabric Community Super User — recognized by the Microsoft Azure Data Team for 4 years of sustained community contributions.
Let's connect if you're looking for a BI engineer who delivers measurable impact.

I help organizations turn fragmented data into real-time decisions — through end-to-end BI solutions built on Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, and the broader Azure data ecosystem. With 5+ years of experience across supply chain, retail, aviation, and fo... Show more

Ibrahim Mustapha is a public speaking coach and communication consultant dedicated to helping individuals and organizations speak with clarity, confidence, and impact. With a strong background in communication and international marketing, he specializes in training leaders, professionals, and young people to develop persuasive speaking skills and effective communication strategies.

Through coaching, workshops, and digital learning programs, Ibrahim empowers his audience to overcome fear, articulate their ideas powerfully, and create opportunities through communication. He is also passionate about using modern tools, including AI, to enhance public speaking and leadership development across Africa and beyond.

Ibrahim Mustapha is a public speaking coach and communication consultant dedicated to helping individuals and organizations speak with clarity, confidence, and impact. With a strong background in communication and international marketing, he speciali... Show more

Bravin is an embedded systems developer based in Nakuru, Kenya, specializing in robotics and IoT. At Pixel Engineering, he designs and builds intelligent hardware-software systems ; from firmware development to full robotic solutions that solve real-world problems.

With a passion for pushing the boundaries of what hardware can do, Bravin brings a unique blend of low-level programming and systems thinking to every project. He is driven by the belief that technology built close to the metal can create the most meaningful impact especially across Africa's growing tech ecosystem .

Passionate about making embedded technology more accessible, Bravin enjoys sharing knowledge through talks, workshops, and hands-on demos. Eploring new ways technology can solve uniquely African challenges.

Bravin is an embedded systems developer based in Nakuru, Kenya, specializing in robotics and IoT. At Pixel Engineering, he designs and builds intelligent hardware-software systems ; from firmware development to full robotic solutions that solve real-... Show more

IT System Admin in state government, Search and Rescue volunteer, parent

IT System Admin in state government, Search and Rescue volunteer, parent Show more

Dan Reus believes innovators and ecosystem builders can get much more impact by focusing on how to best engage stakeholders with content, calls to action, and activities that iteratively build capacity. As Founder and Chief Instigator of Openly Disruptive, he and his team help visionary leaders build transformational systems for innovation. Dan has over 20 years experience helping Fortune 100 firms, startups, and ecosystem builders use these approaches to connect with new and existing customers, partners, opportunities, technology and ways to operate in sectors from deep tech to consumer products and services. Dan is based in St Louis and says, “The future will be what we make it!”

Dan Reus believes innovators and ecosystem builders can get much more impact by focusing on how to best engage stakeholders with content, calls to action, and activities that iteratively build capacity. As Founder and Chief Instigator of Openly Disru... Show more

PA Agriculture Emergency Preparedness Director and retired Army officer focused on food security and infrastructure resilience.

PA Agriculture Emergency Preparedness Director and retired Army officer focused on food security and infrastructure resilience. Show more

Guided by purpose, strategy and a love of tech, Cortina Jenelle Caldwell’s entrepreneurial journey has remained true to her north star – to leave her corner of the world a little better off than she found it, a lesson learned early under her grandmother’s wings. Nursing, then social work provided a foundation for understanding social health, community development and resource connection, and Cortina ultimately found her home in business as a way to build solutions for local communities from the ground up. Cortina earned her BS in Business, Social Science and Education, and a MA in Business Management & Leadership (MAML)from Liberty University. As a graduate student, Cortina conducted research on “Branding Authenticity”, and armed with new knowledge of the future of business, Cortina founded Visit & Ventureto address gaps between tourism economies and local economies, earning Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year and a place in 40 Under Forty by the age of 26. Cortina re-branded the original model several times, evolving with community need and responding to first-party data - Cortina Jenelle Branding Agency(2014-2024), and Brand Evangelist™emerged with the age of AI in 2024. Cortina is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society, the Lloyd International Honors College at UNC-Greensboro, and is a Full Stack Web Developer, an ICAgile Certified Pro (Savvy Coders), a Certified Creative Facilitator (PYE Global), and a member of Vantage Ventures & AscendWV, class of 2025. Cortina’s journey reflects a relentless commitment to transform vision into scalable impact through design, technology, and creative strategy, work carried out through the tech-forward approach of Brand Evangelist and its ecosystem. Cortina’s collective body of award-winning work spans decades and ripples throughout Southern Appalachia and abroad, with impact hubs in North Carolina, Arizona, Tennessee, Austrailia and more soon from West Virginia where she calls home.

Guided by purpose, strategy and a love of tech, Cortina Jenelle Caldwell’s entrepreneurial journey has remained true to her north star – to leave her corner of the world a little better off than she found it, a lesson learned early under her grandmot... Show more

Bennie Haelen is a Data and AI architect at Insight where he builds enterprise AI solutions for healthcare, finance, and other sectors. He develops MCP servers, agentic enterprise workflows, and multi-agent AI architectures using Google Cloud Platform, Databricks, Microsoft Azure, and Neo4j. His current focus is query resolution systems that combine knowledge graphs with vector search to translate natural language into governed, auditable SQL. Bennie is the author of two O'Reilly books: "Delta Lake: Up and Running: Modern Data Lakehouse Architectures" and "AI, ML and Generative AI in the Data Lakehouse," covering modern approaches to data engineering and machine learning. He holds three patents and is based in the Denver, Colorado area.

Bennie Haelen is a Data and AI architect at Insight where he builds enterprise AI solutions for healthcare, finance, and other sectors. He develops MCP servers, agentic enterprise workflows, and multi-agent AI architectures using Google Cloud Platfor... Show more

Yaswanth Reddy is a Lead DevOps Engineer at Arealis, where he works on making cloud infrastructure smarter and more reliable with AWS, Kubernetes, and modern CI/CD practices. He loves experimenting with how cloud and AI come together from building scalable pipelines to using embeddings and vector search in real-world systems. Outside of work, he enjoys mentoring engineers and sharing what he learns with the developer community.

Yaswanth Reddy is a Lead DevOps Engineer at Arealis, where he works on making cloud infrastructure smarter and more reliable with AWS, Kubernetes, and modern CI/CD practices. He loves experimenting with how cloud and AI come together from building sc... Show more

Louis Nyffenegger is a renowned application security expert and the founder of PentesterLab, a leading platform for hands-on security training. With extensive experience in penetration testing, code review, and application security, Louis has worked at organizations like the National Bank of Australia, Australia Post, and Fitbit.

He has delivered talks at prestigious security conferences, including DEFCON, OWASP California, and BSides Canberra, sharing insights on web security, code review techniques, and the intricacies of penetration testing.

As the primary author of PentesterLab’s labs, Louis has designed practical, real-world exercises that help security professionals and developers master vulnerabilities and improve their skills. He also runs AppSecSchool, a YouTube channel dedicated to application security, and writes thought-provoking blog posts to inspire the security community.

Beyond his technical contributions, Louis is passionate about teaching and empowering others to build secure software. He believes in a hands-on approach to security education, emphasising real-world applications and meaningful learning experiences.

Louis Nyffenegger is a renowned application security expert and the founder of PentesterLab, a leading platform for hands-on security training. With extensive experience in penetration testing, code review, and application security, Louis has worked ... Show more