Daryl is a Seattle-based Developer Advocate with Google Open Source who believes tech education shouldn't be boring. Building software since 2005, his resume includes engineering and advocacy stints at Amazon (Kindle for Android, Game Studios) and multiple teams across Google. Drawing on his unique background in improv and four years as a professional wrestler, Daryl brings a highly creative, engaging energy to his work with developers. Want a great story? Ask him about his time in the squared circle!

Daryl is a Seattle-based Developer Advocate with Google Open Source who believes tech education shouldn't be boring. Building software since 2005, his resume includes engineering and advocacy stints at Amazon (Kindle for Android, Game Studios) and mu... Show more

JuanJo Ciarlante is a Principal Engineer at GrafanaLabs and Assistant Professor at Mendoza Uni. His industry experience includes working for Google as SRE TL, as well as other SRE roles at Canonical Ltd, and Bitnami.
His OSS journey started in 1998 when he contributed IP Aliasing support to Linux, and since then to several other OSS projects. He's particularly passionate about Cloud-y OSS projects like Kubernetes, Prometheus, Grafana, etc which made cloud computing accessible for the rest of us.

JuanJo Ciarlante is a Principal Engineer at GrafanaLabs and Assistant Professor at Mendoza Uni. His industry experience includes working for Google as SRE TL, as well as other SRE roles at Canonical Ltd, and Bitnami. His OSS journey started in 1998 ... Show more

Frank Poncelet is Operations Architect at Xplore Group (Cronos Group) and co-founder of Hyperlabs, its blockchain brand. On-chain he is FrankNFT.eth: the developer behind the CryptoPunks V1 wrapper, which made the original 2017 CryptoPunks contract tradeable again, and ERC721F, a low-gas ERC-721 template now used across the industry. He has written more than 40 smart contracts.

Before Web3 he maintained Alpha Jets for the Belgian Air Force and led the mobile banking team at ING Belgium that shipped the first mobile banking app in the country. In 2026 most of his energy goes to agentic and physical AI: systems that run workflows, drive devices and coordinate with each other.

Frank speaks about crypto and AI, often in a duo keynote with IrishNFTgal, and has been on stage at NFT.NYC, NFC Summit Lisbon, Dappconn Berlin, ETHcc Brussels and Devoxx Belgium. He is based in Belgium and invests, mainly early stage, in builders. The long version is at frankponcelet.com.

Frank Poncelet is Operations Architect at Xplore Group (Cronos Group) and co-founder of Hyperlabs, its blockchain brand. On-chain he is FrankNFT.eth: the developer behind the CryptoPunks V1 wrapper, which made the original 2017 CryptoPunks contract t... Show more

In his current role Todd co-launches a new venture backed startup every few months, acting as an interim CTO / founding engineer. Over Todd’s close to 20 year career, he has held titles such as head of engineering, director of engineering and principal software engineer. Todd loves to build things and, like many of us, has been enjoying the shift into the AI native mindset of software development. When Todd is not telling an AI to write code, he can be found strumming his guitar in random places, such as the beach, in the mountains, on his front porch, or even at a tech conference such as this one :). Todd is passionate about creating positive experiences for people, including through writing music, building products, and community building . Todd is always open for a jam session or the occasional paired programming with strangers, just ask.

In his current role Todd co-launches a new venture backed startup every few months, acting as an interim CTO / founding engineer. Over Todd’s close to 20 year career, he has held titles such as head of engineering, director of engineering and princip... Show more

Waskar Paulino is a software engineer who builds AI products, and a Technical.ly 2025 RealLIST Innovator. He is the founder of PhilaCon Valley, a Philadelphia tech community for people who build. Its PATCH series of hands-on labs puts designers, engineers, and artists in one room to make things, from NFC hardware to projection mapping.

He is a former startup CTO. Before that, he spent seven years at Apple as a Genius and trainer. He started his career teaching Spanish and music to young people in Philadelphia. He is a first-generation AfroLatinx technologist who explains technology the same way to a boardroom or a beginner.

He speaks on AI in production, AI-assisted building, creative coding, and community-led growth. At the AI Community Conference at Microsoft in New York, he presented "From Pixels to Meaning: Building an AI Content Pipeline That Actually Works." He has also spoken at Philly JS Club, OwlHacks at Temple University, FamCon, and The Moonlighters' Club Showcase. He has been a panelist at Technical.ly's Builders Conference during Philly Tech Week, at Per Scholas Philadelphia, and on AI infrastructure with Unisys in Allentown.

Coming up: he leads the PhilaCon Valley creative-tech activation at Founders Alley Philadelphia in October 2026. In December 2026 he co-hosts The AI Confessional at The AI Summit New York.

Waskar Paulino is a software engineer who builds AI products, and a Technical.ly 2025 RealLIST Innovator. He is the founder of PhilaCon Valley, a Philadelphia tech community for people who build. Its PATCH series of hands-on labs puts designers, engi... Show more

Focusing on web interfaces that are beautiful, functional, accessible, and usable, Martine approaches User Experience from both Art and Science, drawing from her degrees in Psychology and Visual Communications. She is a Web Technologies, Firebase, and Angular GDE as well as a Microsoft MVP in Developer Technologies. Martine stays active in the industry by writing articles, leading workshops, and speaking at conferences and meetups worldwide. An accomplished author, her latest book, Tiny CSS Projects was released in 2023.

Focusing on web interfaces that are beautiful, functional, accessible, and usable, Martine approaches User Experience from both Art and Science, drawing from her degrees in Psychology and Visual Communications. She is a Web Technologies, Firebase, an... Show more

As a Microsoft MVP, Micha enjoys talking about all Azure & Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) topics and has already spoken at Microsoft conferences, International (User Group) events, Microsoft hosted webinars & Workshops and more.
He has over 15 years of experience as a Azure & DevOps engineer and has in depth knowledge of private, hybrid and public clouds.
Today Micha mainly focuses on Azure, DevOps, Windows 365 & AVD environments and is particularly knowledgeable about migrating those environments to Azure.
Micha is freelance Azure Architect @ Ahold Delhaize and works with Microsoft on Azure, Windows 365 & AVD

As a Microsoft MVP, Micha enjoys talking about all Azure & Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) topics and has already spoken at Microsoft conferences, International (User Group) events, Microsoft hosted webinars & Workshops and more. He has over 15 years of... Show more

Marie Wiese is the CEO Marketing Copilot®, an AI-enabled sales and marketing firm. She is a best-selling author and host of the podcasts, Women Talk Tech and The Hot Seat for Microsoft Partners. Marie has worked in the technology sector for 30+ years and focuses on marketing automation/CRM and the digital transformation of the sales and marketing function. Marie helps Microsoft Partners, software developers and end customers build demand generation programs for their organizations with the right strategy and technology.

Marie Wiese is the CEO Marketing Copilot®, an AI-enabled sales and marketing firm. She is a best-selling author and host of the podcasts, Women Talk Tech and The Hot Seat for Microsoft Partners. Marie has worked in the technology sector for 30+ years... Show more

Catedrática de Derecho civil en la Universitat Politècnica de València
Licenciada y Doctora en Derecho por la Universitat de València
Investigadora principal de distintos proyectos competitivos
Premio UPV a la transferencia de conocimiento

Catedrática de Derecho civil en la Universitat Politècnica de València Licenciada y Doctora en Derecho por la Universitat de València Investigadora principal de distintos proyectos competitivos Premio UPV a la transferencia de conocimiento Show more

Phil Stafford is a cybersecurity expert and AI safety strategist working at the shifting boundary between human intention and machine autonomy. With over 20 years of experience across IT, cybersecurity, and AI, his work blends defensive security, cutting-edge research, and emerging policy, driven by a central question: how do we build intelligent systems that extend our humanity rather than replace it?

Phil holds a M.Sc. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, along with expert-level certifications including CloudNetX, Pentest+, and Cysa+. He collaborates with researchers and practitioners through the Simply Cyber community and the Multiverse School, working to shape the ethical scaffolding around next-generation AI.

Outside the realm of security, Phil is a classically trained musician and multidisciplinary artist exploring what it means to make human art in a post-AI world.

Phil Stafford is a cybersecurity expert and AI safety strategist working at the shifting boundary between human intention and machine autonomy. With over 20 years of experience across IT, cybersecurity, and AI, his work blends defensive security, cut... Show more

Richard Essangabasi is a Speaker, Entrepreneur and Business Developer from Nigeria. With years of experience in entrepreneurship, marketing, media & entertainment, business development & sales, he builds businesses that solve real problems and helps other entrepreneurs do the same.

He has worked with global brands like Google, Ethereum, Base, Cowrywise, and more. He is the Co-Founder/CEO of Shard Network, a satellite-powered campus ISP with notable products like Soko, a campus marketplace for students to buy, sell & connect globally without boundaries, he is also the Founder of Campus Pitch Africa, Africa's biggest campus pitch show, and Convener of International Christian Leaders & Entrepreneurs Conference (iCLEC). Beyond these, he is building a conglomerate of ventures across fashion, media, finance, real estate and hospitality.

Beyond building, he runs webinars, mentors founders 1-on-1, and consults for African SMEs. His work is driven by one purpose, to build the next generation of wealthmakers for the kingdom of God. Therefore ensuring that all men become Apostles in the Marketplace, building, growing and financing the kingdom.

Richard Essangabasi is a Speaker, Entrepreneur and Business Developer from Nigeria. With years of experience in entrepreneurship, marketing, media & entertainment, business development & sales, he builds businesses that solve real problems and helps ... Show more

Marline Paul, a seasoned educator and entrepreneur, empowers startups and military spouses through her company, Enilram Creative Solutions. With over 17 years in education and a passion for uplifting entrepreneurs, Marline offers strategic guidance and training. As a proud graduate of Florida International University and St. Thomas University, and a devoted mother and military spouse, Marline transitioned from teaching to entrepreneurship. Her hands-on approach and dedication to improving lives set her apart. Marline is also the founder of Rose of Alpha Omega, Inc., a nonprofit supporting women's leadership and well-being.

Marline Paul, a seasoned educator and entrepreneur, empowers startups and military spouses through her company, Enilram Creative Solutions. With over 17 years in education and a passion for uplifting entrepreneurs, Marline offers strategic guidance a... Show more

Daniel Cukier is an engineer and musician based in Lisbon. He holds a PhD in Computer Science (University of São Paulo), co-founded Elo7, one of Latin America's largest marketplaces, later acquired by Etsy, and has shipped software for 25 years, today focused on AI and agentic systems. With singer Daniella Alcarpe he performs Sinestesia, a live show in which a voice becomes a painting in real time, driven by an Elixir/OTP engine he writes and operates on stage. He is also a published poet (National Poetry Award, 2012 and 2013).

Daniel Cukier is an engineer and musician based in Lisbon. He holds a PhD in Computer Science (University of São Paulo), co-founded Elo7, one of Latin America's largest marketplaces, later acquired by Etsy, and has shipped software for 25 years, toda... Show more

Anjaneya Kappagantu is an Expert Solution Architect at AT&T with 25+ years architecting enterprise and telecom (BSS) systems — including as AT&T's solution architect for the first-ever iPhone launch and end-to-end Apple integration. He mentors principal architects and advises leadership on GenAI and agentic AI.

Alongside his career, he is an AI educator and researcher focused on local and edge AI — fine-tuning models on Apple Silicon with MLX, designing agentic AI workflows, and researching test-time adaptation, including a human-in-the-loop method he developed, Reinforce-or-Retrain (RoR). He mentors students and product teams, speaks at AI and engineering conferences and meetups, and has judged several hundreds of AI pitches. He also explores non-standard architectures such as Kolmogorov–Arnold Networks (KANs) applied to Pāṇinian Sanskrit grammar. He is a trained aerospace engineer and a professional tabla player.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjsastry

Anjaneya Kappagantu is an Expert Solution Architect at AT&T with 25+ years architecting enterprise and telecom (BSS) systems — including as AT&T's solution architect for the first-ever iPhone launch and end-to-end Apple integration. He mentors princi... Show more

Architect and engineer with a passion for continuous learning and knowledge sharing. Focused on people, processes, and finding the right balance between quality and effectiveness. A firm believer in the transformative power of automation and AI.

Having worked across various industries, company sizes, and roles - from startups to large enterprises - he thrives on connecting a strategic perspective with practical execution. His main interests lie in Enterprise and Solution Architecture, where he applies a holistic view to make technology serve business goals effectively.

Outside of work, he’s passionate about music - singing, playing, and dancing - as well as sports ranging from martial arts to snowboarding.

Architect and engineer with a passion for continuous learning and knowledge sharing. Focused on people, processes, and finding the right balance between quality and effectiveness. A firm believer in the transformative power of automation and AI. ... Show more

Heath Ledet is spending this chapter of his life on the work he started with: making music. A blues and Americana musician, singer, and songwriter, Heath Ledet is getting back into the music business in earnest after retiring from the oil and gas industry. He is returning to live performance with a focus on festivals and events, and he has a full album of unreleased music that he plans to release one song per month.

Alongside the music, Ledet runs a new business. Through Top Shelf Development, his home and property development company, he buys property, builds homes on it, and sells them. The work applies what he learned building a business in the energy industry to residential construction.

Ledet is originally from South Louisiana. For more than 16 years he has lived in The Woodlands, Texas, which is part of the greater Conroe and Montgomery County area.

The path to this point started with music, his first calling. As a musician, Ledet made the decision to focus on building a company that would give his family financial security. That choice took him into power generation for oil and gas infrastructure. There he grew Montco Oilfield Solutions, a power generation business that supported major oil companies with their infrastructure.
Building Montco is the accomplishment in his professional life that Ledet is most proud of. That chapter closed when he sold the company to a large company that will continue to grow the business and its employees. With the sale, the company he built and the people who helped build it moved forward under new ownership, and Ledet retired from the power generation and oil and gas infrastructure business.

Music did not leave his life during the business years. In October 2013, Heath Ledet released the album Chasing My Dreams, a 10-song collection with Pershing Wells featured throughout. Its tracks are "Chasing My Dreams," "Wrapped Around Your Finger," "Too Good for Me," "Dirty Money," "You're Not Alone," "Forever," "We Dance," "Time Under the Sun," "Got My Eyes On You," and "Nothing to Lose." Other musicians credited on individual tracks include Todd Sorenson, Todd Adams, Randy Ellis, Kathy Ledet, Troy Percle, Cory Duplechin, Lonnie Lapeyrouse, Terri Chiasson, and Charles "Chucky C" Elam. The album can be streamed on Apple Music, Spotify, Shazam, and SoundCloud.

Away from music and business, Ledet is a father, and his family is an important part of his life. His ranch in Arkansas is where he goes to hunt, fish, ride ATV trails, spend time on the lake, hike, and go rock hunting.

Ledet has also been involved in his community through charitable giving and volunteer work. His support has included the Midland Police Department, contributing to the work of local law enforcement. It has included United Way, the nonprofit that works to strengthen communities through local partnerships. It has included schools, where he has invested in the education of students. He has also been part of a wide range of other charitable and volunteer efforts.

For Heath Ledet, this chapter brings him back to where he started. His oil and gas career is complete, and his time is now divided among his music, Top Shelf Development, his family, and his ranch in Arkansas.

Heath Ledet is spending this chapter of his life on the work he started with: making music. A blues and Americana musician, singer, and songwriter, Heath Ledet is getting back into the music business in earnest after retiring from the oil and gas ind... Show more

Oleg Pustovit is a Senior Fullstack and UX Engineer at Exponential, Cox Enterprises' AI startup accelerator, where he works with early-stage Silicon Valley startups in AI and robotics. He has been a tech lead and a fractional CTO, building full-stack web products and the cloud infrastructure behind them, from frontend and APIs to AWS. He started as a 3D designer and technical artist, licensing work to companies including Adobe. In his own time he builds developer tools, graphics and UI experiments.

Oleg Pustovit is a Senior Fullstack and UX Engineer at Exponential, Cox Enterprises' AI startup accelerator, where he works with early-stage Silicon Valley startups in AI and robotics. He has been a tech lead and a fractional CTO, building full-stack... Show more

Rabbi Ranon Teller is a dedicated spiritual leader whose passion for Jewish music, education, and community engagement has shaped his approach to congregational leadership. With a background in television writing and music, he brings creativity and personal connection to worship services, educational programs, and synagogue activities. As senior rabbi of Congregation Brith Shalom in Houston, he has introduced engaging prayer experiences, strengthened congregational participation, and developed meaningful relationships within the broader Jewish community. His leadership combines traditional Jewish teachings with contemporary musical expression, encouraging members to connect with their faith through learning, worship, and shared experiences.

Raised in suburban Detroit, Ranon Teller was the second of three children in a household deeply connected to Orthodox Judaism. He began his education at Orthodox Day School before attending Skokie Yeshiva High School outside Chicago. Following high school, he moved to Israel to pursue advanced religious studies at an Orthodox yeshiva. There, he studied the Talmud, Jewish philosophy, theology, and sacred texts, developing a strong foundation in Jewish scholarship and religious practice. As his studies progressed, however, he began questioning aspects of the Orthodox environment. These experiences encouraged him to examine different perspectives on Judaism and reconsider the direction of his spiritual journey.

In 1996, Teller returned to Israel to explore alternative approaches to Jewish spirituality beyond the Orthodox traditions of his upbringing. He became particularly interested in contemporary Chasidic music and the teachings of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. During this period, he audited classes at a Conservative rabbinical school in Jerusalem and participated in an intensive experiential Jewish education program. Exposure to different forms of Jewish learning helped him recognize his calling to religious education and spiritual leadership. In 1998, he returned to the United States to pursue formal rabbinic studies and prepare to serve the Jewish community.

After returning to the United States, Rabbi Teller enrolled at the University of Judaism, now known as American Jewish University, in Los Angeles. He pursued Jewish education and rabbinic studies, strengthening his knowledge of religious texts, teaching, and spiritual leadership. In 2000, he earned a master's degree in education from the Fingerhut School of Education and received the Fingerhut School of Education Award for Outstanding Achievement. In 2002, he completed his rabbinic studies and was ordained as Rabbi Ranon Teller. The Chancellor's Award for Academic Excellence and the Ziegler School Award for Excellence in Talmudic Studies recognized his academic accomplishments. In May 2022, he received an Honorary Doctorate from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies.

Rabbi Ranon Teller began his rabbinic career at Congregation B'nai Amoona in St. Louis, where he served as associate rabbi from 2002 to 2005. During his tenure, the congregation experienced changes in senior leadership, creating a need for stability and direction. Rabbi Teller helped provide continuity while strengthening relationships among congregants. He focused on engaging young families and introducing contemporary, interactive prayer services that encouraged greater participation. His work in St. Louis helped develop his approach to congregational leadership, emphasizing Jewish education, creative worship, and meaningful personal connections.

In 2005, Ranon moved to Houston to become senior rabbi of Congregation Brith Shalom. His personable, soulful, and diplomatic leadership approach contributed to congregational growth and stronger community relationships. Over the next two decades, he introduced musical prayer services that welcomed congregants and community members from diverse backgrounds and interests. His work extended beyond worship and religious education to important synagogue development initiatives. Rabbi Teller played a key role in securing a $1.5 million endowment and a $5 million gift toward a building renovation campaign. These contributions supported the congregation's financial needs and ongoing development while helping maintain opportunities for Jewish learning and spiritual participation.

Rabbi Teller's commitment to community service extends beyond his responsibilities at Congregation Brith Shalom. He actively participates in initiatives throughout Houston, collaborating with organizations that help individuals and families in need. He works with the Houston Food Bank, SEARCH Homeless Services, and the Food and Faith Collaborative. He also supports community efforts through the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and Alexander Jewish Family Service. These activities reflect his dedication to tikkun olam, the Jewish principle of repairing the world, through compassion, service, and practical assistance. His continued involvement shows how important he is to connecting Jewish values with meaningful community support.

Outside his rabbinic responsibilities, Rabbi Ranon Teller enjoys a range of creative and recreational interests. He continues to play blues and folk guitar and remains passionate about song-leading. An enthusiastic reader, he particularly enjoys nonfiction, including biographies and books exploring human nature. His interests also include juggling, performing magic, hiking, and backpacking, activities that provide opportunities for creativity and spiritual reflection. He finds a meaningful connection to spirituality through spending time in nature. He has also contributed articles to Kolot magazine, the Jewish Herald-Voice, and the Jewish Journal. He co-authored the book Peaceful Bones, reflecting his continued interest in writing and sharing ideas with a wider audience.

Rabbi Ranon Teller is a dedicated spiritual leader whose passion for Jewish music, education, and community engagement has shaped his approach to congregational leadership. With a background in television writing and music, he brings creativity and p... Show more

Florin Bădiță is an independent builder and founder based in Arad, Romania. He is the creator of DomainScope, an AI-powered domain intelligence platform indexing 15M+ domains across 177 markets, and ServerClaw, an open-source infrastructure-as-code platform with 160+ Ansible roles. A Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe honoree and TEDx speaker, he served as Tech Director at the Davos House of Collaboration 2026 and is active in the MCP ecosystem via 0mcp.com. His engineering stack centers on Go, PostgreSQL/PostGIS, and AI-assisted development workflows — he shipped four production systems and logged over 1,000 Architecture Decision Records in a single month using AI-augmented engineering, and now teaches that methodology through his ADR-Driven Development masterclass. Beyond engineering, he founded Corupția Ucide, Romania's largest civic accountability movement, and has used 8,000+ FOIA requests as a data-journalism collaborator with RISE Project/OCCRP.

Florin Bădiță is an independent builder and founder based in Arad, Romania. He is the creator of DomainScope, an AI-powered domain intelligence platform indexing 15M+ domains across 177 markets, and ServerClaw, an open-source infrastructure-as-code p... Show more

Co-founder and CEO of Aiga AS with 10+ years in product design, UX and design leadership. Hanne combines design-led product development with commercial experience, having built teams, led regional design organisations and delivered complex B2B solutions for clients such as Equinor, Aker BP and Halliburton. She teaches design-driven business development at the University of Stavanger.

Co-founder and CEO of Aiga AS with 10+ years in product design, UX and design leadership. Hanne combines design-led product development with commercial experience, having built teams, led regional design organisations and delivered complex B2B soluti... Show more

Toby Wagstaff is a highly skilled writer, editor, and script consultant with extensive experience in the fields of entertainment and conversational AI. Originally from the United Kingdom, he earned first-class honors in Philosophy and Modern Languages (Italian) from the University of Oxford. Now residing in New York, he continues to push the boundaries of creative storytelling and technology.

During his academic journey, Toby spent a formative year in Rome, where he attended the Università degli Studi Roma Tre. While there, he immersed himself in cinema and art history, volunteered as a teaching assistant, and directed a production of The Importance of Being Earnest. His time in Rome also allowed him to develop a passion for photography and work as an English tutor, further broadening his skill set.

After completing his degree at Oxford, Toby launched his career in London's film industry. He started by working in script analysis and production coordination at Studio 8 Productions and Peace Arch Films. His practical experience was further enhanced by an internship in post-production on the BBC series Monarch of the Glen, where he gained hands-on experience in film editing, sound mixing, and color correction.

In 2004, Toby gained his first significant production experience on the feature film Shadows in the Sun, starring Harvey Keitel and Joshua Jackson. Filmed in Tuscany and London, he served as an assistant to the producers and a translator and even took on the role of an on-screen double for the lead actor.

Later that year, Toby moved to the US to join Fierce Entertainment as a Creative Executive. In this role, he was instrumental in developing the company's first in-house feature, War, starring Jet Li and Jason Statham. His contributions also led to the expansion of the company's buyers' rep operation. Recognizing his passion for writing, Toby transitioned to a role at Original Content, where he focused on discovering and mentoring new screenwriting talent.

Toby Wagstaff eventually shifted to full-time screenwriting, with his first spec script, Arena, being optioned by Summit Entertainment in 2008. Over the years, he has continued to write and sell screenplays in various genres, including thrillers like The Day I Die and YA dramas like Break My Bones. His assignments have also included projects such as the graphic novel adaptation Shrapnel and romantic comedy rewrites for television.

In recent years, Toby has applied his writing expertise to the field of conversational AI. He has been involved in training and refining AI models for a leading tech company, using his creative skills to explore new possibilities in this emerging field. Although he believes AI will never replace the human touch in creative writing, he is excited about its potential to enhance access to information and address global challenges.

Outside of his professional life, Toby Wagstaff is passionate about music, photography, fencing, and nature exploration. He has played guitar and bass in various bands since his teenage years and was a top-ranked youth fencer in the UK, representing Oxford University. In his free time, he enjoys capturing dramatic landscapes with his 35mm SLR camera.

Toby Wagstaff is a highly skilled writer, editor, and script consultant with extensive experience in the fields of entertainment and conversational AI. Originally from the United Kingdom, he earned first-class honors in Philosophy and Modern Language... Show more

Eugene Willis Jr. is an Application Analyst, Red Hat Systems Administrator, and Helpdesk professional who built his career in tech from the ground up. Starting without a formal background, he worked his way from support roles into managing Red Hat systems and higher education applications. With degrees in Business and Marketing, Eugene blends technical expertise with creative strategy to solve real-world problems. Outside of tech, he’s a touring emcee and author who enjoys mentoring others and helping them carve out their own path forward.

Eugene Willis Jr. is an Application Analyst, Red Hat Systems Administrator, and Helpdesk professional who built his career in tech from the ground up. Starting without a formal background, he worked his way from support roles into managing Red Hat sy... Show more

Driven by courage, curiosity, and compassion, Becca "Bex" Hiller knows valued people deliver value. She also knows ideas supply focus and fuel, while ACTION drives goals forward toward success.

Bex helps humans reach agility potential, and her own agility shines through sharpened improv skills, a mighty pen, a hungry brain, and a passion for teaching and coaching. She has spent over two decades in product, project, and people growth spaces helping folks articulate their mission, then take mission-critical action to DELIVER. She puts growth and connection at the helm and enables, engages, and expands forward momentum, stoking peak performance (without sacrificing values, vision, or voice).

Her mission: Uncover your purpose. Pivot when life happens. Dare to deliver.
Her top interests: connection, community building, purposeful creativity, and potatoes.

Bex is currently based in Rochester, NY.

Driven by courage, curiosity, and compassion, Becca "Bex" Hiller knows valued people deliver value. She also knows ideas supply focus and fuel, while ACTION drives goals forward toward success. Bex helps humans reach agility potential, and her own... Show more

Focus areas: Artificial Intelligence & Ethics, AI Safety & Governance, Voice AI & Synthetic Trust, Human-AI Interaction, AI Bias & Inclusion, Leadership under Pressure, High-Stakes Decision Making, Negotiation & Influence, Crisis Communication, Autonomic Resilience & Regulation

Member of Global Health HUB Berlin, Global Institute for Negotiation (Zurich) and Women in AI Germany. Has worked with parliamentary groups, politicians and internationally recognised entrepreneurs.

Mareike Kroschel explores the interaction between AI and human voices. Her concept of Subcortical Contact Bias describes why the body trusts AI voices before the mind decides, and what that means for leadership, communication and trust when we can no longer reliably tell voices apart. She also asks how AI voices change the way we listen and speak, and who decides how AI sounds.

Voice is identity. With this idea, Mareike Kroschel founded VoiceDoula Concept. It is not a training but an accompaniment: people listen, pause and let their voice emerge.

Her work rests on three principles. Cognitive: how voice, identity and leadership shape each other. Somatic: breath, body and nervous system as the ground of the voice. Artistic: sound, image and play as a space where the voice can appear. Her work is grounded in her training as a state-certified breath and voice therapist, many years of work in federal health care, and her career as a singer and composer in contemporary and avant-garde music.

She works with leaders (Grounded Voice), organisations (Living Cycles) and founder teams (Pitch Lab), and hosts “The Breath Room”, a space to breathe, listen and arrive.

Focus areas: Artificial Intelligence & Ethics, AI Safety & Governance, Voice AI & Synthetic Trust, Human-AI Interaction, AI Bias & Inclusion, Leadership under Pressure, High-Stakes Decision Making, Negotiation & Influence, Crisis Communication, Auton... Show more

With 30+ years in the IT trenches for both Fortune 500 and federal projects, Chris is no stranger to high-pressure environments, technical complexity, or change resistance. As a former nuclear engineer, a software solutions architect, and standup comedian, he’s pretty much been there, done that, got the t-shirts.

What sets him apart is his ability to bring that proven, strategic, problem-solving brain to human challenges; helping teams reframe what’s possible and rediscover what matters.

Whether your people are burned out, tuned out, or ready to level up, Chris gives them permission to get honest and get going. No hype. No fluff. Just stories, strategies, and smart laughs that land.

Audiences leave clearer, lighter, and ready to act with zero eye-rolls and 100% retention. Well, ok, maybe 93%.

With 30+ years in the IT trenches for both Fortune 500 and federal projects, Chris is no stranger to high-pressure environments, technical complexity, or change resistance. As a former nuclear engineer, a software solutions architect, and standup com... Show more

Habeeb Babasulaiman is a Cloud & DevOps Engineer, OpenStack (Ironic & Bifrost) contributor, and AWS Practitioner. Starting his journey coding entirely on a phone, he grew into an active opensource community voice, authoring tutorials, mentoring at She Code Africa, and speaking at events. Passionate about open source, he empowers developers to embrace CNCF projects and scale their skills through global community programs.

Habeeb Babasulaiman is a Cloud & DevOps Engineer, OpenStack (Ironic & Bifrost) contributor, and AWS Practitioner. Starting his journey coding entirely on a phone, he grew into an active opensource community voice, authoring tutorials, mentoring at Sh... Show more

Jeremiah Tillman is an IT professional, technical instructor, and full-stack software developer based in Chicago, Illinois. He manages instructor development and delivery for advanced technical and cybersecurity training. Jeremiah focuses on connecting deep infrastructure engineering with practical security solutions. His experience covers enterprise IT design, full-stack development, and systems engineering. In his free time, he researches hardware security, audits consumer electronics, strips firmware, and creates affordable ways for defensive teams, educators, and independent researchers to test hardware.

Jeremiah Tillman is an IT professional, technical instructor, and full-stack software developer based in Chicago, Illinois. He manages instructor development and delivery for advanced technical and cybersecurity training. Jeremiah focuses on connecti... Show more

Jean-Yves AHOUANVOEDO is a digital professional who combines web development, agile project management, and content creation. He progressed from freelance web developer to IT project manager over the course of more than three years. He has led Digitalize Bénin since 2022 and has been creating content for the media outlet Bénin Bouge since 2024. Since September 2026, he has been the head of information systems in charge of R&D at Agence PROCOM. As an enthusiast of artificial intelligence, he is well-positioned to bridge the gaps between technology, communication, and innovation in Benin, a country that is heavily investing in AI.

Jean-Yves AHOUANVOEDO is a digital professional who combines web development, agile project management, and content creation. He progressed from freelance web developer to IT project manager over the course of more than three years. He has led Digita... Show more

Rob LeGood has been building software, and the teams behind it, since 1996. He started as a developer and worked his way up to Director, Technology Solutions at OCAS, where he led a department of 30 developers and testers. Along the way he led teams at D2L and in financial services, and since 2021 he has taught web development and SQL as a part-time professor at Conestoga College.

Rob's leadership philosophy is simple: the work happens through people, or it doesn't happen. He writes about people-centric leadership at pcl.roblegood.ca. Lately he's also been writing code again, with an AI pair programmer that is very eager and occasionally wrong.

When he's not on a conference stage, he's on an actual one. He has acted and directed with Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre since 2000. He also plays a lot of board games.

Rob LeGood has been building software, and the teams behind it, since 1996. He started as a developer and worked his way up to Director, Technology Solutions at OCAS, where he led a department of 30 developers and testers. Along the way he led teams ... Show more

As a Walt Disney Imagineer, Brian helped create the stories and magic for some of the world’s most beloved attractions. Over the past 30+ years, he has produced work for a who’s-who list of corporations, as well as small entrepreneurial ventures. As an Instructor at the University of Central Florida, Brian taught a variety of classes related to immersive/thematic design, entertainment business, and emerging technologies. He is also a sought-after Futurist and Innovation Consultant through his practice known as The Brainstorm Institute where he works with both large and small companies to help them gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace through design thinking and adopting innovative practices. He has spoken at conferences around the world, is passionate about education, and is an advisory board member for several innovative tech start-ups.

As a Walt Disney Imagineer, Brian helped create the stories and magic for some of the world’s most beloved attractions. Over the past 30+ years, he has produced work for a who’s-who list of corporations, as well as small entrepreneurial ventures. As ... Show more