Todd has a passion for promoting a healthy product and engineering culture, collaboratively exploring ways to solve both organizational and engineering needs, as well as holding regular discussions around how to evolve the software engineering craft. Todd believes in a human centered approach to engineering, where the experience of those creating and evolving the product is just as important as those that use the product.

A native to California's bay area, Todd’s journey into programming started over two decades ago and he has been privileged to work with many technologies as well as some leadership roles over the years. With his experience as a Principal of Software Engineering Practices at Pluralsight, Todd supported both individual software engineers and the technical leadership team in helping to continually improve and work together in a way that enables everyone to do their best work.

Todd loves to play the guitar, and is always open to jamming out and often enjoys paired programming with strangers.

Todd has a passion for promoting a healthy product and engineering culture, collaboratively exploring ways to solve both organizational and engineering needs, as well as holding regular discussions around how to evolve the software engineering craft.... Show more

Christine Seeman is a staff engineer and Ruby enthusiast from Omaha, NE (smack dab in the middle of the USA), with 20+ years in tech and a soft spot for food that took way too long to make. By day, she solves complex problems with the small but mighty team at SOFware, geeking out over Ruby and Rails.

She speaks about thoughtful AI, practical engineering habits, and the human side of building software, with a focus on mindset, listening, and sustainable ways to learn faster. Off the clock, she reads too much, plays viola, helps run a nonprofit community orchestra, and serves on the board of WNB.rb, an inclusive group for nonbinary and women Rubyists. She believes the best code is written when we lift each other up and share what we learn.

Christine Seeman is a staff engineer and Ruby enthusiast from Omaha, NE (smack dab in the middle of the USA), with 20+ years in tech and a soft spot for food that took way too long to make. By day, she solves complex problems with the small but might... Show more

Oyinkansola Onwuchekwa is a PhD Researcher at the University of Hull building a Hierarchical Retrieval-Augmented Classifier for multilingual emotion recognition across Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Nigerian Pidgin, and English, trained on an annotated dataset of thousands of Afrobeats songs across 12 emotion categories. She serves as a reviewer for NERC and ICLR, and performs as a musician under the name KKC.

Oyinkansola Onwuchekwa is a PhD Researcher at the University of Hull building a Hierarchical Retrieval-Augmented Classifier for multilingual emotion recognition across Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Nigerian Pidgin, and English, trained on an annotated dataset... Show more

Hi, I'm Scott, a creator of open source software, jazz musician, yoga teacher, and founder.

Music is my most formal background, having studied jazz and classical music. I worked for years as a freelance guitarist with the ability to improvise in various styles and sight-read sheet music, sheet music being a literal form of code.

Later in life, I became a software engineer, after finding that I got a similar gut feeling when writing code as I did when writing or analyzing music. I did a lot of my initial learning by translating the data structures found in music into code.

I started my career in the software startups of Austin, TX, mainly in education technology, and I eventually ended up working as a lead engineer in the enterprise for the music industry for years.

Over time, I accumulated experience owning many different kinds of projects, building modern frontends for the web, writing backend APIs, creating scalable DevOps systems for multiple teams, handling cloud architecture, and more.

I have taken that experience and channeled it into my own independent software company, Smorsic Labs. My flagship project is bun-workspaces, an open source tool for monorepo development. I have spoken at various software engineering events in the Denver area about my work.

Hi, I'm Scott, a creator of open source software, jazz musician, yoga teacher, and founder. Music is my most formal background, having studied jazz and classical music. I worked for years as a freelance guitarist with the ability to improvise in v... Show more

Waleed Arshad is a dedicated software architect and community leader within the global Flutter ecosystem. As Pakistan's first Google Developer Expert in Flutter and the author of "Managing State in Flutter Pragmatically," Waleed is passionate about sharing his knowledge. He currently works as a Senior Software Engineer at talabat (UAE) and contributes to academia as a remote Visiting Faculty at IBA Karachi, where he also holds a Masters in Computer Science. Waleed further strengthens the tech community as the Tech Director of GDG Cloud Emirates (Dubai) and has been instrumental in nurturing Flutter Karachi for the past seven years.

Waleed Arshad is a dedicated software architect and community leader within the global Flutter ecosystem. As Pakistan's first Google Developer Expert in Flutter and the author of "Managing State in Flutter Pragmatically," Waleed is passionate about s... Show more

Ben Little is the DGCE Chair of Design Innovation at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and an instructor of strategy at Boston University and Harvard University’s Professional and Executive Development program. He has a background in product strategy and has worked extensively with corporate innovation programs and venture studios around the world.

Ben previously served as Head of Venture Strategy at Siemens Healthineers' digital incubator in Silicon Valley, VP of Design Strategy at Fidelity Investments in Boston, and as Head of Design Strategy at Sutherland Labs, a global insight-led design firm with studios in London and San Francisco. His work often centers on navigating the messy realities of human behavior, drawing from a foundation in anthropology and years spent as a strategy leader.

Ben holds a BA from the College of William & Mary and an MBA from the University of Oxford.

Ben Little is the DGCE Chair of Design Innovation at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and an instructor of strategy at Boston University and Harvard University’s Professional and Executive Development program. He has a background in product st... Show more

Full time power platform enthusiast @Microsoft

Full time power platform enthusiast @Microsoft Show more

René Schulte is a globally recognized expert in emerging technologies, with a focus on Physical AI, Generative AI, Spatial Computing (XR/AR/VR/MR), and Digital Humans. He leads the Communities of Practice at Reply, advising clients and driving innovation across global teams.

A creative developer and thought leader with 20+ years of deep technical expertise, he specializes in Spatial Computing, Real-Time 3D, Industrial Metaverse, Embodied AI, Robotics, Quantum Computing, and Agentic AI. His passion for UX drives breakthrough solutions at the intersection of emerging technologies.

Featured on Forbes and invited as expert to global TV stations and a keynote speaker and panelist at premier conferences including Siggraph, //build, Ignite, Global XR, Univ. Heidelberg, Unite, Vision VR/AR Summit, VRDC (GDC), AWE, ESA, RTC, VRARA, MR Dev Days and more. He creates content through his podcasts Digital Dialogs, QuBites, and Meta Minutes while maintaining his open-source libraries like WriteableBitmapEx.

Honored for 16 consecutive years as a Microsoft MVP, currently a double awardee in Azure AI Platform, René is also a Microsoft Regional Director and advisory board member for the VR/AR Association and XR Bootcamp.

An avid cyclist, he lives in Dresden, Germany with his wife and their five children.

René Schulte is a globally recognized expert in emerging technologies, with a focus on Physical AI, Generative AI, Spatial Computing (XR/AR/VR/MR), and Digital Humans. He leads the Communities of Practice at Reply, advising clients and driving innova... Show more

Yulia Kosarenko is the author of the books "Business Analyst: A Profession and a Mindset" and "Foundations of Business Analytics", speaker, consultant, and corporate trainer.
As the owner of Why Change Consulting Inc., she helps her clients grow mature enterprise architecture and business analysis practices, and plan and execute digital transformation programs.
As the Professor of Business Analytics at Humber College, she encourages her students to look for ways to solve business problems using analytics.
As a business analysis mentor, she leads the BA Mindset Mentorship Circle and encourages business analysts to learn, adapt, and thrive.
Yulia is active in the business analysis, architecture, and analytics communities, publishing articles and videos, joining podcasts, and advocating for applying common sense and critical thinking in all business endeavours.

Yulia Kosarenko is the author of the books "Business Analyst: A Profession and a Mindset" and "Foundations of Business Analytics", speaker, consultant, and corporate trainer. As the owner of Why Change Consulting Inc., she helps her clients grow ma... Show more

I'm a motivational speaker and ICF Certified Professional Coach devoted to changing the world one aha at a time.
Having led the learning and development function in a variety of industries and organizations, I have a rich background in leadership, management, and interpersonal skill development.
I combine my 15+ years of experience in the corporate classroom with even more years of acting and improv comedy to lead events that are as entertaining as they are impactful. With personal stories, hands-on activities, and actionable takeaways, my programs are always engaging, inspiring, and uplifting.
My areas of expertise and library of materials cover leadership, management, change, communication, personal/interpersonal development, and much more. Feel free to check out my course catalog at www.k8siegel.com/coursecatalog

I'm a motivational speaker and ICF Certified Professional Coach devoted to changing the world one aha at a time. Having led the learning and development function in a variety of industries and organizations, I have a rich background in leadership, ... Show more

Benjamin has a long-term and hands-on experience with introducing, building, running, coaching and speaking about Java, Microservices (including DDD and events), Docker/Containerization, distributed/self-contained systems (SCS) and disruptive technologies.

At day he works as Tech Lead for Cloud Technologies at codecentric. At night he hacks on innovative trends like FaaS, Service Meshes, Voice UIs and IoT. At evenings he organizes workshops, talks and code retreats at the Software Crafters Community Jena (Softwerkskammer Jena) and the Java User Group Thüringen. On weekends he serves as a board member at the Java Aktuell Magazine and at the JavaLand conference – leading the Architecture and Methodology & Culture streams.

He also runs Open Data Hackathons as well as Devoxx4Kids events. Regularly he also gives university lectures on OOP, Java, Docker, Git, Project Management and Agile Methodologies. In his leisure time he enjoys road cycling, art & theaters, wine/gin/whiskey tastings and discussions about politics and improving IT organizations.

Benjamin has a long-term and hands-on experience with introducing, building, running, coaching and speaking about Java, Microservices (including DDD and events), Docker/Containerization, distributed/self-contained systems (SCS) and disruptive technol... Show more

Rob is a data consultant in Australia. His company is LobsterPot Solutions. He leads the Adelaide Data Platform & Analytics User Group, and is also involved in the open-mic comedy community.

Rob is a data consultant in Australia. His company is LobsterPot Solutions. He leads the Adelaide Data Platform & Analytics User Group, and is also involved in the open-mic comedy community. Show more

João is a 10+ years experienced Software Developer, Studied Telecom Engineering at ISEL Lisboa, and worked in different companies in Portugal, Spain, and The Netherlands. He is a certified Kong Champion, a certified Java Developer (OCP11) and is a Certified Spring Professional 2021. Outside the software development Universe, João is someone interested in arts and crafts and making stuff out of old materials creating the occasional modified furniture. João loves plants and has a small potted garden with Yuccas and blueberry bushes. He has one particular YouTube channel called JESPROTECH dedicated to engineering where João shares his experience with the world.

João is a 10+ years experienced Software Developer, Studied Telecom Engineering at ISEL Lisboa, and worked in different companies in Portugal, Spain, and The Netherlands. He is a certified Kong Champion, a certified Java Developer (OCP11) and is a Ce... Show more

Nadège Bide, Impact Designer.
Public Sector Design Lead at POLLUX | DOCAPOSTE
Designer for over 20 years.
Graduate of the DIU in Philosophy, Design, and Ethics in Care (CNAM, 2024)
Graduate in UX Management (Les Gobelins, 2015)
Committed practice rooted in public service design, the commons, capacitive design, and transformation.

Nadège Bide, Impact Designer. Public Sector Design Lead at POLLUX | DOCAPOSTE Designer for over 20 years. Graduate of the DIU in Philosophy, Design, and Ethics in Care (CNAM, 2024) Graduate in UX Management (Les Gobelins, 2015) Committed practic... Show more

Omri Marcus is a creative strategist and tech-concept developer with over 25 years of experience creating global television formats for media giants like Viacom and Red Arrow. Currently, he leads the pioneering AI integration programs at the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, training producers and screenwriters on multi-agent AI orchestration.

Blending strategic execution with human storytelling, Omri focuses on building agentic workflows that maintain a unique creative edge. As Mike Reiss of The Simpsons noted, he is also "the funniest man in Israel."

The reality behind the credentials:
I spend my days trying to keep the soul inside stories while using tools that are designed to strip it away. As an AI consultant to global enterprises, I don't "theorize" about AI—I build the workflows that screenwriters, directors, and brands use to actually work.

My focus isn't on the "future of AI." It’s on the immediate, practical struggle of staying human in a production room that is increasingly run by statistical models. Having served as an Emmy juror for years, I know what "great" looks like—and it isn't a statistical average. I’m currently showing the industry why our flaws, blind spots, and irrational creative choices are the only things left that matter, and how to weaponize them to win in an AI-saturated market.

Omri Marcus is a creative strategist and tech-concept developer with over 25 years of experience creating global television formats for media giants like Viacom and Red Arrow. Currently, he leads the pioneering AI integration programs at the Sam Spie... Show more

Nina Ajnira Karisik is a software engineer, speaker, and founder of MadeApt, a fashion-tech startup reimagining how clothing is made and experienced. With a background in AI, development, and community-building, Nina’s work blends technical depth with a human touch. She’s known for creating interactive sessions where audiences co-create apps live, exploring the joys and messiness of coding with AI. Her talks and talks have been featured in Australia, India, Spain and beyond

Nina Ajnira Karisik is a software engineer, speaker, and founder of MadeApt, a fashion-tech startup reimagining how clothing is made and experienced. With a background in AI, development, and community-building, Nina’s work blends technical depth wit... Show more

Software engineer at Enpal!

Software engineer at Enpal! Show more

I'm a designer focused on the future and philosophy of the interface.

I've helped independent developers, startups, corporations, and civic organizations invent or improve human-centered experiences.

My work is enriched by conversations with creative practitioners from across disciplines on the Design Notes podcast, and regular writing about design theory on Interface Café.

I'm a designer focused on the future and philosophy of the interface. I've helped independent developers, startups, corporations, and civic organizations invent or improve human-centered experiences. My work is enriched by conversations with cr... Show more

Angela Legh is a bestselling middle-grade author, speaker, and recipient of the 2024 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions supporting emotional resilience, literacy, and family connection. She is the creator of The Bella Santini Chronicles and the author of the upcoming book The Emotional Landscape of the Tween Years: Understanding the Feelings That Drive Your Child’s Behavior.

Angela works with schools, educators, and families to help adults better understand the emotional world of children and the hidden experiences that often drive behavior. Her work combines storytelling, emotional resilience education, and practical strategies designed to strengthen connection, emotional safety, and healthy communication within schools and families.

Angela Legh is a bestselling middle-grade author, speaker, and recipient of the 2024 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions supporting emotional resilience, literacy, and family connection. She is the creator of The Bella Santin... Show more

A seasoned digital leader with over 15 years of experience in building and optimizing customer-centric digital experiences, Anchal Gautam currently serves as a Digital Product Manager at Blick Art Materials. In this role, she leads key initiatives across Product Search and Personalization, Account Self-Service, and B2B product experiences.

With a strong background at the intersection of technology, data, and user experience, Anchal has a proven track record of driving growth through strategic product development and innovative digital solutions. They are passionate about leveraging personalization and scalable platforms to enhance customer engagement and deliver measurable business impact.

At this conference, Anchal brings practical insights on evolving digital ecosystems, optimizing product discovery, and creating seamless experiences for both B2C and B2B audiences.

A seasoned digital leader with over 15 years of experience in building and optimizing customer-centric digital experiences, Anchal Gautam currently serves as a Digital Product Manager at Blick Art Materials. In this role, she leads key initiatives ac... Show more

David Gregory is a founder, builder, and storyteller working at the intersection of hospitality, tourism, food, business, and experience design.

He is the creator of IC Pasta, a dessert concept built around playful, memorable guest experiences, and the mind behind immersive projects that blend storytelling, hospitality, and real-world interaction. His perspective comes from building businesses, designing experiences, and paying attention to the details most people move past too quickly.

David speaks about what makes experiences feel real, why hospitality loses something when it becomes too polished or too rehearsed, how businesses can build something with a pulse instead of just a pitch, and why context matters more than most people realize. His work is rooted in real operations, guest psychology, storytelling, and the belief that people remember what feels human.

Whether he is talking about food, tourism, service, branding, or experience design, the thread is the same: what makes something worth caring about?

David Gregory is a founder, builder, and storyteller working at the intersection of hospitality, tourism, food, business, and experience design. He is the creator of IC Pasta, a dessert concept built around playful, memorable guest experiences, an... Show more

Taylor Smith, Senior AI Developer Advocate at Red Hat, is an advocate of open source AI innovation and democratization. She has a background in software development, open source technologies like Kubernetes and linux, and technical partnerships. Taylor loves music, animals, and helping to solve real-world problems with technology. Based out of North Carolina.

Taylor Smith, Senior AI Developer Advocate at Red Hat, is an advocate of open source AI innovation and democratization. She has a background in software development, open source technologies like Kubernetes and linux, and technical partnerships. Tayl... Show more

As a Technical Account Manager at Red Hat, I work every day to transform business objectives into innovative technological solutions. I am a cloud enthusiast dedicated to leveraging modern tools to solve complex needs, specializing in the design of hybrid cloud architectures and the implementation of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to build scalable, resilient systems. I am passionate about understanding the intersection between technology and business strategy to drive growth

As a Technical Account Manager at Red Hat, I work every day to transform business objectives into innovative technological solutions. I am a cloud enthusiast dedicated to leveraging modern tools to solve complex needs, specializing in the design of h... Show more

I am a software engineer focused on backend development and distributed systems. I enjoy designing scalable architectures and exploring domain-driven design to model complex business problems.
I have worked with different languages and technologies, and I’m particularly interested in building reliable systems, from APIs to event-driven and distributed applications. I also enjoy exploring low-level systems and experimenting with unconventional projects.

I am a software engineer focused on backend development and distributed systems. I enjoy designing scalable architectures and exploring domain-driven design to model complex business problems. I have worked with different languages and technologies,... Show more

I am a dedicated Senior Fullstack Software Engineer based in Ecuador with +6 years in the industry, with a passion for creating innovative solutions for web and mobile applications, REST APIs, GraphQL and microservices. I leverage a diverse range of cutting-edge technologies to deliver robust and scalable software. My expertise spans backend and frontend development, UI-UX design, and infrastructure management, ensuring seamless integration and efficiency across all aspects of a software project. Recently, I have delved into the exciting realm of Artificial Intelligence, specializing in developing computer vision applications and integrating LLM models for intelligent conversational systems in personal projects.

I am a dedicated Senior Fullstack Software Engineer based in Ecuador with +6 years in the industry, with a passion for creating innovative solutions for web and mobile applications, REST APIs, GraphQL and microservices. I leverage a diverse range of ... Show more

Heather Cook is Principal PM Manager for the Microsoft 365 Customer Advocacy Group within Microsoft’s Collaborative Applications and Platform Group. She leads engagement, evangelism, and growth strategies, building programs and connections between Microsoft and its global community. A former Microsoft MVP for Microsoft 365 Apps and Services, Heather brings over two decades of experience as a marketing executive for leading tech companies and as Founder of Creative Maven, her impact consultancy. As a consultant, executive event producer, and fractional Chief Marketing Officer, she has delivered thousands of events, campaigns, and experiences across high‑tech and entertainment. Heather is a seasoned keynote speaker, moderator, and host, and an avid writer who publishes Maven Musings on LinkedIn and her cultural Substack, Heddas Mix Tape. Her Microsoft origin story is featured in The Women of Microsoft. Based in Marina del Rey, California, she travels globally to speak on healthy workplaces, power skills, community, and inclusion.

Heather Cook is Principal PM Manager for the Microsoft 365 Customer Advocacy Group within Microsoft’s Collaborative Applications and Platform Group. She leads engagement, evangelism, and growth strategies, building programs and connections between Mi... Show more

Davide is a software developer, with a strong interest in games as tools for learning, experimentation, and community building. Over the years, he has collaborated on board games, urban games, and game-related events, often working alongside people who "do this for real". His journey with Game Jams started as a participant and naturally evolved into taking organizational roles, after countless Jams experienced both on-site and online. What began with curiosity during his first hackathon in 2017 quickly turned into an ongoing exploration of how constraints, play, and imperfect environments can spark creativity. Davide enjoys mixing structure with chaos, serious problem-solving with playful experimentation. When he's not developing or designing games, he is part of an improvisational theatre troupe, an experience that strongly influences how he approaches collaboration, facilitation, and embracing the unexpected.

Davide is a software developer, with a strong interest in games as tools for learning, experimentation, and community building. Over the years, he has collaborated on board games, urban games, and game-related events, often working alongside people w... Show more

Vanchhit Khare is an AI systems engineer, published researcher, and music producer. He
works at the intersection of agentic intelligence, automation infrastructure, and creative system
design. His experience spans large scale implementations in finance and healthcare, and his
research focuses on multi agent collaboration, contextual memory, and machine driven
coordination. He also creates electronic music that blends structured logic with emotional
storytelling. Learn more at https://vkhare.online.

Vanchhit Khare is an AI systems engineer, published researcher, and music producer. He works at the intersection of agentic intelligence, automation infrastructure, and creative system design. His experience spans large scale implementations in fin... Show more

Et si la pédagogie ludique rendait notre monde plus habitable ... ✨

Designer pluridisciplaire de formation, je me suis progressivement formée à l’animation d’atelier d’intelligence collective via la facilitation ainsi qu’à la création de serious game, d’atelier ludique et la gamification.
J’associe mes compétences dans l’univers jeu, de la facilitation & du design pour les mettre au service des enjeux des organismes que j’accompagne. J’aime être challengé et nourrir ma curiosité en découvrant sans cesse de nouveaux terrains d'explorations, avec une appétence pour les thématiques autour de l’éducation, la jeunesse, l'alimentation, l’innovation & l’écologie.

Mon crédo aujourd'hui :
Imaginer • Concevoir • Transmettre

🌱Imaginer des expériences ludiques et apprenantes pour tous publics.

🍀Concevoir et réaliser des supports intuitifs & impactant.

🍃Transmettre et animer ces expériences grâce à l'intelligence collective.

Et si la pédagogie ludique rendait notre monde plus habitable ... ✨ Designer pluridisciplaire de formation, je me suis progressivement formée à l’animation d’atelier d’intelligence collective via la facilitation ainsi qu’à la création de serious g... Show more

Francisca B. Medina Concha (frani.be) is a Front-End Developer, Women Techmakers Ambassador, and Lecturer at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Her career thrives at the intersection where logic meets communication. As a programming professor in the faculties of Design and Communications, she has led the challenge of democratizing technology, turning Python into a language for mutual understanding. With experience on international stages such as JSConf Budapest and Nerdearla, Frani is dedicated to humanizing code to build more inclusive and connected communities.

Francisca B. Medina Concha (frani.be) is a Front-End Developer, Women Techmakers Ambassador, and Lecturer at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Her career thrives at the intersection where logic meets communication. As a programming profes... Show more