Arts

Talented creative individuals working in the field of visual, auditory and performance arts

Lukasz Nowatkowski

Lukasz Nowatkowski

Associated with the IT Security industry for over 20+ years. He managed and configured the first broadband Internet access networks.

He is the co-creator of the first antivirus remover against the Sasser worm, which spread on computer systems based on the Windows platform in 2004.

Has made many public appearances and comments on current events from the world of security (presentations / conferences / TV presentations / radio auditions)

nickname: r02Id (Romeo, Zero, Two, India, Delta)
os: Linux / MacOS
activity: kayaking / golf / lifehacking

Associated with the IT Security industry for over 20+ years. He managed and configured the first broadband Internet access networks. He is the co-creator of the first antivirus remover against the Sasser worm, which spread on computer systems base... Show more

Ashleigh Pandora Steele

Ashleigh Pandora Steele

Ashleigh Pandora Steele is a force - unshakable, undeniable, and unforgettable. As a visionary strategist, dynamic speaker, and unapologetic trailblazer, she stands at the intersection of purpose and power, leading changemakers toward their next level of impact. Ashleigh is the Founder and CEO of The Opia Designs Company, a strategic growth agency that equips businesses, nonprofits, and personal brands with the clarity, confidence, and systems needed to scale beyond limits.

Ashleigh Pandora Steele is a force - unshakable, undeniable, and unforgettable. As a visionary strategist, dynamic speaker, and unapologetic trailblazer, she stands at the intersection of purpose and power, leading changemakers toward their next leve... Show more

Dian Wessels

Dian Wessels

I am an experienced design leader, with a special focus on narrative, visual and product design. Currently I am the Director of Design at myTomorrows, a healthtech platform that connects people with unmet medical needs to emerging therapies worldwide.

I am an experienced design leader, with a special focus on narrative, visual and product design. Currently I am the Director of Design at myTomorrows, a healthtech platform that connects people with unmet medical needs to emerging therapies worldwide... Show more

Roy Martinez

Roy Martinez

Roy has over a decade of experience working in enterprise software sales, focusing on Microsoft collaboration and modern workplace solutions. Early on in his career, he fell in love with SharePoint, for better or worse, and that has evolved into a passion for Teams and M365 in general.

"My approach is centered on empowering organizations to unleash the full potential of Microsoft 365. By providing comprehensive training and support, implementing proven governance frameworks, and identifying potential security risks, I help organizations streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and improve productivity."

Roy has over a decade of experience working in enterprise software sales, focusing on Microsoft collaboration and modern workplace solutions. Early on in his career, he fell in love with SharePoint, for better or worse, and that has evolved into a pa... Show more

Tanya Donska

Tanya Donska

I design the part of your product people complain about.
You know the screen. The one no one wants to touch. That’s my happy place.

I work with scaling teams who’ve outgrown duct-tape design and want their UX/UI to finally make sense. As an embedded design partner, I bring the speed of a freelancer with the depth of a product team — minus the hand-holding.

I design the part of your product people complain about. You know the screen. The one no one wants to touch. That’s my happy place. I work with scaling teams who’ve outgrown duct-tape design and want their UX/UI to finally make sense. As an embed... Show more

Swathi Sambasivam

Swathi Sambasivam

Swathi Sambasivam is a NYC-based game designer, developer, and educator working at the intersection of games and mental health. She is the Lead Game Developer & Strategist at Arcade Therapeutics, where she leads the design and development of StarStarter, a cognitive-science-informed mobile game focused on emotional regulation, habit-building, and accessibility.

Swathi holds an MFA in Game Design from NYU Tisch Game Center, where she was awarded the NYU Game Center Incubator Grant (2023–2024) for her experimental game project Normal Bad Sex. Her work combines systems design, Unity development, analytics-driven iteration, and narrative play, with a focus on how games can meaningfully support mental health without sacrificing joy or playfulness.

Swathi Sambasivam is a NYC-based game designer, developer, and educator working at the intersection of games and mental health. She is the Lead Game Developer & Strategist at Arcade Therapeutics, where she leads the design and development of StarStar... Show more

Shirin Salemnia

Shirin Salemnia

Shirin is a thought leader, tech pioneer, and media innovator. As Founder of WhizGirls Academy and PlayWerks, she empowers young women to code, create, and lead with confidence. A TEDx speaker, USC professor, and award-winning visionary, Shirin inspires the next generation of innovators through technology, entrepreneurship, and storytelling.

Shirin is a thought leader, tech pioneer, and media innovator. As Founder of WhizGirls Academy and PlayWerks, she empowers young women to code, create, and lead with confidence. A TEDx speaker, USC professor, and award-winning visionary, Shirin inspi... Show more

Abdelmajid Aneddame

Abdelmajid Aneddame

Cloud Solutions Architect - Engineering @Microsoft| Microsoft Certified Trainer Regional Lead @MSCanada| DevOps and automation enthusiast.

As an Cloud Architect, I have worked for many large compagnies in the IT field, designing and implementing Cloud Infrastructure Solutions, deploying & Operating S-SDLC PaaS platforms and third party vendors: SonarQube, Nexus Repository Manager, JFrog Artifactory, Nexus Lifecycle IQ, Checkmarx, Nagios, DefectDojo.

Since I joined Microsoft, I have been working to help the customers to align their cloud strategies with their business needs, unblocking their issues and milestones and acting as a trusted advisor for them.

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford

Cloud Solutions Architect - Engineering @Microsoft| Microsoft Certified Trainer Regional Lead @MSCanada| DevOps and automation enthusiast. As an Cloud Architect, I have worked for many large compagnies in the IT field, designing and implementing C... Show more

Christina Kenney

Christina Kenney

Christina Kenney is a professional speaker, emcee, and brand strategist who brings clarity, connection, and heart to every room they enter. With a focus on brand development, storytelling, and their signature framework—Brand Therapy—Christina helps people and organizations reconnect with their story so they can communicate with confidence and purpose.

Blending creative brand development with a background in economic and community development, Christina has worked alongside entrepreneurs, small businesses, and mission-driven organizations to support visibility, alignment, and sustainable growth. Their approach reframes branding as both strategy and self-work—guiding audiences to unpack their narrative, clarify their message, and show up authentically in their work and leadership.

As an emcee, MC Inhergy, and host, Christina is known for warmth, presence, and the ability to hold space—seamlessly guiding audiences through programs, panels, and live experiences while keeping energy high and moments meaningful. Whether facilitating conversations, introducing speakers, or anchoring an event, they create flow, trust, and engagement.

On stage, Christina weaves storytelling, insight, and reflection into experiences that feel grounding, affirming, and actionable. Audiences leave feeling seen, inspired, and equipped to tell their story with intention—whether they are building a brand, leading a community, or shaping culture.

Christina Kenney is a professional speaker, emcee, and brand strategist who brings clarity, connection, and heart to every room they enter. With a focus on brand development, storytelling, and their signature framework—Brand Therapy—Christina helps p... Show more

Kate Siegel

Kate Siegel

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

Lena Reinhard

Lena Reinhard

Lena Reinhard is a VP Engineering, leadership coach, facilitator, and artist. In her 20-year career, she’s served in tech leadership roles, such as VP Engineering with CircleCI, Travis CI, and a SaaS startup co-founder & CEO. Now, she helps leaders and teams succeed in co-located and remote teams in organizations from startups and scale-ups, to corporations. Lena is queer and neurodivergent. She loves to read, sing, and wander around the forests and lakes of her home in Berlin, Germany. In her artistic work, she primarily paints and works with fibers; her pieces currently focus on the themes of loss and letting go.

Lena Reinhard is a VP Engineering, leadership coach, facilitator, and artist. In her 20-year career, she’s served in tech leadership roles, such as VP Engineering with CircleCI, Travis CI, and a SaaS startup co-founder & CEO. Now, she helps leaders a... Show more

Craig Risi

Craig Risi

A man of many talents, but no sense of how to use them. Craig could be out changing the world but would prefer to make software instead. Probably the reason why Nick Fury refused to take his calls. He possesses a passion for software design, but more importantly software quality and designing systems that can achieve this in a technically diverse and constantly evolving tech world.

Craig has over 20 years’ experience across the development, testing and management disciplines in a variety of software industries, but still feels he learns something new every day. It’s that continued change and evolution of the software industry which motivates him to keep learning and finding ways to improve. More than just playing with tech though, its people that make software come together – and so Craig believes in developing people and empowering them to make a success out of the software they build.

When not playing with software he can often be found spending time with family, writing, designing board games, or running long distances for no apparent reason. He is also a massive fan of comic books and Star Wars, so if you see him concentrating intensely, he is probably just trying to use the force.

Craig is also the writer of the book, Quality By Design, and writes regular articles on his blog sites and various other tech sites around the world. He is also international speaker on a wide range of different software development topics, though these experiences only make him even more excited about the future of the industry in South Africa.

A man of many talents, but no sense of how to use them. Craig could be out changing the world but would prefer to make software instead. Probably the reason why Nick Fury refused to take his calls. He possesses a passion for software design, but more... Show more

Meade Kincke

Meade Kincke

A thought leader with over 20 years of experience and expertise. As a visionary and accomplished forerunner, Meade consistently drives innovation, scales organisations, and has held pivotal roles in various high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies. His passion for fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning has not only resulted in remarkable achievements, but has also made him a sought-after speaker at worldwide events. Meade's ability to bridge the gap between complex concepts and real-world applications makes him a unique animal.

A thought leader with over 20 years of experience and expertise. As a visionary and accomplished forerunner, Meade consistently drives innovation, scales organisations, and has held pivotal roles in various high-growth startups to Fortune 500 compani... Show more

Ricky Tucker

Ricky Tucker

Ricky Tucker is a Senior UX/UI designer for Louisiana's Office of Technology Services. In addition to contributing to the state's Design System, Pelican, he works daily with state agencies to develop digital products with the goal of improving the lives of Louisiana residents. Ricky holds certifications from Meta and Google, as was well as the W3Cx Introduction to Web Accessibility certificate.

Ricky Tucker is a Senior UX/UI designer for Louisiana's Office of Technology Services. In addition to contributing to the state's Design System, Pelican, he works daily with state agencies to develop digital products with the goal of improving the li... Show more

Roger Kibbe

Roger Kibbe

Roger, an accomplished expert in AI, boasts an extensive background and a wealth of insights in the field. As the Head of Conversational AI developer relations at Samsung, he is at the forefront of the company's generative AI products and is recognized as an industry thought leader.

Beyond Samsung, Roger advises AI startups and has founded two ventures: a platform helping artists monetize their work through technology, and a voice technology company advancing conversational AI capabilities. His earlier experience includes years as a technology strategist and enterprise architect at Gap Inc. and in various consulting roles.

Drawing on his experience as an AI leader, startup founder, technology strategist, and enterprise architect, Roger offers a distinctive perspective on leveraging technology to revolutionize business and enhance user experiences.

Roger, an accomplished expert in AI, boasts an extensive background and a wealth of insights in the field. As the Head of Conversational AI developer relations at Samsung, he is at the forefront of the company's generative AI products and is recogniz... Show more

Bill Anderson

Bill Anderson

Bill straddles both creative and technical disciplines, with a background both in graphic design and marketing technology, Bill creates digital marketing solutions for clients like Amazon Web Services, Sandals Resorts, Qlik Technologies, and Walgreens.

Earlier in his career Bill focused on the brand and creative side of marketing, as Art Director for The New York Times, Leo Burnett and J. Walter Thompson. Bill is a Marketo Certified Solutions Architect and has been a Marketo Certified Expert since 2014.

An avid life-long learner, Bill reads dozens of books monthly and will enthusiastically discuss anything from dirigibles to songlines.

Bill straddles both creative and technical disciplines, with a background both in graphic design and marketing technology, Bill creates digital marketing solutions for clients like Amazon Web Services, Sandals Resorts, Qlik Technologies, and Walgreen... Show more

BJ Burns

BJ Burns

BJ Burns is Lead Software Developer, former co-host of Complete Developer Podcast, and international speaker. He currently works in the .NET and Angular space building web applications. BJ is a leader at his local church as a member of several teams including the worship, creative arts, creative media: photography and videography, and small group leader teams. In his free time, BJ is a member of Music City Rugcutters, a performance swing dance troupe. He also enjoys hiking with his dog, riding his motorcycle, learning Shqip (Albanian), and playing music.

BJ Burns is Lead Software Developer, former co-host of Complete Developer Podcast, and international speaker. He currently works in the .NET and Angular space building web applications. BJ is a leader at his local church as a member of several teams ... Show more

Loredana Frontino

Loredana Frontino

Passionate about technology and design. The background in both fields led her to become a ux/ui designer and Frontend developer and become the point of contact of those worlds.
She likes organizing meetups with GDG Turin and share her knowledge.

Passionate about technology and design. The background in both fields led her to become a ux/ui designer and Frontend developer and become the point of contact of those worlds. She likes organizing meetups with GDG Turin and share her knowledge. Show more

Sayyid Abid Al Aidaroosi Yemmemadu

Sayyid Abid Al Aidaroosi Yemmemadu

Sayyid Abid Al Aidaroosi Yemmemadu is the Founder and CEO of HF Accounting and Consulting. With expertise in accounting, financial management, business consulting, and operational planning, he is committed to helping businesses improve financial performance and achieve sustainable growth. He is passionate about sharing practical knowledge, empowering professionals, and contributing to the development of the accounting and business community through speaking engagements and industry discussions.

Sayyid Abid Al Aidaroosi Yemmemadu is the Founder and CEO of HF Accounting and Consulting. With expertise in accounting, financial management, business consulting, and operational planning, he is committed to helping businesses improve financial perf... Show more

Mohamed Laghdaf

Mohamed Laghdaf

Mohamed Laghdaf is a 22-years old certified software engineer from BlueCrest College, where he obtained a diploma in software engineering. He also holds a diploma with distinction in Peace and Conflict Studies and a BSc (Hons) in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Sierra Leone. Currently, he is in the final stage of pursuing an LL.B alongside an LL.M (Master of Laws) simultaneously, with a particular interest in technology law.

Professionally, Mohamed Laghdaf is an academia, aspiring to become a global expert in AI accountability and liability frameworks. In 2024, he serves as the director of the FALAS Human Rights Student Wing at the Republic of Sierra Leone. In October 2025, he serves as a keynote speaker in Liberia and has also been invited to Kigali for a subsequent session in October 2026. Additionally, he is the president of the Njala Association of Law Mooters. He is fluent in English and Arabic and a beginner in Spanish.

Mohamed's professional memberships include being a Rotarian at the Rotary Club of Freetown Peninsula, a young student member at the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (England), and an honorary member of the Honours Society (USA).

His currently trying to obtain a license from the Chartered Institute of Professional Security Studies in AI governance and risk management. He is also a PhD applicant at the University of Canberra, Australia, focusing his research on "Assessing the Concept of Legal Personhood in the Age of Artificial Intelligence."

In summary, Mohamed Laghdaf is an emerging international legal scholar dedicated to integrate law, technology, and conflict resolution, with the aim of promoting a better global policy framework.

Mohamed Laghdaf is a 22-years old certified software engineer from BlueCrest College, where he obtained a diploma in software engineering. He also holds a diploma with distinction in Peace and Conflict Studies and a BSc (Hons) in Peace and Conflict S... Show more

Kishan Takoordyal

Kishan Takoordyal

I’m Kishan Takoordyal, a Senior DevOps Engineer, full-stack web developer, and indie game developer from Mauritius. I’m passionate about building high-performance software and have hands-on experience in cloud infrastructure, CI/CD automation, and systems engineering using technologies like Rust, Docker, Ansible, Kubernetes, and HashiCorp tools. I’ve authored a book on 3D game development, contributed to open-source projects, and mentored students through Google Code-In. I’ve also created several platforms and games, combining backend performance with rich user experiences.

I’m Kishan Takoordyal, a Senior DevOps Engineer, full-stack web developer, and indie game developer from Mauritius. I’m passionate about building high-performance software and have hands-on experience in cloud infrastructure, CI/CD automation, and sy... Show more

Mennaallah Elsayed

Mennaallah Elsayed

Menna Khaled, known also as M.K Ramadan, is an Egyptian mechanical engineer, author, Wikimedian, African Wiki Women Initiative ambassador, and researcher at Ain Shams University in Cairo. She is also a volunteer member at Africa Diaspora Network for Builders of Africa's Future 2026 (BAF) program.

Menna Khaled, known also as M.K Ramadan, is an Egyptian mechanical engineer, author, Wikimedian, African Wiki Women Initiative ambassador, and researcher at Ain Shams University in Cairo. She is also a volunteer member at Africa Diaspora Network for... Show more

Carol Chen

Carol Chen

Carol Chen is a Community Architect at Red Hat, having led several upstream communities including InstructLab, Ansible and ManageIQ. She has been actively involved in open source communities while working for Jolla and Nokia previously. In addition, she also has experiences in software development/integration in her 12 years in the mobile industry. On a personal note, Carol plays the Timpani in an orchestra in Tampere, Finland, where she now calls home.

Carol Chen is a Community Architect at Red Hat, having led several upstream communities including InstructLab, Ansible and ManageIQ. She has been actively involved in open source communities while working for Jolla and Nokia previously. In addition, ... Show more

Alan Barasch

Alan Barasch

Alan worked in the IT realm for large and small companies from 1971 until 2019 and still tries to keep current with changing trends.

In Alan’s spare time, he volunteers with a local organization that sends him to the homes of the elderly (older than himself) to fix their computers.

Alan is currently a member of the Board of Governors of The Collectors Club (NY), along with being their webmaster and membership chair, Webster Groves (MO) Stamp Club, secretary-treasurer of the APS Writers Unit #30, and the secretary of the Gastronomy on Stamps Study Group.

Alan speaks to several clubs each year on a host of topics such as “Computers and Technology on Stamps”, “Bread!”, “Penguins on the Stamps of Falkland Islands”, “An Alphabet of Topicals – Ideas for Collectors”, and “Pachyderms”.

Alan worked in the IT realm for large and small companies from 1971 until 2019 and still tries to keep current with changing trends. In Alan’s spare time, he volunteers with a local organization that sends him to the homes of the elderly (older th... Show more

David Aronchick

David Aronchick

I am CEO and co-founder of Expanso, the company behind the distributed compute platform Bacalhau. This means I spend most of my time helping humans to convince machines to be smarter. I am only moderately successful at this.

Previously, I led product management for Kubernetes on behalf of Google, launched GKE, and co-founded the Kubeflow project, and led Open Source ML Strategy at Azure. I have also worked at Protocol Labs, Amazon and Chef and co-founded three startups.

I am CEO and co-founder of Expanso, the company behind the distributed compute platform Bacalhau. This means I spend most of my time helping humans to convince machines to be smarter. I am only moderately successful at this. Previously, I led prod... Show more

Virkein Dhar

Virkein Dhar

I’m a strategist and entrepreneur who has spent 15 years building in early-stage environments, from founding my own venture to being part of founding teams across culture, design, ​and ​ecommerce.​ I use design as a tool - to ask better questions that drive decisions for impact.

I’ve built a bridge career that balances strategic clarity with execution depth, and in translating complex ideas into human-scale experiences. I've done this across contexts - producing immersive performances, designing community engagement approaches for impact organisations, building cultural infrastructure anchored in diversity, and leading product and creative strategy balancing value, quality and access.

My approach is grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and a constant drive to innovate - be it for profit or purpose.

I’m an alumna of the School of Planning and Architecture, a closeted artist and an open water swimmer.

*Hopefully by the time we may need to publish this, I would be able to additionally claim the title of a channel swimmer :)

I’m a strategist and entrepreneur who has spent 15 years building in early-stage environments, from founding my own venture to being part of founding teams across culture, design, ​and ​ecommerce.​ I use design as a tool - to ask better questions tha... Show more

Franka Blažić

Franka Blažić

Franka Blažić, rođena 1995. u Rijeci, autorica, novinarka i kulturologinja.

Franka Blažić, rođena 1995. u Rijeci, autorica, novinarka i kulturologinja. Show more

Aycee Brown

Aycee Brown

Aycee Brown is a psychic medium, astrologer, spiritual guide, and teacher, and the host of the podcast Is My Aura On Straight? Known as the “Voice of Truth,” she helps people break free from inherited identities, unchosen wounds, and survival patterns so they can live their most unapologetic, magical lives. Her work has been featured in Essence, HuffPost, Ebony, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Bustle, Brides, Elite Daily, and Who, What, Wear.

Aycee Brown is a psychic medium, astrologer, spiritual guide, and teacher, and the host of the podcast Is My Aura On Straight? Known as the “Voice of Truth,” she helps people break free from inherited identities, unchosen wounds, and survival pattern... Show more

Miguel Marcondes Filho

Miguel Marcondes Filho

I'm Miguel, a Tech Leader and Node.js/Node-API and ActiveRecord::Tenanted contributor with Fullstack experience across React, TypeScript, Node.js, Ruby, and C++ ecosystems. I'm passionate about open source and actively contribute to the tools I use daily.

I'm Miguel, a Tech Leader and Node.js/Node-API and ActiveRecord::Tenanted contributor with Fullstack experience across React, TypeScript, Node.js, Ruby, and C++ ecosystems. I'm passionate about open source and actively contribute to the tools I use d... Show more

Anchal Gautam

Anchal Gautam

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

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