Steve Green started coding back in 2003 and has never found a title that made him want to stop. He designed systems, founded and sold a consultancy, and has spent the years since leading engineering and delivery organizations.

He is a Director at Slalom, where he works with clients on cloud modernization and product engineering, usually on systems no one can afford to turn off. Before Slalom, he led delivery at Launch by NTT DATA, authored its enterprise AI governance operating model, and owned its production agentic platforms across multiple regulated environments. He holds an M.S. in Artificial Intelligence from Purdue, focused on management and policy.

Steve first spoke at KCDC in 2015 and has been part of the conference community ever since, presenting at CodeMash, IT/Dev Connections, CodeStock, DevNexus, and VS Live. He talks about engineering leadership, AI-assisted delivery, and the craft of building software together, which is to say he mostly talks about people, whatever the title on the program says. Between conferences, he mentors engineers and emerging managers, the same work in a smaller room. He lives outside Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Steve Green started coding back in 2003 and has never found a title that made him want to stop. He designed systems, founded and sold a consultancy, and has spent the years since leading engineering and delivery organizations. He is a Director at ... Show more

Piotr is a Senior DevOps Manager in the casino industry, championing North Star thinking, Continuous Improvement, and Measurable Outcomes - to transform troubled software and processes into modern standards. He's specialty is combining hard technical skills and soft leadership pragmatism with high agency & Over the past 13 years, he's led $1M+ digital transformations, scaled platform engineering across hundreds of developers and thousands of microservices on AWS/GCP at a time across Air Defense, Gaming, Banking, Logistics, Fuel, Mars Rovers and Gambling & Industry 4.0.

He achieved that with Second Brain of almost 7000 hand-gardened notes bringing unconventional outside-in perspective like his maverick mantras: "Culture Eats Strategy," "Velocity Wins," and "Automation Is Oxygen".

Off-duty, find him in Hawaiian shirts, Game Mastering RPGs, tinkering in his rapid prototyping workshop, or optimizing board game tactics with probability.

Trusted as Code Europe Program Committee member, Ex-GDG Organizer, and speaker, he happily mentors younger experts sharing battle-tested insights.

Piotr is a Senior DevOps Manager in the casino industry, championing North Star thinking, Continuous Improvement, and Measurable Outcomes - to transform troubled software and processes into modern standards. He's specialty is combining hard technical... Show more

Lilian Stenholt combines tech know-how with a communicator’s mindset – breaking down complexity and building Power Platform solutions that just make sense. With 20+ years of experience in the software world and as a recognised Power App Champion, she’s been leading the charge on governance, UX, and business impact for over a decade.

With a background in both communications and software development, Lilian has a knack for breaking down complex concepts in ways that make sense. Since transitioning to the Power Platform in 2017, she has become an expert in Power Platform Governance as well as creating holistic , user-friendly Power solutions.

Over her career, she has focused on creating tailored digital solutions, with a deep dedication to understanding end-user needs. When building Power solutions, Lilian is especially passionate about creating solutions that ensure a seamless and intuitive experience for the users.

Lilian brings practical insights and a genuine enthusiasm for helping others make the most of the Power Platform, while keeping the user experience at the forefront.

Lilian Stenholt combines tech know-how with a communicator’s mindset – breaking down complexity and building Power Platform solutions that just make sense. With 20+ years of experience in the software world and as a recognised Power App Champion, she... Show more

I work as a Senior Engineering Manager on CoreWeave's Physical AI team, leading engineering teams building the systems that train and deploy AI for the physical world - robotics, autonomous systems, and industrial applications. Previously I operated distributed backend systems at hyperscale at Meta and led payments infrastructure at Teya, a UK fintech unicorn serving 75,000+ European merchants, with earlier roles at Playtech. I work at intersection of large-scale distributed systems, ML infrastructure, and engineering leadership. My experience spans multiple domains including fintech, social media, e-commerce, and gambling, utilising both top-down and bottom-up approaches.
Also I am established speaker at industry events and conferences across Europe (Ukraine, Portugal, UK), based in London.

I work as a Senior Engineering Manager on CoreWeave's Physical AI team, leading engineering teams building the systems that train and deploy AI for the physical world - robotics, autonomous systems, and industrial applications. Previously I operated ... Show more

Lex Li is running the consulting company LeXtudio Inc. in Toronto, while working as Technical Solutions Engineering Manager at Google. With two decades of experience in IT and banking industry, Lex specializes in IT infrastructure such as developer tools and cloud computing. He is a former Microsoft MVP between 2012-2022. In addition to his professional work, Lex is also a podcaster, blogger, author, and open-source advocate. You can find out more about him on his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lextm/.

Lex Li is running the consulting company LeXtudio Inc. in Toronto, while working as Technical Solutions Engineering Manager at Google. With two decades of experience in IT and banking industry, Lex specializes in IT infrastructure such as developer t... Show more

Cory is an author, a 12 time Microsoft MVP, and international speaker. He is founder of reactjsconsulting, where he helps companies transition to React. He has trained over 10,000 software developers at conferences and businesses worldwide. Cory has authored over a dozen courses on JavaScript, React, C#, testing, and web development on Pluralsight and Dometrain. He shares software development tips daily on X as @housecor.

Cory is an author, a 12 time Microsoft MVP, and international speaker. He is founder of reactjsconsulting, where he helps companies transition to React. He has trained over 10,000 software developers at conferences and businesses worldwide. Cory has ... Show more

On paper, risk management is a clean matrix of probabilities and impacts. In reality, it is a series of impossible decisions made under maximum uncertainty. Carsten Marmulla has spent decades navigating this reality, combining academic rigor with pragmatism learned from the "school of hard knocks".

As a Senior Trusted Advisor and the founder of the cybersecurity consulting boutique carmasec, he translates cyber resilience from a technical challenge into an executive survival strategy.

Through his roles as a vCISO, IT security manager, and strategic advisor for large enterprises, Carsten has guided numerous organizations through complex digital transformations and risk mitigation programs.

He challenges the dangerous illusion that green dashboards and standard certifications equal true security. Instead, he uses his trademark "plain talk" (Klartext) to bridge the communication gap between technical teams and the C-suite.

Beyond his consulting work, Carsten actively mentors cybersecurity startups, shaping the future of the industry.

On stage, he combines the hard-won insights of an entrepreneur with the strategic depth of a management consultant, giving decision-makers the tools they need to build truly resilient organizations.

On paper, risk management is a clean matrix of probabilities and impacts. In reality, it is a series of impossible decisions made under maximum uncertainty. Carsten Marmulla has spent decades navigating this reality, combining academic rigor with pra... Show more

Georgina has been working in Data Science since 2011. For many years she was a coding data scientist in R, Python and PySpark, but for the last 7 years she's been leading international data teams.

She is now leads Software Engineers at Morningstar Credit, working on the sophisticated data products for Morningstar customers.

She's been through hiring cycles and layoff cycles, major tech stack overhauls, massive data science projects and forensic audits. She's figured out how to keep diverse, remote data teams happy, productive and collaborative, at least 80% of the time.

Georgina has been working in Data Science since 2011. For many years she was a coding data scientist in R, Python and PySpark, but for the last 7 years she's been leading international data teams. She is now leads Software Engineers at Morningsta... Show more

Elena is a data-driven Director of Product at Payoneer, with a powerful track record of leading AI and machine learning products to success. Over her 16-year career, including 9 years dedicated to this field, she has honed the skill of taking products from a raw idea to a market-leading solution. She brings a rare blend of technical expertise and business acumen to her work, a skillset she built on her B.A. in Management with a specialization in Computer Science. Driven to give back, Elena is a dedicated mentor to product professionals and a fierce advocate for women in tech.

Elena is a data-driven Director of Product at Payoneer, with a powerful track record of leading AI and machine learning products to success. Over her 16-year career, including 9 years dedicated to this field, she has honed the skill of taking product... Show more

Dennis Nerush is the Director of AI at Elementor, where he leads the company's AI strategy and guides teams through the integration of GenAI technologies that enhance productivity while preserving human creativity and accountability.

With over 15 years of experience as a developer, manager, director, and adviser across multiple tech companies and startups, Dennis has dedicated his career to building people-first cultures rooted in continuous learning, curiosity, and growth. He believes that when individuals thrive, teams and businesses flourish, a philosophy that has guided him in founding dozens of teams and mentoring over 100 managers.

Dennis is a seasoned public speaker and writer who shares his insights on AI integration, leadership, and team performance at international conferences. He's passionate about helping leaders develop the skills and confidence to excel in a world where human leadership and AI collaboration go hand in hand.

In his free time, Dennis loves cooking and spending time with his kids. His main goal is to help people reach the next level.

Dennis Nerush is the Director of AI at Elementor, where he leads the company's AI strategy and guides teams through the integration of GenAI technologies that enhance productivity while preserving human creativity and accountability. With over 15 ... Show more

Gerard Gallant is the founder of SDA Bytes (https://sda-bytes.com) and CIO of Dovico Software with over 25 years of full-stack software development experience.

He started at Dovico as a Junior Developer in 2001 and has worked on a number of products over the years ranging from C++ client/server apps, creation of an ActiveX control to interact with local instances of MS Project via COM automation, Java applications, ASP.NET web applications, and created two C# REST APIs just to name a few things. He advanced to the Senior Software Developer / Architect role before taking on the CIO role in 2021.

Gerard currently maintains Dovico's hosted infrastructure, has built out their DevOps solutions, is the Lead Software Architect for two of the company's three products, still contributes code to the company's main product, and writes articles for their blog.

When not at work, you'll still find him coding, researching, or writing articles as he has an insatiable drive to learn and give back to the community.

As a huge fan of WebAssembly, he was fortunate to have the opportunity to write a book on the subject: "WebAssembly in Action" (https://www.manning.com/books/webassembly-in-action).

Gerard Gallant is the founder of SDA Bytes (https://sda-bytes.com) and CIO of Dovico Software with over 25 years of full-stack software development experience. He started at Dovico as a Junior Developer in 2001 and has worked on a number of produc... Show more

I'm a visionary Cloud Architect on a mission to spearhead digital transformation and redefine the technological landscape. With over two decades of experience, I've orchestrated transformative journeys for enterprises, guiding them through the intricate maze of digital evolution. A maestro of innovation, I specialize in event storming and event-driven architecture, sculpting solutions that synchronize with the rhythm of change. My expertise extends to the realm of microservices, where I craft intricate webs of interconnected systems to fuel organizational agility and scalability. As a Microsoft Official Speaker since 2007, I've captivated audiences with tales of technological prowess, inspiring them to embrace the winds of change and chart their course towards excellence. Engaged in the vibrant community of the CTO's Fraternity, I collaborate with fellow visionaries to shape the future of cloud computing, empowering organizations to thrive in an era of boundless possibilities.

I'm a visionary Cloud Architect on a mission to spearhead digital transformation and redefine the technological landscape. With over two decades of experience, I've orchestrated transformative journeys for enterprises, guiding them through the intric... Show more

Thomas Martinsen is Global Principal Advisor at Twoday, Microsoft Regional Director, and Microsoft MVP in AI and Developer Tools. With more than 30 years of experience in software engineering, technology leadership, and strategic advisory, he helps organizations understand and adopt emerging technologies such as AI, cloud, and next-generation software engineering practices.

Thomas works across the Nordic region advising customers, partners, and leadership teams on technology strategy, innovation, and business transformation. He is passionate about bridging the gap between emerging technology and real-world business value.

Thomas Martinsen is Global Principal Advisor at Twoday, Microsoft Regional Director, and Microsoft MVP in AI and Developer Tools. With more than 30 years of experience in software engineering, technology leadership, and strategic advisory, he helps o... Show more

Matthew Christiansen is the founder and former CEO/CTO of Bright Bridge Web, a certified Google Developer Expert, software engineer, community leader, and full stack engineer who is all-in on everything AI. He is a Co-Organizer of the Google Developer Group (GDG) Salt Lake City and the official Angular Community Meetup, where he helps build and inspire developer communities through talks, workshops, and mentoring.

As a featured speaker at conferences including DevFest Salt Lake City, Denver Dev Day, and West Slope Startup Week, Matthew presents on topics ranging from Web Frameworks to DevOPs and AI, helping developers bridge practical implementation with cutting-edge innovation. He also serves as a trainer and presenter at GDG events, delivering hands-on sessions in Generative AI and Google technologies.

Matthew co-produces and co-hosts the DevLife Podcast, a community-driven show featuring conversations with programming experts, business leaders, and fellow community members about software, growth, and the developer journey.

Professionally, Matthew is a lead implementer of many languages/frameworks in large-scale system designs at Limble, where he works with teams in building scalable, maintainable micro services and front-end. Matthew has deployed and shepherded deploys at large Enterprise scale. His previous experience as CTO of Bright Bridge Web includes leading tech teams, scaling business, and delivering 180+ apps for Fortune 500 companies and bestselling authors.

Matthew plans to continue long-term as a conference speaker and community educator, advancing the developer ecosystem through ongoing talks, workshops, and real-world implementations of software of all kinds. Beyond the keyboard, he’s often found rock climbing, playing League of Legends, riffing on guitar, or exploring big ideas with his community.

Matthew Christiansen is the founder and former CEO/CTO of Bright Bridge Web, a certified Google Developer Expert, software engineer, community leader, and full stack engineer who is all-in on everything AI. He is a Co-Organizer of the Google Develope... Show more

Analista de Sistemas, formado Administrador de Empresas com ênfase em AS. Especialista em Qualidade de Software, com 40 anos de carreira na área de TIC atuando em diversos papéis.

Especialista em Tecnologias na Aprendizagem, praticante e estudioso da heutagogia (auto-aprendizagem), do e-learning e do desenvolvimento pessoal e profissional, com foco em soft skills necessárias à cultura ágil desde 2015. Concluindo especialização em Projetos Sociais e Políticas Públicas.

No Serpro desde 2006. Trabalhou com Garantia da Qualidade, melhoria contínua de processos, sendo professor convidado da pós-graduação em Qualidade de Software da Unisinos de 2011 a 2015.

Atua desde 2019 com cultura organizacional, inicialmente no time Cultura Dides, cuja missão é apoiar a propagação e engajamento na cultura ágil no âmbito da Diretoria de Desenvolvimento de Soluções (DIDES) do Serviço Federal de Processamento de Dados (Serpro), a partir de maio de 2024 integrando o Departamento de Cultura Organizacional. da Superintendência de Educação, Pessoas e Talentos, na Diretoria de Pessoas, com o desafio de modelar a segmentação dos processos de Cultura Organizacional tanto em termos regionais como nas diversas diretorias.

Autor, ator, cantor (em vias de se tornar produtor musical), e facilitador de debates e painéis. Pai de quatro filhos. Metódico e bem-humorado. Às vezes não. Cri-cri-cri, sempre: crítico, criterioso e criativo. Não cabe em caixa, recomenda-se nem tentar.

Analista de Sistemas, formado Administrador de Empresas com ênfase em AS. Especialista em Qualidade de Software, com 40 anos de carreira na área de TIC atuando em diversos papéis. Especialista em Tecnologias na Aprendizagem, praticante e estudios... Show more

Agiliste, maman de deux enfants et véritable bisounours (oui je vois souvent la vie en rose)
J'aide les équipes et les organisations à expérimenter de nouvelles façons de travailler ensemble et à trouver leur propre chemin dans ce monde qui change et bouge très vite.
Souvent décalée, j'aime les pas de côté, sortir du cadre pour les aider à créer leurs propres solutions.

"Seul on va plus vite, ensemble on va plus loin." Proverbe africain.

"N'élevons pas nos enfants pour le monde d'aujourd'hui. Ce monde aura changé lorsqu'ils seront grands." Maria Montessori

Agiliste, maman de deux enfants et véritable bisounours (oui je vois souvent la vie en rose) J'aide les équipes et les organisations à expérimenter de nouvelles façons de travailler ensemble et à trouver leur propre chemin dans ce monde qui change e... Show more

I’m a technology leader passionate about building solutions that are not only scalable and efficient but also secure and aligned with business growth. Over the years, I’ve helped organizations transform complex requirements into future-ready systems that deliver measurable results.

Currently serving as CTO in fintech, I focus on shaping technology strategy, leading cross-functional teams, and ensuring that every solution we deliver is resilient, compliant, and aligned with business objectives. My work spans across solution architecture, governance, compliance, and security with a constant drive to balance innovation with stability.

Passionate about strategy, architecture, and security, I bring both a business mindset and a technical edge to every challenge.

I’m a technology leader passionate about building solutions that are not only scalable and efficient but also secure and aligned with business growth. Over the years, I’ve helped organizations transform complex requirements into future-ready systems ... Show more

Diana Paredes is Head of Data Governance and Strategy at Parque Arauco, where she leads enterprise data governance and strategy to enable analytics, artificial intelligence, and decision-making at scale.

She brings more than 12 years of experience across telecommunications, insurance, banking, mining, and consulting, connecting business strategy with technology execution.

Before joining Parque Arauco, she worked as a Senior IT Architect at BCG Platinion, advising organizations on data strategy, data governance, and AI initiatives. Her experience focuses on cloud-native data platforms, metadata, and governance frameworks designed to improve quality, traceability, scalability, and business value generation.

Diana Paredes is Head of Data Governance and Strategy at Parque Arauco, where she leads enterprise data governance and strategy to enable analytics, artificial intelligence, and decision-making at scale. She brings more than 12 years of experience... Show more

Angus Allan is an award-winning product leader, entrepreneur, and digital transformation expert, recognised as one of Digital Leaders' 2024 "AI Experts of the Year." As the Head of AI Co-Creation at Version 1 and a Governance Group member of the Scottish AI Alliance, Angus brings cutting-edge insights on responsible AI implementation, product strategy, and business growth.

With over a decade of experience founding and scaling a global B2B e-commerce company to driving innovation in fintech and AI, Angus captivates audiences with his unique blend of entrepreneurial insight, technical expertise, and strategic acumen. His talks offer practical strategies for leveraging emerging technologies, navigating digital transformation, and driving innovation across various industries.

A sought-after speaker featured in WIRED, ITPro, and LeadDev, Angus engages audiences with topics such as:

* Building Responsible AI Products: From Concept to Reality
* Digital Transformation: Adapting Traditional Businesses to the Tech Era
* Product Strategy for Competitive Advantage in the AI Age
* Scaling for Growth: Lessons from B2B E-commerce to Enterprise Innovation

Drawing from his success in scaling products from 0 to 200K MAU in 60 days and achieving 60% market share across 17 international markets, Angus delivers actionable insights for organisations of all sizes and stages.

Outside of his consultancy work, Angus co-organises ProductTank Edinburgh and serves as a Non-Executive Director at Rock Trust, Scotland's largest youth homelessness charity.

For an engaging speaker who bridges the gap between technology and business strategy, demystifies complex concepts, and inspires actionable change, book Angus for your next event.

Angus Allan is an award-winning product leader, entrepreneur, and digital transformation expert, recognised as one of Digital Leaders' 2024 "AI Experts of the Year." As the Head of AI Co-Creation at Version 1 and a Governance Group member of the Scot... Show more

Heather Perriam is an inclusive design and AI leader specialising in building digital solutions that work for real people, not just requirements. As a Microsoft Power Platform Solution Architect and Practice Lead, she combines hands-on delivery experience with a strong focus on accessibility, neurodiversity, and human-centred design. Her work is shaped by real delivery experience, including solutions that met every technical requirement but failed users due to accessibility and cognitive overload.

With a career spanning both telecommunications and over a decade in Microsoft technologies, Heather combines deep technical expertise with strategic leadership. Originally from the United States and now based in Devon, she is passionate about growing people as much as platforms. She focuses on mentoring consultants and creating opportunities for others to build confident, sustainable careers in tech.

Heather is a vocal advocate for accessibility and inclusive design. She ensures that solutions work for real humans rather than just satisfying requirements documents. She brings lived experience of ADHD into her work, using it to challenge traditional design approaches and highlight where digital experiences create unnecessary cognitive load.
As a supporter of Women in Tech initiatives, Heather actively works to create spaces where underrepresented groups feel seen and supported. Whether speaking at community events or leading delivery teams, her mission is to build technology that works for everyone and a tech industry where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Heather Perriam is an inclusive design and AI leader specialising in building digital solutions that work for real people, not just requirements. As a Microsoft Power Platform Solution Architect and Practice Lead, she combines hands-on delivery exper... Show more

As an AI Leader at Microsoft, Ananya Ghosh Chowdhury spearheads strategic initiatives and designs solutions that empower businesses to leverage advanced analytical and innovative AI technologies. With over 10 years of experience in data science, machine learning, data engineering, software engineering, and cloud technologies, Ananya brings a wealth of expertise to her role.

Committed to responsible AI adoption, Ananya is one of the few selected members worldwide as an AI 2030 Responsible AI Evangelist, an initiative aimed at mainstreaming responsible AI practices in transparency, fairness, and sustainability. She is also a council member of the AI Xecutive Council, an elite community of visionary leaders pioneering paths toward an AI-powered future. She actively mentors startups, entrepreneurs, and investors, and contributes to Women in Data Science (WiDS) as a mentor. Additionally, she creates technical content to share her insights.

Ananya is a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, a prestigious Marquis Who's Who Listee, and a member of the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society, reflecting her commitment to continuous learning and growth. As a Data and AI leader at Microsoft, she excels in driving AI innovation within the retail sector, leading transformative AI strategies and demonstrating her technical expertise and deep understanding of retail challenges. Ananya advises organizations on using AI and advanced analytics to revolutionize their strategies, positioning herself as a key advisor in helping businesses achieve their goals through tailored AI solutions.

As an AI Leader at Microsoft, Ananya Ghosh Chowdhury spearheads strategic initiatives and designs solutions that empower businesses to leverage advanced analytical and innovative AI technologies. With over 10 years of experience in data science, mach... Show more

Blythe is a product marketing executive, focused on SQL Server and database product development. She has more than two decades of success delivering multi million-dollar revenue growth through innovative marketing, product positioning, messaging, and competitive differentiation. She spends her days developing products that Data Pros use every day. She has a background in Microsoft SQL Server, PowerBI and Data Warehousing. She speaks at many conferences and events around the world, helping improve the work lives of DBAs everywhere.

Blythe is a product marketing executive, focused on SQL Server and database product development. She has more than two decades of success delivering multi million-dollar revenue growth through innovative marketing, product positioning, messaging, and... Show more

Executive Advisor and founder of ABO Academy, Luiz C. Parzianello helps organizations transform their culture and execution capabilities starting from Evolutionary Strategic Thinking, aligning and engaging C-Level executives and managers to drive organizational evolution. With over 30 years of practical experience, he works directly in leadership development and Business Owners, combining training, mentoring, and executive coaching programs to connect strategic direction to everyday practice.

Creator of the Framework for Agile Business Ownership and a reference in Business Agility, Luiz integrates Evolutionary Planning, Artificial Intelligence, and Ambidextrous Management to support leaders in decision-making within complex environments. He is a keynote speaker, author of the books Liderança Evolucionária and Evolutionary Leadership, and international co-author of the Agile Extension to the BABOK® Guide.

Executive Advisor and founder of ABO Academy, Luiz C. Parzianello helps organizations transform their culture and execution capabilities starting from Evolutionary Strategic Thinking, aligning and engaging C-Level executives and managers to drive org... Show more

I am an AI Transformation Manager at SFS Group, a Swiss-based global industrial manufacturer operating in 50+ countries, with over 13,000 employees and CHF 3B+ in annual revenue.

After 18 years in executive banking and technology leadership, I transitioned into applied AI by teaching myself Python and moving from managing large organizations to designing and scaling AI systems inside real enterprises. Today, I lead company-wide AI adoption — from strategic use case selection and prototyping to production deployment, governance, and measurable business impact.

In parallel, I am an Applied AI Lecturer and Trainer at Digicomp Academy, where I teach professionals how to move from AI theory to practical, production-ready systems. This dual role — practitioner and educator — allows me to translate complex AI concepts into clear, actionable frameworks that resonate with both technical and leadership audiences.

My work focuses on enterprise-grade AI:
AI that survives compliance, legacy infrastructure, security constraints, organizational resistance, and economic reality. I design AI solutions embedded into core business and IT processes — not demos, not pilots, not hype.

On stage, I speak about what happens after the hype:

how leaders move from AI experimentation to operating capability,

why most AI initiatives fail at scale,

how to build resilient, auditable, and governable AI systems,

and how to align AI strategy with execution, accountability, and ROI.

I bridge technology and leadership, helping organizations turn AI potential into reliable, scalable, and teachable systems that work beyond the demo.

I am an AI Transformation Manager at SFS Group, a Swiss-based global industrial manufacturer operating in 50+ countries, with over 13,000 employees and CHF 3B+ in annual revenue. After 18 years in executive banking and technology leadership, I tra... Show more

Heidi Araya helps organizations adopt AI — not just buy it. Over 25 years in process improvement and organizational change, she's learned that the hard part of transformation is never the technology. It's getting people to change how they work.

Today Heidi leads AI adoption at Global Indemnity Group, where she leads the AI Center of Excellence, drives AI adoption, and runs the training that turns curiosity into daily practice.

Her method gives teams a repeatable way to map their processes and find where AI actually pays off. It grew out of years of value stream mapping work that made her a leading voice in the field, and out of a deliberate pivot in 2023, when she completed MIT's Applied Data Science program and founded her own AI agency.

Heidi is the author of two books, an author of leadership courses for Pluralsight, and a practitioner-first speaker whose sessions have reached audiences from credit unions to the wine industry.

When she's not working, Heidi raises butterflies, tackles home improvement projects, and never stops learning.

Connect: linkedin.com/in/heidiaraya

Heidi Araya helps organizations adopt AI — not just buy it. Over 25 years in process improvement and organizational change, she's learned that the hard part of transformation is never the technology. It's getting people to change how they work. To... Show more

Ofir leads the Platform Engineering & Data Platform groups at MyHeritage, and manages ApacheKafkaIL, the largest Kafka community worldwide (2300 members).
Ofir writes frequently and speaks globally about AI adoption, distributed systems and engineering leadership.
Link In Bio: https://linktr.ee/ofirsharony
Blog: https://ofirsharony.github.io/
Manager ReadMe: https://managerreadme.com/readme/ofir

Ofir leads the Platform Engineering & Data Platform groups at MyHeritage, and manages ApacheKafkaIL, the largest Kafka community worldwide (2300 members). Ofir writes frequently and speaks globally about AI adoption, distributed systems and enginee... Show more

In February 2020, at IBM Studios in Milan, Mike Brissoni opened Agile Venture Milano beside Cesare Baroni, Vice President IT Delivery in IBM's CIO organization. Between them they were describing engineering practice across 170 countries and 360,000 employees, and the question underneath that talk is the one he still works on: what actually makes a large engineering organization move.

He has come at it from two sides for most of his life. On the tatami, 45+ years of practice and 35+ years teaching, six black belts, and the unhurried business of turning a beginner into someone others can learn from. In software, 25+ years of test-driven development, 20+ years of research and development behind the Software Craftsmanship Dojo®, and 15+ years applying it inside teams who had to change while they kept shipping.

The standard he measures against comes from a pit lane. Ferrari in the Schumacher years, where a group of people under absurd time pressure made precision look like an ordinary Sunday, is still the picture in his head when he watches a delivery team at work.

His current work sits where AI meets that same question.

He co-created nWave, an open-source engineering framework released under MIT in February 2026 and now carried by contributors well beyond the two people who started it; Dave Farley opened his AI Briefings series with it in April 2026.

Through The Forge of Unicorns, his research program, he has interviewed 130+ people, analyzed 52 unicorns and studied 100+ investment portfolios, tracing why capital and engineering talent so rarely arrive in the same place.

He advises engineering leadership as a fractional CTO/CAIO.

Selected speaking: opening keynote, Agile Venture Milano at IBM Studios, Milan, 2020; peer-reviewed experience report, XP 2024, Agile Alliance, Bozen-Bolzano; lightning talk, IT Revolution Enterprise Technology Leadership Summit Europe, hosted by Gene Kim, 2024; Italian Agile Days, Milan 2023 and Florence 2024; Agile Venture Vimercate, 2019; Software Crafts Romandie, Lausanne, 2026; AI Agents Montreal, 2026.

Recommended as a speaker by Gergely Orosz in The Pragmatic Engineer.

He is Italian, born in the Dolomites, based in Slovakia, and works with distributed teams worldwide.

In February 2020, at IBM Studios in Milan, Mike Brissoni opened Agile Venture Milano beside Cesare Baroni, Vice President IT Delivery in IBM's CIO organization. Between them they were describing engineering practice across 170 countries and 360,000 e... Show more

Mitchel Sellers is globally known as a 17-time Microsoft MVP, an ASPInsider, a DNN MVP, is an MCP (Microsoft .NET, ASP.NET and SQL Server), and CEO of IowaComputerGurus Inc. Sellers has a deep understanding of software development and when speaking focuses on proper architecture standards, performance, stability, security, and overall cost-effectiveness of delivered solutions. This message and his abilities resonate in the technical war room as well as the executive board room.

Mitchel is a prolific public speaker, presenting more than 400 sessions at user groups and conferences globally, such as DevUp, SDN, and Code PaLOUsa. Sellers has been the author of multiple books and a regular blogger on technology topics.

When Mitchel is not working in technology, you will find him flying his airplane, teaching others how to fly, or spending time with his family He is also actively involved in the Open Source Community working diligently to further the movement. Find out more about Sellers at his website http://www.mitchelsellers.com.

Mitchel Sellers is globally known as a 17-time Microsoft MVP, an ASPInsider, a DNN MVP, is an MCP (Microsoft .NET, ASP.NET and SQL Server), and CEO of IowaComputerGurus Inc. Sellers has a deep understanding of software development and when speaking f... Show more

Savannah Dill is an influential Business Intelligence Analyst, deeply passionate about Microsoft's Power Platform. Her mission is to demystify data analytics and empower individuals and organizations to make informed decisions using data insights, blending technical with storytelling.

Outside of her professional life, Savannah dedicates her time to managing "Not a Pickle Blog" and is in the process of launching a podcast named "D20 Dynamics," aiming to broaden her educational outreach and foster deeper community engagement. S

Always warm and human.

Savannah Dill is an influential Business Intelligence Analyst, deeply passionate about Microsoft's Power Platform. Her mission is to demystify data analytics and empower individuals and organizations to make informed decisions using data insights, bl... Show more

Aman Mundra (Amandeep Singh) is Founder & CEO of Welzin, a full-stack AI and data firm, and Co-founder & CEO of CogNerd, a platform that tracks how AI engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity see brands.

He spent 12+ years building ML systems at PayPal, Koch Industries, TransUnion, HPE and HealthifyMe - including risk, fraud and payment optimization models adding ~$5M/yr to PayPal's authorization rates - with roots in Spark data engineering and recent work in GenAI/RAG, LLM evaluation and fine-tuning.

Where most AEO voices come from SEO, his comes from production ML: he builds the instruments that measure how AI engines describe brands. He holds a B.Tech in Computer Science (2010–14), has spoken at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon India 2025, Open Source Summit Japan, KCD Sri Lanka and KubeVirt Summit, KCD-Delhi, and writes at amanmundra.com.

Aman Mundra (Amandeep Singh) is Founder & CEO of Welzin, a full-stack AI and data firm, and Co-founder & CEO of CogNerd, a platform that tracks how AI engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity see brands. He spent 12+ years building ML systems at PayPa... Show more