Blake Harkness is a 23-year-old AI engineer from Christchurch with a Mechatronic Engineering background (Massey University). He founded Harkness AI, which has helped 50+ NZ businesses use AI in their day-to-day work, and Young Kiwis in AI (YKIA), a 350+ member community. He has spoken at 35+ events to more than 900 people, sits on Engineering NZ's AI Advisory Committee, was part of the 2026 NZ AI delegation to China, and is a Rising AI Star finalist in the Aotearoa AI Awards.

Blake Harkness is a 23-year-old AI engineer from Christchurch with a Mechatronic Engineering background (Massey University). He founded Harkness AI, which has helped 50+ NZ businesses use AI in their day-to-day work, and Young Kiwis in AI (YKIA), a 3... Show more

Chinmay Naik is a founder at One2N, where he helps companies solve their platform and reliability engineering problems. With 2 decades of experience in software engineering, he has worked across industries, startups, and enterprises. He’s architected systems that have grown exponentially to millions of users.

Chinmay Naik is a founder at One2N, where he helps companies solve their platform and reliability engineering problems. With 2 decades of experience in software engineering, he has worked across industries, startups, and enterprises. He’s architected... Show more

Jerome Schulte is the founder of Softwarehof, an independent security consultancy, and works as an interim technology leader and ISO 27001 Lead Auditor. Trained as a developer with roots in an open source company, he has spent the last years helping mid-sized organisations secure their infrastructure, and leading recovery after real cyberattacks. He speaks about security, crisis management, open source and AI, preferring honest stories over scare statistics.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/schultejerome/

Jerome Schulte is the founder of Softwarehof, an independent security consultancy, and works as an interim technology leader and ISO 27001 Lead Auditor. Trained as a developer with roots in an open source company, he has spent the last years helping ... Show more

Hi, I'm Zay.

I'm Isaiah "Zay" Goodman, an entrepreneur, personal trainer, business consultant, creator, husband, and father of five.

I've always been fascinated by human potential and a simple question: How do we make the most of this one life we've been given?

My journey has been anything but ordinary. I've experienced exciting opportunities, meaningful accomplishments, painful setbacks, and more than a few unexpected detours. Along the way, I've learned that life isn't about having everything figured out. It's about continuing to learn, grow, and move forward.

Today, I'm building businesses, exploring ideas, and creating solutions that help people navigate life's complexity and live with greater purpose.

Through entrepreneurship, fitness, creativity, and personal development, I'm pursuing a meaningful life while sharing the lessons I learn along the way.

I'm not here because I've figured it all out.
I'm here because I'm getting better.

Background: MBA, William Jewell College · B.S. Business Administration, cum laude, Washington and Lee University · Founder of Auravate (lifestyle management) and Culturati · Former Northwestern Mutual financial representative and Million Dollar Round Table qualifier (2015) · Former Target corporate trainer (200+ classroom hours) and senior business analyst · Personal trainer at Crunch Fitness.

Hi, I'm Zay. I'm Isaiah "Zay" Goodman, an entrepreneur, personal trainer, business consultant, creator, husband, and father of five. I've always been fascinated by human potential and a simple question: How do we make the most of this one life ... Show more

Ankur Gosar is a full-stack engineer and cloud practitioner who specializes in building scalable, serverless applications and automating real-world business operations. With a deep focus on Google Cloud, Node.js, and modern distributed web architectures, he bridges the gap between software design and on-the-ground physical logistics. He is passionate about modernizing traditional SMB workflows - transforming fragile spreadsheets and chaotic chat threads into resilient, automated cloud systems. An active tech community participant, Ankur enjoys sharing practical, battle-tested engineering lessons and pragmatic architectures with fellow developers.

Ankur Gosar is a full-stack engineer and cloud practitioner who specializes in building scalable, serverless applications and automating real-world business operations. With a deep focus on Google Cloud, Node.js, and modern distributed web architectu... Show more

Bruno is an enterprise technology executive currently serving as Interim SVP, IT (CIO) at Fortum, a leading energy company providing clean energy and sustainable solutions. In this role, he focuses on strategic priorities, customer excellence, operational efficiency, security and sustainability through digital technologies.

He works with executive teams to translate business priorities into technology strategy, strengthen digital resilience, and drive transformation across IT, cloud and cybersecurity. Through his leadership and advisory work, he helps organisations make strategic technology decisions, evolve their operating models and align technology investments with business performance.

Bruno is an enterprise technology executive currently serving as Interim SVP, IT (CIO) at Fortum, a leading energy company providing clean energy and sustainable solutions. In this role, he focuses on strategic priorities, customer excellence, operat... Show more

• Passionate business development executive
• Enabling growth and success with Microsoft
• 20+ years of experience within Microsoft Dynamics 365 business development
• 10+ years helping Microsoft Dynamics Partners with offer development and commercial growth

• Passionate business development executive • Enabling growth and success with Microsoft • 20+ years of experience within Microsoft Dynamics 365 business development • 10+ years helping Microsoft Dynamics Partners with offer development and comme... Show more

Hi, my name is Gabi. I am a Director of Engineering with 17 years of experience in the software development industry and a decade in leadership roles, I excel at driving innovation, creating high-performing teams, and delivering cutting-edge software solutions. My BSc in software engineering and an MBA in hi-tech management have played a significant role in my success, along with the great love and support from my wife and two lovely daughters.

Hi, my name is Gabi. I am a Director of Engineering with 17 years of experience in the software development industry and a decade in leadership roles, I excel at driving innovation, creating high-performing teams, and delivering cutting-edge software... Show more

Soham Sharma is the Founder of Botmartz AI Solutions, an AI engineering company focused on building production-ready AI systems for organizations. His work focuses on Enterprise RAG, AI agents, agentic retrieval, knowledge systems, and the engineering practices required to move AI from prototypes into reliable production systems.

He regularly speaks and teaches on AI Engineering, RAG architectures, LLM applications, AI agents, and modern AI development workflows. His technical interests include LangChain, LangGraph, PyTorch, FastAPI, vector databases, evaluation, retrieval systems, and production AI architecture.

Beyond product engineering, Soham is active in the developer and AI community through workshops, hackathons, mentoring, and technical events. He has worked with developers, students, founders, and engineering teams across AI and software development initiatives.

His talks are designed to be practical and implementation-focused — helping audiences understand not only what AI can do, but how to actually design, build, evaluate, and deploy AI systems.

Soham Sharma is the Founder of Botmartz AI Solutions, an AI engineering company focused on building production-ready AI systems for organizations. His work focuses on Enterprise RAG, AI agents, agentic retrieval, knowledge systems, and the engineerin... Show more

Candice Prentiss, PMP
Founder & CEO, CAP Global Works, LLC
Candice Prentiss is a Detroit, MI native and CEO of CAP Global Works (CAP), a leading IT, program and construction management firm that provides professional support services such as project administration, stakeholder management and strategic planning for public and private-sector organizations across diverse industries and markets. Prior to founding CAP, Candice served in several professional positions; one being with WSP USA, Inc. as Deputy Program Manager of the $1B+ new terminal build at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and several at Jacobs Engineering Group. With Jacobs she served as a key resource for multiple Department of Aviation capital improvement projects at the world's most travelled airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. With 20 years of experience, Candice has consistently delivered sustainable solutions to clients with program budgets totaling over $4B across various industries that include Aviation, Smart Cities, Facilities, Commercial Food & Beverage, and Civic Technology. While expanding into co-founding a mobile application, she has received top awards as a New Orleans’ Top 10 Women in STEM complimented by her award-winning projects. As a servant leader and Blacks in Technology Atlanta Board Vice President, Candice remains deeply committed to the community through her mentorship work, the Dryades YMCA in New Orleans and as a member Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Candice Prentiss, PMP Founder & CEO, CAP Global Works, LLC Candice Prentiss is a Detroit, MI native and CEO of CAP Global Works (CAP), a leading IT, program and construction management firm that provides professional support services such as projec... Show more

Feras Deiratany is a technology leader and software architect with over a decade of experience at Progressive Insurance, where he helped launch Progressive Life, the company’s entry into the life insurance market. His work focuses on enterprise architecture, artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and building scalable technology solutions. He is particularly passionate about applying AI and emerging technologies to solve complex business challenges and modernize the insurance industry.

Originally from Syria, Feras holds a degree in Computer Science and Engineering from The Ohio State University. He has previously contributed to social impact initiatives, including Global Shapers and GiveBackHack. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, exploring new cultures, and discovering great food along the way.

Feras Deiratany is a technology leader and software architect with over a decade of experience at Progressive Insurance, where he helped launch Progressive Life, the company’s entry into the life insurance market. His work focuses on enterprise archi... Show more

You know what’s truly rewarding? Helping someone learn and grow. There’s nothing quite like being part of someone’s journey and knowing you played a role in their progress. As a human being, a mother, a team member, and Head of Design, my mission is to contribute to as many growth stories as possible. Over the past 18+ years, I’ve gained a wealth of experience in design, product, and leadership - and now, it’s time to give back.

You know what’s truly rewarding? Helping someone learn and grow. There’s nothing quite like being part of someone’s journey and knowing you played a role in their progress. As a human being, a mother, a team member, and Head of Design, my mission is ... Show more

I’m from Kyiv and I’ve been in software for 13 years. Started out in QA, spent a few years in release management, and now I run platform operations. Lately a lot of my time goes into getting our teams to actually use AI, so their work gets easier. I also taught courses for about five years, and around 400 people made it to the end.

Outside work I travel a lot and love sport. I like meeting new people, and I really enjoy giving talks. Also a big dog person.

I’m from Kyiv and I’ve been in software for 13 years. Started out in QA, spent a few years in release management, and now I run platform operations. Lately a lot of my time goes into getting our teams to actually use AI, so their work gets easier. I ... Show more

Jedi Wright is an AI Experience Architect, Strategist & Independent Researcher and the founder of UX Minds, LLC, where he publishes as Systems of Thought. His work asks how structure earns trust: content frameworks with testable rules, controlled vocabularies that hold up under AI-assisted work, and record schemas for information that moves between personal and institutional systems.

He created the Tiered Content Framework, a content strategy operating model that extends Atomic Design from interface components to content, governance, and the ecosystems content lives in, along with tcf-runtime, which runs the framework's trust rules as executable checks. He is also the author of Governed Crossing, an open record schema on the AT Protocol network for documenting when information moves from a person's own systems into institutional ones. An earlier prototype from that work, which publishes from a private, local-first document to a public service with a record of each step, was featured in This Month in Automerge.

Jedi builds in public. He publishes his frameworks, decision records, and learnings on GitHub, and he writes about the work at systemsofthought.com. He also serves as a content strategist at Huge, Inc.

He previously managed the largest straight-through insurance processing platform in North America at iPipeline, and helped Disney launch one of its earliest responsive, multi-platform consumer products. From 2015 to 2020, he developed and taught four UX courses at UCLA Extension.

Jedi Wright is an AI Experience Architect, Strategist & Independent Researcher and the founder of UX Minds, LLC, where he publishes as Systems of Thought. His work asks how structure earns trust: content frameworks with testable rules, controlled voc... Show more

Heather Seiter is a Senior SharePoint and Microsoft 365 Architect who loves helping organizations modernize the way they work especially in secure environments like GCC and GCC High. Most of her work lives at the intersection of collaboration, automation, and governance.

Currently, leading efforts around Microsoft 365 Copilot and AI adoption, focusing on governance, training, and responsible rollout. Her goals are to help teams embrace new technology with confidence, combining strategic planning with hands‑on technical experience.

At the end of the day, she is passionate about improving the digital workplace making it more intuitive, secure, and aligned with how people actually work.

Heather Seiter is a Senior SharePoint and Microsoft 365 Architect who loves helping organizations modernize the way they work especially in secure environments like GCC and GCC High. Most of her work lives at the intersection of collaboration, automa... Show more

I'm Marvin König, Chief Operating Officer at ML!PA Consulting GmbH, the company behind L-IoT — a European Device Lifecycle Management platform for Industrial IoT. Over nearly nine years at ML!PA I've grown from technical project management and backend engineering into company leadership, which keeps me close to what it actually takes to manage connected-device fleets at scale. What drives me is the space between strategy and execution: making sure good ideas become good outcomes.

Based in Berlin, I speak on IIoT, device lifecycle management and operational excellence.

I'm Marvin König, Chief Operating Officer at ML!PA Consulting GmbH, the company behind L-IoT — a European Device Lifecycle Management platform for Industrial IoT. Over nearly nine years at ML!PA I've grown from technical project management and backen... Show more

Varun Poladiya is a tech marketer with 12+ years of experience across AdTech, EdTech, IT and AI. He started his career as an intern at Google, then worked at Media.net (Directi) helping publishers like Ookla Speedtest, MSN, VentureBeat, Reuters and others to increase their revenue from ad inventory, co-founded EduTronics and taught coding and robotics to 4000+ students and educators across India, Malaysia, Singapore and UAE and then joined navan.ai to lead marketing for AI products and solutions. He has taught vision AI development to 1500+ students and developers across India, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

He has recently founded FIRE with Founders where he helps B2B tech companies to build distribution as a moat. He is also one of the organizers at GDG Cloud Rajkot.

Contact: +918655482220 / varun@firewithfounders.com

Varun Poladiya is a tech marketer with 12+ years of experience across AdTech, EdTech, IT and AI. He started his career as an intern at Google, then worked at Media.net (Directi) helping publishers like Ookla Speedtest, MSN, VentureBeat, Reuters and o... Show more

Chris Pipito is a software product development coach. Since 2012, Chris has been coaching organizations in multiple industries including Automotive, Financial, Insurance, Retail, Health Care, and Scientific and Technical Services. He is the founder of DDD Philly, a community group focused on helping people learn & practice Domain-Driven Design (DDD). He is a public speaker sharing his experiences, both in-person and virtual, to help people and teams improve. Chris is currently writing a book on Flow and Teaming, drawing on his hands-on experience coaching organizations and teams. Since 2022, Chris has been coaching teams and organizations in the dojo, an immersive learning environment where teams learn, practice, and improve their capabilities all while delivering their real-world work within the constraints of their organization.

Sites of Interest: chrispipito.com; chrispipito.substack.com; dojoandco.com; softwareteaming.com; dddunitedstates.com

Chris Pipito is a software product development coach. Since 2012, Chris has been coaching organizations in multiple industries including Automotive, Financial, Insurance, Retail, Health Care, and Scientific and Technical Services. He is the founder o... Show more

Daniel is a architect and facilitator working at the intersection of software architecture, collaborative modelling, and digital transformation. He helps teams and organizations turn complex challenges into clarity by making implicit knowledge visible and enabling shared decision‑making. As a co‑founder of ComoCamp, he builds community around collaborative modelling and organizes meetups that connect practitioners across disciplines. Daniel also teaches software architecture at Hochschule Campus Wien and applies CoMo on both operational and strategic levels to shape clear goals and sustainable transformation.

Daniel is a architect and facilitator working at the intersection of software architecture, collaborative modelling, and digital transformation. He helps teams and organizations turn complex challenges into clarity by making implicit knowledge visibl... Show more

Vin Mitty is a data and AI leader with a PhD in the field, researcher, and author of the book, The AI Decision Map.

Drawing from 2 decades of technology leadership, PhD research, and executive interviews on his podcast, Mitty helps organizations and leaders transform AI into measurable business outcomes.

Vin Mitty is a data and AI leader with a PhD in the field, researcher, and author of the book, The AI Decision Map. Drawing from 2 decades of technology leadership, PhD research, and executive interviews on his podcast, Mitty helps organizations a... Show more

I hate sitting on customer service calls yelling "agent" at the IVR. So, I decided to change that. I've spent 20+ years in the Tech sector that spans roles in Product Engineering with a focus on Customer Service and Contact Center. As former Microsoft, I was a member of the OG team to build and ship Omnichannel for D365 Customer Service, now known as D365 Contact Center. I spent some time with Microsoft Teams Enterprise Voice and Chat, supporting 3rd party app integrators for Contact Center lite capabilities. I have built and scaled a Contact Center and Agentic CX practice from the ground up driving a $10M+ pipeline. I now serve as the Contact Center and Agentic CX Practice Director at Avanade.

I hate sitting on customer service calls yelling "agent" at the IVR. So, I decided to change that. I've spent 20+ years in the Tech sector that spans roles in Product Engineering with a focus on Customer Service and Contact Center. As former Microsof... Show more

Part of the leading CSP Distributor in the world, TD SYNNEX. Experienced Microsoft expert with over 15 years in the field. Knowledge about the complex world of Microsoft licensing, MAICPP, CSP and Incentive & Engagement programs, focused on Business Applications solutions.

Possessing a winning combination of solid tech skills and business sense. Eager in helping you grow your Dynamics 365 & Power Platform business and assisting in the move towards the Cloud by providing advice on a global level, combining technical background and knowledge with business and customer/partner needs.

Part of the leading CSP Distributor in the world, TD SYNNEX. Experienced Microsoft expert with over 15 years in the field. Knowledge about the complex world of Microsoft licensing, MAICPP, CSP and Incentive & Engagement programs, focused on Business ... Show more

A PhD and expert in Applied Economics and Strategic Marketing, Andrea Saravalle combines a solid academic career at three leading Italian universities (Bologna, Brescia, Ancona) with extensive consulting work for national brands. Specializing in market analysis and positioning strategies, he helps organizations navigate technological and structural changes through a deep understanding of stakeholders' real needs. He is a member of the "Industry, Territory, Environment" research group at the University of Bologna. As a speaker, he brings to the stage a vision that combines strategy and sustainability, guiding companies towards growth that is both innovative and profitable.

A PhD and expert in Applied Economics and Strategic Marketing, Andrea Saravalle combines a solid academic career at three leading Italian universities (Bologna, Brescia, Ancona) with extensive consulting work for national brands. Specializing in mark... Show more

Tobias Schwedler is an experienced consultant with a track record in development, product ownership and both customer and partner perspectives. He has been involved with NAV/BC since 2004 and joined Singhammer IT Consulting AG in 2011. Meanwhile for many years proud product owner for DYCE, Singhammer's cloud application portfolio. Deeply connected to Business Central - a heartfelt affair.

Tobias Schwedler is an experienced consultant with a track record in development, product ownership and both customer and partner perspectives. He has been involved with NAV/BC since 2004 and joined Singhammer IT Consulting AG in 2011. Meanwhile for ... Show more

I'm a passionate Modern Endpoint Architect with over 18 years of experience leading EUC transformation projects across Latin America. My role as Senior Desktop Engineer includes delivering technical showcases and resolving complex challenges to accelerate the adoption of Microsoft 365 + Devices solutions. I ensure that enterprise clients across LATAM are equipped with scalable, secure, and efficient digital workplace environments.

As a 13-time Microsoft MVP and LinkedIn Learning Instructor, I combine deep technical expertise with the ability to educate, inspire, and guide IT professionals. My work in technical enablement is marked by the creation of industry-standard content and hands-on training that empowers organizations to adopt and scale modern device strategies with confidence.

I'm a passionate Modern Endpoint Architect with over 18 years of experience leading EUC transformation projects across Latin America. My role as Senior Desktop Engineer includes delivering technical showcases and resolving complex challenges to accel... Show more

Marketing and growth strategist with 5+ years of experience across product marketing, marketing analytics, and go-to-market strategy. She specializes in turning customer insights and complex data into strategies that drive measurable business growth.

Experienced in B2B, SaaS, AI, AdTech, and integrated marketing, where she has led go-to-market initiatives, analyzed multi-million-dollar campaigns, developed customer acquisition and retention strategies, and partnered with cross-functional teams across Product, Creative, Media, and Engineering.

With a background in marketing, business analytics, and economics, Anushka combines creative thinking with a highly analytical approach to decision-making. She is particularly passionate about understanding consumer behaviour, identifying growth opportunities, and building marketing strategies that connect strong brands with the right audiences.

Marketing and growth strategist with 5+ years of experience across product marketing, marketing analytics, and go-to-market strategy. She specializes in turning customer insights and complex data into strategies that drive measurable business growth.... Show more

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

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

Engineering Manager & Frontend SME @ eBay, ex Frontend Architect @ Marktplaats. Experienced Full-stack Web Developer with 20+ years in the field. Enjoy helping teams use AI agents to build well-tested, high-performing, and secure software using Javascript, Node.js and React.

Engineering Manager & Frontend SME @ eBay, ex Frontend Architect @ Marktplaats. Experienced Full-stack Web Developer with 20+ years in the field. Enjoy helping teams use AI agents to build well-tested, high-performing, and secure software using Javas... Show more

Ganiu is not just an Analytics Engineer; he's a data alchemist, transforming raw information into the gold of actionable insights. His passion lies in architecting automated reporting systems that don't just present data, but empower operations leaders, HR professionals, and people managers to seize opportunities and navigate challenges with speed and confidence. Ganiu crafts "decision-ready" data, ensuring every dashboard is a launchpad for impactful, immediate action.

In the last year, Ganiu has orchestrated a data revolution. He slashed manual data processing by an impressive 35% through sophisticated SQL and Python pipelines. For a UK local authority, he built real-time dashboards that provide crystal-clear visibility into over 10,000 active jobs, and for a UK energy firm, he's unlocked over 100 hours of monthly savings by deploying IoT-connected dashboards. His commitment to accuracy is evident in a 30% leap in data precision for a DEI dashboard. Beyond his technical prowess, Ganiu has become a beacon for aspiring analysts, mentoring and training over 1,700 individuals across five continents.

His mentees consistently praise Ganiu as an exceptional mentor, a generous sharer of opportunities and resources that have profoundly enhanced their proficiency in Power BI, SQL, and data analytics. Ganiu is a thought leader, regularly disseminating his expertise on data transformation, quality, and the art of impactful dashboard visualization. He's also at the forefront of innovation, exploring cutting-edge custom visuals like Deneb, SVG, and pbiviz. His technical arsenal is formidable, featuring Power BI, SQL, DAX, Python, Power Query, Sisense, AI, Microsoft Fabrics, and Cloud ETL, all validated by his PL-300 and PL-900 certifications.

Ganiu's ultimate mission is to liberate organizations from the constraints of guesswork, guiding them to harness the full power of their data for smarter, more strategic decision-making.

Ganiu is not just an Analytics Engineer; he's a data alchemist, transforming raw information into the gold of actionable insights. His passion lies in architecting automated reporting systems that don't just present data, but empower operations leade... Show more

Courtney Hamp is Founder and CEO of Opichi. He guides founders, CTOs, and technology directors in architecting production-grade, enterprise-scale AI platforms and business initiatives that move at the speed of possibility. Building upon and extending customers’ existing technology, he creates the new engine that transforms how organizations operate, compete, and create value for their customers.

Courtney Hamp is Founder and CEO of Opichi. He guides founders, CTOs, and technology directors in architecting production-grade, enterprise-scale AI platforms and business initiatives that move at the speed of possibility. Building upon and extending... Show more