Business & Management

Professionals who specialize in the organization and oversight of business activities, as well as focus on planning, directing, and controlling company operations

Julian Langenhagen

Julian Langenhagen

Prof. Dr. Julian Langenhagen ist Professor für Digital Management und Media Entrepreneurship an der Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart. Sein Schwerpunkt liegt auf innovativen, praxisnahen Lehr-Lern-Formaten, insbesondere auf Gamification und der Gestaltung erfahrungsorientierter Konzepte in stark strukturierten Grundlagenfächern.

Prof. Dr. Julian Langenhagen ist Professor für Digital Management und Media Entrepreneurship an der Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart. Sein Schwerpunkt liegt auf innovativen, praxisnahen Lehr-Lern-Formaten, insbesondere auf Gamification und der Gestalt... Show more

Heather McDaniel

Heather McDaniel

Heather McDaniel is a speaker, writer, and organizational consultant based in Spain. She writes and speaks about how people work, lead, decide, learn, and create together.

Her perspective draws on a 28-year career spanning communication, operations, consulting, learning, and facilitation, including work with international and distributed teams across Europe and North America.

She works with leadership teams on organizational readiness, leadership alignment, decision-making, and how people work together through change. Her current work also includes using training and communication expertise to improve AI models for a leading AI lab, and she is Microsoft Certified as an AI Transformation Leader.

Heather also works in adult learning and Erasmus+ partnerships across Europe, designing and facilitating learning experiences for international and cross-cultural groups.

She writes Letters From the Joyful Rebellion, a personal column about the things she notices, the questions she keeps coming back to, and what they show us about the way we live.

Her speaking brings together practical organizational experience, systems thinking, curiosity, and a longstanding interest in power, language, culture, technology, and how people make sense of change.

She is based in Cullera, Valencia, Spain, and is available for talks, workshops, panels, and facilitated learning across Europe and North America, in person or virtually.

Heather McDaniel is a speaker, writer, and organizational consultant based in Spain. She writes and speaks about how people work, lead, decide, learn, and create together. Her perspective draws on a 28-year career spanning communication, operation... Show more

Patrick Heyde

Patrick Heyde

Patrick Heyde ist Azure Specialist für Microsoft und hat eine lange Azure, SharePoint und SQL Vergangen­heit. Seit 2007 arbeitet er bei Microsoft und war mehrfach Sprecher auf Kon­ferenzen. In Kunden­projekten findet man ihn immer wieder in den Themen­bereichen Azure, SharePoint und SQL Server wieder. Sein Spezialgebiet ist die Archi­tekturberatung und Auto­matisierung sowie die Themen Aufbau von Business-Modellen und deren Transformation und natürlich sein liebstes Thema „Neue verrückte Szenarien entwickeln, die einfach funktio­nieren, die sich keiner vorstellen kann, natürlich auf und mit Microsoft Azure“. In der Rolle des Business Lead verantwortet er das Azure Business rund um die Microsoft Partner Welt.

Patrick Heyde ist Azure Specialist für Microsoft und hat eine lange Azure, SharePoint und SQL Vergangen­heit. Seit 2007 arbeitet er bei Microsoft und war mehrfach Sprecher auf Kon­ferenzen. In Kunden­projekten findet man ihn immer wieder in den Theme... Show more

Paul A Lucas

Paul A Lucas

Paul A. Lucas is a global governance, risk and transformation executive with more than 25 years of international experience across the World Bank Group, the United Nations system, including UNOPS and UNFPA, and Deloitte.

His work spans organizational transformation, enterprise risk, internal audit, investigations, financial integrity, technology risk, data analytics and AI governance. He has led global oversight functions, advised senior executives, boards and audit committees, and worked across complex international organizations operating in more than 100 countries.

Paul Lucas is a Chartered Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Fraud Examiner, CISA, CAMS and PMP. He is a graduate of Macquarie University and The Fletcher School at Tufts University, and writes and speaks on governance, organizational effectiveness, risk, investigations and responsible AI.

Paul A. Lucas is a global governance, risk and transformation executive with more than 25 years of international experience across the World Bank Group, the United Nations system, including UNOPS and UNFPA, and Deloitte. His work spans organizatio... Show more

Joanna Montgomery

Joanna Montgomery

Joanna is an interaction designer, entrepreneur, and thought leader in human-centred technology. She is best known as the creator of Pillow Talk, the world’s first IoT product designed to help families feel emotionally connected across distance, now used in over 80 countries worldwide.

With 16 years of experience at the intersection of tech and intimacy, Joanna now runs and advises companies on designing digital products that prioritise empathy, trust, and human connection.

Known for her honest, no-fluff approach, she speaks globally on the future of emotionally intelligent tech.

Joanna is an interaction designer, entrepreneur, and thought leader in human-centred technology. She is best known as the creator of Pillow Talk, the world’s first IoT product designed to help families feel emotionally connected across distance, now ... Show more

Martin Brunke

Martin Brunke

Marty Brunke is the author of The Ready Enterprise and the founder and CEO of VaughnMartin, the company behind Readiness OS.

After spending the first ten years of his career in business, Marty stepped into a very different operating environment: coaching college football at Stanford University. During five years at Stanford, he experienced an organizational model in which preparation was not a philosophy or methodology. It was the operating architecture that allowed people to recognize situations, make decisions, coordinate, and execute under pressure.

When Marty returned to the corporate world, he carried a question that would shape the next twenty years of his career: Why do capable organizations wait until a strategic situation arrives before assembling the ownership, authority, information, funding, and coordinated response needed to address it?

While leading enterprise transformation at Ford, Toyota, Lockheed Martin, Charles Schwab, and Boyd Gaming, he observed the same pattern across industries, challenges, and opportunities. Organizations repeatedly pay the full cost of assembling a response precisely when time matters most.

Marty developed Enterprise Readiness to close that gap and created Readiness OS to make the discipline operational and persistent. His talks show executives, strategy leaders, and PMO professionals how to build the preparation layer between strategy and execution—so their organizations are already moving when the situation arrives.

Read The Ready Enterprise at vaughnmartin.com/book.

Marty Brunke is the author of The Ready Enterprise and the founder and CEO of VaughnMartin, the company behind Readiness OS. After spending the first ten years of his career in business, Marty stepped into a very different operating environment: c... Show more

Brad Mathis

Brad Mathis

Brad Mathis is a Senior Information Security Consultant at Keller Schroeder with over 40 years of experience in information technology, working across multiple industries including financial services and healthcare.

Brad specializes in cybersecurity governance, risk management, and vCISO advisory services, helping organizations move beyond tools and start making informed, business-driven risk decisions.

His work focuses on security assessments, vulnerability management, and building practical, measurable approaches to risk reduction.

As both a former client of Keller Schroeder and a long-time consultant, Brad brings a pragmatic, real-world perspective to cybersecurity challenges, bridging the gap between technical teams and business leadership.

He holds multiple industry certifications, including CISSP, CGEIT, CRISC, and GIAC credentials (GPEN, GCCC, GSTRT), with a focus on governance, risk, and strategic security leadership.

Outside of cybersecurity, Brad is an active community leader, serving in Rotary and on local boards, with a strong commitment to service and education.

Brad Mathis is a Senior Information Security Consultant at Keller Schroeder with over 40 years of experience in information technology, working across multiple industries including financial services and healthcare. Brad specializes in cybersecuri... Show more

Lilian Stenholt

Lilian Stenholt

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

Candyce Edelen

Candyce Edelen

Candyce Edelen is a seasoned entrepreneur with valuable experience from co-founding two fintech companies, including one that made the Deloitte Fast 50 list in 2004. Since 2007, she has led PropelGrowth, helping financial and tech firms develop go-to-market strategies, with 13 clients achieving successful exits during this time.

In 2018, she pivoted her focus and used LinkedIn to rapidly build a new pipeline. This success led her to teach hundreds of small business owners and sellers how to attract leads and build effective sales pipelines reliably.

Candyce Edelen is a seasoned entrepreneur with valuable experience from co-founding two fintech companies, including one that made the Deloitte Fast 50 list in 2004. Since 2007, she has led PropelGrowth, helping financial and tech firms develop go-to... Show more

Mike Breeze

Mike Breeze

Mike Breeze is a leadership speaker, author, and former law enforcement officer who has spent more than two decades fascinated by one question: Why do people do what they do?

As the author of Behavior Follows Reinforcement, Mike helps leaders recognize how everyday communication, expectations, and reinforcement shape the behavior of the people around them. His approach gives audiences a practical way to think differently about leadership, workplace communication, employee engagement, and difficult conversations.

Mike's perspective comes from an unconventional career spanning law enforcement, business, and more than two decades working professionally with audiences across the country. Those experiences have given him a unique perspective on how people think, respond, communicate, and influence one another.

Combining humor, audience interaction, storytelling, and behavioral principles, Mike makes complex ideas easy to understand, practical, and memorable.

His signature message, Behavior Follows Reinforcement™, challenges leaders to ask a simple but powerful question: What am I reinforcing?

Mike has presented for professional associations, conferences, schools, and organizations across the country, delivering keynotes and interactive workshops designed to leave audiences engaged and looking at human behavior from a different perspective.

Mike Breeze is a leadership speaker, author, and former law enforcement officer who has spent more than two decades fascinated by one question: Why do people do what they do? As the author of Behavior Follows Reinforcement, Mike helps leaders reco... Show more

Shankar Krishnan

Shankar Krishnan

I bring 15+ years of AI/ML experience, with the last five years focused specifically on voice AI at AWS, where I led product development within the Amazon Bedrock GenAI organization for conversational AI. In that role, I managed a team of 30+ ML scientists and collaborated with 100+ engineers to launch and scale multiple 0-to-1 ML products. These products are in production at companies including Slack, Intuit, Zillow, Oracle, and T-Mobile.

Prior to AWS, I led conversational AI initiatives for IBM Watson serving large enterprise clients, and held AI product leadership roles at Aptiv (autonomous vehicles) and Upserve (AI analytics for SMBs). I currently serve as GenAI Product Leader at Stripe.

Additionally, I have spoken at several conferences (e.g., Optimized AI and MLCON) and written articles for several magazines including Forbes, and TechTimes, among others.

I bring 15+ years of AI/ML experience, with the last five years focused specifically on voice AI at AWS, where I led product development within the Amazon Bedrock GenAI organization for conversational AI. In that role, I managed a team of 30+ ML scie... Show more

Mo Salha (Mr.Mo)

Mo Salha (Mr.Mo)

Mo Salha, known as Mr.Mo, is a business developer and strategist working at the intersection of Web3, AI, and digital culture. He is Head of Business Development and Shareholder at theMiracle.io, a wallet native perks and rewards infrastructure integrated into MetaMask, Solflare and other leading wallets. Mo leads partnerships that help brands and projects reach high intent users inside the wallet experience, using privacy first wallet intelligence and on chain behavior clustering to deliver relevant perks and measurable actions, not generic ads.

Mo is also the Founder of AXS Agency, advising global brands like DIESEL, Maison Margiela, Jil Sander and others on Web3 strategy, community design, and digital innovation, including work across fashion and consumer culture. He is known for bridging Web2 decision makers with Web3 execution, translating complex topics into clear narratives and practical go to market plans.

Before Web3, Mo built his career across corporate leadership roles including Mercedes Benz and Vodafone, where he developed his foundation in commercial growth, operations, and team leadership.

Mo Salha, known as Mr.Mo, is a business developer and strategist working at the intersection of Web3, AI, and digital culture. He is Head of Business Development and Shareholder at theMiracle.io, a wallet native perks and rewards infrastructure integ... Show more

Sohrab Mostaghim

Sohrab Mostaghim

Sohrab Mostaghim started designing games in communities across Iran: city-wide hunts and board games played by hundreds. Today he's the founder of Game Is Serious, a startup building AI-powered simulations that train enterprise sales teams through real behavioral practice, not theory. His talk, From Board Games to AI Agents: Engineering Behavioral Loops in B2B Sales Enablement Workflows, traces that same thread forward, from tabletop mechanics to autonomous AI agents, and what it actually takes to design feedback loops that change how people behave at work.

Sohrab Mostaghim started designing games in communities across Iran: city-wide hunts and board games played by hundreds. Today he's the founder of Game Is Serious, a startup building AI-powered simulations that train enterprise sales teams through re... Show more

Rob Shanahan

Rob Shanahan

Rob Shanahan is a keynote speaker, Photographer to the Rock Stars, professional musician, author, entrepreneur, and creator of The ICONS Blueprint™.

For more than 30 years, Rob has worked alongside many of the world’s biggest music icons, including Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Sammy Hagar, Sheila E., Elton John, Aerosmith, and hundreds more.

Drawing on those high-performance environments, Rob translates firsthand lessons into practical strategies around leadership, communication, team alignment, resilience, adaptability, trust, and performance under pressure.

Through unforgettable stories, original photography, humor, and audience engagement, Rob helps organizations turn individual talent into synchronized performance and gives audiences a memorable framework they can apply immediately.

Rob Shanahan is a keynote speaker, Photographer to the Rock Stars, professional musician, author, entrepreneur, and creator of The ICONS Blueprint™. For more than 30 years, Rob has worked alongside many of the world’s biggest music icons, includin... Show more

Gerard Gallant

Gerard Gallant

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

Laura Kriska

Laura Kriska

Laura Kriska is a global collaboration expert, TEDx speaker, and author who helps people build stronger teams across differences of culture, language, geography, generation, and organizational silos.

Her work is rooted in more than 30 years of experience helping people transform “Us vs. Them” dynamics into greater trust, communication, and collaboration. Her career began in Tokyo, where she became the first American woman to work at Honda Motor Company’s headquarters in Japan, and earned a brown belt in judo along the way. These experiences gave her firsthand insight into what enables people to work successfully across differences.

Laura is the author of three books, including The Business of WE, and co-author of the Harvard Business Review article “4 Research-Backed Ways to Help Your Team Collaborate Better.” She is the creator of WE-Building® and TeamMachine®, an interactive simulation designed to accelerate trust and collaboration.

Over the course of her career, Laura has worked with an unusually wide range of professionals—from race car drivers and teachers to pharmaceutical researchers and global business leaders. Her work has been used by teams at global organizations including Accenture, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Toyota, Panasonic, Honda, and the World Economic Forum.

Laura brings research, real-world experience, storytelling, and audience interaction together to give participants practical ways to build stronger relationships and collaborate more effectively—across the room, across an organization, and across the world.

Laura Kriska is a global collaboration expert, TEDx speaker, and author who helps people build stronger teams across differences of culture, language, geography, generation, and organizational silos. Her work is rooted in more than 30 years of exp... Show more

Pablo Bouzada

Pablo Bouzada

With over 20 years of hands-on experience in programming, Pablo is a well-versed professional who has successfully transitioned into leadership roles, currently serving as an Engineering Manager in Viaplay Group. He is dedicated to fostering collaborative environments and helping individuals discover more effective ways of working together, navigating challenges such as remote team collaboration and conflict resolution. In his talks, Pablo offers a fusion of technical knowledge and leadership insights, based on years of practical experience, exploring the intersection of technology, management, and the human diversity that drives successful teams.

With over 20 years of hands-on experience in programming, Pablo is a well-versed professional who has successfully transitioned into leadership roles, currently serving as an Engineering Manager in Viaplay Group. He is dedicated to fostering collabor... Show more

Marina Sukhomlinova

Marina Sukhomlinova

Marina Sukhomlinova is the Founder & President of Womafreesm, a U.S. 501(c)(3) Public Charity and a global infrastructure for women’s influence. She designs systems that turn women’s lived experiences into data and evidence that can shape new rules, laws, standards, technologies and institutional decisions.

She leads the development of the Women’s Life-Cycle Economy Index, a global research programme examining where economies, healthcare, labour markets, law and AI rely on incomplete models of human life that overlook women’s real life cycles. This work provides the research foundation for the Equal Consideration Standard, a practical framework for assessing whether policies, technologies, medical protocols and workplace systems account for women’s lives.

Her current work also examines age and gender bias in AI, recruitment and marketing, with a focus on women aged 45-64. Marina speaks about women’s institutional influence, women’s life-cycle economics, AI bias, evidence-led policy and the design of systems that reflect women’s lived reality.

Marina Sukhomlinova is the Founder & President of Womafreesm, a U.S. 501(c)(3) Public Charity and a global infrastructure for women’s influence. She designs systems that turn women’s lived experiences into data and evidence that can shape new rules, ... Show more

Mykola Kolomiiets

Mykola Kolomiiets

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

Neha Lagoo Ratnakar

Neha Lagoo Ratnakar

Neha Lagoo Ratnakar is a tiny speaker with a big name and an even bigger message. Her talks are part wakeup call and part kick in the behind.

Neha’s bestselling book, Back on Your Feet (Goodreads 4.5, Amazon 4.7) has helped hundreds of women start their career comeback journey and she’s spent hours directly coaching them.

But throughout her career spanning 8 countries, and her work as the Head of Education at a non-profit in Europe, she was shocked to hear that it was difficult for leaders to bridge the gender numbers despite their best intentions.

So Neha made it her mission to help organisations bridge this gap and support women on their journey.

What she has to say may offend you, could provoke you, but will definitely make you think. If you’re looking for a keynote speaker who can talk from authentic global experiences infused with actionable insights, then Neha is your choice.

Neha Lagoo Ratnakar is a tiny speaker with a big name and an even bigger message. Her talks are part wakeup call and part kick in the behind. Neha’s bestselling book, Back on Your Feet (Goodreads 4.5, Amazon 4.7) has helped hundreds of women star... Show more

Diana Paredes

Diana Paredes

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

Chris Poulter

Chris Poulter

Chris Poulter is a technical founder with a track record of building and scaling tech-enabled businesses in operations-heavy industries. An early adapter of agentic coding, he started building a software factory in August 2025, which he later open sourced as usenucleus.dev. He also hosts The Software Factory Podcast, talking with builders about what’s working, what isn’t, and what they’re learning.

Chris Poulter is a technical founder with a track record of building and scaling tech-enabled businesses in operations-heavy industries. An early adapter of agentic coding, he started building a software factory in August 2025, which he later open so... Show more

Andrea Di Ceglie

Andrea Di Ceglie

I'm a software/IT professional with strong technical skills and a versatile attitude in building and delivery up to date solutions.

During my 25 years career i covered up different roles related mainly to Microsoft systems and ERP/CRM.

Currently I'm leading R&D and IT teams with the goal to release, sell, and and maintain business applications for the smb companies around the world.

As solution architect I'm focused on full Microsoft stack (Dynamics 365 Business Central, PowerBI, Dynamics 365 CRM, Sharepoint, M365 and modern workplace)

As Microsoft tecnology specialist my main goal is to design and integrate solutions related to CRM, ERP and BI systems.

As a team leader I try to promote best practices and pattern in a healthy and positive work environment driven by business goals and continuous self improvement.

I have a long experience in design and develop ERP for Italian and international companies, with knowledge of enterprise business processes.

I'm a software/IT professional with strong technical skills and a versatile attitude in building and delivery up to date solutions. During my 25 years career i covered up different roles related mainly to Microsoft systems and ERP/CRM. Currentl... Show more

Tony Dovale

Tony Dovale

https://www.tonydovalespeaks.com Tony Dovale – High-Performance Leadership Keynote Speaker | Culture Architect | AdaptAgility Expert
Tony Dovale is a globally recognised keynote speaker, Human Performance Architect and founder of Life Masters with 35+ years transforming leaders, teams and cultures. Creator of the Revolutionary Workplace CLEARx HPO framework and AdaptAgility system, he helps organisations build adaptive, high-performance cultures that thrive in disruption. Clients include Accenture, Standard Bank, Coca-Cola and Vodacom. His high-energy keynotes blend neuroscience, behavioural psychology and practical strategy for measurable results.

https://www.tonydovalespeaks.com Tony Dovale – High-Performance Leadership Keynote Speaker | Culture Architect | AdaptAgility Expert Tony Dovale is a globally recognised keynote speaker, Human Performance Architect and founder of Life Masters with 3... Show more

Diego Ciarrocchi

Diego Ciarrocchi

AI PM na Amazon. PhD Candidate em IA na USP. Mestre em Engenharia e Gestão da Inovação pela UFABC. Formado pela PUC-SP em Comunicação em Multimeios, pós-graduado em Gestão Estratégica em TI, MBA em Gestão de Projetos e mestrando em Inovação na UFABC. Certificado PMP, Scrum, Green Belt Six Sigma, ITIL e Microsoft Project.

Especialista em gestão de projetos, escritório de projetos, metodologias ágeis nos segmentos de varejo, TI, e-commerce, indústria, bancos, startups, educação e terceiro setor.

AI PM na Amazon. PhD Candidate em IA na USP. Mestre em Engenharia e Gestão da Inovação pela UFABC. Formado pela PUC-SP em Comunicação em Multimeios, pós-graduado em Gestão Estratégica em TI, MBA em Gestão de Projetos e mestrando em Inovação na UFABC.... Show more

Milena F

Milena F

After her Bachelor in Cognitive and Media Sciences B.Sc. and her master’s in interactive digital media at Trinity College Dublin, Milena decided to go into software development. She has been crafting software at adesso since 2020 and founded the startup DillyBeeze in 2021. Further, she has been invited to talk at JavaLand, Cyberland, JAX and JavaScript Days. Especially due to her background in cognitive studies Milena is especially interested in the interactions of psychology, software development and project management.

After her Bachelor in Cognitive and Media Sciences B.Sc. and her master’s in interactive digital media at Trinity College Dublin, Milena decided to go into software development. She has been crafting software at adesso since 2020 and founded the star... Show more

Nick Gushchin

Nick Gushchin

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

Jarrod Connolly

Jarrod Connolly

Jarrod Connolly is an engineering leader who has spent 25 years building backend and platform systems across gaming, network infrastructure, real estate, and travel. He has led teams through hiring, performance, and delivery in player-coach roles, and he still writes the code when the problem needs it.

He added Date support to Node.js N-API, holds two patents in web acceleration, and spoke at OpenJS World 2022 on building a compiler in Node.js. Complect, that compiler, now targets native binaries via LLVM and renders graphics with SDL. He writes about the work at nestedquotes.ca.

He has chaired a school Parent Advisory Council and served on the City Advisory Committee, and is building PAC Hub so those organizations can run a year from one place.

Jarrod Connolly is an engineering leader who has spent 25 years building backend and platform systems across gaming, network infrastructure, real estate, and travel. He has led teams through hiring, performance, and delivery in player-coach roles, an... Show more

Lou Segers

Lou Segers

Lou Segers is an analytics manager at Belgium's Plainsight with a strong emphasis on the Microsoft BI stack.
He loves to interact with anyone breathing data.

Some say good health is true wealth. A sweaty run or a satisfying gym session are among Lou’s favorite energy drainers.
Come have a chat with me, visit my personal blog https://www.thedatatrain.be or simply connect @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lou-segers-451baa80/

All aboard the data train, CHOO CHOO 🚂 🚂

Lou Segers is an analytics manager at Belgium's Plainsight with a strong emphasis on the Microsoft BI stack. He loves to interact with anyone breathing data. Some say good health is true wealth. A sweaty run or a satisfying gym session are among ... Show more

Heather Wilde Renze

Heather Wilde Renze

Heather Wilde is known as the "Unicorn Whisperer" for her work guiding startups through critical growth phases. As a former CTO, founding team member of Evernote, and co-author of the bestselling "Birth of a Unicorn", she brings 20+ years of technology leadership to the emerging AI-agent economy.
In 2026, Heather helps leaders navigate the transition to agentic organizations at FireworksAI— where AI agents handle execution while humans master governance, judgment, and ethical oversight. Her keynotes on human-AI collaboration, agentic product design, and startup scaling in the AI era have been featured at CodeMash, The Lead Developer, and corporate leadership programs worldwide.
Heather's work spans startup coaching, executive development, and thought leadership on the future of work. She regularly contributes to Inc.com on leadership and remote work, and her award-winning writing has appeared in Mashable, BBC News, the Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. She lives in Las Vegas and works with clients across North America, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.

Heather Wilde is known as the "Unicorn Whisperer" for her work guiding startups through critical growth phases. As a former CTO, founding team member of Evernote, and co-author of the bestselling "Birth of a Unicorn", she brings 20+ years of technolo... Show more

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