15 years of experience in entrepreneurship, very passionate about futuristic projects. 8 years ago I co-founded iad Portugal, a real estate company, currently with over 900 real estate agencies.
In May 2021, I co-founded METACARD by Startbox Ltd, a startup that is redefining the gift card and gift box market, with a mission to democratize the acquisition of crypto-currencies & digital assets, and bring traditional brands into the world of blockchain .

15 years of experience in entrepreneurship, very passionate about futuristic projects. 8 years ago I co-founded iad Portugal, a real estate company, currently with over 900 real estate agencies. In May 2021, I co-founded METACARD by Startbox Ltd, a ... Show more

Marsha Baldwin AKA The Hair Goddess Maat is a Tenured Cosmetologist of nearly 30 years. Specializing in Healthy Natural Hair Care and in depth education. Creator of The Life Balancing System.

Marsha Baldwin AKA The Hair Goddess Maat is a Tenured Cosmetologist of nearly 30 years. Specializing in Healthy Natural Hair Care and in depth education. Creator of The Life Balancing System. Show more

Angela is an award-winning, fashion designer, industry innovator, disruptor, humanitarian, and consultant to hundreds of emerging fashion brands. She is best known as the Co-Founder of AZ’s fashion incubator FABRIC and the non-profit 501-c3 AZ Apparel Foundation.

Angela’s 25 years of industry and entrepreneurial experiences from LA to AZ have fueled her mission to mentor the next generation of design entrepreneurs as well as her vision to champion a new, innovative, responsible, and sustainable fashion industry for the 21st Century in the state of Arizona.

Angela is an award-winning, fashion designer, industry innovator, disruptor, humanitarian, and consultant to hundreds of emerging fashion brands. She is best known as the Co-Founder of AZ’s fashion incubator FABRIC and the non-profit 501-c3 AZ Appare... Show more

After a life-changing experience managing her son’s multiple special needs with Cannabidiol (CBD), Taiya is passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience to help others. She started CBDchicks to be a resource for education and support so people can be better informed and empowered to be their best health advocate and founded Crooked Cactus CBD to provide access to safe and high-quality products they can trust and feel good giving to their families.

Taiya feels her main job as CEO is Chief Education Officer. She speaks on stages at industry trainings, expos, and trade shows to raise awareness, increase acceptance, and promote natural healing. Previously, Taiya spent 19 years as a CFP® and RLP® working in private wealth management for two of the Top 10 firms in the world. She has always been driven to help people and to inspire them to live their lives with passion and purpose. Now she’s doing that through plant medicine and encouraging people to restore their health and well-being so they can show up and do more of what makes them happy.

After a life-changing experience managing her son’s multiple special needs with Cannabidiol (CBD), Taiya is passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience to help others. She started CBDchicks to be a resource for education and support so peop... Show more

Brent Ward is the founder of Power Hopper, a PUCT-registered Texas electricity broker (BR260201). He is Tesla and Enphase certified and helps homeowners and businesses understand retail electricity plans, contract terms, solar buyback and home batteries.

Brent Ward is the founder of Power Hopper, a PUCT-registered Texas electricity broker (BR260201). He is Tesla and Enphase certified and helps homeowners and businesses understand retail electricity plans, contract terms, solar buyback and home batter... Show more

After 20 years in supply chain, Alexandra has learned one thing: every company wants digitalization & AI, until the first chatbot asks where the data actually is.
Founder and CEO of AI Tech startup, and former Executive at PepsiCo, Nestlé, Mondelez and Philip Morris, she brings 20 years of transforming supply chains & manufacturing capabilities with digital technologies.
Alexandra helps leaders cut through the AI hype and turn digitalization into measurable gains in productivity, quality, speed and business performance.
She has spoken at Web Summit, Microsoft events, industrial fairs and international manufacturing forums across Europe, Asia and North America. 

After 20 years in supply chain, Alexandra has learned one thing: every company wants digitalization & AI, until the first chatbot asks where the data actually is. Founder and CEO of AI Tech startup, and former Executive at PepsiCo, Nestlé, Mondelez ... Show more

Beril is a growth marketer with a deep background in consumer psychology. She currently leads multi-market acquisition at ClassPass, managing £10M+ annual performance budgets and scaling growth across global regions. With 6+ years of experience across startups, scaleups and global brands, her work focuses on how people really think and decide — not just what dashboards show.

She holds both a BA and MSc in psychology, specialising in consumer behaviour at King’s College London, and works at the intersection of growth strategy, behavioural science, and human-centred decision design.

Beril is a growth marketer with a deep background in consumer psychology. She currently leads multi-market acquisition at ClassPass, managing £10M+ annual performance budgets and scaling growth across global regions. With 6+ years of experience acros... Show more

I Teach K9 Handlers Everything K9 SAR Tracking, From Scent Cone, Scent Movement, how to get a scent article

I Teach K9 Handlers Everything K9 SAR Tracking, From Scent Cone, Scent Movement, how to get a scent article Show more

Ben Gould – Designing at the Edge of Innovation: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Bringing Ideas to Life

With over 15 years of experience as a senior industrial designer, Ben Gould has shaped the future of products across virtually every category—consumer packaged goods, toys, housewares, fashion, eVTOL, and beyond. Currently designing for Kickr Design, Ben is known not only for his deep technical mastery in CAD, prototyping, and 3D visualization, but for his rare talent: giving bold ideas form and soul through storytelling, sketching, and user-centered thinking.

Ben’s talk offers an unvarnished look at what it truly takes to get a product to market—from early napkin sketch to factory floor. Drawing on high-stakes experiences from both startups and global brands, he shares the trials, breakthroughs, and hidden lessons of industrial design in a competitive, fast-moving world.

Whether leading the development of award-winning STEM toys like Smart Circuits—used by thousands of families to teach electronics—or managing cross-functional teams to deliver durable, joyful, and market-ready products, Ben balances creativity with strategy, heart with rigor.

A passionate advocate for meaningful play and value-driven design, Ben also brings a personal lens to his work as a parent and toy expert. He believes every object has a story to tell—and that good design helps people discover it.

Ideal for audiences interested in design for manufacturing, product innovation, the toy industry, or the intersection of design and storytelling, Ben’s presentations inspire both aspiring designers and seasoned professionals to reimagine what’s possible.

Topics Include:

Designing for Manufacturing: From Sketch to Shelf

Creating Toys That Teach: Lessons from the STEM Aisle

Brainstorm Better: Techniques for Facilitating Ideation with Your Team

The Generalist: Learning the Skills to Become Recession-Proof

The Future of Industrial Design: Craft, Tech & Connection

Contact: ben.gould@brightblot.com
Keywords: #CPG #toys #industrialdesign #humancentereddesign #3Ddesign #solidworks

Ben Gould – Designing at the Edge of Innovation: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Bringing Ideas to Life With over 15 years of experience as a senior industrial designer, Ben Gould has shaped the future of products across virtually every category—consu... Show more

Beauty industry trailblazer and entrepreneur, Stephanie Luster, has made it her business to inspire others to use their platforms to walk in their purpose. Whether it’s expanding creativity behind the chair, mastering platform artistry and specific techniques, or scaling your business for maximum success, she is determined to provide the tools necessary to assist in creating legacy. Her reach spans internationally, having traveled all over the world educating stylists and consumers on one of the world’s most sought-after topics – hair. 



As President and Director of Education of the Chicagoland based Essations family brand, Stephanie not only handles the day-to-day operations, but she is also responsible for educating a team of stylists and professionals who work on behalf of the brand. With more than 27 years of experience in the industry, Stephanie uses her expertise to propel the brand and stylists to the next level. “My experience with making products (including the chemical compounds and structure), combined with my extensive knowledge of hair come together to make me an expert in the industry. I can analyze and understand both the product make up and the hair's potential reaction to it all at the same time. That's my edge.” She works side-by-side with chemists and suppliers to develop, test, and manufacture products that promote healthy hair.

In addition to product development, Stephanie has a passion for building industry leaders and is dedicated to sharing her expertise to assist stylists in reaching and maximizing their potential. She has worked relentlessly to develop several programs that not only reach back to up-and-coming stylists, but also assist veteran stylists with elevating their brands and increasing salon revenue. Stephanie looks forward to using her platform to continue motivating, educating, and mentoring others while building a legacy for her children.

Beauty industry trailblazer and entrepreneur, Stephanie Luster, has made it her business to inspire others to use their platforms to walk in their purpose. Whether it’s expanding creativity behind the chair, mastering platform artistry and specific t... Show more

A Master Stylist/Colorist with over 20 years behind the chair, getting my start as a shampoo girl in 1996, a loc expert and natural hair killer.
I hold 2 license Hairstylist 20yrs and
Nail Technician 2yrs. Salon owner for over 10 years in Denver Colorado, future Nail and Cosmetology Trade school ower.

A Master Stylist/Colorist with over 20 years behind the chair, getting my start as a shampoo girl in 1996, a loc expert and natural hair killer. I hold 2 license Hairstylist 20yrs and Nail Technician 2yrs. Salon owner for over 10 years in Denve... Show more

Great day Beauty Bosses, I’m Kayri (Kay-ree) I am a nail educator at a beauty school, I’m a celebrity nail artist and a beauty brand founder. I’m the host of the nail club which has live interactive weekly chats with a community of over 1.5 K. I bring you Edutainment which is education mixed with entertainment
to bring you a course that is jampacked with information that you can use and will retain. Join me as we take the nail portion of beauty shows to the next level.

Great day Beauty Bosses, I’m Kayri (Kay-ree) I am a nail educator at a beauty school, I’m a celebrity nail artist and a beauty brand founder. I’m the host of the nail club which has live interactive weekly chats with a community of over 1.5 K. I brin... Show more

Dr. Sherri Thomas an accomplished and master at her craft. As a licensed cosmetologist and instructor for over 27 years, with 15 years of experience in hair-loss, she has traveled internationally to places such as England, Germany, France, and Italy to name a few, leaving her footprints behind. Dr. Thomas retired in 2019 as a business owner of a St. Louis award winning Hair- Prosthetic Center and in 2018 she sold her Salon and Barbershop and focused on her career in education where she has experience as an International Educator in Perruquier and Hair Prosthetics.
Dr. Thomas is a credited hairstylist for Films, TV, and Fashion Videos also an excepted member of the IATSE UNION. She was featured as a humanitarian more once in the St. Louis Post Dispatch as well as several features in Deluxe Magazine. Dr. Thomas also wrote articles for St. Louis Community News, Insight Magazine and TCM Lifestyle Blog. She has a Business Degree, Master’s Degree in Holistic Nutrient and Doctor of Science Degree, Graduated Cum Laude in Integrative Healthcare with a personal concentration in hair and scalp science. Dr. Thomas has worked as an Educator for Bronner Brothers Hair Shows as well as other Hair Shows and events.
Having a great eye for detail Dr. Thomas brings to the industry her specialty in beauty professional coaching, business education, innovative styling, weaving, cutting, artistic vision and hair prosthetic educating. Dr. Thomas has been featured on many talk shows such as, Fox 2 News, St. Louis Corner and many more. With a host of other accomplishments and awards, she plans on continuing to bring new trends, creations and more education. The Best Is Yet to Come.

Dr. Sherri Thomas an accomplished and master at her craft. As a licensed cosmetologist and instructor for over 27 years, with 15 years of experience in hair-loss, she has traveled internationally to places such as England, Germany, France, and Italy ... Show more

Building cool stuff on the Internet since 1999 😎 The most interesting problems are always the ones that cross the human/machine boundary.

I help enterprise organizations navigate the messy parts of digital transformation: data center exits, cloud migrations, and cloud-native modernization. Currently obsessed with what comes next: agentic AI, spec-driven design, and quantum computing.

When I'm offline, I'm chasing the Endless Summer: exploring surf spots around the world with my family, one break at a time.

Building cool stuff on the Internet since 1999 😎 The most interesting problems are always the ones that cross the human/machine boundary. I help enterprise organizations navigate the messy parts of digital transformation: data center exits, cloud... Show more

Marin Niehues is an independent consultant at the intersection of organizational design and delivery, helping companies build and operate structures that actually deliver. Across 20+ client projects with organizations from VC-backed scaleups to DAX40 companies, Marin works either embedded in line functions as a Delivery Lead or Business Analyst or strategically on organizational design, governance and process architecture.

In the past three years, Marin has spoken at conferences in more than twenty countries across six continents, including repeated invitations from Google and Microsoft.

Marin Niehues is an independent consultant at the intersection of organizational design and delivery, helping companies build and operate structures that actually deliver. Across 20+ client projects with organizations from VC-backed scaleups to DAX40... Show more

Tonie Huizer is a Software, Data, and DevOps Consultant who believes good tech starts with understanding your people. A regular on international stages and a Microsoft Certified Azure Developer, Tonie loves helping teams simplify complex challenges; whether that’s modernizing database deployments, designing scalable systems, or just getting Dev and Ops to finally talk to each other.

Tonie is known for his clear, energetic presentation style and ability to make complex topics accessible and engaging. As a Redgate Community Ambassador, he advocates for database DevOps and contributes to open knowledge sharing through blogs, talks, and events across the globe. He also co-leads SeaQL, a community-driven event that blends education, networking, and Sammie, his Kooikerhondje mascot. (Because yes, even events are better with a dog.)

Whether he's discussing Azure DevOps workflows, database release automation, or the cultural shifts required to implement DevOps successfully, Tonie brings real-world experience, humor, and actionable insights. His goal is to inspire professionals not just to adopt new technologies, but to transform how teams collaborate and innovate.

And when he’s not speaking about tech, he might just be speaking about whisky. Tonie is a passionate whisky enthusiast who loves sharing stories, flavors, and the occasional tasting session with his fellow connoisseur of TasteWhisky. If you're into DevOps, data, and a well-aged dram on the side, Tonie’s your man!

Tonie Huizer is a Software, Data, and DevOps Consultant who believes good tech starts with understanding your people. A regular on international stages and a Microsoft Certified Azure Developer, Tonie loves helping teams simplify complex challenges; ... Show more

I’m Valerie Junk, Microsoft Data Platform MVP, and I believe a report is only as good as the decisions it leads to.
With a master’s degree in psychology and years of hands-on work in Power BI and Microsoft Fabric, I focus on how people read and use data.
I speak about data storytelling, report design and Fabric Apps.
I’m the author of a DP-600 study guide, and I share my work on my YouTube channel PorcuBI and on my website porcu.bi.
My sessions are practical and honest, and you’ll walk away looking at your own reports differently.

I’m Valerie Junk, Microsoft Data Platform MVP, and I believe a report is only as good as the decisions it leads to. With a master’s degree in psychology and years of hands-on work in Power BI and Microsoft Fabric, I focus on how people read and use... Show more

Alberto Acerbis is a hands-on software architect with a strong background in distributed systems. Recognized as a Microsoft MVP in .NET technologies, he actively contributes to the tech community.
In his role, Alberto helps customers transform their ideas into robust and scalable solutions. Beyond his professional work, he is a passionate technical speaker, having delivered numerous sessions at conferences over the years.
His dedication to knowledge-sharing extends to the communities he has founded and actively participates in, fostering collaboration and continuous learning in the tech ecosystem.
He is the co-author of Domain-Driven Refactoring (Packt), Cronache di Domain-Driven Design (Avanscoperta), and author of Architetture evolutive, DDD, microservizi (Mokabyte).
Outside of technology, Alberto enjoys mountain activities in all seasons and has a keen interest in philosophy and other disciplines beyond the tech world.

Alberto Acerbis is a hands-on software architect with a strong background in distributed systems. Recognized as a Microsoft MVP in .NET technologies, he actively contributes to the tech community. In his role, Alberto helps customers transform their... Show more

Harshavardhan Bajoria is a Product Manager for AI & Innovation at Unstop, where he builds AI-driven products at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cloud computing. He is a GitHub Campus Expert Alumni, a LeetCode Knight, and holds 18 professional certifications — 7x Microsoft Certified, 5x Oracle Certified, 5x Google Certified, and GitHub Certified. A Top 5% Speaker on Sessionize, Harshavardhan is a regular voice at tech conferences and community meetups, sharing his experience building AI products and working with cloud platforms.

Harshavardhan Bajoria is a Product Manager for AI & Innovation at Unstop, where he builds AI-driven products at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cloud computing. He is a GitHub Campus Expert Alumni, a LeetCode Knight, and holds 18 prof... Show more

Clarissa Rodrigues is graduated by University of Vale dos Sinos (UNISINOS), specialist in Software Engineering by Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and master student in Applied Computing by UNISINOS. With more than 10 years of IT experience, she has been working in different roles and companies, such as a Business Analyst at SISPRO, ADP, SAP and most current Technical Quality & Program Manager at Uber. On her journey, she has been advocated for quality inside QAs work to make sure goods and services are designed, developed, and made to meet or exceed customers’ expectations and requirements.

Clarissa Rodrigues is graduated by University of Vale dos Sinos (UNISINOS), specialist in Software Engineering by Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and master student in Applied Computing by UNISINOS. With more than 10 years of IT exper... Show more

Abhilekh Verma is a founder, mentor and technical coach who has had a decade of experience in the IT industry working with Sales Teams and Corporate Training Roles. He was a corporate trainer at KPMG Gurugram and KPMG Hyderabad before jumping on the wagon of Entrepreneurship.
He is a mentor at Startupbootcamp, Wadhwani Foundation and runs Microsoft Azure Developer Community, ADP List, Omdena for Hyderabad. He is also a mentor at IIT Guwahati and Microsoft for Founders Hub. He is Microsoft MVP in AI.

Abhilekh Verma is a founder, mentor and technical coach who has had a decade of experience in the IT industry working with Sales Teams and Corporate Training Roles. He was a corporate trainer at KPMG Gurugram and KPMG Hyderabad before jumping on the ... Show more

Dr. Maryleen Amaizu is a seasoned machine learning engineer and AI specialist with extensive experience developing privacy-aware AI and data solutions across diverse domains including healthcare, finance, public sector, and beyond. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where she focused on privacy-preserving machine learning systems.

At Redgate Software, Maryleen builds privacy-aware AI-integrated software to ensure compliance and safe test data sharing. She has worked on synthetic data generation, text anonymisation, LLM-based masking dataset generation, intelligent PII classification, and privacy evaluation framework.

Her expertise and impact have been recognized with several accolades, including the AI Champion of the Year award by Bupa Everywoman in Technology in 2025 and the Excellence Award in Data Protection and Information Privacy from the Young CISO Network in 2022.

Dr. Maryleen Amaizu is a seasoned machine learning engineer and AI specialist with extensive experience developing privacy-aware AI and data solutions across diverse domains including healthcare, finance, public sector, and beyond. She holds a PhD in... Show more

Passionate about Power BI in general and DAX in particular.
Based in Barcelona, I speak Catalan, Spanish, English, Japanese and some German.

Passionate about Power BI in general and DAX in particular. Based in Barcelona, I speak Catalan, Spanish, English, Japanese and some German. Show more

Stefan is a Principal Cloud Solution Architect (CSA) at Xebia Germany and a Microsoft MVP for Azure Infrastructure as Code and Azure Networking. He supports enterprise organizations in designing scalable, secure, and automated Azure platforms. His expertise includes cloud architecture, migrations & modernizations, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and automation using Terraform and Ansible, enabling teams to accelerate cloud transformation through practical, engineering-driven solutions.

Stefan is a Principal Cloud Solution Architect (CSA) at Xebia Germany and a Microsoft MVP for Azure Infrastructure as Code and Azure Networking. He supports enterprise organizations in designing scalable, secure, and automated Azure platforms. His ex... Show more

Paul Chin Jr is a Hampton Roads native and a curious human. He is passionate about exploring technology, art, and business. He advocates for making technology accessible and growing communities to help one another. He has created new markets, guided start-up validations, and architected enterprise platforms. The future is amazing, and he can't wait to help you build it.

Paul Chin Jr is a Hampton Roads native and a curious human. He is passionate about exploring technology, art, and business. He advocates for making technology accessible and growing communities to help one another. He has created new markets, guided ... Show more

Aakash is a seasoned Engineering Leader with experience in leading complex transformations in disruptive markets. Aakash is able to broker trusted relationships quickly, coupled with a strong executive presence to influence across organizations on how to build world-class product experiences. Having the opportunity to work across many industries like Retail, Healthcare and Financial Services, Aakash has led the innovation and experimentation of many new and modern practices. Aakash is always focused on taking a data-driven approach, learning from what has worked and what has failed before. Aakash solemnly believes that everyone in an organization is capable of delivering great outcomes and focuses on enabling high-performing nimble teams.

Aakash is a seasoned Engineering Leader with experience in leading complex transformations in disruptive markets. Aakash is able to broker trusted relationships quickly, coupled with a strong executive presence to influence across organizations on ho... Show more

I am Nilanjan Chatterjee , a seasoned Data Engineering leader and architect at AMD, with extensive experience in rolling out 0-1 turn-key products and features across Fintech, Semiconductor and Telecom domains. With over 12 years of experience across Data Engineering , Data Science and Gen AI pipeline and MLOps, I assist business operationalise their data and ML strategy and find data driven solutions to problems.

I am Nilanjan Chatterjee , a seasoned Data Engineering leader and architect at AMD, with extensive experience in rolling out 0-1 turn-key products and features across Fintech, Semiconductor and Telecom domains. With over 12 years of experience across... Show more

- Over 310+ NAV/BC Implementations in Manufacturers, Supply Chain (WMS), Food and Beverage, Retail, Service, Oil and Gas, Chemical, Industrial Equip., Rental/Service, and Home Goods
- Over 16 years as an Accountant in a variety of positions (VP of Finance, Director of Finance, Audit Manager, Controller, and Director Operations)
- Extensive knowledge and implementation over 30 NAV/BC ISV APPs
Awards
- 5-Time Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP)
- NAVUG/BC All-Star
- 4-time NAVUG/BC Granite Award recipient
- DUG Guardian Award recipient
Professional
- IMA/CMA – Member 1988
- AICPA – Member 1985
- APICS – Member 2004
- DCI Summit – Programming Committee (2012 – Present, Chair (2016-2018), Board of Advisor (2013-2015 and 2021-Present)
- Dynamics User Group (DUG) – NAV/BC Forum Moderator, Dynamics Con Content Committee
- Directions NA – Content Committee (2018-Present)
Certifications
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
- Dynamics Credentialed Professional
- Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP-800)

- Over 310+ NAV/BC Implementations in Manufacturers, Supply Chain (WMS), Food and Beverage, Retail, Service, Oil and Gas, Chemical, Industrial Equip., Rental/Service, and Home Goods - Over 16 years as an Accountant in a variety of positions (VP of F... Show more

Hi, I’m Kathrin Borchert, a Microsoft Data Platform MVP specializing in Power BI and Fabric—the only woman in Germany with this title. With over 9 years of experience in Power BI, I’ve worked with both small businesses and enterprise customers, helping them transform data into actionable insights. As Managing Partner at YoDaBI, I support organizations in leveraging Power BI and Microsoft Fabric to drive data-driven decisions. I’m passionate about sharing knowledge, which is why I organize the Female Fabricator User Group MeetUps as well as write on my blog YoDaBI.com, and engage with the community on LinkedIN and YouTube.

Hi, I’m Kathrin Borchert, a Microsoft Data Platform MVP specializing in Power BI and Fabric—the only woman in Germany with this title. With over 9 years of experience in Power BI, I’ve worked with both small businesses and enterprise customers, help... Show more

Interviewing persons with low vision for her day job at an Assistive Tech Development company, Laura is learning more about barriers every day. And enthusiastic about sharing it! With a special interest in all things accessibility (both online and offline) she's enthusiastic to talk about braille keyboards, trashcans and bad urban planning, how blindness is a spectrum, and most importantly: That web accessibility is a tool to build an inclusive society.

Interviewing persons with low vision for her day job at an Assistive Tech Development company, Laura is learning more about barriers every day. And enthusiastic about sharing it! With a special interest in all things accessibility (both online and of... Show more