Sr Cloud Architect | AWS Community Builder | AWS New Voices Speaker

Sr Cloud Architect | AWS Community Builder | AWS New Voices Speaker Show more

If you're comfortable with the status quo, you won't enjoy listening to Stephen Parkins.

Stephen is a seasoned innovation strategist, executive coach and business leader with over two decades of experience turning uncertainty into opportunity.

With a career spanning roles as an energy trader, global head of innovation, and startup founder, Stephen has worked with companies of all sizes - from agile one-person ventures, to European scale-ups, to multinational corporations with over 100,000 employees.

As the founder of Culturedge®, Stephen advises medium to large enterprises on building the structures and strategies they need to embed innovation, take manageable risks and achieve exponential growth.

As the co-founder of Strategy Quest, Stephen gives companies the opportunity to co-design AI-powered business simulations and wargames - to strengthen their resilience and decision-making under uncertain conditions.

Known for pushing boundaries and telling executives not what they want, but what they need to hear – Stephen has helped redesign flagship products like ABN AMRO Bank's Tikkie and established global innovation frameworks at organisations like SGS.

A polyglot and global citizen, Stephen has lived in five countries and speaks five languages, bringing an international perspective to every new challenge.

If you're comfortable with the status quo, you won't enjoy listening to Stephen Parkins. Stephen is a seasoned innovation strategist, executive coach and business leader with over two decades of experience turning uncertainty into opportunity. ... Show more

Andreas Giesa, Director of Digital Business Consulting at Xebia and former Head of eBusiness at Liebherr, is a visionary leader in the field of digitalization. With over 16 years of experience, he passionately drives digital business models, strategies, and innovative technologies such as AI and IoT. His focus is on customer-oriented solutions, digital excellence, and the development and empowerment of agile teams for digital transformation.

Andreas Giesa, Director of Digital Business Consulting at Xebia and former Head of eBusiness at Liebherr, is a visionary leader in the field of digitalization. With over 16 years of experience, he passionately drives digital business models, strategi... Show more

Past experience
- Over 250+ 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
- 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
- MCP – MB-800
- Dynamics Credentialed Professional
- Microsoft Certified Professional

Past experience - Over 250+ 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 p... Show more

Johnny Xmas, a prominent figure in the Information Security community since 2002, is a board member of both Chicago's famous BurbSec community, as well as its BSides312 conference. He's most notably recognized for his pivotal role in exposing the American TSA Master Key leaks (2014-2018), uncovering Venmo stalking vulnerabilities (2018), and being an overall nuisance.

Past experience includes being: Director of Cyber Training at security research firm GRIMM, defending against the automated abuse of web infrastructure with Kasada, and as the Lead Researcher on Uptake's Industrial Cybersecurity Platform. Before this, he spent many years in the field as a penetration tester, security engineer for a global Fortune 500 retail corporation, and Mainframe auditor and Systems Engineer for several IT asset recovery firms.

Today, Johnny continues to shape and elevate the Information Security landscape with his expertise and contributions as the President of the Burbsec Information Security Network and the Head of Offensive Security for a massive, global manufacturing and agriculture corporation.

Johnny Xmas, a prominent figure in the Information Security community since 2002, is a board member of both Chicago's famous BurbSec community, as well as its BSides312 conference. He's most notably recognized for his pivotal role in exposing the Ame... 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 spectum, and most importandly: 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

I believe great software should give people time back — not take it away. My work is about building products that actually serve people's lives: helping them move more, connect more, and spend less time staring at screens. At Urban Sports Club, I lead membership engineering in service of that mission — making active, healthy living more accessible across Europe.

I believe great software should give people time back — not take it away. My work is about building products that actually serve people's lives: helping them move more, connect more, and spend less time staring at screens. At Urban Sports Club, I lea... Show more

Customer and quality focused mobile engineer in love with mobile platforms. I've been building software for quite a while: over 16 years of software development experience, 14 years of iOS. I have experience working on great products and I am excited to see them used.

Customer and quality focused mobile engineer in love with mobile platforms. I've been building software for quite a while: over 16 years of software development experience, 14 years of iOS. I have experience working on great products and I am excited... Show more

Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Solution Architect CRM Business Analysis

Dynamics 365 CE & Power Platform Solution Architect

For the past 13 years Joergen has been working in the CRM business area. Starting as a functional consultant with strong interest in new features and functionalities, he also presented the whole Dynamics 365 CE application stack as a presales consultant.
Moving forward he became a solution architect focusing on Dynamics 365 CE applications and possibilities to enhance the Model Driven application world with Power Platform functionalities.
Very early Joergen started participating in Microsoft, partner, and community events and since the beginning of 2020 he actively engages in the community by co-organizing events and sharing his knowledge on LinkedIn, blog posts and as a speaker.

Part of organizing teams:
- Deutschland Powerthon 2021-2023
- Global Power Platform Bootcamp 2022-2024
- Dynamics 365 Meetup Deutschland (monthly since 2020)

Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Solution Architect CRM Business Analysis Dynamics 365 CE & Power Platform Solution Architect For the past 13 years Joergen has been working in the CRM business area. Starting as a functional consultant with strong inte... 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

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

Susie Moon is the Chief Connection Officer with Susie Moon Consulting. She helps small business owners reach their ideal clients through connections, networking, building relationships, and finding speaking opportunities. Also called a “Mother Nudger,” she holds her clients accountable and insists that leads are nurtured. Susie also loves helping put “butts in seats”.

Susie Moon is the Chief Connection Officer with Susie Moon Consulting. She helps small business owners reach their ideal clients through connections, networking, building relationships, and finding speaking opportunities. Also called a “Mother Nudger... Show more

Emmanuel Acheampong is a Developer Advocate at Crusoe AI, where he is a founding member of the Developer Relations team for Managed AI — bridging the gap between managed inference infrastructure and the open-source developer ecosystem. He focuses on enabling engineers to leverage Crusoe's high-performance GPU infrastructure to build and deploy the next generation of AI agents and frontier models.

Before Crusoe, Emmanuel was Co-Founder and Head of AI at yShade.ai (Google for Startups Black Founders Accelerator '24), where he led development of proprietary computer vision algorithms trained on a 12M+ image dataset, shipping production AI systems across e-commerce, beauty, and vision-critical applications.

Emmanuel is passionate about open-source AI, agentic systems, machine learning, and the future of cloud infrastructure for AI workloads.

Emmanuel Acheampong is a Developer Advocate at Crusoe AI, where he is a founding member of the Developer Relations team for Managed AI — bridging the gap between managed inference infrastructure and the open-source developer ecosystem. He focuses on ... Show more

Results-driven and highly analytical professional with a proven track record of success in data analysis across various industries including consulting, marketing, insurance, sales, and product development. Adept at identifying key insights and trends within complex datasets, utilizing advanced analytical techniques to inform strategic decision-making and drive business growth. Strong communicator who can effectively present findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders. Skilled in data visualization and the use of various analytical tools and software. Committed to continuous learning and staying current with the latest industry trends and technologies.

Ioannis holds a B.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from Agricultural University, GR and an M.Sc. in Business Analytics from Essex University, UK, and a Data Science BootCamp Certificate with Le Wagon Berlin - Batch 954.

Results-driven and highly analytical professional with a proven track record of success in data analysis across various industries including consulting, marketing, insurance, sales, and product development. Adept at identifying key insights and trend... Show more

Dan is a CPA with over 30 years of experience in the ERP industry. During this time, he has worked in many different roles allowing him to truly understand the complete industry. The combined experience of marketing, sales, presales, consulting and training allows him to provide a truly unique perspective to prospects and customers.

Most recently he has specialized in Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain, Business Intelligence and Power Platform, helping customers and partners understand their pains with reporting and analyzing the volumes of data they have. He has helped them identify proper solutions so they can truly gain value from their data.

In addition, Dan is an Adjunct Professor of Business teaching Accounting Information Systems and Data Analytics. He is also the leader of the Southern California Dynamics 365 user group.

He is a frequent speaker and presenter at Microsoft and other related industry conferences and events including Microsoft Convergence, AXUG Summit, Microsoft Technical Conference and Power BI World Tour. He was recently recognized as a DUG Product Expert Superhero.

Dan is a CPA with over 30 years of experience in the ERP industry. During this time, he has worked in many different roles allowing him to truly understand the complete industry. The combined experience of marketing, sales, presales, consulting and t... Show more

Ishan Shah is a Staff Software Engineer with 10+ years of experience designing and delivering large-scale, event-driven, and cloud-native systems across PayPal, Nordstrom, and Securonix. He has built real-time data platforms, CDC pipelines, inventory and decisioning systems, and high-throughput search and analytics infrastructure.

His work increasingly sits at the intersection of AI and engineering operations, including AI-assisted development workflows, context engineering, agent guardrails, and AI-native reliability patterns. Ishan is especially interested in practical approaches to autonomous software development, AI SRE, incident-response agents, and “AI gardening” — managing context, memory, and entropy in long-running agentic systems.

He mentors teams on reliability, observability, schema governance, and scalable platform design, with deep expertise in Java, Kafka, Debezium, AWS, Redis, Postgres, DynamoDB, and distributed systems.

Ishan Shah is a Staff Software Engineer with 10+ years of experience designing and delivering large-scale, event-driven, and cloud-native systems across PayPal, Nordstrom, and Securonix. He has built real-time data platforms, CDC pipelines, inventory... Show more

Solution architect from Norway with a passion for vintage clothing and good customer experiences. Guro has worked for 10+ years with Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. Her background is varied, with experience in retail, fashion, financial services, marketing, and event management.
Guro is part of organizing multiple community events, such as the Nordic Summit.

Solution architect from Norway with a passion for vintage clothing and good customer experiences. Guro has worked for 10+ years with Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. Her background is varied, with experience in retail, fashion, financial services... Show more

Ryan is a Senior Consultant at TrustFoundry. His research into Software AG's webMethods Integration Server uncovered vulnerabilities across thousands of exposed servers worldwide. An active bug bounty hunter and penetration tester, Ryan brings real-world offensive experience to every talk.

Ryan is a Senior Consultant at TrustFoundry. His research into Software AG's webMethods Integration Server uncovered vulnerabilities across thousands of exposed servers worldwide. An active bug bounty hunter and penetration tester, Ryan brings real-w... Show more

Master of Business (Global Management & Marketing) (Honours)
Master of Applied Computing

With over six years of experience in cloud services, enterprise integration, and automation, I specialise in transforming ambiguous business challenges into practical, scalable solutions. My work sits at the intersection of technology and strategy, focusing on how AI, product development, and digital systems can reshape workflows and enhance decision-making.

I have a proven track record in designing seamless connections between complex systems—whether integrating platforms, redesigning processes, or improving the way information flows across an organisation. My approach blends deep technical understanding in Oracle technologies and cloud services with strong business insight, ensuring that the solutions we build are not only functional but genuinely meaningful for the people who rely on them.

I’m deeply guided by the belief that impactful technology should be quiet, intentional, and human-centred. Through writing and speaking, I explore how AI and modern product thinking are reshaping digital experiences and the future of work.

✍️ Substack: https://elaine1233blog.substack.com

🔗 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elainehe-thinks

Master of Business (Global Management & Marketing) (Honours) Master of Applied Computing With over six years of experience in cloud services, enterprise integration, and automation, I specialise in transforming ambiguous business challenges into... Show more

Leon Adato is a Developer Relations Advocate and has held multiple industry certifications over his 36 years in IT including Cisco, Microsoft, A+, and more. His experience spans financial, healthcare, food and beverage, and other industries.

Leon has been speaking, blogging, and creating content in the monitoring and observability space for almost a decade. His expertise in IT began in 1989 and has led him through roles in classroom training, desktop support, server support, network engineering and systems automation before landing in monitoring and observability over 27 years ago.

Leon Adato is a Developer Relations Advocate and has held multiple industry certifications over his 36 years in IT including Cisco, Microsoft, A+, and more. His experience spans financial, healthcare, food and beverage, and other industries. Leon ... Show more

As a Walt Disney Imagineer, Brian helped create the stories and magic for some of the world’s most beloved attractions. Over the past 30+ years, he has produced work for a who’s-who list of corporations, as well as small entrepreneurial ventures. As an Instructor at the University of Central Florida, Brian taught a variety of classes related to immersive/thematic design, entertainment business, and emerging technologies. He is also a sought-after Futurist and Innovation Consultant through his practice known as The Brainstorm Institute where he works with both large and small companies to help them gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace through design thinking and adopting innovative practices. He has spoken at conferences around the world, is passionate about education, and is an advisory board member for several innovative tech start-ups.

As a Walt Disney Imagineer, Brian helped create the stories and magic for some of the world’s most beloved attractions. Over the past 30+ years, he has produced work for a who’s-who list of corporations, as well as small entrepreneurial ventures. As ... Show more

Elliott is the CEO of Current, a full-stack digital agency that builds, optimizes, and markets digital products in a continuous cycle — ensuring the work never stops performing after launch.

Since joining Mediacurrent in 2021, Elliott has moved quickly through the organization — from Creative Strategy Director to Head of Product to CEO — before building Current through the strategic combination of Mediacurrent and Rhythm. That journey reflects a through-line he's carried across his career: the belief that great digital products and smart marketing shouldn't live in separate worlds.

It's a conviction he's put into practice across education, financial services, and media and entertainment — and one he developed long before Current. At EY Design Studio and Doberman NY, Elliott's work ranged from reimagining the grocery store of the future for the world's largest retailer, to building an accessible technology ecosystem for a New York City arts institution, to crafting an award-winning digital platform for a national fast-casual brand. Different problems, same instinct: making complex systems feel invisible for the people who use them.

Elliott is the CEO of Current, a full-stack digital agency that builds, optimizes, and markets digital products in a continuous cycle — ensuring the work never stops performing after launch. Since joining Mediacurrent in 2021, Elliott has moved qu... Show more

Michael Dera is a creative and experienced software developer who excels in building and improving software systems. Michael has a proven track record of designing solutions that work well for large companies and integrating old and new technologies seamlessly. Michael is skilled in using various cloud services to ensure applications are secure and reliable. With a strong background in database management and software testing, Michael ensures high-quality and resilient software. As a leader in team environments, Michael drives projects to success across different industries, including retail, finance, and digital consulting, through continuous improvement and effective project management.

Michael Dera is a creative and experienced software developer who excels in building and improving software systems. Michael has a proven track record of designing solutions that work well for large companies and integrating old and new technologies ... Show more

Hartmut is a software engineer and tech lead with a strong passion for architecture, data streaming, and distributed systems. He has designed and delivered solutions for mission-critical platforms, working with clients including HSBC, NEX Group plc, Raiffeisen Switzerland, Deutsche Bahn, and eu-LISA. Hartmut is driven by a desire to see the bigger picture and excels at aligning engineering teams through clear, compelling architectural designs.

Hartmut is a software engineer and tech lead with a strong passion for architecture, data streaming, and distributed systems. He has designed and delivered solutions for mission-critical platforms, working with clients including HSBC, NEX Group plc, ... Show more

Dan is a Senior Solution Architect with 16 years of experience in the ERP sector, particularly in manufacturing and distribution logistics. His commitment to delivering high-quality solutions and innovative problem-solving skills are at the core of his professional ethos. As a technical architect and subject matter expert, Dan excels in developing straightforward solutions for complex challenges, employing creative and effective strategies.

A Microsoft Certified Professional with expertise in Dynamics 365, Dan is dedicated to utilizing the latest technologies to improve business processes. He values continuous learning and actively contributes to the industry dialogue, sharing insights and engaging with peers on technological advancements and best practices.

Dan’s pragmatic approach and deep understanding of the ERP landscape make him a respected voice in the community, ready to share knowledge and perspectives that drive the field forward.

Dan is a Senior Solution Architect with 16 years of experience in the ERP sector, particularly in manufacturing and distribution logistics. His commitment to delivering high-quality solutions and innovative problem-solving skills are at the core of h... Show more

In my professional career, I have contributed to the digital transformation of the mining, retail and finance sectors, specializing in the creation of analytical architectures in both Microsoft and AWS. My focus is on migrating analytical infrastructures to the cloud and implementing cutting-edge solutions for handling large volumes of data.

As co-founder of Unlearni, I lead the way in digital education, facilitating continuous learning and practical application of business intelligence and data analytics. My mission is to empower organizations to make data-driven strategic decisions, and I achieve that through my experience as a Microsoft MVP Data Platform and my passion for sharing knowledge in the field of data engineering.

I have also had the fortune to write the book "Arquitectura e Ingenieria de Datos" by Editorial Anaya Multimedia where I intend to democratize the understanding of these roles and functions in data for spanish spoken people who are starting out on the path of data.

In my professional career, I have contributed to the digital transformation of the mining, retail and finance sectors, specializing in the creation of analytical architectures in both Microsoft and AWS. My focus is on migrating analytical infrastruct... Show more

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 over a decade 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

I help businesses design, build, and optimize their AWS workloads - specialized in serverless architectures, microservices, and event-driven design, delivering scalable, secure, and cost-efficient solutions.

Key strengths:
🔸AWS Serverless & IoT
🔸Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, SAM)
🔸DevOps & CI/CD
🔸Scalable API & Data Platforms

With over a decade of hands-on experience in cloud architecture, DevOps, and data-driven applications, I’ve built and led AWS projects for enterprises across IoT, data processing, and consumer tech. My focus is always on delivering systems that are simple to maintain, efficient to run, and ready to scale.

I help businesses design, build, and optimize their AWS workloads - specialized in serverless architectures, microservices, and event-driven design, delivering scalable, secure, and cost-efficient solutions. Key strengths: 🔸AWS Serverless & IoT ... Show more

Scott has developed Java, Groovy, Kotlin, Go, and Javascript applications for industries as varied as Financial, Defense, Health Care, Energy, Agriculture, Education and Commercial. Scott is also spends time shaping the culture of the Omaha office and career path coaching. Scott's favorite aspects of being a developer are solving problems, learning new technologies, and mentoring newer developers.

Scott has developed Java, Groovy, Kotlin, Go, and Javascript applications for industries as varied as Financial, Defense, Health Care, Energy, Agriculture, Education and Commercial. Scott is also spends time shaping the culture of the Omaha office an... Show more

Mason Whitaker
President, Volt Technologies | ERP & Digital Transformation Expert | Champion of Mid-Market Growth

Mason Whitaker is the President of Volt Technologies, a leading Microsoft Partner specializing in Dynamics 365 Business Central implementations for growing mid-market companies across retail, manufacturing, distribution, and eCommerce.

With more than a decade of experience in ERP consulting, digital transformation, and change management, Mason has led dozens of successful Microsoft Dynamics projects from strategy through go-live and beyond. Known for his pragmatic, people-first approach, Mason helps organizations simplify complex system migrations, optimize their business processes, and drive real ROI through smart technology adoption.

Under Mason’s leadership, Volt Technologies has become one of the most trusted and fastest-growing Microsoft ERP consultancies in the U.S. — with a focus on modernizing legacy systems, unlocking data insights, and implementing solutions that empower users, not overwhelm them.

A frequent speaker, content creator, and thought leader in the Microsoft business applications community, Mason blends sharp technical understanding with real-world business acumen. He is passionate about making ERP & AI approachable, aligning systems with business goals, and ensuring that companies not only survive digital transformation — but thrive.

Mason Whitaker President, Volt Technologies | ERP & Digital Transformation Expert | Champion of Mid-Market Growth Mason Whitaker is the President of Volt Technologies, a leading Microsoft Partner specializing in Dynamics 365 Business Central impl... Show more