Energy & Basic Resources

Valued experts focusing on the exploration, production, and management of energy sources and raw materials

Keir Lawson

Keir Lawson

Keir is a lead engineer at Kaluza, an energy software business that offers leading retailers distributed, real-time energy billing, where he is responsible for the company’s external API and its integration with backend systems. Prior to this role he worked on automating operations across millions of smart meters using Kafka. Keir is also a frequent open source contributor within both the Scala and Rust ecosystems, including to Kafka related libraries such as fs2-kafka.

Keir is a lead engineer at Kaluza, an energy software business that offers leading retailers distributed, real-time energy billing, where he is responsible for the company’s external API and its integration with backend systems. Prior to this role he... Show more

Carl Kasalek

Carl Kasalek

Carl Kasalek is the CEO of U.S. Energy Recovery, a provider of turnkey energy efficiency solutions for businesses seeking to reduce their energy usage. U.S. Energy Recovery provides state-of-the-art electric vehicle charging, solar, energy storage, lighting, and control systems that help organizations lower their energy usage which allows them to save money and be environmentally sustainable while providing a higher quality atmosphere for employees and customers. To date, U.S. Energy Recovery has saved its clients over $80 million dollars in energy costs and 1.3 billion pounds of CO2e.

An entrepreneur at heart, Carl has founded or acquired 8 successful companies ranging in industries from 3D printing, real estate, and event entertainment. In his free time, Carl enjoys spending time with his wife and four children at their home in Phoenix, AZ where they enjoy everything the beautiful desert has to offer.

Carl Kasalek is the CEO of U.S. Energy Recovery, a provider of turnkey energy efficiency solutions for businesses seeking to reduce their energy usage. U.S. Energy Recovery provides state-of-the-art electric vehicle charging, solar, energy storage, l... Show more

Florian Lenz

Florian Lenz

Florian Lenz is a Microsoft Azure MVP and Cloud Architect with over 10 years of experience building secure, scalable cloud platforms on Microsoft Azure. He specializes in Azure Landing Zones, DevSecOps, Infrastructure as Code, and cloud-native architectures, and has worked across industries including energy, finance, retail, and software.
As a speaker, author, and content creator, Florian shares practical lessons from real-world projects through conference talks, articles, and his YouTube channel—helping engineers and teams design systems that are secure, maintainable, and built for long-term success.

Florian Lenz is a Microsoft Azure MVP and Cloud Architect with over 10 years of experience building secure, scalable cloud platforms on Microsoft Azure. He specializes in Azure Landing Zones, DevSecOps, Infrastructure as Code, and cloud-native archit... Show more

Marin Niehues

Marin Niehues

Marin Niehues is an independent consultant with a track record of over 20 client projects and two startups of his own. He works with VC-backed scaleups and DAX40 companies alike, advising on organizational design, operational performance, and management structures that actually scale.

In the past three years, Marin has been a featured speaker at conferences in more than ten countries across three continents - including repeated invitations from Google and Microsoft.

Marin Niehues is an independent consultant with a track record of over 20 client projects and two startups of his own. He works with VC-backed scaleups and DAX40 companies alike, advising on organizational design, operational performance, and managem... Show more

Elliott Leighton-Woodruff

Elliott Leighton-Woodruff

Enterprise Architect and Microsoft MVP specialising in Azure and Infrastructure as Code for regulated industries.
With deep expertise in Azure architecture, platform engineering and cloud-native technologies, I deliver solutions that strengthen compliance, unlock efficiency, and empower transformation.
I’m passionate about sharing knowledge, writing technical blogs, presenting at conferences, and mentoring the next generation of cloud professionals. I help teams and individuals build secure, auditable systems that drive real business outcomes in the UK and beyond.

Enterprise Architect and Microsoft MVP specialising in Azure and Infrastructure as Code for regulated industries. With deep expertise in Azure architecture, platform engineering and cloud-native technologies, I deliver solutions that strengthen com... Show more

Richard Campbell

Richard Campbell

Richard Campbell wrote his first line of code in 1977. His career has spanned the computing industry, both on the hardware and software sides, development, and operations. He was a co-founder of Strangeloop Networks, acquired by Radware in 2013, and was on the board of directors of Telerik, which was acquired by Progress Software in 2014. Today, he is a consultant and advisor to several successful technology firms and hosts three podcasts: .NET Rocks! (www.dotnetrocks.com) for .NET developers, RunAs Radio (www.runasradio.com) for IT Professionals, and Windows Weekly (https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly).

Richard Campbell wrote his first line of code in 1977. His career has spanned the computing industry, both on the hardware and software sides, development, and operations. He was a co-founder of Strangeloop Networks, acquired by Radware in 2013, and ... Show more

Tiffany Songvilay

Tiffany Songvilay

Tiffany Songvilay is a powerhouse in modern workplace transformation and AI enablement. As the Global Tech Lead for Avanade’s Copilot Adoption Program and a key player on the North America Copilot Rapid Response Team, she’s helped enterprise clients go from “just testing” to “fully thriving” with AI—boosting productivity, collaboration, and digital know-how along the way.

A Copilot MVP and go-to advisor, Tiffany leads global teams, builds enablement and security frameworks, and hosts Prompt-a-thons that make prompt engineering feel less like rocket science and more like second nature. She’s a pro at showing off Copilot in action—whether it’s in Microsoft 365, SharePoint Premium, Viva, or Power Platform—and her sessions are known for being both insightful and refreshingly real.

From breaking down metadata extraction in SharePoint to helping teams master the new collab stack (hello Loop, Teams, and Copilot!), Tiffany brings clarity, energy, and a whole lot of credibility to every stage she steps on.

Outside of work, she’s a fierce advocate for women of color in STEM and a champion for diversity and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Her LinkedIn posts are packed with practical tips on prompt engineering, and she’s a fan favorite for making even the nerdiest topics fun. Oh—and when she’s not leading AI transformations? You’ll find her on a motorcycle or cuddling her senior rescue dog.

Tiffany Songvilay is a powerhouse in modern workplace transformation and AI enablement. As the Global Tech Lead for Avanade’s Copilot Adoption Program and a key player on the North America Copilot Rapid Response Team, she’s helped enterprise clients ... Show more

Jamel Abed

Jamel Abed

Jamel Abed is a Microsoft MVP in Microsoft 365 Development and SharePoint, Senior Developer Advocate, and International Speaker with over 17 years of experience in architecting, building, and migrating enterprise-scale solutions.

He has successfully delivered projects across multiple industries, including Banking, Finance, Energy, Insurance, Healthcare, Aerospace, Defense, and Government, leveraging the full power of Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Power Platform, Azure, and SharePoint Embedded.

As a Solutions Architect and Developer Advocate, Jamel is passionate about empowering developers, promoting clean code, and driving product adoption. He specializes in designing end-to-end solutions across the Microsoft ecosystem, transforming complex business requirements into secure, scalable, and efficient technology solutions.

Ranked #1 Global Speaker on CommunityDays.org, Jamel regularly speaks at international conferences on topics such as SharePoint Embedded, AI integration, and cost optimization for data management. He is also a community leader and mentor, dedicated to fostering innovation and collaboration within the global tech community.

Jamel Abed is a Microsoft MVP in Microsoft 365 Development and SharePoint, Senior Developer Advocate, and International Speaker with over 17 years of experience in architecting, building, and migrating enterprise-scale solutions. He has successful... Show more

Maik van der Gaag

Maik van der Gaag

Maik van der Gaag is the CTO of 3fifty, an experienced consultancy company with a strong focus on the Microsoft Cloud. He has over 15 years of experience providing architecture, development, training, and design expertise. During this, he has worked in various projects ranging from Cloud Transformations to DevOps implementations.

He loves to share knowledge, is a public speaker, writes blogs, and organizes events. Microsoft has recognized him as a Microsoft Azure MVP.

If you want to learn more about him or his expertise, check out his blog (https://msftplayground.com).

Maik van der Gaag is the CTO of 3fifty, an experienced consultancy company with a strong focus on the Microsoft Cloud. He has over 15 years of experience providing architecture, development, training, and design expertise. During this, he has worked ... Show more

David Pazdera

David Pazdera

Raised and trained as an IT Engineer, transitioned to a solution architect role. Azure MVP, passionate about building tech communities, "security built-in, not bolted on" and "everything as code" principles. You can find my professional bio at https://www.linkedin.com/in/pazdedav/ and my GitHub Profile page at https://github.com/pazdedav

Raised and trained as an IT Engineer, transitioned to a solution architect role. Azure MVP, passionate about building tech communities, "security built-in, not bolted on" and "everything as code" principles. You can find my professional bio at https:... Show more

Denis Selimovic

Denis Selimovic

I am an enthusiastic Power BI user, Speaker, Power BI Super User, co-organizer of the Fabric User Group Switzerland and Microsoft MVP.

I work as Principal Consultant, trainer and mentor in the area of Business Intelligence in Switzerland.
I have been lucky enough to work with Power BI since its release in 2015 and gain experience in many interesting projects since the beginning. In my blog WhatTheFact.bi I write about everything related to Power BI, best practices, share tips and look forward to exchange with you!

I am an enthusiastic Power BI user, Speaker, Power BI Super User, co-organizer of the Fabric User Group Switzerland and Microsoft MVP. I work as Principal Consultant, trainer and mentor in the area of Business Intelligence in Switzerland. I have... Show more

Michaël Hompus

Michaël Hompus

Michaël Hompus is an Architect and Area Lead at Info Support.

As an architect he is part of several teams, creating new and innovative solutions.
Michaël has many years of development experience with .NET, Java, and Azure.

His passion is to share knowledge with colleagues, customers, and peers.
Microsoft has recognized his efforts for the community by awarding him a Microsoft MVP award.

Michaël Hompus is an Architect and Area Lead at Info Support. As an architect he is part of several teams, creating new and innovative solutions. Michaël has many years of development experience with .NET, Java, and Azure. His passion is to sh... Show more

Emanuele Fabbiani

Emanuele Fabbiani

Emanuele is an engineer, researcher, and entrepreneur passionate about AI.

After earning his PhD in time series forecasting and working as a guest researcher at EPFL in Lausanne, he is now co-founder and Head of AI at xtream, a company that applies AI to solve complex business challenges. xtream was acquired by TeamSystem in September 2025.

Emanuele is also a professor of AI at the Catholic University of Milan and has been a guest lecturer at Italian, Swiss, and Polish universities.

He has published 8 papers in international journals and contributed to over 30 international conferences, including AMLD Lausanne, ODSC London, WeAreDevelopers Berlin, PyData Berlin, PyData Paris, PyCon Italy, the Swiss Python Summit in Zurich, and Codemotion Milan.

Emanuele is an engineer, researcher, and entrepreneur passionate about AI. After earning his PhD in time series forecasting and working as a guest researcher at EPFL in Lausanne, he is now co-founder and Head of AI at xtream, a company that appli... Show more

Marco Dal Pino

Marco Dal Pino

Marco Dal Pino is working in IT for more than 30 years as Developer, Team Leader, PM and Cloud Architect.
He mostly experienced Microsoft dev Platforms around .NET, for LOB, Desktop, Mobile and embedded apps.
He is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and a Speaker at the main technical conferences all around the world.
He is part of the staff of DotNetToscana a community focused on Microsoft technologies.
He received many awards from IT companies as independent Advisor like:
Microsoft MVP, Intel BlackBelt & Innovator, Nokia DevChamp, Hackster Live Ambassador
He works in Microsoft as a Senior Technical Consultant.

Marco Dal Pino is working in IT for more than 30 years as Developer, Team Leader, PM and Cloud Architect. He mostly experienced Microsoft dev Platforms around .NET, for LOB, Desktop, Mobile and embedded apps. He is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and... Show more

Elena Drakulevska

Elena Drakulevska

I’m Elena, a Microsoft MVP, DataViz & UX Consultant, and international speaker on a mission to balance and clarity to the dashboard universe.

Through MoonStory, I help organizations flip their Power BI reports from cluttered and confusing to accessible, engaging, and actually delightful to use.

Whether I'm designing a report, leading a workshop, or speaking on stage, I bring a little magic, a lot of joy, and a deep belief that better data design leads to better decisions—and happier users.

I’m Elena, a Microsoft MVP, DataViz & UX Consultant, and international speaker on a mission to balance and clarity to the dashboard universe. Through MoonStory, I help organizations flip their Power BI reports from cluttered and confusing to acces... Show more

Alec Harrison

Alec Harrison

I'm Alec Harrison, a Microsoft Azure MVP and software consultant specializing in cloud-native development, AI integration, and developer enablement. I lead several user groups, including the Iowa Microsoft Azure User Group, and I'm passionate about helping developers stay ahead of the curve with emerging tech.

I also host the Engineer in the Loop podcast and blog at EITL.ai, where I explore the intersection of AI, cloud, and real-world software engineering.

I'm Alec Harrison, a Microsoft Azure MVP and software consultant specializing in cloud-native development, AI integration, and developer enablement. I lead several user groups, including the Iowa Microsoft Azure User Group, and I'm passionate about h... Show more

Natalie Johnson

Natalie Johnson

Natalie Johnson is a renowned consultant, performance coach, and business motivational speaker with over three decades of experience transforming cultures worldwide. As the Co-founder and Chief Visionary of Vidl Work, Natalie specializes in optimizing organizational performance by increasing energy, fostering team connections, and developing courageous leaders.

With a background in human performance, including psychology, physiology, and resilience, Natalie is a sought-after speaker and trainer, known for her engaging, high-energy presentations. Her impactful work has earned her numerous accolades, including the Enterprising Women of the Year Award, Champion of Healthcare, and Business Leader Woman Extraordinaire.

Natalie's dynamic speaking style and expertise in topics such as intentional culture, leadership development, and effective communication have made her a respected figure in the business world. Her ability to inspire and empower audiences to achieve their full potential has made her a valuable asset to organizations seeking to thrive in today's competitive landscape.

Natalie Johnson is a renowned consultant, performance coach, and business motivational speaker with over three decades of experience transforming cultures worldwide. As the Co-founder and Chief Visionary of Vidl Work, Natalie specializes in optimizin... Show more

Devang Shah

Devang Shah

Devang is a Principal Program Manager specializing in working on terabyte to petabyte-scale big data analytics projects in the EMEA region. He specializes in product innovation, product evangelization, community building, and product adoption strategies. With a strong educational and professional background in technology, software development, cloud adoption, and data analytics, he has spent the last decade advising clients on implementing large-scale and complex software systems, and data analytics solutions. Devang has been involved in producing training content, and tutorials for Microsoft Fabric experiences.

Devang is a Principal Program Manager specializing in working on terabyte to petabyte-scale big data analytics projects in the EMEA region. He specializes in product innovation, product evangelization, community building, and product adoption strateg... Show more

Richard Crane

Richard Crane

Hi, I’m Richard. I am the Co-Founder and CTO of MILL5. I live and work in the Boston area. I enjoy working on the bleeding edge of technology including AI/ML, IoT, Azure, SaaS, Mobile, and more. My goal is to inspire others to innovate using software.

Hi, I’m Richard. I am the Co-Founder and CTO of MILL5. I live and work in the Boston area. I enjoy working on the bleeding edge of technology including AI/ML, IoT, Azure, SaaS, Mobile, and more. My goal is to inspire others to innovate using softwar... Show more

Dennis Adolfi

Dennis Adolfi

With a strong passion for Sustainable Technology and Agentic AI, Dennis has been an active member of the Microsoft & Umbraco community well over a decade, writing hundreds of articles, tutorials, speaking at conferences, meetups, contributing to open source projects, youtube videos, podcasts, forums etc. for which he has been awarded 4x Microsoft MVP (Azure AI Foundry, Trustworthy AI and Developer Technologies), 7x Umbraco MVP, Top 3 Open Source contributor in Sweden 2024 and Top 5 Developers in Sweden 2023.

With a strong passion for Sustainable Technology and Agentic AI, Dennis has been an active member of the Microsoft & Umbraco community well over a decade, writing hundreds of articles, tutorials, speaking at conferences, meetups, contributing to open... Show more

Paolo Caressa

Paolo Caressa

Formerly:
- Math BS+MS & PhD.
- Math researcher.
- IT consultant.
- Developer & quant @big bank.
- Project manager, technical consultant & writer @small sw house.
- Adjunct professor @"Sapienza" University (Rome).
- Instructor @Deep Learning Italia.

Currently:
- IT expert @GSE energy company.

Formerly: - Math BS+MS & PhD. - Math researcher. - IT consultant. - Developer & quant @big bank. - Project manager, technical consultant & writer @small sw house. - Adjunct professor @"Sapienza" University (Rome). - Instructor @Deep Learning I... Show more

Chris Aleman

Chris Aleman

Chris Aleman is a seasoned Data Analytics Manager at Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC), where he leverages his expertise to drive data-driven decision-making and optimize business processes.

His passion for data analytics extends beyond his professional responsibilities. As a Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate, a Co-Leader of the San Antonio Power BI User Group (PUG), and a speaker at Community Summit NA 2024 and Spark 2024, hosted by the Alamo Regional Data Alliance, Chris is actively involved in the data community, sharing his knowledge and experience.

When not immersed in data, Chris loves to travel with his wife, having explored 22 countries and covered over 61,000 miles together. Back home, they enjoy the company of their family of furbabies, including five cats, two dogs, a turtle, and too many fish to count.

Chris Aleman is a seasoned Data Analytics Manager at Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC), where he leverages his expertise to drive data-driven decision-making and optimize business processes. His passion for data analytics extends beyond... Show more

Juho Nevalainen

Juho Nevalainen

Juho is the Executive CTO and Head of AI offering at Sofigate - the leading Nordic business technology company. With 15 years of experience in management consulting and digital development, Juho helps clients create continuous value and competitive advantage of technology and AI.

Juho shares lessons learned from his experience in management consulting for digital management across industries and across the Northern Europe. He uses customer references, case examples and technical demos to bring concrete stories around for the audience.

Juho is the Executive CTO and Head of AI offering at Sofigate - the leading Nordic business technology company. With 15 years of experience in management consulting and digital development, Juho helps clients create continuous value and competitive a... Show more

Matteo Emili

Matteo Emili

Matteo Emili is a Director of Software Engineering at Avanade UK and Ireland, leading the talent in Software Engineering and always looking at new ways of applying technology to solve business problems.

He is a passionate Agile advocate and a technologist at heart, a Cloud Architect who is always driven by using technology as a vehicle for change and continuous improvement.
A Microsoft MVP since 2010 (currently in the Azure DevOps and GitHub category), he enjoys sharing back as much as he can with the worldwide technical communities – especially about Agile and DevOps.

He founded several User Groups around Europe and he is a regular speaker at meetups and conferences.

Matteo Emili is a Director of Software Engineering at Avanade UK and Ireland, leading the talent in Software Engineering and always looking at new ways of applying technology to solve business problems. He is a passionate Agile advocate and a tech... Show more

Joinal Ahmed

Joinal Ahmed

Joinal is an experienced Data Science professional with a interest on building solutions with quick prototypes, community engagements and influencing technology adoption. Brings strong technical understanding, experienced in managing cross functional teams of data scientists, data engineers, backend developers and SRE delivering end-to-end ML projects, recruiting and mentoring engineers across levels, streamlining ML & Data workflows for high performing teams, setting up best practices, and developing highly performant and reliable MLOps & Data platforms supporting end to end ml projects and analytics usecases.

Joinal is an experienced Data Science professional with a interest on building solutions with quick prototypes, community engagements and influencing technology adoption. Brings strong technical understanding, experienced in managing cross functional... Show more

Laze Janev

Laze Janev

I'm a Dynamics 365 Solution Architect with over 15 years of experience in relevant Microsoft technologies. I have designed, developed, and supported numerous Dynamics 365 implementations globally. My work includes defining standards, guiding distributed teams, integrating ERP solutions, and implementing Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations projects.
I love Power Platform, especially Power BI. I have worked extensively in its next evolution as Microsoft Fabric combined with Copilot to bring real value to the business. That is something that I keep on doing with Power Automate with approvals and integrations eliminating 3rd party middleware.
As an MCT I have helped Microsoft to develop and deliver training worldwide for Microsoft to its staff and the partner channel.
As a Dynamics 365 Solution Architect, I’m like a Swiss Army knife for business processes. I slice through inefficiencies, debug tangled workflows, and occasionally open a bottle of celebratory virtual champagne. 🍾🔧💼

I'm a Dynamics 365 Solution Architect with over 15 years of experience in relevant Microsoft technologies. I have designed, developed, and supported numerous Dynamics 365 implementations globally. My work includes defining standards, guiding distribu... Show more

Stephen Parkins

Stephen Parkins

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

Michael Reichenbach

Michael Reichenbach

Michael is a Platform Engineer at 1KOMMA5°, where he builds the developer platform for Europe's largest virtual power plant. With over 10 years of experience creating developer-centric platforms, he has implemented Backstage in multiple organizations, won last year's poster session with a novel Helm-based deployment workflow for Google Cloud Run, and introduced the Component Stack—a method that combines Backstage metadata with Terraform to ensure labels are always up-to-date.

Michael is a Platform Engineer at 1KOMMA5°, where he builds the developer platform for Europe's largest virtual power plant. With over 10 years of experience creating developer-centric platforms, he has implemented Backstage in multiple organizations... Show more

Christian Andrade

Christian Andrade

PhD in Accounting and Finance from Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), researching the impact of corporate governance distance on cross-border M&A performance, 11 years as Partner Director at Fênix Consultoria, 7 years as CFO at Fumex Tabacalera (American subsidiary), and 4 years as CIO at CdF International(Dutch Company).

Has successfully led 5 cross-border M&A transactions, leveraging Microsoft Business Central (BC) for financial integration, valuation, and post-merger process harmonization. More than 100 ERP implementations in more than 20 countries.

Holds dual Master’s degrees (Management Science – University of Kent, UK, and Accounting – UFBA), an MBA in Corporate Finance (FGV), and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Computer Science (UFBA). Certified PgMP and PMP (PMI). Recognized for natural leadership, mentoring, and coaching abilities, with high commitment, structured thinking, and excellent negotiation skills.

PhD in Accounting and Finance from Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), researching the impact of corporate governance distance on cross-border M&A performance, 11 years as Partner Director at Fênix Consultoria, 7 years as CFO at Fumex Tabacalera (Am... Show more

Ana Inés Urrutia

Ana Inés Urrutia

Ana Inés Urrutia de Souza is a Microsoft MVP, AI for HR expert, and member of the Harvard Advisory Council. With a background in psychology and over a decade of experience in HR technology, she helps organizations modernize people operations using tools like Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and Microsoft Copilot. Ana is an international speaker, co-host of the D365 Community Call, and an active voice in the global HR tech space. Her work bridges strategy and implementation, with a focus on making AI practical, human, and useful

Ana Inés Urrutia de Souza is a Microsoft MVP, AI for HR expert, and member of the Harvard Advisory Council. With a background in psychology and over a decade of experience in HR technology, she helps organizations modernize people operations using to... Show more

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