Nithesh Gudipuri is Associate Director of Technology at Raymond James Financial, with 13+ years across financial services, telecommunications, and healthcare. He modernized 100+ services supporting $1.3 trillion in assets, holds two USPTO patents, and leads SEC regulatory implementations ( T1 Settlement, USTC). Named Innovation Champion (top 1% of 1,800 technologists), he advises on blockchain strategy and has presented research at IEEE/ACM conferences.

Nithesh Gudipuri is Associate Director of Technology at Raymond James Financial, with 13+ years across financial services, telecommunications, and healthcare. He modernized 100+ services supporting $1.3 trillion in assets, holds two USPTO patents, an... Show more

Ahmad Alsharif is a Cloud Architect and a Google Cloud Authorized Trainer. He specializes in Application modernization, Kubernetes, and enterprise AI, driving the design and implementation of cloud environments and AI products for complex highly-regulated financial workloads. He also leads the Google Developer Group Amman, actively advocating for Cloud-native technologies.

Ahmad Alsharif is a Cloud Architect and a Google Cloud Authorized Trainer. He specializes in Application modernization, Kubernetes, and enterprise AI, driving the design and implementation of cloud environments and AI products for complex highly-regu... Show more

Results - driven Cybersecurity Engineer with diverse experience across Healthcare, Banking, Public, and Telecom sectors, cross-functional project guidance and stakeholder support, security architecture strategy, application/ agentic AI security, predictive analytics, and enterprise risk management. Adept at designing and implementing scalable solutions, driving automation, and delivering quantifiable value and innovation.

Results - driven Cybersecurity Engineer with diverse experience across Healthcare, Banking, Public, and Telecom sectors, cross-functional project guidance and stakeholder support, security architecture strategy, application/ agentic AI security, pred... Show more

Edwige is an accomplished technologist deeply committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM* (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). She holds a BSc in mathematics and an MSc in Computer Science from the University Lyon 1 (France), with a FinTech oriented educational background. With years of experience in various roles, including mobile development and banking applications, Edwige has navigated through many technologies and business domains. Since joining Swissquote in 2012, she has contributed to technical stacks and software delivery across multiple domains and layers, from Banking operations to Trading Systems Management. Her unwavering dedication to excellence, best practices and innovative perspective earned her a promotion to Vice Director in 2022, where she now oversees Methodologies, Program Management and Tech Talent teams within Software Engineering.
Despite her many accomplishments, Edwige remains eager to learn from others. She actively contributed to many talks, in Switzerland, or at International for Women In Tech or Lead Dev track!

Edwige is an accomplished technologist deeply committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM* (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). She holds a BSc in mathematics and an MSc in Computer Science from the University Lyon 1 (France... Show more

Upendra Singh Jadon is a senior data privacy and enterprise architecture leader with 15-plus years of experience helping Fortune 500 organizations across financial services, healthcare, and insurance build secure, compliant data ecosystems. He currently serves as senior solutions architect at Datamasque, where he leads enterprise-grade data masking and privacy implementations for Tier-1 insurance carriers and regulated industries.

Previously at TIBCO Software (2018-2024), Upendra served as principal architect for privacy-by-design governance platforms for Fortune 100 clients, supporting $8M+ in pipeline across BFSI verticals. He has delivered 50+ technical workshops, authored architectural standards adopted globally, and contributed reusable data masking frameworks incorporated into enterprise platform strategies.

Upendra’s areas of expertise include data masking and anonymization, master data management (MDM), GDPR/CCPA/HIPAA compliance architecture, cloud data platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and AI/ML data enablement. He is a published technical author, frequent speaker, and workshop leader.

Upendra Singh Jadon is a senior data privacy and enterprise architecture leader with 15-plus years of experience helping Fortune 500 organizations across financial services, healthcare, and insurance build secure, compliant data ecosystems. He curren... Show more

Always building. Always learning. One automation script—and one qubit—at a time.

I'm an Automation Developer at HDFC Bank (via Wipro), where I build enterprise applications that automate complex storage infrastructure operations. My current work focuses on replacing manual zoning and observability processes with reliable, scalable, and self-service automation platforms.
One of my key projects is ZoneManager—a Flask-based application that automates Fibre Channel and FCIP zone management across Brocade switches. By integrating the Brocade FOS REST API with MySQL, it replaces manual CLI-based zoning with a centralized, auditable workflow, improving operational efficiency and reducing human error.
Before transitioning into automation, I worked as a Network Engineer, gaining hands-on experience with enterprise networking, network security, and monitoring. My work included SolarWinds, Wireshark, IEEE 802.1X, Cisco Identity Services Engine (Cisco ISE), and troubleshooting network infrastructure, giving me a strong foundation in enterprise systems that I now leverage while building automation solutions.
Beyond infrastructure engineering, I'm passionate about Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, and emerging technologies. I hold a Quantum Computing certification from The Coding School and previously worked as a Quantum AI Engineer Intern at STEMIAC, where I explored quantum machine learning applications for real-world challenges.
I'm also an active community leader and mentor. I proudly serve as a Windows Insider MVP, Women Techmakers Ambassador, Gold Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador, and Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Mentor. I regularly organize workshops, speak at conferences, mentor aspiring technologists, and contribute to developer communities.
Most recently, I co-founded JS Community Mumbai, where I helped organize and host our first meetup, bringing together developers, industry speakers, and sponsors to foster learning and collaboration.
With a B.Tech in Information Technology from BITS Pilani (WILP) while continuing to deepen my expertise across automation, networking, storage infrastructure, AI, cybersecurity, cloud, Python, JavaScript, and quantum technologies.
I enjoy solving infrastructure challenges through automation, sharing knowledge with the community, and exploring technologies that shape the future.

Always building. Always learning. One automation script—and one qubit—at a time. I'm an Automation Developer at HDFC Bank (via Wipro), where I build enterprise applications that automate complex storage infrastructure operations. My current work f... Show more

Vijay Soni is an Expert Architect & Engineer at Discover's business technology department. He architected and designed Discover's cloud native Open banking and Click to Pay ecommerce Digital Wallet Payments platforms. He is seasoned software engineer and passionate about solving complex emerging finance, digital payment, identity and payment product problems using scalable, secure, future-proof and innovative approach. Vijay also led multiple EMVCo, eCommerce, Mobile SE/HCE Payments technology initiatives as lead architect and engineer. Vijay has worked on large industry led financial services & payments technology integration projects including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Click to Pay and FDX Open Banking integrations, Pay with Rewards, Contactless Mass Transit acceptance etc.

Vijay Soni is an Expert Architect & Engineer at Discover's business technology department. He architected and designed Discover's cloud native Open banking and Click to Pay ecommerce Digital Wallet Payments platforms. He is seasoned software engineer... Show more

Georgina has been working in Data Science since 2011. For many years she was a coding data scientist in R, Python and PySpark, but for the last 7 years she's been leading international data teams.

She is now leads Software Engineers at Morningstar Credit, working on the sophisticated data products for Morningstar customers.

She's been through hiring cycles and layoff cycles, major tech stack overhauls, massive data science projects and forensic audits. She's figured out how to keep diverse, remote data teams happy, productive and collaborative, at least 80% of the time.

Georgina has been working in Data Science since 2011. For many years she was a coding data scientist in R, Python and PySpark, but for the last 7 years she's been leading international data teams. She is now leads Software Engineers at Morningsta... Show more

Fowmy Abdulmuttalib is a Microsoft-certified business intelligence professional with extensive experience in finance, accounting and data analytics. Currently, he is employed by McDonald's Saudi Arabia as the Head of ERP and Business Intelligence. Interested in everything data-related, he would like to share his passion and knowledge with the data community.

Fowmy Abdulmuttalib is a Microsoft-certified business intelligence professional with extensive experience in finance, accounting and data analytics. Currently, he is employed by McDonald's Saudi Arabia as the Head of ERP and Business Intelligence. In... Show more

Balogun David Taiwo is a Data Scientist, AI Expert, AI Researcher, and Lead Analyst with over six years of experience building machine learning solutions, credit risk models, and real-time analytics platforms across venture-backed fintechs, financial institutions, edtech, and technology-focused NGOs. He specializes in the intersection of artificial intelligence, financial risk, business intelligence, and data engineering, transforming complex datasets into actionable insights that drive strategic business decisions.

Throughout his career, David has designed and deployed predictive models, automated analytics workflows, and business intelligence solutions that have enhanced operational efficiency, strengthened risk management, and empowered executives to make data-driven decisions. He is experienced in leading end-to-end data projects—from data engineering and model development to dashboard design and stakeholder engagement—bridging the gap between technical implementation and business strategy.

Beyond industry, David is an active AI researcher whose work focuses on practical machine learning systems, edge AI, and scalable data infrastructures for resource-constrained environments. Currently, his research has been accepted for presentation at the 10th International Conference on Cloud and Big Data Computing (ICCBDC 2026) at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, where he will be presenting his paper, "Designing a Full-Stack Pipeline: From Data Collection to Edge Deployment in Low-Bandwidth Environment." Also presenting, "Crop Disease Detection Using Convolutional Neural Networks in Low-Resource Agricultural Settings," at the Faculty of Computing, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

David is equally passionate about developing the next generation of data professionals. He has mentored and trained nearly 3,000 aspiring data scientists and analysts across Europe, Africa, and the United States through technical training, coaching, and community initiatives.

By combining technical excellence, research, and business acumen, David leverages data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to solve complex business challenges, advance AI research, and deliver measurable impact for forward-thinking organizations.

Balogun David Taiwo is a Data Scientist, AI Expert, AI Researcher, and Lead Analyst with over six years of experience building machine learning solutions, credit risk models, and real-time analytics platforms across venture-backed fintechs, financial... Show more

As a freelancer, Katrin prefers to work at the intersection of business and software development, helping teams translate complex requirements into clear, practical solutions.
She works in various roles, ranging from business analysis to quality assurance, and brings practical expertise from the finance and payroll sectors to the table. Katrin enjoys developing applications or automations that support teams and simplify processes in a pragmatic, efficient way that addresses real needs.

As a freelancer, Katrin prefers to work at the intersection of business and software development, helping teams translate complex requirements into clear, practical solutions. She works in various roles, ranging from business analysis to quality as... Show more

I’m a Chartered Accountant (ACA, ICAEW) and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Solution Architect , a combination that lets me sit on both sides of a finance transformation: the standards and the system that has to honour them.

With extensive experience in finance management, D365 Business Central ERP implementation across finance and supply chain modules, and business transformation, I specialize in bridging the gap between finance and technology. As a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), I bring a strong grounding in financial management, compliance, and delivery.

My expertise lies in designing and delivering ERP solutions that streamline financial processes, enhance reporting accuracy, and drive operational efficiency, grounded in real journal entries and the accounting logic behind them, not just configuration.

I write bcforfinance.com, a web series on the intersection of Business Central and IFRS; translating standards like IFRS 15, IFRS 16, and IFRS 9 into practical BC configuration for finance-literate audiences. I also speak at Dynamics user groups, including D365PPUG UK, on IFRS in Business Central and BC solution-architecture topics.

I’m passionate about helping organizations modernize their finance functions through digital transformation, aligning technology with business goals to improve performance and enable informed decision-making.

I’m a Chartered Accountant (ACA, ICAEW) and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Solution Architect , a combination that lets me sit on both sides of a finance transformation: the standards and the system that has to honour them. With extensive... Show more

– Over 20 years’ experience with global investment banks, private banks, hedge funds and consulting covering governance, enterprise risk, information security, and project management.
– Strong experience in information security and enterprise risk from a management and leadership perspective as well as an appointed board member.
– Successful track record of delivering complex, high quality, robust and reliable solutions on time and on budget.
– Strong track record of review financial statements and valuing public companies.

CERTIFICATIONS: CISSP, CCSP, SSCP, CISM, CCSK, and PMP

– Over 20 years’ experience with global investment banks, private banks, hedge funds and consulting covering governance, enterprise risk, information security, and project management. – Strong experience in information security and enterprise risk ... Show more

Most organizations don't have a people problem. They have a clarity problem.

Oupa Laka believes clarity is the catalyst for every successful transformation.

An international speaker, Business Analysis Consultant, facilitator, mentor, and Master of Ceremonies, Oupa helps leaders and teams navigate complexity, align around what matters, and solve the problems that create lasting impact.

With more than 15 years of experience across banking, insurance, digital transformation, and consulting, he has built a reputation for transforming ambiguity into actionable strategy. As the creator of the AKILI Clarity Method and the Story Weaver Model, Oupa equips professionals with practical frameworks that improve decision-making, strengthen collaboration, and accelerate meaningful change.

Known for blending practical insight, engaging storytelling, and just the right amount of humour, Oupa doesn't simply deliver presentations; he combines strategic thinking, authentic storytelling, and infectious enthusiasm to help people think differently, connect deeply, and take meaningful action.

His thought-provoking, highly engaging sessions have been featured at leading international conferences, including the Business Analysis Summit Southern Africa (where he also served as Track Chair and Convener), the Global Africa Business Analysis Conference, BA & Beyond, and the IRM UK Business Analysis Conference.

If audiences leave with new knowledge, the session was useful. If they leave seeing problems differently, the session was transformational.

Clarity changes everything.

Most organizations don't have a people problem. They have a clarity problem. Oupa Laka believes clarity is the catalyst for every successful transformation. An international speaker, Business Analysis Consultant, facilitator, mentor, and Master... Show more

Alvaro Ricardo Valdez es Founder & CEO de AV Finance, holding que construye la infraestructura financiera digital para Bolivia y LatAm. Opera tres entidades cross-border (Delaware, Chile, Bolivia) con plataforma sobre Stellar mainnet y arquitectura AWS activa en producción.

AV Finance está en proceso de adecuación bajo el Decreto Supremo 5384 como Empresa de Tecnología Financiera ante ASFI, primera empresa boliviana bajo el nuevo marco regulatorio de activos virtuales.

Combina su rol de founder con el de ingeniero principal del stack — construye y mantiene ~34,000 líneas de código con Claude Code como copiloto de ingeniería. Apasionado por construir infraestructura financiera seria desde Bolivia con criterio técnico de nivel internacional y compartir el cómo con la comunidad regional.
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Alvaro Ricardo Valdez is Founder & CEO of AV Finance, the holding building digital financial infrastructure for Bolivia and LatAm. Operates three cross-border entities (Delaware, Chile, Bolivia) with platform on Stellar mainnet and AWS architecture active in production.

AV Finance is in compliance process under Supreme Decree 5384 as a Financial Technology Company before ASFI, one of the first Bolivian companies under the new virtual asset regulatory framework.

Combines his founder role with that of principal engineer of the stack — builds and maintains ~34,000 lines of code with Claude Code as engineering copilot. Passionate about building serious financial infrastructure from Bolivia with international-grade technical criteria.

Alvaro Ricardo Valdez es Founder & CEO de AV Finance, holding que construye la infraestructura financiera digital para Bolivia y LatAm. Opera tres entidades cross-border (Delaware, Chile, Bolivia) con plataforma sobre Stellar mainnet y arquitectura A... Show more

Milan Cheeks is the founder and CEO of SELF Labs Inc., a technology company developing AI-powered products and infrastructure designed to improve how people live, work, create, and interact with technology.

He is leading the development of SELF OS, an AI-native operating environment designed to bring intelligent agents, decentralized applications, digital identity, and user-controlled computing into a unified ecosystem. He is also developing ESSENCE, a blockchain-based utility and economic layer intended to reward verified participation and contributions within the SELF network.

Through SELF Labs, Milan works across artificial intelligence, decentralized infrastructure, robotics, real estate technology, digital economies, and next-generation human-computer interaction.

His broader mission is to build technology that gives individuals greater ownership of their data, intelligence, devices, and economic value—helping move society from centralized digital platforms toward more personalized and user-owned technological systems.

Milan Cheeks is the founder and CEO of SELF Labs Inc., a technology company developing AI-powered products and infrastructure designed to improve how people live, work, create, and interact with technology. He is leading the development of SELF OS... Show more

Software & AI Agent Engineer en Interbank, donde diseño y orquesto agentes de IA en sistemas escalables de alto impacto. Mi stack abarca backend, frontend y cloud, con rol como arquitecto de soluciones y analista de sistemas.

Technical Lead de IA en LM Laboratory y miembro del Core Team del AWS Student Builder Group UTP. Parte de IT FOR BANKING, experiencia como jurado de Desarrollo Móvil e Instructor de Bootcamp de Rust. Speaker activo en temas de DevOps, Terraform, IA Generativa, Agentes y Notion.

Apasionado por llevar la IA del prototipo a producción de forma simple, segura y automatizada.

Software & AI Agent Engineer en Interbank, donde diseño y orquesto agentes de IA en sistemas escalables de alto impacto. Mi stack abarca backend, frontend y cloud, con rol como arquitecto de soluciones y analista de sistemas. Technical Lead de IA ... Show more

I am a hands-on Architect, with a proven record of delivering scalable, secure, and flexible enterprise systems. I am passionate about clean, readable, tested code and delivering excellent value to clients.

I currently serve as a Software Architect at One Zero Bank. Our company is the first digital bank, providing fast, reliable service to our customers using the latest AI technologies.

At my previous company (NI), I also served as the Lead of the Product Security Chapter, which focused on advancing NI's security posture using their SDL, Threat Modeling, Certifications, and lots of training.

I am a hands-on Architect, with a proven record of delivering scalable, secure, and flexible enterprise systems. I am passionate about clean, readable, tested code and delivering excellent value to clients. I currently serve as a Software Architec... Show more

Saurabh Yergattikar is a software architect and engineering leader with 15 years building mission-critical systems at global scale, working at the intersection of financial services, platform engineering, and agentic AI infrastructure.
He currently leads seller financing platform engineering at eBay across the US, UK, and Germany, and previously served as technical owner of core billing and real-time fee-netting systems, building distributed financial infrastructure that handles money movement at marketplace scale.
Much of his work also centers on making AI agents safe, reliable, and production-ready.
He contributed to SAFE-MCP, a Linux Foundation and OpenSSF security project cataloguing 80+ attack vectors against the Model Context Protocol, and architects ShieldMCP, an open source runtime defense proxy for agent stacks.
He also builds GyroCompass-io, an architecture governance framework that keeps AI coding agents aligned with a system's intended design.
His research on AI agent security and infrastructure has been accepted at the ACL 2026 Industry Track and IEEE conferences.
Saurabh is a Senior Member of the IEEE and serves as a program committee member, reviewer, and judge across IEEE, ACM, and ICML venues.
He has spoken at SXSW, the MCP Conference, NEARCON, the Linux Foundation Member Summit, and Workato Summit,
with work featured in Inverse and The San Francisco Standard.
He speaks on agentic infrastructure, secure AI systems, distributed systems and platform engineering at scale, developer productivity, and the realities of running autonomous agents in regulated, high-stakes environments.

Saurabh Yergattikar is a software architect and engineering leader with 15 years building mission-critical systems at global scale, working at the intersection of financial services, platform engineering, and agentic AI infrastructure. He currently... Show more

Andrea Elliott is the CEO, Founder, and Managing Partner of EMG Advisory, the AI-native governance, risk and strategy practice serving regulated, high-stakes industries including Quantum Computing and Financial Services. She most recently served as Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer at a publicly traded global payments technology company, where she led a global risk and compliance transformation, built the company's AI governance framework, and led the outstanding CFPB & State AG Consent Orders to full regulatory compliance, with zero reportable incidents during her tenure. She also designed and led the GRC technology transformation to drive internal risk intelligence, transparency, and enterprise accountability, providing an end-to-end, 360 perspective on risk throughout the enterprise. With 15-plus years across risk, compliance, governance, ethics, and legal, Andrea brings a foresight practitioner's perspective to AI governance failures and mitigation. She is the author of (1) The Deadline on Implicit Governance, (2) The Proportionality Problem, (3) The Architecture of Intuition, (4) The Quiet Rewiring, (5) Bounded Autonomy, (6) The Compounding Bet, and (7) The Missing Middle. She holds a JD from Emory Law [Bankruptcy Journal & Transactional Certificate], an MBA from UGA [Finance focus with an emphasis in Consulting], and the AIGP credential from IAPP. Her undergraduate studies at Auburn University included Architecture, Industrial Design, and Business Administration.

From Andrea: "AI is rewriting what industries can do, and the leaders who govern it with seriousness and imagination will reshape theirs rather than scramble to catch up. I help those leaders imagine beyond what AI makes possible today, then usher them through the transformation for the betterment of the people their industries serve.

It starts with something deceptively simple: helping organizations make sound AI decisions they can stand behind, quickly and confidently. Done right, that discipline is not a brake on ambition. It is what lets a company reimagine what is possible with AI.

My work sits at the intersection of law, risk, ethics, strategy, and systems design. After 15+ years in risk and compliance roles, most recently as Chief Compliance Officer where I built the company's AI governance framework from the ground up, I founded EMG Advisory on a conviction: AI does not need more hype. It needs structure, accountability, and leaders who treat risk as a strategic discipline.

That is the part most people miss. Governance, Risk, and Compliance, done well, is not what slows AI down. It decides where you can afford to move fast and where you cannot, and it is inseparable from strategy; your AI strategy does not survive without it.

The other half of how I work is AI-native wiring. I think in systems, synthesize fast, and collaborate with AI at the conceptual layer as a cognitive partner, translating complexity into strategic clarity. It is also how EMG itself is built: I practice the responsible, operationalized AI I help my clients deploy.

I work with organizations that want to use AI strategically, responsibly, and with foresight. I help leaders:

Turn AI risk and compliance into strategic advantage
Make defensible AI decisions at the speed of business
Translate regulatory ambiguity into operational clarity
Anticipate second- and third-order effects before they surface
Design governance that works in practice, not just on paper

The regulatory landscape shifts faster than most AI roadmaps, and the patchwork of overlapping laws and standards leaves even willing organizations unsure what they must comply with. Pair that with AI that stalls in committee and governance impeccable on paper that no one operates by, and the gap becomes clear. Closing it is where I do my best work.

But closing the gap is the floor, not the ceiling. The organizations that govern AI with seriousness and imagination will not just keep up; they will transform what their industries can do for the people who depend on them. That is the future I am building toward."

Andrea Elliott is the CEO, Founder, and Managing Partner of EMG Advisory, the AI-native governance, risk and strategy practice serving regulated, high-stakes industries including Quantum Computing and Financial Services. She most recently served as C... Show more

David Handlos is a software engineer, technologist, educator, and conference speaker with over two decades of experience building enterprise software, automation frameworks, and integration solutions within the financial services industry. He specializes in applying AI, software engineering, and automation to solve complex business and technical challenges.

In addition to his industry work, David serves as an adjunct instructor at Southern New Hampshire University, where he teaches software engineering, software testing, and automation. He also works as an independent genealogist, using technology, historical records, and AI-assisted research to solve complex family history problems, locate ancestral records, and document lineage for citizenship-by-descent and other genealogy projects.

David enjoys speaking about AI, automation, software engineering, and the creative ways technology can be applied to solve problems beyond traditional software development.

David Handlos is a software engineer, technologist, educator, and conference speaker with over two decades of experience building enterprise software, automation frameworks, and integration solutions within the financial services industry. He special... Show more

Francesco is a seasoned entrepreneur, CEO of the Contextual-based vulnerability management platform from code to cloud Phoenix Security, author of several books, host of multi-award Cyber Security & Cloud Podcast, speaker known in the cybersecurity industry and recognized for his visionary views. He is on the UK&I Cloud Security Alliance Chapter board and is a professor at IANS on application security and cloud security. Previously, Francesco headed HSBC's application and cloud security and was a Senior Security Consultant at AWS. Francesco has been keynoting at global conferences and has authored and co-authored several books and whitepapers; outside of work, you can find me running marathons, snowboarding on the Italian slopes, and enjoying single malt whiskeys in one of my favourite London clubs.

Francesco is a seasoned entrepreneur, CEO of the Contextual-based vulnerability management platform from code to cloud Phoenix Security, author of several books, host of multi-award Cyber Security & Cloud Podcast, speaker known in the cybersecurity i... Show more

I work at the intersection of large-scale data engineering, cloud platforms, and applied AI. I currently build and lead modern data platforms at a major U.S. bank, where I design Lakehouse and streaming architectures that operate at multi-billion-record scale across cloud environments.
My background spans the full evolution of enterprise data systems, from mainframe and Teradata warehouses to cloud-native lakehouses built on Spark, Iceberg, Kafka, and Kubernetes. Over the past decade, my work has focused on building production-grade data platforms: high-throughput ingestion pipelines, real-time analytics systems, and ML-ready data infrastructure used by data scientists, analysts, and AI teams.
In addition to data engineering, I have deep experience in full-stack platform development using Java, Spring Boot, REST APIs, and modern front-end frameworks. This allows me to design data systems not just as pipelines, but as products — complete with APIs, services, governance layers, and developer tooling.
My current interests include open table formats (Apache Iceberg), lakehouse architecture, metadata-driven governance, and building scalable AI-ready data platforms. I enjoy sharing practical lessons from real production systems — what works, what breaks, and how to design data infrastructure that lasts.

I work at the intersection of large-scale data engineering, cloud platforms, and applied AI. I currently build and lead modern data platforms at a major U.S. bank, where I design Lakehouse and streaming architectures that operate at multi-billion-rec... Show more

James first worked in software delivery in the 1990s, when agile and lean were words used to describe gymnasts and pipelines were for carrying oil.

After working in a successful startup for 10 years James drifted into being an ex-software developer while learning about people, processes and systems thinking as a consultant at ThoughtWorks. Following a stint as Head of Platform in a Fintech and VP of Engineering in a Proptech startup, James went back to consultancy with Forrow where he is mainly working on Cyber Security and Post Quantum Cryptography while never drifting too far away from people, systems and delivery of useful outcomes.

James first worked in software delivery in the 1990s, when agile and lean were words used to describe gymnasts and pipelines were for carrying oil. After working in a successful startup for 10 years James drifted into being an ex-software develope... Show more

George is a seasoned IT professional with 15+ years of experience, evolving from technical roles to leading engineering teams in security-critical sectors. Passionate about coaching and empowering others, he combines hands-on expertise with strategic leadership.

A former professional chess player, George won the "Romanian Chess Champion" title with his club team in 2004. At 16, he founded and grew an ISP company in Bucharest to 600 clients before selling it at 18. He later pursued an Executive MBA at IMT Paris to strengthen his leadership skills.

Recognized in the Financial Times' "100 Faces of Innovation" in 2016, George is a sought-after Cybersecurity expert specializing in Fraud and Deepfakes. He has spoken at over 20 conferences all around the world, and his beginner’s Cybersecurity course has helped 150,000+ students start their careers in the field.

George is a seasoned IT professional with 15+ years of experience, evolving from technical roles to leading engineering teams in security-critical sectors. Passionate about coaching and empowering others, he combines hands-on expertise with strategic... Show more

Kosi builds smarter, faster data platforms for the real world. With a background across data science, engineering, and platform management, Kosi now drives data and AI initiatives at a major investment bank. Focused on scaling systems, streamlining workflows, and pushing the boundaries of what data can do, Kosi is passionate about making AI and infrastructure work better, not just bigger.

Kosi builds smarter, faster data platforms for the real world. With a background across data science, engineering, and platform management, Kosi now drives data and AI initiatives at a major investment bank. Focused on scaling systems, streamlining w... Show more

Sat Agrawal has an unvarnished commitment to delivering quality results. An avid learner, Sat holds a bachelor’s in computer science from Penn State and remains actively engaged in a wide range of learning resources. He is a Certified Chaos Engineering professional and practitioner, with additional certifications that include CKA, CKAD, and TOGAF. Sat's current focus in service mesh technologies exemplifies his commitment to stay at the forefront of cloud-native technologies.

At Discover Financial Services, Sat combines his diverse knowledge of concepts, practices, and processes with a strong advocacy for automation and efficiency. Tapping native strengths in analytical and communication skills, he enters mentoring and partnering relationships with business users, architects, and stakeholders across the enterprise to help product teams streamline their end-to-end product delivery cycles. A recognized top-level contributor himself, Sat influences engineers to embrace the agile practices that transform the way they work, leading ultimately to the delivery of dynamic, impactful solutions that align with organizational goals.

Sat personalizes his aptitude for leadership through his attendance and speaking at conferences and local meetups and by conducting hands-on proofs-of-concept. Participating in LinkedIn and other industry-leading blogs, he engages in a variety of topics that include DevOps, DevSecOps, and SREs.

Sat Agrawal has an unvarnished commitment to delivering quality results. An avid learner, Sat holds a bachelor’s in computer science from Penn State and remains actively engaged in a wide range of learning resources. He is a Certified Chaos Engineeri... Show more

Seasoned backend-focused full-stack developer with over 7 years of experience, specializing in Python and Django. Previously worked as a Senior Developer at Paysika, contributing to the development of financial systems, and currently serve as CTO at QuickerPay, where I lead the design and development of scalable technology solutions.

With a strong background in FinTech, I focus on building reliable, secure, and high-performance systems. I am also a former computer science educator, passionate about sharing knowledge and supporting developers' growth in the Python ecosystem.

Seasoned backend-focused full-stack developer with over 7 years of experience, specializing in Python and Django. Previously worked as a Senior Developer at Paysika, contributing to the development of financial systems, and currently serve as CTO at ... Show more

Barry has spent over 25 years in the tech industry; from developer to solution architect, business transformation manager to IT Director, and CTO of a £100m FinTech company. In 2020 Barry's passion for data and analytics led him to gain an MSc in Artificial Intelligence and Applications.

He is happiest when he's at a whiteboard sketching out a process, architecture, roadmap or solving a problem. He's got a gift for taking complex ideas and presenting them in a way that technical and non-technical audiences can grok. He has a passion for simplifying the complex, and helping organisations use technology to transform and amplify their impact.

Barry has spent over 25 years in the tech industry; from developer to solution architect, business transformation manager to IT Director, and CTO of a £100m FinTech company. In 2020 Barry's passion for data and analytics led him to gain an MSc in Art... Show more

Rashi Agrawal is the Head of Agentic AI at Hinge Health, where she leads the strategic engineering of high-stakes AI systems within complex regulatory landscapes. By expertly navigating the rigorous requirements of clinical safety, HIPAA, and global regulations, she ensures that disruptive technology remains both secure and compliant. Focused on the pioneer side of generative technology, Rashi is architecting "state-of-the-art" frameworks for Agentic AI that move beyond simple automation to solve critical member problems and drive dramatic business growth.

Formerly the Head of AI at GoodLeap, a leading FinTech in Green Energy, Rashi spearheaded enterprise-wide AI transformation initiatives that optimized everything from complex loan processing to customer engagement while managing a complex cross functional global portfolio. With a unique blend of holistic vision and deep technical expertise, she has a proven track record of developing intelligent decision-making systems and risk assessment platforms that deliver measurable business value through Generative and Agentic AI.

Earlier in her career, Rashi led engineering teams at Yahoo, where she transformed early-stage technical challenges into massive growth engines for their multi billion-dollar advertising business. Her approach is defined by a commitment to technical innovation grounded in strategic business transformation, ensuring that AI serves as a competitive moat rather than just a technical layer.

Beyond the office, Rashi is a global explorer who has traveled to over 45 countries, bringing a diverse, international perspective to her leadership. She is an active thought leader in the Engineering Leadership and AI community. An Indian immigrant with a Master’s in Computer Science from San Jose State University, an alumna of Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Education program, she is also the founder of Women In Tech AI (WIT AI), a community dedicated to empowering and elevating women leaders in the artificial intelligence space.

Rashi Agrawal is the Head of Agentic AI at Hinge Health, where she leads the strategic engineering of high-stakes AI systems within complex regulatory landscapes. By expertly navigating the rigorous requirements of clinical safety, HIPAA, and global ... Show more