Samia leads the pre sales and delivery of large scale and complex security projects across a diverse portfolio of financial services clients. Samia is passionate about encouraging people from diverse backgrounds into technology careers. She does this by providing mentoring sessions, guest lectures to university courses and helping to lead D&I initiatives.

Samia leads the pre sales and delivery of large scale and complex security projects across a diverse portfolio of financial services clients. Samia is passionate about encouraging people from diverse backgrounds into technology careers. She does this... Show more

He is Google Developer Expert in GCP , working as Sr. DevOps Engineer at Lloyds Banking Group .He has previously worked as a cloud engineer at Searce (GCP Premium Partner) He is Google Cloud Champion Innovator in the category of Modern Architecture with CKA + 3X Certified in GCP and 1X in Azure . He has been helping small and mid sized startups to adopt and implement best practices in cloud and DevOps culture to fasten their software delivery process. He loves to integrate various GCP service like networking, compute, storage , containers, GKE etc, and likes to Implement various use cases. He loves to explore and deep dive into GCP services and also help community by creating content and writing medium blogs.

He is Google Developer Expert in GCP , working as Sr. DevOps Engineer at Lloyds Banking Group .He has previously worked as a cloud engineer at Searce (GCP Premium Partner) He is Google Cloud Champion Innovator in the category of Modern Architectur... Show more

I am a data scientist and machine learning engineer with expertise in Python, SQL, Power BI, R, and Java. My experience spans data visualization, statistical modeling, web scraping, and machine learning algorithms. I have worked extensively with datasets across various domains, including finance, healthcare, real estate, and customer churn analysis.

I specialize in automating data pipelines, implementing feature engineering techniques, and optimizing machine learning models. Passionate about solving real-world problems through data-driven insights, I am continuously expanding my knowledge in cloud computing, ETL processes, and ML infrastructure.

I am a data scientist and machine learning engineer with expertise in Python, SQL, Power BI, R, and Java. My experience spans data visualization, statistical modeling, web scraping, and machine learning algorithms. I have worked extensively with data... Show more

With nearly a decade of experience across sectors such as e-commerce, healthcare, gaming, open-source, and cybersecurity, within both large enterprises and agile startups, Shivam brings a creative, solutions-driven approach to complex challenges. Committed to community engagement, he actively mentors early-career cybersecurity professionals, judges prestigious tech awards, peer-reviews academic research, and contributes to tech-for-good initiatives with nonprofit organizations. He currently leads cloud security efforts at JPMorganChase, driving robust solutions to support the firm’s ongoing growth.

With nearly a decade of experience across sectors such as e-commerce, healthcare, gaming, open-source, and cybersecurity, within both large enterprises and agile startups, Shivam brings a creative, solutions-driven approach to complex challenges. Com... Show more

Fauwaz is the Sr. Director of B2B Strategy with 15 years of experience in electronic payment technology, specializing in ERP integration, payment security, and sales. He has a strong background in leading software sales teams at Nodus and EVO Payments, contributing significantly to strategic acquisitions. With expertise in various ERP systems like Microsoft Dynamics, Acumatica, Sage, and SAP, Fauwaz excels in driving partner success and customer satisfaction in the payment industry.

Fauwaz is the Sr. Director of B2B Strategy with 15 years of experience in electronic payment technology, specializing in ERP integration, payment security, and sales. He has a strong background in leading software sales teams at Nodus and EVO Payment... Show more

Sri Kolagani is a Director of CRM Engineering at Elastic. He leads engineering teams and supports Sales, Service, Marketing, and Partner Operations, focusing on enabling internal stakeholders through the adoption of new technologies, including generative AI. He is responsible for shaping the application ecosystem by introducing innovative capabilities and delivering solutions that advance both productivity and operational effectiveness. Prior to joining Elastic, Kolagani held senior leadership positions across financial services, payments, healthcare, and cloud computing.

Sri Kolagani is a Director of CRM Engineering at Elastic. He leads engineering teams and supports Sales, Service, Marketing, and Partner Operations, focusing on enabling internal stakeholders through the adoption of new technologies, including genera... Show more

Partner, Trainer Microsoft | Formación y consultoría análisis de datos | Excel, PowerBI, PowerPoint, Python, Azure, Power Platform | Msc Data Science | Financiero | Mercadólogo | CEO Finanzas VLR | Docente universitario.

Partner, Trainer Microsoft | Formación y consultoría análisis de datos | Excel, PowerBI, PowerPoint, Python, Azure, Power Platform | Msc Data Science | Financiero | Mercadólogo | CEO Finanzas VLR | Docente universitario. Show more

Jason Paolasini drives RBC’s hybrid cloud strategy, integrating on-prem and public cloud infrastructures using CNCF projects and Kubernetes. As a Kubernetes-first organization and CNCF Silver sponsor, RBC leverages open source frameworks to streamline security and operational efficiency. Jason fosters open source contributions while scaling multi-cluster environments to hundreds of thousands of cores, positioning RBC as a leader in financial cloud infrastructure.

Jason Paolasini drives RBC’s hybrid cloud strategy, integrating on-prem and public cloud infrastructures using CNCF projects and Kubernetes. As a Kubernetes-first organization and CNCF Silver sponsor, RBC leverages open source frameworks to streamlin... Show more

Solomon Olalemi is a seasoned product manager with a rich background spanning over 6+ years in the industry. His journey in product management has been marked by a diverse portfolio of projects, each contributing to his expertise and insight into the field.

Solomon's career began with groundbreaking work at Payercoins Inc., where he spearheaded the development of a cryptocurrency infrastructure, laying the foundation for innovative financial solutions. His passion for driving impactful change led him to the forefront of the remittance industry in Africa, where he played a pivotal role in building a remittance platform that revolutionized payment systems across the continent.

Transitioning to the banking sector, Solomon joined the ranks of a prominent Nigerian bank, where he currently leads the charge in developing a cutting-edge digital banking platform. Under his guidance, the bank, Polaris Bank, has garnered prestigious accolades, including the coveted title of Digital Bank of the Year in Nigeria for three consecutive years, affirming Solomon's prowess in the realm of digital innovation.

Beyond his professional endeavours, Solomon is known for his unwavering dedication to personal growth and knowledge acquisition. A voracious reader, he embarked on a remarkable journey in 2017, devouring an impressive 104 books in a single year—an achievement that speaks volumes about his thirst for learning and self-improvement.

When he's not at the helm of the product team, Solomon can often be found immersed in the intricacies of revamping lending products, leveraging his expertise to drive innovation and excellence in financial services.

With a relentless drive for excellence and a passion for pushing boundaries, Solomon Olalemi continues to make indelible contributions to the world of product management, shaping the future of fintech and digital innovation one breakthrough at a time.

When I am not working, you will find me reading or talking to friends.

Solomon Olalemi is a seasoned product manager with a rich background spanning over 6+ years in the industry. His journey in product management has been marked by a diverse portfolio of projects, each contributing to his expertise and insight into the... 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

Deep Patel is a senior data engineering and analytics leader with over a decade of experience designing and scaling large-scale data platforms across fintech and technology organizations. He has led enterprise-critical initiatives spanning executive metrics, real-time analytics, and AI-driven decision systems, helping leadership teams measure ROI, manage risk, and operate with data they can trust. Deep frequently speaks and writes on modern data infrastructure, AI governance, and translating complex systems into clear business outcomes.

Deep Patel is a senior data engineering and analytics leader with over a decade of experience designing and scaling large-scale data platforms across fintech and technology organizations. He has led enterprise-critical initiatives spanning executive ... Show more

I am a DBA since 1997 and have worked with SQL6, 6,5 and upwards. My interest are merely platform based, but also interested in performance and monitoring. With the requirements changing I am working in DevSEcOps for SQL for my employer. Security is getting more focus. That means I am trying to setup builds that are secure by designed and securely designed. Tools help with that.

I am a DBA since 1997 and have worked with SQL6, 6,5 and upwards. My interest are merely platform based, but also interested in performance and monitoring. With the requirements changing I am working in DevSEcOps for SQL for my employer. Security is ... Show more

Jammie Jelks has spent more than 10 years building AI and automation products in mortgage lending, where skepticism isn’t resistance—it’s survival. Starting his career as an underwriter before becoming a product leader, he’s seen technically perfect systems fail while imperfect ones succeed because they earned user trust. Now Director of Product at Prudent AI, Jammie focuses on bridging the gap between AI capability and real-world adoption in high-stakes environments.

Jammie Jelks has spent more than 10 years building AI and automation products in mortgage lending, where skepticism isn’t resistance—it’s survival. Starting his career as an underwriter before becoming a product leader, he’s seen technically perfect ... Show more

Dave Coles brings more than 20 years of hands-on experience in IT, security, and managed services, working everywhere from small nonprofits to heavily regulated financial firms. As the Managing Partner in charge of Technical Services at Castle Rock Sky and creator of Zero Trust for Humans™, he focuses on the real front line of modern security: the people who move money, approve changes, and answer “just one quick question” in the middle of a busy day.

His work sits at the intersection of identity, fraud, and human behavior. Dave helps organizations—especially RIAs, financial services firms, and MSPs—design verification workflows that assume every request is fake until it proves itself real, without turning staff into robots or killing productivity. He takes concepts like Zero Trust, SEC/HIPAA/industry compliance, and wire-fraud risk and translates them into clear language, simple rules, and repeatable processes that real people can follow.

Dave also cares deeply about the humans doing the work. Through talks like Zen and the Art of IT Support, he addresses burnout, emotional load, and how support and security teams can stay grounded while living in always-on, high-stakes environments. His sessions are candid, practical, and built from real incidents and real tickets—not theory.

Whether he’s speaking to financial executives, compliance teams, or front-line MSP techs, Dave’s goal is the same: help humans stay human while making it brutally hard for attackers to win.

Dave Coles brings more than 20 years of hands-on experience in IT, security, and managed services, working everywhere from small nonprofits to heavily regulated financial firms. As the Managing Partner in charge of Technical Services at Castle Rock S... Show more

I'm Stuart Blackler, a Principal Engineer with over 15 years of professional experience building software systems at scale. I create content under the CodeWithStu brand, sharing practical knowledge about .NET, AWS, DevOps, and cloud architecture.

My career has spanned fintech, Web3, and enterprise software:
- CTO at Illuvium (2024-2025): Led engineering for a Web3 gaming platform
- Principal Engineer at Checkout.com (2019-2022): Scaled payment infrastructure serving global merchants
- Lead Architect at ClearBank (2017-2018): Architected core banking systems for the UK's first clearing bank in 250 years
- Various Senior Engineering roles (2009-2017): Including positions at Loupe and GfK

I'm Stuart Blackler, a Principal Engineer with over 15 years of professional experience building software systems at scale. I create content under the CodeWithStu brand, sharing practical knowledge about .NET, AWS, DevOps, and cloud architecture. ... Show more

Linda Grizely, CFP®, MSFS, CAP® is a financial wellness speaker, personal finance expert, educator, and money coach. She is the creator of the MeMoney™ method, a financial strategy designed to create a mindset shift and help people feel confident and in control of their money, — without judgment or lecture. Her core belief is simple: You deserve to feel confident with money and good about how you spend it™.

With experience as a financial advisor, Linda is now leading a movement to replace shame with self-trust in financial conversations — from kitchen tables to corporate stages. She teaches individuals and organizations how to turn financial overwhelm into empowerment by making money practical, emotionally grounded, and human. Through her content, coaching, and podcast Real Money, Real Life™, she helps people make financial decisions that feel aligned and true to who they are.

Linda’s speaking work focuses on humanizing money conversations in the workplace — connecting financial confidence to emotional well-being, performance, and retention. She is known for interactive sessions that invite reflection, participation, and clear “next best step” actions. Drawing on both lived experience and professional depth, she teaches in a way that makes complex financial topics clear, relatable, and actionable.

Over her 20+ year career — including more than a decade focused specifically on personal finance — Linda has led talks, workshops, webinars, and lunch-and-learns for employees, associations, and community groups. She bridges the human and behavioral sides of money with practical financial strategy — reminding people everywhere that financial power isn’t just about the numbers; it’s about making choices that reflect who you are, fully and unapologetically.

Linda holds a Master of Science in Financial Services (MSFS) and a Bachelor’s Degree with dual majors in Human Resources Management and Marketing. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®). She also holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management, Professional Fundraising, Nonprofit Board Consulting, and is certified as a Coach, Teacher, Trainer, and Speaker through Maxwell Leadership.

She is the 2019 recipient of the Charlotte Danstrom and Women of Achievement Award, and a 2023, 2024, & 2025 Circle of Excellence Qualifier for Women in Financial Services — recognizing her leadership, excellence, and commitment to helping others build clarity, confidence, and success.

Linda Grizely, CFP®, MSFS, CAP® is a financial wellness speaker, personal finance expert, educator, and money coach. She is the creator of the MeMoney™ method, a financial strategy designed to create a mindset shift and help people feel confident and... Show more

María Carrasco es doctora en Big Data y Finanzas Cuantitativas, con una sólida trayectoria en el análisis de datos financieros, estructuras algorítmicas y modelos predictivos aplicados a mercados reales. Su investigación doctoral se enfocó en el estudio empírico de las sonrisas de volatilidad en el mercado de opciones alemán (DAX) entre 2017 y 2022, utilizando herramientas como Python, Spyder y modelos de machine learning para el análisis de series temporales de alta frecuencia.

Ha trabajado integrando enfoques estructurados de datos con tecnologías modernas de inteligencia artificial y herramientas en la nube. Además, participa activamente en comunidades tecnológicas vinculadas al ecosistema cripto, blockchain y DeFi, y colabora en proyectos de innovación con impacto social en América Latina, promoviendo la participación de mujeres en STEM y liderando iniciativas de inclusión digital. Destaca su rol en COINTER, la primera cooperativa digital en blockchain, donde apoyó programas de mentoría y capacitación enfocados en la inclusión de mujeres en finanzas y tecnología.

Apasionada por traducir conceptos complejos en soluciones aplicadas, María combina la solidez académica con una visión práctica del uso de AI en entornos financieros y de datos masivos.

Cuenta también con experiencia en evaluación, sistematización y transversalización de género, apoyando procesos de capacitación, diseño de herramientas institucionales y consultorías orientadas a promover la igualdad y la equidad en políticas públicas y proyectos de desarrollo.

Reconocimientos y Distinciones

•Capacitación para gerentes de cooperativas sobre Big Data y su impacto en la toma de decisiones en el sector financiero – Enfoque en cooperativas, 2025 | FACACH
•1er lugar en SpaceApps Challenge, 2025 | NASA
•1er lugar en programa de mentoría a Cooperativa Digital Cointer, 2025 | Impact Hub
•Facilitadora de capacitación en Seguridad Básica en Bitcoin, 2025 | La Bitcoinera
•Facilitadora de capacitación en Aplicaciones Reales de Bitcoin en Honduras, 2025 | La Bitcoinera
•Facilitadora de capacitación en Introducción a Bitcoin y su importancia, 2025 | La Bitcoinera
•Ambassador’s Distinguished Appreciation Award, 2008 | Embajada de Estados Unidos en Tegucigalpa

María Carrasco es doctora en Big Data y Finanzas Cuantitativas, con una sólida trayectoria en el análisis de datos financieros, estructuras algorítmicas y modelos predictivos aplicados a mercados reales. Su investigación doctoral se enfocó en el estu... Show more

Massimo Forno is the Technical Founder & CEO of QuantikMind, a deep-tech startup pioneering intelligent chaos experiment and test selection for large-scale distributed systems. With 20+ years spanning QA, DevOps, SRE and Software Architecture, including leadership roles at major Swiss financial institutions, he has driven digital transformation programs focused on high-reliability engineering in regulated environments.

His expertise covers resilient architectures, observability-driven decision making and automated risk-based validation.
Massimo's research explores quantum-inspired logic, probabilistic modeling and ML-powered analysis to optimize failure-mode detection in microservice ecosystems.

He is passionate about translating advanced concepts into practical engineering tools that enable teams to validate system resilience more efficiently, intelligently and at scale.

Massimo Forno is the Technical Founder & CEO of QuantikMind, a deep-tech startup pioneering intelligent chaos experiment and test selection for large-scale distributed systems. With 20+ years spanning QA, DevOps, SRE and Software Architecture, includ... Show more

Equal parts strategist and storyteller, Leslie Schall brings humor, heart, and hard-earned expertise to every stage. As Director of Channel Partnership, Microsoft at Corpay, she leads the powerhouse alliance connecting fintech innovation with Microsoft’s global ecosystem—helping businesses simplify payments and scale smarter.

Leslie’s sessions blend real-world insights with relatable energy, turning complex financial topics like fraud prevention, cash flow optimization, AP automation, and workflow efficiency into engaging, actionable discussions. Audiences walk away inspired, informed, and ready to rethink what modern financial operations can be.

When she’s not sparking collaboration across the Microsoft ecosystem, you’ll find Leslie in Fort Collins, Colorado, chasing her three kids, mountain views, and the next great cup of coffee.

Equal parts strategist and storyteller, Leslie Schall brings humor, heart, and hard-earned expertise to every stage. As Director of Channel Partnership, Microsoft at Corpay, she leads the powerhouse alliance connecting fintech innovation with Microso... Show more

Hernan Huwyler is a Global Risk Management Executive and the Academic Director at IE Law and Business School (Executive Education). With a dual background as an MBA and CPA, Hernan specializes in the intersection of Law, Technology, and Quantitative Risk.

He focuses on "translating" complex regulatory frameworks (EU AI Act, GDPR, ISO 42001) into actionable architectures for engineering and business teams. Unlike traditional compliance officers, Hernan advocates for data-driven risk management, moving beyond "heatmaps" to utilize Monte Carlo simulations, convolution models, and Python-based risk quantification.

Hernan has led Risk, Control, and Audit functions for major multinational corporations across Europe and the Americas. He writes and speaks extensively on Adversarial AI, Algorithmic Auditing, and the financial quantification of Cyber Risk. Past keynote venues include Risk Awareness Conferences (>2,000 risk managers), IIA and ISACA Summits, ProcureCom Europe, IKN Madrid, IE University, and closed-door sessions for international organizations and national regulators. Hernan’s talks consistently rank in the top 5% of conference feedback scores because he makes complex security requirements, business needs and regulations feel like a competitive advantage.

Speaking Topics:

AI Governance: Implementing ISO 42001 and navigating the EU AI Act.
Risk Quantification: Why "Impact x Probability" fails and how to use convolution models.
Adversarial AI: Balancing transparency with security to prevent data poisoning.
AI ROI: Risk-adjusted financial modeling for Generative AI deployments.

Ready-to-Submit Talk Proposals:

Session 1: The Technical/Quant Talk

Title: Kill the Heatmap: Quantifying AI Risk with Python & Monte Carlo Simulations
Abstract: Most organizations manage AI risk using colorful 5x5 "heatmaps." This is mathematically flawed and dangerous for high-stakes AI deployment. In this talk, we will ditch the gut-check methodology. I will demonstrate how to use convolution and Monte Carlo simulations to model the "tail risk" of AI hallucinations and regulatory fines. You will leave with a method to calculate the actual financial exposure of your models—no expensive GRC software required, just math and logic.

Session 2: The Governance/Security Talk

Title: The Transparency Trap: How to Audit AI Without Creating Vulnerabilities
Abstract: New standards like ISO/IEC 12792 demand AI transparency, but in the age of Adversarial Machine Learning, "oversharing" is a security vector. If you reveal your full architecture and training sources, you invite data poisoning and model inversion attacks. This session outlines a "Tiered Disclosure Architecture." We will discuss how to route specific data to auditors, regulators, and users differently, ensuring compliance with the EU AI Act without handing the keys to bad actors.

Session 3: The Business/Strategy Talk

Title: The Real Cost of Intelligence: A Risk-Adjusted Framework for AI ROI
Abstract: Companies are deploying Generative AI based on productivity hype, but they are ignoring the "OpEx Iceberg"—model drift, inference costs, and liability reserves. This talk presents a financial framework for calculating the true ROI of AI. We will cover how to factor in the "Risk Delta" (new risks vs. automated risks), calculate the Levelized Cost of AI (LCOAI), and determine when to build vs. buy based on process uniqueness. A session for leaders who need to justify the cloud bill to the CFO.

Hernan Huwyler is a Global Risk Management Executive and the Academic Director at IE Law and Business School (Executive Education). With a dual background as an MBA and CPA, Hernan specializes in the intersection of Law, Technology, and Quantitative ... Show more

Passionate about technology and cybersecurity - Experienced IT consultant
un curioso insoportable

Passionate about technology and cybersecurity - Experienced IT consultant un curioso insoportable Show more

Santosh Durgam is a data engineering & analytics leader with 20+ years building governed, high-scale data platforms across retirement/401(k), broader financial services, and healthcare. He leads cross-functional teams that deliver production-grade data lakes, lineage-aware pipelines, and ML-enabled analytics on cloud—translating governance into measurable business outcomes.

Recent speaking includes SQL Saturday Minnesota 2025, where he presented “From Ingestion to Insights: Building Robust Data Pipelines in AWS” to an in-person community audience. He has also contributed to international research forums and science conferences, and is invited to speak at ICDPN-2025 (International Conference on Data Processing & Networking), engaging practitioners and scholars on data engineering, governance, and analytics at scale. Santosh actively publishes/curates work via Google Scholar and shares practical playbooks for data quality, metadata/lineage, and operating models that connect data platforms to financial decisioning.

Beyond delivery, Santosh serves the community as a peer reviewer of scholarly work on data/ML methodologies and as a judge/mentor for select industry and academic competitions, reinforcing peer validation and public recognition. He champions modern data culture—mentoring engineers and product leaders, and advocating automation (incl. AI agents) to elevate reliability, speed, and auditability in regulated environments. Santosh recently completed his Executive MBA, sharpening strategy and value-creation at the intersection of data, risk, and growth

Santosh Durgam is a data engineering & analytics leader with 20+ years building governed, high-scale data platforms across retirement/401(k), broader financial services, and healthcare. He leads cross-functional teams that deliver production-grade da... Show more

Sam Dengler is a Sr Principal Engineer at JPMorganChase, focused on AI-assisted developer experience, agentic systems, and high-scale event-driven architectures. He has spoken at AWS re:Invent, GOTO, Airflow Summit, and DevNexus on topics ranging from serverless patterns to distributed systems. Previously at AWS and Capital One, Sam has authored technical content on the AWS Compute, Architecture, and Database blogs, and designed official AWS training courses on event-driven and serverless architectures. When he's not building systems that refuse to die, he's probably debugging one that should have.

Sam Dengler is a Sr Principal Engineer at JPMorganChase, focused on AI-assisted developer experience, agentic systems, and high-scale event-driven architectures. He has spoken at AWS re:Invent, GOTO, Airflow Summit, and DevNexus on topics ranging fro... Show more

I am a senior backend and platform engineer at eBay with over 14 years of experience building and modernizing enterprise systems. I work on large scale billing and financial platforms that demand high reliability, strong security, and precise data correctness. I spend most of my time modernizing legacy architectures, designing cloud ready services, and building APIs and pipelines that hold up under heavy traffic and real world failure modes.

Lately, I have been integrating AI into engineering workflows, focusing on diagnostics, observability, testing, and automation that help teams move faster without sacrificing safety.

On stage, I share field tested patterns and mistakes to avoid, from migrations and cutovers to incident driven design and operational readiness. My goal is to give engineers practical takeaways they can apply immediately when building and modernizing systems at scale.

I am a senior backend and platform engineer at eBay with over 14 years of experience building and modernizing enterprise systems. I work on large scale billing and financial platforms that demand high reliability, strong security, and precise data co... Show more

Gregory Thoke is an entrepreneur based in Fort Collins, Colorado, with over a decade of professional experience in finance, strategy, and business development. He applies a disciplined, data-driven approach to building and scaling ventures, focusing on long-term growth, operational efficiency, and calculated risk management.

After beginning his career in financial services, Gregory transitioned into entrepreneurship, where he leverages his financial expertise to evaluate opportunities, manage cash flow, and execute sustainable growth strategies. His background provides a structured foundation for decision-making while allowing flexibility to innovate and adapt in competitive markets.

He earned his degree in Finance from the University of Northern Colorado’s Monfort College of Business in 2012. He is currently pursuing his MBA at Colorado State University, further strengthening his expertise in leadership, operations, and strategic management.
Outside of business and academics, Gregory enjoys skiing, hiking Colorado’s mountains, volunteering, and spending time with his family — embracing the same resilience, preparation, and long-term mindset that guide his professional work.

Gregory Thoke is an entrepreneur based in Fort Collins, Colorado, with over a decade of professional experience in finance, strategy, and business development. He applies a disciplined, data-driven approach to building and scaling ventures, focusing ... Show more

Lora Vaughn helps business leaders understand technology risk without the jargon. A former NSA analyst and two-time CISO, she’s protected organizations from global fintechs to community banks. Now she advises executives on practical ways to protect their business, implement AI tools safely, and respond when things go wrong. A LinkedIn Learning instructor with courses taken by thousands, Lora delivers straight talk about what actually matters. No fear-mongering. No vendor pitches. Just what you actually need to know.

Lora Vaughn helps business leaders understand technology risk without the jargon. A former NSA analyst and two-time CISO, she’s protected organizations from global fintechs to community banks. Now she advises executives on practical ways to protect t... Show more

Ursula Spencer is an eDiscovery and information governance SME with deep roots in enterprise Microsoft ecosystems. She pioneered and led the Federal Reserve System’s eDiscovery function following the 2008 financial crisis, designing defensible data collection and review workflows across 12 Reserve Banks. Her work supported Congressional investigations, regulatory audits, and high risk litigation, reducing manual processing by over 80 percent while maintaining NIST and FISMA aligned audit readiness. She has since led system wide migrations to Microsoft 365, designed governance ready collaboration environments, and advised public and private sector organizations on secure, people centered M365 adoption.

Today, Ursula designs secure, people centered adoption strategies for public sector, education, and enterprise organizations. She specializes in translating emerging technologies including AI, XR, VR, and AR into governed, scalable solutions that accelerate transformation while protecting data and compliance posture. Her approach blends deep technical expertise with change leadership, helping organizations safely navigate AI’s inflection point.

An award winning technologist, she has spoken at Politico LIVE, Microsoft Elevate and Innovate, BaddieCon, CIAA Tech Summit House, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where she shares practical frameworks for AI readiness, collaboration at scale, and career reinvention in emerging tech.

Ursula Spencer is an eDiscovery and information governance SME with deep roots in enterprise Microsoft ecosystems. She pioneered and led the Federal Reserve System’s eDiscovery function following the 2008 financial crisis, designing defensible data c... Show more

Avinash Sabat is a Principal Cloud DevOps and Platform Engineer with 14+ years of experience building cloud-native platforms for large, regulated organizations. His work centers on platform engineering, developer enablement, and operational excellence, creating scalable, secure foundations that allow teams to move faster without sacrificing control. He brings a systems-level perspective that connects cloud engineering, governance, and business outcomes.

Avinash Sabat is a Principal Cloud DevOps and Platform Engineer with 14+ years of experience building cloud-native platforms for large, regulated organizations. His work centers on platform engineering, developer enablement, and operational excellenc... Show more

I'm a Product Strategy and UX Leader currently serving as UX Manager at Google in Zurich, Switzerland, with over 25 years of experience in digital product design, building and directing high-performing design organizations at scale.

I specialize in Product Strategy and Design Operations (DesignOps), leveraging AI to transform both how teams design and how users interact with products, systems, and services, driving measurable commercial impact across FinTech, AdTech, and E-commerce.

Previously, I served as Head of UX Research and Design at Credit Suisse (2017-2021) and Senior UX Design Manager at Amazon (2016), with earlier leadership roles at Tesco, Accenture, and Barclays.

I deliver keynotes and workshops on UX leadership, design operations, AI-powered design transformation, and building high-performing teams. My sessions focus on practical frameworks for scaling design organizations, navigating the IC-to-leader transition, and leveraging AI to accelerate both team workflows and product capabilities.

British-born and based in Zurich since 2017.

I'm a Product Strategy and UX Leader currently serving as UX Manager at Google in Zurich, Switzerland, with over 25 years of experience in digital product design, building and directing high-performing design organizations at scale. I specialize i... Show more

Samuel is a Senior Mobile Engineer with 6+ years of experience developing robust and scalable mobile applications for fintech, e-commerce, and SaaS, serving hundreds of thousands of users.

Samuel is a Senior Mobile Engineer with 6+ years of experience developing robust and scalable mobile applications for fintech, e-commerce, and SaaS, serving hundreds of thousands of users. Show more