Chris Ibbitson has spent the last 25 years working in the financial services technology space. The first fourteen years were spent working in a host of architectural roles within a global universal bank, with the ten years before joining AWS working for a Systems Integrator (as the EMEA Chief Architect for Financial Services) and Tech Vendor (as the CTO for Financial Services in EMEA) with global banking customers. Chris currently works within Global Financial Services at AWS and engages with large banks to help them develop and execute their cloud strategies. Chris loves to talk about how technology can help banks reinvent themselves and delight their customers.

Chris Ibbitson has spent the last 25 years working in the financial services technology space. The first fourteen years were spent working in a host of architectural roles within a global universal bank, with the ten years before joining AWS working ... Show more

In 2009 I started my first public accounting firm, Shurek Accounting & Tax, operating out of my bonus room upstairs and meeting clients at their homes and local Starbucks. In 2012, after picking up my first 250 or so clients, I opened my first office, hired my first employee and began to grow my practice.

Through advertising, networking and referrals, I picked up an average of 100 clients per year, consisting of a good mixture of small-to-medium sized businesses as well as individual tax clients, and had accumulated around 800 clients by my eighth year. In 2015, I started doing work for clients in the cannabis industry in various states, and after accumulating a few clients, in 2016, I created my new company, MCA Accounting Solutions/ MyCannabisAccountant.com.

After working in the cannabis space for a few years and learning of the true need of good accountants to help businesses stay in compliance, In January of 2018, I sold over 600 of my initial clients to another local accountant and shifted most of my main practice focus to cannabis accounting.

For almost the last decade, we have helped clients that own dispensaries, cultivations, processing facilities and ancillary service providers in almost every state that there is a legal cannabis program – working with over 100 licensees in most legal states.

In 2017, I was introduced to the crypto world by several clients that were involved in different aspects and activities. Since then, I have been heavily involved in mining, trading, Defi, NFTs and we have been doing accounting and taxes for clients in the space for the past several years. Seeing another niche market with a significant need, I officially formed The Crypto Accountant in 2021 to help the crypto community not only to be able to accurately represent their crypto gains and losses for tax return purposes, but also to allow for proactive and strategic tax planning based around their crypto portfolios and activities.

After working with over 1,000+ companies and individuals spanning just about every industry there is, I have developed a true understanding of not only the cannabis and cryptocurrency industries, but also the struggles and challenges it takes for businesses to survive and compete in the dynamic business environments of today. As a fellow entrepreneur, I also understand the hustle and dedication it takes to run a business, and the extra efforts it takes to do so successfully.

In 2009 I started my first public accounting firm, Shurek Accounting & Tax, operating out of my bonus room upstairs and meeting clients at their homes and local Starbucks. In 2012, after picking up my first 250 or so clients, I opened my first office... Show more

Seasoned Cyber Security Professional with experience in banking, financial and telecom domains. Worked in different geographical regions in demanding regulatory and compliance requirements. Data Security, Risk Management and Compliance being the most favoured security functions. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kumarmathialagan/

Seasoned Cyber Security Professional with experience in banking, financial and telecom domains. Worked in different geographical regions in demanding regulatory and compliance requirements. Data Security, Risk Management and Compliance being the most... Show more

I'm an experienced investment professional with a background in asset management, trading, consulting, fintech and AI.

On top of my technical background, I have developed skills and knowledge in growth strategies, scaling, marketing, and other aspects of running startups using emerging technologies.

With strong cross-functional skills, I have developed deep insights into both businesses and people.

If you are currently launching a WEB3/crypto/NFT/blockchain/AI project, I will be keen on helping you and providing you guidance.

I'm an experienced investment professional with a background in asset management, trading, consulting, fintech and AI. On top of my technical background, I have developed skills and knowledge in growth strategies, scaling, marketing, and other asp... Show more

Gordon Stein, BESc, MBA, CSC, CFEI
 
Gordon Stein is an international keynote speaker, blogger, personal finance expert and author of Cashflow Cookbook - $2 Million of Financial Freedom in 60 Easy Recipes. He delivers transformational talks that help people crush their number one stress – their finances. 
 
Building financial wellness helps his audience regain focus, balance and joy in their lives. Gordon combines his trademark wit and storytelling style to speak with employee and association groups, financial advisors and the media about a breakthrough path to financial wellness with no risk, minimal effort, minimal sacrifice and no budgeting.
 
In his earlier career, Gordon was a senior sales, marketing, and operations executive at high tech companies. While at Apple he led the Education and Enterprise segments to record sales and was a featured speaker at the Executive Briefing Centers in Toronto and Cupertino. At Rogers Communications he managed the $1.5B B2B market and built the learning and development function for 30,000 learners. Prior to that, at Dell he was responsible for the small business segment and had the second highest sales productivity worldwide.
 
Gordon holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Western University, and an MBA from the Rotman School of Business. He has also completed the Canadian Securities Course and the U.S. Certified Financial Education Instructor designation from the National Financial Education Council. He has volunteered with the Western Alumni Board, the Western Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council and the Crescent School Board of Governors. He is currently a member of the National Financial Educators Council and the National Speakers Association. His content is used for CE credits with the Financial Planning Association.
 
In his free time, Gordon is a downhill ski racer, sailor, fitness enthusiast and not-yet-great (ok, not even good) guitar player. His thoughts on personal finance can be found at cashflowcookbook.com.

Gordon Stein, BESc, MBA, CSC, CFEI   Gordon Stein is an international keynote speaker, blogger, personal finance expert and author of Cashflow Cookbook - $2 Million of Financial Freedom in 60 Easy Recipes. He delivers transformational talks that h... Show more

In search of the holy grail how to find a balance between decentralised economy and regulation.

In search of the holy grail how to find a balance between decentralised economy and regulation. Show more

Sofie Blakstad, author of the groundbreaking book Fintech Revolution and CEO of hiveonline, is a respected authority on blockchain, CBDCs, digital assets and economics. She is driving alternative value systems based on tokenisation of social and natural capital in multiple countries. Sofie also advises international organisations including the UN, NGOs, Central Banks and commercial banks and chairs the FI and Fintech Industry Advisory Committee for the Edinburgh Futures Institute.

As Founder of hiveonline, a multiple award-winning blockchain-based community finance platform Sofie Blakstad has hands-on experience supporting unbanked farmers in developing economies. Previously, she built financial technology and businesses for eight major international banks in over 60 countries. She has written multiple research papers on blockchain and DLT for humanitarian and sustainable impact.

Sofie Blakstad, author of the groundbreaking book Fintech Revolution and CEO of hiveonline, is a respected authority on blockchain, CBDCs, digital assets and economics. She is driving alternative value systems based on tokenisation of social and natu... Show more

My name is Sunday Ndu. A graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University. I have been building FinTech android applications for more than 2 years. I have about 5years of mobile development experience.

My name is Sunday Ndu. A graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University. I have been building FinTech android applications for more than 2 years. I have about 5years of mobile development experience. Show more

A seasoned AppSec Consultant who successfully rolled out DevSecOps program for 1200+ developers, with application security assessment experience in Banking, Insurance, Manufacturing, Telecom and Retail domains with clients from APAC, USA, Europe and India.

A seasoned AppSec Consultant who successfully rolled out DevSecOps program for 1200+ developers, with application security assessment experience in Banking, Insurance, Manufacturing, Telecom and Retail domains with clients from APAC, USA, Europe and... Show more

Olugbemiga Bamiji (also known as Gbenga Bamiji) is a fellow chartered accountant with expertise and speaking capacity in the areas of Emerging markets and emerging economy, breaking new markets, managing emotional intelligence, assurance, finance, internal audit outsourcing,risk management, business development, business process, policy management, leadership, Strategy, Market and Business Intelligence and Customer Insights Analysis for business decisions

Olugbemiga Bamiji (also known as Gbenga Bamiji) is a fellow chartered accountant with expertise and speaking capacity in the areas of Emerging markets and emerging economy, breaking new markets, managing emotional intelligence, assurance, finance, i... Show more

Background is in entrepreneurial accounting/finance/business management in the context of small business, nonprofit, and venture-backed startups. I've been on both ends of the entrepreneurial investment table.

Background is in entrepreneurial accounting/finance/business management in the context of small business, nonprofit, and venture-backed startups. I've been on both ends of the entrepreneurial investment table. Show more

A highly experienced, client facing technologist, with a strong track record of building complex mission-critical financial platforms through the delivery of multiple interlinked projects and workstreams. I bring a background as a software developer and technical architect, a deep understanding of the financial services sector - covering both trading and risk - and a strong academic background, including a computer science degree and an MBA. I also have an interest in financial and economic history, and am working towards a PhD in the subject.

A highly experienced, client facing technologist, with a strong track record of building complex mission-critical financial platforms through the delivery of multiple interlinked projects and workstreams. I bring a background as a software developer ... Show more

Fernando Leitzelar is a senior SharePoint Evangelist and Vice-president with a Large Financial Institution. As a consultant he regularly interfaced with clients and development teams to design SharePoint-based solutions. Fernando has progressively held SharePoint positions ranging from developer and administrator to Architect and Manager. He has been a SharePoint Saturday Speaker since 2010, having worked extensively on designing and architecting sophisticated SharePoint based applications. He maintains expertise in Office 365, Azure, SharePoint 2019/2016/2013/2010/2007/2003, BI and Machine Learning Solutions.

Fernando Leitzelar is a senior SharePoint Evangelist and Vice-president with a Large Financial Institution. As a consultant he regularly interfaced with clients and development teams to design SharePoint-based solutions. Fernando has progressively he... Show more

Former federal prosecutor specializing in money laundering and terrorist financing. Currently at Partner in the White Collar Defense and Investigations Group at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP.

Former federal prosecutor specializing in money laundering and terrorist financing. Currently at Partner in the White Collar Defense and Investigations Group at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. Show more

Your friendly neighbourhood Data Engineer. My background is in Finance, but I have had the pleasure to be working in IT for the past 8 or so years. In my daily life, I design and build scalable data solutions in the Azure cloud.

Your friendly neighbourhood Data Engineer. My background is in Finance, but I have had the pleasure to be working in IT for the past 8 or so years. In my daily life, I design and build scalable data solutions in the Azure cloud. Show more

A Former Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Brandon is a senior member of the Database team for financial company x functioning as a SQL Server Infrastructure Architect/SME. Having worked in data estates of several petabytes across thousands of servers, he puts a high focus on performance tuning and automation at scale. He is a frequent speaker at events like conferences and user groups.

A Former Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Brandon is a senior member of the Database team for financial company x functioning as a SQL Server Infrastructure Architect/SME. Having worked in data estates of several petabytes across thousands of servers, he... Show more

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

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

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

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

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

Vaibhav is a cloud architect with two decades of IT experience, focusing on Cloud, DevOps, and AI technologies. He is a 6-time Microsoft MVP in Azure and AI Platform and a member of the Forbes Technology Council and IEEE Senior Member.

Vaibhav is a cloud architect with two decades of IT experience, focusing on Cloud, DevOps, and AI technologies. He is a 6-time Microsoft MVP in Azure and AI Platform and a member of the Forbes Technology Council and IEEE Senior Member. Show more

Prashant G Bhoyar is a Microsoft AI & Business Applications MVP and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). Currently, he works as an AI architect in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer at Applied Information Sciences (www.ais.com). Prashant is a leading AI Architect and trusted advisor specializing in Azure OpenAI, Conversational AI, Applied AI, AI Agents, Intelligent Business Process Automation, Azure AI, Microsoft Power Platform, Copilot Studio, and Microsoft 365. He co-authored "PowerShell for Office 365" and was the technical reviewer for "Pro SharePoint 2013 Administration." Prashant is on the leadership committee for AI Fest, AI & ML User Group, Northern Virginia Data Platform User Group, and DC Metro Microsoft 365 User Group. As a renowned international speaker, he frequently presents at technical conferences. Additionally, Prashant was awarded the "Antarctic Service Medal of the United States of America" for his outstanding service in Antarctica.

Microsoft MVP Profile Link : https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/PublicProfile/5002595?fullName=Prashant%20G%20Bhoyar

Prashant G Bhoyar is a Microsoft AI & Business Applications MVP and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). Currently, he works as an AI architect in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer at Applied Information Sciences (www.ais.com). Prashant is a l... Show more

As GCD of Xebia Microsoft Services, Rene enables consultants to help organizations and leadership teams to build an engineering culture that allows them to build, deliver, and operate software in a secure and compliant way. With a focus on both the technical and cultural aspects of a company, Rene helps clients transform their work processes, operating model, and culture to become high-speed, innovative, and productive.

Rene is passionate about learning new technologies and exploring the cultural and people aspects of companies. He believes that by focusing on both technical implementation and cultural development, we can drive our industry forward. He loves sharing his knowledge and insights at conferences and training events.

As a frequently asked speaker at well-known industry events like GitHub Universe, NDC, Techorama, AllDayDevOps, NDC, and Visual Studio Live!, Rene is known for his expertise in Microsoft Azure, DevOps and DevOps Culture. In addition to being a Microsoft MVP since 2012, he is also the founder of the popular community event Global DevOps Bootcamp.

As GCD of Xebia Microsoft Services, Rene enables consultants to help organizations and leadership teams to build an engineering culture that allows them to build, deliver, and operate software in a secure and compliant way. With a focus on both the t... Show more

Ryan Edge is a software engineer and Flutter GDE living in Charlotte, North Carolina. His primary focus is front-end mobile and web development using Flutter and React. His secondary focus is back-end development with technologies including Node.js, GraphQL, Vercel, Supabase, and Firebase. He is a co-author of the "Cross-Platform UIs with Flutter" book.

Ryan Edge has 10+ years of experience ranging from maintaining large-scale systems to developing internal and commercial web, mobile, and desktop applications using various technologies.

Ryan Edge is a community organizer of Flutter Charlotte and GDG Charlotte. He is passionate about creating software that has a tangible positive impact on the lives of its users, furthering diversity in the developer community, and mentoring young software engineers.

Ryan Edge is a software engineer and Flutter GDE living in Charlotte, North Carolina. His primary focus is front-end mobile and web development using Flutter and React. His secondary focus is back-end development with technologies including Node.js,... Show more

Data enthusiast on a mission to make cost effective data platforms accessible to all while navigating the whims of an ADHD-powered mind – it's a bit like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle, but he makes it work!

Data enthusiast on a mission to make cost effective data platforms accessible to all while navigating the whims of an ADHD-powered mind – it's a bit like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle, but he makes it work! Show more

Alison Cossette is a dynamic Data Science Strategist, Educator, and Podcast Host. As a Developer Advocate at Neo4j specializing in Graph Data Science, she brings a wealth of expertise to the field. With her strong technical background and exceptional communication skills, Alison bridges the gap between complex data science concepts and practical applications. Alison’s passion for responsible AI shines through in her work. She actively promotes ethical and transparent AI practices and believes in the transformative potential of responsible AI for industries and society. Through her engagements with industry professionals, policymakers, and the public, she advocates for the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies. She is currently a Volunteer Member of the US Department of Commerce - National Institute of Standards and Technology's Generative AI Public Working Group Alison’s academic journey includes Masters of Science in Data Science studies, specializing in Artificial Intelligence, at Northwestern University and research with Stanford University Human-Computer Interaction Crowd Research Collective. Alison combines academic knowledge with real-world experience. She leverages this expertise to educate and empower individuals and organizations in the field of data science. Overall, Alison Cossette’s multifaceted background, commitment to responsible AI, and expertise in data science make her a respected figure in the field. Through her role as a Developer Advocate at Neo4j and her podcast, she continues to drive innovation, education, and responsible practices in the exciting realm of data science and AI.

Alison Cossette is a dynamic Data Science Strategist, Educator, and Podcast Host. As a Developer Advocate at Neo4j specializing in Graph Data Science, she brings a wealth of expertise to the field. With her strong technical background and exceptional... Show more

José is a Microsoft AI MVP, Speaker, LinkedIn Learning Trainer, and K6 Champion. He is passionate about Azure Cloud and Generative AI, focusing on Agentic AI, Software Architecture, Performance, Profiling, and performance testing. José also loves UI/UX, particularly with XAML-based technologies, and was previously a Silverlight MVP. He enjoys sharing his knowledge and having fun while doing so, whether at user group talks, conferences, or training sessions. Currently, he works at Swiss Life as the Developer Community Lead and Software Architect, where he is helping define the AI Strategy.

José is a Microsoft AI MVP, Speaker, LinkedIn Learning Trainer, and K6 Champion. He is passionate about Azure Cloud and Generative AI, focusing on Agentic AI, Software Architecture, Performance, Profiling, and performance testing. José also loves UI/... Show more

Head of Education & Evangelism at Tobiko

Andrew Madson is a data and AI leader with 15+ years of experience driving enterprise-scale analytics transformation for Fortune 100 companies. Currently serving as Head of Education & Evangelism at Tobiko, he leads marketing operations, developer relations, and open-source community initiatives.

As co-founder of Insights X Design, Andrew built a global educational platform reaching 250,000+ subscribers, pioneering innovative approaches to making complex data concepts accessible. He previously served as AI & Analytics Principal Evangelist at Dremio, where he delivered 50+ keynote presentations at global technology conferences and established Apache Iceberg and Apache Polaris meetups across six major cities.

Andrew co-authored O'Reilly's "The Definitive Guide to Apache Polaris" and is currently writing "AI-Ready Data" for Wiley, and "Data Transformation - The Definitive Guide" for O'Reilly. Andrew and has held senior analytics leadership positions at J.P. Morgan Chase, MassMutual, LPL Financial, and Arizona State University. He teaches data analytics and data science at multiple universities and holds master's degrees in Data Analytics and Business Management.

His expertise spans AI strategy, data architecture, open-source leadership, and building technical communities at scale.

Join my 100K subscribers on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@andrew-madson

Head of Education & Evangelism at Tobiko Andrew Madson is a data and AI leader with 15+ years of experience driving enterprise-scale analytics transformation for Fortune 100 companies. Currently serving as Head of Education & Evangelism at Tobiko,... Show more

Samir Makwana empowers enterprises and government agencies to harness the full power of Microsoft Cloud—and especially its cutting-edge AI stack—to build secure, value-driven businesses. With 17 years as a software developer, pre-sales engineer, and solution architect, he’s architected end-to-end IT transformations that blend security, automation, and collaboration.

A true AI evangelist, Samir designs PoCs and production systems leveraging Azure AI services (Cognitive Services, Azure OpenAI, Semantic Kernel), Copilot Studio, and Power Platform AI—applying deep prompt engineering, vector search/RAG patterns, and grounding techniques to deliver next-gen user experiences. He’s integrated generative AI agents into Office 365 and custom apps, automated workflows with Power Automate and Logic Apps, and secured data with Zero Trust and Microsoft Purview.

As Founder & Principal Architect of Cloudtrify Inc., Samir crafts both short- and long-term cloud-native and AI solutions that drive ROI, user adoption, and maintainability—always with responsible AI and compliance top-of-mind.

Samir Makwana empowers enterprises and government agencies to harness the full power of Microsoft Cloud—and especially its cutting-edge AI stack—to build secure, value-driven businesses. With 17 years as a software developer, pre-sales engineer, and ... Show more

When I was young I wanted to be an architect. As it turns out, I'm a different type of architect. I am a Microsoft 365 Solutions Architect.

When I was young I wanted to be an architect. As it turns out, I'm a different type of architect. I am a Microsoft 365 Solutions Architect. Show more

Clemens Vasters is Lead Architect in Microsoft’s Azure Messaging team that builds and operates a fleet of hyper-scale messaging services, including Event Grid, Service Bus, Event Hubs, Stream Analytics and Microsoft Fabric Eventstreams. Clemens represents Microsoft in messaging standardisation in OASIS (AMQP, MQTT) and CNCF (CloudEvents, xRegistry) and writes too much code for being an "Architect". He looks back at nearly 30 years in professional software development and has seen the same fashion come and go a few times.

Clemens Vasters is Lead Architect in Microsoft’s Azure Messaging team that builds and operates a fleet of hyper-scale messaging services, including Event Grid, Service Bus, Event Hubs, Stream Analytics and Microsoft Fabric Eventstreams. Clemens repre... Show more

I am a Principal Solution Architect and Microsoft CX CTO at Capgemini NL, a global leader in consulting, digital transformation, and technology services.

With over 20 years of experience in the IT industry, I have a strong passion for creating simple solutions for complex problems, using my expertise in generative AI, Power Platform, and cloud technologies.

I helped numerous clients across various sectors improve their operational efficiency, customer experience, and business outcomes, by architecting, implementing, and delivering innovative and scalable solutions.

As a Microsoft MVP, Certified Trainer and a speaker at various events, I also enjoy sharing my knowledge and insights with my colleagues, partners, and the wider community, inspiring them to embrace the power of digital transformation and innovation.

I am a Principal Solution Architect and Microsoft CX CTO at Capgemini NL, a global leader in consulting, digital transformation, and technology services. With over 20 years of experience in the IT industry, I have a strong passion for creating sim... Show more

Senior Agile Coach, Jean-Yves Klein has worn many hats: developer, project manager, program director, head of IT… This diverse background gives him a 360° view of agility — from hands-on delivery to executive strategy.

Certified in PMI, SAFe, and Disciplined Agile, he has coached teams across IT, mechanical engineering, electronics, marketing, and legal. His approach is always tailored to the team, the project, and the organization — no cookie-cutter solutions here.

A passionate educator, he has designed over 10 Serious Games, including several with LEGO, to bring Agile, SAFe, DevOps, and key roles like Product Owner and Scrum Master to life. With him, learning is hands-on, fun, and unforgettable.

Senior Agile Coach, Jean-Yves Klein has worn many hats: developer, project manager, program director, head of IT… This diverse background gives him a 360° view of agility — from hands-on delivery to executive strategy. Certified in PMI, SAFe, and ... Show more