I'm Hernán. I'm 41. I’m a retired handball player, and totally into technology and cybersecurity.
I studied Computer Science, got a diploma in Cybersecurity Management, and I've been working in different areas of IT and cyber for the past 20 years.
I started out doing tech support for internet services, then worked as a systems auditor at PwC.
For 10 years, I led teams handling tech and operational risk management. My curiosity pushed me to explore other industries too — I took on cybersecurity roles, and then became IT Manager in the civil aviation sector in the public sphere, where I stayed for nearly six years.
Now I’m back to my first love — the financial world — and currently working as a CISO at a financial company.

And as a little "bonus track": I'm passionate about communication, so I went back to something I left hanging in my teens — in 2021, I graduated as a Professional Radio & TV Broadcaster from ETER School of Communication.

I'm Hernán. I'm 41. I’m a retired handball player, and totally into technology and cybersecurity. I studied Computer Science, got a diploma in Cybersecurity Management, and I've been working in different areas of IT and cyber for the past 20 years. ... Show more

Rahul is a security researcher with deep expertise in offensive security and red teaming. He specializes in malware development, AV/EDR evasion, and bypassing security controls in heavily defended environments. As a full-time red teamer, he builds tools and develops techniques that hold up against real-world security stacks. He currently serves as Manager of Offensive Security and Threat Assessment with a leading financial organization in the Middle East, where he works alongside red, blue, and purple teams to identify and remediate security gaps across enterprise infrastructure. He has spoken at international conferences including Black Hat, CONFidence, and Hacktivity. His work spans enterprise security and cloud infrastructure, with a particular focus on uncovering and exploiting design flaws in hardened environments.

Rahul is a security researcher with deep expertise in offensive security and red teaming. He specializes in malware development, AV/EDR evasion, and bypassing security controls in heavily defended environments. As a full-time red teamer, he builds to... Show more

Software Engineer | Linux Geek | Coffee Lover | Co-Organizer at Calzada Code

Software Engineer | Linux Geek | Coffee Lover | Co-Organizer at Calzada Code Show more

Shalini Sivasamy is a Senior AI & Machine Learning Engineer specializing in building scalable, enterprise-grade artificial intelligence solutions across financial services and cloud ecosystems. Currently contributing to advanced AI initiatives at leading institutions, she focuses on leveraging Generative AI, Agentic AI, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to transform complex business workflows and decision-making processes.

With deep expertise in machine learning, natural language processing, and intelligent document processing, Shalini has developed production-ready AI systems that enhance operational efficiency, reduce processing time, and unlock actionable insights from unstructured data. Her work spans end-to-end AI system design from model development and evaluation to deployment using cloud-native architectures.

A strong advocate for responsible and trustworthy AI, Shalini actively explores challenges related to model reliability, governance, and real-world deployment of large language models. She has authored peer-reviewed publications and contributed to academic and industry research, while also serving as a reviewer for international conferences and journals in AI and data science.

Beyond her technical contributions, Shalini is a recognized thought leader and speaker in AI innovation, frequently sharing insights on enterprise RAG systems, agentic workflows, and AI-driven transformation in financial institutions. Her unique ability to bridge traditional software engineering with cutting-edge AI makes her a key voice in advancing intelligent, scalable, and responsible AI solutions.

Shalini Sivasamy is a Senior AI & Machine Learning Engineer specializing in building scalable, enterprise-grade artificial intelligence solutions across financial services and cloud ecosystems. Currently contributing to advanced AI initiatives at lea... Show more

Robert Nordlander has over 20 years of experience as a special agent with IRS-Criminal Investigation, where he chased tax evaders and money launderers around the world. He is currently the owner of a CPA firm that focuses on forensic accounting and resolving tough tax problems. He is an author of three books on criminal taxes and unpaid payroll taxes. Nordlander speaks on national stages on forensic accounting, tax resolution, and white-collar investigations.

Robert Nordlander has over 20 years of experience as a special agent with IRS-Criminal Investigation, where he chased tax evaders and money launderers around the world. He is currently the owner of a CPA firm that focuses on forensic accounting and ... Show more

I've been working in software for over 25 years, much of that time spent doing full stack as well as data modeling and artificial intelligence. Awarded a patent for an algorithm I designed to compress data for rapid pattern recognition and dimensional filtering. Investing had been just a hobby for over a decade before deciding to go full-time and start LymanWealth with my brothers to help other "non-wealthy" people get an advantage in their investing

I've been working in software for over 25 years, much of that time spent doing full stack as well as data modeling and artificial intelligence. Awarded a patent for an algorithm I designed to compress data for rapid pattern recognition and dimensiona... Show more

Davide Caldarulo is a Senior Software Developer at Objectway's Bari office, where he designs and develops Java backend solutions for the financial sector. Passionate about technology and problem-solving, he enjoys turning complex challenges into simple, efficient solutions, always striving to deliver high-quality software that creates real value.

Davide Caldarulo is a Senior Software Developer at Objectway's Bari office, where he designs and develops Java backend solutions for the financial sector. Passionate about technology and problem-solving, he enjoys turning complex challenges into simp... Show more

I’m an Agent Infrastructure Engineer at LeapXpert, where I work on backend infrastructure for bringing AI agents into enterprise communication workflows. My work spans multi-agent systems, agent and skill orchestration, multi-tenant architectures, and production AI infrastructure across financial services, healthcare, and enterprise environments. I’m particularly interested in the trust, identity, and infrastructure challenges that emerge when AI agents move beyond answering questions and start communicating and taking actions across real enterprise systems.

I’m an Agent Infrastructure Engineer at LeapXpert, where I work on backend infrastructure for bringing AI agents into enterprise communication workflows. My work spans multi-agent systems, agent and skill orchestration, multi-tenant architectures, an... Show more

Data Engineer with 3+ years of experience building production data platforms at NatWest, Accenture, and Dpoint. Specialized in cloud-native architectures, real-time processing with Kafka and Spark, and data quality frameworks. Published technical writer on Medium, sharing practical lessons from production systems. Passionate about making data platforms reliable and trustworthy.

Data Engineer with 3+ years of experience building production data platforms at NatWest, Accenture, and Dpoint. Specialized in cloud-native architectures, real-time processing with Kafka and Spark, and data quality frameworks. Published technical wri... Show more

Harender Bisht, PhD, is a Technical Architect and Lead Developer with more than 10 years of experience designing and delivering enterprise technology solutions across insurance, reinsurance, finance, regulatory reporting, data engineering, and applied artificial intelligence. Based in New Jersey, he currently serves as a Lead Developer and Technical Architect at Crum & Forster, where he leads strategic initiatives involving IFRS 17, reinsurance modernization, financial automation, enterprise data architecture, intelligent reporting, and AI-enabled decision-support systems.

His work includes designing a company-wide IFRS 17 data and calculation framework that integrates claims, premiums, reinsurance, actuarial, and financial information with platforms such as Moody’s Analytics and OneStream. He has architected enterprise integrations for Sapiens Reinsurance, supported the modernization and retirement of legacy systems, and developed a hybrid cloud and on-premises job orchestration platform for centrally managing, monitoring, scheduling, and auditing enterprise batch operations.

Harender’s applied AI work focuses on building governed, secure, and explainable AI capabilities for enterprise environments. He has contributed to intelligent financial reporting solutions that combine retrieval-augmented generation, large language models, natural-language querying, semantic search, metadata-driven retrieval, and structured enterprise data pipelines. These solutions are designed to help business users explore financial and operational information, identify trends and variances, compare reporting periods, and generate evidence-based insights while maintaining traceability to authoritative data sources.

He has also designed microservices for OFAC sanctions screening using Azure Cognitive Search, fuzzy matching, weighted entity attributes, configurable decision thresholds, and auditable screening workflows. His broader AI architecture experience includes agentic workflows, intent classification, dynamic query planning, vector and keyword retrieval, prompt orchestration, model evaluation, human feedback, confidence assessment, observability, and responsible AI guardrails. He emphasizes the importance of grounding AI-generated responses in validated enterprise data, preserving lineage, controlling access, monitoring performance, and reducing hallucinations in high-stakes financial and regulatory applications.

His technical expertise includes Azure cloud architecture, enterprise AI architecture, microservices, .NET, C#, Python, SQL, data engineering, Snowflake, OneStream, Azure Cognitive Search, retrieval-augmented generation, large language models, LangChain, LangGraph, LangSmith, semantic search, and enterprise integration patterns. He works closely with finance, actuarial, compliance, operations, data, and technology leaders to ensure that technical and AI architectures align with business objectives, regulatory obligations, security standards, governance policies, and operational requirements.

Harender earned his PhD in Information Technology from the University of the Cumberlands, where his research examined the ethical implications of explainable artificial intelligence in insurance fraud detection. His research focused on how fairness, transparency, accountability, trust, interpretability, and auditability influence the adoption and use of AI-supported decisions in high-stakes insurance environments. His work bridges technical AI development with responsible AI governance and the practical needs of professionals who rely on algorithmic recommendations.

He also holds a master’s degree in Computer Applications from the University of Bridgeport and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Amity University. His professional and academic work reflects a continued focus on developing scalable, trustworthy, and business-aligned AI systems that strengthen enterprise decision-making without compromising governance, transparency, or human oversight.

Harender Bisht, PhD, is a Technical Architect and Lead Developer with more than 10 years of experience designing and delivering enterprise technology solutions across insurance, reinsurance, finance, regulatory reporting, data engineering, and applie... Show more

Svetlana Schwarzkopf is a FinOps Manager with a strong background in cloud cost governance and financial transparency. She previously worked at Mercedes-Benz Group, where she was responsible for the global FinOps practice across public cloud platforms, driving cost governance, transparency, and efficiency at scale.
Today, she works at PostFinance in Switzerland, leading FinOps in a highly regulated banking environment. Her focus is on establishing operating models, governance, and guardrails for cloud and AI costs, enabling teams to make cost-aware decisions early and sustainably.
Svetlana combines hands-on cloud experience with a strong business and finance background and regularly works at the intersection of engineering, finance, and management.

Svetlana Schwarzkopf is a FinOps Manager with a strong background in cloud cost governance and financial transparency. She previously worked at Mercedes-Benz Group, where she was responsible for the global FinOps practice across public cloud platform... Show more

Seetaram Rayarao is a Vice President and Senior Lead Engineer at JP Morgan Chase with over 18 years of experience driving innovation in cloud computing, AI, and microservices. He leads transformative projects, including the LLM Suite, integrating Generative AI frameworks such as LangChain and LangGraph with enterprise cloud solutions to deliver scalable, AI-driven applications. A Delaware AWS Community Leader (AWS Builder), Seetaram is an invited speaker at the New York AI Summit, where he presented on real-world enterprise adoption of Generative AI and agent-based systems, sharing practical lessons on scaling, governance, and measurable business impact. He is also a speaker at AI4, contributing advanced insights on production-ready AI architectures, RAG systems, and evaluation frameworks used in regulated financial environments.

Seetaram Rayarao is a Vice President and Senior Lead Engineer at JP Morgan Chase with over 18 years of experience driving innovation in cloud computing, AI, and microservices. He leads transformative projects, including the LLM Suite, integrating Gen... Show more

Ériko Moreira atua como gestor no Banco do Nordeste (BNB), liderando atualmente iniciativas de modernização tecnológica de sistemas de informação, com forte ênfase em transformação ágil e evolução de arquitetura.

Com mais de 20 anos de experiência em Engenharia de Software, Ériko tem se destacado, desde 2015, na liderança de processos de gestão e transformação organizacional, especialmente na adoção e escalabilidade de metodologias ágeis em ambientes corporativos complexos. Ao longo de sua trajetória no BNB, atuou como PMO de TI, conduzindo a implantação de práticas ágeis em projetos e processos institucionais, além de participar ativamente da concepção de modelos inovadores de contratação orientados a desenvolvimento ágil de software.

Na academia, contribuiu como professor em cursos de graduação e pós-graduação nas áreas de Engenharia de Software, Gestão de Projetos e Agilidade, mantendo-se atualmente como professor convidado em programas de pós-graduação, onde compartilha experiências práticas sobre transformação digital e agilidade organizacional.

É mestre e bacharel em Ciência da Computação pela Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC) e possui MBAs em Gestão Empresarial e Gestão de Projetos pela Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV).

Ériko Moreira atua como gestor no Banco do Nordeste (BNB), liderando atualmente iniciativas de modernização tecnológica de sistemas de informação, com forte ênfase em transformação ágil e evolução de arquitetura. Com mais de 20 anos de experiência... Show more

I'm a developer and consultant at Softera Baltic, where I build and maintain a Business Central-based factoring solution for clients across Europe. I hold the MB-820 certification, and over the past year I've been using AI tools to speed up diagnosis across multi-layered AL code, spanning the product, client custom code, and BC standard.

I never expected factoring to be a domain that would grab me, but at Softera I found something unexpected - the people around me make it easy to care, whether you're building web pages or untangling complex business processes.

I'm a developer and consultant at Softera Baltic, where I build and maintain a Business Central-based factoring solution for clients across Europe. I hold the MB-820 certification, and over the past year I've been using AI tools to speed up diagnosis... Show more

Pascal B. van Knijff is an entrepreneur, technology strategist, and international keynote speaker with more than 30 years of experience at the intersection of digital innovation, blockchain, artificial intelligence, institutional finance, and sustainability.

As Founder and Managing Partner of KARBNZ Global, Pascal is leading the development of a next-generation Natural Capital Platform that integrates blockchain, artificial intelligence, satellite intelligence, digital Measurement, Reporting & Verification (MRV), biomass, biochar, and institutional climate finance to transform natural assets into transparent, verifiable, and investable infrastructure.

Through KARBNZ Global and its experienced Brazilian operating partners, Pascal is helping develop one of the world's most ambitious integrated natural capital platforms, combining ecological restoration, sustainable forestry, biomass, biochar, digital MRV, and institutional finance into a scalable investment model. His work provides first-hand insight into how blockchain, AI, and trusted data can enable transparency, continuous verification, and long-term stewardship across complex environmental assets at a scale relevant to institutional investors, governments, and global climate initiatives.

His work reflects a broader transformation in global climate finance; from standalone carbon credit projects to diversified natural capital platforms that integrate ecological restoration with sustainable timber, biomass, biochar, biodiversity, and high-integrity environmental markets. This vision was recently featured by CarbonCredits.com in "Beyond Carbon Credits: How KARBNZ Global Is Building a Natural Capital Platform Around Forests, Biomass, and Biochar."

Pascal has long advocated for applying blockchain beyond digital assets, positioning it as the trust infrastructure for Real World Assets (RWAs). His work explores how blockchain, AI, autonomous agents, satellite intelligence, and digital twins can create continuous verification, transparent governance, and institutional-grade investment frameworks for climate infrastructure and sustainable finance.

An experienced international speaker, Pascal has presented at leading blockchain and innovation conferences, including BLOCKCHANCE Europe, and EU's inaugural Blockchain Convergence, sharing insights on blockchain adoption, tokenization, digital transformation, Web3, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies.

Today, Pascal is recognized for bridging technology with practical implementation, translating complex concepts into actionable strategies for governments, institutional investors, enterprises, and innovators. His presentations challenge audiences to think beyond tokenization and explore how AI and blockchain together can build the trusted digital infrastructure that underpins the next generation of Real World Assets and the global natural capital economy.

Pascal B. van Knijff is an entrepreneur, technology strategist, and international keynote speaker with more than 30 years of experience at the intersection of digital innovation, blockchain, artificial intelligence, institutional finance, and sustain... Show more

Kumar Vaibhav Sharma is a cloud data platform engineer with 10 years in regulated financial services, where his focus is a question every institution faces: how to make compliance a byproduct of engineering delivery rather than an obstacle to it. At a Fortune 500 financial institution, he embeds audit controls directly into release pipelines cutting release cycle time by [55]% and compute costs by 40% while strengthening audit defensibility and built a production AI monitoring agent on GCP and BigQuery that took root-cause identification from hours to minutes. He has published on cloud platform modernization in regulated environments, and speaks at [DevOpsCon New York 2026 / etc.].

Kumar Vaibhav Sharma is a cloud data platform engineer with 10 years in regulated financial services, where his focus is a question every institution faces: how to make compliance a byproduct of engineering delivery rather than an obstacle to it. At ... Show more

Venkata Pavan Kumar Gummadi is a seasoned API MuleSoft Architect with over 18 years of experience leading enterprise integration projects across financial services, insurance, healthcare, and telecommunications sectors. Currently at Broadridge Financials, he is CRITICAL resource and spearheaded the award-winning Wealth InFocus platform, a cloud-based, API driven solution that transforms investor communications for wealth management firms. As a triple-certified MuleSoft professional (Integration Architect, Platform Architect, and Developer), he brings deep expertise in designing and implementing RESTful and SOAP APIs, orchestrating complex integrations across systems, including Salesforce, AWS, SAP, and legacy mainframes, while leveraging technologies such as MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, DataWeave, and CloudHub. His career spans notable organizations, including National Grid, New York Life Insurance, and The Hartford, where he has consistently delivered high-impact solutions by bridging technical and business objectives, optimizing performance and capacity planning, and mentoring development teams through Agile methodologies. With proficiency in Java, Python, .NET, and emerging AI automation capabilities, Venkata combines architectural vision with hands-on technical excellence to drive digital transformation initiatives that achieve measurable business results.

Venkata Pavan Kumar Gummadi is a seasoned API MuleSoft Architect with over 18 years of experience leading enterprise integration projects across financial services, insurance, healthcare, and telecommunications sectors. Currently at Broadridge Financ... Show more

I'm a finance professional specialized in commercial asset based lending due diligence. I have around 3 years of work experience in this domain, and have worked with multiple banking and non-banking lenders and helped them to make structured and informed credit decisions regarding the companies in their ABL loan portfolio.

I'm a finance professional specialized in commercial asset based lending due diligence. I have around 3 years of work experience in this domain, and have worked with multiple banking and non-banking lenders and helped them to make structured and info... Show more

Ravi Kiran Puvvada is a seasoned SAP S/4HANA Application Architect with over 17 years of extensive experience in SAP implementation, support, and solution delivery, specializing in Financial Accounting (FI), Controlling (CO), and Materials Management (MM) modules. He has a proven track record of leading and executing full lifecycle SAP projects, including multiple S/4HANA migrations and global rollouts across diverse industries such as Pharma & Life Sciences, Chemicals, Automotive, Broadcasting, and Engineering.
Ravi’s expertise spans SAP S/4HANA (versions 1909, 1709) and SAP ECC, with deep knowledge in cross-functional integration, ensuring seamless workflows and robust financial reporting. He excels in advanced configuration and testing of SAP FICO components, controlling areas, cost accounting, product costing, and financial statement compliance with US GAAP and IFRS standards.
Adept at leveraging the latest SAP technologies, including Fiori Apps and SAP Business Technology Platform, Ravi delivers scalable, customized solutions that enhance operational efficiency and decision-making. He has also been instrumental in integrating complex payment systems, automating workflows, and architecting secure, next-generation financial systems.
Ravi holds a Master of Computer Applications from Bangalore University and is certified in SAP Business Technology Platform, SAP Analytics Cloud, and various SAP S/4HANA Finance disciplines. He is an active fellow and member of several international professional organizations in computer science, engineering, and information systems.

Ravi Kiran Puvvada is a seasoned SAP S/4HANA Application Architect with over 17 years of extensive experience in SAP implementation, support, and solution delivery, specializing in Financial Accounting (FI), Controlling (CO), and Materials Management... Show more

Surya Chander Rao Damerla is a Data Engineer with experience across multiple domains, including healthcare, banking, and pharmaceuticals. He has worked extensively on cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), building scalable data pipelines and real-time data processing systems. His expertise lies in designing cloud-native architectures, data validation frameworks, and large-scale data migrations. Currently working on healthcare eligibility and reporting systems, he focuses on improving data quality, automation, and compliance through policy-driven and AI-augmented solutions. He is passionate about building reliable and efficient data systems that solve real-world problems.

Surya Chander Rao Damerla is a Data Engineer with experience across multiple domains, including healthcare, banking, and pharmaceuticals. He has worked extensively on cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), ... Show more

Hi, I’m Seppe!

I work on Responsible AI at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), risk management, and governance, with a clear mission: AI that benefits everyone.

With over five years of experience in AI, including the last three years focused specifically on Responsible AI, I specialize in helping organizations unlock the value of AI while proactively managing its risks. I combine hands-on technical expertise with a strong governance mindset, enabling me to translate complex regulatory and ethical requirements into concrete, actionable guidance for both technical and business stakeholders.

I play a central role in developing and scaling Datashift’s Responsible AI offering. Achievements I am particularly proud of include:
- Implementing Belgium’s first successful AI risk management framework for AI front-runners
- Acting as a trusted advisor to more than 15 strategic clients on Responsible AI
- Designing an internal screening process to assess the risks of all AI systems developed by Datashift
- Working on real-world AI systems ranging from agentic AI and customer-facing chatbots to healthcare AI, government evaluation systems, and pricing models in banking

What once felt like a “weakness” - an atypical background - has become my greatest strength. I combine hands-on technical experience in AI with an academic background in Criminology, Management, and Applied Economics, allowing me to connect societal impact, business value, and technical robustness. This unique perspective enables me to bridge the needs of executives, risk managers, and AI practitioners.

I began my speaking journey through Datashift’s internal knowledge-sharing sessions, and quickly expanded to community meet-ups, webinars, conferences, and interactive workshops, engaging audiences ranging from beginners to seasoned experts.

I am passionate about sharing insights on Responsible AI because AI is too valuable to ignore, yet too risky to approach carelessly.

Outside of Responsible AI, you’ll most likely find me in the gym - training my lifts and preparing for my next competition, such as the European Weightlifting Championships.

Hi, I’m Seppe! I work on Responsible AI at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), risk management, and governance, with a clear mission: AI that benefits everyone. With over five years of experience in AI, including the last three ye... Show more

Leading a FinTech banking core team by day, making videos by night — Rytis is an IT consultant with 12+ years of experience, too many hobbies, and a rewritten Danish Tax System somewhere in between.

Leading a FinTech banking core team by day, making videos by night — Rytis is an IT consultant with 12+ years of experience, too many hobbies, and a rewritten Danish Tax System somewhere in between. Show more

Suhuyini Frank Nnyayam Bukari is a Ghanaian individual known for his interest in education, communication, and social development. He is passionate about learning, personal growth, and contributing positively to society through knowledge-sharing and community engagement.

He demonstrates strong skills in written communication and critical thinking, with a keen interest in peacebuilding, leadership, and youth development initiatives. Suhuyini Frank Nnyayam Bukari is committed to self-improvement and values integrity, discipline, and service to humanity.

Through continuous learning and active participation in meaningful initiatives, he aspires to make a lasting impact in his community and beyond.

Suhuyini Frank Nnyayam Bukari is a Ghanaian individual known for his interest in education, communication, and social development. He is passionate about learning, personal growth, and contributing positively to society through knowledge-sharing and ... Show more

Anna Muheim is co-founder of ShoreLabs, a boutique venture-building partner that co-builds companies end to end across AI, fintech, and digital assets, from the Cayman Islands. With a Master of Laws (LLM, with Distinction) and years spent building and operating, she moved from Swiss banking and Switzerland's Crypto Valley to build from Cayman, and now helps founders turn bold ideas into ventures built to last. Her north star: dream bold, operate sharp.

Anna Muheim is co-founder of ShoreLabs, a boutique venture-building partner that co-builds companies end to end across AI, fintech, and digital assets, from the Cayman Islands. With a Master of Laws (LLM, with Distinction) and years spent building an... Show more

Aric serves as the Chief Technologist on Red Hat's Global FSI team, where he helps clients meet their strategic priorities through the use of open source technology. Prior to joining Red Hat, he led large, digital transformation projects at Goldman Sachs’ Investment Management Division and was co-founder/CTO of several FinTechs in equity and FX trading.

Aric serves as the Chief Technologist on Red Hat's Global FSI team, where he helps clients meet their strategic priorities through the use of open source technology. Prior to joining Red Hat, he led large, digital transformation projects at Goldman S... Show more

Mehrdad Afshar Majd is an entrepreneur, engineer, and investor passionate about the intersection of artificial intelligence, blockchain, finance, and emerging technologies.

He is the founder of AutoInvest, an AI-driven fintech platform focused on algorithmic trading and intelligent investment solutions. With years of experience in cryptocurrency markets, quantitative trading, and financial technology, he explores how innovation can reshape the future of investing.

Mehrdad holds a Master’s degree from Politecnico di Torino, where his research focused on blockchain, smart contracts, NFTs, and urban innovation. His work combines academic research with practical entrepreneurship, bridging technology, economics, and real-world applications.

Mehrdad Afshar Majd is an entrepreneur, engineer, and investor passionate about the intersection of artificial intelligence, blockchain, finance, and emerging technologies. He is the founder of AutoInvest, an AI-driven fintech platform focused on ... Show more

Max Morgunov, CFA, serves as Chief Investment Officer and co-founder of Oceanic Partners, a private markets investment firm based in Sausalito, California, founded in 2014. The firm makes principal investments in secondary private market opportunities, participates selectively in direct venture capital investments across stages of company development, and offers liquidity solutions for individual and institutional holders of private equity. Oceanic Partners has executed thousands of private transactions valued at over $3 billion across hundreds of companies, which gives Max transaction-level visibility into secondary market pricing and private market liquidity.

Max Morgunov, CFA, serves as Chief Investment Officer and co-founder of Oceanic Partners, a private markets investment firm based in Sausalito, California, founded in 2014. The firm makes principal investments in secondary private market opportunitie... Show more

* Helping engineers build faster, smarter, and more reliable data platforms.
* Making large-scale data engineering practical—from architecture to production.
* Sharing real-world lessons in Spark, Databricks, AI, and cloud engineering.
* Bridging modern data engineering and machine learning in production.

* Helping engineers build faster, smarter, and more reliable data platforms. * Making large-scale data engineering practical—from architecture to production. * Sharing real-world lessons in Spark, Databricks, AI, and cloud engineering. * Bridging ... Show more

Srinivas Lakkireddy is a seasoned Cloud and Big Data Architect with over 20 years of experience in building enterprise-grade data solutions across the banking, financial services, and media domains. Currently serving as Senior Vice President at JP Morgan Chase, he leads the architecture and modernization of large-scale Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) systems, focusing on high-performance cloud data pipelines, scalable design, and secure, real-time frameworks. Srinivas is an expert in Apache Spark, AWS (Glue, EMR, Lambda, S3, SQS, SNS), Databricks, and Terraform, with deep expertise in designing cloud-native, event-driven architectures. Prior to his current role, he held leadership positions at Discover Financial Services , Nielsen and Northern Trust, where he spearheaded the migration of legacy systems to modern data lakes, architected reporting frameworks, and improved data reliability and performance using advanced analytics platforms. Srinivas is certified as an AWS Solutions Architect and DevOps Engineer Professional and holds a Databricks Data Engineer Professional certification. His strong foundation in Java, Scala, Python, and cloud technologies is complemented by his commitment to building secure, resilient, and future-ready data ecosystems.

Srinivas Lakkireddy is a seasoned Cloud and Big Data Architect with over 20 years of experience in building enterprise-grade data solutions across the banking, financial services, and media domains. Currently serving as Senior Vice President at JP Mo... Show more

Alex Reich is a hands-on .NET engineering leader with 20+ years building secure, scalable systems across banking/fintech, media, e-commerce, and SaaS. He’s currently a freelance consultant specializing in the dotnet stack w/specializations with finance and security systems. Alex has been working full stack development in .NET/SQL/Angular/React while mentoring engineers and driving modern architecture patterns. Currently, Alex serves as a Senior Principal Software Architect at Deltek. Previously, he served as VP/Director of Software Development at Mechanics Bank, leading cross-functional teams and helping deliver a PPP platform that processed more than $1.2B in loans.

Alex is also Co-founder/CTO of Acorn Jr, a modern SaaS platform built on React, .NET, SignalR, Docker, Postgres, Redis, and AI-assisted tooling—focused on real-time workflows and reliability at scale. He contributes to open source and enjoys turning hard-earned “production lessons” into practical patterns teams can use immediately. He is also a contributor to Microsoft RulesEngine and authored RulesEngineEditor, a Blazor-based rules editor.

Outside of tech, he teaches meditation and is an endurance runner, including the Avalon 50 Miler.

Selected prior speaking / community leadership
• Presented at Microsoft Developer Days (III–V) and developer groups including OCSQLUG, TRINUG, FANUG, LA Django, and IBM OCEAN.
• Delivered an MSDN Webcast on ASP.NET security (October 2004), scoring 7.9—above the event average.
• Served two terms as President of the Orange County Visual Basic Users Group: brought the group out of debt, established its first web presence, and produced DevCon ’98 with industry speakers (including Paul Sheriff, Allison Balter, and Ken Getz), ultimately creating a cash surplus.
• Founded and led additional .NET user groups (Triangle .NET Users Group and Findlay Area .NET Users Group), including bylaws, domains, and officer mentoring.
• Co-authored VB 5.0 Unleashed (Sams Publishing, Volumes 1 & 2).
• Built consumer apps including Oops I’m Late! for Smartphones and Calendar To Map; previously a member of the Microsoft-curated Southern California .NET Influencers Group.

Alex Reich is a hands-on .NET engineering leader with 20+ years building secure, scalable systems across banking/fintech, media, e-commerce, and SaaS. He’s currently a freelance consultant specializing in the dotnet stack w/specializations with finan... Show more