Dr Booma Poolan Marikannan – Microsoft AI MVP, GenAI SME, Group Manager, Data & AI, Avanade, Charlotte, NC,USA
Dr Booma, a seasoned technologist with over a decade of extensive experience in the realms of technology and leadership, stands at the helm as the Microsoft AI MVP, AI Solution Architect, GenAI SME, Group Manager, Data & AI, Avanade, Charlotte, NC,USA. Her illustrious career has spanned more than 14 years, during which she has been a stalwart contributor to the conception and realization of groundbreaking GenAI solutions. With each endeavor, she adeptly illustrates the transformative potential of GenAI, casting a luminous spotlight on its profound implications for businesses.
Her contributions in this domain have earned her international acclaim, as she stands as a revered luminary in the field. Notably, she has been bestowed with the prestigious title of "Microsoft Most Valuable Professional in AI Platform(MVP-AI)", "Young Women Scientist" by the esteemed institution, HumCen, a testament to her unwavering dedication and exemplary work. Further enhancing her standing as a trailblazer, Dr Booma has been honored as an "Outstanding Researcher/Academician" by Women Icon, a tribute to her relentless pursuit of excellence.
Beyond her remarkable achievements, Dr Booma frequently imparts her profound wisdom and experience through the written word, sharing her erudition in the field of Artificial Intelligence through insightful articles and engaging tech discussions.
Notably, Dr Booma's dedication extends beyond her professional achievements. She is deeply committed to raising diversity and inclusivity within the world of technology. As a mentor to budding talent, she emphasizes the profound significance of inclusivity and equity, championing the cause of underrepresented voices and championing the principles of fairness and opportunity for all. Her indomitable spirit and achievements serve as an enduring inspiration to the world of technology and beyond.

Dr Booma Poolan Marikannan – Microsoft AI MVP, GenAI SME, Group Manager, Data & AI, Avanade, Charlotte, NC,USA Dr Booma, a seasoned technologist with over a decade of extensive experience in the realms of technology and leadership, stands at the hel... Show more

Ginger Grant is a distinguished Microsoft Data Platform MVP and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), renowned for her deep expertise in advanced analytics, machine learning, AI, data warehousing, and the evolving landscape of Microsoft Fabric. As a sought-after consultant, Ginger empowers organizations to harness the full potential of their data ecosystems.

Beyond consulting, Ginger is a prolific thought leader and speaker for both keynotes and technical training. She contributes regularly as a columnist for Pure AI, authors insightful books, and shares practical knowledge on her blog, DesertIsleSQL.com. Her educational impact spans a wide range of technologies, including Azure Synapse Analytics, Python, and Azure Machine Learning, making her a trusted voice in the data community.

Whether on stage, in print, or in the classroom, Ginger’s passion for data and commitment to knowledge-sharing make her a standout figure in the world of data and AI.

Ginger Grant is a distinguished Microsoft Data Platform MVP and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), renowned for her deep expertise in advanced analytics, machine learning, AI, data warehousing, and the evolving landscape of Microsoft Fabric. As a sou... Show more

Angel Ramirez is a technology leader and entrepreneur with expertise in software product development, cloud-native technologies, and Kubernetes (Kubestronaut). As CEO of Cuemby, he develops innovative solutions that align technical concepts with business goals. A CNCF and TODO OSPO Ambassador, Angel is recognized for his public speaking abilities, making complex ideas easy to understand. His approach integrates technology and business strategy, helping organizations achieve scalable solutions while fostering ongoing learning and community engagement.

Angel Ramirez is a technology leader and entrepreneur with expertise in software product development, cloud-native technologies, and Kubernetes (Kubestronaut). As CEO of Cuemby, he develops innovative solutions that align technical concepts with busi... Show more

I am a father, software engineer, and architect at Visionet Deutschland GmbH, currently living in Germany. My interests range from technology to travel. I am also interested in entrepreneurship, reading, vlogging and programming.

I am a father, software engineer, and architect at Visionet Deutschland GmbH, currently living in Germany. My interests range from technology to travel. I am also interested in entrepreneurship, reading, vlogging and programming. 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

Kristyna Ferris is a solution architect at P3 Adaptive. Her experience includes implementing and managing enterprise-level Power BI instance, training teams on reporting best practices, and building templates for scalable analytics. Passionate about participating and growing the data community, she enjoys co-writing on Data on Wheels (dataonwheels.com) and speaking at various events. She also a co-organizer for Lexington Data Technology Group.

Kristyna Ferris is a solution architect at P3 Adaptive. Her experience includes implementing and managing enterprise-level Power BI instance, training teams on reporting best practices, and building templates for scalable analytics. Passionate about ... Show more

Danica began her career as a software engineer in data visualization and warehousing with a business intelligence team where she served as a point-person for standards and best practices in data visualization across her company. In 2018, Danica moved to San Francisco and pivoted to backend engineering with a derivatives data team which was responsible for building and maintaining the infrastructure that processes millions of financial market data per second in near real-time. Her first project on this team involved Kafka Streams and Kafka Connect. From there, she immersed herself in the world of data streaming and found herself quite at home in the Apache Kafka and Apache Flink communities. She now leads the open source advocacy efforts at Snowflake, supporting Apache Iceberg and Apache Polaris (incubating).

Outside of work, Danica is passionate about sustainability, increasing diversity in the technical community, and keeping her many houseplants alive. She can be found on X (Bluesky and Mastodon), talking about tech, plants, and baking @TheDanicaFine.

Danica began her career as a software engineer in data visualization and warehousing with a business intelligence team where she served as a point-person for standards and best practices in data visualization across her company. In 2018, Danica moved... 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

Carey Payette is a Principal Engineer at Financial Finesse, an Azure AI MVP, Microsoft Certified Trainer and part of the Progress Ninja community. Known for turning cutting-edge AI concepts into practical, production-ready solutions, she specializes in architecting intelligent, agentic systems, ensuring AI system and data security, and designing scalable platforms that solve real-world problems. She brings additional depth through her work in machine learning, IoT, and data analytics. Carey combines deep technical expertise with a passion for creating impactful, forward-thinking technology.

Carey Payette is a Principal Engineer at Financial Finesse, an Azure AI MVP, Microsoft Certified Trainer and part of the Progress Ninja community. Known for turning cutting-edge AI concepts into practical, production-ready solutions, she specializes ... Show more

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in Data Platform for the last 9 years and MVP in AI.

Over 20 years of experience in business and technology working with organizations at various stages of digital transformations. Over the years, worked with several industry sectors including Retail, Banking, Minery, Oil & Gas, and Media/Entertainment. Also led several products and applications that have been in the cusp of data, strategy, technology, and business transformation. Passion for data , emerging technologies and new offerings enables clients to make fact-based decisions and drive actions in the market together.​

Provided recommendations and guidance on revamping Analytics and Reporting enterprise architecture for different companies in helping drive a Customer Data Exchange working closely with the C-Suite to help them design their New Data Services Organization with Data Products. Stood up new capabilities required to effectively operate and move toward Data Monetization using advanced Data consolidation and Data Sharing capabilities focusing on Privacy/Compliance and Data Governance

YouTube channel Power Mates: https://www.youtube.com/@PowerMatesMS

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in Data Platform for the last 9 years and MVP in AI. Over 20 years of experience in business and technology working with organizations at various stages of digital transformations. Over the years, worked ... Show more

Christina Wheeler is a Principal FastTrack Solution Architect at Microsoft, working in engineering as part of the Dynamics 365 Service Agents Pod. Prior to joining the FastTrack team, she spent three years as a Solution Engineer in Financial Services (FSI) supporting enterprise insurance and banking customers with Power Platform solutions.

A highly respected Power Platform expert and technical trainer, Christina has been a tech enthusiast since childhood. She began programming at age 11 and built her first computer at 13. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she started her career as a .NET developer in financial services before moving into consulting, specializing in SharePoint, Dynamics 365 (F&O and CRM), and the Power Platform. She has worked with organizations worldwide to architect and implement Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Power Platform solutions across financial, educational, commercial, and government sectors.

Her publications include contributions as the technical editor of “SharePoint 2007 Developer’s Guide to Business Data Catalog,” co-author of “SharePoint 2010 Field Guide,” “SharePoint 2013 Inside Out,” and author of “Mastering Microsoft Teams: Creating a Hub for Successful Teamwork in Office 365.” Christina received her first MVP award October 2017 in M365 Apps & Services and became a Business Applications MVP in 2022 before retiring from the MVP program to join Microsoft.

Christina Wheeler is a Principal FastTrack Solution Architect at Microsoft, working in engineering as part of the Dynamics 365 Service Agents Pod. Prior to joining the FastTrack team, she spent three years as a Solution Engineer in Financial Services... Show more

Mustapha is a passionate data professional with expertise in Google Cloud Platform, spanning data and analytics engineering, database engineering, and community engagement. His background allows him to bridge the gap between business objectives and technical solutions, designing, building, and securing efficient data processing systems. As a Data Engineer and Advocate, Mustapha is dedicated to empowering others to leverage data effectively and securely through their writing, speaking engagements, and online content.

Mustapha is a passionate data professional with expertise in Google Cloud Platform, spanning data and analytics engineering, database engineering, and community engagement. His background allows him to bridge the gap between business objectives and t... Show more

Senior developer with +12 years of experience in Java/Kotlin enterprise systems. Specialized in distributed and scalable applications for banking and e-commerce.
Technical expertise: Modern architectures (microservices, CI/CD), Java, Kotlin, Spring (Boot, Security, Cloud), Hibernate/JPA, relational and NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB), and messaging (Kafka).

Passionate about automation and share knowledge on my blog: https://geovannycode.com

Senior developer with +12 years of experience in Java/Kotlin enterprise systems. Specialized in distributed and scalable applications for banking and e-commerce. Technical expertise: Modern architectures (microservices, CI/CD), Java, Kotlin, Spring ... Show more

Frank Lesniak is a Sr. Cybersecurity & Enterprise Technology Architect at West Monroe with nearly 20 years of experience leading consulting engagements involving Microsoft infrastructure technology. His expertise spans modern cloud platforms such as Azure, Microsoft 365, and Entra ID, as well as classic platforms such as Windows Server, Active Directory, and SQL Server. His recent focus has been on Microsoft platform cybersecurity and automating technical processes using PowerShell. In his role, Frank establishes technical project methodologies, leads teams, automates associated processes, and creates internal software products at West Monroe and in the open-source community.

Frank's versatility also includes:

- Microsoft 365
- Process automation, Windows/Windows Server administration, and configuration management (Intune, SCCM)
- Linux (Raspberry Pi OS, Ubuntu) and macOS (FreeBSD)
- Resilient systems, disaster recovery, virtualization, containers
- Federated authentication (OpenID Connect, OAuth2, SAML), public key infrastructure
- Industry experience: banking, finance, healthcare, high-tech/software, insurance, life sciences, manufacturing, public utilities, and more

At West Monroe, Frank leads the Workplace Collaboration (Modern Work) competency, heading a 45-member team specializing in:

- Executing M&A-related divestitures and mergers (efficiently migrating identities, email, documents, telephony, and workstations between environments)
- Building award-winning intranet and employee experience portals
- Fortifying Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Azure, and Windows endpoint security (including the Defender suite)
- Modernizing endpoint management with Microsoft's Modern Management framework (Intune, Windows Autopilot, JAMF for macOS, Defender for Endpoint)

Frank's role includes technical leadership through product development and presentations on PowerShell and identity/access management. He manages the Microsoft partnership and is an employee experience manager for the Technology & Experience practice.

In the community, Frank serves as the Vice President of DuPage Animal Friends (DAF), a non-profit supporting DuPage County Animal Services (DCAS). As DuPage County's sole open-admission animal shelter, DCAS depends on DAF for crucial care, specialized therapy, and community programs, given that it's not tax-funded. Frank also leads DAF's Technology Committee.

Engaged in the tech community, Frank frequently speaks at conferences and user groups, is a published author, and publishes open-source code.

Frank Lesniak is a Sr. Cybersecurity & Enterprise Technology Architect at West Monroe with nearly 20 years of experience leading consulting engagements involving Microsoft infrastructure technology. His expertise spans modern cloud platforms such as ... Show more

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

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

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

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

Nicky van Vroenhoven is a BI professional focused at the Microsoft stack and a Data Platform MVP. He mainly works with Power BI, Power Platform and T-SQL. Nicky started working with SQL Server and SSIS in 2005 in the DWH space, and later moved from Power Pivot to Power BI. After working 10 years in BI-consultancy jobs in several industries and companies, he worked for 5 years as a Power BI Administrator at a wealth management bank, and he is currently working as Unit Lead Fabric/Power BI at Powerdobs in The Netherlands.
Nicky has spoken at several User Groups and conferences including SQL Saturday Events, the Power BI World Tour, SQLBits and the Fabric Community Conference. In addition he enjoys tweeting and blogging about topics like Power BI and Power Platform at https://nickyvv.com.
In his spare time Nicky likes to go running, play chess or try to improve his Rubik's cube record. He is also a husband, father of 3 and a (former) ballroom dancer.

Nicky van Vroenhoven is a BI professional focused at the Microsoft stack and a Data Platform MVP. He mainly works with Power BI, Power Platform and T-SQL. Nicky started working with SQL Server and SSIS in 2005 in the DWH space, and later moved from P... Show more

Lead BI Architect, with a background as business analyst with a 20-year experience, data analysis is one of his daily tasks, with Power BI a world of possibilities opened.
Super User in the Power BI community since the start of the program back in 2018 that allowed him to achieve a Microsoft MVP for the first time in 2019.

The engagement with the community, went further in 2020 with the first presentation on DAX and the blog https://pbiportugal.com/.
In 2021 there was a shift in his career with full time job in data, currently he provides solutions in Power BI and the Microsoft environment for customers in different business areas.

Making his own tools in Excel and VBA since University to improve the analysis and ways to show data that allowed users to have quick insights.
With Power Query and Power BI, the insights are easier and faster, and takes BI to a different level since removes the dependency on specialized professionals to have data as we need and when we need it.

Lead BI Architect, with a background as business analyst with a 20-year experience, data analysis is one of his daily tasks, with Power BI a world of possibilities opened. Super User in the Power BI community since the start of the program back in ... Show more

Seyfallah Tagrerout, 12 years of Experience – CEO at STC Consulting SARL Switzerland | Team Lead | Cloud and Security Architect, Microsoft Regional Director | Microsoft MVP Security since 2015, Speaker and book Author.

He is extremely highly and well skilled on all news features from Microsoft Azure / M365 technologies and security (Zero Trust, Azure Data Center , Identity , SecOps and Modern Workplace). He loves using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender for Office 365, Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Entra and many other solutions of the Microsoft Security stack.

Microsoft MVP since 9 years, I am a Book author, international speaker and Microsoft technologies trainer. As a speaker, I deliver over 30 technical sessions annually, in both online and in-person formats, in both French and English.

Seyfallah Tagrerout, 12 years of Experience – CEO at STC Consulting SARL Switzerland | Team Lead | Cloud and Security Architect, Microsoft Regional Director | Microsoft MVP Security since 2015, Speaker and book Author. He is extremely highly and... Show more

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

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

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

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

Martynas is Data & Analytics Consultant specializing in UX design and visual communication of data.
His quest is to make data-human interaction a thing data humans care about by raising awareness and promoting best-practices.
He occasionally shares his knowledge in conferences, meetups and his personal blog.

Martynas is Data & Analytics Consultant specializing in UX design and visual communication of data. His quest is to make data-human interaction a thing data humans care about by raising awareness and promoting best-practices. He occasionally share... Show more

Alan Cox is a Microsoft MVP for Copilot & Microsoft 365 and has been in IT for almost 30 years and consulting for 25. His passion is helping organizations achieve more from their Microsoft 365 investments. Alan currently is the Director of Microsoft Governance for Genworth Financial.

Alan Cox is a Microsoft MVP for Copilot & Microsoft 365 and has been in IT for almost 30 years and consulting for 25. His passion is helping organizations achieve more from their Microsoft 365 investments. Alan currently is the Director of Microsoft ... Show more

Andrew Murphy started his career as a Software Engineer but, after a decade in technology leadership, he decided to focus on teaching the skills that he learnt the hard way. When he moved into leadership there was no support, so he had to make all the mistakes (a lot of them!) and learn from them.

His goal is now to make sure that tech leaders don’t have to do things the hard way by providing them with the mindsets and skillsets that can make them happy, confident and effective leaders.

His company, Tech Leaders Launchpad, currently focuses specifically on the new and emerging leader space, as that's the place we can have the biggest impact on the students, and the industry.

Andrew Murphy started his career as a Software Engineer but, after a decade in technology leadership, he decided to focus on teaching the skills that he learnt the hard way. When he moved into leadership there was no support, so he had to make all th... Show more

Azure Certified Cloud Solutions Architect, Awarded Most valuable professional by Microsoft, former MSP, Community lead and Microsoft recognized Azure Community Hero. With rich experience in planning, designing, implementing and maintaining secure applications in Azure Cloud from x86 and non-x86 environments. A recognized leader in migrating and creating enterprise architecture for the transition from on-premise to cloud using Azure services.
I hold advanced specialization in Identity, Security, and Compliance and working extensively in the large transformation of enterprises and Banking Finance and Insurance institutions.

Azure Certified Cloud Solutions Architect, Awarded Most valuable professional by Microsoft, former MSP, Community lead and Microsoft recognized Azure Community Hero. With rich experience in planning, designing, implementing and maintaining secure app... Show more

I am a Cloud Architect at Caylent with a developer background and experience mainly in sectors like media, finance, retail, education among others. I studied an MSc in Computer Science and I'm passionate about topics like DevOps culture, automation, information architecture, user experience, event-driven infrastructure, good development practices, algorithm analysis, observability and security mechanisms.

I am a Cloud Architect at Caylent with a developer background and experience mainly in sectors like media, finance, retail, education among others. I studied an MSc in Computer Science and I'm passionate about topics like DevOps culture, automation, ... Show more

Economist Excel expert
Microsoft MVP since 2014 to 2024 Excel y 2023 Data Platform
Linkedin Learning Instructor

Economist Excel expert Microsoft MVP since 2014 to 2024 Excel y 2023 Data Platform Linkedin Learning Instructor Show more

Leon Adato is a Developer Relations Advocate and has held multiple industry certifications over his 36 years in IT including Cisco, Microsoft, A+, and more. His experience spans financial, healthcare, food and beverage, and other industries.

Leon has been speaking, blogging, and creating content in the monitoring and observability space for almost a decade. His expertise in IT began in 1989 and has led him through roles in classroom training, desktop support, server support, network engineering and systems automation before landing in monitoring and observability over 27 years ago.

Leon Adato is a Developer Relations Advocate and has held multiple industry certifications over his 36 years in IT including Cisco, Microsoft, A+, and more. His experience spans financial, healthcare, food and beverage, and other industries. Leon ... Show more

Vijaykumar Jangamashetti (VJ), is a seasoned professional with 18 years of experience in Data Analytics, Cloud, and AI. Currently a Trusted Advisor, Senior Cloud Consulting Architect, and Program Manager at Google, he specializes in guiding customers through their digital transformation journeys. VJ's expertise lies in helping customers design, architect, migrate, and modernize their infrastructure, data warehouses, and applications on Google Cloud, enabling them to fully harness the power of cloud computing. Furthermore, VJ offers valuable insights into AI and Generative AI (GenAI), empowering customers to explore new opportunities and achieve success with their AI endeavours. VJ is also a Startups Mentor in Google For Startups Accelerator (GFSA) programmme and holds Google Cloud 13X certifications.

Vijaykumar Jangamashetti (VJ), is a seasoned professional with 18 years of experience in Data Analytics, Cloud, and AI. Currently a Trusted Advisor, Senior Cloud Consulting Architect, and Program Manager at Google, he specializes in guiding customers... 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

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

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

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

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

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

Markus is a Java Champion, former Java EE Expert Group member, founder of German JavaLand, reputed speaker at Java conferences around the world, and a very well known figure in the Enterprise Java world.

Markus is a Java Champion, former Java EE Expert Group member, founder of German JavaLand, reputed speaker at Java conferences around the world, and a very well known figure in the Enterprise Java world. Show more