Finance & Banking

Experienced individuals involved in financial services, including banking, investment, insurance, and real estate

Solomon Olalemi

Solomon Olalemi

Solomon Olalemi is Head of Product at VFD Microfinance Bank, where he leads the team building digital banking and lending products for Nigeria's underserved market. He has over six years of product management experience spanning cryptocurrency infrastructure, cross-border remittance, and digital banking across Africa and the UK.
Before VFD, Solomon led product at Polaris Bank, where the digital banking platform was named Digital Bank of the Year in Nigeria for three consecutive years. Earlier in his career, he helped build a remittance platform serving payment corridors across the continent and contributed to early-stage cryptocurrency infrastructure at Payercoins.
Solomon writes and speaks on product strategy, API-as-a-product thinking, fintech innovation in emerging markets, and building teams that ship in regulated environments. He has spoken at API Conf Lagos and contributes to Nigeria's growing product community.
Outside work, he's a committed reader — he finished 104 books in 2017 — and spends his off-hours with family and friends in Lagos.

Solomon Olalemi is Head of Product at VFD Microfinance Bank, where he leads the team building digital banking and lending products for Nigeria's underserved market. He has over six years of product management experience spanning cryptocurrency infras... Show more

Rob Litjens

Rob Litjens

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

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

Teresa wu

Teresa wu

Teresa is a public speaker, Google Developer Expert (GDE), mentor, and software engineer who is passionate about front-end development and Cloud technology. She has been working with many talented developers to craft various apps and projects throughout the years, and she likes to explore the world of multi-platform, the fun of continuous delivery, and seeing through the product from development to release. 

Teresa is a public speaker, Google Developer Expert (GDE), mentor, and software engineer who is passionate about front-end development and Cloud technology. She has been working with many talented developers to craft various apps and projects through... Show more

Tarigulu Khasizada

Tarigulu Khasizada

As a Digitalisation Expert within the Finance sector, my background spans over 6 years of dedicated experience in data analysis and visualization. Specializing in the development of user-friendly, visually engaging dashboards, my focus lies in enabling businesses to derive data-informed decisions. Proficiency extends to the utilization of essential tools like Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, and SQL, integral to my role in executing BI projects while adhering to agile and scrum methodologies. Proficiently operating both autonomously and as part of collaborative teams, my aim is to ensure optimal efficiency in project outcomes.

As a Digitalisation Expert within the Finance sector, my background spans over 6 years of dedicated experience in data analysis and visualization. Specializing in the development of user-friendly, visually engaging dashboards, my focus lies in enabli... Show more

Olayiwola Akinnagbe

Olayiwola Akinnagbe

Olayiwola Akinnagbe is a Senior Backend Engineer and AI researcher working at the intersection of financial technology, distributed systems, and intelligent human–AI collaboration. His work is guided by a clear conviction: systems should not merely function. They should scale, adapt, and strengthen the people who use them.

In the fintech sector, Olayiwola architects API-first, event-driven microservices that power payments, loan origination, and high-volume transaction platforms processing over one million API requests daily. He designs secure and resilient backend infrastructures using Java, Spring Boot, Kafka, and AWS. By applying CQRS principles, low-latency search optimization, and cloud-native deployment strategies, he consistently delivers measurable improvements in latency, throughput, and system reliability.

His contribution extends beyond engineering practice into scholarly research. He is the author of the peer-reviewed paper “Human–AI Collaboration: Enhancing Productivity and Decision-Making,” where he reframed artificial intelligence not as automation, but as cognitive partnership. His work examines how humans and intelligent systems can intentionally distribute cognitive responsibility while preserving human agency. This framework has been recognized for its clarity in explaining productivity acceleration and hybrid decision-making models.

Olayiwola holds a Master’s degree in Information Technology, graduating in the top five percent of his class, with research focused on machine learning–based malware detection. His broader publications span AI in finance, cybersecurity, federated learning, and predictive modeling for risk management. This combination of production engineering and academic inquiry enables him to translate theoretical insight into secure, deployable, and economically sound systems.

An AWS Certified Solutions Architect and Developer, he is committed to building architectures that are secure by design, resilient under pressure, and optimized for real-world constraints. He mentors engineers, contributes to technical scholarship, and speaks on system design, fintech infrastructure, and the evolving discipline of human–AI collaborative intelligence.

For Olayiwola, technology is not only about writing code. It is about designing systems that expand human capability while preserving judgment, responsibility, and trust.

Olayiwola Akinnagbe is a Senior Backend Engineer and AI researcher working at the intersection of financial technology, distributed systems, and intelligent human–AI collaboration. His work is guided by a clear conviction: systems should not merely f... Show more

Jimish Jitendra Kadakia

Jimish Jitendra Kadakia

Jimish Jitendra Kadakia is a seasoned data and analytics professional with over a decade of experience designing and implementing strategic data transformation solutions across diverse industries. His expertise lies in cloud migration, data visualization, modern data stack tools, and business intelligence, with deep proficiency in technologies such as Snowflake, dbt, Alteryx, Tableau, Thoughtspot etc.
Currently serving as a Senior Technical Architect/Solutions Architect at Snowflake, Jimish leads enterprise-grade implementations across sectors like financial services, telecommunications, manufacturing, and fintech. He plays a pivotal role in helping organizations architect complex data solutions, aligning technical delivery with business strategy, and advising executive leadership on future-state architecture, roadmaps and execution plans.
Previously, as a Senior Consultant at Slalom, Jimish co-led the Center of Excellence for Starburst, ThoughtSpot, and dbt. He drove modernization projects using data lakes and cloud platforms, developed visualizations and architecture for cross-industry clients, and mentored consultants across multiple U.S. markets. He also led architectural and engineering efforts at a startup in travel/hospitality, a global telecom firm, and a multinational insurance company, implementing solutions ranging from Snowflake cost optimization to Databricks Medallion architecture.
From 2020 to 2022, Jimish worked at 14 West (an Agora Company) as a Sr. Business Intelligence Developer/Architect, supporting over 700 users and spearheading a large-scale ThoughtSpot cloud migration. His role emphasized business-driven analytics, data democratization, and operational efficiency through BI tools and dashboards.
His earlier experience includes analytics roles at Morgan Stanley and the National Stock Exchange of India, where he honed his expertise in business analysis, risk management, and systems integrations.
Jimish holds a Master’s in Information Systems from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a Bachelor's in Information Technology from the University of Mumbai. He has also completed postgraduate certifications in Business Analytics, AI & Machine Learning, and Fintech. He continues to pursue advanced certifications, including those from AWS, Snowflake, Databricks, and ThoughtSpot.

Jimish Jitendra Kadakia is a seasoned data and analytics professional with over a decade of experience designing and implementing strategic data transformation solutions across diverse industries. His expertise lies in cloud migration, data visualiza... Show more

Hernan Huwyler

Hernan Huwyler

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

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

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

Speaking Topics:

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

Ready-to-Submit Talk Proposals:

Session 1: The Technical/Quant Talk

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

Session 2: The Governance/Security Talk

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

Session 3: The Business/Strategy Talk

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

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

Algernae King

Algernae King

Algernae King is a Business Infrastructure & Capital Strategist, Certified AI Consultant, and bestselling author of Multiply Your Business dedicated to teaching service-based entrepreneurs the systems, finance, and operations they need to build businesses that last and grow.
Rooted in her core philosophy "Money Responds to Order," Algernae equips entrepreneurs with the structural foundation required to attract capital, streamline operations, and scale with intention. Her proprietary O.P.E.R.A.T.E. Framework™ gives business owners a repeatable, step-by-step system for moving from overwhelmed and understructured to organized, profitable, and fundable.
As the founder of King Enterprises Unlimited LLC and the creator of multiple brands including She Builds DIFFRNT™, Built DIFFRNT™ Youth Initiative, and Divinity Financial Solutions — Algernae brings the credibility of a Qualified Accountant, funding strategist, and operational architect to every stage she steps on.
Her talks blend practical frameworks, live AI demonstrations, and grounded truth-telling that leave audiences with clarity, a plan, and the confidence to execute. Algernae doesn't just inspire she installs.
She is available for keynotes, panels, workshops, and conference sessions on topics including business systems, AI integration, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and women's economic empowerment.

Algernae King is a Business Infrastructure & Capital Strategist, Certified AI Consultant, and bestselling author of Multiply Your Business dedicated to teaching service-based entrepreneurs the systems, finance, and operations they need to build busin... Show more

James Birnie

James Birnie

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

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

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

Taisia Berg

Taisia Berg

Bringing degrees in Physics & Innovation Management and 15 years of experience in International Banking, IT and Marketing, I create and launch the best market fit digital products highly valued by end-users and business.

Certified in Sustainable Investing by CFA Institute; Azure Fundamentals by Microsoft; SAFe® 5; Scrum PSPO I; Agile PM by IAPM; Google Analytics IQ & all Ads.

Bringing degrees in Physics & Innovation Management and 15 years of experience in International Banking, IT and Marketing, I create and launch the best market fit digital products highly valued by end-users and business. Certified in Sustainable ... Show more

Brian Yurachek

Brian Yurachek

Brian R. Yurachek is a former 'Wall Street' asset manager and founder of Parallel Worlds, Inc., where he develops IoT-driven media platforms that connect physical environments with digital assets for next-generation user experiences.

Brian R. Yurachek is a former 'Wall Street' asset manager and founder of Parallel Worlds, Inc., where he develops IoT-driven media platforms that connect physical environments with digital assets for next-generation user experiences. Show more

Lars Reichert

Lars Reichert

Lars Reichert ist Leiter des Bereichs Vertriebsmanagement-Lösungen bei der Finanz Informatik, dem zentralen IT-Dienstleister der Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe. Er und sein Team verantworten Anwendungen zur Unterstützung der Vertriebsplanung, Kostenrechnung sowie Vor- und Nachkalkulation im Kundengeschäft der Sparkassen. Darüber hinaus betreut sein Bereich das zentrale Data Warehouse für alle vertriebsrelevanten Daten. Seit der Übernahme dieser Rolle Ende 2023 treibt er die Modernisierung der Anwendungsarchitektur voran – mit dem Ziel, zentrale Mainframe-Systeme in skalierbare, dezentrale Komponenten zu überführen.

Lars Reichert ist Leiter des Bereichs Vertriebsmanagement-Lösungen bei der Finanz Informatik, dem zentralen IT-Dienstleister der Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe. Er und sein Team verantworten Anwendungen zur Unterstützung der Vertriebsplanung, Kostenrechnung... Show more

Kamil Panfil

Kamil Panfil

Kamil Panfil er CFO, styreleder og foredragsholder med bred erfaring fra både oppstartsbedrifter og etablerte selskaper. Han kombinerer solid finansforståelse med praktisk innsikt i teknologi, automatisering og ledelse. Kamil har jobbet med å bygge selskaper fra idé til skalering, ledet digitale transformasjonsprosesser og hjulpet ledere å ta smartere beslutninger raskere. På scenen er han kjent for sin energiske, ærlige og inspirerende stil som gjør komplekse temaer konkrete og relevante – enten det handler om vekst, strategi eller menneskene bak tallene.

Kamil Panfil er CFO, styreleder og foredragsholder med bred erfaring fra både oppstartsbedrifter og etablerte selskaper. Han kombinerer solid finansforståelse med praktisk innsikt i teknologi, automatisering og ledelse. Kamil har jobbet med å bygge s... Show more

Eric Bernstein

Eric Bernstein

Eric has helped thousands of people buy homes, build wealth, and feel confident about one of life’s biggest financial decisions. Since entering the mortgage industry in 2015, he’s closed over $1 billion in home loans and earned a reputation for solving complex financing scenarios with clarity, speed, and care. He also has extensive experience helping veterans use VA IRRRLs to reduce their monthly payments quickly with minimal documentation.

Eric’s approach is deeply shaped by the customer service philosophy in Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard—a book he credits as a major influence in his career. He believes every client deserves more than a smooth transaction—they deserve a standout experience that’s personal, consistent, and always better than expected. That mindset drives everything he does at LendFriend, from how his team communicates to how they show up when things get complicated.

While Eric works with a wide range of homebuyers and homeowners, he has deep expertise in helping clients who fall outside the traditional lending box—self-employed borrowers, real estate investors, crypto holders, and others with unique financial profiles. He specializes in VA, Conventional, and Jumbo loans, as well as Non-QM solutions like bank statement, DSCR, and asset depletion programs.

Whether you're buying your first home or financing your fifth, Eric brings the same thoughtful, personalized approach to every deal. He leads the LendFriend team with a focus on transparency, creativity, and making sure every client walks away feeling like they had someone in their corner from day one.

Eric has helped thousands of people buy homes, build wealth, and feel confident about one of life’s biggest financial decisions. Since entering the mortgage industry in 2015, he’s closed over $1 billion in home loans and earned a reputation for solvi... Show more

Akash Chandra

Akash Chandra

Akash Chandra, Founder & CEO of InsightAI (FintechAI), brings over 10+ years of experience in industrial AI with a focus on financial analytics. An alumnus of IIT Kanpur and the University of Texas at Austin, Akash is recognized for his expertise in fintech, large data pipelines, and AI-based fraud detection. As a public speaker on AI/ML and Graph Databases, he has contributed significantly to the field. Akash has shown his leadership in startup environments using his innovative approach to leveraging advanced AI technologies.

Akash Chandra, Founder & CEO of InsightAI (FintechAI), brings over 10+ years of experience in industrial AI with a focus on financial analytics. An alumnus of IIT Kanpur and the University of Texas at Austin, Akash is recognized for his expertise in ... Show more

Itunuoluwa Olowoye

Itunuoluwa Olowoye

Itunuoluwa builds data, ML and AI-powered solutions that drive business value. She trained first as a geologist, then pivoted to data science at Deloitte, completed an M.Sc. in Data Science at the University of Calgary, and is now working as a technology consultant at BDO Canada. Her work includes applied ML, data engineering, and LLM deployment with hands-on experience for clients across energy, telecoms, finance, and manufacturing industries.

Itunuoluwa builds data, ML and AI-powered solutions that drive business value. She trained first as a geologist, then pivoted to data science at Deloitte, completed an M.Sc. in Data Science at the University of Calgary, and is now working as a techno... Show more

Sri Hari Deep Kolagani

Sri Hari Deep Kolagani

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

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

Phil Almeroth

Phil Almeroth

Phil leads Business Transformation and guides teams through delivery excellence for Logisolve (a V-Soft Consulting Company), a national consulting firm with a wide variety of practice areas, including Public Sector. He has broad and deep experience in Product, Program, Project, and IT Management and Delivery across Financial Services, Banking, Manufacturing, Public Sector, Agriculture, Retail, and Media for 40+ years. He also mentors business leaders and MBA and undergraduate students in their personal and professional growth.

Phil leads Business Transformation and guides teams through delivery excellence for Logisolve (a V-Soft Consulting Company), a national consulting firm with a wide variety of practice areas, including Public Sector. He has broad and deep experience i... Show more

Evgeny Borzenin

Evgeny Borzenin

I am an Azure Solutions Architect Expert with over 30 years of experience spanning development, architecture, and cloud infrastructure.
My career started with building complex distributed systems in the financial sector, and for the past decade I have focused on Azure, DevOps, and Infrastructure as Code.
I am particularly passionate about automation, immutable infrastructure, and building cloud platforms that are predictable, repeatable, and resilient by design.
As a Senior Consultant at Konsulentselskapet Ensō AS, I work at the intersection of development and infrastructure — helping teams modernize safely and sustainably.

I am an Azure Solutions Architect Expert with over 30 years of experience spanning development, architecture, and cloud infrastructure. My career started with building complex distributed systems in the financial sector, and for the past decade I ha... Show more

Shivam Dhar

Shivam Dhar

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

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

Shailesh Jayant Apte

Shailesh Jayant Apte

I am a finance professional with extensive experience in finance management, D365 business central ERP implementation for finance and supply chain modules and business transformation.

As an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), I bring a strong grounding in financial management, compliance, and strategic analysis.

Certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Solution Architect, I specialize in bridging the gap between finance and technology.

My expertise lies in designing and delivering ERP solutions that streamline financial processes, enhance reporting accuracy, and drive operational efficiency.

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

I am a finance professional with extensive experience in finance management, D365 business central ERP implementation for finance and supply chain modules and business transformation. As an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accounta... Show more

Aivars Kalvāns

Aivars Kalvāns

Aivars Kalvāns is a FinTech developer, software architect, and consultant. He spent more than 18 years developing and architecting payment card software for acquiring and issuing, as well as for accounting and utility payments, through mobile phones, ATMs, and POS terminals. At the moment, he is a contractor exploring Foreign Exchange, SWIFT, SEPA, ledgers, and other areas of the FinTech landscape.
The rest of the time is spent smashing with BJJ team Jelgava and participating as a Linux team member for Latvia in Locked Shields.

Aivars Kalvāns is a FinTech developer, software architect, and consultant. He spent more than 18 years developing and architecting payment card software for acquiring and issuing, as well as for accounting and utility payments, through mobile phones,... Show more

Victor Pachas

Victor Pachas

Product Owner en una empresa financiera líder del Perú, con más de 5 años de experiencia trabajando en infraestructura de nube.
Soy apasionado por las nuevas tecnologías y la Inteligencia Artificial, siempre explorando cómo la innovación puede transformar la industria. Fuera del trabajo, creo contenido tech y recargo energías practicando diferentes deportes.

Product Owner en una empresa financiera líder del Perú, con más de 5 años de experiencia trabajando en infraestructura de nube. Soy apasionado por las nuevas tecnologías y la Inteligencia Artificial, siempre explorando cómo la innovación puede trans... Show more

Victor Aguayo

Victor Aguayo

Víctor Aguayo, Technology Architect en BCP con +20 años en tecnología . Diseña plataformas cloud-native en Kubernetes (AKS/ACA) y estandariza microservicios con Dapr (invocación, pub/sub, estado, secretos, observabilidad). Orquesta flujos event-driven con Kafka y Flink e integra agentes de IA (MCP). En BCP lidera POCs, define guías/baselines y optimiza costos. Ex Principal Architect en Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes (AWS). Speaker en Peru Global Azure 2025, 2026, DevFest 2025, miembro de la comunidad Rust Peru.

Víctor Aguayo, Technology Architect en BCP con +20 años en tecnología . Diseña plataformas cloud-native en Kubernetes (AKS/ACA) y estandariza microservicios con Dapr (invocación, pub/sub, estado, secretos, observabilidad). Orquesta flujos event-drive... Show more

Jonathan Wroble

Jonathan Wroble

In 2024, I co-founded Get A Financial Life NYC, the first money curriculum specifically designed for the 700,000 students in the NYC public school system. We're now working with 50 city schools to deliver lessons on topics from budgeting to work to investing. And through creative collaboration with individual schools, districts, and key leaders in the NYC Department of Education, we've delivered stipends to students, teachers, and community members.

Along the way, I've learned and observed a ton about how kids interact with money. The fact that they don't see physical cash, and what this means for awareness of their spending; the fact that gambling is often equated with investing; the fact that convenience reigns supreme, even when it runs counter to best financial practices. As one high school junior put it: "When it comes to money, all I have is Cash App and my pocket.” I love discussing topics such as:
- Are young girls or young boys better with money, and is social media to blame?
- What is the actual cost of convenience, and is it worth it?
- What's really behind the rise of youth gambling, prediction markets, the creator economy, and crypto?

At the same time, I've become aware of the growing need for AI/digital literacy. I explore questions in my writing related to tech and society, such as:
- What does it means when your "escape" starts taking up more time than the thing—i.e., real life—that you're escaping from?
- What are the impacts of how technology enables and even fuels rampant misinformation, from white lies (like men lying about their height on dating apps) to the Big Lie?
- What role should AI play in the classroom, if any?

In 2024, I co-founded Get A Financial Life NYC, the first money curriculum specifically designed for the 700,000 students in the NYC public school system. We're now working with 50 city schools to deliver lessons on topics from budgeting to work to i... Show more

Phani Pendurthi

Phani Pendurthi

I’m a Principal Software Engineer at Mastercard with 18 years of experience across software engineering, data analytics, distributed and large-scale systems. I’ve built and optimized software architectures globally in payments, banking, telecom and manufacturing, worked across multiple countries, and mentored engineers and organizations. I explore AI, Payments, HPC, and emerging technologies to create systems that are scalable, high-performance, efficient, reliable and importantly secure systems.

I’m a Principal Software Engineer at Mastercard with 18 years of experience across software engineering, data analytics, distributed and large-scale systems. I’ve built and optimized software architectures globally in payments, banking, telecom and m... Show more

Amol Agade

Amol Agade

Amol Agade is a VP-level Platform and DevOps Enablement leader with over a decade of experience building and scaling enterprise CI/CD platforms, SRE practices, and AI-driven automation in regulated environments.

His work focuses on applying artificial intelligence to the software delivery lifecycle—including intelligent pipelines, test optimization, predictive failure detection, policy-as-code, and responsible AI governance for production systems.

Amol has led organization-wide DevOps and reliability transformations, enabling teams to ship software faster, safer, and with higher confidence. He regularly shares practical insights through writing and conference talks on modern DevOps, platform engineering, and AI-enabled operations.

✍️ Writing: https://amolagade.medium.com/

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aagade/

Amol Agade is a VP-level Platform and DevOps Enablement leader with over a decade of experience building and scaling enterprise CI/CD platforms, SRE practices, and AI-driven automation in regulated environments. His work focuses on applying artifi... Show more

Wellyson Freitas

Wellyson Freitas

Senior Software Engineer specialized in software architecture and cloud-native, data-intensive systems within regulated financial environments.

Experience across European digital banks and Brazilian financial institutions, building and operating large-scale platforms for fraud prevention, anti-money laundering (AML), and financial risk monitoring.

Focused on event-driven architectures, real-time data processing, and integration with third-party risk platforms and government infrastructures.

Technical strengths include system reliability, interoperability across heterogeneous platforms, and applied machine learning for anomaly detection.

MBA in Data Science and Analytics (University of São Paulo) and postgraduate degree in Software Architecture. Strong combination of hands-on engineering, architectural thinking, and data-driven decision-making.

Originally from Brazil, based in Barcelona.

Senior Software Engineer specialized in software architecture and cloud-native, data-intensive systems within regulated financial environments. Experience across European digital banks and Brazilian financial institutions, building and operating l... Show more

Stefano Amorelli

Stefano Amorelli

Stefano Amorelli is a software engineer and lead with 8+ years of experience in hands-on leadership positions for start-ups and scale-ups across the USA and Europe.

Stefano Amorelli is a software engineer and lead with 8+ years of experience in hands-on leadership positions for start-ups and scale-ups across the USA and Europe. Show more

Eriko Moreira

Eriko Moreira

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

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