10+ years of experience in asset allocation and tech investing. She co-founded Bridge Point Capital in 2018 focusing on deep tech investing. Prior to that, Nadia worked as a Business Unit Manager at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, responsible for sales strategy of RIA and Banks channels for the firm’s mutual fund business. She managed the launch of two Closed End Funds from 2013 to 2015, each with over $500mm AUM.

10+ years of experience in asset allocation and tech investing. She co-founded Bridge Point Capital in 2018 focusing on deep tech investing. Prior to that, Nadia worked as a Business Unit Manager at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, responsible for sal... Show more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hailing from the faraway land of Brentwood, NY and currently residing in the rolling hills of Connecticut, Matt Topol has always been passionate about software. Matt has worked in infrastructure and application development, has lead development teams, and architected large-scale distributed systems for processing analytics on financial data. Matt is a PMC member for the Apache Arrow project, frequently enhancing the Golang library among other enhancements and helping to grow the Arrow Community. He wrote the first book on Apache Arrow "In-Memory Analytics with Apache Arrow" and spent the last couple years working on the Apache Arrow libraries full time and growing the Arrow Golang community. Matt is now a member of the ASF and also a PMC member of Apache Iceberg. Most recently, Matt and two colleagues have started the company, Columnar, focusing on data connectivity using Arrow Database Connectivity (ADBC).

In his spare time, Matt likes to bash his head against a keyboard, develop/run delightfully demented games of fantasy for his victims--er--friends, and share his knowledge with anyone interested who'll listen to his rants.

Hailing from the faraway land of Brentwood, NY and currently residing in the rolling hills of Connecticut, Matt Topol has always been passionate about software. Matt has worked in infrastructure and application development, has lead development teams... Show more

Florian Lenz is a Microsoft Azure MVP and Cloud Architect with over 10 years of experience building secure, scalable cloud platforms on Microsoft Azure. He specializes in Azure Landing Zones, DevSecOps, Infrastructure as Code, and cloud-native architectures, and has worked across industries including energy, finance, retail, and software.
As a speaker, author, and content creator, Florian shares practical lessons from real-world projects through conference talks, articles, and his YouTube channel—helping engineers and teams design systems that are secure, maintainable, and built for long-term success.

Florian Lenz is a Microsoft Azure MVP and Cloud Architect with over 10 years of experience building secure, scalable cloud platforms on Microsoft Azure. He specializes in Azure Landing Zones, DevSecOps, Infrastructure as Code, and cloud-native archit... Show more

Sammy is a seasoned consultant with an extensive background in diverse industries and over a decade of experience. With a specialization in the Microsoft Stack, he has successfully undertaken and delivered numerous projects across sectors such as finance, healthcare, and beyond.

In 2015, Sammy made a significant shift in his career by redirecting his focus towards Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Recognizing the transformative potential of these emerging technologies, he dedicated himself to mastering their applications and staying at the forefront of the field. His deep understanding of AI and its practical implications has allowed him to contribute significantly to the advancement of organizations he has been involved with.

In 2017, Sammy played a pivotal role in the launch of a new company that specializes in leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Microsoft tools to maximize organizations' potential. His expertise and leadership were instrumental in establishing the company as a prominent player in the AI landscape. Through his strategic insights and hands-on involvement, Sammy has helped numerous businesses harness the power of AI to drive innovation, improve operational efficiency, and achieve sustainable growth.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Sammy is a passionate advocate for AI education and community building. He serves as a board member of the global AI community, where he actively contributes to fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and networking opportunities among professionals in the field. As an esteemed international speaker, Sammy frequently shares his expertise and insights at industry conferences, seminars, and workshops, inspiring and educating audiences about the transformative potential of AI.

Sammy's commitment to excellence and his contributions to the AI community have been recognized with the prestigious MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award in AI since 2021. This accolade further underscores his dedication, expertise, and impact in the field, cementing his position as a trusted advisor and thought leader in the intersection of AI and business.

With his vast experience, deep knowledge, and unwavering passion for AI, Sammy continues to shape the future of organizations by unlocking their potential through cutting-edge technologies, and inspiring others to embark on their own AI journeys.

Sammy is a seasoned consultant with an extensive background in diverse industries and over a decade of experience. With a specialization in the Microsoft Stack, he has successfully undertaken and delivered numerous projects across sectors such as fin... Show more

Inspired by those in the community that have gone before me, I try to share what I learn by looking at what the services from Microsoft can offer, understanding challenges people have and bringing those two things together. Having learned from 13 years in Financial Services, I moved into the world of consulting, currently acting as Director, owning Copilot and Agents within the UK at Avanade.

I am lucky enough to have been awarded as a Microsoft MVP in Microsoft 365 for Copilot and Copilot Extensibility and co-host the award winning Copilot Connection podcast as well as blogging and sharing videos.

Inspired by those in the community that have gone before me, I try to share what I learn by looking at what the services from Microsoft can offer, understanding challenges people have and bringing those two things together. Having learned from 13 yea... Show more

Enterprise Architect and Microsoft MVP specialising in Azure and Infrastructure as Code for regulated industries.
With deep expertise in Azure architecture, platform engineering and cloud-native technologies, I deliver solutions that strengthen compliance, unlock efficiency, and empower transformation.
I’m passionate about sharing knowledge, writing technical blogs, presenting at conferences, and mentoring the next generation of cloud professionals. I help teams and individuals build secure, auditable systems that drive real business outcomes in the UK and beyond.

Enterprise Architect and Microsoft MVP specialising in Azure and Infrastructure as Code for regulated industries. With deep expertise in Azure architecture, platform engineering and cloud-native technologies, I deliver solutions that strengthen com... Show more

Founder of NorthStar Intelligence, Jeff Watkins, is a seasoned CAIO, CTO and CPTO who has spent his career leading technology, product, and AI organisations through rapid growth and reinvention. He’s steered engineering, product, cloud, cybersecurity, and AI strategy teams through major transformations, turning ambitious ideas into secure, human-centred digital experiences for some of the world’s best-known brands.

A lifelong technologist, Jeff brings over 25 years of hands-on experience across financial services, healthcare, the public sector and retail. He’s founded and led multiple cybersecurity teams and is a vocal champion of secure-by-design practices for generative AI. With an MSc in Cybersecurity and a second Master’s in Artificial Intelligence, he’s currently researching and writing a book on the topic of anthropomorphised LLM agents and deception detection.

On the international circuit, Jeff is a sought-after keynote speaker, headlining events such as Webinale (Berlin), AppDevCon (Amsterdam), the International JavaScript Conference (London), and Edinburgh Napier’s PlusEquals5 summit. His candid, story-driven take on the collision of AI, cybersecurity, culture and human behaviour resonates with audiences from engineers to executives.
He also co-hosts the multi-award-winning Compromising Positions podcast, where he interviews psychologists, anthropologists, UX researchers and security leaders to bring fresh, outsider insight to cyber. His thought leadership has been featured in Wired, Forbes, Raconteur, IT Pro, Business Cloud, and Information Age, and he’s a regular commentator for the wider technology and security press.

Whether mentoring emerging leaders, building prototypes, or demystifying AI on stage, Jeff’s mission is simple: build technology that elevates people, never the other way around.

Founder of NorthStar Intelligence, Jeff Watkins, is a seasoned CAIO, CTO and CPTO who has spent his career leading technology, product, and AI organisations through rapid growth and reinvention. He’s steered engineering, product, cloud, cybersecurity... Show more

David is an Associate Director with Protiviti Canada and a 10-time Microsoft 365 & Security MVP with 25 years of experience working within information technology. For 20 years, David has assisted organizations to collaborate efficiently and effectively within SharePoint and Microsoft 365. David assists companies to understand their compliance needs and how to protect their data. He has helped organizations build data protection programs to safeguard their most sensitive information while ensuring the business can collaborate and work with their content. Over the past 25 years, David has built a great deal of experience in a wide variety of areas in IT, ranging from Desktop\Server support to development in C++ and .NET technologies. He has added value to many clients in several sectors, including utilities, government, banking, and agriculture.

David is a knowledgeable and sought-after international speaker within IT circles and is consulted regularly by companies formulating their digital workplace strategies and compliance platforms.

David blogs at http://daviddrever.com

David is an Associate Director with Protiviti Canada and a 10-time Microsoft 365 & Security MVP with 25 years of experience working within information technology. For 20 years, David has assisted organizations to collaborate efficiently and effective... Show more

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

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

Josh has been interested in computers since he was five years old. He has worked professionally as a developer, engineer, director, and architect for over 20 years. He considers himself a lifelong learner. He ​loves mentoring and working with others. His passion is seeing others progress through their careers.

Josh has led large product development initiatives for multiple financial services organizations. This has included migrating from desktop applications to the web and from on-premise to the cloud.

Josh has been interested in computers since he was five years old. He has worked professionally as a developer, engineer, director, and architect for over 20 years. He considers himself a lifelong learner. He ​loves mentoring and working with othe... Show more

Hannah is an Engineering Manager who translates complex software engineering concepts into people-centric strategies. Leveraging her background as a software engineer and Google Developer Expert for Android, she now focuses on building platforms that reduce developer cognitive load and empower teams to move faster and safely.
She remains an active mentor, technical writer, and international speaker dedicated to motivating others, especially women, to pursue careers in tech.

Hannah is an Engineering Manager who translates complex software engineering concepts into people-centric strategies. Leveraging her background as a software engineer and Google Developer Expert for Android, she now focuses on building platforms that... 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

Natalie Johnson is a renowned consultant, performance coach, author and business motivational speaker with over three decades of experience transforming cultures worldwide. As the Co-founder and Chief Visionary of Vidl Work, Natalie specializes in optimizing organizational performance by increasing energy, fostering team connections, and developing courageous leaders.

With a background in human performance, including psychology, physiology, and resilience, Natalie is a sought-after speaker and trainer, known for her engaging, high-energy presentations. Her impactful work has earned her numerous accolades, including the Enterprising Women of the Year Award, Champion of Healthcare, and Business Leader Woman Extraordinaire.

Natalie's dynamic speaking style and expertise in topics such as intentional culture, leadership development, and effective communication have made her a respected figure in the business world. Her ability to inspire and empower audiences to achieve their full potential has made her a valuable asset to organizations seeking to thrive in today's competitive landscape.

Natalie Johnson is a renowned consultant, performance coach, author and business motivational speaker with over three decades of experience transforming cultures worldwide. As the Co-founder and Chief Visionary of Vidl Work, Natalie specializes in op... Show more

Marin Niehues is an independent consultant at the intersection of organizational design and delivery, helping companies build and operate structures that actually deliver. Across 20+ client projects with organizations from VC-backed scaleups to DAX40 companies, Marin works either embedded in line functions as a Delivery Lead or Business Analyst or strategically on organizational design, governance and process architecture.

In the past three years, Marin has spoken at conferences in more than twenty countries across six continents, including repeated invitations from Google and Microsoft.

Marin Niehues is an independent consultant at the intersection of organizational design and delivery, helping companies build and operate structures that actually deliver. Across 20+ client projects with organizations from VC-backed scaleups to DAX40... Show more

Enterprise architect with multiple job experiences in different fields, from banking to aerospace, with a spice of DevOps and other less known methodologies

Enterprise architect with multiple job experiences in different fields, from banking to aerospace, with a spice of DevOps and other less known methodologies Show more

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

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

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