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

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

Building cool stuff on the Internet since 1999 😎 The most interesting problems are always the ones that cross the human/machine boundary.

I help enterprise organizations navigate the messy parts of digital transformation: data center exits, cloud migrations, and cloud-native modernization. Currently obsessed with what comes next: agentic AI, spec-driven design, and quantum computing.

When I'm offline, I'm chasing the Endless Summer: exploring surf spots around the world with my family, one break at a time.

Building cool stuff on the Internet since 1999 😎 The most interesting problems are always the ones that cross the human/machine boundary. I help enterprise organizations navigate the messy parts of digital transformation: data center exits, cloud... Show more

Marin Niehues is a management consultant and international speaker. He advises companies at the intersection of AI and organization, from the business case to day-to-day operations. In more than 20 projects, from VC-backed scale-ups to DAX 40 corporations, he has helped clients build high-performing process and AI structures.

Over the past three years, he has spoken at conferences in more than twenty countries across six continents, repeatedly at the invitation of Google and Microsoft.

Marin Niehues is a management consultant and international speaker. He advises companies at the intersection of AI and organization, from the business case to day-to-day operations. In more than 20 projects, from VC-backed scale-ups to DAX 40 corpora... Show more

Adam is a software simplifier working on distributed systems and authentication. He is a Principal Product Software Engineer at Duende Software, the makers of IdentityServer. Before that, he spent nearly a decade at Particular Software, the makers of NServiceBus, and almost two decades in financial services at UBS and Credit Suisse. He also consults and trains through adam ralph GmbH, including an LLM-based investment research tool for RTP Global. He speaks at conferences on distributed systems, service boundaries, and build pipelines, maintains open source projects including Bullseye, MinVer, and SimpleExec, and is a Microsoft MVP.

Adam is a software simplifier working on distributed systems and authentication. He is a Principal Product Software Engineer at Duende Software, the makers of IdentityServer. Before that, he spent nearly a decade at Particular Software, the makers of... Show more

Solution Architect focused on designing scalable and resilient systems for large scale operations and digital platforms. Experienced in Cloud Native architectures, Kubernetes ecosystems and enterprise modernization across mission critical environments.

Outside of my daily role, I actively contribute to the tech community as AWS Community Builder and Panama Java User Group Leader, promoting knowledge sharing and the adoption of modern engineering practices.

Solution Architect focused on designing scalable and resilient systems for large scale operations and digital platforms. Experienced in Cloud Native architectures, Kubernetes ecosystems and enterprise modernization across mission critical environment... Show more

During 20+ years spent in IT industry, I had a privilege to wear all possible hats, acting as a software developer, UX designer, university lecturer, startup entrepreneur, CIO and as a delivery manager at S&P500 engineering company. Creating software always was and remains my biggest passion. I stay hands-on by delivering PoC and MVP to clients, diving into all aspects of modern technology, be it cloud computing, blockchain or AI. Originally from Estonia, since 2016 I live in Switzerland and in free time I enjoy doing yoga and snowboarding.

During 20+ years spent in IT industry, I had a privilege to wear all possible hats, acting as a software developer, UX designer, university lecturer, startup entrepreneur, CIO and as a delivery manager at S&P500 engineering company. Creating software... Show more

From the late 2000s, when the cloud computing took off, Marius Zaharia followed up closely the evolution of cloud technologies, with focus on IaaS, PaaS or hybrid architectures, and particularly in Azure, Microsoft’s cloud, and Amazon AWS. At Société Générale, an European leading financial company, Marius works as a Principal Engineer and Cloud Tech Lead, implementing cloud-based infrastructure and application solutions, and operating landing zone capacities for the internal custopers.
As Azure MVP, Marius works closely with Microsoft product teams on giving feedback and insights on various Azure services and technologies. Marius is a passionate and proactive organizer and member of the global and French Azure community, speaker at cloud-related events and conferences, and - in his limited spare time left - guitar player and singer.

From the late 2000s, when the cloud computing took off, Marius Zaharia followed up closely the evolution of cloud technologies, with focus on IaaS, PaaS or hybrid architectures, and particularly in Azure, Microsoft’s cloud, and Amazon AWS. At Société... Show more

Prashant G Bhoyar is an Enterprise AI Architect at AvePoint, a Microsoft AI & Business Applications MVP, and a Microsoft Certified Trainer with 20+ years of experience. He specializes in agentic AI, multi-agent systems, Forward Deployed Engineering, and the Microsoft AI ecosystem. As a trusted advisor and international speaker, he helps organizations accelerate AI adoption and move from prototypes to secure, scalable, production-ready solutions.

As an AI Architect, Prashant serves as a trusted advisor to executives, technology leaders, architects, and delivery teams. He helps organizations move AI initiatives from business vision and technical discovery through architecture, rapid prototyping, governance, implementation planning, production readiness, and enterprise adoption.

Prashant specializes in agentic AI, multi-agent systems, retrieval-augmented generation, AI assistants, model evaluation, Responsible AI, and enterprise integration using Microsoft Foundry, Microsoft Agent Framework, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure AI, LangChain, Python, C#, Azure Functions, Logic Apps, Microsoft Graph, Dataverse, and Power Platform.

His approach combines enterprise architecture with forward-deployed AI engineering. He works closely with customer and delivery teams to understand complex business processes, validate solutions rapidly, remove technical blockers, translate field insights into reusable architectures, and accelerate the journey from prototype to secure, scalable production implementation.

Prashant founded the Northern Virginia AI/ML User Group and leads monthly community programs focused on artificial intelligence, machine learning, AI agents, advanced prompt engineering, Microsoft Foundry, Copilot Studio, and Microsoft Fabric. He has designed and delivered executive briefings, conference sessions, technical demonstrations, hands-on labs, and workshops for more than 400 developers, architects, technology leaders, and business users.

He is a Microsoft Artificial Intelligence and Business Applications MVP for 10 consecutive years, a Microsoft Certified Trainer, co-author of “PowerShell for Office 365,” and a recipient of the Antarctic Service Medal of the United States of America. He has presented at Microsoft Build, Microsoft AI Tour, Global AI Bootcamp, and major technology conferences around the world.

Prashant is available for keynote presentations, conference sessions, executive briefings, enterprise AI architecture workshops, forward-deployed AI engineering advisory, and hands-on training on Microsoft AI technologies.

Prashant G Bhoyar is an Enterprise AI Architect at AvePoint, a Microsoft AI & Business Applications MVP, and a Microsoft Certified Trainer with 20+ years of experience. He specializes in agentic AI, multi-agent systems, Forward Deployed Engineering, ... Show more

Jerry Nixon is a Microsoft SQL Principal Product Manager at Azure Data and AI, championing developer experiences, practical engineering, maintainable architecture, and agentic guardrails at scale. With two decades of experience, Jerry is an engineer, a university professor, and a seasoned speaker who has trained thousands of developers. Find him talking about design patterns, machine learning, and, of course, SQL Server.

Jerry Nixon is a Microsoft SQL Principal Product Manager at Azure Data and AI, championing developer experiences, practical engineering, maintainable architecture, and agentic guardrails at scale. With two decades of experience, Jerry is an engineer,... Show more

Senior Data Architect with 10+ years of experience designing and delivering scalable data and analytics solutions in enterprise environments, particularly in the financial sector.

Specialized in Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, and modern data architectures, I build data platforms that enable real-time insights, improve decision-making, and drive measurable business value.

I have led initiatives in modern data architectures (Lakehouse, real-time analytics, cloud), performance optimization, and data-driven strategies.

Recognized as a 6x Microsoft MVP (Data Platform) and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), I contribute to the global data community through speaking, training, and content creation.

Highlights:

- Delivered technical sessions at international conferences and global tech events
- Designed enterprise-scale data architectures in the financial sector
- Lecturer in graduate-level data and analytics programs
- Active contributor through speaking, mentoring, and technical content

Senior Data Architect with 10+ years of experience designing and delivering scalable data and analytics solutions in enterprise environments, particularly in the financial sector. Specialized in Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, and modern data architec... Show more

Atuoha Anthony is a Staff Mobile Software Engineer with a primary focus on Flutter and Dart, as well as Kotlin and Swift, and experience with AI-powered applications. He has built and delivered scalable, high-performance products across mobile, web, desktop, and other platforms, with a strong focus on architecture, user experience, quality, and maintainability.

Atuoha Anthony is a Staff Mobile Software Engineer with a primary focus on Flutter and Dart, as well as Kotlin and Swift, and experience with AI-powered applications. He has built and delivered scalable, high-performance products across mobile, web,... Show more

Dinoy Raj is a Product Engineer and Android specialist with a deep focus on building scalable, high-performance mobile experiences using Kotlin and Jetpack Compose. Currently at Strollby, he architects multi-module B2B and B2C travel applications, specializing in unified design systems and complex booking infrastructures.

Recognized as one of the most active speakers of 2025 on Sessionize ranking in the top 3% of 71,000+ speakers globally Dinoy is a frequent face at international conferences. He has shared his expertise on On-Device AI, custom launchers, and modern Android architecture at Droidcon Abu Dhabi ’25, Droidcon Uganda '25, DevFest Dubai ’25, DevFest Mumbai ’25. Dinoy will be also Speaking at FOSSASIA 2026.

A pioneer in the mobile AI space, Dinoy has successfully integrated On-Device AI into production apps, leveraging Google Gemini Nano and the Prompt API to create "Smart Search" features and "Generative UI" frameworks. He is also the creator of Simple Launcher: Minimalist.

Dinoy Raj is a Product Engineer and Android specialist with a deep focus on building scalable, high-performance mobile experiences using Kotlin and Jetpack Compose. Currently at Strollby, he architects multi-module B2B and B2C travel applications, sp... Show more

I’m Mati Armándola, an Information Security leader with over 20 years of experience in technology and more than a decade focused on asset protection, regulatory compliance, and organizational culture.

I speak internationally on AI security, risk and governance, offensive security, and awareness, at conferences such as DEF CON, Ekoparty, Nerdearla, and DevOpsDays. In 2026 I was recognized with the Best Talk award at Ekoparty’s AI Resilience Village. I’m also part of the organizing team for DevOpsDays Buenos Aires.

Beyond the stage, I train the next generation of professionals in security, cloud, and leadership across several institutions and educational platforms.

My motto: LEAD – TEACH – PROTECT

I’m Mati Armándola, an Information Security leader with over 20 years of experience in technology and more than a decade focused on asset protection, regulatory compliance, and organizational culture. I speak internationally on AI security, risk a... Show more

Budha is the Director of Product Ecosystem at Tyk, where he leads product education, ecosystem expansion, and adoption of open standards. He is the co-creator of the API platform maturity model, course instructor, conference speaker, and host of Tyk's annual LEAP conferences.

As the elected board chair of the OpenAPI Initiative, he is responsible for increasing membership, defining the value proposition, and driving the adoption of OAS, Arazzo, and Overlays.

Part product strategist, part developer advocate, and part storyteller, he’s on a mission to remove friction from API ecosystems by breaking down tech complexities preferably with a great metaphor and a well-placed pun.

Budha is the Director of Product Ecosystem at Tyk, where he leads product education, ecosystem expansion, and adoption of open standards. He is the co-creator of the API platform maturity model, course instructor, conference speaker, and host of Tyk'... Show more

Alberto Acerbis is a hands-on software architect with a strong background in distributed systems. Recognized as a Microsoft MVP in .NET technologies, he actively contributes to the tech community.
In his role, Alberto helps customers transform their ideas into robust and scalable solutions. Beyond his professional work, he is a passionate technical speaker, having delivered numerous sessions at conferences over the years.
His dedication to knowledge-sharing extends to the communities he has founded and actively participates in, fostering collaboration and continuous learning in the tech ecosystem.
He is the co-author of Domain-Driven Refactoring (Packt), Cronache di Domain-Driven Design (Avanscoperta), and author of Architetture evolutive, DDD, microservizi (Mokabyte).
Outside of technology, Alberto enjoys mountain activities in all seasons and has a keen interest in philosophy and other disciplines beyond the tech world.

Alberto Acerbis is a hands-on software architect with a strong background in distributed systems. Recognized as a Microsoft MVP in .NET technologies, he actively contributes to the tech community. In his role, Alberto helps customers transform their... Show more

Vanessa Toves is a Microsoft 365 Solutions Architect and a recognized Microsoft MVP. She has worked with Microsoft enterprise technologies since the first versions of SharePoint on-premises, Microsoft’s BI suite, and SQL Server, making her instrumental in driving Microsoft 365 adoption for large organizations. Currently serving as a Microsoft subject matter expert for Druva, Vanessa works seamlessly across departments—from sales to engineering—to ensure the security of customer data. She is also an avid speaker and thought leader on cyber resilience.

Vanessa Toves is a Microsoft 365 Solutions Architect and a recognized Microsoft MVP. She has worked with Microsoft enterprise technologies since the first versions of SharePoint on-premises, Microsoft’s BI suite, and SQL Server, making her instrument... Show more