Jean‑Yves Tremblay is an Enterprise Architect at Alithya specializing in Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management, Microsoft Fabric, Power Platform, and AI-driven business solutions. With over 20 years of experience spanning manufacturing, ERP implementations, software development, and enterprise architecture, he helps organizations transform operational data into actionable insights and intelligent business applications. His recent work focuses on AI Agents, Copilot Studio, semantic models, MCP, and modern data architectures that bridge ERP systems, analytics, and artificial intelligence.

Jean‑Yves Tremblay is an Enterprise Architect at Alithya specializing in Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management, Microsoft Fabric, Power Platform, and AI-driven business solutions. With over 20 years of experience spanning manufacturing, ERP ... Show more

Data Science Professional with experience working in Pharmaceutical and healthcare domains. I'm currently working on Timeseries Forecasting models to predict demand of medicines from patients and get them delivered as a part of Patient Assistance Program.

Data Science Professional with experience working in Pharmaceutical and healthcare domains. I'm currently working on Timeseries Forecasting models to predict demand of medicines from patients and get them delivered as a part of Patient Assistance Pro... Show more

Sheena Yap Chan is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, keynote speaker, strategist, and award-winning podcaster renowned for her expertise in elevating leadership and self-confidence through media. She is the founder and host of the acclaimed podcast, The Tao of Self-Confidence, where she interviews women about their journeys to self-confidence. With over one million downloads, her podcast ranks among the top 0.5% most popular shows globally and features over 800 interviews, including conversations with celebrities and eight-figure CEOs. Sheena's influence extends beyond podcasting. Her debut book, The Tao of Self-Confidence: A Guide to Moving Beyond Trauma and Awakening the Leader Within, published by Wiley, is a Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestseller. It is also recognized as one of the top 20 best self-confidence books of all time by Book Authority, the world's leading site for book recommendations. Her work has been featured on prominent platforms such as MindValley, FOX, NBC News, and the Manila Times. Sheena is dedicated to closing the gender confidence gap through her training and programs, aiming to elevate women into leadership roles across all industries. She has delivered impactful speeches for organizations like Live Nation, NASA, and UKG, sharing her insights on self-confidence and leadership.

Sheena Yap Chan is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, keynote speaker, strategist, and award-winning podcaster renowned for her expertise in elevating leadership and self-confidence through media. She is the founder and host of the acclaimed p... Show more

I am a Senior Android Developer at Capital One. I hold a Master of Science in Computer Engineering from Northwestern University. My strong academic background fuels my passion for hardware and computer engineering, and I continually seek to apply those principles to enhance the performance of Android applications.

Beyond my role at Capital One, I am dedicated to education and mentorship. I am an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at the Katz School of Science and Health, teaching a graduate-level course on mobile development. As a selected speaker for the Grace Hopper Conference, I led a workshop for over 200 participants on Android development, sharing my knowledge and encouraging others to explore the field. Outside of work, I enjoy running, hot yoga, triathlons, and gardening.

I am a Senior Android Developer at Capital One. I hold a Master of Science in Computer Engineering from Northwestern University. My strong academic background fuels my passion for hardware and computer engineering, and I continually seek to apply tho... Show more

Mykhailo Vashchuk is a co-founder, COO, and certified Power Platform and Dynamics 365 architect with 13+ years in software engineering and 9+ years building enterprise solutions on Dynamics 365 and Azure.

He specializes in large-scale integration architecture across Microsoft Fabric, Azure Functions, Dataverse, and SQL Server - focusing on systems where scalability, reliability, and operational performance are critical.

His work centers around bridging low-code platforms with custom cloud engineering to build systems that can handle real production workloads, complex synchronization logic, and high-volume data processing.

He focuses on practical architecture decisions, real integration trade-offs, and what it actually takes to run enterprise systems beyond the "happy path."

Mykhailo Vashchuk is a co-founder, COO, and certified Power Platform and Dynamics 365 architect with 13+ years in software engineering and 9+ years building enterprise solutions on Dynamics 365 and Azure. He specializes in large-scale integration ... Show more

Ibrahim Fadhili is a Research & Development Engineer with over three years of experience building AI and analytics systems across finance, healthcare, and business intelligence. He currently works as a Lead AI Engineer and has contributed to AI development and evaluation projects with Meta AI, MsingiAI, and Graph Fusion AI. He is the founder of Ubuntu Edge AI, dedicated to making AI accessible through deploying offline AI in mobile phones and a mentor with the Society of AI Africa Rising AI Developers program, where he supports emerging AI talent across Africa.

Ibrahim Fadhili is a Research & Development Engineer with over three years of experience building AI and analytics systems across finance, healthcare, and business intelligence. He currently works as a Lead AI Engineer and has contributed to AI devel... Show more

Nik-Shahriar Nikkhah is a consultant, data engineer, tech lead, mentor, and founder of "SQL Data Side Inc." and co-founder of "Azure IoTCoast2Coast," specializing in Microsoft Azure technologies. With over 30 years of hands-on experience, Nik started as a software developer and quickly specialized in data platforms, working extensively with Microsoft Fabric, AI, Databricks, and Snowflake. He excels in designing and implementing backend data solutions across SQL, Fabric, AI, cloud data warehousing, and modern lakehouse architectures.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nnikkhah/

Nik-Shahriar Nikkhah is a consultant, data engineer, tech lead, mentor, and founder of "SQL Data Side Inc." and co-founder of "Azure IoTCoast2Coast," specializing in Microsoft Azure technologies. With over 30 years of hands-on experience, Nik started... Show more

Armanas Povilionis is a technologist and systems strategist whose work focuses on how intelligent systems reshape organizations, markets, and human societies. His background spans biotech, healthcare, enterprise technology, and scientific research, giving him a systems-level view of how frontier ideas move from concept to adoption. He works at the intersection of AI, infrastructure, biology, governance, and incentive coordination, with a focus on translating ambitious technical ideas into real-world systems. His current interests include intelligent multi-agent systems, verifiable computation, cognitive systems, and the institutional primitives needed for autonomous software.

Armanas Povilionis is a technologist and systems strategist whose work focuses on how intelligent systems reshape organizations, markets, and human societies. His background spans biotech, healthcare, enterprise technology, and scientific research, g... Show more

Karthikeyan Apparssamy is a seasoned IT professional with over two decades of experience across analysis, design, solutioning, development, and implementation of enterprise CRM applications, with deep specialization in the Life Sciences domain. His expertise spans pharmaceutical operations, patient services, and healthcare technology transformations delivering Salesforce-based solutions that enhance patient engagement, compliance, and service delivery. Karthikeyan’s work reflects a consistent focus on aligning technology with business value, leveraging data-driven architectures and intelligent automation to improve operational outcomes and customer experiences.
As a Salesforce Solution Architect at Bausch Health in Bridgewater, NJ, he provides strategic and technical leadership in designing scalable, compliant, and high-performing Salesforce solutions supporting complex life sciences workflows. He collaborates with cross-functional teams to architect enterprise-grade platforms that optimize patient-facing processes, strengthen data governance, and enable real-time insights. His leadership is focused on implementing and enhancing Health Cloud, Service Cloud, and Field Service Lightning to enable patient-centric, data-driven ecosystems that advance engagement, coordination, and operational efficiency. Known for his collaborative approach, Karthikeyan works closely with business stakeholders to align technical innovation with organizational and regulatory needs.
Prior to joining Bausch Health, he held senior technical roles at Cloudpaths, Cognizant, Accenture, IBM, Infosys, Oracle, and Ramco Systems, driving Salesforce implementations for global life sciences leaders including Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi Genzyme, Novo Nordisk and Roche Diagnostics. His projects have supported critical initiatives such as CAR-T therapy management, patient onboarding and adherence programs, and global service and repair operations integrating Salesforce with enterprise systems like SAP, JDE, and Dell Boomi to ensure seamless interoperability and compliance with frameworks such as HIPAA and GDPR.
Karthikeyan holds a Master of Business Administration in Systems and a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from the University of Madras. With 19 Salesforce certifications including System Architect, Application Architect, and Health Cloud Consultant, he continues to advance digital transformation across the Life Sciences landscape combining technical precision with strategic foresight to deliver scalable, compliant, and patient-focused CRM solutions that drive measurable business impact.

Karthikeyan Apparssamy is a seasoned IT professional with over two decades of experience across analysis, design, solutioning, development, and implementation of enterprise CRM applications, with deep specialization in the Life Sciences domain. His e... Show more

I work as a Data & AI Strategy Consultant helping Fortune 100 clients set up analytical solutions, drive Applied AI initiatives, automate business processes, and make informed strategic decisions.
I specialize in leading large-scale enterprise data modernization, digital transformation programs, and AI enablement, with delivery experience across CPG (Haleon, Reckitt) and enterprise technology (General Electric, ServiceNow) domains.

Apart from delivery, I have strong expertise in building scalable AI and Data products, accelerators, and intuitive platforms that bridge the gap between technical execution and strategic business needs.

SIDE HUSTLES & RESEARCH
➤ Researcher: I research the intersection of AI, Data, and Psychology, with a particular interest in Cognitive Psychology and Behavioral Science. My core focus is exploring how AI can accelerate human cognitive development and improve decision-making.
➤ Speaker: I frequently deliver talks on the intersection of Data, AI, and Strategy. My core speaking topics include:
1. Data & Analytics Strategy: Data Storytelling, Data Visualization, Data Modeling, Data Governance, and Strategic Analytical Thinking.
2. Applied AI: AI Analytics, Prompt Engineering, Context Engineering, LLM Evals, and GenAI integration.
3. Data Platforms : Fabric , Power BI , Databricks
➤ Mentor: Mentoring aspiring data professionals and students to successfully transition into and navigate the Data & Analytics field.
➤ Author & Creator: Actively writing articles, whitepapers, and case studies on LinkedIn and my personal portfolio, focusing on data storytelling, AI strategies, and product management.

TECHNICAL SKILLS
➤ Data Visualisation - Power BI, Tableau
➤ Data Transformation/ETL - Power Query, dbt, Dataflows
➤ Database - MySQL, MongoDB, Enterprise DWHs (Snowflake)
➤ Programming Language - Python
➤ Scripting/Configuration Language - YAML, JSON
➤ Querying Language - SQL, KQL
➤ Data Platforms - Microsoft Fabric, Databricks
➤ AI & Engineering - Context Engineering, Rag, Prompt Engineering, LLM Integration , Evals , Observability, Agentic AI
➤ AI Platforms - LangChain, Claude, Gemini, Antigravity, AI Studio, Agent Bricks, AI/BI, Genie

STRATEGIC/LEADERSHIP SKILLS
➤ Training & Mentorship - Developed a learning environment with targeted mentorship and workshops for data professionals.
➤ Stakeholder Collaboration - Acted as the technical SME for presales, client engagements, and cross-functional enterprise alignment.
➤ Cross-functional Team Leadership - Led agile teams with measurable objectives aligned to broader strategic goals as a Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO).
➤ Thought Leadership - Partnered with top executives to create whitepapers and technical blueprints for BI Centers of Excellence (COE).

I work as a Data & AI Strategy Consultant helping Fortune 100 clients set up analytical solutions, drive Applied AI initiatives, automate business processes, and make informed strategic decisions. I specialize in leading large-scale enterprise data ... Show more

I have been active in QA and QC in the Pharmaceutical Industry for over 25 years. Between 2014 to 2020 I worked as an Investigator for the US Food & Drug Administration. In my current role, I help our sites to prepare, execute and manage regulatory inspections - including internal consultancy and training.

I have been active in QA and QC in the Pharmaceutical Industry for over 25 years. Between 2014 to 2020 I worked as an Investigator for the US Food & Drug Administration. In my current role, I help our sites to prepare, execute and manage regulatory... Show more

With more than a decade of experience across data engineering and cybersecurity, Niladri is a well-rounded professional currently serving as Lead Engineer – Threat Detection and Automation at StoneX Group. In this role, he works on strengthening cyber defense, improving observability, and building secure, scalable data and AI systems. His career spans key positions at global organizations such as Cognizant, Eli Lilly, Accenture, and KPMG, where he led initiatives in eDiscovery, digital forensics, GRC, security engineering, and cloud engineering.

Blending deep technical expertise with strategic thinking, he approaches complex challenges at the intersection of data, threat operations, and governance. His recent work focuses on areas like synthetic media abuse, deepfake detection, adversarial AI in enterprise settings, and the development of machine learning models and real-world AI systems that address tangible business problems, along with strong expertise in AI guardrails and model exploitation protection.

With more than a decade of experience across data engineering and cybersecurity, Niladri is a well-rounded professional currently serving as Lead Engineer – Threat Detection and Automation at StoneX Group. In this role, he works on strengthening cybe... Show more

Pavan Kumar Kodati is a Lead Data Engineer / Senior Data Engineer with 12+ years of professional experience in delivering enterprise-grade application solutions across Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Entertainment, Financial Services, Geotechnical, and Marketing & Sales industries. He has worked across all phases of the development lifecycle, with strong expertise in data engineering, cloud platforms, big data processing, AI-driven architectures, ETL/ELT pipelines, and enterprise data warehousing.
Pavan’s recent experience includes working with Citi Bank, where he designed and built AI agentic architectures using LLMs, Google Vertex AI, Claude, PyTorch, and FastAPI for Critical Data Element discovery, metadata mapping, lineage tracing, and data governance workflows. He has also developed API-driven metadata ingestion frameworks, optimized PostgreSQL schemas, and integrated scalable AI inference pipelines for enterprise applications.
Previously, at NASDAQ, Pavan led the migration of Ruby-based data pipelines to Python 3 on AWS, building scalable and secure data platforms using Lambda, S3, EMR, Glue, EC2, SNS, and IAM. He has engineered petabyte-scale data ingestion pipelines using Apache Spark, PySpark, Scala, Databricks, and Kafka, supporting both batch and real-time data processing workloads.
His experience also includes building and optimizing data solutions for Novo Nordisk, USAA, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Florida Blue, Haley and Aldrich, Sree Venkateshwara Power Controls, and Cognizant Technology Solutions. Across these roles, he has worked extensively with AWS, Azure, Hadoop, Hive, Spark, Snowflake, Redshift, Databricks, Airflow, Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes, Python, SQL, Scala, Tableau, and Power BI.
Pavan holds an MSIT and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Boston, along with a BTECH from JNTU. His background combines strong technical expertise, cloud data engineering, AI/ML pipeline development, data governance, DevOps automation, and business-focused analytics, making him a highly experienced professional in enterprise data modernization and cloud-based analytics platforms.

Pavan Kumar Kodati is a Lead Data Engineer / Senior Data Engineer with 12+ years of professional experience in delivering enterprise-grade application solutions across Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Entertainment, Financial Services, Geotechnical, and ... Show more

Dr. James C. Rodríguez, MSW, CADC
President & Chief Executive Officer, Fathers & Families Coalition of America
Author | Founder, Borinqueño Within Press | Certified Executive Coach | Clinical Social Worker | Veteran | Researcher | Policy Architect | Curriculum Developer | International Trainer

"I am a Boricua. A dad. A soldier. A professional social worker. An advocate. A teacher. A professor. A counselor. And a friend. And with every role, I lead with love and serve with purpose."

Biography
Dr. James C. Rodríguez, MSW, CADC, is a globally celebrated architect of fatherhood engagement, social policy reform, and transformative leadership development. For over four decades, he has shaped public health, child welfare, mental health, and professional education—building bridges across disciplines, communities, and continents. His career is defined by multidimensional leadership and a relentless pursuit of equity, healing, and opportunity for all. A proud father, soldier, social worker, and visionary educator, he has devoted his life to helping people rediscover hope, dignity, and purpose. His reach spans early childhood education, public health, leadership development, and fatherhood advocacy—fields that, in his hands, become pathways toward healing and intergenerational equity.

"Insights give way to dreams—developing vision—creating purpose that ends in your why."

Foundations: Service, Resilience, and Cultural Identity
Born into a low-income household and shaped by the adversity of the child welfare system, James began his journey at age 17 as a U.S. Army Combat Medic. By 22, he became one of the youngest Substance Abuse Counselors in the Department of Defense, retiring with honors and meritorious distinction in the reserves. Over more than two decades of military service, he developed expertise in trauma response, behavioral health, and law enforcement. This experience forged his devotion to discipline, compassion, and advocacy for the vulnerable.

James's service has been recognized at the highest levels: he is the recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Call to Service Award (President Barack Obama), Points of Light Award (President George H. W. Bush), Meritorious Service Medal (U.S. Department of Defense), and Congressional Certificates from Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Barbara Lee, and Diane E. Watson. He is deeply honored by the Ceremonial Elder Proclamation from the Qutekcak Native Tribe of Alaska, the National Social Worker Leadership Resolution (FFCA), and hundreds of additional accolades from national, state, tribal, and community organizations.

Architect of Systems Change: Building Movements, Securing Hope
As founder and CEO of the Fathers & Families Coalition of America (FFCA), Dr. Rodríguez transformed a grassroots Arizona network into an international force with offices in California and Puerto Rico, and active partnerships across North America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and Australia. He was instrumental in creating one of the nation's first TANF-funded fatherhood programs, a model that generated over $75 million in resources and has been replicated nationwide. Under his leadership, FFCA's International Families & Fathers Conference—now in its 27th year—has become a global destination for educators, policymakers, and innovators, advancing justice and family well-being.

A founding steering committee member of the Fatherhood Research & Practice Network (FRPN) at Temple University, James has shaped federal research and policy, serving as principal investigator and senior research consultant on projects for the Office of Refugee Resettlement, CDC, NIMH, and the Oregon Center for Applied Science. His work has driven advances in public health, trauma-informed care, and family resilience.

Signature Curriculum Development and Thought Leadership
James is a master architect of transformational curricula and professional development, including the Advanced Practitioner Credential™ Course (NASW Arizona-approved), OAR Leadership Institute™ (Ownership • Accountability • Responsibility), FFCA DiSC Model™, Ikigai & The Power of Kintsugi™, and SAMHSA-approved Fatherhood and Mental Health Curriculum. He also developed the Strengthening Families Through Nurturing Leadership model. His trainings are lauded for blending cognitive science, neuroplasticity, emotional intelligence, trauma-informed care, and actionable leadership strategies, and have reached over 30,000 professionals—social workers, educators, clinicians, nonprofit leaders, and public officials—across the U.S. and four continents. Over 85% of program graduates report improved outcomes, including higher client engagement and service completion.

Certified as an Executive Coach, Master Trainer for The John R. Wooden Course™, Certified DiSC® Trainer, Life Coach, Ikigai Coach, and Schema Therapy Practitioner, Dr. Rodríguez's leadership development institutes have set new standards for excellence in behavioral health and family services.

Academic Impact, Mentorship, and Global Teaching
Dr. Rodríguez's educational reach is extraordinary. He has served as faculty, lecturer, or keynote at:

University of Southern California
Arizona State University
Morehouse College
Howard University
Columbia University
Yale University
University of Houston
Clark Atlanta University
Mesa Community College
Central Arizona College
Cornell University
Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico
University of the West Indies (Jamaica)
University of Guelph (Canada)
Malcolm X College
Sobo Tribal Nation
Navajo Nation
Qutekcak Native Tribe (Alaska)
Numerous First Nations and international partners
He developed and directed over 30 undergraduate and graduate courses, established statewide programs, and has keynoted and taught from Ivy League classrooms to tribal communities. He serves on the editorial board of PHYLON: The Clark Atlanta University Review of Race and Culture, which he joined upon the appointment of Dr. Obie Clayton, Jr., and supports scholarship on race, family, and social change.

Policy Leadership, Board Service, and Community Engagement
Dr. Rodríguez's policy influence extends to every level of government. He has developed legislation for Connecticut's Fatherhood Initiative, served on Arizona and California TANF/family-strengthening task forces, and advised the New York City Mayor's Fatherhood Advisory Council, DYCD, and ACS. He has shaped policy in partnership with SAMHSA, Region II Head Start, the State of Maryland, and the National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health. He has provided expert testimony before the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee. He collaborates with Congressman Danny K. Davis and hosts national Fireside Policy Roundtables on equity, child support, and education reform.

His board service is cross-sectoral and visionary, including:

100 Black Men – Arizona Chapter
AGAPE Adoption Agency
Maricopa County Human Services
Fatherhood Corrections Network
Black Family Preservation Institute
And numerous national, state, and tribal boards
Public Health, Equity, and Systems Innovation
James has led multiple national initiatives addressing mental health equity, early childhood wellness, and culturally responsive care—serving Latino, African American, Somali, First Nations, and other underserved communities. His work with the Somali Association of Arizona, the Hispanic/Latino and African American Parent Depression Research Project, and tribal partners has been recognized for its transformative impact on systems and inclusion.

Author, Storyteller, and Purpose-Driven Advocate
As founder of Borinqueño Within Press and author of the forthcoming The Purpose Within—Rise Out of the Ashes Like the Phoenix, Dr. Rodríguez's story is a testament to resilience, hope, and the enduring power of purpose. He weaves together memoir, leadership philosophy, and spiritual reflection, inspiring audiences to discover their own capacity to lead and transform.

Personal Values, Humanity, and Enduring Legacy
Above all, Dr. Rodríguez is a father, grandfather, and mentor. He draws daily inspiration from his children—Antonio (Cassandra), Amber Rodríguez-Young, LMSW (Daric), and Jazmín Rodríguez—and his grandchildren, Ariston and Adalena. His life and work are an expression of core values: love, empathy, humility, and a drive to uplift others. Whether leading a boardroom, inspiring a conference, or building coalitions for social change, James delivers wisdom, practical strategies, and hope—leaving every audience moved to action.

"Leadership is not about titles. It is about being water—shaping, flowing, and giving life wherever you go." — Bruce Lee.

If your organization seeks a keynote speaker, leadership institute facilitator, or strategic advisor who brings unparalleled experience, intellectual rigor, cultural fluency, and a proven record of impact, Dr. James C. Rodríguez is the transformative presence your audience deserves.

Contact:
james.rodriguez@fathersandfamiliescoalition.org
www.fathersandfamiliescoalition.org

"Never The End, Never Goodbye, Just I love You." – Your Friend, James

Dr. James C. Rodríguez, MSW, CADC President & Chief Executive Officer, Fathers & Families Coalition of America Author | Founder, Borinqueño Within Press | Certified Executive Coach | Clinical Social Worker | Veteran | Researcher | Policy Architect ... Show more

Daniel Hoffman, CISSP is a seasoned IT and cybersecurity professional with over 20 years of experience spanning healthcare, manufacturing, and retail sectors. He has experience in regulatory compliance, business continuity, and securing IT/OT environments. Daniel is committed to helping small and mid-sized businesses enhance their IT infrastructure and security posture. He has also authored the CIO Magazine article “Neuromorphic Computing and the Future of Edge AI,” reflecting his interest in cutting-edge technologies and their practical applications.

Daniel Hoffman, CISSP is a seasoned IT and cybersecurity professional with over 20 years of experience spanning healthcare, manufacturing, and retail sectors. He has experience in regulatory compliance, business continuity, and securing IT/OT environ... Show more

Ryan Armstrong is the Manager of Application Security Services at Digital Boundary Group (DBG). Ryan began with DBG as an application penetration tester and security consultant following completion of his PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Western University in 2016. With a passion for teaching and training, Ryan leads training of application security specialists at DBG, teaches application security courses at a nearby college in his spare time, and creates AppSec content for his YouTube channel and newsletter.

Ryan Armstrong is the Manager of Application Security Services at Digital Boundary Group (DBG). Ryan began with DBG as an application penetration tester and security consultant following completion of his PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Western Univ... Show more

I am an iOS developer at the MSU Apple Developer Academy, where I built a production Vision Pro cardiac emergency training simulator in partnership with Henry Ford Health. The app integrates a real-time C++ physiology engine, AHA ACLS-compliant scenarios, and is the only app of its kind on visionOS.

I am an iOS developer at the MSU Apple Developer Academy, where I built a production Vision Pro cardiac emergency training simulator in partnership with Henry Ford Health. The app integrates a real-time C++ physiology engine, AHA ACLS-compliant scena... Show more

Ralph is the Director of Security of Gridlock Security (GridlockSec) - a company he founded that focuses on cybersecurity consulting services. He has 10 years experience in the industry as a Security Consultant/Pentester/Security Researcher for a few companies such as Microsoft, NCC Group, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Forward Security, and Ernst & Young (E&Y).
His expertise is mainly Web, Mobile, and Network Pentesting, Threat Modelling, Security Architecture Review, and Security Design Reviews. When he was a Senior Security Engineer at Microsoft, he dealt with security architecture reviews, security design reviews, threat modelling, security research, code reviews, and pentesting on the dedicated product he is directly working on with 100+ software engineers. The threat modelling practice he had daily done with his software engineers had helped secure the product and promoted a culture of secure coding and engineering of the said software.

He is also a major active contributor and a member of the working group for the OWASP Application Security Verification Standard (ASVS) project, making the standard better for fellow pentesters and developers alike.

He trained attendees at BSides Vancouver 2025, BSides Orlando 2025 and BSides Luxembourg 2026 for the same workshop, "Threat Modelling Starter Training" which had been well received. He has presented his talk entitled, "OWASP ASVS: A Methodical and Practical Approach to Application Security Testing" on OWASP AppSec Pacific Northwest conference (PNW) 2024 in Vancouver, BC Canada. He has also presented a similar presentation aimed for beginners delivered online at HackStop Cybersecurity Summit 2024 held in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Ralph is the Director of Security of Gridlock Security (GridlockSec) - a company he founded that focuses on cybersecurity consulting services. He has 10 years experience in the industry as a Security Consultant/Pentester/Security Researcher for a few... Show more

A Morehouse College alum, Veteran, and Solution Architect, Nolan S. Code specializes in the infrastructure that makes AI possible. He has spent years designing secure, large-scale systems for global enterprises and now applies that rigor to community impact. As Founder and Executive Director of the Atlanta AI and Robotics Initiative (AARI), Nolan is building a "Garage Data Center" culture in Atlanta, teaching applied architecture to turn concepts into deployed reality. He believes that as AI commoditizes code, the future belongs to those who own the infrastructure.

A Morehouse College alum, Veteran, and Solution Architect, Nolan S. Code specializes in the infrastructure that makes AI possible. He has spent years designing secure, large-scale systems for global enterprises and now applies that rigor to community... Show more

Dynamic Engineering Manager leading CPS Observability teams at Motorola Solutions, specializing in Prometheus, Grafana, Elastic Stack, Kubernetes (GKE/OpenShift/Native), and AI/ML integrations (Vertex AI, Agentic AI workflows). Drives unified observability, SRE excellence, and platform innovation from pain points to production.

Grafana Champion, Featured speaker at CNCF Hyderabad, Grafana & Friends Hyderabad[community lead], Postman user group, Global AI [community lead]. Driving Agentic AI & next-gen leadership

Dynamic Engineering Manager leading CPS Observability teams at Motorola Solutions, specializing in Prometheus, Grafana, Elastic Stack, Kubernetes (GKE/OpenShift/Native), and AI/ML integrations (Vertex AI, Agentic AI workflows). Drives unified observa... Show more

DevSecOps professional with a strong background in Linux infrastructure and security. Contributor to the Wazuh project, developing solutions for threat detection and compliance in hybrid cloud environments. Committed to the open source ecosystem, he collaborates with the Debian community and free software events in Latin America, promoting security, transparency, and collaboration in technology

DevSecOps professional with a strong background in Linux infrastructure and security. Contributor to the Wazuh project, developing solutions for threat detection and compliance in hybrid cloud environments. Committed to the open source ecosystem, he ... Show more

Mahaputra Ilham Awal is a cloud security professional with extensive expertise in securing infrastructure across AWS, GCP, and Azure environments, alongside a strong focus on software supply chain and application security. Beyond his technical work, he is passionate about tech education and mentorship, having successfully guided multiple student teams to competition victories in cloud and cybersecurity projects. He actively shapes the local tech ecosystem as a core learning contributor in the DevOps Focus Group, creating impactful educational content and open-source resources that help practitioners advance their DevOps, secure CI/CD, and engineering workflows. His primary areas of research and focus include DevSecOps integration, Cloud Architecture, and the application of AI technologies in healthcare systems.

Mahaputra Ilham Awal is a cloud security professional with extensive expertise in securing infrastructure across AWS, GCP, and Azure environments, alongside a strong focus on software supply chain and application security. Beyond his technical work, ... Show more

David Dawson is a seasoned Business Analyst with 30+ years' experience transforming business needs into technical solutions in aerospace, government, and healthcare industries. Specializing in requirements analysis, process optimization, and digital transformation, he has led implementations and agile projects at Boeing, Department of Defence, and more recently at IQVIA. Through his unique leadership style and flair, David has earned the respect of his peers which had led to him being formally recongised by receiving the Mark Donaldson VC award. He is currently completing his Masters of International Business through the Queensland University of Technology. A Polish-Australian dual citizen, he is passionate about fostering operational excellence.

David Dawson is a seasoned Business Analyst with 30+ years' experience transforming business needs into technical solutions in aerospace, government, and healthcare industries. Specializing in requirements analysis, process optimization, and digital ... Show more

Mayank Gupta is a Senior R&D Engineer Level 5, Principal Technical Lead, and Java Architect with more than 19 years of experience designing, architecting, and delivering enterprise-grade distributed systems across the network observability, healthcare, capital markets, finance, payments, and telecommunications sectors. Throughout his career, he has held senior technical and leadership positions at globally recognized organizations, including Broadcom, HealthEdge, Fidelity Information Services (FIS), Deutsche Bank, ACL Mobile, Sapient, and Wipro. His expertise spans cloud-native architectures, distributed systems, microservices, real-time messaging platforms, observability solutions, database engineering, and enterprise application development.
Currently, Mr. Gupta serves as a Senior R&D Engineer at Broadcom, where he contributes to the company’s Network Observability Platform and DX NetOps portfolio. In this role, he has led the design and delivery of cloud-native observability solutions, including the integration of Grafana, AppNeta, GraphQL-based data services, and role-based access control frameworks. He has driven authentication and authorization initiatives that enable secure single sign-on experiences and trusted access to data across distributed environments. His work has also included the development of advanced network topology visualization capabilities and the implementation of AI-assisted engineering workflows to improve platform development and operational efficiency.
At Broadcom, Mr. Gupta also architected and implemented production-grade high-availability database solutions using MySQL InnoDB Cluster technology and led automation initiatives that significantly reduced deployment times. In addition, he was a core architect of a container-based one-click upgrade platform that automated upgrade validation, deployment, and post-upgrade verification across more than ten DX NetOps products. This solution substantially reduced upgrade cycle times for enterprise customers while improving reliability and scalability across large production environments.
Prior to Broadcom, Mr. Gupta served as Principal Software Engineer and Java Technical Lead at HealthEdge Software, where he supported the HealthRules Payer platform serving more than 110 million covered lives. He led technical initiatives spanning integration APIs, identity and access management, database performance optimization, and release automation. Among his notable contributions, he optimized a critical claims-processing pipeline, reducing processing time from approximately fifteen hours to thirty minutes through extensive database and application-level performance improvements. He also designed OAuth2-based security frameworks and contributed to the development of cloud-native microservices deployed on AWS and Kubernetes.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Gupta held technical leadership positions at Fidelity Information Services and Deutsche Bank, where he developed mission-critical payment processing and financial technology solutions. At Deutsche Bank, he contributed to the SWIFT Global Payment Initiative (GPI), helping deliver real-time cross-border payment tracking capabilities through the integration of enterprise messaging technologies, including IBM MQ, Solace, and ActiveMQ. He also led database optimization efforts and applied rigorous software engineering practices, including test-driven and behavior-driven development methodologies.
Mr. Gupta possesses extensive expertise in Java, Spring Boot, microservices, Kubernetes, Docker, AWS, Apache Kafka, IBM MQ, Solace, GraphQL, Grafana, Oracle, MySQL, and a wide range of enterprise integration and observability technologies. His experience encompasses software architecture, cloud-native application development, messaging systems, security frameworks, database engineering, and AI-augmented software delivery. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to large-scale technology platforms supporting network operations, healthcare administration, financial services, and telecommunications organizations worldwide.
Mr. Gupta earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from Meerut Institute of Engineering and Technology, affiliated with Uttar Pradesh Technical University, India. Throughout his career, he has contributed to industry-recognized technology platforms, including Broadcom’s DX NetOps portfolio and HealthEdge’s HealthRules Payer platform, which have received recognition from leading industry analysts and organizations for innovation, performance, and operational excellence.

Mayank Gupta is a Senior R&D Engineer Level 5, Principal Technical Lead, and Java Architect with more than 19 years of experience designing, architecting, and delivering enterprise-grade distributed systems across the network observability, healthcar... Show more

Architect and software generalist. Rustacian. Java veteran. Sustainable computing advocate. Web assembly enthousiast. Occasional Embedded Rust streamer.

Architect and software generalist. Rustacian. Java veteran. Sustainable computing advocate. Web assembly enthousiast. Occasional Embedded Rust streamer. Show more

Smridhi Gupta is a Tech Analyst at Citibank specializing in secure LLM systems, RAG reliability, and AI evaluation frameworks. Previously a Research Intern at AIISC, she has authored six peer-reviewed publications spanning transformer-based medical imaging, enterprise AI, and applied machine learning research. Her work focuses on building trustworthy, production-ready AI systems that bridge research and real-world deployment. She is also a tech creator sharing insights on AI, development, and emerging technologies with a growing community of 6.5K+ followers.

Beyond research and engineering, she is the organizer of JS Community, where she has led 4+ offline tech events in the past four months in Pune, building a growing developer ecosystem with 350+ signups and an average footfall of 100+ attendees per meetup.

Smridhi Gupta is a Tech Analyst at Citibank specializing in secure LLM systems, RAG reliability, and AI evaluation frameworks. Previously a Research Intern at AIISC, she has authored six peer-reviewed publications spanning transformer-based medical i... Show more

Justin Bookey is a former lawyer, an award-winning marketing strategist, and global ping pong player. In his talks and workshops, he guides leaders and teams to maximize their chances for business success, through fun, interactive, and practical lessons.

Justin has learned from some of the best and brightest in several industries while working with leaders at Disney, Sony, Honda, Qualcomm, XPRIZE, and more. After practicing communications law for several years in Washington, DC, he transitioned to web content development. He’s earned Emmy nominations for feature documentaries he produced, and Telly, Viddy, and ADDY awards for digital marketing campaigns he spearheaded.

Upon moving to LA, Justin stepped up his training with Olympian and world-class table tennis coach Wei Wang. His efforts with her and other national/world champions helped him win medals at the US Open. He learned different leadership cultures while studying in India and teaching in Japan, and has played table tennis on seven continents.

He grew up in Seattle, Washington, and now lives and works in Santa Monica, California, where he also runs PongFit, a nonprofit that builds fitness and community through ping pong.

Justin Bookey is a former lawyer, an award-winning marketing strategist, and global ping pong player. In his talks and workshops, he guides leaders and teams to maximize their chances for business success, through fun, interactive, and practical less... Show more

I am a data science professional with over 11 years of experience transforming complex data into actionable insights. My recent work focuses on building and deploying Generative AI solutions to solve real-world business problems, ranging from process automation to intelligent agent systems.

With a background in the AI field, I specialize in machine learning algorithms, deep learning algorithms, natural language processing, large language models (LLMs), and AI product development. I have led multiple AI projects across different industries. I am passionate about sharing practical lessons from hands-on AI implementations and helping teams unlock the value of advanced technologies through clear communication, demos, and use cases. Outside of work, I enjoy mentoring aspiring data professionals and staying current with the latest AI research and tools.

I am a data science professional with over 11 years of experience transforming complex data into actionable insights. My recent work focuses on building and deploying Generative AI solutions to solve real-world business problems, ranging from process... Show more

Vara Bonthu is a Principal Technologist for Open Source – Data, AI & Kubernetes at AWS, and a CNCF Maintainer for the Kubeflow Spark Operator and MCP Server for Spark History Server. He leads the Data-on-EKS and AI-on-EKS open-source initiatives, helping organizations architect and scale distributed data and AI workloads on Kubernetes.
With hands-on experience managing Spark deployments across thousands of nodes and hundreds of thousands of pods, Vara focuses on performance optimization, workload resiliency, and AI-driven observability for cloud-native data frameworks including Apache Spark, Ray, and Kubeflow. He actively contributes to CNCF and open-source communities, advancing standards for scalable data processing, AI inference, and agentic AI systems on Kubernetes.

Vara Bonthu is a Principal Technologist for Open Source – Data, AI & Kubernetes at AWS, and a CNCF Maintainer for the Kubeflow Spark Operator and MCP Server for Spark History Server. He leads the Data-on-EKS and AI-on-EKS open-source initiatives, hel... Show more

Cybersecurity leader, Independent director, Startup advisor & Tech entrepreneur.
On a mission to make humans the strongest link in cybersecurity. Researcher on predictive threat modelling, OSINT, Cloud, Threat intelligence,AI/ ML integration. Passionate about cultivating security mindset.

Cybersecurity leader, Independent director, Startup advisor & Tech entrepreneur. On a mission to make humans the strongest link in cybersecurity. Researcher on predictive threat modelling, OSINT, Cloud, Threat intelligence,AI/ ML integration. Passio... Show more