Ray Kim is an advocate for documentation and technical communication. He is a co-founder of the Albany, NY SQL group (CASSUG) and has previously been a member of PASS and the Society for Technical Communication (STC). He has spoken at PASS Summit and STC Summit, as well as numerous other events. He has worked various positions in technology, including as a developer, webmaster, analyst, technical writer, and instructor. He holds an MS in technical communication from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BS in computer science from Syracuse University. He currently works as a technical writer and trainer for The Professional Development Program at The Research Foundation for SUNY.

A musician in his spare time, Ray plays four different instruments (piano, clarinet, mallet percussion, saxophone). He also enjoys going to ball games and doing CrossFit, and is a two-time SQLServerCentral.com fantasy football champion. He, his wife Lianne, and their two cats Dwayne and Marko, live in Troy, NY.

Ray Kim is an advocate for documentation and technical communication. He is a co-founder of the Albany, NY SQL group (CASSUG) and has previously been a member of PASS and the Society for Technical Communication (STC). He has spoken at PASS Summit an... Show more

Dennis Nerush is the Director of AI at Elementor, where he leads the company's AI strategy and guides teams through the integration of GenAI technologies that enhance productivity while preserving human creativity and accountability.

With over 15 years of experience as a developer, manager, director, and adviser across multiple tech companies and startups, Dennis has dedicated his career to building people-first cultures rooted in continuous learning, curiosity, and growth. He believes that when individuals thrive, teams and businesses flourish, a philosophy that has guided him in founding dozens of teams and mentoring over 100 managers.

Dennis is a seasoned public speaker and writer who shares his insights on AI integration, leadership, and team performance at international conferences. He's passionate about helping leaders develop the skills and confidence to excel in a world where human leadership and AI collaboration go hand in hand.

In his free time, Dennis loves cooking and spending time with his kids. His main goal is to help people reach the next level.

Dennis Nerush is the Director of AI at Elementor, where he leads the company's AI strategy and guides teams through the integration of GenAI technologies that enhance productivity while preserving human creativity and accountability. With over 15 ... Show more

I am passionate about empowering Women in Technology, a champion of Neurodiversity, Accessibility, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and improving culture in the workplace. I love supporting women in technology and working towards creating impact and giving back to their communities in a small way.

I am passionate about empowering Women in Technology, a champion of Neurodiversity, Accessibility, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and improving culture in the workplace. I love supporting women in technology and working towards creating impact and gi... Show more

​Ivan Šarić is a Senior Software Engineer at Revolut working in the Financial Crime Department, where he leads integrations with authorities for branches globally. With over six years of backend and DevOps experience (Java, Spring, Docker), Ivan previously operated as a freelance Technical Architect through his company, Path Variable LLC.​He holds an MA in Political Science and is an active open-source contributor, with recent contributions to the Apache Commons Lang project and the SpaCy NLP library. A fluent speaker of English, Croatian, and German, Ivan combines technical rigor with a deep understanding of governance to solve complex systems problems.

​Ivan Šarić is a Senior Software Engineer at Revolut working in the Financial Crime Department, where he leads integrations with authorities for branches globally. With over six years of backend and DevOps experience (Java, Spring, Docker), Ivan prev... Show more

Developer Relations Professional and Software Engineer with over a decade of experience in technology, specializing in AI/ML and Developer Experience.

I work at the intersection of Developer Relations, product, and UX, creating accessible workflows and clear paths to success for developers.

I’ve delivered talks, training sessions, and workshops at conferences across the Americas and Europe, sharing insights on Web Development, AI, Developer Experience, Neurodiversity, and inclusion in tech. Beyond the stage, I write code, content, and support open source and community initiatives. When not working, I'm co-organize GDG Lisbon and learning Rustlang.

My goal has always been to lower the barriers of entry into the tech world for "the rest of us".

Developer Relations Professional and Software Engineer with over a decade of experience in technology, specializing in AI/ML and Developer Experience. I work at the intersection of Developer Relations, product, and UX, creating accessible workflow... Show more

Iva Silla već više od desetljeća vodi maštovite tematske razglede grada pod zajedničkim nazivnikom Secret Zagreb. To je samo dio njenog opusa u kreativnom turizmu i interpretaciji baštine, a trenutno joj je najveća strast razvoj igrificiranih istraživanja diljem Hrvatske.

Iva Silla već više od desetljeća vodi maštovite tematske razglede grada pod zajedničkim nazivnikom Secret Zagreb. To je samo dio njenog opusa u kreativnom turizmu i interpretaciji baštine, a trenutno joj je najveća strast razvoj igrificiranih istraži... Show more

Software engineer with 10+ years under his belt. At Chattermill, he turns AI research into real-world products. A fan of diving deep into black boxes, he has unusual hobby of writing regular expressions by hand and arguing about their speed. When he’s not coding, he shares knowledge as a university instructor, speaker, and meetup organiser.

Bookworm, hiker, history nerd - ask him about Napoleon!

Software engineer with 10+ years under his belt. At Chattermill, he turns AI research into real-world products. A fan of diving deep into black boxes, he has unusual hobby of writing regular expressions by hand and arguing about their speed. When he’... Show more

Els van Vessem (they/them) works as a Data Engineer and Scrum Master for the House of Representatives in the Netherlands, after some years working as general data specialist and project lead for several healthcare organizations. They focus on topics of diversity, non-data skills needed for data jobs, compassion and mental health. Outside of work they hang out on bluesky (@geekingthething.bsky.social), help events with their code of conduct and harassment/abuse policies, read too many books, and watches political debates for fun.

Els van Vessem (they/them) works as a Data Engineer and Scrum Master for the House of Representatives in the Netherlands, after some years working as general data specialist and project lead for several healthcare organizations. They focus on topics ... Show more

Thijs is a DevOps engineer and front-end development enthusiast at Xebia. With a unique edge as an AI-powered developer, Thijs integrates cutting-edge AI tools into his development process. This allows him to improve code quality, boost productivity, and be any profession, ensuring that his projects stay ahead of the curve.

Thijs is a DevOps engineer and front-end development enthusiast at Xebia. With a unique edge as an AI-powered developer, Thijs integrates cutting-edge AI tools into his development process. This allows him to improve code quality, boost productivity,... Show more

Elena is a highly-rated professional speaker with 20+ years of experience as a leadership coach, group facilitator and collegiate faculty member. Elena works with groups, individuals, and organizations to amplify their authenticity and empower them to become effective leaders. Elena is the President of and Lead Consultant with Marquetti Consulting.

Elena is a highly-rated professional speaker with 20+ years of experience as a leadership coach, group facilitator and collegiate faculty member. Elena works with groups, individuals, and organizations to amplify their authenticity and empower them t... Show more

Winner of three AI awards, I’ve been working in AI and machine learning for 25 years, designing and developing AI and computer graphic algorithms.

I’m very passionate about AI, focusing on Audio, Image and Natural Language Processing, and predictive analysis as well.
I received several national and international awards that recognize my work and contributions in these areas.

Microsoft MVP for Artificial Intelligence Category, I have the pleasure of being a guest speaker in national and international events.

Winner of three AI awards, I’ve been working in AI and machine learning for 25 years, designing and developing AI and computer graphic algorithms. I’m very passionate about AI, focusing on Audio, Image and Natural Language Processing, and predicti... Show more

After a decade in social work, Magali decided to change course and became a web developper. She tries to find a delicate balance between the technical aspects of the job (fun !), the creativity (fun too !) and trying to follow her ethics and change the culture of the industry (the less fun aspects of it anyway) by being an advocate and an activist. She recently chose to specialize in web accessibility by joining Access42.

She is co-founder and president of Compositech, an organization advocating for the inclusion of women and non-binary people in tech. She also is the founder and president of La Première Ligne, a feminist magazine created by tech women and non-binary people. She has a dog, Trufa and talks either way too much about her (according to people) or way not enough (according to herself).

After a decade in social work, Magali decided to change course and became a web developper. She tries to find a delicate balance between the technical aspects of the job (fun !), the creativity (fun too !) and trying to follow her ethics and change t... Show more

Mathias Weber is a Managing Consultant in the Data & AI practice at a leading independent IT service provider. With two years of experience in Forensic Analytics and five years in Data Architecture Consulting, he helps clients navigate complex data & AI challenges and align technology solutions with strategic goals.

Beyond consulting, Mathias is an active technology scout in Berlin’s vibrant tech scene, having attended as well as documented more than 200+ tech events and having published insights in the book Other People’s Software Endeavours as well as on the website almatzo-techscouting.eu.

Mathias Weber is a Managing Consultant in the Data & AI practice at a leading independent IT service provider. With two years of experience in Forensic Analytics and five years in Data Architecture Consulting, he helps clients navigate complex data &... Show more

Ómu Obilor is an international leadership consultant, executive coach, keynote speaker, facilitator, and transformational trainer who helps leaders and organisations strengthen the human capabilities required to lead effectively in an increasingly complex and AI-driven world.

She is the Principal Consultant at Ómu Consulting Ltd and Managing Partner of AfriLeap Labs, working across leadership development, executive coaching, founder development, and organisational capability.

A Founding Member of the John Maxwell Team, Ómu is a Certified AI Master Trainer and holds certifications in Executive Coaching, Emotional Intelligence, Intelligent Leadership, Brain Health, Neuroencoding, and DEI. Her work increasingly sits at the intersection of leadership, technology, and human potential, exploring how leaders can build trust, exercise sound judgement, communicate effectively, and lead people responsibly as AI reshapes the workplace.

She has trained and facilitated for leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals across corporate organisations, government, healthcare, and professional associations, bringing an engaging, practical, and highly participatory approach to every room she leads.

Ómu is also the creator of The Authentic Presence Blueprint™, a leadership framework designed to help leaders strengthen executive presence, communicate strategically, increase their influence, and lead with authenticity.

Her insights on leadership and the future of work have been featured in international media, and she is a Senior Level Executive Contributor at Brainz Magazine, where she writes on leadership, human capability, and leading effectively in an AI-driven world.

Her philosophy is simple: technology will continue to evolve, but trust, courage, emotional intelligence, judgement, and authentic human leadership will remain essential.

Lead Bold. Stand Tall. Own The Room.

Ómu Obilor is an international leadership consultant, executive coach, keynote speaker, facilitator, and transformational trainer who helps leaders and organisations strengthen the human capabilities required to lead effectively in an increasingly co... Show more

I inspire people to embrace the potential of today!

This is what it means to me, broken down word by word.

Inspire - This is the method I trust and believe in. By inspire first (the why), I'm confident people will find instructions after (the how).
People - I don't work with organizations. I work with people! We should listen to hear, not to be able to respond.
To embrace - For you to be fully motivated, I want you to drive your practice from within. For your own reasons. That's why it's important that you embrace.
The potential - This could be so many things! Productive ways of work, applications, methods and much more. I want you to reach your highest potential and be the best you.
Of today - Whatever potential is available, I want you to be inspired to embrace it. In an evergreen world, everything constantly changes. This keeps me on my toes and keeps you informed on the latest and greatest.

Blog: https://villezekeviking.com

I inspire people to embrace the potential of today! This is what it means to me, broken down word by word. Inspire - This is the method I trust and believe in. By inspire first (the why), I'm confident people will find instructions after (the h... Show more

Marcus Udokang is a Senior Business Analyst, Consultant, Writer, and Speaker with 20 years of experience leading enterprise transformation, digital delivery, and process optimization across the energy, fintech, SaaS, and enterprise technology sectors. He is Managing Partner at BA Blocks, and helps clients drive enterprise transformation across ERP, SaaS, CRM, and integration projects. His work spans SAP transformations, large-scale CRM modernization, global fintech payment operations, and enterprise workforce onboarding redesign, consistently translating business strategy into practical solutions that reduce risk, cut support costs, and improve operational efficiency.

Marcus also hosts The Inquisitive Analyst podcast where he explores the changing role of business analysis and industry leadership, exploring trends, challenges, and best practices through conversations with global practitioners.

Marcus is co-compiler and co-author of The Evolving Analyst, a collection of 45 articles from BA professionals across 19 countries exploring how business analysts are fueling transformation with practical insights and proven strategies. He co-organized BA Unplugged 2025 Virtual Conference, for the global business analysis community. Marcus holds an MBA in Information Technology.

Marcus Udokang is a Senior Business Analyst, Consultant, Writer, and Speaker with 20 years of experience leading enterprise transformation, digital delivery, and process optimization across the energy, fintech, SaaS, and enterprise technology sectors... Show more

Dr. Tajah M. Gross is Founder & CEO of Ethilect, an AI governance, risk, and decision intelligence firm helping organizations confront the hidden human risks inside artificial intelligence systems. A recognized voice in responsible AI, escalation architecture, and operational oversight, she is known for translating complex AI risk into practical governance strategies leaders can actually use.

Her expertise spans agentic AI, autonomous decision systems, human oversight design, AI governance, and enterprise risk visibility. Through her signature frameworks, Question Everything and ReasonGate, Dr. Gross challenges organizations to rethink how AI decisions are monitored, escalated, interrupted, and trusted at scale.

Blending executive strategy with real-world implementation, she helps institutions design AI systems that remain observable, accountable, and human-centered under pressure—not just efficient. Dr. Gross has delivered high-impact sessions for nationally recognized venues including AI in the New Era, Nashville Microsoft Community Day, UN Blockchain Week, North Carolina A&T University, and Morgan State University.

Dr. Tajah M. Gross is Founder & CEO of Ethilect, an AI governance, risk, and decision intelligence firm helping organizations confront the hidden human risks inside artificial intelligence systems. A recognized voice in responsible AI, escalation arc... Show more

Mala Mahadevan is a senior database professional with over 20 years of experience working with data, primarily in SQL Server and related technologies. She has been volunteering with SQL Server community for the past 15 years and is also a recipient of the PASSion award for being an outstanding volunteer. She is a featured blogger on sqlservercentral.com and also blogs infrequently at curiousaboutdata.com.

Mala Mahadevan is a senior database professional with over 20 years of experience working with data, primarily in SQL Server and related technologies. She has been volunteering with SQL Server community for the past 15 years and is also a recipient o... Show more

Ingeniero de Software con formación académica en antropología y ciencias sociales. Interesado en las posibilidades que ofrece la inteligencia artificial generativa y el desarrollo de aplicaciones orientadas mejorar la experiencia de los seres humanos con los sistemas computacionales.

Ingeniero de Software con formación académica en antropología y ciencias sociales. Interesado en las posibilidades que ofrece la inteligencia artificial generativa y el desarrollo de aplicaciones orientadas mejorar la experiencia de los seres humanos... Show more

I'm a comic artist from Toronto who draws a lot of gay positive comics, and self publish my work! I'm also the suiter of MarshmallowMaw!

I'm a comic artist from Toronto who draws a lot of gay positive comics, and self publish my work! I'm also the suiter of MarshmallowMaw! Show more

Senior Business-Systems Analyst & Product Owner. Speaker at international conferences. I truly believe that communication matters.
When I'm not at work, you can find me at IT conferences, meetup’s, volunteering somewhere, or spot me when enjoying nature in the middle of mountains or forests.
I'm usually the one, who will challenge your idea to make it bulletproof!

Senior Business-Systems Analyst & Product Owner. Speaker at international conferences. I truly believe that communication matters. When I'm not at work, you can find me at IT conferences, meetup’s, volunteering somewhere, or spot me when enjoying n... Show more

Wiebke Apitzsch is a German expert in artificial intelligence (AI), data-driven transformation, and strategic change in business and industry. She has extensive experience in designing and implementing AI initiatives at the intersection of business, technology, and organizational development, with deep experience in AI Ethics. As co-founder and CTO of the consulting firm AI.IMPACT, she supports organizations across industries in strategically embedding AI solutions and making them operationally effective.

Previously, she held leadership roles at Boston Consulting Group, TTE Strategy, and StatSoft, with a focus on data-driven decision-making models, change management, and translating analytical potential into sustainable business value. Wiebke Apitzsch is a certified Executive Coach (INSEAD), an MBA student in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at LMU Munich, and a sought-after speaker at conferences and podcasts. She is also committed to promoting diversity in the tech sector and advocates for greater visibility of women in technology-driven industries.

Wiebke Apitzsch is a German expert in artificial intelligence (AI), data-driven transformation, and strategic change in business and industry. She has extensive experience in designing and implementing AI initiatives at the intersection of business, ... Show more

Vasuki Uday Kiran Vudathala (Uday) is a Staff Performance Engineer at ServiceNow with more than 15 years of experience in performance engineering, platform reliability, and observability across enterprise software, cloud-native systems, mobile applications, and generative AI platforms. His work focuses on understanding how complex systems behave and fail under sustained, stateful, real-world conditions, including peak workload engineering, AI inference reliability, MCP and tool-calling workflows, long-session performance, and distributed system bottlenecks.

Uday has developed practical approaches to peak workload engineering and AI reliability, including the Peak Workload Engineering and AIRA-F frameworks, and has contributed open-source tools such as JMeter Insights Pro and Peak Workload Analyzer. His technical articles have appeared in freeCodeCamp, HPCwire, InfoQ, SD Times, Platform Engineering, DevOps.com, StickyMinds, HackerNoon, and Medium.

Uday also contributes to the engineering community as a hackathon judge and mentor, including mentoring participants at the UC Berkeley AI Hackathon.

Vasuki Uday Kiran Vudathala (Uday) is a Staff Performance Engineer at ServiceNow with more than 15 years of experience in performance engineering, platform reliability, and observability across enterprise software, cloud-native systems, mobile applic... Show more

Founder of Firm&Fair, international negotiation agency

Ugne Fink-Jensen is an international business negotiator, tech counsel, and speaker with more than 15 years of experience. She has worked across both SMEs and multibillion-dollar conglomerates, consistently operating at the intersection of technology, business, and law, including as Lead Negotiator on complex tech and digital transformation initiatives.

Today, she supports businesses in navigating strategic deals and strengthening their governance capabilities, with a focus on negotiation excellence, responsible AI, and the advantage of human skills in a technology-driven world. In addition, Ugne works closely across the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem, supporting partners and contributing to Microsoft-led initiatives such as BC Talent.

Founder of Firm&Fair, international negotiation agency Ugne Fink-Jensen is an international business negotiator, tech counsel, and speaker with more than 15 years of experience. She has worked across both SMEs and multibillion-dollar conglomerates... Show more

Heather McDaniel is a speaker, writer, and organizational consultant based in Spain. She writes and speaks about how people work, lead, decide, learn, and create together.

Her perspective draws on a 28-year career spanning communication, operations, consulting, learning, and facilitation, including work with international and distributed teams across Europe and North America.

She works with leadership teams on organizational readiness, leadership alignment, decision-making, and how people work together through change. Her current work also includes using training and communication expertise to improve AI models for a leading AI lab, and she is Microsoft Certified as an AI Transformation Leader.

Heather also works in adult learning and Erasmus+ partnerships across Europe, designing and facilitating learning experiences for international and cross-cultural groups.

She writes Letters From the Joyful Rebellion, a personal column about the things she notices, the questions she keeps coming back to, and what they show us about the way we live.

Her speaking brings together practical organizational experience, systems thinking, curiosity, and a longstanding interest in power, language, culture, technology, and how people make sense of change.

She is based in Cullera, Valencia, Spain, and is available for talks, workshops, panels, and facilitated learning across Europe and North America, in person or virtually.

Heather McDaniel is a speaker, writer, and organizational consultant based in Spain. She writes and speaks about how people work, lead, decide, learn, and create together. Her perspective draws on a 28-year career spanning communication, operation... Show more

Bonaventure Saturday is a researcher and project manager with over ten years of experience working at the intersection of digital rights, AI governance, data governance, gender justice, and civic engagement in Africa. His work focuses on online safety for women in public life, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, digital public infrastructure, responsible and inclusive AI, and the governance of emerging technologies. He has extensive experience managing and evaluating donor-funded programmes, conducting policy-relevant research, needs assessments, and stakeholder consultations, and convening multistakeholder actors across government, civil society, academia, the private sector, and regional institutions. He contributes evidence-based perspectives to debates on AI, platform governance, digital inclusion, data protection, and public interest technology. He is committed to advancing digital policies and systems that are inclusive, accountable, safe, and rights-respecting, particularly for women, girls, and historically underrepresented communities across Africa.

Bonaventure Saturday is a researcher and project manager with over ten years of experience working at the intersection of digital rights, AI governance, data governance, gender justice, and civic engagement in Africa. His work focuses on online safet... Show more

Nicole N. Kaufman, MA, LCMHC, is a licensed mental health counselor, entrepreneur, author, and speaker specializing in resilience, high performance, relationships, and meaningful change. Founder of High Performance Counseling, Nicole translates psychology into practical strategies that help ambitious people navigate change, challenge old patterns, and build healthier, more sustainable success.

Nicole N. Kaufman, MA, LCMHC, is a licensed mental health counselor, entrepreneur, author, and speaker specializing in resilience, high performance, relationships, and meaningful change. Founder of High Performance Counseling, Nicole translates psych... Show more

Celina Del Turco is a software developer and educator from Argentina working at the intersection of technology, education, and human-centered design.

She develops educational technology and software systems focused on making technology more accessible, understandable, and resilient in real-world environments. Her current work includes Utopía, an offline-first educational technology project exploring adaptive learning, accessibility-aware interaction, local AI, and architectures that remain useful when connectivity and computational resources are limited.

Alongside software development, Celina teaches programming and technology through hands-on workshops, working with learners who often begin with little or no technical background. This experience has shaped her approach to engineering: systems should not force people to adapt to technology when technology can be designed to adapt to people.

Her interests include AI engineering, adaptive systems, offline-first architectures, accessibility, educational technology, and the practical challenges of building technology under real-world constraints.

Celina Del Turco is a software developer and educator from Argentina working at the intersection of technology, education, and human-centered design. She develops educational technology and software systems focused on making technology more access... Show more

Philip Chidera is a Product Designer and entrepreneur building fintech, SaaS, and Web3 products for clients and companies across Nigeria and internationally. He is also the Co-founder of Termwise, a school management platform built for Nigerian schools. He serves as Design Lead (UI/UX) for Port Harcourt Talent Tribe under ATC Africa, where he mentors and supports emerging tech talent. He combines product design with AI and no-code tools to build and ship production-ready interfaces. His work and speaking focus on product design, AI, emerging tools, and the evolving ways modern digital products are designed and built.

Philip Chidera is a Product Designer and entrepreneur building fintech, SaaS, and Web3 products for clients and companies across Nigeria and internationally. He is also the Co-founder of Termwise, a school management platform built for Nigerian schoo... Show more

Dr. Saara Haapanen is a human performance and leadership strategist, speaker, and internationally published researcher whose PhD work focused on motivation and optimal performance.
For more than 25 years, she has coached and trained high performers across individual, team, and organizational settings, from elite athletes and executives to physicians and large workforces.
Through Performance is Haapanen, she helps organizations create the conditions for their humans to perform at their best. Her work integrates motivation science, psychobiosocial performance, neurodiversity, workplace well-being, and practical performance design.
Saara has been featured in Forbes Health, Shape, Reader’s Digest, and other national media and is known for energetic, highly interactive sessions that turn research into ideas leaders can immediately use.

Dr. Saara Haapanen is a human performance and leadership strategist, speaker, and internationally published researcher whose PhD work focused on motivation and optimal performance. For more than 25 years, she has coached and trained high performers... Show more