Humanities & Social Sciences

Esteemed speakers contributing their insights into human culture, behavior, and societal development

Dr. Deitra C. Payne

Dr. Deitra C. Payne

Dr. Deitra C. Payne is a dynamic achievement and accountability coach, motivational speaker, and Founder and CEO of Fabulous Coaching, Training, and Productions, LLC, based in Arizona. With over 15 years of experience as a college and university professor teaching human resource management and business, Dr. Payne brings a powerful combination of academic rigor, real-world insight, and authentic storytelling to every stage.

An accomplished presenter, Dr. Payne has shared her expertise at CUPA-HR conferences, SHRM state chapters, and academic conferences nationwide. Her research paper, Broken: The Harmful Effects of Workplace Bullying, earned the Distinguished Paper Award at the 2015 Mustang Journal International Academic Conference — a testament to her commitment to creating healthier, stronger organizations and communities.

What truly sets Dr. Payne apart is her extraordinary personal story. Just two days after her father passed away on Thanksgiving in 2022, she lost her memory and her ability to speak. She fought her way back — and today stands before audiences as living proof that resilience is not just a concept, it is a choice. Her journey from crisis to triumph gives her message an authenticity that moves audiences to believe that if she can overcome such devastating challenges, they too can conquer whatever stands in their way.

Dr. Payne delivers powerful presentations on overcoming adversity, mindset shift, cultivating gratitude, purposeful living, resiliency, and building unshakeable confidence. Her style uniquely blends research-based insights with authentic humor and relatable storytelling — creating engaging experiences that resonate long after the applause fades.

Dr. Deitra C. Payne is a dynamic achievement and accountability coach, motivational speaker, and Founder and CEO of Fabulous Coaching, Training, and Productions, LLC, based in Arizona. With over 15 years of experience as a college and university prof... Show more

Seun Faluyi

Seun Faluyi

With over a decade of experience in product management and software engineering, I contribute to innovation in AI-powered advertising at Smartly. My role emphasizes programmatic solutions, DSP integrations, and creative strategies, enabling impactful ad campaigns across diverse platforms.

Previously, at Remerge, I collaborated on DSP advancements that optimized programmatic advertising. Known for my analytical approach and dedication, I am motivated to elevate the ad tech ecosystem through collaboration, innovation, and forward-thinking strategies.

With over a decade of experience in product management and software engineering, I contribute to innovation in AI-powered advertising at Smartly. My role emphasizes programmatic solutions, DSP integrations, and creative strategies, enabling impactful... Show more

Stephen Parkins

Stephen Parkins

If you're comfortable with the status quo, you won't enjoy listening to Stephen Parkins.

Stephen is a seasoned innovation strategist, executive coach and business leader with over two decades of experience turning uncertainty into opportunity.

With a career spanning roles as an energy trader, global head of innovation, and startup founder, Stephen has worked with companies of all sizes - from agile one-person ventures, to European scale-ups, to multinational corporations with over 100,000 employees.

As the founder of Culturedge®, Stephen advises medium to large enterprises on building the structures and strategies they need to embed innovation, take manageable risks and achieve exponential growth.

As the co-founder of Strategy Quest, Stephen gives companies the opportunity to co-design AI-powered business simulations and wargames - to strengthen their resilience and decision-making under uncertain conditions.

Known for pushing boundaries and telling executives not what they want, but what they need to hear – Stephen has helped redesign flagship products like ABN AMRO Bank's Tikkie and established global innovation frameworks at organisations like SGS.

A polyglot and global citizen, Stephen has lived in five countries and speaks five languages, bringing an international perspective to every new challenge.

If you're comfortable with the status quo, you won't enjoy listening to Stephen Parkins. Stephen is a seasoned innovation strategist, executive coach and business leader with over two decades of experience turning uncertainty into opportunity. ... Show more

Amanda Hoffmann

Amanda Hoffmann

Speaker | Clarity & Decision-Making | Leadership & Organizational Dynamics

Amanda Hoffmann works at the intersection of decision-making, identity, and group dynamics—helping leaders and organizations see where certainty, assumptions, and “best practices” quietly distort how they think.

Her work introduces a different approach:

Why clarity—not confidence—is the foundation of good decisions

How high-performing leaders operate in misalignment without realizing it

What happens when teams confuse alignment with agreement

Why many goals are inherited, not chosen—and how that impacts performance

With 20+ years advising leaders across industries, Amanda blends systems thinking, behavioral insight, and real-world leadership experience to make complex ideas immediately usable.

She is the creator of:

The Core Alignment Model (CAM)

The Clarity System (clarity → agency → results)

And concepts such as the Borrowed Self Epidemic, and Judgment Jurisdiction

Her sessions are known for being:

Provocative without being performative

Intellectually rigorous, but accessible

Practical without relying on generic “best practices”

Audiences leave with something rare:
Not just answers—but better questions, clearer thinking, and the ability to make decisions with real intention.

Speaker | Clarity & Decision-Making | Leadership & Organizational Dynamics Amanda Hoffmann works at the intersection of decision-making, identity, and group dynamics—helping leaders and organizations see where certainty, assumptions, and “best pra... Show more

Rémi Sarraillon

Rémi Sarraillon

Coach Agile & Coach Produit, Facilitateur d'intelligence collective, animateur de la fresque du climat et de la fresque du numérique, je suis passionné par les sciences humaines et la dynamique de groupe. J'accompagne les organisations à devenir davantage résiliente et frugale dans la conception de produits numériques.

Coach Agile & Coach Produit, Facilitateur d'intelligence collective, animateur de la fresque du climat et de la fresque du numérique, je suis passionné par les sciences humaines et la dynamique de groupe. J'accompagne les organisations à devenir dava... Show more

Diego Coy

Diego Coy

Developer Advocate 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 Advocate 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 pa... Show more

Nicolò Cambiaso Erizzo

Nicolò Cambiaso Erizzo

Communications expert, event organizer, community gatherer. OSS contributor, sailing the K8s ocean since 2019. Head of Marketing @Mia-Platform.
Strong believer that better software engineering brings to better development for the planet.

Communications expert, event organizer, community gatherer. OSS contributor, sailing the K8s ocean since 2019. Head of Marketing @Mia-Platform. Strong believer that better software engineering brings to better development for the planet. Show more

Bruno Sbille

Bruno Sbille

I am from Belgium, the country of chocolate and beers.
I am one of the pioneers of Agile in Belgium, I carried out my first Scrum project back in 2008.
I am also a Certified Scrum Trainer from the Scrum Alliance.

In addition to my Agile hat, I also have one foot in the world of Psychology. I am a life coach, therapist and author of the book “Discovering soul families” https://www.amazon.fr/dp/236188299X which has sold more than 7,000 copies. My book talks about a model that helps us understand ourselves and others. All based on our greatest strengths, often underexploited, instinct, intuition, connection to others and the quest for meaning.

I am from Belgium, the country of chocolate and beers. I am one of the pioneers of Agile in Belgium, I carried out my first Scrum project back in 2008. I am also a Certified Scrum Trainer from the Scrum Alliance. In addition to my Agile hat, I a... Show more

Aanvi Dogra

Aanvi Dogra

Aanvi Dogra is a senior at Dublin Jerome High School who is also attending Columbus State Community College to earn her Computer Science Cybersecurity Major AAS. She is passionate about technology and learning about new technological advancements. She takes pride in uplifting her community, especially young students and she does this by volunteer organizations and clubs. In her free time, she enjoys working with kids and fostering a passion for STEM within children, as well as spending time with her family and friends.

Aanvi Dogra is a senior at Dublin Jerome High School who is also attending Columbus State Community College to earn her Computer Science Cybersecurity Major AAS. She is passionate about technology and learning about new technological advancements. Sh... Show more

Maxime Sciare

Maxime Sciare

Enchanté, moi c’est Maxime !

À 18 ans, j’étais en quête de sens (= paumé).
Puis pendant 5 ans, j’ai exploré le développement personnel… et j’en ai finalement fait mon métier.
Aujourd’hui, je suis coach professionnel et conférencier, et j’aide les gens à oser passer à l’action avec un cap clair et motivant.

Ah oui, et je suis fan de randonnée, de fromage suisse et… de Taylor Swift ! 🎵🧀🥾

Enchanté, moi c’est Maxime ! À 18 ans, j’étais en quête de sens (= paumé). Puis pendant 5 ans, j’ai exploré le développement personnel… et j’en ai finalement fait mon métier. Aujourd’hui, je suis coach professionnel et conférencier, et j’aide... Show more

Giorgia Gibellini

Giorgia Gibellini

Complex UX Expert, uso l'AI consapevolmente per progettare e progetto esperienze con feature AI-based.

Complex UX Expert, uso l'AI consapevolmente per progettare e progetto esperienze con feature AI-based. Show more

Amy Gutman MD, FACEP

Amy Gutman MD, FACEP

Dr. Amy Gutman, MD, FACEP, is a board-certified emergency physician, global keynote speaker, best-selling author, and executive performance coach helping leaders optimize the biology behind high performance. Founder of ToughLoveMD and author of the best-seller "Powerhouse Living: Lead Your Life Like a Resuscitation", Dr. Gutman teaches organizations how sleep, stress, metabolism, recovery, and cognitive load drive decision quality, resilience, retention, and results. A keynote favorite across healthcare, technology, cybersecurity, business, and leadership events, she consistently earns outstanding feedback from attendees and organizers for her high-energy, science-backed, conference-favorite sessions that leave audiences thinking differently — with immediately actionable personal and professional impacts. Her mission is simple: most leadership development treats performance as a mindset problem. She treats it as a biological operating system. Using her Cellular Leadership and Powerhouse Physiology frameworks, Dr. Gutman turns emergency medicine, executive leadership, and human performance science into practical strategies for clearer decisions, faster recovery, stronger teams, and sustained high performance.

Dr. Amy Gutman, MD, FACEP, is a board-certified emergency physician, global keynote speaker, best-selling author, and executive performance coach helping leaders optimize the biology behind high performance. Founder of ToughLoveMD and author of the b... Show more

Antonio Bugni

Antonio Bugni

Sono un papà bis, da decenni nel mondo del software con una passione per la mente e per questo mi sono laureato in Psicologia. Negli ultimi anni, parallelamente al mio lavoro tra architetture software e engineering management in scaleup e realtà internazionali, mi sono dedicato alla ricerca e alla divulgazione all'intersezione tra scienze cognitive e ingegneria del software, con The Mental Stack su Medium. Sono convinto che le persone restino il motore reale di qualsiasi organizzazione che voglia costruire prodotti che durano e che capire come funziona la mente sia oggi più urgente che mai, in un settore che sta cambiando più velocemente della nostra capacità di adattarci.

Sono un papà bis, da decenni nel mondo del software con una passione per la mente e per questo mi sono laureato in Psicologia. Negli ultimi anni, parallelamente al mio lavoro tra architetture software e engineering management in scaleup e realtà inte... Show more

Anna Kovalova

Anna Kovalova

Anna Kovalova is a fantasy writer and a content writer from Kyiv, Ukraine. She currently lives in Zadar due to the war. Her debut novel of the fantasy comedy book series “Smartcharms” was published in 2024. Her fantasy YA novel “Dark seas” is scheduled for publication next year. She writes articles on European speculative fiction for Star Fort, Ukraine's oldest science fiction community .

Anna Kovalova is a fantasy writer and a content writer from Kyiv, Ukraine. She currently lives in Zadar due to the war. Her debut novel of the fantasy comedy book series “Smartcharms” was published in 2024. Her fantasy YA novel “Dark seas” is schedul... Show more

Jody Cronk

Jody Cronk

A seasoned ERP Analyst with extensive experience in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations and AX. With a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from The Ohio State University, Jody brings a unique blend of analytical thinking and creative problem-solving to every project.
Over the course of two decades, Jody has supported and led ERP implementations, system optimizations, and process improvements across diverse industries—including government and multiple manufacturing specialties, including fire apparatus and recreational vehicles. Her expertise spans financial systems analysis, supply chain management, change management, and user training for organizations ranging from 120 to 600+ users.
As a dedicated leader in the Dynamics community, Jody serves as a co-lead for the Ohio D365F&O-AX User Group and Dynamic Minds, and is a frequent speaker at DynamicsCon Live and other industry events. Passionate about leveraging technology to streamline operations, Jody thrives on transforming complex challenges into efficient, user-friendly solutions.

A seasoned ERP Analyst with extensive experience in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations and AX. With a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from The Ohio State University, Jody brings a unique blend of analytical thinking and creative problem-solvi... Show more

Yevgen Nebesov

Yevgen Nebesov

Yevgen Nebesov is a systems architect based in Bruchsal, Germany. He provides consultancy services to companies across various sectors, including railways, defence, logistics, medical devices, and retail. His expertise spans software architecture, organization design, team leadership, and business analysis.

His consultancy focuses primarily on managing the complexity arising from intertwined uncertainties across technical, operational, and political domains within organizations.

Yevgen is the author of two practical frameworks:
- “Sociotechnical Engineering” — an approach that applies classical Systems Engineering principles, such as requirements elicitation and requirements-driven design, to sociotechnical systems, including software development projects.
- “The Architecture of Power” — a framework for structural change designed for people with or without formal authority.

Yevgen Nebesov is a systems architect based in Bruchsal, Germany. He provides consultancy services to companies across various sectors, including railways, defence, logistics, medical devices, and retail. His expertise spans software architecture, or... Show more

Stephane Vandenbussche

Stephane Vandenbussche

Facilitateur graphique & coach agile, je combine pensée visuelle, intelligence collective et agilité pour accompagner les organisations dans leurs transformations.
Passionné par la transmission et la dynamique des groupes, j’anime des ateliers qui rendent les idées visibles et les échanges plus vivants.
Fondateur des Ateliers du Bosquet, j'explore des approches sur-mesure pour cultiver l’Humain et faire grandir le collectif.

Facilitateur graphique & coach agile, je combine pensée visuelle, intelligence collective et agilité pour accompagner les organisations dans leurs transformations. Passionné par la transmission et la dynamique des groupes, j’anime des ateliers qui r... Show more

Ulf-Daniel Ehlers

Ulf-Daniel Ehlers

Ulf is founder of mindful-leaders.net, serial entrepreneur, and full Professor for Educational Management and Lifelong Learning at the Baden-Wurttemberg Cooperative State University. In 2011 the Ministry of Higher Education called him to spearhead the launch of Germany’s first Cooperative University as Vice-President, a large scale initiative, with today 35 thousand students. In 2017, he launched NextEducation, an international boutique-research group focussing on Future Skills, Microcredentials & digital transformation in higher education. Just recently he was appointed as Scientific Director at the Future Learning Laboratory at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

Ulf is founder of mindful-leaders.net, serial entrepreneur, and full Professor for Educational Management and Lifelong Learning at the Baden-Wurttemberg Cooperative State University. In 2011 the Ministry of Higher Education called him to spearhead th... Show more

Barno Kaharova

Barno Kaharova

Barno is a consultant and researcher specializing in AI security, data engineering, and machine learning security. She works at the intersection of offensive and defensive AI security & developing methodologies to protect AI systems from adversarial threats across the full stack, from data pipelines and ML models to LLM-powered applications and autonomous agents. Additionally in her role as an AI security trainer Barno has designed and delivered hands-on training programs covering AI red teaming, prompt injection, adversarial ML, RAG and vector database security, and the OWASP Top 10 for LLM and Agentic AI. Her training approach is practitioner-first: participants attack and defend real-world AI systems, leaving with techniques they can apply immediately. She is actively involved in AI governance and evaluation efforts at the national level and regularly contributes to the AI security community through speaking engagements, publications, and conference submissions. She bridges the gap between rapid AI adoption and the critical need for robust, field-tested defenses in an evolving threat landscape.

Barno is a consultant and researcher specializing in AI security, data engineering, and machine learning security. She works at the intersection of offensive and defensive AI security & developing methodologies to protect AI systems from adversarial ... Show more

Philip Obiorah

Philip Obiorah

Philip Obiorah is a Data Scientist, Co-Organizer PyData Milton Keynes , Lead of GDG Cloud Port Harcourt, a Google Explore ML Facilitator, and a researcher with interests in Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing. He is a former Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom, and currently serves as a Learning Development Coach in Computing at the University of Buckingham. An Oracle Certified Professional and a member of the British Computer Society, Philip has a diverse academic and professional background.

Philip holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Port Harcourt. In addition, he has earned two Master's degrees: an MSc in Applied Data Science from the University of Buckingham, graduating with distinction, and an MSc in Computer Science from the University of Port Harcourt. He also holds a BA in Philosophy from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria.

Philip is deeply committed to community development and has volunteered extensively to mentor participants in AI and data science programs through initiatives like AI School Africa, the Google Africa Developers Scholarship, and Google Explore ML with Crowdsource. His academic contributions include several research publications, notably "Topic Modeling Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation & Multinomial Logistic Regression," published in the Journal of Digital Innovations & Contemporary Research in Science, Engineering & Technology (Vol. 10, No. 4).

Philip’s efforts have earned him numerous accolades. He was a Global Nominee at NASA SpaceApps 2018 and received the Tech Social Impact Icon (Green) Award in 2022 from Techrity. He was also honored with a special plaque from Google Developer Groups for fostering a vibrant developer community at GDG Cloud Port Harcourt.

Passionate about teaching, community building, and bridging the gap between academia and the tech industry, Philip is dedicated to continuing his impactful journey and achieving even greater milestones in the future.

Philip Obiorah is a Data Scientist, Co-Organizer PyData Milton Keynes , Lead of GDG Cloud Port Harcourt, a Google Explore ML Facilitator, and a researcher with interests in Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing. He is a former Graduate Te... Show more

Vladislav Guzey

Vladislav Guzey

Developer & PhD Researcher in AI, focused on generative AI and agent-based systems. I have 18+ years of experience in tech, spanning web development, data, and growth.

Today, I help developers work smarter by using AI-powered tools, agents, and practical workflows that improve productivity and real-world outcomes. I share what I learn through hands-on tutorials, tool reviews, and experiments, bridging research with everyday development work.

Developer & PhD Researcher in AI, focused on generative AI and agent-based systems. I have 18+ years of experience in tech, spanning web development, data, and growth. Today, I help developers work smarter by using AI-powered tools, agents, and p... Show more

Aleksander Slominski

Aleksander Slominski

Aleksander Slominski is a Research Staff Member in the Hybrid Cloud Programming Models and Systems department at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center. He works on bringing serverless experience to running HPC and AI workloads in Kubernetes, particpate in open source serverless computing Knative project and presented about building Knative eventing applications during KnativeCon in Kubecon NA 2022. He organizes International Workshops on Serverless Computing (WoSC) to bring together researchers and industry practitioners to discuss their experiences and thoughts on future directions, talk slides are linked from: https://www.serverlesscomputing.org/workshops/

Aleksander Slominski is a Research Staff Member in the Hybrid Cloud Programming Models and Systems department at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center. He works on bringing serverless experience to running HPC and AI workloads in Kubernetes, particpat... Show more

Aquayemi-Claude Akinsanya

Aquayemi-Claude Akinsanya

Aquayemi-Claude’s relentless drive for systemic reform has positioned him as a key figure across global platforms. He serves as a leader in youth empowerment, a mentor in educational equity, and a public speaker whose message resonates with diverse audiences. As a solopreneur and thought leader, his work bridges entrepreneurship, activism, and environmentalism, while his contributions to the Global Network of Young Persons with Disabilities highlight his commitment to creating inclusive opportunities for marginalized communities.

A compelling public speaker and storyteller, Aquayemi-Claude captivates audiences with inspiring narratives and thought-provoking insights. With a gift for communication and a dedication to amplifying marginalized voices, Aquayemi-Claude inspires action and fosters dialogue on issues of social significance.

Aquayemi-Claude is also an accomplished author, sharing perspectives and experiences that challenge conventional wisdom and inspire critical reflection. Through written works, Aquayemi-Claude invites readers on a journey of discovery and empowerment, encouraging introspection and growth.

Aquayemi-Claude’s relentless drive for systemic reform has positioned him as a key figure across global platforms. He serves as a leader in youth empowerment, a mentor in educational equity, and a public speaker whose message resonates with diverse a... Show more

Sarita Gupta

Sarita Gupta

Biography
Sarita Gupta as a versatile portfolio to bring to a balanced world with 12 years of software design and development experience at Microsoft in Redmond WA with prior software development experience of 3 years in startups and 2 years of experience on model based computing on government sponsored research projects. Sarita Gupta went to Vanderbilt University from where she graduated with Masters Degree in Computer Science. Sarita Gupta has been a Research Assistant working for government Space agency sponsored projects on manned mission to Mars and on fault detection system of f15 fighter planes. Sarita Gupta has published formal research papers and has technical awards and U.S. goverment patent on software object synchronization.

Biography Sarita Gupta as a versatile portfolio to bring to a balanced world with 12 years of software design and development experience at Microsoft in Redmond WA with prior software development experience of 3 years in startups and 2 years of expe... Show more

Víctor Izquierdo Montes

Víctor Izquierdo Montes

I am a 32-year-old from Córdoba with a lifelong passion for process optimization. Thanks to the versatility AI offers, I enjoy applying it to my projects as a Power Platform specialist at MDW Partners.

Originally, I pursued double majors in Business Administration and Management and Law, and I hold an MBA. However, I've always been fascinated by computer science. After several years of using reports for analytical decision-making, I decided to shift my focus to creating them directly.

Later, I discovered the potential of Power Platform, and I now focus on developing complete solutions using the tools available on this platform. With the growing interest in AI among companies, I incorporate Azure OpenAI tools like GPT, DALL·E, and Whisper into many of my projects.

I am a 32-year-old from Córdoba with a lifelong passion for process optimization. Thanks to the versatility AI offers, I enjoy applying it to my projects as a Power Platform specialist at MDW Partners. Originally, I pursued double majors in Busine... Show more

Eszter Iványi

Eszter Iványi

Eszter Iványi, with 5+ years in asset management and a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Coaching from ELTE University, she combines corporate expertise with coaching principles to drive organizational change and professional development.

Eszter Iványi, with 5+ years in asset management and a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Coaching from ELTE University, she combines corporate expertise with coaching principles to drive organizational change and professional development. Show more

Ewa Hutmacher

Ewa Hutmacher

Ewa Hutmacher works with CEOs and executive teams in situations where direction is still forming and decisions need to hold. Her work focuses on strategy facilitation, organizational identity, culture and leadership behavior, and on how decisions are made in everyday practice.

Ewa works across industries where strategy, culture and leadership meet — surfacing what is often left unsaid and helping teams work through the tensions that shape direction. She contributes to conversations on leadership behavior, culture and decision-making in talks and panel discussions.

Ewa Hutmacher works with CEOs and executive teams in situations where direction is still forming and decisions need to hold. Her work focuses on strategy facilitation, organizational identity, culture and leadership behavior, and on how decisions are... Show more

Shweta Roy Chowdhury

Shweta Roy Chowdhury

Shweta is a UX Research Specialist.

Her core expertise lies in ethnography, service design and designing innovative solutions for products and services through the human centred design process.

Shweta is a UX Research Specialist. Her core expertise lies in ethnography, service design and designing innovative solutions for products and services through the human centred design process. Show more

Ramsey Elkholy

Ramsey Elkholy

Ramsey Elkholy is a guitarist, producer, songwriter, and anthropologist who founded the indietronica collective Monotronic in 2016. He conceived the project as a communal platform where instruments interweave into a single expressive force. Rather than spotlighting individual virtuosity, he emphasizes shared intention and group chemistry, encouraging collaborators to shape each track with their own textures, instincts, and creative voice.

Elkholy’s parallel career in anthropology informs that philosophy. He earned a PhD and authored Being and Becoming: Embodiment and Experience Among the Orang Rimba of Sumatra, a study of rainforest foragers in Indonesia. His research explored how identity, environment, and daily practice intertwine. That perspective carries into his music, where rhythm and atmosphere reflect lived experience and collective awareness.

Travel has also played a defining role in his artistic development. After spending three years backpacking across Asia and beyond, studying Indian music in Calcutta, and completing two years of fieldwork in Sumatra, Ramsey Elkholy Monotronic developed a deep sensitivity to polyrhythm and texture. He has described the rainforest at night as a vast, layered symphony. Raised in New York and now based in Los Angeles, he works from a home garage studio.

Monotronic’s 2026 album Waiting for You represents a significant chapter in the collective’s growth. The record features acclaimed bassist Mohini Dey on Close Enough and legendary drummer Omar Hakim throughout the project. Several accompanying videos, including Looking Away and Everything Moves, premiered at number one on VEVO, expanding the band’s reach and visual identity.

The album blends indie rock, pop, and electronic elements into a cohesive, cinematic sound marked by reflective lyrics and polished production. Everything Moves unfolds in a high-energy escape room setting, while Kettle Song pairs dynamic choreography with striking imagery. Many of the songs were written during time spent in Tulum, where coastal landscapes shaped the album’s contemplative mood.

Since releasing their self-titled debut in 2019, Monotronic has earned praise from outlets such as Rolling Stone and Relix. A rotating roster of accomplished musicians has contributed to the project, many of whom have ties to major artists across genres. Singles including Kids of Summer and In Between have drawn a strong critical response, reinforcing Elkholy’s reputation for genre-fluid songwriting and immersive sound design.

Ramsey Elkholy is a guitarist, producer, songwriter, and anthropologist who founded the indietronica collective Monotronic in 2016. He conceived the project as a communal platform where instruments interweave into a single expressive force. Rather th... Show more

Kirstie Whitaker

Kirstie Whitaker

Kirstie Whitaker is the Executive Director of the Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS). At BIDS she supports the delivery of innovative open source software and infrastructure to benefit science and society, including through the Jupyter and Scientific Python communities. She is the founder of The Turing Way, a collaboratively created guide for reproducible, inclusive, collaborative, and ethical data science. She holds a PhD in Neuroscience (2012) and is a Fulbright Scholarship alumna.

Kirstie Whitaker is the Executive Director of the Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS). At BIDS she supports the delivery of innovative open source software and infrastructure to benefit science and society, including through the Jupyter and Sc... Show more

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