Humanities & Social Sciences

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

Lea Hildermeier

Lea Hildermeier

Lea Hildermeier ist Projektmanagerin im HFD/CHE und dort u.a. für den Think Tank "Well-Being und Mental Health im digitalen Zeitalter an Hochschulen" zuständig. Zuvor studierte sie Anglistik, Erziehungswissenschaft und Psychologie an der Universität Bielefeld.
Als DigitalChangeMaker der Kohorte 2024 engagierte sich Lea in den Bereichen studentische Partizipation, Student Wellbeing und dem Einsatz von Künstlicher Intelligenz in der Hochschulbildung. Seit September 2024 engagiert sich Lea im Common Grounds Forum, damit junge Menschen ihre Stimme in bildungs- und digitalpolitischen Anliegen einbringen können.

Lea Hildermeier ist Projektmanagerin im HFD/CHE und dort u.a. für den Think Tank "Well-Being und Mental Health im digitalen Zeitalter an Hochschulen" zuständig. Zuvor studierte sie Anglistik, Erziehungswissenschaft und Psychologie an der Universität... 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

Sanne Ziethen

Sanne Ziethen

Dr. Sanne Ziethen ist Kultur- und Geschichtswissenschaftlerin sowie Hochschuldidaktikerin mit Schwerpunkt auf partizipativer Lehrentwicklung, Transfer von Lehrinnovationen und digital gestützter Hochschullehre. Nach dem Studium der Kulturwissenschaften und Ästhetischen Praxis an der Universität Hildesheim und der Promotion in Kultur- und Geschichtswissenschaften war sie zunächst im Projektmanagement tätig, bevor sie in Lehre und Hochschulentwicklung zurückkehrte. Am Institut für Geschichte der Universität Hildesheim konzipierte und erprobte sie zahlreiche innovative Lehr-/Lernformate und wurde dafür mit dem Preis für hervorragende Lehre 2020/2021 der Universität Hildesheim ausgezeichnet.
Eine zentrale Linie ihrer Arbeit ist die systematische Verankerung von Lehrinnovationen in Organisationen („Transfer“): Im Projekt Digital C@MPUS-le@rning (2021-2025) verantwortete sie Transferstrategien, didaktische Beratung und Support, OER-Entwicklung sowie Kommunikations- und Vernetzungsaktivitäten. Sie initiierte das partizipative Format le@rningLOTSEN, in dem qualifizierte Studierende als hochschuldidaktische Multiplikator*innen Lehrende beraten und erfolgreiche Lehr-/Lernformate in die Breite der Universität tragen. Im Projekt "aLaZukunft" (Agile Lehrarchitektur für Zukunftsthemen) verantwortet sie Curriculums- und Studiengangsentwicklung und Transfer.
Didaktisch verbindet sie kultur- und bildungswissenschaftliche Perspektiven mit Ansätzen des transformativen Lernens, der Kompetenzorientierung und der partizipativen Curriculum- und Lehrentwicklung. Ihre Weiterqualifikation als eTrainerin, eLearning-Beraterin und eTutorin (FernUniversität in Hagen) fundiert ihre Arbeit an digitalen und hybriden Lehr-/Lernsettings sowie offenen Bildungsressourcen (OER).
Dr. Ziethen engagiert sich überinstitutionell u. a. im Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (HFD), in Weiterqualifikationsprogrammen der Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre sowie in der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hochschuldidaktik (DGHD; AG Transfer; AG Transformatives Lernen und Nachhaltigkeit). Ihre Arbeit zielt darauf, innovative Lehrpraxis, studentische Partizipation und organisationale Entwicklung systematisch zu verbinden und nachhaltig in Hochschulen zu verankern.

Dr. Sanne Ziethen ist Kultur- und Geschichtswissenschaftlerin sowie Hochschuldidaktikerin mit Schwerpunkt auf partizipativer Lehrentwicklung, Transfer von Lehrinnovationen und digital gestützter Hochschullehre. Nach dem Studium der Kulturwissenschaft... Show more

Aline Eid Galante

Aline Eid Galante

Aline Eid Galante é mestre em Administração pela Unicamp, com pesquisa voltada à gestão do tempo, trabalho digital e impactos das tecnologias no cotidiano. Atua na Diretoria Executiva de Tecnologia da Informação e Comunicação (Detic) da Unicamp com iniciativas relacionadas à transformação digital do trabalho, organização de processos e estruturação do trabalho colaborativo em ambientes digitais.

Sua atuação conecta temas como futuro do trabalho, design de serviços, organização do trabalho digital, colaboração e uso estratégico de ferramentas digitais para apoiar equipes e melhorar a experiência de trabalho. Também atua como instrutora e conteudista em ações de capacitação voltadas à organização do trabalho, planejamento pessoal e gestão do tempo.

Atualmente, pesquisa como as transformações digitais impactam a forma de trabalhar, colaborar e utilizar o tempo nas organizações, com foco em modelos mais humanos, sustentáveis e eficientes de trabalho digital.

Aline Eid Galante é mestre em Administração pela Unicamp, com pesquisa voltada à gestão do tempo, trabalho digital e impactos das tecnologias no cotidiano. Atua na Diretoria Executiva de Tecnologia da Informação e Comunicação (Detic) da Unicamp com i... Show more

Nick Nisi

Nick Nisi

Nick Nisi is an elite software engineer who is a veteran of open source web development, a lover of karaoke, an advocate for diversity in tech, a conference organizer extraordinaire, a lover of new experiences, and a beacon of expertise, kindness and hope for his development team.

Nick Nisi is an elite software engineer who is a veteran of open source web development, a lover of karaoke, an advocate for diversity in tech, a conference organizer extraordinaire, a lover of new experiences, and a beacon of expertise, kindness and... Show more

Shaun Savage

Shaun Savage

Shaun Savage is the founder of Computado Rita, an Edge AI company in Costa Rica, with 30+ years across system-security architecture, embedded systems, IoT, and machine learning. He holds an MS in Electrical Engineering (Oregon State) and a BS in Computer Science (University of Utah), was a volunteer collaborator on NSA's SELinux project, and holds several hardware and software patents. He has held CTO and engineering-director roles and teaches Rust and systems programming in his community. Produced cable access TV program TVLinux for 5 years.

Shaun Savage is the founder of Computado Rita, an Edge AI company in Costa Rica, with 30+ years across system-security architecture, embedded systems, IoT, and machine learning. He holds an MS in Electrical Engineering (Oregon State) and a BS in Comp... Show more

Emmanuel Hervé

Emmanuel Hervé

Coach professionnel, j’accompagne depuis plus de 15 ans managers, équipes et organisations à franchir des caps, en gardant l’humain et le vivant au cœur de l’action.

Mon approche s’appuie sur l’agilité, le coaching intégral et une inspiration tirée de la culture chinoise : écouter les cycles, cultiver l’équilibre, avancer avec justesse. J’aide les collectifs à retrouver du sens, à renforcer leur cohésion et à évoluer dans un environnement en mouvement.

J’installe des espaces de confiance, où chacun peut questionner ses repères et s’aligner avec ses aspirations.

J’allie écoute, transmission d’outils concrets et attention à ce qui fait vivre l’équipe, pour révéler le potentiel collectif.

J’accompagne les leaders à incarner une posture authentique, ancrée dans la réalité et attentive à l’équilibre humain.

Osez avancer autrement : mon accompagnement est une invitation à expérimenter, à progresser et à faire grandir le collectif, en lien avec le vivant.

Coach professionnel, j’accompagne depuis plus de 15 ans managers, équipes et organisations à franchir des caps, en gardant l’humain et le vivant au cœur de l’action. Mon approche s’appuie sur l’agilité, le coaching intégral et une inspiration tiré... Show more

Roksana Inga Rybicka

Roksana Inga Rybicka

Studentin an der EUV, Peer Tutorin für wissenschaftliche Schreiben & Lernen, Directorin für IT bei ELSA

Roksana ist eine leidenschaftliche Studentin im Bereich Rechtswissenschaften und steht kurz vor dem Abschluss ihres Studiums. Neben ihrem Engagement in der akademischen Welt ist sie auch eine begeisterte Webdesignerin und Programmiererin, mit einem besonderen Interesse an den Schnittstellen von Technologie und Recht. Als Peer Tutorin und Director für IT bei ELSA kombiniert sie ihre Liebe zu digitalen Innovationen mit ihrer Expertise im Bereich Bildung und Lehre. Sie engagiert sich zudem in internationalen Netzwerken und hat sich auf die Förderung von Zugänglichkeit und Empowerment spezialisiert.Sie liebt es, kreative Methoden wie Gamification in der Lehre zu integrieren, um Studierende aktiv in ihre Lernprozesse einzubinden und auf die Herausforderungen der digitalen Zukunft vorzubereiten.

Studentin an der EUV, Peer Tutorin für wissenschaftliche Schreiben & Lernen, Directorin für IT bei ELSA Roksana ist eine leidenschaftliche Studentin im Bereich Rechtswissenschaften und steht kurz vor dem Abschluss ihres Studiums. Neben ihrem Engag... Show more

Malcolm McAuley

Malcolm McAuley

Malcolm McAuley has been involved in the Dynamics 365 CE/CRM space for over 15 years. Malcolm also spent 18 years in the not-for-profit sector. He's fulfilled various roles both as a customer and a consultant and has worked with many organizations to identify opportunities where Dynamics 365 CE/CRM, Microsoft 365 and Power Platform tools can increase organizational efficiency and maximize data insight so companies are making decisions on what is actually happen instead of what they think is happening in their business. In his role as Microsoft Solutions Practice Lead at C5 Insight, Malcolm guides and supports the Dynamics and Microsoft 365 teams in their pursuit of delivering excellence to our clients. He also holds a strong interest in empowering others to building authentic connections through networking, and has recently released a self-constructed keynote address on the topic. Malcolm, his wife of 20 years, and two teenage boys reside near Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario.

Malcolm McAuley has been involved in the Dynamics 365 CE/CRM space for over 15 years. Malcolm also spent 18 years in the not-for-profit sector. He's fulfilled various roles both as a customer and a consultant and has worked with many organizations to... Show more

Francesco Esposito

Francesco Esposito

Author of "Programming LLMs with Azure Open AI" (Microsoft Press, 2024), Francesco is currently Chief Technology Officer at Crionet, a primary sport-tech firm, where he started writing software and algorithms at the venerable age of 12. He coordinates a team of 30 developers and data scientists doing applications primarily on the .NET stack. As an entrepreneur, he founded Youbiquitous, a data analysis and software factory working primarily on the Python stack for major public Italian companies and universities, and KBMS Data Force, a startup in Digital Therapy and intelligent healthcare, where he serves as CTO.

Author of "Programming LLMs with Azure Open AI" (Microsoft Press, 2024), Francesco is currently Chief Technology Officer at Crionet, a primary sport-tech firm, where he started writing software and algorithms at the venerable age of 12. He coordinate... Show more

JC Quintana

JC Quintana

JC gives audiences a powerful framework for better technology adoption and innovation. His books incorporate psychology and technology perspectives and expectation management from a fresh and captivating perspective. If you want to build a culture of business outcomes, clarity, and alignment, attend one of JC's presentations. A senior executive and educator, JC teaches Customer (CX) and Human-Centered Design Thinking at 32 universities in the United States. He lives in Nashville, TN with his wife Shelley.

JC gives audiences a powerful framework for better technology adoption and innovation. His books incorporate psychology and technology perspectives and expectation management from a fresh and captivating perspective. If you want to build a culture of... Show more

Jose De Souza

Jose De Souza

Jose Alejandro De Souza is a data visualization teacher and a content creator focused on data science. He holds a Master's in Big Data and Business Analytics. His spanish YouTube channel, with over 3,000 subscribers and 80+ videos, provides tutorials on Tableau, SQL, Python, and R, catering to beginners and those looking to enhance their data analysis and visualization skills. His content includes building dashboards, learning SQL, and performing data analysis with various tools.

Jose Alejandro De Souza is a data visualization teacher and a content creator focused on data science. He holds a Master's in Big Data and Business Analytics. His spanish YouTube channel, with over 3,000 subscribers and 80+ videos, provides tutorials... Show more

Candice Grobler

Candice Grobler

Candice Grobler is the founder of Candid Collab, a systems-savvy community consultancy helping solo founders and stretched teams build community-led marketing engines that scale revenue.

After a CPTSD diagnosis and a “you’re unemployable” jab from a well-meaning manager, Candice left the cubicle grind to forge a new model: one where neuro-spicy, outside-the-norm entrepreneurs could thrive through mentorship, scrappy systems, and candid community.

Today, she’s a sought-after mentor and speaker known for transforming sticky-note chaos into streamlined workflows and turning feast-or-famine floundering into steady, soul-aligned revenue. Her live talks, workshops, and interviews blend radical candour with practical playbooks, because life’s too short to build someone else’s empire (or burn out building your own).

Candice has helped dozens of founders grow recurring revenue, reduce burnout, and build communities that market for them, without agency retainers, bro-marketing gloss, or a selling out.

Candice Grobler is the founder of Candid Collab, a systems-savvy community consultancy helping solo founders and stretched teams build community-led marketing engines that scale revenue. After a CPTSD diagnosis and a “you’re unemployable” jab from... Show more

Armony Altinier

Armony Altinier

After studying law and earning master’s degrees in political science and Chinese, Armony launched her first business in 2007 to create her own job following an illness. Since then, she has been working to promote digital accessibility through conferences, training sessions, writing a book, contributing to book chapters, and authoring articles…

After helping to draft version 3 of the General Framework for Improving Accessibility (RGAA), she joined the working group updating the technical framework for RGAA 5.

Armony has founded and led several companies, the most recent being Koena, but she now operates as a freelancer under the brand Itsula. She offers expertise, auditing, strategic consulting (multi-year digital accessibility plan), and training in digital accessibility and text simplification using the European Easy to Read (ETR) method.

After studying law and earning master’s degrees in political science and Chinese, Armony launched her first business in 2007 to create her own job following an illness. Since then, she has been working to promote digital accessibility through confere... Show more

Parul Singh

Parul Singh

Parul is a highly experienced keynote speaker with a flair for making DEI talks exciting again. She delivers informative and engaging talks on neurodiversity, sometimes with a bit of a twist; by using concepts from nostalgic video games!

Parul has delivered keynote talks at LeadDev London, Leeds Digital Festival, Manchester Tech Festival and RecFest.

Parul is a highly experienced keynote speaker with a flair for making DEI talks exciting again. She delivers informative and engaging talks on neurodiversity, sometimes with a bit of a twist; by using concepts from nostalgic video games! Parul ha... Show more

Prayer Nwagboso

Prayer Nwagboso

Prayer Chinaza Nwagboso is a Nigerian humanitarian leader, social entrepreneur, and global advocate advancing equitable access to education, gender equality, and sustainable community development across underserved and crisis-affected regions.
She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Naza Agape Foundation, a multi-country nonprofit organization committed to delivering tuition-free education, humanitarian support, and livelihood opportunities to vulnerable children, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and women. Since its establishment in 2018, the foundation has impacted over 20,000 beneficiaries across Africa and Asia, supported by a growing network of more than 500 volunteers worldwide.
Nwagboso’s work is distinguished by her grassroots-to-global approach, having initiated education programs within internally displaced communities in Northern Nigeria, creating access to structured learning where none previously existed. Her model integrates education, welfare, and empowerment, aligning with key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

Her impact has received international recognition, with features by leading global media platforms including BBC News Africa and BBC Pidgin, highlighting her work in expanding educational access and restoring dignity to displaced and underserved populations.
As Co-founder of Girlified, Nwagboso leads innovative solutions addressing period poverty and environmental sustainability, producing eco-friendly menstrual products and supporting thousands of girls to remain in school with dignity.

She serves in global leadership and advocacy capacities, including as a State Chair within the G100 SDG Wing Nigeria and a Cabinet Minister of the Republic of Women (ROW), contributing to international dialogues on inclusive development, women’s empowerment, and social justice.
A graduate of Covenant University with a background in Mass Communication, Nwagboso is also a published author of “Victory at Last: How I Conquered Low Self-Esteem,” a work reflecting her commitment to personal transformation and youth empowerment.

Her contributions have earned her international awards and recognitions, positioning her as one of the emerging voices in Africa’s next generation of humanitarian and development leaders.
Driven by a vision to build scalable, tuition-free education systems across Africa, Prayer Nwagboso continues to lead initiatives that bridge systemic gaps, empower communities, and create sustainable pathways for future generations.

She's passionate the girl child education and desires to build tuition free schools in Africa.

Prayer Chinaza Nwagboso is a Nigerian humanitarian leader, social entrepreneur, and global advocate advancing equitable access to education, gender equality, and sustainable community development across underserved and crisis-affected regions. She i... Show more

Kendra Poehlmann

Kendra Poehlmann

Dr. Kendra Pöhlmann, Dr. der Wirtschaftswissenschaften mit den Schwerpunkten Strategie und Nachhaltigkeit. Als wiss. Mitarbeiterin, Dozentin und Speakerin liegt ihr die nachhaltige Unternehmensentwicklung insbes. von, mit und für Frauen am Herzen.

Dr. Kendra Pöhlmann, Dr. der Wirtschaftswissenschaften mit den Schwerpunkten Strategie und Nachhaltigkeit. Als wiss. Mitarbeiterin, Dozentin und Speakerin liegt ihr die nachhaltige Unternehmensentwicklung insbes. von, mit und für Frauen am Herzen. Show more

Stephane Beilles

Stephane Beilles

Je porte la conviction que l’être humain est naturellement enclin au travail bien fait, à la coopération et à la croissance — à condition d’évoluer dans un environnement qui nourrit son propre écosystème autant que celui qui l’entoure, qu’il soit social ou environnemental.
Je défends l’idée que l’humain ne doit jamais être une variable d’ajustement dans nos organisations, mais un véritable moteur de développement. Chaque collaborateur mérite d’être considéré comme un être en devenir, et non comme un simple rouage productif.

Docteur en cristallographie, j’ai construit mon parcours au sein de grands groupes pharmaceutiques, où j’ai contribué au développement scientifique et organisationnel en tant que manager d’équipe puis Transformation Leader.
J’ai accompagné de nombreuses équipes dans leur transition vers des pratiques managériales plus inclusives, délégatives et vertueuses.

Chez Sanofi, j’ai animé pendant plusieurs années le Management Lab, un espace d’exploration et d’apprentissage dédié aux pratiques managériales innovantes, notamment au travers d’ateliers immersifs. J’y ai également fondé la ludothèque interne, aujourd’hui riche de plus de 400 jeux d’édition.

Pour approfondir ma compréhension de l’humain et des dynamiques collectives, j’ai suivi une formation exigeante de 18 mois (JBS Lyon – Coach&Team) en coaching individuel, d’équipe et d’organisation, intégrant la sociologie, la psychologie humaniste et l’analyse transactionnelle. Je suis par ailleurs accrédité aux outils psychométriques MBTI et Process Com.

Co‑créateur du jeu professionnel Les Aventuriers de la Draille®, Facilitateur Chaos Fertile® et Ambassadeur Burni Bornes®, je conçois également des jeux d’édition sur mon temps personnel.

Enfin, je pratique l’Aïkido depuis l’âge de 6 ans et la méditation de pleine conscience depuis dix ans, deux disciplines qui nourrissent profondément ma vision du leadership, du jeu et de la relation à soi et à l’autre.

Je porte la conviction que l’être humain est naturellement enclin au travail bien fait, à la coopération et à la croissance — à condition d’évoluer dans un environnement qui nourrit son propre écosystème autant que celui qui l’entoure, qu’il soit soc... Show more

Prof. Dr. Karen Eilers

Prof. Dr. Karen Eilers

Karen Eilers ist Wirtschaftspsychologin und beschäftigt sich mit Herausforderungen und Lösungsansätzen für Führungskräfte, Teams und Unternehmen in agilen und digitalen Transformationen. Begonnen in ihrer Promotionszeit im Fachbereich Wirtschaftsinformatik der Universität Kassel sowie der Universität St.Gallen, vertieft sie heute die Forschung rund um Menschen in Veränderungsprozessen und transferiert die Erkenntnisse aus der Wissenschaft in die Praxis. Sie leitet das Institut für Transformation in Hamburg und ist Professorin an der BSP Business and Law School.

Karen Eilers ist Wirtschaftspsychologin und beschäftigt sich mit Herausforderungen und Lösungsansätzen für Führungskräfte, Teams und Unternehmen in agilen und digitalen Transformationen. Begonnen in ihrer Promotionszeit im Fachbereich Wirtschaftsinfo... Show more

Ana Datta

Ana Datta

Ana helps creators and founders build from alignment not performance.

Ana helps creators and founders build from alignment not performance. Show more

David Lohner

David Lohner

David Lohner is an educationalist and learning experience designer with many years of experience in media education at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). His affiliations include the National Institute for Science Communication (NaWik), the German Association of Academic and Educational Developers (dghd) and the [[notizlab]].
A key focus for him is the promotion of individual skills development. In his work, he combines sociocultural, pedagogical and technical perspectives to design effective and sustainable teaching and learning processes in the digital age. In addition, he conducts research on topics relating to digital higher education, the design of learning and knowledge processes, and concepts of digital note-taking and personal knowledge management.

David Lohner is an educationalist and learning experience designer with many years of experience in media education at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). His affiliations include the National Institute for Science Communication (NaWik), the... Show more

Kurtis Minder

Kurtis Minder

Kurtis’ book, “Cyber Recon: My Life in Cyber Espionage and Ransomware Negotiation” (Wiley, 2025), is an exposé of the private cyber espionage industry and the economic impact of cyberattacks on the US economy.

Kurtis Minder is the founder of GroupSense, a leading provider of digital risk solutions. He built a robust cyber reconnaissance operation that protects some of the world’s largest enterprises and government organizations. Having exited GroupSense in 2025, he now consults for cybersecurity technology companies and serves as a cyber board advisor.

Kurtis is a recognized expert in ransomware response, having served as the lead negotiator in some of the largest ransomware, breach, and data extortion cases globally. His experiences and insights are captured in his book, Cyber Recon, which explores the high-stakes world of cyber threat actor engagement and ransomware response.

He holds a FEMA certification in Critical Infrastructure Protection and actively contributes to public good projects. He is the program lead for RAPIDS, a regional initiative based in Grand Junction, Colorado, focused on measuring and managing the health of the Colorado River through innovative technology and data collaboration.

Kurtis is consistently tapped to lead discussions and keynotes for enterprises and organizations like Wired, the New York Independent Bankers Association, The International Bar Association. Trellix, The State of California, The State of Pennsylvania, RSA Conference, DEFCON, and many others.

Kurtis’s work has been featured in major media outlets, including The New Yorker, Fortune, VICE, WIRED, CNN, and Good Morning America, among others.

Kurtis’ book, “Cyber Recon: My Life in Cyber Espionage and Ransomware Negotiation” (Wiley, 2025), is an exposé of the private cyber espionage industry and the economic impact of cyberattacks on the US economy. Kurtis Minder is the founder of Group... Show more

Henning Klaffke

Henning Klaffke

Prof. Dr. Henning Klaffke ist seit August 2021 Professor für Angewandte Informatik an der Beruflichen Hochschule Hamburg. In der Zeit von 2005 - 2021 hat er am Institut für Technische Bildung und Hochschuldidaktik im Bereich der fachwissenschaftlichen Lehramtsausbildung für die Beruflichen Schulen mit den Fachrichtungen Medientechnik sowie Elektrotechnik-Informationstechnik gelehrt und geforscht. 2014 promovierte er zum Dr. rer. pol. mit der Thesis „Qualität beruflicher Standards“
In den Jahren nach der Promotion leitete Herr Klaffke viele Forschungsprojekte im Bereich der Digitalisierung und beruflichen Bildung und verfasste zahlreiche Publikationen in diesem Bereich.

Prof. Dr. Henning Klaffke ist seit August 2021 Professor für Angewandte Informatik an der Beruflichen Hochschule Hamburg. In der Zeit von 2005 - 2021 hat er am Institut für Technische Bildung und Hochschuldidaktik im Bereich der fachwissenschaftliche... Show more

Matthew Castilla

Matthew Castilla

Matthew Castilla is a professional musician turned Technology professional. Starting with music degrees, life took a turn and shifted his journey in a completely unexpected direction. Matt is currently a Staff Software QA Engineer working for Intuit Mailchimp. He has also served as a lead for the Atlanta portion of the black ERG called HUES. In addition to this work, he currently reports to the company’s senior leadership team as a co-founder and member of its DEI committee. He has authored articles on cultural change, taught courses on ethnographic material surrounding music, and spoken as a spiritual advisor to communities in need.

Matthew Castilla is a professional musician turned Technology professional. Starting with music degrees, life took a turn and shifted his journey in a completely unexpected direction. Matt is currently a Staff Software QA Engineer working for Intuit ... Show more

Amber Shand

Amber Shand

Amber is a former software engineer turned speaker, community builder, and founder of She Bytes Back, the a global community helping ambitious women in tech turn confidence into visibility, influence, and income.

Amber is a former software engineer turned speaker, community builder, and founder of She Bytes Back, the a global community helping ambitious women in tech turn confidence into visibility, influence, and income. Show more

Emma Ruck

Emma Ruck

Et si la pédagogie ludique rendait notre monde plus habitable ... ✨

Designer pluridisciplaire de formation, je me suis progressivement formée à l’animation d’atelier d’intelligence collective via la facilitation ainsi qu’à la création de serious game, d’atelier ludique et la gamification.
J’associe mes compétences dans l’univers jeu, de la facilitation & du design pour les mettre au service des enjeux des organismes que j’accompagne. J’aime être challengé et nourrir ma curiosité en découvrant sans cesse de nouveaux terrains d'explorations, avec une appétence pour les thématiques autour de l’éducation, la jeunesse, l'alimentation, l’innovation & l’écologie.

Mon crédo aujourd'hui :
Imaginer • Concevoir • Transmettre

🌱Imaginer des expériences ludiques et apprenantes pour tous publics.

🍀Concevoir et réaliser des supports intuitifs & impactant.

🍃Transmettre et animer ces expériences grâce à l'intelligence collective.

Et si la pédagogie ludique rendait notre monde plus habitable ... ✨ Designer pluridisciplaire de formation, je me suis progressivement formée à l’animation d’atelier d’intelligence collective via la facilitation ainsi qu’à la création de serious g... Show more

Kjell de Ruiter

Kjell de Ruiter

Kjell de Ruiter is an Agile Coach who believes we can do a lot of great things in our teams, but sooner or later we run into our organisations. As such he is very driven to find ways to make the organisations a catalyst, rather than an anchor. He does so by focusing on clear communication structures and prioritizations and reinforcing healthier relations and expectations for and within our teams. Kjell is keen builder of communities and any other event that will allow people to learn together.

Kjell de Ruiter is an Agile Coach who believes we can do a lot of great things in our teams, but sooner or later we run into our organisations. As such he is very driven to find ways to make the organisations a catalyst, rather than an anchor. He doe... Show more

Nicolle Petersen

Nicolle Petersen

Nicolle is a certified Personal Performance & Relationship Coach specializing in conscious relationships and embodiment, including feminine embodiment. Her work helps high-achieving women navigate love, leadership, and personal growth with greater presence, clarity, and connection. Drawing on transformational coaching, mindfulness, high-level communication, and trauma-informed somatic practices, she has coached individuals, teams, and businesses and facilitated workshops and seminars with organizations such as Simon Sinek’s The Optimism Company and Lululemon.

Nicolle is a certified Personal Performance & Relationship Coach specializing in conscious relationships and embodiment, including feminine embodiment. Her work helps high-achieving women navigate love, leadership, and personal growth with greater pr... Show more

Ellyne Phneah

Ellyne Phneah

Ellyne Phneah is a recognized PostgreSQL Ecosystem Strategist and the author of Decode PostgreSQL. She specializes in bridging the communication gap between deep technical innovation and the strategic frameworks required for sustainable open-source growth. Ellyne has over 14 years of experience as a communications professional, focusing on areas like cybersecurity, cloud computing, and emerging technologies.

Ellyne drives strategic clarity, particularly in her role in Marketing at DBtune. Her unique methodology from Decode PostgreSQL, which she calls the "Grandpa Test" , is dedicated to building Technical Empathy and translating complex database concepts (like pgvector and scaling) into clear, actionable business strategy.

A passionate advocate for inclusion and knowledge sharing, Ellyne's dedication to the community is extensive: one of the organizers of the Malmö PostgreSQL User Group (M-PUG) and the PostgreSQL & AI Summit at PGConf EU 2025. Her contributions to the ecosystem were recognized when she was named PostgreSQL Woman of the Month in October 2025 (based on your input).

Ellyne holds a Master's in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and a background in technology journalism. Originally from Singapore, she is a leading and recognized voice in the European PostgreSQL community.

Ellyne Phneah is a recognized PostgreSQL Ecosystem Strategist and the author of Decode PostgreSQL. She specializes in bridging the communication gap between deep technical innovation and the strategic frameworks required for sustainable open-source g... Show more

Ben Lenk-Ostendorf

Ben Lenk-Ostendorf

Started with psychology, got into IT and environmentalism. Now I teach about AI in education.

Started with psychology, got into IT and environmentalism. Now I teach about AI in education. Show more

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