Humanities & Social Sciences

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

Gizem Saruhan

Gizem Saruhan

She is a technical lead who has specialized mobile. She is interested in positive psychology, and neuroscience and believes in the power of kindness. She loves doing yoga and playing cello because she knows how important it is to know herself. While she was a perfectionist asocial who saw herself as discouraged and unsuccessful, she was able to find courage in a community with the help of other people and now tries to be inspiring in this regard.

She is a technical lead who has specialized mobile. She is interested in positive psychology, and neuroscience and believes in the power of kindness. She loves doing yoga and playing cello because she knows how important it is to know herself. While ... Show more

Dr. Karen Eilers

Dr. Karen Eilers

Karen Eilers ist Wirtschaftspsychologin und beschäftigt sich mit Herausforderungen und Lösungsansätzen für Führungskräfte, Teams und Unternehmen in agilen Transformationen. Begonnen in ihrer Promotionszeit im Fachbereich Wirtschaftsinformatik der Universität Kassel sowie der Universität St.Gallen, vertieft sie heute die Agilitätsforschung und transferiert die Erkenntnisse aus der Wissenschaft in die Praxis. Sie leitet das Institut für Transformation in Hamburg.

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

Damien Douani

Damien Douani

Damien Douani accompagne les organisations dans leurs mutations numériques depuis 25 ans. Il est le confondateur du cabinet topos, dont la promesse est de "Pratice the Future".

Pédagogue des technologies, creative avant-gardiste, il interroge notre rapport aux technologies et ce que cela dit de nous. Fin connaisseur des mécanismes d'innovation et de leurs adoptions (ou de leurs rejets), il utilise la pédagogie pour faire comprendre les enjeux complexes des technologies au plus grand nombre, et conçoit des formats et méthodes pour stimuler le passage à l'action.

Classé parmi les pionniers d'Internet en France dans l'ouvrage "Le Web Français" (Dunod) et dans le top 100 des acteurs du numérique en France, il intervient régulièrement dans Tech&Co (BFM Business), les pocasts Silicon Carne et Les Éclaireurs du Numérique. De nombreux autres médias font appel à son expertise pour éclairer les transformations en cours — avec passion, clarté, et une touche de piquant.

Damien Douani accompagne les organisations dans leurs mutations numériques depuis 25 ans. Il est le confondateur du cabinet topos, dont la promesse est de "Pratice the Future". Pédagogue des technologies, creative avant-gardiste, il interroge not... Show more

Daria Soboleva

Daria Soboleva

Daria Soboleva is a Head Research Scientist at Cerebras working on efficient AI systems. Prior to Cerebras, Daria worked at Google, building expertise in research and engineering. She's the creator of SlimPajama (627B token dataset with 1M+ downloads) and BTLM-3B-8K, a model achieving 7B-level performance with less compute. Daria specializes in optimizing LLM architectures with focus on mixture-of-experts models and hardware-efficient training.

Daria Soboleva is a Head Research Scientist at Cerebras working on efficient AI systems. Prior to Cerebras, Daria worked at Google, building expertise in research and engineering. She's the creator of SlimPajama (627B token dataset with 1M+ downloads... Show more

Nicole "PxL VxN" Stephan Smith

Nicole "PxL VxN" Stephan Smith

Nicole "Pixel Vixen" Smith is a creative agile production & team development leader with 15+ years speaking, training, and coaching global tech and game teams through the evolving landscape of hybrid delivery and design thinking in games applied anywhere. With roots in AAA multiplayer games publishing, enterprise agile coaching, and live-service operations, Nicole specializes in hands-on partnerships to create customized Agile approaches aligning creative, technical, and organizational goals.

Her work focusing on frequent delivery for user feedback, neuro-inclusive facilitation, and leadership psychological safety has scaled teams' product goals into pixel-sized improvements while building strong team-to-leader feedback loops. Whether facilitating cross-functional alignment or mentoring producers and product managers through ambiguity, Nicole brings clarity, empathy, and a deep belief in meeting teams where they are around the globe...all with some fun nerdy jokes and visualization techniques mixed in.

Nicole holds several IC-Agile and Scrum certifications and is currently completing her Expert-level coaching certification from IC-Agile. Nicole has spoken at several Agile20xx conferences, LEAN Agile Scotland, Global Scrum Gathering Cape Town South Africa, and beyond, receiving high reviews each time.

Nicole mentors aspiring video game producers, artists, product managers, and program managers in her spare time while teaching game, publishing, and creative production strategies in the evenings.

Nicole "Pixel Vixen" Smith is a creative agile production & team development leader with 15+ years speaking, training, and coaching global tech and game teams through the evolving landscape of hybrid delivery and design thinking in games applied anyw... Show more

Bruce Stapleton Fathering Strong

Bruce Stapleton Fathering Strong

Bruce Stapleton stands at the intersection of corporate leadership, spiritual wisdom, and practical fatherhood. With over 25 years of experience creating and teaching Christian adult education in parenting, Bruce brings a unique perspective to the challenges modern fathers face.

As the program leader of the Fathering Strong program and former Board Chairman at Urban Light Ministries, Bruce has gained deep insight into the struggles and triumphs of today’s dads. Working alongside founder and President Pastor Eli Williams, he has developed innovative resources that transform how men approach their most important role—being a father.

Bruce Stapleton stands at the intersection of corporate leadership, spiritual wisdom, and practical fatherhood. With over 25 years of experience creating and teaching Christian adult education in parenting, Bruce brings a unique perspective to the ch... Show more

Breanne Kiefner

Breanne Kiefner

Breanne Kiefner is the founder of Root Adventures, an anti-bucket list travel company dedicated to creating transformative, mindful travel experiences. Her approach to travel is deeply personal—shaped by a childhood marked by food insecurity, instability, and undiagnosed dyslexia. These early challenges instilled in her a lifelong sense of curiosity, resilience, and a nontraditional approach to learning and connection.

Breanne began her career in hospitality in 2000, working her way up from housekeeping to event planning at a large hotel. Her introduction to adventure travel came when she sold all her belongings and embarked on a six-month backpacking journey through Latin America—her first trip outside North America. It was on that journey that Breanne began to find healing through the communities she encountered.

Upon returning to the U.S., she committed herself to the adventure travel industry, with a mission to share the restorative and perspective-shifting power of travel. Through Root Adventures, Breanne invites others to step off the beaten path and into meaningful connection—with themselves, with others, and with the world.

Breanne Kiefner is the founder of Root Adventures, an anti-bucket list travel company dedicated to creating transformative, mindful travel experiences. Her approach to travel is deeply personal—shaped by a childhood marked by food insecurity, instabi... Show more

Benoit de Pompignan

Benoit de Pompignan

I'm a scale agile coach and transformation lead. I joined Société Générale in early 2023 where I'm in charge of the agile deployment for the IT of the retail banking.
Prior to joining Société Générale I worked on different large scale agile transformation in the banking and the insurance industries like MGEN, Bpifrance, Generali and HSBC

I'm a scale agile coach and transformation lead. I joined Société Générale in early 2023 where I'm in charge of the agile deployment for the IT of the retail banking. Prior to joining Société Générale I worked on different large scale agile transfo... Show more

Przemysław Chmielecki

Przemysław Chmielecki

I'm Cloud Evangelist (10+ years of public speaking). Currently working as a DevOps taking care of good shape of the company and team infrastructure both on-premise and cloud. Most of my professional experience spent with Windows Server 2012 R2 and 2016 server administering (AD, GPO, packaging, deployment, CI/CD), PowerShell automation scripting, VMware machines farm, and Cloud Computing - AWS and Azure.
In private.. Geek :) fan of Server installations, Azure and AWS Cloud solutions, SQL, Linux (RHEL, Arch, Debian), virtualization technology (VMware ESX, Hyper-V, Citrix, App-V).
Additionally interested in Project Management (certified in AgilePM®, PRINCE2®) and Leadership.

I'm Cloud Evangelist (10+ years of public speaking). Currently working as a DevOps taking care of good shape of the company and team infrastructure both on-premise and cloud. Most of my professional experience spent with Windows Server 2012 R2 and 20... Show more

Emma Urquhart

Emma Urquhart

I like to describe my career to people as making the world a better place for all people, no matter their needs. I truly believe our work makes a difference in people's lives. That is why accessibility is as much a passion as a profession. My aim in any role is to promote digital inclusivity and ensure that all users have equal access to information and services online.

My day-to-day work involves conducting accessibility audits and assessments to identify potential barriers to access. I like to offer solutions, not just list the problems, and prefer to work with the project team to find a fix that considers their team, their coding comfort level, and any system restrictions. Accessibility improvements shouldn't feel impossible, and it's important to me to spend time ensuring the project team feel positive about the improvements rather than frustrated.

In my role as a subject matter expert, I work with designers, developers, and content creators to ensure that their products and services meet accessibility standards and guidelines. I also support clients who would consider themselves 'non-technical', and enjoy the challenge of simplifying complex technical subjects.

I'm based in Scotland but can also be regularly found around Manchester, Leeds and London as part of my work with Nexer Digital. I'm also very comfortable speaking alongside any Nexer Digital colleagues -- you can check out their Sessionize pages: Danny Lancaster, Chris Bush, Rachel Breeze, and Molly Watt.

I like to describe my career to people as making the world a better place for all people, no matter their needs. I truly believe our work makes a difference in people's lives. That is why accessibility is as much a passion as a profession. My aim in ... Show more

Eraina Ferguson

Eraina Ferguson

Eraina Ferguson is a special needs advocate, journalist, and TEDx event curator, and TEDx speaker. Her company, My Good Life, enables families of children with special needs to live their best life despite their circumstances. Her recent monologue, Listen to Her, was read by actress Marla Gibbs and featured at the WACO Theatre’s 50in50 event. Her writing has been featured on NBC Universal, Red Tricycle, LA Parents Magazine, and the LA Times. Eraina lives in California with her husband and children.

Eraina Ferguson is a special needs advocate, journalist, and TEDx event curator, and TEDx speaker. Her company, My Good Life, enables families of children with special needs to live their best life despite their circumstances. Her recent monologue, L... Show more

Samson Olusegun

Samson Olusegun

I love building and talking about applications that interface with the Web, Cloud and Bitcoin Protocol

I love building and talking about applications that interface with the Web, Cloud and Bitcoin Protocol Show more

Manuel Dolderer

Manuel Dolderer

Manuel Dolderer is an economist and an edupreneur. He is co-founder and founding president of CODE, a university of applied sciences with study programs related to digital product development and an innovative learning concept based on curiosity and entrepreneurship.

Manuel studied economics, philosophy and cultural studies at Germany’s oldest private University in Witten/Herdecke. As a student, he joined the executive board of the StudierendenGesellschaft, a non-profit organization offering an income-adjusted tuition model that promotes equal opportunities in education.

After founding two applied research institutes with projects focussing on healthcare, education, and digitalization he joined Klett Group in 2012, one of Europe’s leading education-dedicated enterprises, where he became co-founder and managing director of praxisHochschule, a private university of applied sciences that has since become part of EUFH.

In 2016 he joined forces with Thomas Bachem and Jonathan Rüth to found CODE – a new kind of university for the digital pioneers of tomorrow.

As an international advisor, keynote speaker and evangelist for curiosity-driven education, Manuel is dedicated to supporting innovative learning concepts around the world.

Manuel Dolderer is an economist and an edupreneur. He is co-founder and founding president of CODE, a university of applied sciences with study programs related to digital product development and an innovative learning concept based on curiosity and ... Show more

Mirek Biňas

Mirek Biňas

Works at TUKE.SK, where he (un)successfully tries to deploy containers directly into the process of automated testing of student assignments and into teaching in the field of the Internet of Things. He also regularly trains new DevOps engineers, whom he attempts (with varying degrees of success) to introduce to the world of containers and orchestration. When he’s had enough of everything and everyone, he grabs a container, throws it on his back, and escapes into the wilderness for a few hours, days, or weeks.

Works at TUKE.SK, where he (un)successfully tries to deploy containers directly into the process of automated testing of student assignments and into teaching in the field of the Internet of Things. He also regularly trains new DevOps engineers, whom... Show more

Julie Anderson

Julie Anderson

Julie Anderson is one of the nation’s top experts on the Brain Personality Connection and creator of the Brain Personality Assessment. She is an international professional speaker; corporate keynote; business/communication/relationship consultant. For over 17 years she has been using neuroscience and neuropsychology to ignite corporate leaders, teams, and individuals to fire up their brains. The information she shares will assist listeners to accelerate their success. Her background includes Natural Health, Psychology, Human Resource Development, Leadership Development, Psychoneuroimmunology, and Stress Management. She holds certificates in Neuroscience of Leadership, Psychological First Aid, Positive Psychology, Body Language, HR Development, and Brain Health.

Julie Anderson is one of the nation’s top experts on the Brain Personality Connection and creator of the Brain Personality Assessment. She is an international professional speaker; corporate keynote; business/communication/relationship consultant. Fo... Show more

Amy Armstrong

Amy Armstrong

Amy has been telling stories since she could draw on the backs of paper placemats. She reads slush for The Masters Review and has published several book reviews with them. She also hosts a fiction-focused open mic called Stories Live!

Amy has been telling stories since she could draw on the backs of paper placemats. She reads slush for The Masters Review and has published several book reviews with them. She also hosts a fiction-focused open mic called Stories Live! Show more

Pachi Parra

Pachi Parra

Pachi works as a Developer Relations & Community Manager.
After nannying for years, she started learning to code while building meaningful connections within the dev community.
She is passionate about creating newbie-friendly content and believes a tech career should be accessible to all.
When she's not live coding on Twitch, Pachi watches anime, reads too many romance novels, and enjoys the reaction she gets when she tells people they're awesome.

Pachi works as a Developer Relations & Community Manager. After nannying for years, she started learning to code while building meaningful connections within the dev community. She is passionate about creating newbie-friendly content and believes a... Show more

Devin Sarno

Devin Sarno

Devin Sarno, founder and CEO of Parlay Communicators, is a two-time US national champion public speaking coach. With over 15 years of experience, she blends her love for live performance, improv, and comedy to help others find their unique voice. Devin's engaging and compassionate coaching style empowers individuals to express themselves confidently and authentically. Devin's relatability, quick wit, and background in dramatic arts from prestigious institutions like the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and The British-American Dramatic Academy at Oxford allow her to transform complex ideas into inspiring, meaningful experiences. But Devin's impact goes beyond mere entertainment. Her commanding presence and empathetic approach empower audiences to see things from new perspectives, challenge their assumptions, and tap into their potential. Whether speaking to thousands or coaching one-on-one, she creates a safe space for growth, laughter, and transformation. More than just a keynote speaker or coach, Devin Sarno is a catalyst for change - a weaver of stories and a reminder of the power of the human voice.

Devin Sarno, founder and CEO of Parlay Communicators, is a two-time US national champion public speaking coach. With over 15 years of experience, she blends her love for live performance, improv, and comedy to help others find their unique voice. Dev... Show more

Thanos Tatsios

Thanos Tatsios

A visionary Data Scientist whose passion and expertise in AI have contributed to groundbreaking projects. With a diverse background in mathematics and machine learning, Thanos excels at navigating the complexities of AI to deliver groundbreaking solutions that impact lives. As a trailblazer within IBM and a thought leader, he bridges cutting-edge technology with real-world applications. A frequent contributor to hackathons, innovation communities, and high-impact projects, Thanos inspires others while shaping the future of AI for meaningful change.

A visionary Data Scientist whose passion and expertise in AI have contributed to groundbreaking projects. With a diverse background in mathematics and machine learning, Thanos excels at navigating the complexities of AI to deliver groundbreaking solu... Show more

Dana Blume

Dana Blume

Teacher and researcher on systemic approaches to reflection in education.

Teacher and researcher on systemic approaches to reflection in education. Show more

Sarah Reichert

Sarah Reichert

Sarah Reichert (S.E. Reichert) is a writer, novelist, poet and blogger. She is the author of the Sweet Valley Series (nominated for the Colorado Book Awards in 2024) and is the Director and the Youth Coordinator of the Writing Heights Writers Association.

Her work has been featured in The Fort Collins Coloradoan, Haunted Waters Press, “Sunrise Summits: A Poetry Anthology”, “Rise: An Anthology of Change”, Poetry Ireland Review, and “We Are The West: A Colorado Anthology” among other journals across the country. Her novella, “Saturn Rising” was produced as a five-part audiocast from Ngano Press Studios, and she has two other books out through 5 Prince Publishing with another set to release in 2025.

She maintains a blog about writing on her website (sarahreichertauthor.com) about fostering a creative and balanced life which aims to help new writers get their start. Reichert lives in Fort Collins with her family. In her non-writing hours, she is a mother to two teenage girls, loves being outdoors, and is a 2nd degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate JuJitsu.

Sarah Reichert (S.E. Reichert) is a writer, novelist, poet and blogger. She is the author of the Sweet Valley Series (nominated for the Colorado Book Awards in 2024) and is the Director and the Youth Coordinator of the Writing Heights Writers Associa... Show more

Nicolas Petitjean

Nicolas Petitjean

Nicolas Petitjean is the former VP Design at Sodexo Group (2017-2022). In 2021, he founded "collectivehood", which helps business leaders design operational models where innovation through design thrives and responsible growth practices flourish. With a Master's degree in Design (Rubika 2000') and an Executive MBA (EDHEC 2015'), Nicolas has over 20 years' experience in user research, human-centered design, innovation & design leadership, strategy and entrepreneurship at various levels, with companies such as Salomon, Adidas, Decathlon, Sodexo, Hanesbrands, Caran d'Ache, Ministry of Defence UK, USAA, Google, GSK, Coventry University among others. Nicolas is also an active and leading speaker on innovation practices, business modeling and social leadership by design across Europe.

Nicolas Petitjean is the former VP Design at Sodexo Group (2017-2022). In 2021, he founded "collectivehood", which helps business leaders design operational models where innovation through design thrives and responsible growth practices flourish. Wit... Show more

Bavin Edwards

Bavin Edwards

Physics teacher turned lover of JavaScript turned TypeScript enthusiast.

Physics teacher turned lover of JavaScript turned TypeScript enthusiast. Show more

Amy Quale

Amy Quale

Amy Quale (she/her) is a seasoned professional in publishing and media, bringing nearly two decades of experience to her work.
In 2012, Amy co-founded Wise Ink Media, a publisher dedicated to supporting authors to write, publish, and market books that aim to create a positive impact in the world. Under her leadership, Wise Ink has carved out a unique niche in the industry, building custom books and championing authors whose stories contribute to meaningful conversations. She was a 40 under 40 honoree in 2022 and Wise Ink was also named one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the Twin Cities by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal in 2023. Amy has been a member of the Women's Presidents Association since 2021. She holds a BA from Concordia College, an MA in English from Minnesota State University - Mankato, and is a proud graduate of the Yale School of Management’s Leadership Strategies in Book Publishing program. Learn more about her work at wiseink.com.

Amy Quale (she/her) is a seasoned professional in publishing and media, bringing nearly two decades of experience to her work. In 2012, Amy co-founded Wise Ink Media, a publisher dedicated to supporting authors to write, publish, and market books t... Show more

Joakim Marner

Joakim Marner

A Lean-agile and product thought leader with more than 20 years experince. SAFe SPC, certified in Scrum@Scale, IDEO Design thinking, experience with LESS and part of Product Operating Model center of excellence at Slalom. Clients include the biggest fortune 500 companies including Microsoft.

A Lean-agile and product thought leader with more than 20 years experince. SAFe SPC, certified in Scrum@Scale, IDEO Design thinking, experience with LESS and part of Product Operating Model center of excellence at Slalom. Clients include the biggest ... Show more

Gaëlle Ernoult Boulay

Gaëlle Ernoult Boulay

Faire grandir les potentiels individuels et collectifs, pour des organisations plus humaines, inclusives et performantes.

Je suis convaincue que le bien-être au travail est un levier essentiel pour l’épanouissement, tant professionnel que personnel. À travers Accio Conseil, j’accompagne les individus et les équipes à se reconnecter à leurs valeurs, à trouver leur juste place et à bâtir un avenir plus inclusif.

Pour moi, une évidence : quand les collaborateurs s’épanouissent, la performance collective s’améliore.

Je m’implique pour créer des changements durables en plaçant l’humain au cœur de mes interventions.
Ensemble, révélons les potentiels et transformons les organisations en lieux d’épanouissement collectif.

Faire grandir les potentiels individuels et collectifs, pour des organisations plus humaines, inclusives et performantes. Je suis convaincue que le bien-être au travail est un levier essentiel pour l’épanouissement, tant professionnel que personne... Show more

Freddie Stebich

Freddie Stebich

Freddie studied economics (B.Sc.) in Leipzig and is committed to inclusion, anti-discrimination and gender equality. He is currently finishing his degree in political science (M.A.) at Chemnitz University of Technology and has been supporting KCS since April 2022. He is also involved in political education work with young people and young adults.

Freddie studied economics (B.Sc.) in Leipzig and is committed to inclusion, anti-discrimination and gender equality. He is currently finishing his degree in political science (M.A.) at Chemnitz University of Technology and has been supporting KCS sin... Show more

Elodie Mandel-Briefer

Elodie Mandel-Briefer

I am an Associate Professor in vertebrate social behaviour, with over 20 years of experience in the field of animal behaviour and more particularly bioacoustics. I have been working on a wide range of species, from songbirds to ungulates, and have published > 75 peer-reviewed papers. Since 2019, I am leading the Behavioural Ecology Group at the University of Copenhagen. Our main projects combine the topics of acoustic communication, emotions, and social networks, in order to understand how emotions influence communication, how emotions are transmitted between individuals and influence social relationships, and how acoustic communication affects social interactions. We are also very interested in how our research can be used to improve animal welfare and for conservation purpose.

I am an Associate Professor in vertebrate social behaviour, with over 20 years of experience in the field of animal behaviour and more particularly bioacoustics. I have been working on a wide range of species, from songbirds to ungulates, and have pu... Show more

Maira Elahi

Maira Elahi

Maira Elahi is a Canada-based student researcher dedicated to leveraging technology, policy, and advocacy to serve and empower her community. Her work spans machine learning research in cancer detection, AI safety testing in collaboration with OpenAI, and the preservation of Global South dialects through AI language model training. Maira has founded her own startup, Tivea, through which she self-published books, built a brand image, and explored digital storytelling as a vehicle for social change. She has also worked on app development and conducted market validation research for a Canadian tech launch. Beyond tech, she co-created UNICEF Canada’s first TikTok account, served on World Vision Canada’s National Youth Council, and led creative campaigns for platforms like The Adroit Journal. She spearheaded a grassroots team in her city to educate youth on the intersection of civic engagement and social innovation.

Her unwavering commitment to innovating responsibly—with our collective humane interests at the forefront—and bringing youth into high-level decision-making spaces continues to drive her mission across disciplines. She believes that inclusive futures are built not just by experts in suits, but by young people with lived experience, vision, and the audacity to disrupt.

Maira Elahi is a Canada-based student researcher dedicated to leveraging technology, policy, and advocacy to serve and empower her community. Her work spans machine learning research in cancer detection, AI safety testing in collaboration with OpenAI... Show more

Srinivasan Raguraman

Srinivasan Raguraman

As a principal developer with a passion for tackling complex challenges at the intersection of business and technology, I bring a wealth of experience spanning from operations, architecture and strategy.

Over the years, I have developed deep expertise across a wide range of technologies, from DevOps, native mobile, and cloud to legacy modernization and the latest advancements in machine learning.

While I thrive on navigating technical complexity, my favorite areas of focus are human factors in engineering and sociotechnical systems — understanding how people, technology and organizational structures interact to design safe, efficient and resilient solutions.

As a principal developer with a passion for tackling complex challenges at the intersection of business and technology, I bring a wealth of experience spanning from operations, architecture and strategy. Over the years, I have developed deep expe... Show more

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