I am a Quality Manager/Program Manager at Zirkel Technologies, where I lead quality and delivery for international clients. I started my career as a quality analyst and moved into project management, which let let my work at the point where testing insight meets product and business decisions.

My talks focus on one core idea: testers often see risk before anyone else, but rarely have the authority to act on it. I share practical frameworks that help testers and quality leaders influence stakeholders, gain credibility, and shape product direction without a formal title.

I spoke at STARWest 2026 with "Leadership Without Authority: How Testers Influence Product Decisions." I am an active Toastmaster. I am based in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

I am a Quality Manager/Program Manager at Zirkel Technologies, where I lead quality and delivery for international clients. I started my career as a quality analyst and moved into project management, which let let my work at the point where testing i... Show more

Mathilde is a final-year Media Engineering student at the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland with a passion for gamification and human-centric design. She brings a unique perspective to software development, holding a previous Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Medieval French. During her 6-week internship at Avalia Systems, she single-handedly designed, built, and delivered a full-stack team mood-monitoring plugin for Backstage. This talk marks her conference debut.

Mathilde is a final-year Media Engineering student at the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland with a passion for gamification and human-centric design. She brings a unique perspective to software development, holding a previous Bachelo... Show more

Nkweni Fanibelle Nantenkog is a young Cameroonian advocate, author, youth leader, speaker, model, and survivor-advocate passionate about child protection, gender-based violence prevention, youth empowerment, personal development, and social change.

She leads Purposeful Teens Cameroon, a youth-focused community committed to empowering young people through mentorship, education, advocacy, leadership development, and meaningful conversations around identity, purpose, safety, and personal growth. Through her work with young people, Fanibelle advocates for safer environments where children and young people can find their voices, understand their worth, and participate meaningfully in issues affecting their lives.

As a survivor of childhood sexual violence, Fanibelle has transformed her lived experience into a commitment to advocacy and awareness. Rather than allowing her past to define her future, she has used her voice to encourage conversations around healing, resilience, survivor empowerment, and the prevention of sexual violence against children and young people.

Fanibelle is the author of two books, including Brave Enough to Heal, through which she uses storytelling to encourage conversations around healing, resilience, identity, and overcoming adversity. Her work reflects her commitment to using personal experience and storytelling as tools for awareness, empowerment, and social transformation.

Beyond advocacy and authorship, Fanibelle is a multi-award recipient and has earned various certificates and recognitions in leadership, personal development, advocacy, and community engagement. She also has experience in modeling, which has strengthened her confidence, discipline, communication, public presence, and ability to connect with diverse audiences.

Her work sits at the intersection of lived experience, youth leadership, advocacy, storytelling, community engagement, and personal development. She is particularly passionate about ensuring that the voices of children, young people, survivors, and vulnerable communities are not only heard but meaningfully included in conversations about policies, systems, protection, and social change.

At the OpenGov Africa Summit, Fanibelle would bring a survivor-informed youth perspective to conversations on inclusive governance, child protection, youth participation, and social accountability. She seeks to contribute practical insights from her experience working with young people and advocating for safer communities, while highlighting the importance of designing policies and institutions that listen to young people, protect vulnerable populations, and create meaningful pathways for youth to participate in shaping Africa’s future.

Fanibelle’s story represents the potential of turning adversity into advocacy, lived experience into leadership, and personal transformation into social impact. She hopes to use platforms such as the OpenGov Africa Summit to connect with other African changemakers, contribute to meaningful policy conversations, and amplify the voices of young people whose experiences and perspectives deserve a place in Africa’s decision-making spaces.

Nkweni Fanibelle Nantenkog is a young Cameroonian advocate, author, youth leader, speaker, model, and survivor-advocate passionate about child protection, gender-based violence prevention, youth empowerment, personal development, and social change. ... Show more

Mai-Linh K. Hong is a poet and literary scholar whose work explores how refugees know, navigate, and creatively re-imagine their worlds. Her debut poetry collection, CONTINENTAL DRIFT, won the 2025 Trio Award and will be published by Trio House Press in July 2026. Her current research,"Perilous Telling: Story in the Shadow of the Refugee Regime," theorizes refugee storytelling as knowledge-making under global duress. Dr. Hong's articles and essays on Asian American literature, refugees, race, and human rights appear in Amerasia, Verge, MELUS, Law, Culture, and Humanities, and other journals and edited volumes. She is coeditor and coauthor of THE AUNTIE SEWING SQUAD GUIDE TO MASK MAKING, RADICAL CARE, AND RACIAL JUSTICE (U. of Calif. Press, 2021). Dr. Hong's research has been supported by fellowships from ACLS, AAUW, and the Institute of Citizens & Scholars; her poetry, by Voices of Our Nation, Tin House, and the Vermont Studio Center. She is Assistant Professor of Literature at the University of California, Merced.

Mai-Linh K. Hong is a poet and literary scholar whose work explores how refugees know, navigate, and creatively re-imagine their worlds. Her debut poetry collection, CONTINENTAL DRIFT, won the 2025 Trio Award and will be published by Trio House Press... Show more

Paul is an agile, executive, and leadership coach and educator with nearly 20 years of experience working across a wide range of industries. He has a passionate focus on the Agile Values of Individuals and Interactions over the Processes and Tools.

His passion is people and he is a frequent conference speaker, having spoken on topics of transformational leadership, relationship building, and psychological safety.

Paul is an agile, executive, and leadership coach and educator with nearly 20 years of experience working across a wide range of industries. He has a passionate focus on the Agile Values of Individuals and Interactions over the Processes and Tools. ... Show more

Osama Abdallah is an English and History educator and Academic Coordinator with extensive experience in teaching, curriculum development, and school improvement practices. He has contributed to national and international education conferences, including the Cognia IMPACT Conference, where he focuses on practical approaches to behavioral and instructional design within schools.

His work explores how school systems, structures, and cultures shape both teacher practice and student learning in everyday contexts. He is particularly interested in bridging the gap between educational intent and classroom reality, and in developing sustainable approaches to school improvement that preserve professional judgment, creativity, and human connection.

Osama Abdallah is an English and History educator and Academic Coordinator with extensive experience in teaching, curriculum development, and school improvement practices. He has contributed to national and international education conferences, includ... Show more

J'ai toujours cultivé une certaine polyvalence dont les différentes facettes s'enrichissent mutuellement.
Coach professionnel et agiliste, j'écoute et je questionne individus et organisations pour les aider à clarifier leurs problématiques et à construire leurs propres solutions.

J'ai toujours cultivé une certaine polyvalence dont les différentes facettes s'enrichissent mutuellement. Coach professionnel et agiliste, j'écoute et je questionne individus et organisations pour les aider à clarifier leurs problématiques et à cons... Show more

Farees Fathima is a Global Responsible AI Leader and AI Governance Strategist at Carlsberg Group, where she drives the practical operationalisation of Responsible AI, AI risk management, assurance, and literacy across the global enterprise. With over 13 years of experience across Carlsberg, HSBC, Boston Scientific, and Accenture, she bridges the gap between high-level AI principles and high-velocity business execution.

At Carlsberg, Farees established and operationalised a lightweight AI Risk Management Framework that reduced assessment friction by 70% and accelerated safe AI adoption across eight global business units. She leads end-to-end lifecycle governance from ideation and experimentation to deployment and continuous monitoring with a strong focus on Generative AI, Agentic AI, and human oversight in increasingly autonomous systems.

An ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer and EXIN AI Certified Professional (AICP), Farees advises CIOs, CTOs, Legal, Privacy, and Risk leaders on translating emerging global regulations including the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO/IEC 42001 into actionable enterprise frameworks. As an active industry speaker and mentor, she empowers organizations and founders to build trustworthy, scalable AI systems that deliver tangible business value.

Farees Fathima is a Global Responsible AI Leader and AI Governance Strategist at Carlsberg Group, where she drives the practical operationalisation of Responsible AI, AI risk management, assurance, and literacy across the global enterprise. With over... Show more

Dr. Tia Murry is an influential leader and the Co-Founder of Veridian Christian University (VCU), where she focuses on blending faith with learning to empower students for impactful careers. Dr. Tia is also the Founder of FLI, LLC, where her transformative F.L.I. method (Forgive. Let Go. Initiate.) inspires women to lead balanced, purpose-driven lives. Dr. Tia has a proven record in driving strategic initiatives, managing multimillion-dollar budgets, and developing sustainable growth strategies.

A sought-after International Speaker, Dr. Tia has delivered keynotes for universities, nonprofits, and conferences, including the renowned SpeakerCon stage with figures like Les Brown. Her bestselling book, F.L.I. Forgive. Let Go. Initiate., quickly became an Amazon Best Self-Help Short Read, chronicling her journey through personal challenges with courage and resilience.

Recognized with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. Tia has received numerous honors, such as the Women of Distinction by the United Nations Global Women Foundation, Women In Management Africa, Champion Leadership Award U.K., and the Lifetime Commitment to Community Service Award.

Dr. Tia's true joy lies in empowering women, advocating for economic advancement, and inspiring audiences through her talks on leadership, faith, and personal growth. Outside of her professional sphere, she is a devoted mother to Derrick, Tamia, and Jazmyn, and a proud grandmother to Amaiah. Her passion for inspiring transformation makes her an invaluable presence at events where she combines authenticity with actionable insights.

Dr. Tia Murry is an influential leader and the Co-Founder of Veridian Christian University (VCU), where she focuses on blending faith with learning to empower students for impactful careers. Dr. Tia is also the Founder of FLI, LLC, where her transfor... Show more

Michelle N. Huang is assistant professor of English and Asian American Studies at Northwestern University. She is the author of Racial Beings: Experiments in Asian American New Materialisms (Duke, 2026). Her film essay, INHUMAN FIGURES: Robots, Clones, and Aliens, can be viewed online at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center website.

Michelle N. Huang is assistant professor of English and Asian American Studies at Northwestern University. She is the author of Racial Beings: Experiments in Asian American New Materialisms (Duke, 2026). Her film essay, INHUMAN FIGURES: Robots, Clone... Show more

Mercy is an accomplished technical writer with over a year of professional experience in the field. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with various companies, specializing in enhancing and revitalizing their blogs and technical documentation. By focusing on clarity and user engagement, she transforms complex information into easily understandable content, ensuring that readers can effectively grasp the subject matter. Mercy's meticulous attention to detail and her ability to organize information logically make her a valuable asset to any team seeking to improve their communication materials.

Mercy is an accomplished technical writer with over a year of professional experience in the field. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with various companies, specializing in enhancing and revitalizing their blogs and technical documentation... Show more

10+ years in software industry

10+ years in software industry Show more

Mathias Bolt Lesniak lives outside Oslo, Norway. He is the official project ambassador of the TYPO3 CMS project and lives to increase the impact of open source through increased cross-community collaboration. He is an experienced and lively public speaker who builds engagement in open source communities by highlighting the connection between code and society at large. He has done numerous conference keynotes and motivational talks centering on topics less commonly addressed — but vitally important to open source success.

Mathias Bolt Lesniak lives outside Oslo, Norway. He is the official project ambassador of the TYPO3 CMS project and lives to increase the impact of open source through increased cross-community collaboration. He is an experienced and lively public sp... Show more

With my two core strengths - I'm a psychologist and a software architect with a background in full-stack engineering - I have a keen eye for both technical aspects and team dynamics. In startups or large-scale projects, my contribution extends beyond code, I’m dedicated to accompanying organizations through their digital and cultural transformations.
Passionate about DX and designing solutions that empower users and adapt to diverse environments.

With my two core strengths - I'm a psychologist and a software architect with a background in full-stack engineering - I have a keen eye for both technical aspects and team dynamics. In startups or large-scale projects, my contribution extends beyond... Show more

Giovanni is Head of Agile Transformation at Entain Italy. He spent the last 6 years as an Agile Coach consultant, after leading for 7 years digital products development in a multinational company. His focus is on building autonomy, aligning culture and execution, and enabling sustainable change.

Giovanni is Head of Agile Transformation at Entain Italy. He spent the last 6 years as an Agile Coach consultant, after leading for 7 years digital products development in a multinational company. His focus is on building autonomy, aligning culture a... Show more

Nathan Egge is an engineering manager at Google. He is co-chair of the RISE Project Technical Steering Committee.

Nathan Egge is an engineering manager at Google. He is co-chair of the RISE Project Technical Steering Committee. Show more

In over 25 years of creative leadership in branding and marketing, Adam has discovered that the most powerful form of connection, communication, and persuasion is also the oldest—great storytelling. With rich support from neuroscientists, psychologists, and behavioral economists, he shows audiences why that is, and how they can use it to their advantage.

Best of all, the insights in Adam’s keynotes explain phenomena that many people sense are true without knowing why. Armed with the tools, research, and empathy Adam brings to the stage, they emerge as more confident communicators in their personal and professional lives.

Based in Rhode Island, Adam has earned rave reviews by audiences from Boston to Borneo. And with the rise of AI, Adam is determined to empower as many people as possible to become compelling, connection-building storytellers.

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In this high-energy, aha-moment-filled keynote, you’ll learn why stories have such a powerful hold on us, how they work, the transformative effect storytelling can have on your business, and how to do it.

Here are just a few of the benefits you can enjoy immediately:
- Unparalleled ROI
- Increased sales and fundraising revenue
- Greater productivity
- Higher retention
- …and much, much more

Learn more at https://www.rustleandspark.com/story

In over 25 years of creative leadership in branding and marketing, Adam has discovered that the most powerful form of connection, communication, and persuasion is also the oldest—great storytelling. With rich support from neuroscientists, psychologi... Show more

I have been in the tech world longer than I care to admit. In that time I have seen the ebb and flow, rise and fall of many things. As a result I am not moved by hype cycles. I am not phased by things that put a lot of people into a panic

I care about what's actually running underneath a framework, not just the abstraction on top of it. I favour stable, well-understood tooling over chasing every new trend, and I write code the next developer (including future-me) can actually read.

My approach is to dig deep and understand the underlying the architecture that makes things the way they are. I am I am not impressed by improvement for improvements sake, there should be a valid reason for any change and modification.

I have been in the tech world longer than I care to admit. In that time I have seen the ebb and flow, rise and fall of many things. As a result I am not moved by hype cycles. I am not phased by things that put a lot of people into a panic I care ... Show more

Daniel Bonatti é cientista político e mestre em Gestão de Políticas Públicas, com trajetória de mais de 14 anos dedicada à modernização do Estado e à inovação na gestão pública. Atualmente, dirige a Diretoria de Mobilidade Interna da Secretaria de Gestão e Governo Digital do Estado de São Paulo, onde conduz a reestruturação da frota pública e a consolidação da Política de Mobilidade Interna, pautada em eficiência, sustentabilidade e transformação digital. Sua atuação combina visão estratégica, experiência administrativa e compromisso com a construção de um governo mais ágil e orientado a resultados.

Daniel Bonatti é cientista político e mestre em Gestão de Políticas Públicas, com trajetória de mais de 14 anos dedicada à modernização do Estado e à inovação na gestão pública. Atualmente, dirige a Diretoria de Mobilidade Interna da Secretaria de Ge... Show more

Anthony Todd Johnson Life Coach seems to be an individual with a set of answers and directions to help anyone accomplish a specific goal in their life. However, the world is full of complex humans that wrestle with a symphony of personal, physical and inter-relational challenges that block the fulfillment of many rewarding life targets. If we didn’t have such complicated life knots then a simple set of written instructions would remove all of the human blocks and we would ALL be enlightened and successful human beings. Being better armed with an arsenal of quality human change technology, in tandem with a high level of skill transfer literacy, empowers my practice with the best chance to follow through with success.

Anthony Todd Johnson Life Coach seems to be an individual with a set of answers and directions to help anyone accomplish a specific goal in their life. However, the world is full of complex humans that wrestle with a symphony of personal, physical ... Show more

Matthew Martinez is a high-stakes communication expert and technical architect who helps organizations build untouchable sales teams in the age of AI.

With a decade of front-line experience in real estate and a degree in human communication from UCF, Matthew sits at the rare intersection of behavioral psychology and automated leverage. He understands that as AI voice agents and automated workflows commoditize average sales reps, the only surviving differentiator is high-status human connection, frame control, and rapid rapport.

He doesn't just speak on communication; he engineers it. Having built enterprise-grade digital twins and automated lead triage systems, Matthew shows teams exactly where the technology ends and the human advantage begins.

Bringing Matthew to the stage injects relentless energy and fearless optimism into the room, but more importantly, it arms your audience. Attendees walk away with tactical blueprints for holding the frame under pressure, mastering the "hot handoff," and outmaneuvering the competition in a rapidly shifting business landscape.

Matthew Martinez is a high-stakes communication expert and technical architect who helps organizations build untouchable sales teams in the age of AI. With a decade of front-line experience in real estate and a degree in human communication from U... Show more

Cloud Engineer with over 8 years of experience leading migrations from on-premises infrastructure to the cloud. As an AWS Community Builder, he is dedicated to advancing cloud practices and sharing insights with the broader tech community. Scott is currently pursuing a Doctor of Technology at Purdue University Online, focusing his research on the intersection of artificial intelligence and ethics.
He is passionate about staying at the forefront of AWS developments and enjoys mentoring others in cloud technologies. Outside of work, Scott can often be found storm chasing, reading, painting, playing video games, or simply relaxing.

Cloud Engineer with over 8 years of experience leading migrations from on-premises infrastructure to the cloud. As an AWS Community Builder, he is dedicated to advancing cloud practices and sharing insights with the broader tech community. Scott is c... Show more

Trabajo en HCI strategist y behavioral designer, especializada en la intersección entre diseño conductual, interacción humano-computadora y adopción de IA. Mi enfoque va en la soberanía cognitiva de las personas frente a los sistemas tecnológicos que usamos a diario.
Mg. en Digital customer emotional experience, centrado en neurociencia y human-computer interaction. Además, tengo diplomatura, certificaciones y cursos de UX/UI, psicología cognitiva para la interacción, CX, AI-generativa y HCI.
Durante 8 años trabajé y lideré áreas de research y diseño de servicios en compañías de retail, SaaS, banca y fintech.
Hoy, en mi noveno año profesional, trabajo 100% como consultora independiente creando frameworks para rediseñar, mejorar y optimizar la relación entre personas y herramientas tecnológicas, buscando proteger y aumentar el criterio humano mediante interfaces digitales, pero sin minar el pensamiento humano.

Trabajo en HCI strategist y behavioral designer, especializada en la intersección entre diseño conductual, interacción humano-computadora y adopción de IA. Mi enfoque va en la soberanía cognitiva de las personas frente a los sistemas tecnológicos que... Show more

Dr. Debbie Troxclair, Lamar University Associate Professor, is a lifelong advocate for gifted education with over 40 years of active involvement in state, national, and international gifted education organizations. Dr. Troxclair currently serves as Treasurer for CEC-TAG and is the immediate past-president of the Association for Gifted and Talented Students (AGTS-Louisiana). She has a long list of presentations at local, regional, national, and international conferences. Her publications include book chapters in several books in the field of gifted education and journal articles in Roeper Review, Gifted Child Today, and more. She is co-editor of the book, Twice-Exceptional Education: Connecting Gifted and Special Education. Dr. Troxclair is also exploring her creative side with watercolor painting.

Dr. Debbie Troxclair, Lamar University Associate Professor, is a lifelong advocate for gifted education with over 40 years of active involvement in state, national, and international gifted education organizations. Dr. Troxclair currently serves as T... Show more

Roni Habib is a speaker, author, and expert in helping leaders, educators, and parents become happier, more resilient, more connected to their purpose, and more playful. The founder of EQ Schools, he speaks and leads workshops in organizations nationally and abroad. His dynamic keynotes leave audiences laughing, insightful, elevated, and inspired to take action.

Early in his career, Roni struggled with the high stresses and demands of teaching, even losing touch with why he wanted to be a teacher in the first place. It was so painful that he finally discovered the power of integrating improv, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and positive psychology in his own life as well as at work and felt called to share this new approach with the world.

In the last decade with EQ Schools, Roni has taught and inspired thousands of Teachers, Principals, Superintendents, Administrators, Business Leaders, and Parents.

Prior to earning his Masters of Education and teaching credential at Harvard University, he lived in Israel and Belgium. Most importantly though, Roni has a huge heart and loves helping people.

Roni Habib is a speaker, author, and expert in helping leaders, educators, and parents become happier, more resilient, more connected to their purpose, and more playful. The founder of EQ Schools, he speaks and leads workshops in organizations nation... Show more

Working at the intersection of AI, gamification, and social innovation. With a background in UX/UI, business consulting, education, and creative strategy. She designs engaging digital experiences and product cultures that put people, teams, and communities at the center.

Working at the intersection of AI, gamification, and social innovation. With a background in UX/UI, business consulting, education, and creative strategy. She designs engaging digital experiences and product cultures that put people, teams, and commu... Show more

Antje Kurz-Möller ist Historikerin sowie Expertin für Corporate Communications und Corporate Citizenship. Seit über 25 Jahren begleitet sie Unternehmen dabei, Kommunikation strategisch zu gestalten und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung wirksam zu verankern. Sie war in leitenden Kommunikationsfunktionen internationaler Unternehmen tätig und berät heute Unternehmen und Organisationen in den Bereichen Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Krisenkommunikation und Corporate Citizenship. Darüber hinaus engagiert sie sich strategisch und als Mentorin für das Mentoringprogramm MentForMigra, das Teilhabe und Chancengleichheit für Kinder mit Flucht- und Migrationshintergrund fördert. Die Verbindung von Geschichte, Wirtschaft und gesellschaftlichem Engagement prägt ihre Arbeit – und ihre Überzeugung, dass Demokratie nicht nur ein politischer Wert, sondern eine Voraussetzung für wirtschaftlichen Erfolg und gesellschaftlichen Wohlstand ist.

Antje Kurz-Möller ist Historikerin sowie Expertin für Corporate Communications und Corporate Citizenship. Seit über 25 Jahren begleitet sie Unternehmen dabei, Kommunikation strategisch zu gestalten und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung wirksam zu veran... Show more

Mbere Monjok is a Technical Program Manager (TPM) at Google, working at the forefront of Gen AI product launches. With a background in consulting and product management, she brings a unique ability to translate technical systems into human-centered narratives. Her work lives at the intersection of generative AI, ethical design, and cross-functional execution, empowering teams to not just adopt AI, but to do so thoughtfully.

She writes about jumping into this innovation wave at No Code Era on Substack, exploring what it looks like to build without the traditional background. Mbere speaks on the future of work, equity in AI, and the self-permission mindsets needed to climb gates that appear higher than they are.

Mbere Monjok is a Technical Program Manager (TPM) at Google, working at the forefront of Gen AI product launches. With a background in consulting and product management, she brings a unique ability to translate technical systems into human-centered n... Show more

Nancy Beers is the founder of Happy Game Changers.
Her personal motto is ‘Change the world, one game at a time’. As a keynote speaker and play facilitator for corporate teams, Nancy develops and shares seriously playful and empowering views on teamwork, creativity and strategy. If this sounds dry, you’ve got the wrong end of the stick. Laughter, empathy and energy are the hooks with which Nancy charms and engages her audiences and clients. She deploys the power of games to show (not tell) you why play and playfulness are an absolutely essential tool for changing our world.

Nancy Beers is the founder of Happy Game Changers. Her personal motto is ‘Change the world, one game at a time’. As a keynote speaker and play facilitator for corporate teams, Nancy develops and shares seriously playful and empowering views on team... Show more

Dr. Hala Al Khalifa is Head of the Education Studies Department at Bahrain Teachers College, University of Bahrain, and holds a PhD in Learning and Leadership from UCL London. She previously spent seven years as a Project Manager in the Office of the Undersecretary for Education at the Bahrain Ministry of Education, working on educational policy and reform. Her research and professional expertise centre on school improvement and effectiveness, with a particular focus on the Arab region, alongside a strong commitment to inclusive education.

Dr. Hala Al Khalifa is Head of the Education Studies Department at Bahrain Teachers College, University of Bahrain, and holds a PhD in Learning and Leadership from UCL London. She previously spent seven years as a Project Manager in the Office of the... Show more