Ixchel Ruiz has been developing software applications and tools since 2000. Her research interests include Java, dynamic languages, client-side technologies, and testing. As a member of the JCP Executive Committee, Java Champion, Oracle ACE Pro, Testcontainers Community Champion, CDF Ambassador, Hackergarten enthusiast, Open Source advocate, public speaker, and mentor, Ixchel is deeply committed to fostering inclusive and collaborative tech communities. She actively mentors aspiring developers and champions initiatives aimed at increasing diversity and accessibility in the technology sector.

Ixchel’s work is characterised by a relentless pursuit of innovation, a deep understanding of user needs, and an unwavering commitment to ethical technology development.

Ixchel Ruiz has been developing software applications and tools since 2000. Her research interests include Java, dynamic languages, client-side technologies, and testing. As a member of the JCP Executive Committee, Java Champion, Oracle ACE Pro, Test... Show more

Emily Harden is a knowledgeable consultant, skillful speaker, and community builder dedicated to fostering growth and impact. As the Founder and Owner of Harden Consulting, she provides tailored coaching to help people clarify what they want, navigate pivots, and thrive at work; so your passion becomes a sustainable path.
Emily draws on her deep roots in the tech ecosystem, where she previously served as Techlahoma's Executive Director, to connect challenges with creative solutions.

When she’s not working, you can probably find her playing board games, trying out new video games, or off on an adventure with her husband and their dog, Patches!

Emily Harden is a knowledgeable consultant, skillful speaker, and community builder dedicated to fostering growth and impact. As the Founder and Owner of Harden Consulting, she provides tailored coaching to help people clarify what they want, navigat... Show more

Sarah is a detail-oriented leader with twenty years of experience in marketing and cloud-based technology, specializing in sales, marketing, customer service, and reporting tools. As principal and founder of Ulster Technologies (www.ulster-tech.com), Sarah drives innovation to foster collaborative, data-driven decisions with her clients.

She has served as an enterprise architect, product owner and program/project manager at leading regional and national healthcare institutions. Sarah led dynamic, cross-functional teams through multiple product and platform migrations, passionately improving business processes and driving sales growth.

A graduate of Rosemont College with a Master’s in Strategic Leadership, Sarah is also an active volunteer, serving on various boards and committees, including as Vice President of Communications, Technology & Marketing for Village on the Ridge and as a Board Member and Technology Co-Chair for Philanos.

Areas of Expertise
Through an intentional and winding professional path, Sarah has had the opportunity to gain expertise across a variety of industries, domains, and organizations, continually expanding her knowledge base. At the intersection of marketing, technology, and leadership, Sarah is comfortable and engaging while speaking about a variety of topics including, but not limited to: project and change management frameworks; leadership and communication styles; building trust; managing customer data and experiences; marketing technology and integrations; professional development and empowerment.

Sarah is a detail-oriented leader with twenty years of experience in marketing and cloud-based technology, specializing in sales, marketing, customer service, and reporting tools. As principal and founder of Ulster Technologies (www.ulster-tech.com),... Show more

Damian Synadinos has many labels. He spent 25 years as a software executive across diverse industries, gaining deep experience in technology, quality, and leadership. Along the way, he’s also been a schoolteacher, a children’s book author, a comedic improviser, and a portrait artist - experiences that sharpened his ability to communicate, connect, and think creatively. In 2016, he founded Ineffable Solutions to become a full-time speaker focused on people and fundamental topics such as communication, empathy, risk, identity, and trust – areas that are timeless and universal. His keynotes, talks, and workshops feature original content that blends conceptual depth, practical insight, and interactive humor, engaging the audiences’ hearts, minds, and funny bones. The result is a thought-provoking, relatable message that creates a lasting impact in any context.

Damian Synadinos has many labels. He spent 25 years as a software executive across diverse industries, gaining deep experience in technology, quality, and leadership. Along the way, he’s also been a schoolteacher, a children’s book author, a comedic ... Show more

Johan has been developing software since 1996 and has worked with .NET since version 1.0. With extensive experience as a lead developer and architect for .NET solutions, he is deeply passionate about clean coding and test-driven development. At JMAC Software Solutions and Bergler, he designs architectures for .NET solutions and coaches and trains developers in the domain of software engineering in general and Microsoft technologies in particular.

Johan has been developing software since 1996 and has worked with .NET since version 1.0. With extensive experience as a lead developer and architect for .NET solutions, he is deeply passionate about clean coding and test-driven development. At JMAC ... Show more

Arthur (or Art, take your pick) has been a software engineer for 22 years and has worked on things as exciting as analysis software for casinos and things as boring as banking websites. He is an advocate for talking openly about mental health and psychology in the technical world, and he spends a lot of time thinking about how we program and why we program, and about the tools, structures, cultures, and mental processes that help and hinder us from our ultimate goal of writing amazing things. His hair is brown and his thorax is a shiny blue color.

Arthur (or Art, take your pick) has been a software engineer for 22 years and has worked on things as exciting as analysis software for casinos and things as boring as banking websites. He is an advocate for talking openly about mental health and psy... Show more

Microsoft MVP | Sessionize Top 3% speaker 2022 & 2023

Jon specialises in Microsoft 365 with over 10 years of experience in consultancy and pre-sales; Jon is passionate about Microsoft products and especially enjoys the Microsoft Defender and Intune suites.

Jon particularly likes discussing Microsoft Security and Windows 365 and holds a Microsoft MVP in Intune and Windows 365.

Microsoft MVP | Sessionize Top 3% speaker 2022 & 2023 Jon specialises in Microsoft 365 with over 10 years of experience in consultancy and pre-sales; Jon is passionate about Microsoft products and especially enjoys the Microsoft Defender and Intun... Show more

Everyone has their niche in the world where they find the most joy and fulfillment. For me that has become Accessibility. Some of my experience comes from my personal ordeals I have gone through as I have steadily learned more about what makes my brain tick and what makes my joints throw a temper tantrum. My professional experience has helped me along the way because it is where I learned just how diverse the options were for accommodations, treatment, and more.

I was initially thrown into the deep end during my amazing journey with the American Printing House for the Blind's Internal IT department. I gained insight to some of the struggles caused when environments, processes, technology, and attitudes are not accessible. However, I also experienced great joy every time I managed to help make someone's day easier by helping them be more independent and confident in themselves. Since then, I have held many other Accessibility related roles and made it my mission to spread Accessibility awareness. I've done so through by improving Code Louisville's Accessibility policies and coursework as a mentor, speaking at domestic & international events, providing support online, and so much more. I plan to continue to do what I can for as long as I am able.

Everyone has their niche in the world where they find the most joy and fulfillment. For me that has become Accessibility. Some of my experience comes from my personal ordeals I have gone through as I have steadily learned more about what makes my bra... Show more

Hafedh is a professional coach, agile coach, and trainer with over 12 years of experience in guiding individuals and organizations toward resilience, adaptability, and improved performance. With a strong foundation in neuroscience, agility, and human sciences, Hafedh integrates these disciplines to offer a comprehensive approach to personal and organizational development. His work focuses on helping teams and leaders navigate change and foster growth in dynamic environments. Throughout his career, Hafedh has been committed to empowering his clients with practical, science-based strategies for achieving long-term success.

Hafedh is a professional coach, agile coach, and trainer with over 12 years of experience in guiding individuals and organizations toward resilience, adaptability, and improved performance. With a strong foundation in neuroscience, agility, and human... Show more

Mobile Engineering Manager focused on building scalable platforms and AI-enabled engineering systems.
At Thoughtworks, she leads mobile teams operating across 15+ engineering teams in high-scale environments, applying modular architecture, server-driven UI, and platform-as-product thinking to enable sustainable growth and team autonomy.
Her work integrates AI agents and Model Context Protocol (MCP) into developer workflows, documentation systems, and internal tooling, bridging mobile engineering with next-generation engineering practices.
As a Latina engineering leader working in global tech ecosystems, she champions technical excellence, inclusive leadership, and knowledge-sharing as pillars for long-term impact.

Mobile Engineering Manager focused on building scalable platforms and AI-enabled engineering systems. At Thoughtworks, she leads mobile teams operating across 15+ engineering teams in high-scale environments, applying modular architecture, server-dr... Show more

Traci joined the community to take the tech down a notch! She lives in Somerset with some (very cute) cats, some horses, some sheep, and her husband, Rob. When not looking after all of those, she also works to sooth people's minds as a psychotherapist. Being tech-adjacent she has been drawn into the tech event organising world and the wider community, where she brings her life long knowledge, expertise and fearsome determination to empower and protect those who are outside of the generic majority box. Over the past few years she has also found a voice as a speaker, sharing information and insights into all things mental health and wellbeing - which has lead to providing Team Dynamics training and Project Management.

Traci joined the community to take the tech down a notch! She lives in Somerset with some (very cute) cats, some horses, some sheep, and her husband, Rob. When not looking after all of those, she also works to sooth people's minds as a psychotherapis... Show more

I am a Solutions Architect at Online Partner AB and a Cloud GDE. I have worked on several projects involving Google Cloud services and Google Workspace along with multiple other technology stacks and platforms.

I am a Solutions Architect at Online Partner AB and a Cloud GDE. I have worked on several projects involving Google Cloud services and Google Workspace along with multiple other technology stacks and platforms. Show more

Nicole Enders lives and breathes Modern Work.

As a Microsoft MVP and Evangelist for Microsoft based Solutions, she turns cloud tech into real‑world impact - think Microsoft Teams makeovers and Power Platform magic.

For 15 + years she’s crafted collaboration experiences that stick, blending out‑of‑the‑box features with tailor‑made code until every social intranet or digital workplace feels like it was built just for you.

Catch Nicole on conference stages, in her books, or on her blog, where she shares hands‑on tips and a healthy dose of geeky enthusiasm.

Nicole Enders lives and breathes Modern Work. As a Microsoft MVP and Evangelist for Microsoft based Solutions, she turns cloud tech into real‑world impact - think Microsoft Teams makeovers and Power Platform magic. For 15 + years she’s crafted ... Show more

Alyssa is an Senior Developer Advocate for Progress and a Google Developer Expert for Angular. She has spoken at over 50 conferences locally and internationally. She is the host of the Angular Air podcast and emcees ng-conf as well as Monorepo World. She enjoys gaming, scuba diving, and has a little one that fondly goes by "Mr. Milks".

Alyssa is an Senior Developer Advocate for Progress and a Google Developer Expert for Angular. She has spoken at over 50 conferences locally and internationally. She is the host of the Angular Air podcast and emcees ng-conf as well as Monorepo World.... Show more

Rockford Lhotka is VP of Strategy at Xebia. He is the creator of the widely used CSLA .NET open-source software framework, the author of numerous books, and regularly speaks at major conferences around the world. Rockford is a member of the Microsoft Regional Director and MVP programs. For more information go to https://lhotka.net.

Rockford Lhotka is VP of Strategy at Xebia. He is the creator of the widely used CSLA .NET open-source software framework, the author of numerous books, and regularly speaks at major conferences around the world. Rockford is a member of the Microsoft... Show more

Yannis Martin is the founder and CEO of Nistin et OMK, a digital transformation consulting and training company.

With 16 years of experience in project management and transition management, he is a certified consultant and trainer in COBIT® 2019, ITIL® 4, and a PECB Certified Trainer in cybersecurity (ISO27001), and PRINCE2®. His expertise covers governance, IT security, and project management.

EiCnam engineer and sociologist by training, he has been a speaker since 2019. He has participated in numerous international events, including the Agile Tour, Devopsdays, and the IIBA and SMP conferences. He also teaches at the University of Avignon (2021) and EM Lyon (2025).

In 2024, he became a doctoral student at the Université de technologie de Compiègne, Alliance Sorbonne Université, and the COSTECH laboratory. His research focuses on how AI fits into the history of complexity and helps provide principles for approaching it in different domains.

Yannis Martin is the founder and CEO of Nistin et OMK, a digital transformation consulting and training company. With 16 years of experience in project management and transition management, he is a certified consultant and trainer in COBIT® 2019,... Show more

Kristyna Ferris is a solution architect at P3 Adaptive. Her experience includes implementing and managing enterprise-level Power BI instance, training teams on reporting best practices, and building templates for scalable analytics. Passionate about participating and growing the data community, she enjoys co-writing on Data on Wheels (dataonwheels.com) and speaking at various events. She also a co-organizer for Lexington Data Technology Group.

Kristyna Ferris is a solution architect at P3 Adaptive. Her experience includes implementing and managing enterprise-level Power BI instance, training teams on reporting best practices, and building templates for scalable analytics. Passionate about ... Show more

Inge Amdal Halvorsen is a developer, historian, philosopher, teacher, and storyteller. With a genuine interest in quirky and esoteric knowledge, and a penchant for diving into rabbit holes, he is a fountain of footnotes and fun facts. With a blend of mythology, code, and curious observations, his talks are certain to make audiences laugh, think, and occasionally question reality.

Inge Amdal Halvorsen is a developer, historian, philosopher, teacher, and storyteller. With a genuine interest in quirky and esoteric knowledge, and a penchant for diving into rabbit holes, he is a fountain of footnotes and fun facts. With a blend of... Show more

Community lover and Ambassador of enthusiasm. In 2017 I began my journey within tech communities, becoming an active organizer of various communities such as Google Developers Group Turin and Trento, ngRome, Flutter EXP, Italian Community Managers Summmit and DInA Tech Hub. 

From a passion, community management has become my full-time job with GrUSP since 2020 in which I have organized around fifteen events a year on various programming languages ​​and coordinating the activities of 12 PUG communities at a national level.

I am currently Community Program Manager Europe in Codemotion and in my free time lead in GDG Bari, WTM Ambassador, lead of the TEDxCuneo partnership team and tourism councilor of the municipality of Cissone.

I love the world of conferences and public speaking, I always try to make everything I have learned in my journey available at the events in which I participate.

Diversity, community, growth and sharing are the values ​​on which I base my projects which I always carry forward with great enthusiasm and energy.

Here are more info about me: https://bit.ly/pantarei-mb

Community lover and Ambassador of enthusiasm. In 2017 I began my journey within tech communities, becoming an active organizer of various communities such as Google Developers Group Turin and Trento, ngRome, Flutter EXP, Italian Community Managers Su... Show more

Hosting 16+ years with AI, Copilot,Azure, SharePoint & M365 technologies.

Hosting 16+ years with AI, Copilot,Azure, SharePoint & M365 technologies. Show more

Anja Schröder is a Microsoft MVP and Modern Workplace Architect at Skaylink. She designs and builds Microsoft 365 architectures and leads their technical implementation from initial concept to rollout. Her approach ensures that solutions are not only secure and reliable but also improve the day-to-day work experience. Her expertise lies in Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Copilot. In her sessions, she combines deep technical knowledge with practical examples to show how organizations can unlock the full potential of Microsoft 365.

Anja Schröder is a Microsoft MVP and Modern Workplace Architect at Skaylink. She designs and builds Microsoft 365 architectures and leads their technical implementation from initial concept to rollout. Her approach ensures that solutions are not only... Show more

Jérôme is a professional coach, agile coach, facilitator and trainer.
For 19 years, he has been one of the pioneers who have develop an agile culture within Lectra teams. He is now in charge of a team of internal coaches that he created and who support his company in its many changes.
Passionate about human dynamics, he has developed over the years an expertise in the fields of agility, change management and the management of teams and organizations.
Active member of the Agile community and of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council France, he likes to share his experience and his convictions through conferences and training.

Jérôme is a professional coach, agile coach, facilitator and trainer. For 19 years, he has been one of the pioneers who have develop an agile culture within Lectra teams. He is now in charge of a team of internal coaches that he created and who supp... Show more

Osita Ifezue is a researcher, international keynote speaker, and storytelling strategist. He is the founder of Njiko Storytelling, with over 25 years of experience training individuals and developing storytelling strategies. He has created the Storyboard Backcasting and Origin Story-Loop Strategic Frameworks, strategic storytelling tools designed to enhance learning in the storytelling process. Beyond entrepreneurship, Osita founded Entergrate, an NGO in Finland that focuses on social inclusion, and he hosts the podcast Think About It! With Osita Ifezue.

Osita Ifezue is a researcher, international keynote speaker, and storytelling strategist. He is the founder of Njiko Storytelling, with over 25 years of experience training individuals and developing storytelling strategies. He has created the Storyb... Show more

Sergès Goma is a Paris-based software developer specialized in Java and JavaScript. When she's not fixing codebases, she gives motivational speeches mostly aimed at junior and would-be developers as well as participating in the tech women's empowerment association Motiv'Her.

Sergès Goma is a Paris-based software developer specialized in Java and JavaScript. When she's not fixing codebases, she gives motivational speeches mostly aimed at junior and would-be developers as well as participating in the tech women's empowerme... Show more

I inspire people to embrace the potential of today!

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

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

Blog: https://villezekeviking.com

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

Valarie Regas is a DevOps fanatic, a Georgia Tech coding bootcamp graduate, and a veteran mommy. She holds a BA in Psychology and currently works in Computer Science education. After years being a stay-at-home mom, she decided to change her life by entering tech, and has learned a lot along the way. Outside of work, she enjoys mixed martial arts fighting, table-top role playing games, public speaking, creating tiny humans, and activism of all sorts.

Valarie Regas is a DevOps fanatic, a Georgia Tech coding bootcamp graduate, and a veteran mommy. She holds a BA in Psychology and currently works in Computer Science education. After years being a stay-at-home mom, she decided to change her life by e... Show more

Manuel Ledezma, known in the tech community as Tester Testarudo, is a software testing and automation specialist with a strong commitment to delivering high-quality and reliable software. Over the past years, he has focused on mastering QA practices and automation strategies, working in agile and fast-paced environments.
He has contributed to leading companies such as Mediktor, AXA, Telecom Argentina, Newfold, and Mojo Marketplace, where he implemented scalable testing solutions that improved product stability and user experience.
Manuel currently serves as the QA Automation Lead at Mediktor in Barcelona, Spain, where he leads automation initiatives to ensure robust and impactful digital products.
Beyond his professional work, Manuel empowers the QA community through Tester Testarudo, his educational project dedicated to helping newcomers learn testing in a clear, practical, and accessible way.

Manuel Ledezma, known in the tech community as Tester Testarudo, is a software testing and automation specialist with a strong commitment to delivering high-quality and reliable software. Over the past years, he has focused on mastering QA practices ... Show more

Ragnar is a Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for Microsoft 365 Office Apps and Services. Together with MVP Alexander Egger, he hosts the “Alex & Ragnar Show,” a bi-weekly Video Live Stream about Microsoft 365 Hybrid Workplace and also "Guardians of M365 Governance" with Christian Buckley. Ragnar is a blogger and podcaster, headset geek, and core-member of Viva Explorers Community. He has an M.A. in Social Science and an Executive MBA, and has also published several books and articles about modern work.

Ragnar is a Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for Microsoft 365 Office Apps and Services. Together with MVP Alexander Egger, he hosts the “Alex & Ragnar Show,” a bi-weekly Video Live Stream about Microsoft 365 Hybrid Workplace and also "Guardians of ... Show more

I’m an expert in team, project and product management, conference speaker, public speaking coach, academic lecturer, book author and TEDx organizer.

I work in the financial sector, leading complex tech projects - including those related to digital identity. My role sits at the crossroads of IT, business and governance, where aligning perspectives is a daily challenge. In the past I’ve built entire DevOps competence center, always with a focus on communication, agility and a solid dose of common sense. I believe in people, collaboration and context-driven decisions.

I speak at conferences across Poland and Europe, running talks and workshops on leadership, agile, communication and teamwork. I also deliver my own trainings based on the LEGO® Serious Play® methodology. I’m mentor for TEDx speakers and organizer or TEDxUniversity of Lodz / TEDxPabianice / TEDxŁódź - events that gathers big audience and strong online engagement.

I hold degrees from the University of Łódź (International Relations and HR Management), MBA from Lodz University of Technology and Illinois State University, and a postgraduate diploma in IT Project Management. Outside of work, I’m a dad of two sons – which is great preparation for agile coaching. I write humorous, educational books for kids and collect the finest corporate memes life has to offer.

I love teaching, creating, connecting – and I always ask one question: “What if we did it differently?”

I’m an expert in team, project and product management, conference speaker, public speaking coach, academic lecturer, book author and TEDx organizer. I work in the financial sector, leading complex tech projects - including those related to digital... Show more

Akshat Sharma is a Open Source Advocate and Mentor and currently serves as Developer Advocate at Deskree, dedicated to building meaningful connections between technology and community.
In 2024, he was selected as one of 1,220 contributors from over thousands of applicants in Google Summer of Code. In 2025,2026 he returned as a mentor guiding contributors in Google Summer of Code 2025, Mifos Summer of Code, and Code for GovTech. His research journey has taken him to the University of California and IIT Indore, and he has authored ten research papers in recent advancements and technology. He has presented his work at prestigious conferences including ICACIS 2023, ICNSBT 2024, C3IT 2024, Interledger Summit 2024,Grpconf 2025, OpenSearchCon Japan 2025, Google Tokyo GSOC Meetup 2025, Fossasia 2026 and so on. Additionally, he regularly attended key industry-leading gatherings such as Open SSF, Open Source Summit India, and KubeCon + CloudNativeCon India, Pycon India.

Akshat Sharma is a Open Source Advocate and Mentor and currently serves as Developer Advocate at Deskree, dedicated to building meaningful connections between technology and community. In 2024, he was selected as one of 1,220 contributors from over... Show more