Humanities & Social Sciences

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

Michela Bertaina

Michela Bertaina

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

Ragnar Heil

Ragnar Heil

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

Jo Franchetti

Jo Franchetti

Jo is a DevRel Engineer at Deno. She is passionate about improving developer experience, teaching good use of JS and TS and building sparkly, wearable, internet connected tech. She mentors junior developers, advocates for mental health awareness and is devoted to improving the diversity and inclusivity of the tech industry.

Jo is a DevRel Engineer at Deno. She is passionate about improving developer experience, teaching good use of JS and TS and building sparkly, wearable, internet connected tech. She mentors junior developers, advocates for mental health awareness and ... Show more

Damian Synadinos

Damian Synadinos

For over 30 years, Damian Synadinos helped “build better software and build software better” through testing. Now, through his company Ineffable Solutions (Ineffable-Solutions.com), he helps “build better people”. As a full-time, international public speaker, he delivers entertaining and educational keynotes, talks, and training that are focused on people, based on experience, and supplemented with research. His career and audiences include many diverse companies and industries including airline, retail, insurance, finance, e-commerce, and commercial realty. Damian also helped organize the "QA or the Highway" testing conference (QAortheHighway.com), performs & teaches improv, authored and illustrated a children’s book (HankAndStellaBooks.com), and draws strangers for fun (IDrawStrangers.com).

For over 30 years, Damian Synadinos helped “build better software and build software better” through testing. Now, through his company Ineffable Solutions (Ineffable-Solutions.com), he helps “build better people”. As a full-time, international public... Show more

Becca Hiller

Becca Hiller

Driven by courage, curiosity, and compassion, Becca "Bex" Hiller knows valued people deliver value. She also knows ideas supply focus and fuel, while ACTION drives goals forward toward success.

Bex helps humans reach agility potential, and her own agility shines through sharpened improv skills, a mighty pen, a hungry brain, and a passion for teaching and coaching. She has spent over two decades in product, project, and people growth spaces helping folks articulate their mission, then take mission-critical action to DELIVER. She puts growth and connection at the helm and enables, engages, and expands forward momentum, stoking peak performance (without sacrificing values, vision, or voice).

Her mission: Uncover your purpose. Pivot when life happens. Dare to deliver.
Her top interests: connection, community building, purposeful creativity, and potatoes.

Bex is currently based in Rochester, NY.

Driven by courage, curiosity, and compassion, Becca "Bex" Hiller knows valued people deliver value. She also knows ideas supply focus and fuel, while ACTION drives goals forward toward success. Bex helps humans reach agility potential, and her own... Show more

Caroline Nicole Letaru

Caroline Nicole Letaru

Caroline Nicole Letaru is a globally recognized Career Coach and Talent Strategist at Kazini Consults, with over 6 years of experience empowering tech professionals across 12+ countries. She is known for helping developers and emerging tech leaders unlock international opportunities through strategic career planning, skill building, and high-impact coaching.

Nicole has led technical recruitment for global institutions such as the United Nations and UNHCR, and has coached over 500+ professionals including software engineers, PowerShell, UX designers, and AI specialists helping them transition into global careers and remote work ecosystems.

She is a seasoned international speaker who has graced renowned stages including the International AIDS Society Conference (Germany), Going Global Conference (UK), and the SCORE Conference (Tanzania). Her thought leadership earned her the Best Essay Award at the South American Business Forum (SABF) in Argentina, recognizing her voice on youth, development, and innovation.

Nicole’s work focuses on building future-proof careers for African professionals in tech. Through Kazini Consults, she leads a community-first approach that equips talents to scale their impact with confidence, clarity, and visibility.

Caroline Nicole Letaru is a globally recognized Career Coach and Talent Strategist at Kazini Consults, with over 6 years of experience empowering tech professionals across 12+ countries. She is known for helping developers and emerging tech leaders u... Show more

Andreas Kollegger

Andreas Kollegger

Andreas is a technological humanist. Starting at NASA, Andreas designed systems from scratch to support science missions. Then in Zambia, he built medical informatics systems to apply technology for social good. Now with Neo4j, he is democratizing graph databases to validate and extend our intuitions about how the world works. Everything is connected.

Andreas is a technological humanist. Starting at NASA, Andreas designed systems from scratch to support science missions. Then in Zambia, he built medical informatics systems to apply technology for social good. Now with Neo4j, he is democratizing gr... Show more

Vittorio Polizzi

Vittorio Polizzi

I help people, teams, and organizations take a step forward.
My work involves creating the conditions for actionable directions, intentional choices, and small, concrete steps to emerge. I believe change becomes possible when attention is focused on what can be done, here and now, leveraging existing resources and skills.
I help leaders, professionals, and teams clarify objectives, recognize often underutilized capabilities, and build tangible signals of progress. I use essential and targeted questions that help them think more clearly and act consistently, even in complex contexts.
My coaching work is guided by the ICF and EMCC codes of ethics: respect for the individual, responsibility, confidentiality, and attention to the impact of decisions are integral to every journey.
My experience as an Enterprise Agile Coach and in the IT world allows me to move naturally in real organizational contexts, where decisions matter and time is precious.

I help people, teams, and organizations take a step forward. My work involves creating the conditions for actionable directions, intentional choices, and small, concrete steps to emerge. I believe change becomes possible when attention is focused on... Show more

Els van Vessem

Els van Vessem

Els van Vessem (they/them) works as a Data Engineer and Scrum Master for the House of Representatives in the Netherlands, after some years working as general data specialist and project lead for several healthcare organizations. They focus on topics of diversity, non-data skills needed for data jobs, compassion and mental health. Outside of work they hang out on bluesky (@geekingthething.bsky.social), help events with their code of conduct and harassment/abuse policies, read too many books, and watches political debates for fun.

Els van Vessem (they/them) works as a Data Engineer and Scrum Master for the House of Representatives in the Netherlands, after some years working as general data specialist and project lead for several healthcare organizations. They focus on topics ... Show more

Jason Wodicka

Jason Wodicka

Jason has spent almost twenty years in the tech industry. In that time, they've been a teacher, a test engineer, a development manager, a software engineer, and performed one ill-advised attempt at program management. Today they're working in engineering advocacy, helping people find new ways to think about our industry. They live with their husband in the drizzly paradise of Seattle. Ask them about board games, community-building, puzzle design, queer theory, or anything you're deeply excited by.

Jason has spent almost twenty years in the tech industry. In that time, they've been a teacher, a test engineer, a development manager, a software engineer, and performed one ill-advised attempt at program management. Today they're working in enginee... Show more

Alexander Günsche

Alexander Günsche

Alex is a Senior Solutions Architect at AWS with 20 years of IT experience in expert and leadership roles. He is a strong advocate of agile and DevOps practices, and he enjoys seeing serverless, cloud-native and event-driven architectures deployed at scale. He has delivered large transformation projects and successfully developed own and customers’ businesses. As an international speaker, he has held advanced technology sessions at a wide range of events.

Alex is a Senior Solutions Architect at AWS with 20 years of IT experience in expert and leadership roles. He is a strong advocate of agile and DevOps practices, and he enjoys seeing serverless, cloud-native and event-driven architectures deployed at... Show more

Elena Marquetti-Ali

Elena Marquetti-Ali

Elena is a highly-rated professional speaker with 20+ years of experience as a leadership coach, group facilitator and collegiate faculty member. Elena works with groups, individuals, and organizations to amplify their authenticity and empower them to become effective leaders. Elena is the President of and Lead Consultant with Marquetti Consulting.

Elena is a highly-rated professional speaker with 20+ years of experience as a leadership coach, group facilitator and collegiate faculty member. Elena works with groups, individuals, and organizations to amplify their authenticity and empower them t... Show more

Stephen Parkins

Stephen Parkins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mauro Bennici

Mauro Bennici

Mauro Bennici is active in the R&D area of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Natural Language Generation (NLG). He is a Data Scientist, Professional Scrum Master (PSM), Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), and .NET foundation member. Member of the SME Focus Group on Ethics and Artificial Intelligence, European Community.

Mauro Bennici is active in the R&D area of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Natural Language Generation (NLG). He is a Data Scientist, Professional Scrum Master (PSM), Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), and .NET foundation member. Member of the ... Show more

Ray Kim

Ray Kim

Ray Kim is an advocate for documentation and technical communication. He is a co-founder of the Albany, NY SQL group (CASSUG) and a member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC). He has spoken at PASS Summit and STC Summit, as well as numerous SQL Saturdays and other events. He has worked various positions in technology, including as a developer, webmaster, analyst, technical writer, and instructor. He holds an MS in technical communication from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BS in computer science from Syracuse University. He currently works as a technical writer and trainer for The Professional Development Program at The Research Foundation for SUNY.

A musician in his spare time, Ray plays four different instruments (piano, clarinet, mallet percussion, saxophone). He also enjoys going to ball games and doing CrossFit, and is a two-time SQLServerCentral.com fantasy football champion. He lives in Troy, NY with his wife, Lianne, and their tuxedo cat, Bernard.

Ray Kim is an advocate for documentation and technical communication. He is a co-founder of the Albany, NY SQL group (CASSUG) and a member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC). He has spoken at PASS Summit and STC Summit, as well as nume... Show more

Ankur Roy

Ankur Roy

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

Magali Milbergue

Magali Milbergue

After a decade in social work, Magali decided to change course and became a web developper. She tries to find a delicate balance between the technical aspects of the job (fun !), the creativity (fun too !) and trying to follow her ethics and change the culture of the industry (the less fun aspects of it anyway) by being an advocate and an activist. She recently chose to specialize in web accessibility by joining Access42.

She is co-founder and president of Compositech, an organization advocating for the inclusion of women and non-binary people in tech. She also is the founder and president of La Première Ligne, a feminist magazine created by tech women and non-binary people. She has a dog, Trufa and talks either way too much about her (according to people) or way not enough (according to herself).

After a decade in social work, Magali decided to change course and became a web developper. She tries to find a delicate balance between the technical aspects of the job (fun !), the creativity (fun too !) and trying to follow her ethics and change t... Show more

Manuel Alejandro Ledezma Falcon

Manuel Alejandro Ledezma Falcon

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

Chris Honda

Chris Honda

Professional Goober | Head Janitor and Cook for the Honda Household | Security, GRC, Privacy, & AI @ Plotly | Bad at Making Jokes and Writing Bios

Professional Goober | Head Janitor and Cook for the Honda Household | Security, GRC, Privacy, & AI @ Plotly | Bad at Making Jokes and Writing Bios Show more

Seun Faluyi

Seun Faluyi

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

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

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

Erwin Derksen

Erwin Derksen

Since 1999 in IT – Practical – Simplifier – #BulletPointFree Public Speaker - Trainer - Likes sharing knowledge – Projects and changes only – Has also a technical focus – Acts as bridge between business and technology – Founded DerkIT in 2017 - Guides complex decisions and reduces them to the essence – Believes that humor, clarity, and simplicity are most important.

Since 1999 in IT – Practical – Simplifier – #BulletPointFree Public Speaker - Trainer - Likes sharing knowledge – Projects and changes only – Has also a technical focus – Acts as bridge between business and technology – Founded DerkIT in 2017 - Gu... Show more

Tim Rayburn

Tim Rayburn

Tim Rayburn is a Vice President of Consulting with Improving Enterprises, a software and project management consulting company in Dallas, TX. He is a passionate advocate of apprenticeship and mentorship in corporate environments. He has been awarded the Microsoft MVP in recognition of his expertise and community leadership 11 times. He is also a conference organizer, an author, and can be found speaking across the nation on agile processes, software design, and career management. He lives in the North Dallas area with his amazing wife Kate and their loyal dogs Dresden and Radagast.

Tim Rayburn is a Vice President of Consulting with Improving Enterprises, a software and project management consulting company in Dallas, TX. He is a passionate advocate of apprenticeship and mentorship in corporate environments. He has been awarded ... Show more

Andres Sepulveda Morales

Andres Sepulveda Morales

Andres Sepulveda Morales is the founder of Red Mage, a specialized technology agency focusing on the intersection of deep engineering and community impact. A former corporate software engineer with 8+ years of experience, Andres translates complex technical expertise into accessible, community-driven solutions.

His consulting proficiency has been widely recognized; in 2025, he was named one of Contra’s Best Software Consultants to Hire for English and Spanish markets. He is a trusted partner for platforms like Lovable and SureLink, and a recognized expert for cutting-edge development tools including Bolt.new and Framer.

Andres is highly dedicated to advancing AI literacy in the community. As Treasurer and Advisory Board Member for the Rocky Mountain AI Interest Group (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit), he founded the Fort Collins chapter and helped the organization serve over 6,400 participants at 200+ events across Colorado in 2025 alone.

Andres Sepulveda Morales is the founder of Red Mage, a specialized technology agency focusing on the intersection of deep engineering and community impact. A former corporate software engineer with 8+ years of experience, Andres translates complex te... Show more

Ben Greenberg

Ben Greenberg

Ben Greenberg is the Developer Relations Lead at Arbitrum and has been recognized by Docker as a Docker Captain. He serves on the board of Ruby Central and is deeply involved in the open-source community. Before moving into software development, Ben spent a decade in adult education, community organizing, and non-profit management. He writes regularly about the intersection of technology, ethics, and community, and is the author of numerous technical articles and publications, including his latest book, Vector Search with JavaScript.

Ben Greenberg is the Developer Relations Lead at Arbitrum and has been recognized by Docker as a Docker Captain. He serves on the board of Ruby Central and is deeply involved in the open-source community. Before moving into software development, Ben ... Show more

Maciej Rząsa

Maciej Rząsa

Software engineer with 10+ years under his belt. At Chattermill, he turns AI research into real-world products. A fan of diving deep into black boxes, he has unusual hobby of writing regular expressions by hand and arguing about their speed. When he’s not coding, he shares knowledge as a university instructor, speaker, and meetup organiser.

Bookworm, hiker, history nerd - ask him about Napoleon!

Software engineer with 10+ years under his belt. At Chattermill, he turns AI research into real-world products. A fan of diving deep into black boxes, he has unusual hobby of writing regular expressions by hand and arguing about their speed. When he’... Show more

Brad Nelson

Brad Nelson

Brad Nelson is the host of The Agile for Agilists Podcast and the author of I Think, Therefore I Know: Scientific Thinking for Unscientific Organizations. Based in Metro Detroit, he brings 15+ years of experience helping teams deliver meaningful value while navigating uncertainty in complex systems.

Brad Nelson is the host of The Agile for Agilists Podcast and the author of I Think, Therefore I Know: Scientific Thinking for Unscientific Organizations. Based in Metro Detroit, he brings 15+ years of experience helping teams deliver meaningful valu... Show more

Dor Amram

Dor Amram

Dor Amram is a Technical Leader with over a decade of experience in software engineering, delivering high-quality and scalable systems. He has expertise in several programming languages and is adept at mentoring junior developers. Dor is passionate about staying current with the latest industry technologies and loves spending time finding simple solutions to complex problems.

Dor Amram is a Technical Leader with over a decade of experience in software engineering, delivering high-quality and scalable systems. He has expertise in several programming languages and is adept at mentoring junior developers. Dor is passionate a... Show more

Ashley René Casey

Ashley René Casey

Ashley René is a speaker, strategist, and founder of Presence Over Pixels, a St. Louis–based company helping people take back control of their time, focus, and relationships in a tech-dominated world. With a background in corporate leadership and a passion for human connection, Ashley René teaches professionals how to set boundaries with their devices, stay present in high-demand environments, and lead with intention - online and off. Her work lives at the intersection of wellness, leadership, and digital culture, offering practical tools for anyone looking to thrive without burning out. When she's not leading workshops or speaking on stages, Ashley René is performing with her band, Bourbon Jury, and actively engaged in the local arts scene of St Louis.

Ashley René is a speaker, strategist, and founder of Presence Over Pixels, a St. Louis–based company helping people take back control of their time, focus, and relationships in a tech-dominated world. With a background in corporate leadership and a p... Show more

Grzegorz Sztandera

Grzegorz Sztandera

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

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 DevOps team and entire competence area from scratch, always with a focus on communication, agility and a solid dose of common sense. I don’t believe in blindly following frameworks - 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® method. I’m preparing speakers for TEDx events and organising TEDxUniversity of Lodz / TEDxPabianice - 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 project, product and IT team management, conference speaker, public speaking coach, book author and TEDx organiser. I work in the financial sector, leading complex tech projects - including those related to digital identity. My ro... Show more

Thijs Limmen

Thijs Limmen

Thijs is a DevOps engineer and front-end development enthusiast at Xebia. With a unique edge as an AI-powered developer, Thijs integrates cutting-edge AI tools into his development process. This allows him to improve code quality, boost productivity, and be any profession, ensuring that his projects stay ahead of the curve.

Thijs is a DevOps engineer and front-end development enthusiast at Xebia. With a unique edge as an AI-powered developer, Thijs integrates cutting-edge AI tools into his development process. This allows him to improve code quality, boost productivity,... Show more

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