Humanities & Social Sciences

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

Jaqueline Santos de Souza

Jaqueline Santos de Souza

She is Benjamin's Mom, Brazilian of Salvador city, Artist and Teacher. Graduated in Languages at UCSAL, Master in Language and Culture and PhD Student in Applied Linguistics at UFBA. She has taught in a public school for 15 years and develops research in teaching and learning languages from a decolonial perspective. She currently records English classes for TV and publishes technical and literary texts. Member of Kunhã Asé - Network Women in Science and Network of the Black Researchers in Language Studies (REPENSE).

She is Benjamin's Mom, Brazilian of Salvador city, Artist and Teacher. Graduated in Languages at UCSAL, Master in Language and Culture and PhD Student in Applied Linguistics at UFBA. She has taught in a public school for 15 years and develops researc... Show more

Amar Natt, PhD

Amar Natt, PhD

Managing Director at Econ One Research, Inc. specializing in econometric modeling of Big Data and helping firms introduce data-guided decision-making. Lecturer at UCLA in the Sociology Department, teaching Data Science and Statistical & Computational Methods.

Managing Director at Econ One Research, Inc. specializing in econometric modeling of Big Data and helping firms introduce data-guided decision-making. Lecturer at UCLA in the Sociology Department, teaching Data Science and Statistical & Computational... Show more

Sarah Wimberley

Sarah Wimberley

Sarah is a detail-oriented leader with twenty years of experience in marketing and technology, specializing in sales, marketing, customer service, and reporting tools. As principal and founder of Ulster Technologies (www.ulster-tech.com), Sarah partners with individuals and organizations to align people, process, and technology—using enterprise architecture and martech strategy to drive organizational change and measurable business outcomes.

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 President of Village on the Ridge, Technology Co-Chair of Philanos, and a Higher Award Coach for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania.

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

Jo Franchetti

Jo Franchetti

Jo is a Developer Advocate with a passion for the web and the people who build it. She champions great developer experience and loves teaching good use of JS, TS, and AI by making complex concepts feel approachable and fun. When she's not on a conference stage or mentoring the next generation of developers, you'll find her crafting sparkly, wearable, internet-connected tech. Jo is also a vocal advocate for mental health awareness and is deeply committed to building a more diverse and inclusive tech industry.

Jo is a Developer Advocate with a passion for the web and the people who build it. She champions great developer experience and loves teaching good use of JS, TS, and AI by making complex concepts feel approachable and fun. When she's not on a confer... Show more

Grace Gong

Grace Gong

Grace works in engineering at Microsoft Azure. Previously, she was a product manager on the Power BI, Fabric Data Platform team within Azure Data, and on the ML/LLM observability product at Datadog.

Grace studied Computer Science at Western University + Georgia Tech, and Business Administration & Management at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During her studies, she was a Google Developer Groups on Campus Lead, GitHub Campus Expert & WTM ambassador. She was recognized as a Major League Hacking (MLH) Top 50 hacker. Grace founded a non-profit, Youth180 in 2019 to encourage youth to pursue academic, extracurricular, leadership & developmental opportunities.

Grace works in engineering at Microsoft Azure. Previously, she was a product manager on the Power BI, Fabric Data Platform team within Azure Data, and on the ML/LLM observability product at Datadog. Grace studied Computer Science at Western Unive... Show more

Nicole Enders

Nicole Enders

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

Johan Smarius

Johan Smarius

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

Rockford Lhotka

Rockford Lhotka

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

Jon Jarvis

Jon Jarvis

Jon Jarvis is a Microsoft MVP and Endpoint Management Specialist at Advania UK, specialising in Microsoft Intune and Windows 365. His work centres on the security side of modern endpoint management, with a particular focus on Microsoft Defender and Intune integration, Intune Premium features, and the design and operation of Cloud PCs.

An active member of the global Microsoft community, Jon is a regular speaker at events across the UK, Europe, and the US, including Workplace Ninjas, Experts Live, MEM Summit, and M365Conf. He shares practical, real-world guidance through his community presence at CloudEndpoint.ai, where he writes about getting the most out of Intune, Windows 365, and Defender in production environments.

Jon is passionate about cutting through the noise and giving IT professionals content they can actually use. When he's not working with endpoints, he coaches youth football, runs a Brazilian jiu-jitsu club in Kent, and follows Arsenal.

Jon Jarvis is a Microsoft MVP and Endpoint Management Specialist at Advania UK, specialising in Microsoft Intune and Windows 365. His work centres on the security side of modern endpoint management, with a particular focus on Microsoft Defender and I... Show more

Ixchel Ruiz

Ixchel Ruiz

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

Mario Esposito

Mario Esposito

Artiste plasticien, Architecte, UX Designer et enfin Coach Agile.
Un parcours atypique, plusieurs pivotages dans ma vie m'ont porté à comprendre que c'est la valorisation de l'humain la plus grande des réalisations.

Artiste plasticien, Architecte, UX Designer et enfin Coach Agile. Un parcours atypique, plusieurs pivotages dans ma vie m'ont porté à comprendre que c'est la valorisation de l'humain la plus grande des réalisations. Show more

Hafedh Messaoudi

Hafedh Messaoudi

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

Erissa Duvall

Erissa Duvall

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

Divya Akula

Divya Akula

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

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

Anja Schröder

Anja Schröder

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

Kristyna Ferris

Kristyna Ferris

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

Arthur Doler

Arthur Doler

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

Valarie Regas

Valarie Regas

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

Damian Synadinos

Damian Synadinos

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

Sergès Goma

Sergès Goma

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

Traci Sewell

Traci Sewell

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

Osita Ifezue

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 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

Ville Gullstrand

Ville Gullstrand

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

Lorenzo Pieri

Lorenzo Pieri

It's never easy to describe oneself, especially when one is interested in so many different topics and fields and I guess that says something about who I am afterall. I find it fun and entertaining to teach difficult subjects through exotic methods and stories and people seem to also have fun while I do so.

I believe in the union between science and human values (read fun) and I often work and participate in non-profit organization and projects which aim to bring culture and scientific knowledge.

It's never easy to describe oneself, especially when one is interested in so many different topics and fields and I guess that says something about who I am afterall. I find it fun and entertaining to teach difficult subjects through exotic methods a... Show more

Aubrey Wade

Aubrey Wade

Aubrey Wade is a seasoned consulting professional, speaker, certified coach and counselor, and blogger with a passion for transforming workplace relationships and driving positive change. Based in Memphis, TN, she specializes in helping organizations improve processes, build strong teams, and guide C-suite leaders in driving company-wide transformation. With a proven and successful hands-on, results-driven approach, Aubrey isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo to help companies reach their full potential.

Armed with a degree in Psychology and over 20 years of experience in technology, Aubrey has successfully partnered with multiple Fortune 300 companies to enhance team dynamics, streamline processes, and deliver consistent, successful releases. Her expertise spans organizational transformation, enterprise reporting, and optimizing performance at all levels.

Outside of her consulting work, Aubrey is a devoted wife, sister, and mother to three daughters, and she enjoys speaking and teaching across the country. Her greatest passion is helping people grow — starting with herself.

Aubrey Wade is a seasoned consulting professional, speaker, certified coach and counselor, and blogger with a passion for transforming workplace relationships and driving positive change. Based in Memphis, TN, she specializes in helping organizations... Show more

Rakia Finley

Rakia Finley

Rakia Finley is a strategist, founder, and systems thinker working at the intersection of AI governance, organizational transformation, and human-centered innovation.

As the Founder and CEO of Copper & Vine Studio, she advises startups, enterprises, public-sector organizations, and emerging leaders on how to responsibly scale technology, build resilient operating systems, and prepare institutions for the next era of AI-enabled business and society.

Her work focuses on translating complex innovation into practical implementation — helping organizations move from fragmented experimentation into scalable systems, governance frameworks, operational clarity, and measurable growth. She is especially known for her ability to bridge executive strategy, emerging technology, security, human behavior, and organizational design into conversations that are both visionary and deeply actionable.

Rakia’s speaking explores the future of AI adoption, trust, governance, workforce transformation, digital infrastructure, and institutional resilience. Her sessions challenge organizations to think beyond tools and automation toward the deeper question: what kind of systems, leadership, and human experience are we building for the future?

She has spoken on topics spanning responsible AI, organizational transformation, secure system design, inclusive innovation, and the future of work — with a focus on helping leaders navigate complexity while building systems people actually trust.

Rakia Finley is a strategist, founder, and systems thinker working at the intersection of AI governance, organizational transformation, and human-centered innovation. As the Founder and CEO of Copper & Vine Studio, she advises startups, enterprise... 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 has previously been a member of PASS and the Society for Technical Communication (STC). He has spoken at PASS Summit and STC Summit, as well as numerous 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 and his wife, Lianne, live in Troy, NY.

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

Grzegorz Sztandera

Grzegorz Sztandera

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

Trond Hjorteland

Trond Hjorteland

Trond is an IT architect and sociotechnical systems practitioner at Capra Consulting, where he helps organisations design themselves for a turbulent world. Drawing on decades of research in open systems theory, he bridges domain-driven design, event-driven architecture, and human-centred organisation design. His mantra: great solutions emerge from collaborative sensemaking and design.

Trond is an IT architect and sociotechnical systems practitioner at Capra Consulting, where he helps organisations design themselves for a turbulent world. Drawing on decades of research in open systems theory, he bridges domain-driven design, event-... Show more

Zita Pelok

Zita Pelok

Enthusiastic People Analytics professional and organizational sociologist with over 10 years of experience in HR and more than 5 years in Business Intelligence (BI). She is passionate about transforming HR data into actionable insights that support strategic decision-making and improve organizational performance. She holds a master’s degree in Economic and Organizational Sociology, giving her a unique perspective on the social and behavioral dimensions of workforce analytics.

Founder of ReadyHR.eu, a consultancy service that helps small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) build practical, data-driven HR reporting and People Analytics capabilities.

Based in Kecskemét, near Budapest, Hungary, proud parent of two boys. Outside of work, she loves dancing and is dedicated to continuous learning, always exploring new tools and ideas that elevate the HR analytics profession.

Enthusiastic People Analytics professional and organizational sociologist with over 10 years of experience in HR and more than 5 years in Business Intelligence (BI). She is passionate about transforming HR data into actionable insights that support s... Show more

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