I'm a lifelong learner with a passion for creative problem-solving. I share my expertise and insights with the data community through talks, video content, and bringing people together with the DATA:Scotland event.

I'm a lifelong learner with a passion for creative problem-solving. I share my expertise and insights with the data community through talks, video content, and bringing people together with the DATA:Scotland event. Show more

Gerrit Grunwald is a software engineer that loves coding for around 40 years already. He is a true believer in open source and he is an active member of the Java community, where he founded and leads the Java User Group Münster (Germany), he is a JavaOne rockstar and a Java Champion. He is a speaker at conferences and user groups internationally and writes for several magazines.

Gerrit Grunwald is a software engineer that loves coding for around 40 years already. He is a true believer in open source and he is an active member of the Java community, where he founded and leads the Java User Group Münster (Germany), he is a Jav... Show more

Nikki Chapple is a Principal Cloud Architect at CloudWay, specialising in Microsoft 365 data security, governance, and compliance. With over 35 years of experience in IT and business, she helps organisations with risk-based digital transformations. As a dual Microsoft MVP in Microsoft 365 and Security, Nikki is recognised for her expertise in these fields.
She is an international speaker and blogger, co-hosting the "All Things Compliance Podcast" and co-authoring "The Microsoft 365 Maturity Model – Governance, Risk, and Compliance Competency." In 2023, she was honoured with the UK Community Award for Security and Compliance Evangelist.
Nikki holds several key certifications, including Microsoft Certified Enterprise Administrator Expert, TOGAF Enterprise Architect, and PROSCI Organizational Change Manager. She believes that "Microsoft 365 governance and compliance is not a project but a lifestyle that should be part of the organisation’s culture.

Nikki Chapple is a Principal Cloud Architect at CloudWay, specialising in Microsoft 365 data security, governance, and compliance. With over 35 years of experience in IT and business, she helps organisations with risk-based digital transformations. A... Show more

Marc is a Sr Developer Advocate at Diagrid and enjoys sharing knowledge on how to build distributed applications. He's one of the Dapr Community Managers, and he loves helping developers to achieve more every day.

You might have seen Marc at a developer meetup or conference, since he's a regular speaker and event-organizer in the area of Dapr, Azure cloud, and serverless technologies. From 2019 to 2025 Marc received the Microsoft Azure MVP award for his community contributions.

In his spare time, Marc likes to give attention to the creative part of his brain. He likes to create pixel art (check out VSCode Pets), code visuals & music, and create an occasional retro game.

Marc is a Sr Developer Advocate at Diagrid and enjoys sharing knowledge on how to build distributed applications. He's one of the Dapr Community Managers, and he loves helping developers to achieve more every day. You might have seen Marc at a dev... Show more

I'm Michel Murabito, Mich to my friends! Born in 1986 in Turin with Sicilian roots, I now live in Milan. My journey in software began at 12, coding for fun. At 18, I started my first job as a software developer and have continuously sought new challenges to grow and learn. Today,

I'm a Tech Evangelist @Fractal Cloud and a Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) Ambassador, sharing my passion for cloud native technologies with a community of curious minds. I'm also an organizer of the Cloud Native Days Italy (formerly KCD Italy) and KCD San Francisco Bay Area, fostering collaboration and innovation within the cloud native ecosystem.

I'm Michel Murabito, Mich to my friends! Born in 1986 in Turin with Sicilian roots, I now live in Milan. My journey in software began at 12, coding for fun. At 18, I started my first job as a software developer and have continuously sought new challe... Show more

Uwe Ricken has been working with IT systems since the early 1990s, with a deep focus on Microsoft SQL Server starting from his work on Membership Software for the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany - later rolled out across five European countries. His passion for SQL Server took off in 2007 when he joined Deutsche Bank AG as a database administrator, gaining hands-on experience in high-performance, enterprise-scale environments.

With over three decades of experience in database development and operations, Uwe earned the prestigious "Microsoft Certified Master – SQL Server 2008", the highest technical certification at the time. In 2013, he was honored with his first "Microsoft MVP Award" for his contributions to the SQL Server community across Germany and Europe.

Since 2010, Uwe has been sharing his expertise through his blog https://sqlmaster.de, offering deep dives into SQL Server internals, performance tuning, and real-world troubleshooting.

A regular speaker at international conferences and user groups, Uwe’s sessions focus on Database Internals, Indexing Strategies and Advanced SQL Development - always with a practical, performance-driven mindset.

Uwe Ricken has been working with IT systems since the early 1990s, with a deep focus on Microsoft SQL Server starting from his work on Membership Software for the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany - later rolled out across five European countri... Show more

Dennis is a Microsoft MVP and Principal Consultant at Dutch Microsoft consultancy firm Aviva Solutions. With 29 years of experience under his belt as a software architect and/or lead developer, he specializes in designing full-stack enterprise solutions based on .NET as well as providing coaching on all aspects of designing, building, documenting, deploying and maintaining software systems in an agile world. He is the author of several open-source projects, including Fluent Assertions, Pathy, Reflectify, PackageGuard, and several .NET Solution Templates, and has been maintaining coding guidelines for C# since 2001. You can find him on Twitter, Mastodon and BlueSky.

Dennis is a Microsoft MVP and Principal Consultant at Dutch Microsoft consultancy firm Aviva Solutions. With 29 years of experience under his belt as a software architect and/or lead developer, he specializes in designing full-stack enterprise soluti... Show more

Responsable Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement & Power Platform chez Infoteam Business Solutions. Ma mission est d’accompagner les entreprises dans leurs projets de digitalisation des processus métiers.
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Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement & Power Platform Manager at Infoteam Business Solutions. My mission is to help companies with their business process digitalization projects.

Responsable Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement & Power Platform chez Infoteam Business Solutions. Ma mission est d’accompagner les entreprises dans leurs projets de digitalisation des processus métiers. -----------------------------------------------... Show more

Parth Shukla is a dedicated Cybersecurity Analyst at Cequence Security with a strong passion for Web Application Security. He is an accomplished bug hunter, community builder, and cybersecurity enthusiast with a relentless drive to uncover vulnerabilities and share knowledge. Parth’s work focuses on securing modern web applications by addressing critical threats like those outlined in the OWASP API Top 10, including BOLA, SSRF, and Broken User Authentication.

In addition to his professional achievements, Parth has mentored over 600 aspiring cybersecurity professionals, empowering them with skills in ethical hacking, bug bounty hunting, and advanced web application testing. An advocate for continuous learning and collaboration, Parth is a frequent speaker at leading cybersecurity conferences worldwide. Guided by the principle that “security is a myth,” he strives to challenge assumptions and push the boundaries of what’s possible in cybersecurity.

Parth Shukla is a dedicated Cybersecurity Analyst at Cequence Security with a strong passion for Web Application Security. He is an accomplished bug hunter, community builder, and cybersecurity enthusiast with a relentless drive to uncover vulnerabil... 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

Michelle Frost is an AI Advocate at JetBrains. With over a decade of engineering experience, Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence from Johns Hopkins University, and is a Microsoft AI MVP. As an established AI and Machine Learning specialist, Michelle focuses on Responsible AI development. Her approach is grounded in creating AI that is fair, accountable, and transparent.

Michelle is also an active member and Tech Advisor to The Center for Practical Bioethics' Ethical AI Initiative. When not behind the screen, she can be found tending to her garden with her 100 lb pup Wilbur by her side.

Michelle Frost is an AI Advocate at JetBrains. With over a decade of engineering experience, Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence from ... Show more

Brian is a Microsoft Azure MVP, speaker, author, trainer, and .NET developer with deep expertise across cloud and application development. He holds MCSA: Web App Certification, MCSD: App Builder, and thirteen Azure and GitHub certifications, including Developer, Administrator, DevOps Engineer, Solutions Architect, Data Administrator, Security Engineer, AI Engineer, and Cosmos DB — along with multiple Fundamentals certifications. Since 2019, he has also been a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT).

Brian earned a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Along with 25 years of development experience, he brings over 15 years of experience teaching computer science, SQL databases, object-oriented programming (C#, VB.NET, Java), and Microsoft Office in online university settings and professional training environments.

As an educator and creator, Brian has developed numerous online training courses available across multiple platforms and has authored several books with APress, including Practical Entity Framework Core 10 (with two earlier editions) and Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Certification Companion: Hands-on Preparation and Practice for Exam AZ-204.

Brian is a Microsoft Azure MVP, speaker, author, trainer, and .NET developer with deep expertise across cloud and application development. He holds MCSA: Web App Certification, MCSD: App Builder, and thirteen Azure and GitHub certifications, includin... Show more

Avindra Fernando is a software consultant with over 13 years of experience helping teams build scalable, modern web applications. In 2021, he founded Taprobane Consulting to guide clients through architectural decisions, migrations to newer tech stacks, and the implementation of robust AI-powered development and testing strategies that ensure quality and performance.

He actively mentors engineering teams, leads workshops, and delivers hands-on training. As a regular speaker at tech conferences, Avindra shares practical lessons on concepts and technologies such as Software Architecture, AI-driven development, React, Next.js, E2E Testing, and TypeScript. He leverages his experience to shape future technology direction and accelerate the growth of companies across industries.

Avindra Fernando is a software consultant with over 13 years of experience helping teams build scalable, modern web applications. In 2021, he founded Taprobane Consulting to guide clients through architectural decisions, migrations to newer tech stac... Show more

Carey Payette is a Principal Engineer at Financial Finesse, an Azure AI MVP, Microsoft Certified Trainer and part of the Progress Ninja community. Known for turning cutting-edge AI concepts into practical, production-ready solutions, she specializes in architecting intelligent, agentic systems, ensuring AI system and data security, and designing scalable platforms that solve real-world problems. She brings additional depth through her work in machine learning, IoT, and data analytics. Carey combines deep technical expertise with a passion for creating impactful, forward-thinking technology.

Carey Payette is a Principal Engineer at Financial Finesse, an Azure AI MVP, Microsoft Certified Trainer and part of the Progress Ninja community. Known for turning cutting-edge AI concepts into practical, production-ready solutions, she specializes ... Show more

Ryan Edge is a software engineer and Flutter GDE living in Charlotte, North Carolina. His primary focus is front-end mobile and web development using Flutter and React. His secondary focus is back-end development with technologies including Node.js, GraphQL, Vercel, Supabase, and Firebase. He is a co-author of the "Cross-Platform UIs with Flutter" book.

Ryan Edge has 10+ years of experience ranging from maintaining large-scale systems to developing internal and commercial web, mobile, and desktop applications using various technologies.

Ryan Edge is a community organizer of Flutter Charlotte and GDG Charlotte. He is passionate about creating software that has a tangible positive impact on the lives of its users, furthering diversity in the developer community, and mentoring young software engineers.

Ryan Edge is a software engineer and Flutter GDE living in Charlotte, North Carolina. His primary focus is front-end mobile and web development using Flutter and React. His secondary focus is back-end development with technologies including Node.js,... Show more

Steven took up several roles over the past 20+ years, from junior developer to team lead and architect. Currently coaching software engineers at AllPhi where he hones both the hard technical skills and the softer people skills that are necessary to succeed as a consultant.

Main technical interests are architecture, distributed systems and api design.

When it comes to non-technical subjects he focuses on sharing knowledge and help others grow to become successful software engineers and consultants.

In his free time he likes to sport, play chess and boardgames, and tame his 2 kids.

Steven took up several roles over the past 20+ years, from junior developer to team lead and architect. Currently coaching software engineers at AllPhi where he hones both the hard technical skills and the softer people skills that are necessary to s... Show more

In my role, I'm helping customers to gain more of their tools and effectively utilize technology supporting daily work-life. I'm a versatile professional always learning new, sharing knowledge, and going forward. Hosting workshops, solving problems, and designing solutions are near my heart. When adopting a new service or a technology, I need to get my hands dirty first and try it out.

On the community side, I'm co-organizing Teams Community Finland, which is Microsoft Teams-focused community for all Teams fanatics, end-user, developers, and consultants in Finland. I'm also active in Microsoft communities and speaking at events.

In my role, I'm helping customers to gain more of their tools and effectively utilize technology supporting daily work-life. I'm a versatile professional always learning new, sharing knowledge, and going forward. Hosting workshops, solving problems, ... Show more

Steve is a startup advisor and technology leader delivering cloud and cloud-native (Kubernetes, AKS, Argo CD, Backstage) services at a leading tech company powering SaaS products for Apple management used by 70,000+ customers worldwide. He is a Pluralsight author, the author of nine technical books, 11-time Microsoft MVP, Docker Captain and Tekne award winner.

He has presented at tech events including: Applied AI, Minnebar18 Keynote, DevOps Days, Open Source North, Midwest Management Summit (MMS), Microsoft Ignite, BITCon, Experts Live Europe, OSCON, and various user groups.

He has been a guest on over a dozen podcasts and featured in several publications including the Star Tribune (the 5th largest newspaper in the US).

He stays active in the technical community and enjoys blogging about his adventures in the world of IT at www.buchatech.com

Steve is a startup advisor and technology leader delivering cloud and cloud-native (Kubernetes, AKS, Argo CD, Backstage) services at a leading tech company powering SaaS products for Apple management used by 70,000+ customers worldwide. He is a Plura... Show more

I'm a passionate cloud architect specializing in Azure (DevOps, Identity, Integration, Storage, Serverless, Microservices), Office 365 (Exchange, SharePoint, Teams), Dynamics 365 CE and ERP, and Data Management. With over 15 years of experience, I design complex architectures, drive major projects, and support transformation initiatives. Enthusiastic about architecture, governance, Zero Trust security, and business processes, I love sharing knowledge and contributing to innovative solutions across international environments.

I'm a passionate cloud architect specializing in Azure (DevOps, Identity, Integration, Storage, Serverless, Microservices), Office 365 (Exchange, SharePoint, Teams), Dynamics 365 CE and ERP, and Data Management. With over 15 years of experience, I de... Show more

Tori is a Principal AI Consultant at Advancing Analytics and Microsoft AI MVP. Specialising in MLOps and LLMOps, Tori has worked on many ML and data science projects with Azure and Databricks at all stages of the ML Lifecycle. She is a co-presenter of the Data & AI podcast, Totally Skewed, founder of Girls Code Too UK and Trustee of Girls in Data.

Tori is a Principal AI Consultant at Advancing Analytics and Microsoft AI MVP. Specialising in MLOps and LLMOps, Tori has worked on many ML and data science projects with Azure and Databricks at all stages of the ML Lifecycle. She is a co-presenter o... Show more

Nathalie started off as a hairstylist who could often fix the computer. She found her love for computers, and quickly turned to IT.

Now after almost 15 years in IT she has found her true passion in the Power Platform and it's community.
Anything she learn along the way she wishes to teach to others, so she also became a trainer, speaker and MCT.

She's an MVP in Business Applications and hobbyist PowerBI. She loves cats, rollercoasters and travelling.
You'll often find her on the community calls posting the dancing badgers gif whenever someone mentions the word badge, and actively encourages others to pursue their badge quests.

Nathalie started off as a hairstylist who could often fix the computer. She found her love for computers, and quickly turned to IT. Now after almost 15 years in IT she has found her true passion in the Power Platform and it's community. Anythin... Show more

Strategic technology leader with 19+ years of experience driving product innovation for platforms used by millions. Expert in scaling engineering organizations, architecting high-concurrency systems, and bridging the gap between deep technical excellence (GDE, MVP) and business-centric growth. Proven track record in Fintech, SaaS, and AI-driven automation.

Leadership - Engineering Strategy, Product Roadmap, Talent Acquisition and Mentorship, P&L Management.

Architecture - System Design at Scale, Microservices, Cloud Infra (AWS/GCP/Azure), Distributed Systems.

Innovation - Generative AI/LLMs (RAG), Graph Databases (Neo4j), Performance Engineering.

Strategic technology leader with 19+ years of experience driving product innovation for platforms used by millions. Expert in scaling engineering organizations, architecting high-concurrency systems, and bridging the gap between deep technical excell... Show more

Gabi Münster (she / her) started working with SQL Server technologies in 2005 during her time as Web Application developer. After 11 years as BI consultant / Data architect and being awarded Data Platform MVP since 2018, she joined Microsoft in March 2022 as part of the Azure Data Customer Advisory Team and works as a Principal Program Manager covering Fabric.
She speaks at regional chapter meetings, national and international conferences. Since 2016 she also supports a regional chapter as co-lead.
Apart from BI topics she also supports Diversity topics.

Gabi Münster (she / her) started working with SQL Server technologies in 2005 during her time as Web Application developer. After 11 years as BI consultant / Data architect and being awarded Data Platform MVP since 2018, she joined Microsoft in March... Show more

Christian Decker has been inextricably linked with Microsoft and the optimal use of tools for more than 20 years. After 9 years at Microsoft and over 12 years of experience with the best Microsoft Gold Partners, he is very familiar with Office 365 and Microsoft in general.
Christian is double MVP: Security and Teams - which reflects perfectly his passion

Christian Decker has been inextricably linked with Microsoft and the optimal use of tools for more than 20 years. After 9 years at Microsoft and over 12 years of experience with the best Microsoft Gold Partners, he is very familiar with Office 365 an... Show more

Gianni Castaldi is a NinjaCat at KustoWorks and a Microsoft MVP. Active in IT since 2008 and cybersecurity since 2017, he specializes in designing, tuning, and enabling advanced detection and response capabilities. Most of his work focuses on the Microsoft Security Stack, where he builds detections, develops SIEM use cases, and delivers KQL training. Gianni regularly speaks at security events and has worked across industries including financial services, legal, MSSP, and semiconductor, with earlier experience in Palo Alto Networks, Tenable, and OT/ICS environments. His blogs can be found at kustoking.com and kqlcafe.com.

Gianni Castaldi is a NinjaCat at KustoWorks and a Microsoft MVP. Active in IT since 2008 and cybersecurity since 2017, he specializes in designing, tuning, and enabling advanced detection and response capabilities. Most of his work focuses on the Mic... Show more

Dr. Neda Maria Kaizumi is a distinguished technology expert at the intersection of AI development, global compliance, and international regulations. With a doctorate in Organizational Behaviour. She combines a rich academic foundation with practical insights. She has further honed her expertise through the Business Analytics and Data Science executive program at Harvard Business School.

Dr. Kaizumi is ISO standards committee member, and she shapes AI governance and compliance frameworks, advocating ethical AI aligned with global standards like the EU AI Act and beyond.

An accomplished author, public speaker, and advocate for ethical AI development, Dr. Kaizumi integrates her technical acumen and business expertise to empower organizations navigating the complex global landscape of AI governance. With a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks and their impact on technology, Dr. Kaizumi is a leading voice in fostering innovation that aligns with compliance and sustainability.

Dr. Neda Maria Kaizumi is a distinguished technology expert at the intersection of AI development, global compliance, and international regulations. With a doctorate in Organizational Behaviour. She combines a rich academic foundation with practical ... Show more

Hrittik is a Platform Advocate at Loft Labs and a CNCF Ambassador, with expertise in cloud native technologies and open source communities. He has contributed extensively to developer advocacy, technical writing, and community engagement. Hrittik has been a featured speaker at events such as Kubernetes Community Days, Open Source Summits, and more, and has served as a Program Committee member for several KubeCons and CloudNativeCons.

Hrittik is a Platform Advocate at Loft Labs and a CNCF Ambassador, with expertise in cloud native technologies and open source communities. He has contributed extensively to developer advocacy, technical writing, and community engagement. Hrittik has... Show more

Michael Heath is an innovation strategist and Frontier Firm advisor who helps organizations move beyond digital transformation into intelligent transformation. With more than 15 years of experience across the Microsoft ecosystem and enterprise technology, Michael partners with leaders to align people, platforms, and purpose through AI, automation, and data.

Throughout his career, Michael has led enterprise initiatives that drive measurable growth, operational efficiency, and long-term adoption. His work focuses on translating strategy into practical execution, helping organizations modernize how work gets done while bringing teams along for the journey.

Michael’s perspective sits at the intersection of technology and human behavior. As a speaker and practitioner, he shares real-world lessons, practical frameworks, and honest insights that help organizations move from experimentation to meaningful impact at scale.

Michael Heath is an innovation strategist and Frontier Firm advisor who helps organizations move beyond digital transformation into intelligent transformation. With more than 15 years of experience across the Microsoft ecosystem and enterprise techno... Show more

Laila Bougria is a Solutions Architect and Engineer with over 15 years of experience in the Microsoft .NET space. She's a keynote speaker, a Microsoft MVP in Azure and Developer Technologies, and frequently shares her knowledge and insights at conferences worldwide. Currently, Laila is busy building NServiceBus at Particular Software and solving distributed riddles. When she's not immersed in complex problems or code, Laila enjoys indulging in her favorite pastime - knitting! She finds that tangling the yarn into beautiful patterns helps untangle her thoughts.

Laila Bougria is a Solutions Architect and Engineer with over 15 years of experience in the Microsoft .NET space. She's a keynote speaker, a Microsoft MVP in Azure and Developer Technologies, and frequently shares her knowledge and insights at confer... Show more

Since the beginning of my IT profession, my focus has been on identity and automation. Currently i work for semperis with a strong focus on protecting your Identity Provider, both on premise and Cloud.
In my previous role as a PFE at Microsoft, my daily job included making customers happy with their current Identity Landscape and evolving the future with Entra ID and Zero Trust Concepts.
Part of the Germany Identity SME Team, i was involved in all projects in EMEA to drive topics like Identity Protection, Conditional Access or Passkeys and ZTNA.

Since the beginning of my IT profession, my focus has been on identity and automation. Currently i work for semperis with a strong focus on protecting your Identity Provider, both on premise and Cloud. In my previous role as a PFE at Microsoft, my... Show more