Akshay Rana is a Product Manager specializing in SaaS, E-Commerce, and Cybersecurity. He currently serves as a Product Manager at ThriveCart in the UK. With a foundation in computer engineering and an MBA from Durham University Business School, Akshay bridges the gap between technical execution and global business strategy.

Previously, as a Senior Product Manager at Lowe's India, Akshay managed the Customer Identity & Access Management (CIAM) and cybersecurity product portfolios. His work designing user journeys for account upgrades unlocked a potential annual revenue of over $500M. Additionally, by collaborating with the cybersecurity team to implement measures like Multifactor Authentication and reCAPTCHA, he helped reduce online fraud chargebacks by 30%, saving the company $4.5M annually. He also pioneered an omnichannel strategy that digitized the onboarding experience for 6 million non-digital store customers.

More recently, Akshay has focused on applied AI, evaluating Large Language Models (LLMs) to build data collection pipelines and designing AI Copilots to streamline user workflows in the US debt relief and legal tech sectors. Holding a rigorous Certification in Cybersecurity (CC), Akshay combines a deep understanding of user experience with a commitment to building secure, scalable, and intelligent digital products. From his early days co-founding an AI-based startup to scaling enterprise platforms, his career reflects a constant evolution driven by resilience and adaptability.

Akshay Rana is a Product Manager specializing in SaaS, E-Commerce, and Cybersecurity. He currently serves as a Product Manager at ThriveCart in the UK. With a foundation in computer engineering and an MBA from Durham University Business School, Aksha... Show more

Dr Maria Rudneva is an Innovation Manager at TU Delft, PMP-certified project professional and Certified AI Compliance Officer (CAICO) working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, innovation and digital transformation. She is also a compliance assessor at ExplorAI (CAB in formation) for high risk AI systems under EU AI Act
She specialises in the practical application of the EU AI Act, with expertise in AI system classification, intended purpose, provider and deployer responsibilities, and AI Act obligations.
Her work focuses on helping organisations understand how regulatory requirements translate into real-world AI systems, particularly when AI tools are modified, integrated into larger solutions, or used beyond their original intended purpose, bridging the gap between AI adoption and practical compliance under the EU AI Act.

Dr Maria Rudneva is an Innovation Manager at TU Delft, PMP-certified project professional and Certified AI Compliance Officer (CAICO) working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, innovation and digital transformation. She is also a complia... Show more

Firudin Davudzade is a highly accomplished Chief Information Security Officer with over 9+ years of experience in cybersecurity, specializing in AI-driven, cloud-native security, ISO 27001, governance, risk management, and compliance. As a certified Lead Auditor, Firudin combines expertise in regulatory frameworks with a strategic approach to security. He excels at building resilient security frameworks and fostering a culture of security awareness. His work enhances threat detection, compliance, and proactive defense across complex infrastructures.

Firudin Davudzade is a highly accomplished Chief Information Security Officer with over 9+ years of experience in cybersecurity, specializing in AI-driven, cloud-native security, ISO 27001, governance, risk management, and compliance. As a certified ... Show more

My name is Panshak Koproda, I am an Ex-Microsoft Gold Student Ambassador. I am a passionate public speaker and a technology enthusiast.

I specialize in building and architecting enterprise solutions focused on improving/optimizing workflows while saving time and cost.

With over 4 years of experience working with Microsoft Power Platform, I am eager to meet like-minded professionals and share my enthusiasm for the Microsoft Power Platform.

My name is Panshak Koproda, I am an Ex-Microsoft Gold Student Ambassador. I am a passionate public speaker and a technology enthusiast. I specialize in building and architecting enterprise solutions focused on improving/optimizing workflows while ... Show more

Siddhant Agarwal is a seasoned Developer Relations professional with over a decade of experience building and scaling global developer ecosystems. He is currently a Senior Developer Relations Advocate at ClickHouse, leading developer engagement across the APJ region, where he works at the intersection of real-time analytics, data infrastructure, and developer experience.

Previously, Sid led Developer Relations across APAC at Neo4j, where he was responsible for building and scaling the regional DevRel strategy by driving developer adoption, growing communities, launching programs and events, and representing the region across product, engineering, and go-to-market initiatives.

In his prior role, Sid has also managed flagship developer programs at Google. A recognized Google Developer Expert (GDE) in Gen-AI, he is passionate about empowering developers to reimagine how data and AI systems are built and understood.

Known for his ability to tell powerful stories through technology, Siddhant translates complex systems into narratives that inspire action and innovation. With his signature “Local to Global” approach, he helps grassroots developer communities scale their ideas into global impact. He continues to shape communities, share insights, and drive meaningful connections across the tech ecosystem.

Learn more at meetsid.dev

Siddhant Agarwal is a seasoned Developer Relations professional with over a decade of experience building and scaling global developer ecosystems. He is currently a Senior Developer Relations Advocate at ClickHouse, leading developer engagement acros... Show more

Akhil Patel is Director of Business Development at CyberGuard Advantage, with 10+ years spanning enterprise sales and customer success across cybersecurity, compliance, and B2B SaaS. He has guided organizations of every size through SOC 2, ISO 27001 and 42001, PCI DSS, HIPAA/HITRUST, penetration testing, and emerging AI governance and red-teaming programs, working hand in hand with CISOs, security leaders, and executive teams. Earlier, at Cobalt.io, he led enterprise customer success for a portfolio of Fortune 500 accounts, scaling pentest programs from onboarding to mature, multi-year engagements.

Akhil is a member of InfraGard's Indiana chapter and a regular at RSA, ACG, and regional security communities. He speaks on compliance strategy, offensive security, and applying AI to go-to-market.

Akhil Patel is Director of Business Development at CyberGuard Advantage, with 10+ years spanning enterprise sales and customer success across cybersecurity, compliance, and B2B SaaS. He has guided organizations of every size through SOC 2, ISO 27001 ... Show more

Joanna Wiggum is the founder and agency principal of Countervail, a cybersecurity and licensed investigative agency providing fractional CISO services, cybercrime investigations, and adversary-informed training shaped by Fortune 100 security leadership, red-team expertise, enterprise incident response, and the operational discipline of military aviation.

She brings more than two decades of experience across Air Force mission operations, enterprise cybersecurity leadership, Big Tech incident response, red-team operations, and cybercrime prevention. Joanna began her career as an Air Force Interface Control Technician supporting operations during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. After three years of enlisted service, she was awarded a command-nominated scholarship to commission as an officer, and later earned her wings as a B-52 Weapons Systems Officer, operating in high-consequence environments where timing, trust, and decision discipline directly affected mission outcomes.

Her cybersecurity career includes building and delivering Starbucks’ red team, serving as Director of Cybersecurity over Application Security and Vulnerability Management, leading Oracle Cloud red-team operations, building Oracle Cloud’s Trust and Safety program, and leading Microsoft security incident response across Azure Cloud and AI environments.

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in International Security Studies and a master’s degree in Human Relations, combining formal study in security, strategy, and human behavior with operational experience across military and enterprise cybersecurity environments. Her current work focuses on how adversaries exploit trust, authority, pressure, and human decision-making in ways traditional security controls often miss.

Joanna Wiggum is the founder and agency principal of Countervail, a cybersecurity and licensed investigative agency providing fractional CISO services, cybercrime investigations, and adversary-informed training shaped by Fortune 100 security leadersh... Show more

Matthias Surovcik is an internationally active keynote speaker, consultant and multiple published author specializing in Electrical Compliance Leadership and Electrical Safety. He supports organizations worldwide in building legally sound, audit-proof and practical electrical responsibility structures. Drawing on more than 15 years of international experience, his keynotes bridge the gap between engineering, compliance and executive responsibility—delivering actionable insights with clarity, expertise and engaging real-world perspectives.

Matthias Surovcik is an internationally active keynote speaker, consultant and multiple published author specializing in Electrical Compliance Leadership and Electrical Safety. He supports organizations worldwide in building legally sound, audit-proo... Show more

Rashmi Mandayam is a cybersecurity and GRC professional with expertise in incident response, data privacy compliance (HIPAA, NIST, GDPR, ITAR/EAR), and corporate fraud investigations. She has published research in peer-reviewed journals, including IJIRMPS and IJSREM, on topics including AI in digital forensics, cybersecurity for nonprofits, and privacy-by-design frameworks. She has served as a judge for the 21st Annual Globee Awards for Cybersecurity and as a reviewer for the ISACA Foundation Scholarship. Her work has been cited in industry publications, including a Paraben Corporation white paper on AI and digital forensics.

Rashmi Mandayam is a cybersecurity and GRC professional with expertise in incident response, data privacy compliance (HIPAA, NIST, GDPR, ITAR/EAR), and corporate fraud investigations. She has published research in peer-reviewed journals, including IJ... Show more

Edward Bezerra is the CEO and Founder of CertiVend, where he helps organizations strengthen cybersecurity, vendor risk management, AI governance, and third-party assurance through practical, business-focused security strategies.

With more than 30 years of experience in information technology and cybersecurity, Edward has held executive leadership positions for Fortune 500 organizations, including serving in infrastructure, cybersecurity, IT risk, and executive leadership roles with organizations such as AIG, Herbalife, K. Hovnanian, and Party City. Throughout his career, he has led global teams, managed multimillion-dollar technology and cybersecurity budgets, and developed enterprise security, governance, and risk management programs supporting complex business environments.

Edward is also the Founder of CertiVend Academy, where he works to bridge the gap between certification training and real-world cybersecurity experience by developing hands-on learning programs focused on practical skills that employers expect.

A frequent speaker, educator, and industry mentor, Edward enjoys sharing practical insights on cybersecurity leadership, governance, vendor risk management, AI governance, cloud security, data governance, career development, and building effective security programs. His presentations emphasize actionable guidance, real-world lessons learned, and strategies that security professionals can immediately apply within their own organizations.

Edward holds numerous industry certifications, including CCISO, ITIL Foundation, Microsoft, Citrix, and other technical certifications, and is currently completing his Doctor of Computer Science (Cybersecurity), with research focused on optimizing cybersecurity resource allocation within enterprise data centers.

Edward Bezerra is the CEO and Founder of CertiVend, where he helps organizations strengthen cybersecurity, vendor risk management, AI governance, and third-party assurance through practical, business-focused security strategies. With more than 30 ... Show more

• Well versed with upcoming technologies GenAI, MCP, AI/ML, DevOps, 5G, SDN/NFV etc.
• BE+MBA and having 26 years of experience with unique blend of working at startups and leading MNCs, leadership role and individual contributor; solution architect and hands-on coding; embedded systems and network side solution; cloud native platform and application; enterprise solutions and hobby projects.
• Domain experience: platform, Kubernetes, service mesh, telecom/datacom, Lawful Interception, 5G Core Network, Self-Organizing Network, RF network design etc.

• Well versed with upcoming technologies GenAI, MCP, AI/ML, DevOps, 5G, SDN/NFV etc. • BE+MBA and having 26 years of experience with unique blend of working at startups and leading MNCs, leadership role and individual contributor; solution architect... Show more

Bikash Agrawal is a distinguished professional with over 15 years of expertise in AI, Machine Learning, and Big Data solutions, supported by a Ph.D. in "Scalable Data Processing and Analytical Approach for Big Data Cloud Platform." As the Head of Research and Development at Simplifai, Bikash leads efforts in building innovative data products leveraging deep learning and NLP, while his prior role as Chief Data Scientist saw him driving automation initiatives across various sectors. With notable contributions at organizations like DNV GL and the University of Stavanger, as well as co-founding Boost AI, Bikash's entrepreneurial spirit and expertise continue to shape advancements in AI and Big Data, making him a pivotal figure in the data-driven landscape.

Bikash Agrawal is a distinguished professional with over 15 years of expertise in AI, Machine Learning, and Big Data solutions, supported by a Ph.D. in "Scalable Data Processing and Analytical Approach for Big Data Cloud Platform." As the Head of Re... Show more

Hi, I’m Ghyan Shah — a Senior AI Engineer at Kong, where I work at the intersection of AI research and engineering. My focus is on building AI Developer Tools, scalable Enterprise AI Platforms, and LegalTech products like CoCounsel that are helping redefine how legal work gets done.

What excites me most is seeing how the systems we design have real-world impact — whether that’s accelerating internal product teams or transforming traditional platform workflows. I love working on problems that sit deep in infra and architecture but surface all the way up to real user value.

Outside of work, you’ll usually find me on a pickleball court or around a poker table, ideally with some good conversation and a cold drink in hand.

Hi, I’m Ghyan Shah — a Senior AI Engineer at Kong, where I work at the intersection of AI research and engineering. My focus is on building AI Developer Tools, scalable Enterprise AI Platforms, and LegalTech products like CoCounsel that are helping r... Show more

Shweta Vohra is an Architect, Author, and Inventor with over 20 years of experience designing platforms across industries. She specialises in enterprise architecture, cloud, and AI driven systems, and has led teams and initiatives across global organisations.

She is passionate about bringing clarity to complex technology spaces and focuses on practical, real world approaches over hype. She is the author of Decoding Platform Engineering Patterns and Dear Software & AI Architect, where she shares insights and lessons from her journey in platform and AI architecture.

Shweta Vohra is an Architect, Author, and Inventor with over 20 years of experience designing platforms across industries. She specialises in enterprise architecture, cloud, and AI driven systems, and has led teams and initiatives across global organ... Show more

Manasa Uppula is an enterprise web architect with nearly 14 years of experience designing, modernizing, and evaluating large-scale customer-facing digital platforms in regulated environments. Her work focuses on enterprise web technologies for financial systems where regulatory compliance, auditability, and interaction integrity are foundational architectural requirements rather than downstream concerns.
She specializes in evidence-centric interaction design, audit-ready frontend architectures, and compliance-safe modernization of complex platforms supporting sensitive customer workflows. Her expertise includes translating regulatory obligations into explicit architectural constraints that shape user interactions, data-handling boundaries, and system governance models.
Across her career, Manasa has worked on mission-critical platforms where system behaviour must remain explainable and defensible over time. She brings a field-level perspective on how regulated customer-facing systems are architected, governed, and evolved to preserve compliance integrity while supporting scalability, usability, and long-term operational resilience

Manasa Uppula is an enterprise web architect with nearly 14 years of experience designing, modernizing, and evaluating large-scale customer-facing digital platforms in regulated environments. Her work focuses on enterprise web technologies for financ... Show more

David Levine is a technology entrepreneur, systems architect, and self-described Silicon Hillbilly who has been building internet companies since the early days of the commercial web. Over the past three decades, he has founded ventures in fintech, online gaming infrastructure, renewable energy, blockchain, and AI, and has worked with organizations ranging from DARPA, NASA, and DHS to Cisco, Sony, IBM, Bloomberg, and National Geographic.

David founded one of the earliest web development companies in the 1990s, presented at the First International Conference of the World Wide Web at CERN, helped pioneer standards for electronic mortgage trading, built cloud infrastructure for massively multiplayer online games, and later founded Geostellar, a big-data energy platform featured by The New York Times, Fox Business, Reuters, Scientific American, and Forbes.

Today he is the founder and CEO of Kiduna Club and the founder and President of Kinship Intelligence Institute, where he is focused on the emerging architecture of agentic organizations, agentic commerce, and the infrastructure required for autonomous agents to operate safely and effectively on the open internet. He has worked with policymakers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, and blockchain builders involved in the effort that led to the West Virginia DUNA Act, a new legal framework designed for autonomous online organizations.

His work sits at the intersection of AI, blockchain, governance, economics, and organizational design, exploring what happens when intelligent agents become participants in commerce rather than simply tools for productivity.

David Levine is a technology entrepreneur, systems architect, and self-described Silicon Hillbilly who has been building internet companies since the early days of the commercial web. Over the past three decades, he has founded ventures in fintech, o... Show more

I help customers in a variety of domains like Banking & Financials, Insurance, E-Commerce, and Retail achieve continuous delivery of quality products and services with faster, consistent and reliable release cycles and reduced time to Market. I have been an active practitioner of infrastructure development and DevOps disciples and through my analysis, discovery and quality engineering I help organizations transform traditional IT to a DevOps driven lifecycle by forming cross-functional poly-skilled teams

I help customers in a variety of domains like Banking & Financials, Insurance, E-Commerce, and Retail achieve continuous delivery of quality products and services with faster, consistent and reliable release cycles and reduced time to Market. I have ... Show more

Thomas Gratzer, MD, is an experienced psychiatrist specializing in general and forensic psychiatry with a career spanning more than three decades. Throughout his professional life, he has worked with respected hospitals and treatment facilities across Minnesota, including Regions Hospital, United Hospital, Fairview University Medical Center, and Psych Recovery. He is also expected to return to practice at Psych Recovery in the near future. His work combines direct patient care with forensic psychiatric evaluations, allowing him to remain actively involved in both clinical medicine and mental health assessment.

Dr. Thomas Gratzer developed extensive expertise in forensic psychiatry through several major leadership and consulting positions. From 1995 through 2002, he served as Senior Forensic Psychiatrist at the Minnesota Security Hospital. He also worked as a consulting psychiatrist for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, providing psychiatric care to incarcerated youth. His responsibilities included evaluating and treating individuals with serious psychiatric conditions within correctional and institutional environments.

Alongside his clinical responsibilities, Dr. Gratzer built a respected academic career focused on teaching and mentorship. Between 2002 and 2021, he served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He taught medical students, psychiatry residents, and law students, and lectured at institutions throughout the United States and Canada. His educational contributions reflected his dedication to advancing psychiatric knowledge and professional training.

In addition to psychiatry, Dr. Gratzer established an impressive background in computer science and software development. During his academic years, he won first prize at the Manitoba Science Fair for creating a computer program and later participated in Prince Philip’s International Science Fortnight in London, England. He also co-authored FAST BASIC: Beyond TRS-80 BASIC and contributed to the development of VP Info, a database programming language that achieved widespread commercial success on IBM personal computers.

Dr. Gratzer has also published numerous peer-reviewed articles examining forensic psychiatry, compulsive behavior, psychopharmacology, and legal issues connected to mental health care. His research earned multiple honors, including awards from the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Through his scholarly work, he has contributed to improving the understanding of psychiatric treatment and forensic mental health evaluation within both clinical and academic settings.

Born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, Dr. Thomas Gratzer completed his medical degree, psychiatric residency, and postgraduate training at the University of Manitoba before pursuing a forensic psychiatry fellowship in Chicago. Outside of his professional career, he enjoys skiing, tennis, exercise, travel, and fine dining. He remains committed to supporting educational and mental health initiatives while continuing to contribute to psychiatry through research, teaching, and patient care.

Thomas Gratzer, MD, is an experienced psychiatrist specializing in general and forensic psychiatry with a career spanning more than three decades. Throughout his professional life, he has worked with respected hospitals and treatment facilities acros... Show more

With over 15 years of experience in global systemically important financial institutions—including Citibank, Bank of America, and HSBC—Shweta Khosla is a leading practitioner at the intersection of artificial intelligence and financial risk management.

Throughout her career, she has designed enterprise-scale risk governance frameworks, AI-driven risk reporting platforms, and GenAI-enabled regulatory and data governance solutions supporting some of the world's largest financial institutions.

A recognized speaker, judge, and thought leader, Shweta has presented at Microsoft Community Days, served on industry expert panels, and contributed to enterprise AI innovation initiatives. Her work focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence to transform risk management, governance, regulatory compliance, and enterprise decision-making.

With over 15 years of experience in global systemically important financial institutions—including Citibank, Bank of America, and HSBC—Shweta Khosla is a leading practitioner at the intersection of artificial intelligence and financial risk managemen... Show more

I'm Shifa, a Senior Fullstack Engineer with nearly 7 years across Salesforce SMTS (where I led the org-wide LLM evaluation that defined Agentforce's customer-facing AI strategy), Amazon SDE-2 (Java/React/Spring Boot/AWS, distributed systems at marketplace scale), and Société Générale (Fintech banking microservices).

I'm passionate about making backend engineering visible to frontend developers, especially in the AI era, where the gap between what's promised and what ships matters more than ever.

Grace Hopper Scholar. MIT Innovation Leadership Bootcamp alumna.

Previous talks:
• AWEsome Seattle 2023 : https://youtu.be/7z7hGFgFNBg
• Amazon DevCon Boston 2023
• WebDevCon London 2024: https://youtu.be/-X6qWA5GB7o

Speaker video samples (drive): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11XREN3EMvJ1P4rGEB84wKsp5qjVCVSZg?usp=sharing

I'm Shifa, a Senior Fullstack Engineer with nearly 7 years across Salesforce SMTS (where I led the org-wide LLM evaluation that defined Agentforce's customer-facing AI strategy), Amazon SDE-2 (Java/React/Spring Boot/AWS, distributed systems at market... Show more

Aruneesh Salhotra is a seasoned technologist and servant leader, renowned for his extensive expertise across cybersecurity, DevSecOps, AI, Business Continuity, Audit, Sales. His impactful presence as an industry thought leader is underscored by his contributions as a speaker and panelist at leading industry events. Aruneesh’s engagement with key security bodies like OWASP, IEEE, CFF, PBC significantly shapes security policies and promotes better cybersecurity practices. Aruneesh is a distinguished board advisor and a limited partner in several venture capital firms, specializing in cybersecurity. Aruneesh leverages his credentials, including CISSP, C-CISO, GCISO, AWS and Kubernetes, to provide strategic direction on several advisory boards. Aruneesh serves in leadership roles in OWASP Agentic AI Top Ten, AI Exchange, LLM Top Ten, AIBOM Supply Chain, Serverless Top Ten Project, IEEE Next Gen Cyber Security. Aruneesh has a proven record of building communities around topics relevant to Cyber Security and AI community. Aruneesh is also a member of InfraGard in the NY Metro Chapter.

Aruneesh Salhotra is a seasoned technologist and servant leader, renowned for his extensive expertise across cybersecurity, DevSecOps, AI, Business Continuity, Audit, Sales. His impactful presence as an industry thought leader is underscored by his c... Show more

Beth McDonough is an author, keynote speaker, recovery advocate and reconstruction of life strategist.

She guides people through their lowest moments to rebuild what stands next after public collapse, when visibility is high, consequences are real, and the path forward is unclear.

Beth is a living case study in recovery, resilience and reconstruction. She occupies the space between catastrophe and comeback.

An investigative journalist for 30 years, Beth covered disasters until she became one. Two highly publicized DUIs. Fired twice. First by the newsroom, then by society. Her work speaks to people whose mistakes live online permanently.

Beth understands what it takes to recreate a life while the world watches, because she did the work on herself first. She is the case study. Alcohol took her down once, an invisible illness tried to again. The breakdown became her blueprint for showing others how to re-emerge structurally stronger than before, from the inside out, when willpower isn’t enough.

Beth shares an original message for audiences hungry for something stronger than motivation and more compassionate than discipline.

Beth developed the STILL STANDING™ method, a five-step framework that treats recovery & resilience like reconstruction projects for life AFTER impact. The approach is evidence-based, trauma-aware, shame-informed and pressure tested.

Before her collapse, Beth documented some of the most defining breaking news events of our time:
• 9/11 terrorist attacks
• Oklahoma City bombing
• I-35W Minneapolis bridge collapse
• Prince’s sudden death
• Escape of kidnapped teen Jayme Closs
• Civil unrest following George Floyd’s death in police custody: Beth was wounded by gunfire while reporting

Her work has appeared on CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX News along with countless podcasts, newspapers, magazines and talk shows.

She’s earned multiple Emmy Awards, a national Edward R. Murrow Award, the prestigious duPont- Columbia Journalism Award for coverage of George Floyd’s death and the racial reckoning that followed.

Beth authored two memoirs, STANDBY and STILL STANDING, one book opens the wound. The second shows the rebuild. She's also been featured in a Lifetime documentary with survivor advocate Elizabeth Smart called, “Smart Justice: The Jayme Closs Case.”

Beyond the newsroom, Beth channeled her love for animals into owning a dog daycare before returning to journalism with renewed perspective.

Today, she lives in southern Utah desert surrounded by red rock mountains. Sharing life with her rescue weiner dog, she continues to tell stories about resilience, redemption, reinvention and reconstructing a life after a career spent in the fast lane.

Beth McDonough is an author, keynote speaker, recovery advocate and reconstruction of life strategist. She guides people through their lowest moments to rebuild what stands next after public collapse, when visibility is high, consequences are real... Show more

Collin Hogue-Spears is an independent researcher and author of From Lab to Life: How AI Works in China (Gatekeeper Press, August 2026). His work examines how regulation shapes AI markets, drawing on Chinese-language regulatory sources, company filings, and technical research. Since 2024, his work has appeared across more than 60 articles in more than 25 publications. He has bylines in Compliance Week, Information Week, and CSO Online, and his analysis has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Dark Reading, and CIO.

He holds the CISSP credential, an MBA and Mandarin certification from Shanghai International Studies University, and presents at IRM UK's Data and AI Conference Europe in 2026.
CISSP | [AWS Certified Security -- Specialty | CISM] | MBA, UMass Amherst

Collin Hogue-Spears is an independent researcher and author of From Lab to Life: How AI Works in China (Gatekeeper Press, August 2026). His work examines how regulation shapes AI markets, drawing on Chinese-language regulatory sources, company filing... Show more

Bryan is not your average speaker. He is a professor, worked as a consultant, authored two international bestseller books, serial entrepreneur and now with a mission: to teach 1 million innovators by 2027.

He has built companies in 6 countries, and trained 40,000+ leaders.

He’s also a former professional racquetball player turned mathematician, a United Nations professional who speaks four languages.

A researcher who has published on innovation, alignment, and social-media addiction. He’s co-created books with 50+ experts worldwide, including the international bestsellers CYCLES and The Generative Organization.

Bryan has lived on a beach with startups, painted huts in Africa, and sat in boardrooms on five continents. Wherever he goes, it’s people first: show up, do the work, keep your word.

Core belief: innovation isn’t about tools or technology. It’s about helping people believe they can make things better.

Bryan is not your average speaker. He is a professor, worked as a consultant, authored two international bestseller books, serial entrepreneur and now with a mission: to teach 1 million innovators by 2027. He has built companies in 6 countries, a... Show more

Writer and Foresight Analyst,

Writer and Foresight Analyst, Show more

Snow has decades of Silicon Valley experience building and scaling technology organizations at Facebook, Block (Cash App), and Groupon. She is currently building at AIgentic, an applied AI company designing robust, trustworthy AI systems for professional industries. She leads global teams that delivered secure, high-performance systems used by billions, from product infrastructure behind Messenger’s rewrite and end-to-end encryption, to architecting enterprise AI platforms that bridge traditional sectors with digital transformation. Her work has spanned mobile, security, open-source, federated architecture, AI-powered automation, cross-platform software ecosystems, and more — always guided by the principle that engineering excellence is a human discipline as much as a technical one.

Snow has decades of Silicon Valley experience building and scaling technology organizations at Facebook, Block (Cash App), and Groupon. She is currently building at AIgentic, an applied AI company designing robust, trustworthy AI systems for professi... Show more

Kurtis’ book, “Cyber Recon: My Life in Cyber Espionage and Ransomware Negotiation” (Wiley, 2025), is an exposé of the private cyber espionage industry and the economic impact of cyberattacks on the US economy.

Kurtis Minder is the founder of GroupSense, a leading provider of digital risk solutions. He built a robust cyber reconnaissance operation that protects some of the world’s largest enterprises and government organizations. Having exited GroupSense in 2025, he now consults for cybersecurity technology companies and serves as a cyber board advisor.

Kurtis is a recognized expert in ransomware response, having served as the lead negotiator in some of the largest ransomware, breach, and data extortion cases globally. His experiences and insights are captured in his book, Cyber Recon, which explores the high-stakes world of cyber threat actor engagement and ransomware response.

He holds a FEMA certification in Critical Infrastructure Protection and actively contributes to public good projects. He is the program lead for RAPIDS, a regional initiative based in Grand Junction, Colorado, focused on measuring and managing the health of the Colorado River through innovative technology and data collaboration.

Kurtis is consistently tapped to lead discussions and keynotes for enterprises and organizations like Wired, the New York Independent Bankers Association, The International Bar Association. Trellix, The State of California, The State of Pennsylvania, RSA Conference, DEFCON, and many others.

Kurtis’s work has been featured in major media outlets, including The New Yorker, Fortune, VICE, WIRED, CNN, and Good Morning America, among others.

Kurtis’ book, “Cyber Recon: My Life in Cyber Espionage and Ransomware Negotiation” (Wiley, 2025), is an exposé of the private cyber espionage industry and the economic impact of cyberattacks on the US economy. Kurtis Minder is the founder of Group... Show more

Azahara Corrales is an AI Governance Strategist, international speaker, and consultant helping organisations adopt AI in a way that is profitable, ethical, and built to last.
Her path into AI is anything but conventional. After starting her career as a journalist in Spain, Azahara moved to the UK where she spent six years in hospitality management before retraining in International Marketing. She went on to work inside some of the UK's largest marketing agencies, where she had a front-row seat to the chaos of AI adoption without strategy — watching organisations rush to implement tools without governance, training, or any clear plan for what happens when something goes wrong.
That experience became the foundation for the MATRIZ™ Framework — a proprietary six-pillar methodology that takes organisations from ungoverned AI experimentation to accountable, scalable AI adoption. MATRIZ addresses Mindset, Assessment, Targeted Use Cases, Responsibility, Integration, and Z-Value (the real measure of whether AI is actually working for the business).
Azahara speaks regularly at major international conferences including Brighton SEO — one of the world's largest search conferences, where she has spoken four times — AfricaTech, London Tech Show and DES Málaga. Her most recent talk, Mind the Gap: How AI Could Leave People Behind and How We Can Stop It, was cited by multiple attendees as one of the highlights of Brighton SEO 2026 and sparked conversations that extended well beyond the conference floor.
Her talks blend hard data with human storytelling, making complex topics around AI governance, bias, and legislation genuinely accessible to non-technical audiences. She is particularly known for bringing the EU AI Act to life in plain language — explaining what full enforcement means for real businesses without the legal jargon.
Azahara is also the author of the forthcoming book AI: A Guide for Women Who Were Never Told This Was For Them, and is currently leading a research collaboration with OtterlyAI investigating gender visibility gaps in AI-generated search results.
She is available for keynotes, panel discussions, workshop facilitation, and corporate training on AI governance, responsible adoption, AI literacy, and the EU AI Act.
Key topics:
— AI Governance and the EU AI Act: What Your Business Actually Needs to Do
— Mind the Gap: AI Bias and Who Gets Left Behind
— Stop Optimising for AI Search. Start Building an AI Strategy.
— Beyond the Hype: How to Introduce AI Without Burning Out Your Team
— AI for Everyone: Making Technology Work for the Whole Organisation

Azahara Corrales is an AI Governance Strategist, international speaker, and consultant helping organisations adopt AI in a way that is profitable, ethical, and built to last. Her path into AI is anything but conventional. After starting her career a... Show more

Christian is a Principal Customer Solutions Manager at AWS, focused on developer experience, platform strategy, and large-scale cloud transformation. He works with some of the world’s leading automotive companies to design and evolve developer-centric platforms that accelerate software delivery, AI and ML adoption, and organizational velocity.

His work focuses on agentic systems to transform how software is built and operated. By rethinking people, processes, and technologies such as internal developer platforms and AI-driven workflows, he enables organizations to reduce engineering friction, scale innovation, and transition toward AI-augmented, automated, and outcome-oriented software delivery.

Before AWS, Christian spent several years at BMW Group across hardware and software engineering, contributing to projects such as connected navigation. This background gives him a practical understanding of the challenges in integrating legacy systems, embedded development, and modern cloud-native architectures.

Christian is a Principal Customer Solutions Manager at AWS, focused on developer experience, platform strategy, and large-scale cloud transformation. He works with some of the world’s leading automotive companies to design and evolve developer-centri... Show more

Andrew Staton works as a Cybersecurity Advisor at Dell Technologies. His background entails working with and for companies of all shapes and sizes to implement and stand up a Secure CyberSecurity program and enhance their existing practices. He is active within the North Alabama Chapter of the ISSA and loves to share knowledge and help anyone he can.

Andrew Staton works as a Cybersecurity Advisor at Dell Technologies. His background entails working with and for companies of all shapes and sizes to implement and stand up a Secure CyberSecurity program and enhance their existing practices. He is ac... Show more