Brandon Ferris is an accomplished Business Development Manager with over 20 years of expertise in driving economic growth, building relationships, and managing large-scale projects across government, military, and private sectors. Currently, he leads specialized manufacturing, logistics, and aviation growth for Loudoun County, VA, where he’s responsible for fostering business partnerships, securing investments, and expanding the county's economic footprint.
Brandon's career is built on a foundation of leadership, beginning with his distinguished 15-year service in the United States Air Force, where he rose to the rank of Master Sergeant. He was highly decorated during his military career, receiving multiple medals and awards for leadership and service excellence. His transition into the business world was marked by continued success as he applied his leadership skills to managing multimillion-dollar contracts and developing strategies for business expansion.
In his role at Loudoun County, Brandon has cultivated over 750 relationships with professional organizations, resulting in significant economic contributions. His efforts have facilitated investments such as TTM Technologies’ $13.4 million expansion and the $1 million investment from Optimum Technologies, creating 40 new jobs. Most recently, Brandon successfully closed the $104 million investment from Sky Harbour Group, as they develop their Dulles Hangar Campus, which will create 406 jobs. His passion for innovation, business intelligence, and strategic market research has positioned him as a pivotal figure in Loudoun County's ongoing economic development.
Brandon also serves on various boards, including the Young Kings Movement, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering at-risk youth. A native of Philadelphia, Brandon now resides in Loudoun County, VA, with his family.
Brandon holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Studies, a Master’s in Acquisition and Supply Chain Management, and an MBA, all from the University of Maryland. He is a certified acquisition professional and is actively involved in speaking engagements and board service, making him a dynamic leader in both the economic development and entrepreneurial spaces. He is always open to new connections and opportunities to collaborate in driving economic success and innovation in his focused sectors.

Brandon Ferris is an accomplished Business Development Manager with over 20 years of expertise in driving economic growth, building relationships, and managing large-scale projects across government, military, and private sectors. Currently, he leads... Show more

Jafar considers himself as continuous learner and improver with high passion in software engineering and substantiality. He enjoys building high performing teams and coaching and leading them as a servant leader.
Jafar holds Master of IT management and PhD of computer science. He has more than 20 years of experience in different countries and sectors.

He currently works in ABB E-Mobility on EV charging infrasturure and happily contributes to charging up EV transition and zero emission plan.

Besides his experience in industry, Jafar has contributed to the body of knowledge by publishing his research results and serving in technical committee of several academic conferences as reviewer.

Jafar considers himself as continuous learner and improver with high passion in software engineering and substantiality. He enjoys building high performing teams and coaching and leading them as a servant leader. Jafar holds Master of IT management ... Show more

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations consultant with almost a decade of experience in the ERP industry, five of which, has been spent at NTT Data, developing our capabilities and teams in order to deliver value to clients through complex projects, purpose-led engagements and identifying application solutions for their needs. My focus the last two years has been on Performance testing and Automated Regression Testing in the CPG industry.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations consultant with almost a decade of experience in the ERP industry, five of which, has been spent at NTT Data, developing our capabilities and teams in order to deliver value to clients through complex pro... Show more

Jithin KP is Associate Principal Engineer at ABB R&D. An expert in Communication Architectures and Linux and Open Source , he has played key role in Building REx 610 relay software at ABB from India. He was key embedded architect for the platform/product. https://new.abb.com/medium-voltage/digital-substations/protection-relays/multiapplication/protection-and-control-rex610. He would share insights from the work and connect with latest trends including realtime patch now becoming mainstream.

Jithin KP is Associate Principal Engineer at ABB R&D. An expert in Communication Architectures and Linux and Open Source , he has played key role in Building REx 610 relay software at ABB from India. He was key embedded architect for the platform/pro... Show more

Pedro is an engineer working in Production Engineering at Shopify. Currently working on Cloud Observability, he values upstream participation and contributes to open-source projects related to Kubernetes and Cloud Native technologies, like Thanos and KEDA. Outside of work he is a father, Karate practitioner and likes to savor asiatic food.

Pedro is an engineer working in Production Engineering at Shopify. Currently working on Cloud Observability, he values upstream participation and contributes to open-source projects related to Kubernetes and Cloud Native technologies, like Thanos and... Show more

Born in Florence when Machitosh didn't exist yet! Passionate about video games and photography, passionate developer for decades, in recent years more and more back-end man!

Born in Florence when Machitosh didn't exist yet! Passionate about video games and photography, passionate developer for decades, in recent years more and more back-end man! Show more

Christian works at Salzburg AG as a Developer, Architect, and Consultant and has been trying to understand and apply Domain Driven Design since 2010. He helps to discover domains, coaches teams in implementing solutions with DDD & Event Sourcing, and builds products.

In Salzburg, Christian regularly hosts Coding Dojos and facilitates the Global Day of Code Retreat.

In his free time, he can be seen in the mountains using either his feet (and a big wooden hiking stick), a mountain bike, a road cycling bike, or on skis touring up the mountain.

Christian works at Salzburg AG as a Developer, Architect, and Consultant and has been trying to understand and apply Domain Driven Design since 2010. He helps to discover domains, coaches teams in implementing solutions with DDD & Event Sourcing, and... Show more

Jonathan Trimble, co-founder of Bawn, brings over 25 years of extensive experience in investigation and security. His career began with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where he led numerous complex investigations focused on dismantling international cybercrime and financial fraud organizations. As Chief Technology Officer of the FBI’s Information Management Division, Jonathan oversaw significant technical projects, including the development of the $220M Central Records Complex and an advanced data analytics platform.

Transitioning to private industry, Jonathan served as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at a Midwest financial institution and later as Vice President of Services at an Austin-based cybersecurity startup. He holds degrees from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, National Intelligence University, and the University of Southern California, and completed Carnegie Mellon University’s CISO program in 2018. Jonathan's leadership extends beyond Bawn, with key roles in cybersecurity councils and advisory committees.

His passion for cybersecurity and client success drives his commitment to developing innovative solutions that enhance security posture and business resiliency

Jonathan Trimble, co-founder of Bawn, brings over 25 years of extensive experience in investigation and security. His career began with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where he led numerous complex investigations focused on dismantling int... Show more

Melvin Lee is a Senior Security Consultant at PastelOps with nine years of experience in offensive security. His work focuses on penetration testing and application security, especially in the area of mobile app assessments. Over the years, he has worked with companies across different sectors to find security flaws, reduce risk, and improve their overall resilience.

Melvin Lee is a Senior Security Consultant at PastelOps with nine years of experience in offensive security. His work focuses on penetration testing and application security, especially in the area of mobile app assessments. Over the years, he has wo... Show more

Agile & Lean Coach, Product Owner, Agile Transformation Consultant, Pragmatic Agilist

Agile & Lean Coach, Product Owner, Agile Transformation Consultant, Pragmatic Agilist Show more

Matthew is an accomplished Software Engineering Manager, recognised as a Head of or Senior Software Engineering Manager outside the BBC, with over 17 years of industry experience. As a seasoned leader, he expertly guides both engineers and leaders, collaborates closely with architecture and product management teams, and drives meaningful change within the organisation. Matthew is a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, using his extensive knowledge to cultivate a supportive workplace culture that empowers individuals from all backgrounds. His dedication to creating safe spaces for open dialogue has established him as a trusted mentor and advisor. Matthew is also deeply committed to promoting resilience, motivation, and self-care, which he sees as essential to effective inclusive leadership.

Matthew is an accomplished Software Engineering Manager, recognised as a Head of or Senior Software Engineering Manager outside the BBC, with over 17 years of industry experience. As a seasoned leader, he expertly guides both engineers and leaders, c... Show more

Software developer working in the rapidly evolving industry of Fintech at Fidelity Investments developing modern technologies to support customers financial needs.

Recent career changer and mature learner recently earning postgraduate level qualification in software engineering and database technologies.

Software developer working in the rapidly evolving industry of Fintech at Fidelity Investments developing modern technologies to support customers financial needs. Recent career changer and mature learner recently earning postgraduate level qualif... Show more

Technical Co-Founder and Head of Product Development for 3 International Startups, building and managing teams bringing digital transformation to domains such as Energy Management, Building Automation, Asset Tracking, and Consumer Electronics.

10+ years of experience as an Embedded Systems and Computer Engineer, working in design and development of products across industries such as IoT, Autonomous Driving, Automotive Engineering, Aeronautics, Industry 4.0, and Robotics.

Technical Co-Founder and Head of Product Development for 3 International Startups, building and managing teams bringing digital transformation to domains such as Energy Management, Building Automation, Asset Tracking, and Consumer Electronics. 10+... Show more

Raghu Chukkala is an experienced AI Chatbot Engineer/Architect with extensive expertise in software development, including specialized experience in chatbot architecture and Generative AI solutions. Currently working at one of the largest telecom companies, Raghu has established himself as a leader in designing and implementing sophisticated conversational AI systems.
Throughout his career, Raghu has engineered complex Google Dialogflow ecosystems with numerous intents and entities, achieving impressive intent accuracy through regular retraining pipelines. He has built advanced sentiment-driven escalation systems using Dialogflow NLP and custom fine-tuned LLMs, significantly reducing repeat agent transfers through targeted intent retraining.
A key achievement in Raghu's work has been the cross-platform unification of various messaging channels including RCS, Apple Messages for Business, SMS, and WhatsApp, resolving protocol incompatibilities and enabling seamless customer service workflows for millions of users. His multi-channel failover system design improved containment rates and achieved high customer satisfaction in WhatsApp payment flows.
Raghu has demonstrated exceptional technical prowess in developing React-based interfaces for Live Person agents and implementing high-performance data streaming with Kafka clusters that process numerous events during peak periods. His Redis caching implementation slashed API latency, significantly improving system responsiveness for high-frequency user data access.
Prior to his current role, Raghu served as a Chatbot Developer and Lead Mobile Apps Developer at the same telecom company, where he pioneered AI-powered image processing systems for troubleshooting and developed cross-platform applications using Flutter, React Native, and Kotlin Multiplatform. His earlier experience at Tech Mahindra as a Full Stack Developer provided him with a strong foundation in RESTful APIs, microservices, and full-stack development.
With his Master's in Computer Science and comprehensive skill set spanning Google Dialogflow, Gen AI, LLM fine-tuning, machine learning, Java microservices, and mobile development, Raghu Chukkala continues to drive innovation in conversational AI and deliver scalable, high-performance solutions across diverse industry applications.He is deeply invested in the future of AI and its potential to revolutionize how businesses connect with their customers.

Raghu Chukkala is an experienced AI Chatbot Engineer/Architect with extensive expertise in software development, including specialized experience in chatbot architecture and Generative AI solutions. Currently working at one of the largest telecom com... Show more

Javier graduated from EAFIT University with a B.Sc. degree in Engineering in 1999. He has been working with Manufacturing Integrated Platforms since 1999 in many different roles. He also has 5 years of experience teaching Industrial Engineering at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana.

Javier graduated from EAFIT University with a B.Sc. degree in Engineering in 1999. He has been working with Manufacturing Integrated Platforms since 1999 in many different roles. He also has 5 years of experience teaching Industrial Engineering at Un... Show more

Lih M Wang is an Executive Client Technical Specialist at IBM Technology Software Group. She has over 30 years of experience in performance monitoring and automation on IBM zSystems in the industry. For AI use cases, Lih has performed a variety of Proof-of-Concept projects with IBM development by taking client’s own data and showcasing the findings which could be detected to accelerate problem determination and prevention. Lih has co-authored two IBM Redbooks on AI Use Cases and Smarter Analytics. She is also a sponsor for IBM Z Customer Councils in North America, a GSE UK member and frequent speaker at SHARE and IBM technical conferences.

Lih M Wang is an Executive Client Technical Specialist at IBM Technology Software Group. She has over 30 years of experience in performance monitoring and automation on IBM zSystems in the industry. For AI use cases, Lih has performed a variety of Pr... Show more

Passionné par les interactions humaines, j’aime travailler avec les équipes pour améliorer leur collaboration et fluidifier leur fonctionnement. Je m’intéresse à la complexité des organisations, à leurs défis et aux leviers qui permettent d’y apporter des solutions concrètes et durables.

Convaincue que la communication peut transformer les relations et sauver des projets.
J’accorde une grande importance à:
-l’écoute active
- à la création de connexions authentiques entre les individus
- à l'intelligence collective.

Mon approche ? Observer, comprendre et accompagner les systèmes en place pour aider les équipes à grandir, à s’élever et à atteindre leur plein potentiel. 🚀

Passionné par les interactions humaines, j’aime travailler avec les équipes pour améliorer leur collaboration et fluidifier leur fonctionnement. Je m’intéresse à la complexité des organisations, à leurs défis et aux leviers qui permettent d’y apporte... Show more

Working full-time on developing and integrating AI solution for our clients. Machine learning expert and Cloud DevOps Engineer.

Master's degree specialized in artificial intelligence and bachelor degree in software engineering.

Working full-time on developing and integrating AI solution for our clients. Machine learning expert and Cloud DevOps Engineer. Master's degree specialized in artificial intelligence and bachelor degree in software engineering. Show more

Franck Nijhof, better known as Frenck, is one of the maintainers and the Engineering Lead of Home Assistant. Over a million households use this home automation platform, which is the most active open-source project on GitHub.

A passionate advocate for community-driven and sustainable development, Franck focuses on empowering contributors to bring their ideas to life and successfully ship their creations. In 2024, his team supported over 21,000 individuals in contributing code, making Home Assistant a top project for first-time contributors.

Beyond code, Franck enjoys speaking at events, schools, and appearing on podcasts. He finds inspiration in mentoring newcomers and exchanging ideas with fellow developers. At home, he’s a proud father who balances work and family while staying true to his personal motto: "Make a positive difference every single day: Be the change ❤️"

Franck Nijhof, better known as Frenck, is one of the maintainers and the Engineering Lead of Home Assistant. Over a million households use this home automation platform, which is the most active open-source project on GitHub. A passionate advocate... Show more

Stephen’s training and background are in chemical and energy engineering, and he has over ten years of research experience in sustainable energy and chemical technologies. The pillars of his research are process development, techno-economic assessment, life cycle thinking, supply chain optimisation, and whole-systems analysis for evidence-based, strategic, and conscientious deployment of biomass-based, circular, and carbon abatement solutions. Currently, he is affiliated with Imperial's Department of Chemical Engineering and its recently inaugurated Centre for Sectoral Economic Performance to collaborate on a sectoral study of the UK's fine chemicals industry. Its objective is to understand the current local and global industry landscapes; analyse the technological, innovation, business, and regulatory environments; and develop policy and industry recommendations for the sector's future competitiveness and sustainability.

Stephen’s training and background are in chemical and energy engineering, and he has over ten years of research experience in sustainable energy and chemical technologies. The pillars of his research are process development, techno-economic assessmen... Show more

I am a Service Delivery Specialist at McKinsey & Company, where I work closely with the Commercial Invoice Business Change function to ensure a seamless delivery of the technical components of business change. I have more than 14 years of experience in software engineering, and I hold several certifications and credentials in ITIL, Agile, PMBOK, Oracle, and IBM Cloud.

My mission is to enable and facilitate cross-functional technical teams, drive clarity and alignment for internal and external stakeholders, and deliver value and success through Agile methodologies and process improvement. I have a strong background in developing and designing web and mobile applications, and I have a keen interest in artificial intelligence and analytics. I am passionate about helping more people realize their own truth, unlock their authenticity, and bring their dreams into reality.

I am a Service Delivery Specialist at McKinsey & Company, where I work closely with the Commercial Invoice Business Change function to ensure a seamless delivery of the technical components of business change. I have more than 14 years of experience ... Show more

April is a seasoned strategist, marketing expert, and entrepreneur with nearly 20 years of experience driving growth across diverse industries, including healthcare/MedTech, telecom, insurance, events, energy, and most recently, real estate. As Founder and CEO of Harlequin Consulting, she partners with small and growing businesses to scale their marketing and develop strategies that deliver tangible results. From start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, April has built high-performing teams, launched successful product lines, and led initiatives generating millions in revenue. With deep expertise in healthcare and MedTech, she brings a unique perspective to innovation and commercialization in these complex sectors.

Beyond consulting, April is passionate about teaching the next generation of marketing leaders at MSU Denver and supporting patients and clinicians through pet therapy at UCHealth Anschutz with her dog, Ivy. In her spare time, she enjoys watching her 13-year-old son compete in football and wrestling, taking her 2-year-old to the park, and exploring breweries or concerts with her husband.

April is a seasoned strategist, marketing expert, and entrepreneur with nearly 20 years of experience driving growth across diverse industries, including healthcare/MedTech, telecom, insurance, events, energy, and most recently, real estate. As Found... Show more

ASF Infra, ASF Member

ASF Infra, ASF Member Show more

Alain Chiasson, is part of a DevSecOps team that has built and manages The Hashicorp Vault Enterprise system, drawing on 3 decades of "having seen it all" - helping system integrator, infrastructure owners and
software developers secure their applications.

Alain Chiasson, is part of a DevSecOps team that has built and manages The Hashicorp Vault Enterprise system, drawing on 3 decades of "having seen it all" - helping system integrator, infrastructure owners and software developers secure their appli... Show more

Blacksmith

Blacksmith Show more

Lucinda has successfully implemented and supported asset management systems across multiple facilities in the US and UK, engaging in projects ranging from brand new production facilities requiring a CMMS to existing sites that needed a complete overhaul.

Lucinda has successfully implemented and supported asset management systems across multiple facilities in the US and UK, engaging in projects ranging from brand new production facilities requiring a CMMS to existing sites that needed a complete overh... Show more

Bonnie has been in healthcare tech over the last decade. Her career spanned from being in ministry, to commercial electrical, to SaaS technology and network engineering.

She has worked in startups, healthcare, commercial, and higher education, is an innovative pioneer of strategies uniting board vision and stakeholder priorities with production and quality.

Bonnie is a Qualified Board Candidate for competency and commitment to boardroom excellence. She has been public speaking for over a decade and been recognized for this strength again and again.

Bonnie has been in healthcare tech over the last decade. Her career spanned from being in ministry, to commercial electrical, to SaaS technology and network engineering. She has worked in startups, healthcare, commercial, and higher education, is... Show more

With his background in solutions, marketing, and business development, Jon supports JAKALA's technology partnerships through ongoing outbound relationships and internal technology enablement within the agency. He brings more than 20 years of experience in technology to ensure that client business objectives and technical needs are considered during every project, while constantly working towards the agency’s business goals.

With his background in solutions, marketing, and business development, Jon supports JAKALA's technology partnerships through ongoing outbound relationships and internal technology enablement within the agency. He brings more than 20 years of experien... Show more

Hans Henrik Groth has a background as HR Director within Tech in Denmark and have worked 20 years with IT Nearsoring and Offshoreing from Pakistan, Ukraine and Egypt.

In the past 15 years Hans Henrik have build up a Delivery center in Cairo – a overlooked Tech hub education 50.000 IT candidates a year. The operation is runed based on Scandinavian Management - takeing the best from both cultures.

In a situation for all foreseeable time with an increasing lack of High-end IT professionals in Europe, companies have to apply new delivery methods and work in distributed Teams. The discipline of using IT Nearshore is a must have competence for professional Tech companies in Europe to stay competitive.
Interestingly, used correctly IT Nearshoreing can also benefit the retention of employees Onshore as career paths can get more interesting and HR/Recruitment can at the same time help reduce cost.

IT Nearshore is not at the expense of European jobs, but often a prerequisite for retaining jobs and competitiveness

Hans Henrik Groth has a background as HR Director within Tech in Denmark and have worked 20 years with IT Nearsoring and Offshoreing from Pakistan, Ukraine and Egypt. In the past 15 years Hans Henrik have build up a Delivery center in Cairo – a ov... Show more

A seasoned Technopreneur boasting 17 years of expertise in developing and delivering cutting-edge software solutions to Fortune 500 companies. Renowned for pioneering adoption of practices that later evolved into industry standards. Alumnus of prestigious institutions, including IIT-Madras and Amrita University, known for an exceptional blend of technical prowess and strategic business acumen.

A seasoned Technopreneur boasting 17 years of expertise in developing and delivering cutting-edge software solutions to Fortune 500 companies. Renowned for pioneering adoption of practices that later evolved into industry standards. Alumnus of presti... Show more