Jordan Powell is a Developer Productivity Engineer at Nx who specializes in optimizing developer workflows, improving build performance, and enhancing software quality at scale. With extensive full-stack engineering experience building enterprise applications, he brings a deep understanding of both technical implementation and developer experience challenges. As a Google Developer Expert, Jordan stays at the forefront of industry trends and actively shares his expertise through mentoring, open-source contributions, and community engagement. His passion for automation and testing drives his commitment to reliability, readability, and performance in software development. Beyond his technical work, Jordan serves as co-founder and CEO of Dream On: Global, a non-profit dedicated to inspiring individuals to pursue their dreams, demonstrating his commitment to making meaningful impact both within and beyond the tech community.

Jordan Powell is a Developer Productivity Engineer at Nx who specializes in optimizing developer workflows, improving build performance, and enhancing software quality at scale. With extensive full-stack engineering experience building enterprise app... Show more

Jason specializes in brand strategy, corporate identity systems, and brand architecture for organizations navigating growth and change. He helps companies clarify their structure, unify sub-brands, and build design systems that scale across teams, channels, and markets.

With decades of experience leading rebrands, product launches, and multi-channel campaigns, Jason brings a strategic yet creative approach to solving complex brand challenges. He has partnered with corporations, startups, and nonprofits alike, blending structure with personality to ensure brands are both organized and human.

A Louisville native, Jason has led award-winning projects recognized with Gold ADDYs, AIGA Louisville’s Best of Branding, and the organization’s only Visionary Award. He was also named one of Business First’s 20 People to Know in Advertising.

Jason’s talks explore branding as an essential business function that drives clarity, culture, and growth. He speaks on topics including brand architecture for growing companies, agile creative process, and how to align legacy with evolving markets.

He has presented at CreativeMornings, AIGA Louisville, AAF, and on panels covering branding, AI, and leadership.

Jason specializes in brand strategy, corporate identity systems, and brand architecture for organizations navigating growth and change. He helps companies clarify their structure, unify sub-brands, and build design systems that scale across teams, ch... Show more

I help companies build repeatable Developer Relations programs that consistently drive measurable user acquisition, product adoption and tie to business outcomes.

Kevin Blanco is a Senior Developer Advocate and growth strategist with over 16 years in tech leadership. Distinguished as one of the leaders who deeply understand advanced technical concepts, PLG, GTM, and Enterprise + Partner Strategies. Kevin understand how developer adoption compounds into B2B & B2D pipelines and structure programs to capture that value.

Kevin has established himself as the go-to keynote speaker for developer conferences worldwide, having delivered 60+ impactful presentations at premier events including Google Cloud Next, DevRelCon, DrupalCon, All Things Open AI, and multiple developer conferences across North America and LATAM. Known for his ability to translate complex technical concepts into actionable insights, he connects deeply with technical audiences through engaging storytelling and practical frameworks. His presentations consistently drive measurable increases in product adoption and community engagement, making him a sought-after voice for events focused on developer relations, AI integration, and product-led growth strategies.

From shaping AI strategies at IBM Watson to building scalable cloud solutions for Google, Microsoft, and Nintendo, Kevin has a proven record of driving innovation and delivering measurable results. His rare combination of technical knowledge, storytelling expertise, and data-driven growth strategies enables him to craft video content that not only educates but also accelerates user acquisition and product adoption.

As a Google Developer Expert and Google for Startups Mentor, he advises Seed to Series A AI-focused startups on product strategy, sustainable scaling, and leveraging Google's ecosystem of resources and networks.
As a Google Certified Educator and Trainer and Certified Blackmagic Trainer for DaVinci Resolve, Kevin demonstrates exceptional teaching capabilities across both technical education and professional video production.

Speaker at Featured Events:

- Google I/O
- Google Cloud Next
- DevRelCon
- DrupalCon
- All Things Open AI
- Nerdearla
- KubeCon
- DevRelX Summit
- Techstars Founder Catalyst
- Google DevFest Montreal
- Google DevFest Calgary
- Google DevFest New York

Certifications and Recognitions:
- Google Developer Expert
- Google Innovator
- Google Champion
- Google Certified Educator/Trainer
- Google Certified Cloud Architect
- Blackmagic Design Certified Trainer
- Davinci Resolve Certified Editor
- Davinci Resolve Certified Colorist

I help companies build repeatable Developer Relations programs that consistently drive measurable user acquisition, product adoption and tie to business outcomes. Kevin Blanco is a Senior Developer Advocate and growth strategist with over 16 year... Show more

Dylan Gamez is the Marketing and Public Relations Director for The Hacienda in New Port Richey and Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora- built in 1927 and 1883 respectively. Dylan started her career in hospitality at Walt Disney World while finishing her degree in Broadcast Journalism at UCF. Dylan splits her time between Mount Dora and New Port Richey, but reside in Fruitland Park with her husband, Barrett and their three dogs and two cats. Dylan is currently on the Marketing Committee for VISITFLORIDA, Vice President of New Port Richey Main Street and deeply involved with Florida’s Sports Coast- Pasco’s Tourism Board, Mount Dora Area Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations and nonprofits. Dylan was recently named one of the 50 Most Dynamic Women in the Tampa Bay Area by the Laker-Lutz News and won an award from the Secretary of State for a marketing video she produced for New Port Richey Main Street. She most recently was a speaker at the VISIT FLORIDA Conference on Tourism.

Dylan Gamez is the Marketing and Public Relations Director for The Hacienda in New Port Richey and Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora- built in 1927 and 1883 respectively. Dylan started her career in hospitality at Walt Disney World while finishing her degre... Show more

Engineer with over a decade of Frontend development experience, passionate about automation, accessibility, and scaling complex systems.

Working at Zattoo as a Principal Engineer, focusing on delivering frontend solutions across Web, React, and React Native for streaming media content.

Organizer of the React Berlin Meetup, actively contributing to the development community.

Engineer with over a decade of Frontend development experience, passionate about automation, accessibility, and scaling complex systems. Working at Zattoo as a Principal Engineer, focusing on delivering frontend solutions across Web, React, and Re... Show more

Andrew Hess is a Senior Solution Architect on Microsoft's Copilot Acceleration Team (CAT) although speaking events are normally under his own person brand and company Hess IT Solutions. Andrew helps organizations get real results from the Power Platform, Copilot, and Microsoft AI. A national award winner in Power Apps and an accomplished application developer, Andrew also shares his expertise as a YouTuber, helping the community grow through practical guidance and real-world innovation.

Andrew Hess is a Senior Solution Architect on Microsoft's Copilot Acceleration Team (CAT) although speaking events are normally under his own person brand and company Hess IT Solutions. Andrew helps organizations get real results from the Power Platf... Show more

As a leading brand builder and speaker on experience, content, and audience engagement. Baron's work has contributed to the marketing success of many leading brands, including Royal Bank of Canada.CA, Visa, Conagra, Ontario Tourism, Unilever, TD Bank, and other brand leaders. Baron continues to lead his team of marketing and brand experience designers at the firm he founded in 2016, Per Se Brand Experience (PSBX).

Baron was part of Ontario Tourism's 2003/2004 SARS Recovery Program. In 2006, he was awarded the key to the City of Niagara Falls for Tourism Promotion and Innovation in the region. In 2025, he co-authored the best-selling business book, The Ripple Effect, a book featuring business networking stories across professional categories.
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In 2026, Baron was named a Catalyst Member at the Stanford Center on Longevity. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto, and Baron holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business in Toronto. Since 2020, Baron has split his time between Toronto, Canada and Naples, Florida.

As a leading brand builder and speaker on experience, content, and audience engagement. Baron's work has contributed to the marketing success of many leading brands, including Royal Bank of Canada.CA, Visa, Conagra, Ontario Tourism, Unilever, TD Bank... Show more

I'm Mithun A. Sridharan, an entrepreneur, author and keynote speaker on Strategy, Management Consulting and Digital Transformation. I'm a Forbes Technology Council Thought Leader and a Member of Harvard Business Review Advisory Council. As a strategy and technology executive, I advise senior leaders and corporations derive value from their strategic technology investment portfolios. I am a TEDx speaker and regularly share insights at industry conferences and corporate events. I have also contributed thought leadership to high-impact journals and magazines, such as the World Economic Forum, the American Banker, Wired, Bloomberg, etc. I hold an MBA from ESMT Berlin, a Master of Science from Christian Albrechts University of Kiel, both in Germany and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Madras, India.

I'm Mithun A. Sridharan, an entrepreneur, author and keynote speaker on Strategy, Management Consulting and Digital Transformation. I'm a Forbes Technology Council Thought Leader and a Member of Harvard Business Review Advisory Council. As a strategy... Show more

Andrew Schiffman, Head of Artist Relations at LGND Music, an NFT music platform. He was previously the Vice President of Business Development at YellowHeart, a NFT Ticketing and Marketplace platform and Music partnership Ambassador at Rally.io.
He has over 20 years in the music industry working at various global companies like MTV, VEVO and UMG. His passion for music and tech allowed Andrew to become a master programming strategist and curator across platforms from broadcast to digital. He has worked on many groundbreaking campaigns, events, series and album releases from the MTV Video Music Awards, MTV2 120 Minutes and artists like Muse, Linkin Park, J. Cole and The Black Keys.

Andrew Schiffman, Head of Artist Relations at LGND Music, an NFT music platform. He was previously the Vice President of Business Development at YellowHeart, a NFT Ticketing and Marketplace platform and Music partnership Ambassador at Rally.io. He ... Show more

With a lifelong passion for the weirdness of the internet and a day job as a development lead for whoever hired him, Lemon spends his professional time making websites for money and his free time making websites for no money.

He's created a number of stupid things for the internet, like all the games on kinda.fun, the wikiHow guessing game damn.dog, the Google Autocomplete game idiots.win, and a bunch of other things of questionable use. He also hosts a podcast that looks at some of the internet's weirder subcultures. It is not safe for your work, unless you work somewhere really cool.

With a lifelong passion for the weirdness of the internet and a day job as a development lead for whoever hired him, Lemon spends his professional time making websites for money and his free time making websites for no money. He's created a number... Show more

Michelle is a multipassionate portfolio careerist who intentionally lives on cross-boundary intersections, bringing together innovation, creative expression, and human well-being. As an Innovation Designer and Human Well-Being Insight Designer, she explores how people live, work, and thrive, translating complex insights into meaningful everyday practices and solutions. Her work as a Vision-to-Experience Curator connects ideas to real-world impact, helping individuals and organizations bring purposeful concepts to life.

She has led workshops, trainings, and sessions focused on leveraging creativity and technology to drive innovative thinking, collaborating with diverse teams to tackle complex challenges. Committed to building bridges between different perspectives, she thrives on turning bold ideas into actionable strategies that yield meaningful, sustainable impact in both the short and long term. Her aim is always to bring people together in ways that spark self-discovery, creative expression, and personal liberation—ultimately empowering every individual to step fully into their potential.

Alongside these roles, Michelle is an author, artist, and podcaster, using storytelling and creative expression to explore themes of purpose, resilience, and modern innovative work. Her multidisciplinary path reflects a commitment to curiosity, integrity, and designing a life that aligns with her values, vision of success, and purpose.

With experience across multiple sectors and creative fields, Michelle brings a grounded, integrated perspective to conversations about wellness, innovation, and entrepreneurship, offering insights shaped by both lived experience and intentional design.

Michelle is a multipassionate portfolio careerist who intentionally lives on cross-boundary intersections, bringing together innovation, creative expression, and human well-being. As an Innovation Designer and Human Well-Being Insight Designer, she e... Show more

With a broad, multidisciplinary background in software development, architecture, product ownership, and marketing, Fernandez is a gifted technology leader. He holds degrees in informatics and computer science and a Master’s in Finance, which shaped his combined expertise in technical and business realms.

Over the past 20 years, Fernandez has overseen more than 250 projects across four continents and 25 countries, delivering technical solutions in content, commerce, mobile, and martech for some of the world’s most renowned companies. From writing code as a developer and designing systems as an architect to training teams, serving as a CTO, advising global enterprises, defining product roadmaps, and developing marketing strategies, he has taken on nearly every role in technology and digital innovation.

Fernandez has led multicultural teams of managers, content experts, engineers, strategists, and architects (he is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English). His professional mission is to constantly close the gap between business vision and technical execution. His work in media, retail, banking, hospitality, telecoms, and technology has given him a comprehensive view of the possibilities and challenges businesses face in the digital age.

Currently serving as Executive Director of Technology in VML, Fernandez is focused on the future of content, marketing, and automation platforms, investigating how companies can produce, distribute, and profit from emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, composable architectures, and data-driven personalization.

With a broad, multidisciplinary background in software development, architecture, product ownership, and marketing, Fernandez is a gifted technology leader. He holds degrees in informatics and computer science and a Master’s in Finance, which shaped ... Show more

Karen Riley-Love is a hyper-local tourism strategist and entrepreneur who has helped transform Anna Maria Island into a sought-after wedding destination through local-first partnerships and marketing. She is a CO—100 Honoree, recognized as one of the Top 100 Small Businesses in the nation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and one of only ten businesses awarded the Customer Champion distinction. Karen is a multi-time Visit Florida Flagler Award winner, including Best of Show, and was named Tourism Ambassador of the Year by the Bradenton Area CVB and featured in First for Women Magazine. She is a featured speaker at The Digital Marketing Conference, sharing how community-driven brands scale with authenticity. Karen blends creativity with strategy to promote sustainable, high-value tourism, leveraging community, culture, and local charm to create visitor experiences that resonate far beyond the shoreline.

Karen Riley-Love is a hyper-local tourism strategist and entrepreneur who has helped transform Anna Maria Island into a sought-after wedding destination through local-first partnerships and marketing. She is a CO—100 Honoree, recognized as one of the... Show more

Collette helps businesses translate how people strategy directly underpins business strategy. Crucially how to engage the potential 90% of your team who, according to Gallop, are disengaged and increasingly unhappy. Collette she's a neuroscience informed practitioner, fixing engagement is not easy - but it is not as hard that you'd imagine.

Employee engagement is at a crisis low and it is probably silently killing your businesses - if your average employee paid to work 37.5 hours a week - an average you might be getting less than 4 hours a week from them.

We can cut through the noise and talk openly and honestly about human operating systems that help build high-performing teams and joyous workplaces (remote or other) based upon the combined strengths your people are today, not continuing being suffocated by environments and ways of working that were built for a imaginary human being that doesn't even exist!

Collette combines 25 years in digital marketing space, 15 in leadership including an CEO role; with her accredited Leadership coaching qualification (AC) + qualified neuroscience for change practitioner (APMG), making her uniquely qualified to help your teams, help themselves and your businesses thrive again.

Collette helps businesses translate how people strategy directly underpins business strategy. Crucially how to engage the potential 90% of your team who, according to Gallop, are disengaged and increasingly unhappy. Collette she's a neuroscience info... Show more

I began writing thought pieces on sustainable design, diversity, and inclusivity while I was still a design student who was trying to find my colours.

I actively look for opportunities to advocate for gender-inclusive design practices and had the opportunity to present a talk at a design conference last year, based on a collective case study on UX design in e-retail platforms for Fashion and Apparel, highlighting common gender-binary biases. It was while researching for this that I realised that the data gap isn’t limited to a particular industry like fashion, but lacks in general. These biases show up in the products that we interact with every day.

This, along with the rage from blood-boiling statistics in the book 'Invisible Women', by Caroline Criado Perez, prompted me to work on 'Designing Value Beyond the Binary'.

As a non-binary person, motivated by my lived experiences as a consumer and driven by my spirit as an informed UX designer, I believe that Inclusivity shouldn’t be an afterthought. I can safely say that, having been on both sides of the coin, the designer and the user in this context, empathy goes a long way. Making one feel seen and heard can be so validating, and that validation shouldn’t be something that feels extraordinary to experience. It should be normal.

I'm here dropping my two cents to be part of something that creates value.

I began writing thought pieces on sustainable design, diversity, and inclusivity while I was still a design student who was trying to find my colours. I actively look for opportunities to advocate for gender-inclusive design practices and had the... Show more

Elliott is the CEO of Current, a full-stack digital agency that builds, optimizes, and markets digital products in a continuous cycle — ensuring the work never stops performing after launch.

Since joining Mediacurrent in 2021, Elliott has moved quickly through the organization — from Creative Strategy Director to Head of Product to CEO — before building Current through the strategic combination of Mediacurrent and Rhythm. That journey reflects a through-line he's carried across his career: the belief that great digital products and smart marketing shouldn't live in separate worlds.

It's a conviction he's put into practice across education, financial services, and media and entertainment — and one he developed long before Current. At EY Design Studio and Doberman NY, Elliott's work ranged from reimagining the grocery store of the future for the world's largest retailer, to building an accessible technology ecosystem for a New York City arts institution, to crafting an award-winning digital platform for a national fast-casual brand. Different problems, same instinct: making complex systems feel invisible for the people who use them.

Elliott is the CEO of Current, a full-stack digital agency that builds, optimizes, and markets digital products in a continuous cycle — ensuring the work never stops performing after launch. Since joining Mediacurrent in 2021, Elliott has moved qu... Show more

I'm a developer, technical team leader, and architect. I started a career before StackOverflow existed. For over 17 years, I've been creating systems close to the business process. I believe that Event-Driven Architecture and Event Sourcing are great ways to achieve that.

I'm an active open-source developer active especially in the Event Driven space (I was working on tools like Marten, EventStoreDB, and now Emmett). I'm sharing my journey and findings on my blog https://event-driven.io and practical samples at https://github.com/oskardudycz.

I'm a developer, technical team leader, and architect. I started a career before StackOverflow existed. For over 17 years, I've been creating systems close to the business process. I believe that Event-Driven Architecture and Event Sourcing are great... Show more

I’m a website developer and WordPress enthusiast from Uganda. I have a strong passion for sharing knowledge and excel at creating visually appealing websites that combine design and coding expertise. I’m also a multilingual translator and skilled technical writer, making complex concepts easy to understand for a global audience. I’m committed to ensuring quality through rigorous system testing for top-notch performance. My dedication to excellence and active involvement in the tech community make me a valuable contributor to the ever-changing digital landscape. I’m a digital artisan shaping user-friendly experiences and bridging language gaps.

I’m a website developer and WordPress enthusiast from Uganda. I have a strong passion for sharing knowledge and excel at creating visually appealing websites that combine design and coding expertise. I’m also a multilingual translator and skilled tec... Show more

Marc Robertz-Schwartz is a multi-award-winning media and marketing executive and entrepreneur. He has helped dozens of best-in-class businesses and organizations build their brand through traditional and digital marketing strategies. He has been honored and recognized with three regional Emmy awards, 19 Telly awards, International Incubator Business of the Year (2012), twice named to the Gator 100 for fastest growing companies owned by University of Florida grads, and his agency – Red Apples Media – was named a “Best Place to Work” right before he completed the sale of the agency in 2024. Marc is also the author of "The RED APPLES Way" (named an Amazon "Top New Release" in February, 2026) - a candid and entertaining story of "how nine core values turned a company founded on fear and desperation into one of passion and purpose."

Marc Robertz-Schwartz is a multi-award-winning media and marketing executive and entrepreneur. He has helped dozens of best-in-class businesses and organizations build their brand through traditional and digital marketing strategies. He has been hono... Show more

a Senior Developer Relations Engineer at Google, focused on advancing the core Android camera and media ecosystem. With over a decade of experience across the full tech stack, he currently partners with engineering teams at Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat to implement high-end media capabilities and HDR technologies. Throughout his career at both startups and tech giants, Mozart has contributed to products used by millions, including Lyft, Plex, and Google Chrome. He is a Dolby Vision and Atmos Certified professional with deep technical expertise in C++, Kotlin, and the JUCE framework.

a Senior Developer Relations Engineer at Google, focused on advancing the core Android camera and media ecosystem. With over a decade of experience across the full tech stack, he currently partners with engineering teams at Instagram, TikTok, and Sna... Show more

Wouter De Bruycker is an SEO expert with professional experience in the industry since 2009. He graduated with honors in Graphic & Digital Media and first worked as a web developer and digital strategist before - armed with this technical knowledge - diving further into Search Engine Optimization.

SEO is one of his professional passions, as shown by the fact you'll often find him at national and international conferences where he likes to share his knowledge and cases with an audience. He has spoken about SEO at events such as the Digital Content Marketing Congress, Ondernemen In Vlaanderen, SEO Vibes on Tour, SEO Benelux, DrupalCamp London, DrupalCon Amsterdam and DrupalCon Prague.

In his spare time Wouter co-founded a small craft beer company called "René" and enjoys watching (and endlessly debating) movies.

Wouter De Bruycker is an SEO expert with professional experience in the industry since 2009. He graduated with honors in Graphic & Digital Media and first worked as a web developer and digital strategist before - armed with this technical knowledge -... Show more

Joeri is a Belgium-born, Portugal-based Fractional CMO, AI Visibility Strategist, and author of The Future CMO. He advises founders and executive teams on marketing leadership, brand positioning, and visibility in AI-driven markets. He helps companies become discoverable, accurately represented, and recommended by both customers and the AI systems that increasingly mediate them: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google's generative search.

Philip Kotler endorsed his last book 'The Future CMO': The best update that I have read on the role and work of CMOs. A must-read for leaders ready to embrace financial accountability.

Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, Kellogg School of Management

Joeri is a Belgium-born, Portugal-based Fractional CMO, AI Visibility Strategist, and author of The Future CMO. He advises founders and executive teams on marketing leadership, brand positioning, and visibility in AI-driven markets. He helps companie... Show more

Ana Sarmiento is a senior media executive and an expert in navigating the complexities of the post-AI media landscape. Her focus extends beyond content creation to the critical mechanics of performance: using AI to unlock deeper audience insights and solving the real-world challenges facing modern media companies. From combating the traffic implications of liquid content to standing out in increasingly saturated creator marketplaces, Ana provides real world data-backed tactics. She draws on her deep experience in revenue operations to help organizations identify hidden costs and implement the emerging business models required to thrive in a synthetic media world.

She is the Director of AI Revenue at Advance Local and has an extensive background at industry giants including Disney, Paramount, and HBO. She has an EMBA from UCLA Anderson and a BBA from The University of Georgia. She brings a rare trifecta to the stage: creative media intuition, technical product rigor, and the high-stakes financial strategy of management consulting. Ana provides an action-oriented blueprint for turning Generative AI innovation into commercial success.

Ana Sarmiento is a senior media executive and an expert in navigating the complexities of the post-AI media landscape. Her focus extends beyond content creation to the critical mechanics of performance: using AI to unlock deeper audience insights and... Show more

A reference in the world of design and product, creator of La Conf Qui Tue Le Game, and a key contributor to the rise of user- and product-centered culture at France Télévisions for over 10 years, Michael Baeyens (“Mitch”) is currently National Director of Product and Design Practices at eXalt, leading a community of more than 200 product and design professionals (since June 2024).

Following the success of Human After All — closing keynote at UX Conf 2023 (800+ attendees) and subsequently performed 8 times across France for a total audience of over 3,500 — Mitch established himself as a distinctive voice on the ethical, cultural and strategic impacts of AI, drawing a parallel between the career of Daft Punk and our relationship with automation, robotics and generative systems.

Since then, he has created and delivered two major conferences:

UI0 – Interface Zero: The Rise of Invisible Products in the Age of AI,
an exploration of how AI agents are reshaping product design by shifting from user-facing interfaces to products designed for agent-consumers. The talk examines the deep impact of this paradigm shift on design and product roles, methods and responsibilities. UI0 has been presented more than 16 times across France and internationally (including LPC Paris and PMF Zurich), reaching over 8,000 attendees and generating more than 8,000 video views.

FAMOUS – Lessons Learned on Brand, Values and Resilience from the Most Iconic (and Maybe the Most Underrated) Product of Our Times (FLUPA 2025),
a cultural and strategic analysis of Taylor Swift’s career as a product ecosystem, extracting concrete lessons on brand consistency, long-term vision, value systems and resilience that modern product teams can apply to their own work.

Recognized for mastering the art of storytelling, Mitch brings audiences along through a distinctive mix of sharp insight, humor, personal anecdotes and pop culture references. Sitting at the intersection of strategic planning, design leadership and product expertise, he delivers talks that are both intellectually rigorous and highly engaging — making him an unmissable speaker on the future of product, design and culture in the age of AI.

A reference in the world of design and product, creator of La Conf Qui Tue Le Game, and a key contributor to the rise of user- and product-centered culture at France Télévisions for over 10 years, Michael Baeyens (“Mitch”) is currently National Direc... Show more

Robyn Sayles is the founder of Launching Your Success, a brand strategy practice built for professionals who never fit the mold and stopped trying to. Through her signature Brilliant Weirdo Brand Archetype system, she helps entrepreneurs, creatives, and unconventional leaders turn their so-called “too-much-ness” into a strategic advantage.

A self-described professional instigator, Robyn brings two decades of brand strategy experience to the stage with a delivery style that’s equal parts TED Talk and stand-up set. She developed eight proprietary brand archetypes, built an AI-powered brand audit system from scratch, and authored “The Professional Weirdo’s Survival Kit,” a field guide for anyone who’s been told to tone it down and decided to turn it up instead.

She’s a podcast host, guest, conference speaker, and contributor to The Podcast Academy community, including work related to the Ambie Awards. Her sessions blend improv-trained spontaneity with sharp strategic insight, giving audiences frameworks they can actually use, not just inspirational quotes for their phone wallpapers.

Suggested Session Topics
• Brand Strategy for Misfits: “Too Much” Is Your Competitive Advantage
• The Brilliant Weirdo Brand Archetype: Building Brands That Are Bold AND Smart
• Improv Is a Business Skill
• AI-Powered Brand Strategy: Building Systems That Actually Sound Like You

Robyn Sayles is the founder of Launching Your Success, a brand strategy practice built for professionals who never fit the mold and stopped trying to. Through her signature Brilliant Weirdo Brand Archetype system, she helps entrepreneurs, creatives, ... Show more

Michael Hidalgo has spent more than 25 years leading, building, and speaking. He has spoken to over 50,000 people, from intimate C-suite retreats to audiences of 2,500+.

He is a GiANT-certified 5 Voices Guide and award-winning author of two books. Michael has led fast-growing organizations and served as an advisor to the Denver Mayor's office and the Colorado Governor. His film school and screenwriting background means his keynotes aren't talks, they are experiences.

His past clients include Alvarez & Marsal, Canes Midstream, ATD, InTempo Software, along with corporate leadership teams across multiple industries.

Michael Hidalgo has spent more than 25 years leading, building, and speaking. He has spoken to over 50,000 people, from intimate C-suite retreats to audiences of 2,500+. He is a GiANT-certified 5 Voices Guide and award-winning author of two books... Show more

Ming Johanson works with businesses across the globe from training social media to managing (with her team) complex digital strategies that deliver tangible and desirable financial returns. She is dedicated to shaping the landscape for leaders to adapt their management, sales and marketing culture to fit into the modern day world of hyper-connectivity.

Recently recognised and awarded for her ongoing contribution to the technology industries in the 2019 Women In Technology Tech [+] 20 Awards. Ming is a passionate mental health Ambassador for R U OK? Day, a co-facilitator in Startup Weekend Perth and a regular Australian Media Commentator as a Tech Evangelist on a range of topics in Mental Health, Social Media & Technology. 

Ming Johanson works with businesses across the globe from training social media to managing (with her team) complex digital strategies that deliver tangible and desirable financial returns. She is dedicated to shaping the landscape for leaders to ada... Show more

Abdifatah Hassan Roble is Somali technologist, writer, and advocate from the Bay region of Somalia. Abdifatah brings incredible experience, perseverance, and expertise as an online platform builder, writer, and activist for the education of Somali youth and greater Somali community through technological empowerment. Abdifatah was born in Sanca, Yemen while his family was internally displaced from the civil war in Somalia. He hails from Mogadishu. Abdifatah embodies Somali values and is committed to lifting the Somali community as a whole.

Abdifatah graduated from Salaam University with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (2025), focusing on Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, and Artificial Intelligence. Abdifatah is the first university graduate in his family. He is studying for his Master’s and PhD in Cybersecurity and AI, with the intention of contributing to global research and policy making.

Abdifatah Hassan Roble founded Somali Tech Digest in 2025, aiming to educate Somali speaking populations and a global audience on technology policies, digital security, and the innovation shaping the region. Abdifatah critically examines laws and policies pertaining to cybersecurity in countries which matter most to Somali tech stakeholders, and writes original content in both English and Somali for his readers. By drawing parallels to similar trends in the West, Abdifatah consistently delivers smart, accessible coverage of rapid digital transformation for Somali Tech Digest readers.

Professionally, Abdifatah is a Sales Representative at Premier Bank as well as Shaakir Furniture where he gained key skills such as business communication and building customer trust while utilizing technology to effectively engage in promotional activities. Abdifatah combines expertise in this field while emphasizing the importance of effective communication that links to the technical knowledge that the customer is seeking.

Abdifatah is dedicated to serving the Somali population and the global community at large. He is deeply involved in the local community and is an avid promoter of youth empowerment and growth. Abdifatah is an avid reader and publisher of law review articles, particularly in the realm of cybersecurity law. In his free time, Abdifatah enjoys learning about cultural differences and exploring the lives of rural Europeans. Abdifatah is a persistent, motivated, and hopeful individual that thrives in the face of adversity. Most importantly, Abdifatah is driven by a desire to leave a lasting legacy. As such, he strives to achieve the maximum potential of every endeavor that he pursues.

Areas of Expertise

Cybersecurity & Artificial Intelligence

Digital Strategy & Business Agility

Editorial Leadership & Community Engagement

Stakeholder Analysis & Communication

Comparative Cybersecurity Law

Sessions

1. Database-Last Design in Somali Context
For decades, software started from the database out, with the database at the core and the rest of the application circling around it. In modern application design, we start from the user tasks and work our way out, trying to be as flexible as possible. In this talk, I will highlight to Somali developers and organizations how “database-last” design can be used to build sustainable, scalable, and user-centric software systems.
You’ll learn:
The transition from database-centric to user-centric design

Architecture of CQRS, microservices, NoSQL (practice)

How agile, cross-functional teams succeed with loosely coupled components

Life After Story Points: Somali Agile Planning

Story points are often the focus of much consternation during sprint planning. This talk presents alternative planning techniques that actually use real numbers and has been validated with Somali developers with strict, fixed capacity limits.
You’ll learn:
Put some real numbers behind your decision making

Ways to structure your time so that you get the most out of it

Agile Requirements: Building What Somalia Needs
Requirements gathering is a hard problem

too rigid in traditional approaches and too fuzzy in early agile adoption. In this talk, a balanced approach will be presented for capturing requirements to improve productivity in Somali organizations.
You’ll learn:

Writing clear, simple user stories

Using acceptance criteria to capture details

Balancing analysis with responsiveness

The value of documenting conversations and decisions

Great Retrospectives that Drive Change
This interactive session explores how to keep the ritual fresh and go home with real improvements!
You’ll learn:

Setting goals and benefits for retrospective session

Feedback Best Practices for Improved Outcomes

Formats that generate actionable outcomes

Methods to measure success beyond intuition

Scrum vs. Kanban: Lessons for Somali Teams
Scrum vs Kanban? Both methods have been used successfully in many environments and contexts. In this meeting we will go through the strengths and weaknesses of Scrum and Kanban so Somali teams can decide which method suits them better.
You’ll learn:

Misconceptions about both methodologies

Visibility of work and planning timelines

Handling work in progress and shifting priorities

Mixing and blending traditional and modern methods

Hunting Down the Elusive MVP
One of the biggest challenges when creating a new product or service is defining a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This interactive session gives Somali startups and innovators tools to identify and deliver a relevant MVP.
You’ll learn:

Visioning, personas, and user journeys

Story mapping and risk evaluation

Creating a realistic release plan

Building a canvas that ties everything together

When traditional sizing is not useless

Abdifatah Hassan Roble is Somali technologist, writer, and advocate from the Bay region of Somalia. Abdifatah brings incredible experience, perseverance, and expertise as an online platform builder, writer, and activist for the education of Somali yo... Show more

Muhammad Hassaan is a 16-year-old award-winning & certified youth leader, journalist, and education-focused changemaker. He is one of the youngest news anchors in the country (Asian Book of Records & National Book of Records), currently serving with the Awaz Group of Media (Radio Awaz & Awaz News). He has been invited as a guest lecturer at APS&CS, FGEI, and Fauji Foundation College. In 2025, Hassaan founded the Visionary Tech Society, a youth-led initiative aimed at promoting AI awareness & digital literacy, particularly in underserved communities. Through this platform, he has delivered free lectures & mentorship in AI & tech to thousands of students. His work aligns with UN SDG 4: Quality Education, earning him recognition as a UN SDG Hero. Hassaan co-organized TEDxAir University Kamra and played a leading role in bringing the first-ever TEDx experience to a region like Attock. He co-led the entire event, working closely with all departments to ensure its success, and also served as a speaker at TEDxAir University Kamra. He is an accomplished author, with a book officially selected for the Legacy of Literature Award by The Literature Times, chosen from a diverse pool of submissions for excellence and impact. He has served as a Campus Ambassador Intern for an International MUN. He was selected among the Top 50 delegates across the Asia Pacific for the Asia World Muslim Summit 2026 (Malaysia), where he was recognized with the Asia Muslim Inspiring Ambassador Award 2026 and chosen as a self-funded delegate for the Youth Ambassador Fellowship Malaysia 2025. Hassaan served as Vice President of the Attock Champions League 2025, co-leading one of the largest student-led inter-school & inter-college football tournaments in Attock, involving 19 prominent institutions. He also served as a Student Ambassador for Let’s Go Together Community (Pvt Ltd), a national-level initiative supporting home-based women entrepreneurs. He co-founded Trendora Studios, a marketing agency, where, as Creative Director, he led the visual direction of client campaigns. He also serves as a board member of the Pakistan Artificial Intelligence Association, a youth-led emerging AI organization, providing recommendations to drive organizational growth. His professional exposure includes attending ITCN Asia Lahore 2026 and the Global CISO Summit (Pakistan Edition) as a VIP delegate. Hassaan is certified in IT & Tech from Microsoft, Google, and multiple other leading global institutions. He has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Impact Creator Award at Expo Center Lahore during the Future Leaders Award 2026, and special recognition at the Parliament of Australia during the World School Summit 2026 (Australia). He has been nominated among the Top 100 Student Leaders of Pakistan and received the Top Student Leader Award at Islamabad National Skills University, along with multiple debating competition victories and extensive features in national media.

Muhammad Hassaan is a 16-year-old award-winning & certified youth leader, journalist, and education-focused changemaker. He is one of the youngest news anchors in the country (Asian Book of Records & National Book of Records), currently serving with ... Show more

Engin Eser is Co-Founder of Event Punks GmbH, a Creative Tech Studio that transforms business challenges into playable experiences. From gamified recruiting and immersive brand activations to game-based training and edutainment, built on platforms like Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, and the Web.

On the Microsoft side, Engin is a Microsoft MVP and Power Platform practitioner with a strong focus on Power Apps Code Apps, Copilot extensibility, and AI Agent development. He builds solutions that bridge the gap between low-code and pro-code and believes that great technology should feel less like a tool and more like an experience.

He speaks at international conferences about gamification, UX-driven app design, and the future of immersive digital experiences.

Engin Eser is Co-Founder of Event Punks GmbH, a Creative Tech Studio that transforms business challenges into playable experiences. From gamified recruiting and immersive brand activations to game-based training and edutainment, built on platforms li... Show more