Media & Information

Esteemed specialists working in the fields of media education, digital media, multimedia and radio services

Shweta Sharma

Shweta Sharma

Shweta is a highly skilled software professional with almost 12 years of experience in various technologies. She is a mentor and engineering lead at Intuit. She is a core member of Tech Women @Intuit and strongly advocates for women in Tech and believes in giving back to the community. Shweta is an active speaker who has presented at multiple forums, including GHC 2022, WomenInTech 2022 & 2023, Women Who Code San Diego and other events.

Shweta is a highly skilled software professional with almost 12 years of experience in various technologies. She is a mentor and engineering lead at Intuit. She is a core member of Tech Women @Intuit and strongly advocates for women in Tech and belie... Show more

Chinedu Otutu

Chinedu Otutu

I am a software engineer focused on building and scaling production-grade digital systems. My work spans designing, deploying, and maintaining high-performance applications with an emphasis on reliability, scalability, and real-world impact.

I have hands-on experience implementing AI-driven solutions and architecting backend systems that move from prototype to production. I’m particularly interested in building intelligent systems that deliver measurable business value while remaining cost-efficient and resilient.

Beyond my core engineering work, I actively share insights on practical AI implementation, system design, and emerging technologies, contributing to conversations around building production-ready solutions in fast-growing markets.

Outside of technology, I am passionate about physical wellness and discipline, which I believe directly translates into consistency and high-performance in engineering practice.

I am a software engineer focused on building and scaling production-grade digital systems. My work spans designing, deploying, and maintaining high-performance applications with an emphasis on reliability, scalability, and real-world impact. I hav... Show more

Catherine (Cat) Karow

Catherine (Cat) Karow

Cat Karow is the Founder & CEO of ZoraSafe, a zero-trust cybersecurity platform built to protect the most targeted (and most overlooked) users online: seniors, kids, and everyday people navigating a world of AI-driven scams and digital manipulation. After two decades building complex, high-impact systems for others, Cat is now building something that hits close to home: real-time protection with human-first design.

Cat led product at Apple, ran U.S. ops for McLaren F1, and secured systems for the White House. She scaled HiPerGator, built enterprise tools for Fortune 100s, and now heads Tech Ops at GuidePoint Security. She's a founding member of Hack The Box and Women in HPC.

But despite the prestige, Cat’s proudest work isn’t behind firewalls, it’s in the living rooms of people who never had protection in the first place. ZoraSafe is her answer to the digital threat crisis: an AI-powered platform that doesn't just detect scams, but teaches users how to defend themselves in real time. Think scam detection meets Duolingo (with teeth).

A disabled, self-taught technologist who built her career without a degree, Cat blends elite experience with unshakable grit. She’s not just here to talk about security—she’s here to rewire how we think about it.

Cat Karow is the Founder & CEO of ZoraSafe, a zero-trust cybersecurity platform built to protect the most targeted (and most overlooked) users online: seniors, kids, and everyday people navigating a world of AI-driven scams and digital manipulation. ... Show more

Scott Durow

Scott Durow

Scott Durow is a 10 x Microsoft Business Applications MVP and Power Platform Developer Advocate at Microsoft. He is a YouTuber, Podcaster, Speaker, Author, and the creator of tools such as the Ribbon Workbench, spkl, and dataverse-ify, which have become essential tools for Power Platform developers. With over two decades of software engineering experience, he has a deep understanding of Power Platform, having built solutions using it since its early days as Microsoft CRM v1, SharePoint Server 2001 & BizTalk Server 2000. Before this, Scott moved from assembly language device driver programming, into industrial control software engineering and then on to architecting enterprise business software.

Scott is passionate about sharing his knowledge and expertise and you can see him speaking at events throughout the globe. Remaining a developer at heart, Scott embraces both low-code and pro-code solutions!

#ProCodeNoCodeUnite
#CommunityRocks

Scott Durow is a 10 x Microsoft Business Applications MVP and Power Platform Developer Advocate at Microsoft. He is a YouTuber, Podcaster, Speaker, Author, and the creator of tools such as the Ribbon Workbench, spkl, and dataverse-ify, which have bec... Show more

Kevin Kline

Kevin Kline

Kevin Kline is a noted database expert and software industry veteran. A 20-year Microsoft Data Platform MVP and noted community leader in the IT industry, Kevin is a founder and former president of the Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS.ORG), as well as the author of popular IT books including the bestseller "SQL in a Nutshell". Kevin is a top-rated speaker at industry trade shows worldwide and has a monthly column at Database Trends & Applications magazine (DBTA.com). His product designs for database tools have won numerous awards at industry trade shows and from a variety of trade magazines. He is on social media as @kekline and blogs regularly.

Kevin Kline is a noted database expert and software industry veteran. A 20-year Microsoft Data Platform MVP and noted community leader in the IT industry, Kevin is a founder and former president of the Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS.OR... Show more

Aura Buison

Aura Buison

Aura Buison was a CPA back in the Philippines. Her early career was spent working as an auditor at PwC. She later transitioned and became a Consultant/Solutions Architect for Axapta 3.0 until the latest version D365 F&O. She has over 20 years of experience in F&O Finance, and Project Management and Accounting modules.

Currently a Solutions Architect at Kroll.

Aura Buison was a CPA back in the Philippines. Her early career was spent working as an auditor at PwC. She later transitioned and became a Consultant/Solutions Architect for Axapta 3.0 until the latest version D365 F&O. She has over 20 years of expe... Show more

Eyal Wirsansky

Eyal Wirsansky

Eyal Wirsansky is a Staff AI Engineer and veteran software developer currently focused on designing agentic AI solutions for the healthcare industry. As a dedicated educator and community leader, he serves as an adjunct professor of AI at Jacksonville University and leads both the Jacksonville Java User Group and the AI for Enterprise Virtual User Group. He is also the author of "Hands-On Genetic Algorithms with Python".

Eyal Wirsansky is a Staff AI Engineer and veteran software developer currently focused on designing agentic AI solutions for the healthcare industry. As a dedicated educator and community leader, he serves as an adjunct professor of AI at Jacksonvill... Show more

Abhijit Chanda

Abhijit Chanda

A results-driven and hands-on Analytics Leader with 15+ experience in leading customer,marketing and digital analytics engagements for global brands and Retail Media Networks. Adept at developing innovative analytics & AI/ML solutions that optimize marketing spending, enhance customer experience, and boost revenue, aligning with business objectives. Skilled in building and managing large cross-functional teams of data analysts and data scientists in Data Engineering, BI, and Data Science.

A results-driven and hands-on Analytics Leader with 15+ experience in leading customer,marketing and digital analytics engagements for global brands and Retail Media Networks. Adept at developing innovative analytics & AI/ML solutions that optimize m... Show more

Heather Wilde Renze

Heather Wilde Renze

Heather Wilde is CTO of TheDifference and is also known as the Unicorn Whisperer because of her special focus on entrepreneurs. She is a professional growth expert, executive coach, best-selling author, and speaker. One of the founding team of Evernote, and co-founder of TWIP, she has won multiple awards for her writing, technology, coaching, and mentorship, including the 2020 International Impact Award for her latest book, "Birth of a Unicorn".

Both a patent inventor and game designer, she is trailblazing the way for other women to do the same.
She has appeared on Huffpost Live and ABC News, and has appeared in Mashable, BBC News, Huffington Post, and in the Wall Street Journal as well as many other industry publications. Her clients cover North America, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East and she offers training internationally on tech topics such as Cybersecurity, Anticipatory Design, and the Dangers of Overwork.

Wilde's popular Inc and Forbes columns span social media, entrepreneurialism, startups, leadership, fundraising, and diversity issues. She lives in Las Vegas.

Heather Wilde is CTO of TheDifference and is also known as the Unicorn Whisperer because of her special focus on entrepreneurs. She is a professional growth expert, executive coach, best-selling author, and speaker. One of the founding team of Everno... Show more

Domagoj Marić

Domagoj Marić

Domagoj Marić graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing in Zagreb, where he initially specialized in the field of information security, while towards the end of his studies, he shifted more deeply into the field of data science with a focus on web content extraction (web scraping/crawling). He began his business career at Megatrend poslovna rješenja, where he worked on the development of Python applications and data solutions with a focus on creating virtual assistants and later as the head of the data science department. That role continued through his career at Comping. Today, he works at Pontis Technology as the AI customer delivery manager, leading the delivery of projects in the area of natural language processing, computer vision, predictive analytics and generative AI. In addition to responsibilities in the data science domain, he also has experience and works as a lecturer in the field of programming.

Domagoj Marić graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing in Zagreb, where he initially specialized in the field of information security, while towards the end of his studies, he shifted more deeply into the field of data scien... Show more

Diane Darling

Diane Darling

The good news is that my topic is ideal for any event.

I speak around the world helping smart people gain confidence when walking into rooms, networking, and building lasting and mutually beneficial relationships.

I'm published by McGraw-Hill in 9 languages. Been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, appeared on MSNBC and NBC Nightly News.

My programs are informative, fun, and packed with information that can be immediately implemented.

In order to overcome my fear of public speaking, I took acting and standup comedy courses.

My love of travel has taken me to all seven continents and 60 countries.

How can I help your event succeed? Let's connect!

The good news is that my topic is ideal for any event. I speak around the world helping smart people gain confidence when walking into rooms, networking, and building lasting and mutually beneficial relationships. I'm published by McGraw-Hill... Show more

Revanth Reddy Airre

Revanth Reddy Airre

Revanth Reddy Airre is a Staff Engineer at Silicon Valley–based AI healthcare startup HippocraticAI, where he works on building safety-critical, large-scale AI platforms for healthcare. His work focuses on designing distributed AI infrastructure, including large-scale distributed systems, distributed scheduling, KV-cache–aware systems, and prefix-aware inference routing to support high-performance LLM serving in production environments.

Previously, Revanth was part of the Comcast Silicon Valley Innovation Center, where he helped build and scale a major data platform serving over 70 million users, tackling complex distributed systems and data infrastructure challenges. Earlier in his career, he worked at Paris-based startup CAST Software and with multiple Silicon Valley startups across AI and blockchain, gaining experience across both enterprise and startup ecosystems.

Revanth is also an active IEEE contributor, serving as Chair of the IEEE Silicon Valley Blockchain Chapter and as Global Student Coordinator for the IEEE Blockchain Technical Community. He has served on program committees for international blockchain research conferences. He is also the founder of FreeCodingSchool, a nonprofit initiative that provides accessible coding education through mentorship and open learning resources.

Revanth Reddy Airre is a Staff Engineer at Silicon Valley–based AI healthcare startup HippocraticAI, where he works on building safety-critical, large-scale AI platforms for healthcare. His work focuses on designing distributed AI infrastructure, inc... Show more

Rebecca Solano

Rebecca Solano

Rebecca is a hands-on, human-centered, collaborative organizational change leader interested in developing great teams and culture, co-creating large-scale strategic vision, driving value nimbly, and a believer in integrating change strategies to develop organizational resiliency and competitive edge. She has 5+ years in cross-industry OCM for ERP implementations and tech adoption, as well as over 10 years in strategic and business communications, including 6 years of bilingual business communication & advocacy.

Rebecca is a hands-on, human-centered, collaborative organizational change leader interested in developing great teams and culture, co-creating large-scale strategic vision, driving value nimbly, and a believer in integrating change strategies to dev... Show more

Iván Durango

Iván Durango

As a child, I was fascinated by technology and began programming at the age of 9 to create my own video game. This passion led me to pursue computer science, and in 2009,I transitioned to cybersecurity. I work with Big Data and AI. My current objective is to unleash the vast potential of technology, particularly in the fields of cloud computing and Human-Data Interaction,to drive digital progress.

As a child, I was fascinated by technology and began programming at the age of 9 to create my own video game. This passion led me to pursue computer science, and in 2009,I transitioned to cybersecurity. I work with Big Data and AI. My current objecti... Show more

Chris Blackburn

Chris Blackburn

Having a love of technology through years of exposure as a young boy and then as a teenager, the quest to always stay up to date with the latest and greatest has come naturally over the last 2 decades. My first job in a call center environment built not only my customer service skills but aided in becoming proficient in thinking on my feet, as well as visualizing a situation without ever being present. Meeting lifelong friends in this environment helped open the door to other opportunities, which would become the first step down the path of a career as an IT consultant.
Consulting is truly more than being just another IT professional: it's about being familiar with the business objectives of every client and ensuring every dollar they spend on technology maximizes their workforce to its highest potential. It's about being an individual who breaks the mold of the cliche "computer guy" and embodies a genuine personality that attracts both the admiration and trust of every individual they encounter.
When I'm not in front of the computer, I can't get away from technology and my love of music takes me behind the decks as a DJ alongside my wife Jen playing electronic music at clubs and events across the globe. Having opened for the largest names in the genre, I've also supported artists from veterans to up-and-coming names in a music business capacity in bookings and management with some of the world's largest promoters, such as Insomniac, etc.

Having a love of technology through years of exposure as a young boy and then as a teenager, the quest to always stay up to date with the latest and greatest has come naturally over the last 2 decades. My first job in a call center environment built ... Show more

Heather Cook

Heather Cook

Heather Cook is Principal PM Manager for the Microsoft 365 Customer Advocacy Group within Microsoft’s Collaborative Applications and Platform Group. She leads engagement, evangelism, and growth strategies, building programs and connections between Microsoft and its global community. A former Microsoft MVP for Microsoft 365 Apps and Services, Heather brings over two decades of experience as a marketing executive for leading tech companies and as Founder of Creative Maven, her impact consultancy. As a consultant, executive event producer, and fractional Chief Marketing Officer, she has delivered thousands of events, campaigns, and experiences across high‑tech and entertainment. Heather is a seasoned keynote speaker, moderator, and host, and an avid writer who publishes Maven Musings on LinkedIn and her cultural Substack, Heddas Mix Tape. Her Microsoft origin story is featured in The Women of Microsoft. Based in Marina del Rey, California, she travels globally to speak on healthy workplaces, power skills, community, and inclusion.

Heather Cook is Principal PM Manager for the Microsoft 365 Customer Advocacy Group within Microsoft’s Collaborative Applications and Platform Group. She leads engagement, evangelism, and growth strategies, building programs and connections between Mi... Show more

Michelle Rhee

Michelle Rhee

Michelle Rhee is a transformational technology leader and strategic program management executive with over 15 years of experience driving digital innovation and enterprise-scale agile transformations. As a former Senior Director of Technical Program Management at Paramount Streaming's Pluto TV, she led complex digital transformation initiatives for a global streaming platform reaching 80M+ monthly active users across 30+ countries and generating over $1B in annual revenue.

Known for scaling high-performance teams and delivering mission-critical technical initiatives, Michelle grew her PMO organization from 4 to 25 Technical Program Managers while implementing agile transformation initiatives that improved organizational maturity by 30%. Her expertise spans strategic business transformation, digital product strategy, and enterprise program management, with particular focus on streaming technology, content delivery networks, and generative AI applications.

Previously at Verizon Media Platform, Michelle directed strategic engineering programs supporting 10% of global internet traffic through CDN optimization and cloud computing initiatives. Her innovative leadership in OTT streaming services and infrastructure optimization has consistently delivered measurable business impact, including 50% reduction in network infrastructure costs and the successful launch of new revenue streams.

Michelle holds various agile certifications, such as SAFe 6 Practice Consultant & Trainer (SPC6), and is currently pursuing Generative AI for Digital Transformation at MIT Professional Education [This should be completed before the conference]. She serves on the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and is actively involved with the Athena Alliance and Women in Tech communities, advocating for diversity in technology leadership.

As a speaker, Michelle brings practical insights into digital transformation, agile leadership, streaming technology evolution, and the future of content delivery platforms. Her engaging presentation style combines strategic vision with tactical execution strategies, making complex technical concepts accessible to diverse audiences.

Michelle Rhee is a transformational technology leader and strategic program management executive with over 15 years of experience driving digital innovation and enterprise-scale agile transformations. As a former Senior Director of Technical Program ... Show more

Jimmy Clare

Jimmy Clare

Jimmy Clare is an autistic keynote speaker, podcaster, and founder of CrazyFitnessGuy®, a wellness platform that makes neurodiversity, mental health, and sustainable habits practical for everyday life. Growing up autistic with a non‑verbal learning disorder, Jimmy was bullied in school, faced multiple surgeries and health challenges, and was often told what he would never be able to do. Instead of letting those experiences define him, he learned to turn adversity into fuel and now helps audiences do the same.

Through his keynotes and the CrazyFitnessGuy® Show, Jimmy blends lived experience, humor, and clear frameworks to help people build realistic habits, rethink what “healthy” can look like, and support neurodivergent colleagues, students, and family members more effectively. His sessions translate big ideas about inclusion, resilience, and wellness into small, concrete actions that busy people can actually use.

Jimmy likes to joke that he is “the poor Matt Damon of the speaking world”—no Hollywood budget, no stunt doubles, just a real guy who shows up, tells the truth, and helps people laugh while they rethink what they are capable of. Event organizers value his no‑fluff style, professionalism, and flexibility. He collaborates on goals and audience needs, adapts to different room setups and formats, and delivers engaging content that works for both students and professionals. Jimmy is a strong fit for events focused on autism and neurodiversity, mental health and wellness, bullying and resilience, and inclusive workplace culture.

Jimmy Clare is an autistic keynote speaker, podcaster, and founder of CrazyFitnessGuy®, a wellness platform that makes neurodiversity, mental health, and sustainable habits practical for everyday life. Growing up autistic with a non‑verbal learning d... Show more

Patrick Heyde

Patrick Heyde

Patrick Heyde ist Azure Specialist für Microsoft und hat eine lange Azure, SharePoint und SQL Vergangen­heit. Seit 2007 arbeitet er bei Microsoft und war mehrfach Sprecher auf Kon­ferenzen. In Kunden­projekten findet man ihn immer wieder in den Themen­bereichen Azure, SharePoint und SQL Server wieder. Sein Spezialgebiet ist die Archi­tekturberatung und Auto­matisierung sowie die Themen Aufbau von Business-Modellen und deren Transformation und natürlich sein liebstes Thema „Neue verrückte Szenarien entwickeln, die einfach funktio­nieren, die sich keiner vorstellen kann, natürlich auf und mit Microsoft Azure“. In der Rolle des Business Lead verantwortet er das Azure Business rund um die Microsoft Partner Welt.

Patrick Heyde ist Azure Specialist für Microsoft und hat eine lange Azure, SharePoint und SQL Vergangen­heit. Seit 2007 arbeitet er bei Microsoft und war mehrfach Sprecher auf Kon­ferenzen. In Kunden­projekten findet man ihn immer wieder in den Theme... Show more

Joshua Johnson

Joshua Johnson


Joshua Johnson is an American technology executive who serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of TREE Industries, a company founded in September 2017 and headquartered in Washington, Missouri, specializing in sustainable AI innovation to address environmental challenges through ethical, eco-friendly artificial intelligence solutions focused on accessibility, privacy, and open-source technologies. As CTO since the company's inception, Johnson architects next-generation emerging technologies and AI solutions, leading TREE Industries' efforts to integrate sustainability first principles into AI development for global problem-solving, including advancements in voice-powered tools, 3D avatars with open-source AI assistants, and collaborative virtual beings. His notable public contributions, documented since 2017, include spearheading the release of TREE's first video game, Ultimate Disc Golf, in December 2019; developing a voice-powered virtual production tool using Unreal Engine and open-source AI in February 2020; creating the first 3D avatars integrated with the Mycroft AI assistant in March 2021; launching a desktop control skill for Mycroft AI in June 2021; and developing BlenderGPT, an AI tool for generative 3D modeling, which was featured in NVIDIA's 2023 SIGGRAPH keynote, all emphasizing ethical and environmentally conscious tech innovation. Johnson is further distinguished in the field by his role in collaborations, such as TREE Industries' partnership with Fable on AI-driven projects, and his co-founding of Geppetto AI to advance real-time AI applications.

Joshua Johnson's early career in the technology sector began with roles focused on web development and software engineering, laying the foundation for his later work in AI and sustainable technologies. Alongside his role at TREE Industries, he founded and continues to lead eClarity Web Solutions, where he serves as CEO, assisting businesses and individuals in developing modern content management system (CMS)-powered websites. In this position, Johnson specialized in technologies such as Joomla!, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, PHP, Flash AS3, and HTML5, gaining expertise in web design and development over several years.These early experiences honed his skills in programming and digital solutions, enabling him to tackle more complex technical challenges in subsequent roles. Although specific timelines for his initial positions are not widely documented, his work at eClarity represented a key period of skill development in software engineering and client-facing tech services before transitioning to executive leadership in AI innovation.

Leadership at TREE Industries

Joshua Johnson was appointed as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of TREE Industries upon its founding in September 2017, where he has led the technical direction since inception. In this executive role, Johnson has focused on initial team-building efforts and aligning the company's technological vision with sustainable AI goals aimed at addressing environmental challenges through ethical and eco-friendly solutions. Key leadership milestones under Johnson's tenure include overseeing the expansion of research and development (R&D) activities from 2018 onward, such as the company's joining of the Greater North County Chamber of Commerce in February 2018 to foster industry collaborations and the development of innovative AI tools, including a voice-powered virtual production tool using Unreal Engine and open-source AI in February 2020. By 2021, his strategic guidance contributed to further R&D growth, exemplified by the creation of 3D avatars integrated with Mycroft AI in March 2021, the release of a desktop control skill for Mycroft AI in June 2021, and the prototyping of an AI virtual being capable of real-time 3D art generation in August 2021 as part of TREE Industries' entry into The Culture DAO. These efforts highlight Johnson's role in hiring key engineers and forming partnerships with environmental and tech organizations to scale sustainable AI initiatives. Johnson's strategic initiatives have emphasized eco-friendly practices, including the implementation of sustainable operations in data centers and AI development processes, though specific budgets remain undisclosed in public records. His leadership has driven organizational growth, positioning TREE Industries as a leader in green AI technologies headquartered in Washington, Missouri.

Innovations in AI Sustainability

As CTO of TREE Industries, Joshua Johnson leads efforts to integrate sustainability principles into AI development, focusing on ethical and eco-friendly artificial intelligence solutions.

Key Projects and Initiatives:

Joshua Johnson has led several AI-driven projects at TREE Industries since joining as CTO in 2017, aligning with the company's vision for sustainable AI innovation to address environmental challenges through ethical and eco-friendly solutions. One notable initiative is the development of Ultimate Disc Golf, a video game incorporating AI and machine learning elements, launched in December 2019. This project aimed to advance accessible gaming technologies while exploring AI applications in simulation and real-time environments, with Johnson discussing its integration of AI for enhanced user experiences during a 2020 podcast interview. The effort contributed to TREE Industries' broader portfolio in ethical AI for entertainment, though specific environmental impact metrics were not publicly detailed. In 2021, Johnson oversaw the creation of DeepSpeech-based automatic speech systems for games, focusing on open-source AI to enable voice interactions in virtual environments. This initiative sought to promote affordable and privacy-focused AI tools, developed as part of TREE's commitment to socially responsible technology, with outcomes including prototypes for real-time 3D art creation. The project underscored ethical considerations in AI deployment for gaming industries.[More recently, in 2024, Johnson collaborated with Fable on an AI project bringing the Sam Altman saga to life through advanced chatbots, emphasizing innovative storytelling via eco-friendly AI practices. According to a Forbes article, these chatbots represented non-traditional applications, highlighting TREE Industries' role in sustainable AI collaborations that minimize computational waste. The partnership demonstrated measurable advancements in ethical AI for narrative simulations. Additionally, under Johnson's leadership, TREE Industries advanced the Unreal Agent plugin in 2025, an open-source AI copilot for Unreal Engine 5 that automates tasks like level design and content generation to optimize development workflows. This tool aims to reduce energy-intensive manual processes, supporting green AI goals through efficient, real-time integrations, with its GitHub release fostering community-driven sustainable innovations.

Industry Influence:

Joshua Johnson has exerted influence in the sustainable AI sector through his thought leadership and participation in high-profile industry events. As CTO of TREE Industries, he spoke at the AI Film and Games Festival in San Francisco in 2023 and GatherVerse Summit 2025.This engagement underscores his role in promoting ethical AI practices that align with environmental goals, as TREE Industries emphasizes "Sustainability First" in its operations. In advisory capacities, Johnson serves as the Interoperability Committee Lead at The Culture DAO since April 2022, contributing to standards development in emerging technologies, including AI interoperability that supports sustainable applications. Johnson's contributions extend to open-source initiatives that advance sustainable AI tools. Under his technical guidance at TREE Industries, the company developed and released open-source projects such as 3D avatars integrated with Mycroft AI, a voice-powered virtual production tool using Unreal Engine and open-source AI, and a desktop control skill for Mycroft, all launched between 2020 and 2021 to make advanced technologies more accessible and environmentally responsible. These efforts have been adopted in communities focused on conversational AI, promoting energy-efficient offline processing solutions that reduce computational waste. Additionally, TREE's early involvement in open-source speech systems like DeepSpeech has influenced game development and AI applications with lower environmental footprints.Through these activities, Johnson has shaped industry discussions on sustainable AI, as evidenced by his commentary in media outlets like Forbes, where he highlighted innovative AI collaborations that prioritize ethical and eco-friendly advancements. His work has contributed to TREE Industries' promotion of AI adoption among local businesses via chamber of commerce memberships, fostering wider sectoral shifts toward sustainability.

Joshua Johnson is an American technology executive who serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of TREE Industries, a company founded in September 2017 and headquartered in Washington, Missouri, specializing in sustainable AI innovation to addr... Show more

Annalisa Arcella

Annalisa Arcella

Senior Manager of ML Engineering, AI thought leader with 10+ years working worldwide from biomedical research, IoT, to financial service and digital media. She is a cloud enthusiastic, public speaker and active tech advocate among the Google Developers Community as Women TechMakers Ambassador.

Senior Manager of ML Engineering, AI thought leader with 10+ years working worldwide from biomedical research, IoT, to financial service and digital media. She is a cloud enthusiastic, public speaker and active tech advocate among the Google Develope... Show more

Ted Neward

Ted Neward

Ted is a big geek. See http://www.newardassociates.com/#/bio for more

Ted is a big geek. See http://www.newardassociates.com/#/bio for more Show more

Soenil Soebedar

Soenil Soebedar

Soenil Soebedar is a solution-oriented Cyber security professional who spent more than 32 years in the IT sector, 22 years as a contractor and founder of SOEBIT Cybersecurity in Netherlands (Europe) and 12 years in the Cyber Security area as Ethical Hacker, Penetration tester, PKI/Cryptography specialist, Senior Security Engineer, Senior SOC Specialist. He has experience in a number of industries such as Finance and Banking, Energy, Government, Healthcare, Education and Consulting and a lot of international experience to work in teams and individually, in multiple countries and several cultures: France, Germany, UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, India & Dubai.

• Worked 7 + years for the European Power & Gas exchange market, Worked 5+ years in the IT & Cybersecurity Training & Education field – International (Dubai & India), Worked 3 + Years for the Government of The Netherlands – Division: Ministry of Justice and Security for customers as Custodial Institutions Agency (All Prison of NL) as Senior SOC Security Engineer & Penetration Tester, Worked 16 months as freelance Senior security engineer (Malware & DLP team) for ABN-AMRO Bank, Worked 14 months as freelance Senior PKI Cryptography specialist for Dutch Central Bank, Currently, since Oct 2022, working as freelance PKI & Cryptography Architect for Government of Defence in The Netherlands
• Hold 29 International cybersecurity valid certifications, such as (CEH) Ethical Hacker, RCCE, CCISO, CHFI, Microsoft Azure & Security SC-100, SC-200, AI-102, Mobile Forensics, cryptography & advanced penetration testing etc.
• He is certified Trainer for PECB, EC-Council & Rocheston Cybersecurity training.

• Technical & Keynote Speaker on Cybersecurity conferences on CYBERSEC Asia 2025, CYBERSEC Netherlands 2024, CyberWiseCon 2024, IT/CS University’s in Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bangalore, NMITCON 2023+2024, Bangalore, AsiaTech Singapore 2023, C0c0n 2022 by Kerala Police in India, Diversec-con, IEEE India, Rocheston Reinvent, Next Generation CyberMinds, Malaysia, Asia Conference etc.

• He has delivered (virtual) workshops, cybersecurity training, speaker on conferences and webinars for IT Professionals, colleges & universities in Netherlands, USA, Suriname, India, Ghana, Lithuania, Bangkok, Singapore & Malaysia.

Soenil Soebedar is a solution-oriented Cyber security professional who spent more than 32 years in the IT sector, 22 years as a contractor and founder of SOEBIT Cybersecurity in Netherlands (Europe) and 12 years in the Cyber Security area as Ethical ... Show more

Phil Ledgerwood

Phil Ledgerwood

Phil Ledgerwood’s resumé looks like seven other people’s resumés stitched together. He has baked bagels, guarded Clint Black’s town home, cooked for a gourmet food shop, freed stuck college students from elevators, managed printing plates for packaging, and served as a linguist in the Air Force. He taught himself HTML when the Netscape browser was still a thing, and the rest is history.

Phil is a twenty-year veteran of the software development industry in the Kansas City area. If you’re in the Kansas City area, he is two degrees of separation away from any programmer you know and has probably worked for, at, or with your company.

When the agile movement hit town, Phil knew a good thing when he saw it and became an early adopter of first wave agile practices. He has used these practices to ideate, build, and complete software projects ranging from loan forecasting to routing irrigation trucks to managing pharmacies to predictive lead generation to selling teddy bears. When people ask what vertical his company serves, he says, “Yours.”

Phil has incorporated Lean methodologies into software development just like his father used to do in manufacturing. When he partnered with Travis Dietz to start Integrity Inspired Solutions in 2012, they laid the foundation in Lean to make the custom software development enterprise more humane, predictable, and focused on the success of everyone involved.

A regular speaker at developer, Lean, and Agile conferences, Phil has a passion for taking his company’s ways to other companies whether they create software or not. He loves to see them transform from a collection of interactions riddled with disappointments and broken promises to team-oriented relational companies enjoying newfound trust, joy, efficiency, and success. Several companies from all over the world in all different industries contract Phil to help coach them through their own journeys. He also hosts the successful "Agile Bites" podcast.

When he’s not helping project managers learn predictive metrics or helping developers write customer-focused features, he’s enjoying a wide array of highly geeky hobbies including fantasy and sci-fi novels, gaming, and teaching Filipino stick fighting. His main hobby is making the world a better place for everyone who has to share the planet with him, and the engine for that is love.

Phil Ledgerwood’s resumé looks like seven other people’s resumés stitched together. He has baked bagels, guarded Clint Black’s town home, cooked for a gourmet food shop, freed stuck college students from elevators, managed printing plates for packagi... Show more

Aileen Villanueva Lecuona

Aileen Villanueva Lecuona

I’m a Software Engineer, Google Developer Expert (GDE), and community builder based in Mexico. My work centers around JavaScript, web development, and emerging AI tooling. I use AI as a tool in my engineering workflow, helping me prototype rapidly and take my ideas further. I'm highly interested in the future of interaction design and building interfaces where users and agents work side-by-side. Outside of work, I actively organize tech communities in Mexico. Whether I'm running a meetup, hosting a workshop, or speaking at a conference, my goal is to create approachable spaces for anybody to learn and share knowledge

I’m a Software Engineer, Google Developer Expert (GDE), and community builder based in Mexico. My work centers around JavaScript, web development, and emerging AI tooling. I use AI as a tool in my engineering workflow, helping me prototype rapidly an... Show more

Alejandra Ben Fernández

Alejandra Ben Fernández

Data Analyst with experience in People Analytics, BI, and Data Engineering. Passionate about transforming data into impactful decisions using tools like Power BI, SQL, Python, and Azure. Currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Data Science (UNIR) and part of the organizing team at Power Platform Madrid. I gave my first technical talk at W4TT, co-presenting on AI in Power Query. Committed to continuous learning and sharing knowledge within the tech community.

Data Analyst with experience in People Analytics, BI, and Data Engineering. Passionate about transforming data into impactful decisions using tools like Power BI, SQL, Python, and Azure. Currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Data Science (UNIR) a... Show more

Manuela Raidl

Manuela Raidl

Manuela Raidl is a Change and Communication Manager who helps organizations navigate complexity and transformation with clarity, empathy, and purpose.

Her journey into change work began through agile. What started with becoming a Scrum Master evolved into a broader focus on how teams and organizations adapt, learn, and grow. Today, Manuela sees agility not just as a framework, but as a mindset that underpins successful change.

Over the past year, she has spoken at several conferences across Europe, sharing practical insights on topics such as cultural challenges and team development. Whether working with engineers or executives, Manuela builds bridges between strategy and people – turning change initiatives into real, lived progress.

Manuela Raidl is a Change and Communication Manager who helps organizations navigate complexity and transformation with clarity, empathy, and purpose. Her journey into change work began through agile. What started with becoming a Scrum Master evol... Show more

Heber Romero Tellez

Heber Romero Tellez

Architect | Visionary Leader in DevSecOps, Cloud, Middleware, Cloud-Native Resilient and Serverless Cloud & Platform Architectures | Accelerating Enterprise Innovation at Global Scale | Mentor | Open source promoter

Being the best at what I do, seeking to deliver the best of me to others and trying to live a righteous life and be happy.
Growing as a person, always seeking improvement and success, providing everything in my scope, acquiring knowledge by learning from others, helping the growth of the workplace for mutual success.
I am an open-minded person, and free spirit, who likes to enjoy every moment, whether it is going out to enjoy sports, technology and family.

I lead digital transformation initiatives by designing open, scalable, and cloud-native architectures that empower global enterprises to innovate with agility and resilience. With deep expertise in middleware platforms and enterprise cloud solutions, I bridge the gap between strategy and execution. I am a visionary leader in DevSecOps, cloud-native, and serverless architectures, passionate about enabling interoperability, security, and performance across complex ecosystems. As a mentor, open source promoter, and founder, I am committed to shaping the next generation of technology leaders and advancing open innovation on a global scale.

Architect | Visionary Leader in DevSecOps, Cloud, Middleware, Cloud-Native Resilient and Serverless Cloud & Platform Architectures | Accelerating Enterprise Innovation at Global Scale | Mentor | Open source promoter Being the best at what I do, se... Show more

Dr. Ryan Rad

Dr. Ryan Rad

Dr. Ryan Rad is an AI researcher, professor, and industry advisor with over 15 years shaping how artificial intelligence is built, taught, and deployed. He holds faculty positions at Northeastern University and the University of British Columbia, where he has designed curricula and graduate programs in Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Generative AI, and Data Science—reaching thousands of students across six universities and online. His industry work spans research, engineering, and leadership at startups and tech giants including Microsoft, scaling AI solutions across 40 countries for Fortune 500 companies.
A sought-after speaker with 50+ international talks and tens of top-tier peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Rad's research focuses on resource-efficient generative AI for edge deployment. He is the author of The Agentic AI Book—distilling years of building, teaching, and deploying AI into actionable insights—and shares AI perspectives on his YouTube channel.

Dr. Ryan Rad is an AI researcher, professor, and industry advisor with over 15 years shaping how artificial intelligence is built, taught, and deployed. He holds faculty positions at Northeastern University and the University of British Columbia, whe... Show more

Ricky van Rijn

Ricky van Rijn

Practice Lead Java with over 10 years of hands-on java development experience. He is passionate about Software Development (Java, C++, Python), Robotics, IoT, Cybersecurity, opensource software and loves tech gadgets. Ricky is a speaker on conferences like Code&Comedy, DevSecCon, JFall, Devoxx UK and has a background as a lecturer on an University of Applied sciences. Besides all that Ricky is a Fitness and Martial Arts instructor and enthusiast.

Practice Lead Java with over 10 years of hands-on java development experience. He is passionate about Software Development (Java, C++, Python), Robotics, IoT, Cybersecurity, opensource software and loves tech gadgets. Ricky is a speaker on conference... Show more

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