Sammie Walker Herrera runs a public speaking coaching consultancy called Speak Y'all (yes, she's from Texas), leveraging 10+ years coaching leaders on their impromptu speaking, interviewing, and leadership skills. Her clients are senior leaders at companies like Amazon, IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft. She focuses on creating a fun, non-judgmental space for folks to hone their speaking strengths. Sammie is a Certified ADHD Coach through the ADD Coach Academy & the International Coaching Federation. She is passionate about supporting fellow neurodivergent professionals. Sammie earned two Bachelor's degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master's of Arts in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Slippery Rock University. Sammie is also a Latin dance instructor and performs improv comedy.

Sammie Walker Herrera runs a public speaking coaching consultancy called Speak Y'all (yes, she's from Texas), leveraging 10+ years coaching leaders on their impromptu speaking, interviewing, and leadership skills. Her clients are senior leaders at co... Show more

Luiz Real is a Software Engineer with 20+ years of experience. Passionate about Java, AI, and emerging technologies, he’s a SouJava São Paulo JUG leader and co-host of The Out of the Box Developer podcast. Beyond his technical leadership, Luiz dedicates part of his career to teaching and mentoring, connecting academic concepts with real-world practices. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, meetups, and technology events, and is the author of Kickstart Software Engineering Fundamentals.

Luiz Real is a Software Engineer with 20+ years of experience. Passionate about Java, AI, and emerging technologies, he’s a SouJava São Paulo JUG leader and co-host of The Out of the Box Developer podcast. Beyond his technical leadership, Luiz dedica... Show more

Ayoade Adegbite is a Senior Analytics Engineer, open-source builder, and technical speaker focused on the intersection of data, AI, and software engineering.

He builds practical tools that solve problems he encounters in real data teams—from data quality and governance to AI usage and developer experience. His open-source work includes AgentAbacus, a tool for interpreting and tracking AI agent usage and costs, and Governance Atlas, a practical guide to data protection and privacy for data professionals. He has also built developer tooling and extensions around technologies including dbt, Spark, and VS Code.

His work sits at an interesting intersection: understanding the business problem, translating it into a technical solution, and then building something people can actually use.

As a speaker, Ayoade focuses on practical, experience-driven talks that make complex topics understandable without stripping away the technical depth. His sessions explore data engineering, analytics engineering, AI, data governance, developer tooling, and the lessons that emerge when technology meets real-world constraints.

Ayoade Adegbite is a Senior Analytics Engineer, open-source builder, and technical speaker focused on the intersection of data, AI, and software engineering. He builds practical tools that solve problems he encounters in real data teams—from data ... Show more

Hastimal Jangid is a Cloud, Data, and AI technology leader, enterprise architect, researcher, and technical speaker with 15+ years of experience designing large-scale distributed, data-intensive, and AI-powered systems. He is 10× AWS, 7× GCP, 3×Azure, Kubernetes, Snowflake, Databricks, GenAI, GitHub, and Anthropic MCP Certified, combining deep multi-cloud expertise with emerging AI technologies.

His work and research focus on Large Language Models (LLMs), Agentic AI, AI Search and Retrieval, RAG, Model Context Protocol (MCP), cloud-native AI infrastructure, real-time data engineering, AI security, and responsible AI, with particular interest in applications across healthcare and biomedical systems.

As Co-founder of RankRabbit AI, Hastimal explores how LLMs and AI agents discover, retrieve, rank, reason over, and recommend information across platforms such as Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google’s AI-powered search experiences. His research interests include LLM retrieval and grounding, multi-agent systems, AI search, information quality, explainable AI (xAI), knowledge-base poisoning, AI security, and trustworthy AI systems.

His engineering background spans AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Kubernetes, distributed systems, Big Data, machine learning, MLOps, real-time streaming architectures, and AI agent infrastructure. He has designed and delivered enterprise technology initiatives across healthcare, financial services, retail, travel, media, and digital commerce.

As a technical speaker, Hastimal translates emerging AI research into practical architectures and hands-on demonstrations. His talks explore the intersection of LLMs, AI agents, MCP, cloud infrastructure, K8, search, security, and healthcare AI—explaining how modern AI systems work, where they fail, and how engineers can build them securely, responsibly, and at scale.

Hastimal Jangid is a Cloud, Data, and AI technology leader, enterprise architect, researcher, and technical speaker with 15+ years of experience designing large-scale distributed, data-intensive, and AI-powered systems. He is 10× AWS, 7× GCP, 3×Azure... Show more

Phillip Wylie is an offensive security professional with over 22 years of cybersecurity experience, building on six years as a systems administrator before transitioning into cybersecurity. His diverse background spans multiple disciplines including network security, application security, web application pentesting, Wi-Fi assessments, social engineering, and red team operations. He holds industry-recognized certifications including CISSP, OSCP, and GWAPT. Currently serving as Chief Evangelist and Senior Consultant at Suzu Labs, Phillip brings a uniquely well-rounded perspective to both the technical and strategic sides of offensive security.

Phillip is a dedicated educator who has taught pentesting and web application pentesting as an adjunct instructor at Dallas College, and has created and delivered offensive security content for P3F and INE. His personal brand, "The Hacker Maker," reflects his passion for making cybersecurity accessible to non-traditional career entrants.

His contributions to the cybersecurity community extend well beyond the technical. Phillip is the concept creator and co-author of The Pentester Blueprint: Starting a Career as an Ethical Hacker, a widely respected book that grew from a lecture he gave at Dallas College into a conference talk and ultimately a published resource for aspiring pentesters. He is also a featured contributor in Tribe of Hackers Red Team.

Phillip hosts The Phillip Wylie Show and Simply Offensive, co-hosts CYBR.HAK.Cast, and previously hosted The Hacker Factory Podcast, a SANS Difference Makers Award recipient. He is a frequent speaker and workshop instructor at US and international conferences including DEF CON, Black Hat, BSides, and RSAC, and remains an active mentor and community advocate throughout the cybersecurity industry.

Phillip Wylie is an offensive security professional with over 22 years of cybersecurity experience, building on six years as a systems administrator before transitioning into cybersecurity. His diverse background spans multiple disciplines including ... Show more

David Yitzhak, Team leader of Big Data and Nosql databases
David Yitzhak has over 24 years of experience with SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase and PostgreSQL . He is an applicative & infrastructure DBA for relational and Nosql solutions (MongoDB, Redis), Hadoop CDH and Spark. David is a specialist in HA and DRP solutions, tuning, Machine learning , security, High Performance Computing, replication (Oracle & SQL Server), BI infrastructure and system engineering. David Yitzhak holds 3 Degrees from Technicon (Israel Institute of Technology): BSC Information System , MBA and ME (System engineering) and research associate in one of the enterprise Organization. He presents in Oracle open world 2010, Organize Oracle ILOUG for 3 years , SQL Server forums, Microsoft BI forums, Sqlsaturday 2016/17/18/19/20 , DATA SATURDAY , Power Camps , GroupBy Europe , Future Data Driven , Data Platforms GlobalHebrew , Code PaLOUsa 2021\2 , Pass summit 2021 and more …

David Yitzhak, Team leader of Big Data and Nosql databases David Yitzhak has over 24 years of experience with SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase and PostgreSQL . He is an applicative & infrastructure DBA for relational and Nosql solutions (MongoDB, Redis),... Show more

Kasper is VP of Enterprise Sales for Europe at LS Retail, a global unified commerce and ERP provider built on Microsoft Dynamics 365. He leads enterprise sales strategy across the Nordics, Benelux, UK, Ireland, Germany and the Baltics, working through a partner led model to bring large, multi-country retail, pharmacy and hospitality groups onto unified commerce platforms. He is Danish, based in Copenhagen, and spends much of his time helping partners qualify, price and close deals that sit above the SMB threshold.

Kasper is VP of Enterprise Sales for Europe at LS Retail, a global unified commerce and ERP provider built on Microsoft Dynamics 365. He leads enterprise sales strategy across the Nordics, Benelux, UK, Ireland, Germany and the Baltics, working throug... Show more

Suzana Melo is a full-stack developer and AWS Cloud Practitioner who transitioned into software development in her 40s without a tech background. She holds a bachelor's degree in Communications and has over 20 years of experience. As a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, she actively works on initiatives that empower women and underrepresented groups in tech, mentors juniors and graduates, and drives tech community enablement across Europe, West Asia, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas. Suzana is an AWS Community Builder, founder of the AWS Women's User Group Sweden, and co-organizer of AWS Community Day Baltic. She is enrolled in a postgraduate specialization in AI and Machine Learning at PUC Minas, is a featured speaker at AWS re:Invent 2024, and writes articles and posts reaching 14,000+ impressions on LinkedIn and suzanamelo.com

Suzana Melo is a full-stack developer and AWS Cloud Practitioner who transitioned into software development in her 40s without a tech background. She holds a bachelor's degree in Communications and has over 20 years of experience. As a strong advocat... Show more

I am a Full-stack Engineer turned DevRel Engineer at New Relic. With a background in software engineering and marketing direction, my experience involves: designing and developing user interfaces, addressing customer/client pain points, marketing automation, and community development.

I am a Full-stack Engineer turned DevRel Engineer at New Relic. With a background in software engineering and marketing direction, my experience involves: designing and developing user interfaces, addressing customer/client pain points, marketing aut... Show more

Jo Minney is a small business founder and technical communicator based (for now) in Perth, Western Australia. She is passionate about user experience, data-driven decision making, cats and travel – not necessarily in that order. She’s also an avid maker, from 3D printing to sewing to woodworking, and loves combining technology and creativity to make cool stuff and encouraging others to do the same.

By day, you’ll find Jo working with charities and NGOs helping them to create bespoke digital platforms, conducting usability testing, or running workshops to help organisations level up their digital presence. You might also find her donating her time to help tackle social issues (such as gender inequality, domestic violence and global poverty) through the use of technology, or freelancing as a Nielsen Norman certified user experience research consultant.

Jo is an ambassador, sponsor and lead mentor for She Codes Australia, a social enterprise that aims to make tech jobs more accessible for women, and a has been recognized via multiple awards for her advocacy work related to diversity and gender equity. An accomplished international conference speaker, Jo can regularly be found with a microphone in hand speaking about user experience, accessibility, imposter syndrome, closing the gender gap and pockets.

Jo Minney is a small business founder and technical communicator based (for now) in Perth, Western Australia. She is passionate about user experience, data-driven decision making, cats and travel – not necessarily in that order. She’s also an avid ma... Show more

Cynthia Akiotu is a Cybersecurity Architect and Identity Specialist with deep expertise in Identity & Access Management (IAM), data governance, and Zero Trust implementation. She is a Security Data protection Associate Manager at Accenture.
With experience across diverse sectors, Cynthia has led projects on secure cloud adoption, privileged access management, insider risk mitigation, and identity governance for AI-driven environments. She holds several industry certifications including Microsoft Certified Identity & Access Administrator and Microsoft Certified Information Security Administrator. Her work centres on securing environments where AI agents, autonomous models, and machine identities are rapidly expanding the attack surface.

Cynthia is a regular speaker at global conferences where she delivers insights on AI governance, identity observability, and emerging cybersecurity risks. Her thought leadership extends to academic and industry publications, contributing to works on AI-enabled regulatory compliance and digital skills development.

Cynthia Akiotu is a Cybersecurity Architect and Identity Specialist with deep expertise in Identity & Access Management (IAM), data governance, and Zero Trust implementation. She is a Security Data protection Associate Manager at Accenture. With e... Show more

Bruno Zagorščak is a content maker, videographer, and live-stream producer. He's Chief Content Officer and co-founder of Neuralab, a full-service team of creative people, managing all aspects of online eCommerce projects. He has nearly two decades of experience creating content across multiple mediums, including video, audio, photography, and text. His role at Neuralab involves leading content creation, often focusing on engaging user experiences. Bruno is also known for his expertise producing interactive content and directing live broadcasts, as well as his participation in various podcasts and webinars related to the tech industry.

Bruno Zagorščak is a content maker, videographer, and live-stream producer. He's Chief Content Officer and co-founder of Neuralab, a full-service team of creative people, managing all aspects of online eCommerce projects. He has nearly two decades of... Show more

Mitchel Sellers is globally known as a 17-time Microsoft MVP, an ASPInsider, a DNN MVP, is an MCP (Microsoft .NET, ASP.NET and SQL Server), and CEO of IowaComputerGurus Inc. Sellers has a deep understanding of software development and when speaking focuses on proper architecture standards, performance, stability, security, and overall cost-effectiveness of delivered solutions. This message and his abilities resonate in the technical war room as well as the executive board room.

Mitchel is a prolific public speaker, presenting more than 400 sessions at user groups and conferences globally, such as DevUp, SDN, and Code PaLOUsa. Sellers has been the author of multiple books and a regular blogger on technology topics.

When Mitchel is not working in technology, you will find him flying his airplane, teaching others how to fly, or spending time with his family He is also actively involved in the Open Source Community working diligently to further the movement. Find out more about Sellers at his website http://www.mitchelsellers.com.

Mitchel Sellers is globally known as a 17-time Microsoft MVP, an ASPInsider, a DNN MVP, is an MCP (Microsoft .NET, ASP.NET and SQL Server), and CEO of IowaComputerGurus Inc. Sellers has a deep understanding of software development and when speaking f... Show more

Enterprise product executive with 20+ years scaling AppSec, Al-driven SaaS, and developer platforms through periods of rapid commercial and product transformation. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to combine deep technical expertise with a strong go-to-market mindset to deliver products that make a real impact.
At Docker, I'm leading Docker Hub and everything developer tooling.

Before joining Docker, I held executive leadership and engineering roles at Checkmarx, Time To Know, HPE, PicApp, and Bezeq, gaining a 360-degree view of product development — from hands-on engineering to strategic product management and customer engagement.

What drives me is helping teams innovate with confidence, bridging the gap between security and development, and empowering organizations to build software that’s not only powerful but also secure.

Enterprise product executive with 20+ years scaling AppSec, Al-driven SaaS, and developer platforms through periods of rapid commercial and product transformation. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to combine deep technical expertise with a st... Show more

Je suis tombé dans la marmite Agile en 2018, après 17 ans de vie dans l'IT et la conception de produits.
D'abord Product Owner, puis Scrum Master. Aujourd’hui, j’accompagne les équipes dans leur découverte de l’Agilité.
Je me considère comme agnostique en matière d’Agilité. Pour moi les frameworks sont des outils utiles, à condition d’être bien compris et utilisés avec discernement.
Mon objectif est de rester fidèle au Manifeste Agile et à son esprit, tout en étant attentif aux impacts humains, organisationnels et environnementaux — notamment en promouvant un numérique responsable.

Je suis tombé dans la marmite Agile en 2018, après 17 ans de vie dans l'IT et la conception de produits. D'abord Product Owner, puis Scrum Master. Aujourd’hui, j’accompagne les équipes dans leur découverte de l’Agilité. Je me considère comme agnost... Show more

Chad Gerber is a 10x platinum and gold-selling artist, inventor, and founder of ShadowGen and Meloscene.

As an artist, producer, and composer, Gerber has worked on projects across music, film, television, and interactive media. His background in sound and technology has also played a major role in the systems he builds today.

Gerber is the founder of ShadowGen, where he is developing communication technology designed to keep voice working in extremely low-bandwidth and unreliable network environments. The technology has been tested outside the lab in real-world field conditions, including environments where conventional voice communication becomes impractical.

He is also the founder of Meloscene, an immersive collaboration platform that gives artists and creators a shared virtual space to work together remotely.

Gerber continues to work across music, immersive technology, AI, and communication systems. His talks focus on what he has actually built and learned along the way, from creative technology and immersive environments to the challenges of building communication systems that have to work when networks don't.

He has presented his work in Washington, D.C. and internationally, and has appeared on the BBC and other media.

Chad Gerber is a 10x platinum and gold-selling artist, inventor, and founder of ShadowGen and Meloscene. As an artist, producer, and composer, Gerber has worked on projects across music, film, television, and interactive media. His background in s... Show more

Senior Software Engineer | Java, Spring Boot, Microservices & Software Architecture Expert | 10+ Years Experience

Garima Agarwal is a seasoned Senior Software Engineer and international speaker with over 10 years of experience in software architecture, backend development, and large-scale system migrations. She specializes in Java, Spring Boot, Spring AI, Microservices, and Event-Driven Architecture, with a proven track record of designing and delivering high-performance, scalable solutions for Fortune companies in banking, insurance, finance, eCommerce, and government domains.

As a passionate Women in Tech leader and Instagram influencer with millions of views, Garima actively advocates for technical excellence, mentorship, and diversity in technology. She excels in performance optimization, API development, system modernization, and ensuring robust production systems that drive business impact.

Known for her dynamic speaking style and deep technical insights, Garima is committed to sharing knowledge, empowering developers, and building future-ready architectures.

Senior Software Engineer | Java, Spring Boot, Microservices & Software Architecture Expert | 10+ Years Experience Garima Agarwal is a seasoned Senior Software Engineer and international speaker with over 10 years of experience in software architec... Show more

Janet has been working within the Microsoft ego system for over 27 years. Both within Microsoft , Partner networks & Consultancy. She is one of the leading change practitioners in AI, Dynamics and Power Platform, she knows what works & the effort it requires to be successful.

Janet is one of the founding members of the power platform community & known for mentoring & supporting up & coming talent. Janet is passionate about ensuring a safe & equal opportunities for women within the IT industry.
She is known for being straight talking – you have be warned.

Janet has been working within the Microsoft ego system for over 27 years. Both within Microsoft , Partner networks & Consultancy. She is one of the leading change practitioners in AI, Dynamics and Power Platform, she knows what works & the effort it... Show more

Andreas Monschau works as a Senior IT Consultant at Haeger Consulting in Bonn. In client projects, he has taken on various roles, ranging from software developer and software architect to test manager, team lead, and requirements manager.

As an experienced conference speaker and author, Andreas focuses on the realities of software projects beyond technologies and methodologies. His talks and articles explore recurring anti-patterns, organizational dysfunctions, and the human side of project work – often with a critical and humorous perspective.

Andreas Monschau works as a Senior IT Consultant at Haeger Consulting in Bonn. In client projects, he has taken on various roles, ranging from software developer and software architect to test manager, team lead, and requirements manager. As an ex... Show more

Hello! I'm a Solution Architect at Eide Bailly Advisory LLC, a top-notch business advisory firm, and a proud Featured Fabric Partner. I love working with clients and teams to craft and deliver innovative solutions to business challenges using Microsoft technologies and platforms.

With over 20 years of experience in software engineering, I hold master's degrees in both software engineering and data science. I'm also certified in over 25 industry areas, including Microsoft Solution Architect certifications for AI, Azure, Power Platform, and Dynamics.

My expertise spans across Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Fabric, Power Platform, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Development frameworks, tools, and DevOps, as well as major open-source development platforms. I specialize in designing and implementing no-code, low-code, and custom solutions, and I thrive on leading and collaborating with both on-shore and off-shore development teams to drive innovation and deliver customer value.

I'm known for my exceptional communication skills, which allow me to connect with both technical and non-technical audiences at all levels. I've had the pleasure of presenting at several industry conferences, including the FabCon, Microsoft Ready, Microsoft Convergence, and StarWest / East.

In my spare time, I enjoy indulging in my interests in U.S.A. Swimming, space exploration, science, engineering, and Lego. I'm passionate about creating software that solves real problems and makes a positive impact.

Hello! I'm a Solution Architect at Eide Bailly Advisory LLC, a top-notch business advisory firm, and a proud Featured Fabric Partner. I love working with clients and teams to craft and deliver innovative solutions to business challenges using Microso... Show more

Dr. Mostafa Nawareg is an Egyptian International Marketing Consultant, Corporate Trainer & Author, and business development advisor. He has extensive experience in marketing strategy, brand positioning, business growth, organizational development, and corporate training across the MENA region.

He is the founder of Lighthouse Training Academy, a sole proprietorship established in Egypt in 2013, providing marketing consulting, strategic planning, business development, corporate training, and professional advisory services.

He is also the creator of Marketing Planner, a proprietary AI-powered web platform designed to help business owners, marketing managers, consultants, and entrepreneurs create complete marketing plans through structured tools, guided forms, analysis frameworks, and execution-focused planning templates.

Dr. Nawareg is the author of 40 published books and has delivered consulting and training programs for companies, institutions, and executives across multiple industries and countries.

خبرة 24 سنة في 22 دولة مع +200 شركة تعمل في 41 قطاعا .. صاغها في 40 كتابا
ISNI: 0000 0005 3046 7995 | ORCID: 0009-0007-8742-9270
Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q140563767

Selected Conference Experience:
• African Startups Conference 2025 (4th Edition) — Algeria, December 2025. Keynote on entrepreneurship, strategic marketing, and the African startup ecosystem (by official invitation from the Government of Algeria).
• International Pharmaceutical Federation & UNESCO Conference — Egypt, 2025. Appearance before deans from 6 countries.
• Pharmaceutical Marketing & Selling: Pitfalls and Solutions — Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Jordan, 2025.
• The First Medical Advertising Conference — Egypt, 2024.
• Marketing in the Veterinary Sector: Success or Failure? — Egypt, 2024.
• Marketing Literary Works — El Sawy Culturewheel, Cairo, 2024.
• Post-University Training — Heliopolis University, Cairo, 2024.
• MBA Researchers' Graduation — Brooklyn Business School, Cairo, 2020.

Dr. Mostafa Nawareg is an Egyptian International Marketing Consultant, Corporate Trainer & Author, and business development advisor. He has extensive experience in marketing strategy, brand positioning, business growth, organizational development, an... Show more

Wojtek is a software engineer and architect with 15+ years in IT, ex-Amazon, 14x AWS-certified, and co-founder of a cloud-native consultancy that advised CTOs and CIOs across Europe and the US. He has delivered 100+ talks and workshops since 2014. FeatureOps brought him to Unleash: reliable software that solves real user problems, released safely and under control. Now he helps large enterprises adopt an AI-native SDLC while keeping quality and stability high, so they build the right software in the right way, without losing speed or confidence.

Wojtek is a software engineer and architect with 15+ years in IT, ex-Amazon, 14x AWS-certified, and co-founder of a cloud-native consultancy that advised CTOs and CIOs across Europe and the US. He has delivered 100+ talks and workshops since 2014. Fe... Show more

Michele Grant is a global M&A integration and enterprise transformation executive with 20+ years of enterprise transformation and 10+ years of M&A integration experience guiding complex transactions, private equity portfolio integrations, and enterprise modernization initiatives across media, technology, consumer goods, and financial services. At Cognizant, she serves as Value Realization Office Lead on a multi-billion-dollar post-acquisition managed services transition for a Fortune 500 fintech client. She has led post-merger integration for landmark transactions including the $30 billion ViacomCBS merger and NBCUniversal's $39 billion Sky acquisition, and established the Integration Management Office for a PE-backed consumer goods merger, coordinating 350+ cross-functional stakeholders to advance a $250M synergy case across operations, supply chain, and technology consolidation.

Michele is the creator of Leading at Scale, a video and article series on M&A integration and enterprise transformation published weekly across YouTube, Substack, Medium, and LinkedIn. Her talks cover integration, change management, risk management, governance, M&A due diligence, the first 100 days, value realization, and AI transformation. She delivered the May 2026 Cornell Tech Business Network Forum keynote on post-merger integration, has spoken at the Women Changemakers Forum and Cornell Johnson School of Management, and is a 2026 recipient of the St. John's University Alumnae Achiever Award.

She is the #1 Amazon bestselling author of The Power Dressers™: A Women's Guide to Professional Style and serves as President of the Cornell Johnson Women's Leadership and Advocacy Network, Chair of the Loughlin Society at St. John's University, and Chair of the Cornell EMC2 Fellows Program. Her credentials include a Cornell Johnson Executive MBA (May 2027), the Wharton M&A and Corporate Development credential, NACD Accelerate, and a B.S. in Computer Science from St. John's University. She is based in the New York metropolitan area and speaks in person and virtually.

Michele Grant is a global M&A integration and enterprise transformation executive with 20+ years of enterprise transformation and 10+ years of M&A integration experience guiding complex transactions, private equity portfolio integrations, and enterpr... Show more

Amanda Lentz is a speaker, podcast host, and Human Resources Business Partner whose work explores identity, change, and the human experience at work. Drawing from lived experience and a foundation in organizational psychology, she helps audiences navigate the moments when life or career disrupts the story they thought they were living.

She is the creator and host of Who We Become — Life Beyond Change, a podcast featuring honest conversations about reinvention and the in‑between spaces of transformation. Her graduate training in I/O Psychology, Leadership Development, and Business Administration shapes her practical, human‑centered approach to growth, resilience, and leadership.

Amanda speaks across industries — from healthcare and HR to women’s leadership, technology, and organizational development — offering language and frameworks for navigating uncertainty, rebuilding identity, and leading with humanity. Her signature talks help audiences name experiences they’ve been living but haven’t yet articulated.

Change is inevitable. Becoming is intentional.

Amanda Lentz is a speaker, podcast host, and Human Resources Business Partner whose work explores identity, change, and the human experience at work. Drawing from lived experience and a foundation in organizational psychology, she helps audiences nav... Show more

Eric Riz
Eric is an internationally recognized technology strategist, author, and keynote speaker who challenges organizations to rethink their relationship with technology, artificial intelligence, and the growing burden of digital complexity. With more than two decades of experience advising global enterprises, including Disney and Kellogg’s, Eric has built a career helping leaders navigate digital transformation, strengthen governance, and unlock the business value of emerging technologies.

As the author of Digital Debt, Eric explores one of the most pressing challenges facing modern organizations: the accumulation of fragmented systems, unmanaged information, outdated processes, and technology decisions that quietly undermine productivity, innovation, and growth. His work examines how artificial intelligence can both accelerate these challenges and create opportunities to overcome them, offering business leaders a practical framework for reducing digital debt and building AI-ready organizations.

A sought-after keynote speaker and conference presenter, Eric brings a compelling combination of executive insight, technical expertise, real-world experience, and engaging storytelling to the stage. His presentations challenge conventional thinking about AI adoption, Microsoft Copilot, digital transformation, cybersecurity, and organizational readiness. Rather than focusing solely on emerging technology, Eric examines the leadership decisions, governance failures, and operational realities that determine whether innovation delivers measurable business value.

Through his speaking engagements, Eric helps executives, technology leaders, and business professionals understand the hidden costs of digital complexity, the risks of accelerating AI without a strong foundation, and the strategies required to turn technological investment into lasting competitive advantage. His presentations translate complex technical and strategic challenges into accessible, actionable insights that resonate with audiences across industries.

Eric’s expertise extends across the Microsoft ecosystem, including Microsoft 365, Copilot, SharePoint, Teams, Purview, Defender, Sentinel, and enterprise AI governance. As a six-time Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) and member of the Microsoft Cloud Advisory Board, he has contributed to the evolution of enterprise technology while advising organizations on responsible AI adoption, security, compliance, and digital modernization.

His perspectives have been featured in prominent media outlets, including Fox Business, The Globe and Mail, Entrepreneur Magazine, and The Huffington Post. He has also served as a judge for the Microsoft Imagine Cup, supporting the next generation of innovators and technology leaders.

Based in Toronto, Eric continues to advise global organizations while bringing the message of Digital Debt to conferences, executive leadership forums, and industry events. His mission is to help organizations recognize that the greatest obstacle to AI-driven transformation is often not the technology they lack, but the digital debt they already carry.

Eric Riz Eric is an internationally recognized technology strategist, author, and keynote speaker who challenges organizations to rethink their relationship with technology, artificial intelligence, and the growing burden of digital complexity. With... Show more

Hi, I’m Achraf Ben Alaya a Cloud and Azure Architect, Microsoft MVP, Microsoft Certified Trainer, and DevSecOps Engineer.

Today, my work focuses on designing and delivering modern cloud architectures, helping organizations build secure, scalable, and reliable solutions on Microsoft Azure. With a strong background in .NET, Xamarin, full-stack development, DevOps, and security practices, I bring both architectural vision and hands-on technical experience to every project.

As a lifelong learner, I believe that growth comes from continuous improvement and knowledge sharing. Beyond my work as an architect, I’m passionate about helping the tech community better understand Azure, Cloud, DevOps, and DevSecOps through practical content, training, and real-world insights.

My goal is to simplify complex technologies, share what I learn, and inspire others to keep growing in their own cloud and technology journeys.

Whether you’re an architect, developer, DevOps engineer, cloud enthusiast, or someone exploring modern technology, welcome to my space.

Website: achrafbenalaya.com

YouTube: Achraf Ben Alaya

Hi, I’m Achraf Ben Alaya a Cloud and Azure Architect, Microsoft MVP, Microsoft Certified Trainer, and DevSecOps Engineer. Today, my work focuses on designing and delivering modern cloud architectures, helping organizations build secure, scalable,... Show more

Lesley Cordero is currently a Staff Software Engineer, Tech Lead at The New York Times. She has spent the majority of her career on edtech teams as an engineer, including Google for Education and other edtech startups.

In her current role, she is focused on observability, shared platforms, and building excellent teams by setting reliability vision & strategy across The Times, improving our observability footprint, and cultivating culture that builds with the most vulnerable employees in mind first. She shows care for others by holding them accountable to the best versions of themselves – and by buying them the occasional bubble tea.

Lesley Cordero is currently a Staff Software Engineer, Tech Lead at The New York Times. She has spent the majority of her career on edtech teams as an engineer, including Google for Education and other edtech startups. In her current role, she is... Show more

Grant Fritchey is a Data Platform MVP and AWS Community Builder with over 30 years’ experience in IT, including time spent in support and development. Grant works with multiple data platforms including SQL Server and PostgreSQL as well as multiple cloud platforms. He has also developed in VB, VB.NET, C#, and Java. Grant writes books for Apress and Simple-Talk. Grant presents at conferences and user groups, large and small, all over the world. He joined Redgate Software as a product advocate in January 2011.

Grant Fritchey is a Data Platform MVP and AWS Community Builder with over 30 years’ experience in IT, including time spent in support and development. Grant works with multiple data platforms including SQL Server and PostgreSQL as well as multiple cl... Show more

Mauricio Alan Illera Díaz es Chief Security & Risk Officer (CSRO), subdirector de operaciones y conferencista internacional especializado en gobierno corporativo, gestión integral de riesgos, criminología corporativa y comportamiento humano aplicado a la seguridad.

Cuenta con más de 10 años de trayectoria liderando seguridad, auditoría, SSHE, expansión y continuidad del negocio en entornos multisitio en Latinoamérica, dirigiendo operaciones con más de 4,500 colaboradores y reportando directamente a comités ejecutivos y dirección general.

A lo largo de su carrera ha desarrollado modelos de prevención basados en análisis del comportamiento humano y analítica de riesgos, logrando reducciones de hasta 65 % en incidentes operativos, 30 % en accidentes laborales y hasta 70 % en pérdidas logísticas mediante estrategias preventivas y cultura organizacional.

Ha liderado proyectos de expansión corporativa con inversiones cercanas a 48 millones de dólares, garantizando continuidad operativa, cumplimiento normativo internacional y certificaciones ISO sin sanciones regulatorias.

Su experiencia abarca sectores logísticos, retail, manufactura, banca y operaciones multinacionales, habiendo ocupado posiciones estratégicas en organizaciones como Unilever, Miniso, Paquetexpress, Scotiabank y Prestalana.

Es autor de diversos modelos y publicaciones sobre seguridad basada en datos, criminología corporativa y prevención del delito organizacional, con difusión internacional y más de 80 reconocimientos profesionales.

En el ámbito académico y de divulgación, ha impartido conferencias en congresos internacionales, universidades y organismos gubernamentales sobre criminología, psicología forense, gestión de crisis, seguridad logística, deepfakes, ingeniería social y prevención del riesgo humano.

Mauricio cuenta con formación en criminología y criminalística, ingeniería en mecatrónica, hipnoterapia y atención médica prehospitalaria, además de certificaciones internacionales en auditoría, seguridad, investigación y gestión de riesgos.

Su trabajo se centra en transformar la seguridad tradicional en modelos preventivos basados en conducta humana, inteligencia aplicada y cultura organizacional, ayudando a empresas e instituciones a anticiparse a los riesgos antes de que se conviertan en crisis.

Mauricio Alan Illera Díaz es Chief Security & Risk Officer (CSRO), subdirector de operaciones y conferencista internacional especializado en gobierno corporativo, gestión integral de riesgos, criminología corporativa y comportamiento humano aplicado ... Show more

Expat Brit, artist, athlete, traveler, and technology community junkie. Vincent works at Neo4j as a Senior Manager, Community Management, is a Java Champion, a steering committee member for MicroProfile, a board member of the Atlanta Java Users Group since 2008, and is an organizer of the Devnexus conference

Vincent has a degree in 3D Design from the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, and, in another life, was a full-time athlete competing at World Championship level in whitewater kayaking.

Expat Brit, artist, athlete, traveler, and technology community junkie. Vincent works at Neo4j as a Senior Manager, Community Management, is a Java Champion, a steering committee member for MicroProfile, a board member of the Atlanta Java Users Group... Show more