When the pandemic hit, Mariya Koteva found herself at a crossroads: juggling new motherhood, career pressures, and chronic fatigue. It forced her to uncover a powerful truth: the capacity for change begins with wellbeing.

With 12+ years of experience in ERP and Change Management, including six years with Microsoft leading projects for Fortune 500 companies, Mariya has seen firsthand why transformations fail—it’s not the technology, it’s the people.

Her approach centers on building Change Capacity: unlocking the resilience, adaptability, and innovation teams need to thrive in a fast-changing world. By combining her expertise in digital transformation with neuroscience, resilience, and leadership, Mariya bridges the gap between the technical and human sides of change.

Through workshops, keynotes, and coaching, Mariya empowers leaders and teams to stop resisting change and start embracing it as their greatest opportunity for growth.

When the pandemic hit, Mariya Koteva found herself at a crossroads: juggling new motherhood, career pressures, and chronic fatigue. It forced her to uncover a powerful truth: the capacity for change begins with wellbeing. With 12+ years of experie... Show more

I’m a Bioinformatician and data science professional passionate about transforming complex biological data into actionable insights. My work focuses on genomics, transcriptomics, and machine learning applications in life sciences, with a strong interest in bridging biology and AI to enable data-driven discoveries. I have worked on multiple projects, including GeneFix AI, an AI-powered platform for predictive genomics and mutation analysis; GenomeHouse, an integrated Python framework for genome data preprocessing, sequence alignment, and visualization; and Bio Data Hub, a centralized platform for storing, analyzing, and sharing omics datasets. My technical expertise includes Python, R, Biopython, Pandas, NumPy, Seaborn, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, BLAST, NGS data analysis, and Git. I am particularly interested in cancer genomics, biomarker discovery, precision medicine, and computational biology.

"Mubashir Ali making history in Bioinformatics and Data Science"

I’m a Bioinformatician and data science professional passionate about transforming complex biological data into actionable insights. My work focuses on genomics, transcriptomics, and machine learning applications in life sciences, with a strong inter... Show more

With an extensive career dedicated to DevOps applied to Fintech and Insurance, Bruno has been a driving force behind the integration of DevOps principles in the Fintech sector shaping the landscape of financial technology. He had played a pivotal role in crafting robust and scalable platforms, ensuring the delivery of cutting-edge financial services that seamlessly blend innovation with security, fostering a culture of continuous improvement

With an extensive career dedicated to DevOps applied to Fintech and Insurance, Bruno has been a driving force behind the integration of DevOps principles in the Fintech sector shaping the landscape of financial technology. He had played a pivotal rol... Show more

I am a passionate cloud developer on the cutting edge of research in the genetics of disease. I'm originally from Canada and have been in the Boston area for the past 10 years working as a software engineer and volunteering with educational organizations, GDG being one of them. I'm always happy to connect and share my skills and experiences with others to support them on their journey through the technology space, be it locally or globally.

I am a passionate cloud developer on the cutting edge of research in the genetics of disease. I'm originally from Canada and have been in the Boston area for the past 10 years working as a software engineer and volunteering with educational organizat... Show more

Jeongkyu Shin, Lablup Inc. founder, has contributed to open-source projects like Textcube and represented South Korea on the Northeast Asia OSS Promotion Forum. A Google Developers Expert in AI and Cloud, he influences AI work and mentors at Google for Startups. Holding a Ph.D. in Statistical Physics from POSTECH, he leads AI and open-source initiatives including Backend.AI.

Jeongkyu Shin, Lablup Inc. founder, has contributed to open-source projects like Textcube and represented South Korea on the Northeast Asia OSS Promotion Forum. A Google Developers Expert in AI and Cloud, he influences AI work and mentors at Google f... Show more

Dr Adam Sroka, Head of Machine Learning Engineering at Origami Energy, is an experienced data and AI leader helping organisations unlock value from data by delivering enterprise-scale solutions and building high-performing data and analytics teams from the ground up. Adam shares his thoughts and ideas through public speaking, tech community events, on his blog, and in his podcast.

Many organisations aren't getting the most out of their data and many data professionals struggle to communicate their results or the complexity and value of their work in a way that business stakeholders can relate to. Being able to understand both the technology and how it translates to real benefits is key.

Simply hiring the most capable people often isn’t enough. The solution is a mix of clear and explicit communication, strong fundamentals and engineering discipline, and an appetite to experiment and iterate to success quickly.

If this is something you’re struggling with - either as an organisation finding its feet with data and AI or as a data professional - the approaches and systems Adam has developed over his career will be able to help so please reach out.

Cutting edge data technologies are redefining every industry and adopting these new ways of working can be difficult and frustrating. One day, there will be best practices and playbooks for how to maximise the value from your data and teams, but until then Adam is eager to share his experiences in both business and data and shed some light on what works.

Dr Adam Sroka, Head of Machine Learning Engineering at Origami Energy, is an experienced data and AI leader helping organisations unlock value from data by delivering enterprise-scale solutions and building high-performing data and analytics teams fr... Show more

Hi, I'm Volkan 👋,

As a software engineer with over two decades of experience, I've been deeply involved with the SPIFFE community, helping to expand its adoption across diverse systems.

I've had the privilege of leading the architecture for projects like SPIKE and VMware Secrets Manager, both built on SPIFFE identity principles.

My journey has taken me into fascinating territories, including active participation in the O-RAN Alliance's Security Focus Group (Working Group 11). I've collaborated with telecom operators worldwide to help integrate SPIFFE into O-RAN's identity management framework. This work has helped extend strong identity practices to the challenging edge environments of telecommunications networks.

I'm passionate about making complex security concepts accessible to everyone, which has led me to author articles, conduct live streams, and speak at various events. Good security should be understandable, implementable, and fun—that’s what I believe at heart.

When I'm not exploring new ways to implement zero-trust architectures or experimenting with concepts like human SPIFFE IDs, I'm supporting our community in the SPIFFE Slack channels or organizing onboarding events for newcomers.

Currently, I serve as Lead Principal Engineer at VMware Cloud Foundation, where I continue to advocate for identity-first security approaches in cloud-native environments.

Hi, I'm Volkan 👋, As a software engineer with over two decades of experience, I've been deeply involved with the SPIFFE community, helping to expand its adoption across diverse systems. I've had the privilege of leading the architecture for ... Show more

I am part of Avanade Change Enablement team in Avanade Italy manly focused on Change Management and Digital Strategy projects.

As an expert in Innovation and Generative AI, I am passionate about driving transformative solutions that empower businesses and individuals to achieve more. My work focuses on exploring and leveraging the potential of cutting-edge technologies, with a particular emphasis on Microsoft Copilot and its integration into real-world applications.

I thrive at the intersection of technology and strategy, continually seeking ways to harness AI advancements to solve complex challenges and deliver measurable impact.

I am part of Avanade Change Enablement team in Avanade Italy manly focused on Change Management and Digital Strategy projects. As an expert in Innovation and Generative AI, I am passionate about driving transformative solutions that empower busin... Show more

Wes Shields, Principal and founder of Synthminds.AI, leads a team of 15 experts, propelling clients' AI strategies and objectives with ethical and innovative solutions. Under his stewardship, his full-service Artificial Intelligence agency provides bespoke services that exceed their strategic needs to an extensive list of clientele from academia to various industries including aviation, customer service, legal, marketing, logistics, education and technology. He was named one of the first 18 global “OpenAI Experts”, an endorsement awarded and recognized formally by OpenAI. Shields' exemplary work has earned him and his Synthminds team the "Expert-Vetted" AI Consultant accolade from Upwork, a title conferred on the top 1% of the 18 million professionals on the platform.

Recognized as an accomplished strategist and speaker in the field of AI, he is also the host of the popular podcast, 'How to Talk to AI.' He has a notable presence on Promptbase.com, the premier prompt sales marketplace, where his prompts rank him amongst the top 200 worldwide.

Shields possesses an impressive academic portfolio, holding an MS in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School, an MBA from the Mason School of Business at The College of William & Mary, and a BS in Economics from the esteemed United States Naval Academy. His contributions to academic research, particularly in the domains of complex network science and logistics technology integration, have been published and recognized, earning him graduate certifications from both the Kegan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the Naval Postgraduate School.

For more insights into his professional pursuits and areas of interest, visit https://synthminds.ai/.

Wes Shields, Principal and founder of Synthminds.AI, leads a team of 15 experts, propelling clients' AI strategies and objectives with ethical and innovative solutions. Under his stewardship, his full-service Artificial Intelligence agency provides b... Show more

Per Bay is one of the most experienced business systems consultants for Dynamics 365 Business Central in Sweden. For nearly 30 years, he has participated in hundreds of procurements and implementations of business systems.

Per Bay is one of the most experienced business systems consultants for Dynamics 365 Business Central in Sweden. For nearly 30 years, he has participated in hundreds of procurements and implementations of business systems. Show more

Kayleigh is an applied quantitative researcher with expertise in EHR-based studies, particularly in the areas of health inequality, pharmacoepidemiology, and prognosis research. Her studies focus on long-term conditions, including musculoskeletal pain, dementia, and psoriasis, and are marked by strong methodological rigour in epidemiology and biostatistics.

Kayleigh is an applied quantitative researcher with expertise in EHR-based studies, particularly in the areas of health inequality, pharmacoepidemiology, and prognosis research. Her studies focus on long-term conditions, including musculoskeletal pai... Show more

Data acquisition engineer and instrument control programmer for hardware and biotech companies; former lead engineer at a highly successful b2b software company. Vast and eclectic experience in computer graphics, electrical engineering, digital signal processing, high-level software design, team management, and more.

I am going on 16 years of career experience in .NET and adjacent technologies, currently working for Inia.AI to bring AI to high-capital banking sector. In my free-time I raise my beautiful daughter, continue development on a cross-platform UI comnponent for high-throughput electrical signal display, and spend my remaining time at the gym or hiking.

Data acquisition engineer and instrument control programmer for hardware and biotech companies; former lead engineer at a highly successful b2b software company. Vast and eclectic experience in computer graphics, electrical engineering, digital signa... Show more

goingforbrooke is the founder of Trafficking Free Tomorrow where she writes anti-human trafficking software In Rust. By day, she codes innovative solutions and by night she streams her coding adventures on Twitch.

goingforbrooke is the founder of Trafficking Free Tomorrow where she writes anti-human trafficking software In Rust. By day, she codes innovative solutions and by night she streams her coding adventures on Twitch. Show more

Microsoft MVP em Web Development & Developer Tools, mentora de desenvolvedores, palestrante, Software Engineer com + de 9 anos na área de tecnologia, sendo guia de carreira em tecnologia e desenvolvimento front-end nas redes @lari.sazevedo e mãe de 6 gatos.

Microsoft MVP em Web Development & Developer Tools, mentora de desenvolvedores, palestrante, Software Engineer com + de 9 anos na área de tecnologia, sendo guia de carreira em tecnologia e desenvolvimento front-end nas redes @lari.sazevedo e mãe de 6... Show more

This is not a fictional thriller — it’s a real-life journey from covert operative to global truth-teller. In this raw and revelatory session, Bradley “Hawk” Steyn unpacks his transformation from apartheid-era intelligence operative to a whistleblower who exposed criminality and extremism within powerful state systems.
Using real-world case studies, never-before-shared stories, and visual documentation from his covert years, Bradley offers a deep-dive into the psychological, moral, and systemic toll of standing up against corruption from the inside.
He’ll walk the audience through key turning points: how intelligence was manipulated to target innocent civilians, the moment he chose truth over complicity, and the personal cost of betrayal, surveillance, and exile.
This is a high-impact, high-integrity talk for organizations navigating crisis, ethical leadership, and institutional reform.
Why it matters: In a world where disinformation and institutional mistrust are skyrocketing, this session delivers a rare inside-out perspective on how integrity — even in the darkest corridors of power — can be a catalyst for reform.

This is not a fictional thriller — it’s a real-life journey from covert operative to global truth-teller. In this raw and revelatory session, Bradley “Hawk” Steyn unpacks his transformation from apartheid-era intelligence operative to a whistleblower... Show more

Modern workplace advisory & lead solutions architect with a passion for using the Microsoft M365, Copilot, Power Platform and Azure technology frameworks to solve workforce challenges across Health & Public Sector.

I believe that by creating innovative digital solutions and using modern cloud based technology platforms to their fullest it enables organisations to do more with less. This approach is key to empowering a modern workforce with timely and relevant information enabling them to deliver operational success, especially when it comes to public sector and healthcare service delivery.

Modern workplace advisory & lead solutions architect with a passion for using the Microsoft M365, Copilot, Power Platform and Azure technology frameworks to solve workforce challenges across Health & Public Sector. I believe that by creating innov... Show more

Paul Pereyda Karayan has built a 15+ year Silicon Valley career on developing and industrializing software products, with a recent focus on software product delivery & information security. Paul's love for build software developed during his early career as a scientist, and blossomed in the data mines of many a Silicon Valley startups - including The Climate Corporation, Addepar, Primer.ai, and as the CISO at Opto Investments.

Paul Pereyda Karayan has built a 15+ year Silicon Valley career on developing and industrializing software products, with a recent focus on software product delivery & information security. Paul's love for build software developed during his early c... Show more

Bermon has more than 25 years of product strategy, design, and development experience and has consulted in various industries, including aerospace, automotive, financial services, government, manufacturing, publishing, and retail. At Slalom, Bermon leads initiatives to help organizations go from “innovation theater” to a disciplined, well-orchestrated, and practical approach to innovation.

Bermon has more than 25 years of product strategy, design, and development experience and has consulted in various industries, including aerospace, automotive, financial services, government, manufacturing, publishing, and retail. At Slalom, Bermon ... Show more

Colleen is an Associate Vice President and Michael Baker’s Greater DC / Maryland Planning Practice Lead, with 25 years of experience in transportation and environmental planning and policy. She leads a team of professionals dedicated to accelerating the electrification of the transportation sector through the development of plans, programs, and policies for state and local governments.

Colleen returned to Michael Baker in February 2021 following her employment as the Assistant Director of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Office of Planning and Capital Programming (OPCP). During her tenure at MDOT, Colleen oversaw long-range environmental planning and the planning and deployment of innovative transportation technologies including zero emission vehicles (ZEV) and connected and automated vehicles (CAV). She managed MDOT’s air quality and climate change mitigation programs and participated in national discussions related to the electrification of the transportation sector, sharing her expertise with the White House, the National Governor’s Association (NGA), the Transportation Research Board (TRB), and the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

Colleen is a member of the TRB Standing Committee on Alternative Fuels and Technologies (AMS40). She is the former Chair of the AASHTO Air Quality Climate Change and Energy subcommittee of the Committee on Environment and Sustainability.

Colleen is an Associate Vice President and Michael Baker’s Greater DC / Maryland Planning Practice Lead, with 25 years of experience in transportation and environmental planning and policy. She leads a team of professionals dedicated to accelerating ... Show more

Julie Anderson is one of the nation’s top experts on the Brain Personality Connection and creator of the Brain Personality Assessment. She is an international professional speaker; corporate keynote; business/communication/relationship consultant. For over 17 years she has been using neuroscience and neuropsychology to ignite corporate leaders, teams, and individuals to fire up their brains. The information she shares will assist listeners to accelerate their success. Her background includes Natural Health, Psychology, Human Resource Development, Leadership Development, Psychoneuroimmunology, and Stress Management. She holds certificates in Neuroscience of Leadership, Psychological First Aid, Positive Psychology, Body Language, HR Development, and Brain Health.

Julie Anderson is one of the nation’s top experts on the Brain Personality Connection and creator of the Brain Personality Assessment. She is an international professional speaker; corporate keynote; business/communication/relationship consultant. Fo... Show more

Dr. Marie Oestreich is a Software Consultant at TNG Technology Consulting, where her work focusses on generative AI, including serving and inference as well as GPU-programming.
Before joining TNG, Marie Oestreich received her doctorate in Computational Life Sciences followed by postdoctoral studies on generative AI in drug development.

Dr. Marie Oestreich is a Software Consultant at TNG Technology Consulting, where her work focusses on generative AI, including serving and inference as well as GPU-programming. Before joining TNG, Marie Oestreich received her doctorate in Computatio... Show more

MSc Industrial Engineer specialized in Data Analytics and Business Intelligence.
Extensive experience in data modelling, data management and data modernization.
Previous experience in Formula 1 as Control Systems / Digital Twin Specialist.
15+ years experience in Automotive, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Insurance, Banking and Consulting services.
Fernando is based in Cognizant UK, London

MSc Industrial Engineer specialized in Data Analytics and Business Intelligence. Extensive experience in data modelling, data management and data modernization. Previous experience in Formula 1 as Control Systems / Digital Twin Specialist. 15+ yea... Show more

Manish is a seasoned DevRel, Product Engineer, and Community Manager with expertise in Generative AI and open-source technologies. He builds thriving, inclusive communities and organizes impactful events and conferences, creating unforgettable experiences. As a compelling public speaker, Manish leverages his deep understanding of developer needs and emerging trends to drive innovation and growth in the tech ecosystem.

Manish is a seasoned DevRel, Product Engineer, and Community Manager with expertise in Generative AI and open-source technologies. He builds thriving, inclusive communities and organizes impactful events and conferences, creating unforgettable experi... Show more

Marius is an assistant professor at the University of Birmingham. His research interests cover (in-)security of embedded systems, binary & microarchitectural exploitation, and defenses. He obtained his PhD from Sorbonne University in cooperation with EURECOM and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He developed and maintains FirmWire, an emulation and fuzzing platform for cellular basebands, as well as avatar2, a framework for analyzing embedded systems firmware.

Throughout his career, Marius publicly shared his findings and presented at venues such as Black Hat, REcon, and Hardwear.io.

Marius is an assistant professor at the University of Birmingham. His research interests cover (in-)security of embedded systems, binary & microarchitectural exploitation, and defenses. He obtained his PhD from Sorbonne University in cooperation with... Show more

Dr. Suresh Neethirajan is a renowned expert in animal welfare science and the application of cutting-edge technologies in livestock management. He holds the position of Professor and University Research Chair at Dalhousie University, Canada, with cross-appointments in the Faculties of Agriculture and Computer Science. His groundbreaking research integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and precision livestock farming to enhance the well-being of farm animals by decoding emotions, detecting pain early, and promoting humane practices.

With over two decades of experience, Dr. Neethirajan has worked at top-tier institutions such as Wageningen University in the Netherlands and the University of Guelph, Canada. His innovative work includes AI-powered facial recognition systems to analyze emotional states in cows and pigs, and natural language processing techniques to translate the vocalizations of chickens. These technological advancements allow for real-time welfare monitoring and timely interventions that improve animal care. Dr. Neethirajan's contributions are transforming the field of animal welfare by aligning scientific innovation with ethical standards and societal expectations.

Dr. Suresh Neethirajan is a renowned expert in animal welfare science and the application of cutting-edge technologies in livestock management. He holds the position of Professor and University Research Chair at Dalhousie University, Canada, with cro... Show more

Sebastián Bassi is a Biotechnologist with experience both in software development and bioinformatics research. He worked in a leading biotech company doing molecular marker database curation and in a national research institute helping with the bioinformatics support of the international effort to sequence the Tomato Genome. Both positions involved Python development and intensive data manipulation. He made a web application to query a micro RNA database, which was published at BMC Plant Biology. He also worked on the first Linux distribution for bioinformatics (DNALinux). He is an AWS Certified Solutions Architect and is frequently invited to Python conferences. He is the author of Python for Bioinformatics (https://www.py3.us/)

Sebastián Bassi is a Biotechnologist with experience both in software development and bioinformatics research. He worked in a leading biotech company doing molecular marker database curation and in a national research institute helping with the bioin... Show more

Marcello Marrocos is a passionate and advocate for DevOps and Cloud, with +20 years of experience in development and architecture of solutions.

Natural from Brazil, have worked on consulting companies like Avanade and Accenture attending clients on different areas.

He is now living in Washington, DC, working for IDB Invest, where he believes that his work is part of a bigger effort to improve lives on countries of Latin America.

He proudly contributed to "97 Things Every Cloud Engineer Should Known", and it is very important to mention that he is becoming addicted to DevOps Days events!

Marcello Marrocos is a passionate and advocate for DevOps and Cloud, with +20 years of experience in development and architecture of solutions. Natural from Brazil, have worked on consulting companies like Avanade and Accenture attending clients o... Show more

Doctoral researcher at the Department of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS of the University of Salzburg. Part of the research groups Risk, Hazard and Climate and EO Analytics. I focus on the analysis of big Earth observation data to map and monitor landscape dynamics and I am researching the bridge between EO data cubes and temporal GIS for spatio-temporal analyses. I use R for spatial data handling and analysis, automate EO workflows and for scientific writing and visualization.

Doctoral researcher at the Department of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS of the University of Salzburg. Part of the research groups Risk, Hazard and Climate and EO Analytics. I focus on the analysis of big Earth observation data to map and monitor landscape d... Show more

Abbey joined Alias in the summer of 2021 as Executive Assistant after spending 7 years working in the nonprofit sector. Since that time, she has transitioned into Alias’ Chief of Staff to include Operations (overseeing construction and the move into our new HQ!), Human Relations, Sales, Communications, and Marketing. She oversees Alias’ daily operations and contributes to the planning and execution of strategic goals.

Abbey joined Alias in the summer of 2021 as Executive Assistant after spending 7 years working in the nonprofit sector. Since that time, she has transitioned into Alias’ Chief of Staff to include Operations (overseeing construction and the move into ... Show more

Daniel is a Software Manager with OVO - leading the Developer Platforms team as they enable over 400 engineers to work more effectively, with greater guidance and guardrails, lowering their cognitive load and improving their everyday lived experience.
The overall goal being to increase engineering productivity, staff retention and ensure OVO is considered a great place to work.

Daniel is a former Head of Engineering leading 50+ engineers. Over 5 years they transformed from being an Embedded Software team delivering Custom Hardware solutions to being software focused, developing primarily for the Cloud. To achieve this they transformed teams, ways of working, adopted Cloud platforms with CI and CD pipelines and looked at adopting a full DevOps model.

Daniel strongly believes in empowered teams, and ensuring that they have the freedom to innovate both in process and tooling.

Daniel believes that People, Process and Tech are the key to success, and in that order.

Daniel is a Software Manager with OVO - leading the Developer Platforms team as they enable over 400 engineers to work more effectively, with greater guidance and guardrails, lowering their cognitive load and improving their everyday lived experience... Show more