Rakesh is a visionary, innovator, and technical leader, who has worked in the computer software industry for around 14 years. After completing his bachelor's in engineering from India and Master's from the USA, he worked for big enterprises like Zscaler, Microsoft, CISCO, Dell, and others, where he led multiple product development in the networking space. He loves to call himself a 'full-stack network software engineer', as he has worked on all the layers of networking; be it VOIP, Secure Calls, WebRTC, Switch NOS, SDN, Programmable data plane, data center underlay network, network observability and many more. At present, he is leading an 'industry-first' network security product development at Microsoft. He is also a security researcher and was awarded by Facebook in 2013, for exposing a deep vulnerability in their stack. Rakesh is also an innovator and researcher. He collaborates closely with universities, IEEE, and open-source communities and gives back his wealth of knowledge and ideas in terms of technical contributions and papers. Rakesh is an avid painter and a people person who endorses best practices and great culture in the workspace.

Rakesh is a visionary, innovator, and technical leader, who has worked in the computer software industry for around 14 years. After completing his bachelor's in engineering from India and Master's from the USA, he worked for big enterprises like Zsca... Show more

I am a Data Scientist with 5 years of industry experience. Although I hold a PhD in Physiology from the Technion, my professional career has focused on applying the rigorous analytical methods of a research scientist to complex, large-scale data challenges. I pride myself on my ability to bridge the gap between academic inquiry and delivering high-impact business insights.

I am a Data Scientist with 5 years of industry experience. Although I hold a PhD in Physiology from the Technion, my professional career has focused on applying the rigorous analytical methods of a research scientist to complex, large-scale data chal... Show more

Product Lead at VictoriaMetrics Cloud. In a previous life, he did a PhD for nanothings. Keys, metal and virtual racing.

Product Lead at VictoriaMetrics Cloud. In a previous life, he did a PhD for nanothings. Keys, metal and virtual racing. Show more

Francesco Panico is a Senior IT Consultant at Imola Informatica with 16+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, application integration, and IT process automation.
His work focuses on DevOps, API governance, and security within large-scale banking and insurance ecosystems.

Francesco is currently researching how LLMs can automate and standardize the API lifecycle, improving consistency, cost-efficiency, and policy enforcement.

He likes speaking about AI-driven innovation in enterprise IT, with a focus on practical applications and real-world adoption.

Francesco Panico is a Senior IT Consultant at Imola Informatica with 16+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, application integration, and IT process automation. His work focuses on DevOps, API governance, and security within large-scale ... Show more

Vinod has spent the past decade working in cybersecurity across financial services, government, and tech sectors. Currently a Staff Security Engineer at PIP Labs, he navigates the intersection of traditional enterprise security and the emerging world of Web3 and blockchain infrastructure.

His journey has taken him through companies like Amazon, Zapier, and HackerOne, where he's gained hands-on experience in penetration testing, cloud security architecture, and application security. He works with AWS, GCP, and Azure environments, focusing on threat modeling and secure DevOps practices while approaching security as an enabler rather than a blocker.

He shares his experiences and lessons learned through writing on Medium, breaking down complex security topics and exploring practical approaches to building security programs that work in real-world environments. Outside of his day job, he participates in bug bounty programs, mentors aspiring security professionals, and continues researching emerging threats and technologies in both traditional and Web3 security landscapes.

Vinod has spent the past decade working in cybersecurity across financial services, government, and tech sectors. Currently a Staff Security Engineer at PIP Labs, he navigates the intersection of traditional enterprise security and the emerging world... Show more

I joined Microsoft in 2021 after 2+ years as a consultant with Microsoft Partners. Power Platform enabled me to make a career change in 2019 after 10+ years working in the broadcast industry where I was a SharePoint site collection admin and Power Apps Champion. I am passionate about the Power Platform, especially PowerApps and Power Automate.

I co-organize the Washington DC Power Platform user group and I've presented at GlobalCon, Community Summit North America, SharePoint Saturday DC, the Power Platform World Tour, the Baltimore SharePoint User Group and the Power Platform Virtual Conference.

I joined Microsoft in 2021 after 2+ years as a consultant with Microsoft Partners. Power Platform enabled me to make a career change in 2019 after 10+ years working in the broadcast industry where I was a SharePoint site collection admin and Power Ap... Show more

Anu is a Senior Software Engineer in the PRIMO team at Microsoft, with a passion for helping organizations build powerful analytics solutions on Azure.

With years of experience in the field, Anu has a strong understanding of the latest trends and technologies in Azure data and analytics. She has worked with several organizations to help them leverage the power of Azure for their data needs.

As a passionate advocate for Azure data and analytics products, Anu is always eager to share her knowledge and insights with others.

Anu is a Senior Software Engineer in the PRIMO team at Microsoft, with a passion for helping organizations build powerful analytics solutions on Azure. With years of experience in the field, Anu has a strong understanding of the latest trends and ... Show more

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

Hi colleagues!

I’m Vladimir Afanasev, a database professional with over 10 years of experience in database development, performance optimization, and team leadership. Currently, I lead a team of DB experts at Barclays. I thrive on solving complex challenges like enhancing performance monitoring, optimizing workflows, and mitigating risks, while also fostering a collaborative and motivated team environment.

Sharing knowledge is something I’m deeply passionate about. With my expertise in SQL Server, Oracle, and cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure and GCP, I love exploring advanced topics and making them accessible and actionable for others.

I’m excited about the opportunity to be a speaker at your event. I enjoy engaging with like-minded professionals and delivering sessions that combine real-world insights with technical depth. I look forward to contributing to the learning experience and sparking great discussions about SQL Server’s advanced capabilities.

Hi colleagues! I’m Vladimir Afanasev, a database professional with over 10 years of experience in database development, performance optimization, and team leadership. Currently, I lead a team of DB experts at Barclays. I thrive on solving complex ... Show more

Kashif Khan is a co-chair of CNCF TAG Infrastructure and maintainer of the CNCF project Metal3.io for 6 years. He works as an open source Architect for Ericsson Software Technology, Finland. He holds a PhD in Computer Science. Kashif is a research and open source enthusiast and his current area of interest is kubernetes deployments on baremetal systems in distributed cloud scenarios.

Kashif Khan is a co-chair of CNCF TAG Infrastructure and maintainer of the CNCF project Metal3.io for 6 years. He works as an open source Architect for Ericsson Software Technology, Finland. He holds a PhD in Computer Science. Kashif is a research an... Show more

Retired Microsoft & Microsoft Research. Ph.D. in CS and Machine Learning.

Retired Microsoft & Microsoft Research. Ph.D. in CS and Machine Learning. Show more

Machine Learning Practitioner and Community Strategist dedicated to driving Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. Formerly sevred as a Campus Lead for Google Developers Group (GDG) and a Campus Strategist for Perplexity AI, she has championed "permissionless leadership," growing her local developer community with active members.

Praise combines technical expertise with grassroots impact. Trained with Nigeria's premier AI organization, she has worked on building AI tools for healthcare and education, focusing on bridging the gap between global technology and local application.

She is on a mission to prove that world-class innovation happens in Africa, not just is imported to it. Praise believes the next generation of African leaders won't just use AI—they will shape it.

Machine Learning Practitioner and Community Strategist dedicated to driving Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. Formerly sevred as a Campus Lead for Google Developers Group (GDG) and a Campus Strategist for Perplexity AI, she has championed "permissionless lea... Show more

En 25 ans de travail dans l'IT, j'ai rapidement migré du DEV COBOL (reconversion en 1999, après Master 2 en Océanologie Biologique) vers la collaboration avec le client, en tant que BA et MOA puis PO. Quelques missions en analyse fonctionnelle, audit organisation et pas mal de conduite du changement. En 2021, retour en agilité avec le rôle de PO et actuellement en analyse fonctionnelle pour modélisation BPM / workflow.

En 25 ans de travail dans l'IT, j'ai rapidement migré du DEV COBOL (reconversion en 1999, après Master 2 en Océanologie Biologique) vers la collaboration avec le client, en tant que BA et MOA puis PO. Quelques missions en analyse fonctionnelle, audit... Show more

Alexander Opalic is a Senior Full Stack Developer from Germany. He writes at alexop.dev about Vue, TypeScript, and AI in software. He speaks at international conferences on local first apps, testing, and building better developer experiences.

Alexander Opalic is a Senior Full Stack Developer from Germany. He writes at alexop.dev about Vue, TypeScript, and AI in software. He speaks at international conferences on local first apps, testing, and building better developer experiences. Show more

I'm an experienced Data & AI Engineer with over five years of industry experience. Currently, I work at Ponder, where I help deliver data and AI services tailored for educational institutions. My passion lies in building practical, impactful solutions that make data more accessible and valuable.

I’m also deeply engaged in the open source community through our work at Ponder. This includes developing AI and data libraries, creating plugins and integrations for tools such as Superset, Airflow, dbt, and others, as well as building innovative solutions for technologies like Trino and Apache Iceberg.

I'm an experienced Data & AI Engineer with over five years of industry experience. Currently, I work at Ponder, where I help deliver data and AI services tailored for educational institutions. My passion lies in building practical, impactful solution... Show more

With over 35 years of experience in ERP, robotics, and artificial intelligence, Eric has established a distinguished career in the technology sector. He has spent more than 20 years specializing in Axapta, Dynamics AX, and D365, demonstrating a deep understanding of these platforms. As a former COO of a high-tech manufacturing company, Eric has firsthand experience in operational leadership and strategic decision-making.

In addition to their executive roles as CEO, CIO, and CTO in various AI, professional services, and software companies, Eric has served as an industry analyst focusing on supply chain, life sciences, manufacturing, and retail. A recognized speaker and author, they have received multiple awards for their contributions to ethical AI. Currently, Eric is a board member of several AI and robotics companies, where they continue to influence the future of technology.

With over 35 years of experience in ERP, robotics, and artificial intelligence, Eric has established a distinguished career in the technology sector. He has spent more than 20 years specializing in Axapta, Dynamics AX, and D365, demonstrating a deep ... Show more

Daan van Berkel is a enthusiastic software tinkerer with a knack for presenting technical details in a clear and concise manner.

Daan van Berkel is a enthusiastic software tinkerer with a knack for presenting technical details in a clear and concise manner. Show more

I am a hands-on cybersecurity architect and technical leader operating at the forefront of AI and Cloud Security. With a 21-year track record of defending globally recognized organizations, my mission is to solve tomorrow's security challenges today by building security into the fabric of technology.

I am passionate about pioneering security in emerging domains and leading teams to secure complex, next-generation systems. My core focus includes:
- AI & LLM Security: Architecting novel security frameworks for Generative AI. Specializing in prompt injection defense, threat modeling for model integrity, and mitigating data poisoning risks.
- Cloud Security: Engineering resilient, multi-cloud security architectures. Implementing zero-trust principles, and managing advanced threat detection (IDS/IPS).
- Proactive Defense: Leading "purple team" initiatives that combine offensive penetration testing with proactive threat hunting to continuously harden defenses against sophisticated adversaries.

I hold elite cybersecurity certifications and provide expert-level consulting to teams worldwide, turning cutting-edge technology into secure, enterprise-ready solutions.

I am a hands-on cybersecurity architect and technical leader operating at the forefront of AI and Cloud Security. With a 21-year track record of defending globally recognized organizations, my mission is to solve tomorrow's security challenges today ... Show more

Robert works for IBM, helping clients improve their IT Operations. He is an SRE and AIOps evangelist who enjoys helping others solve problems even more than he enjoys solving them himself. Robert has over 20 years of experience in IT development & operations and is happiest when learning something new. He lives in Israel with his wonderful wife and two children. His hobbies include history, space exploration, and bird photography.

Robert works for IBM, helping clients improve their IT Operations. He is an SRE and AIOps evangelist who enjoys helping others solve problems even more than he enjoys solving them himself. Robert has over 20 years of experience in IT development & op... Show more

Clayton is a doctoral student at Rice University, researching parallelism and hardware acceleration for robot planning in dynamic environments.

Clayton is a doctoral student at Rice University, researching parallelism and hardware acceleration for robot planning in dynamic environments. Show more

Software engineer focused on boosting developer productivity with generative AI. Actively engaged in tech communities and passionate about sharing knowledge.

Software engineer focused on boosting developer productivity with generative AI. Actively engaged in tech communities and passionate about sharing knowledge. Show more

Nikki Maginn is a powerhouse at the intersection of engineering excellence and
human-centered leadership. A nuclear engineer, pilot, and former Division I athlete from the
University of Tennessee, she brings a rare blend of grit, curiosity, and compassion to every
stage she steps on. Nikki holds a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering and has complemented her
technical foundation with advanced leadership and management training throughout her career.
Currently, Nikki is the founder of Inside Out Engineering, a groundbreaking initiative that delivers
emotional intelligence training to engineers in industry, academia, and beyond. She is also an
advisor and coach to organizations seeking to build cultures of accountability, trust, and
innovation through people-first leadership.
Her career path spans high-stakes roles across the nuclear, logistics, and technology sectors.
As Director of Program Management at the largest material handling and logistics manufacturer
in the country, she drove multimillion-dollar cross-functional programs while cultivating cultures
of accountability, trust, and psychological safety. Prior to that, she held executive leadership
roles in the nuclear startup space, directing engineering operations for small modular reactor
development. Here Nikki negotiated nuclear fuel contracts, built partnerships with global nuclear
suppliers, ran new product development to ensure the ultimate safety and program performance
in one of the most demanding technical environments on earth.
In parallel with her technical and leadership work, Nikki has been a lifelong advocate for mental
health and emotional well-being in STEM. She has conducted research and facilitated programs
on emotional intelligence, resilience, and workplace culture, translating insights from psychology
and behavioral science into actionable tools for engineers and technical leaders. She has also
founded and led mentorship programs, women’s networks, and engineering education outreach
initiatives, ensuring that the next generation of engineers—especially women in STEM—enter
the field with both the technical expertise and human skills to thrive.
Nikki speaks and writes on topics ranging from courageous leadership and emotional
intelligence in technical fields to building mentorship cultures and leading with authenticity in
male-dominated industries. Her story challenges traditional notions of leadership—and reminds
us that empathy is not a soft skill; it is a core skill for the future of work.

Nikki Maginn is a powerhouse at the intersection of engineering excellence and human-centered leadership. A nuclear engineer, pilot, and former Division I athlete from the University of Tennessee, she brings a rare blend of grit, curiosity, and com... Show more

Maxim Schepelin has been an engineering leader in various industries, including Game Dev, e-commerce, and travel building teams capable of launching products from idea to world-scale. With over a decade of experience leading engineering teams, Maxim has mastered the art and science of management, as well as how to exit both Vim and Emacs.
Maxim continues exploring ways to build effective engineering teams that deliver value at a sustainable pace.

Maxim Schepelin has been an engineering leader in various industries, including Game Dev, e-commerce, and travel building teams capable of launching products from idea to world-scale. With over a decade of experience leading engineering teams, Maxim ... Show more

Siri Yellu is a Research Assistant and Computer Science professional specializing in Data Science and Machine Learning. Her work focuses on building reliable and interpretable machine learning systems, with experience spanning feature engineering, evaluation-driven modeling, and applied AI system design.

She is the first author of peer-reviewed publications in IEEE and Springer conferences, where her research explores handcrafted image features, Bayesian optimization, ensemble learning, and generative models for medical image analysis, computational pathology, and multimodal AI applications. Her work emphasizes bridging rigorous evaluation with practical system design to ensure models are not only accurate, but trustworthy and maintainable.

Siri enjoys working at the intersection of theory and practice, translating research insights into real-world AI systems. She is particularly interested in applied machine learning architectures, system reliability, and building AI solutions that can be confidently deployed and maintained by engineering teams.

Siri Yellu is a Research Assistant and Computer Science professional specializing in Data Science and Machine Learning. Her work focuses on building reliable and interpretable machine learning systems, with experience spanning feature engineering, e... Show more

Diego Ciangottini is a physicist and received his PhD from the University of Perugia, Italy in 2012. Now he's working as technologist at INFN (Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics) researching cloud-native solutions for the scientific use cases of the institute. In that sense his main occupation is building bridges between science communities and what the cloud-native ecosystem can do for them.

Diego Ciangottini is a physicist and received his PhD from the University of Perugia, Italy in 2012. Now he's working as technologist at INFN (Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics) researching cloud-native solutions for the scientific use c... Show more

Vivek Kale is a Principal Member of Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories, where he does research and development for HPC profiling and monitoring tools. Vivek specializes in building the infrastructure for performance analysis, focusing on automated tuning through AI/ML techniques and capabilities from LLVM.

Vivek Kale is a Principal Member of Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories, where he does research and development for HPC profiling and monitoring tools. Vivek specializes in building the infrastructure for performance analysis, focusing on... Show more

Cloud & DevOps Architect specializing in Kubernetes-based cloud-native platforms, data engineering, and end-to-end automation. My approach is driven by a deep focus on AI Governance and FinOps.

Having navigated the complexities of regulated sectors, I bridge the gap between compliance and innovation.

Today, I lead initiatives in data control planes and X-Ops, delivering concrete cloud governance that cuts through the industry hype.

Cloud & DevOps Architect specializing in Kubernetes-based cloud-native platforms, data engineering, and end-to-end automation. My approach is driven by a deep focus on AI Governance and FinOps. Having navigated the complexities of regulated sector... Show more

I am a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in Data Warehousing, Business Intelligence (BI), and Analytics across industries such as Banking, Healthcare, and Retail. Currently, I work as an Analytics Solutions Associate Sr. at JP Morgan Chase, where I have led BI system migrations, executive dashboard development, and data optimization initiatives. My expertise spans Tableau, Business Objects, Cognos, and PL/SQL, with a strong focus on data governance and AI-driven analytics to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency.

I hold a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and have earned certifications in Tableau, Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Alteryx. As an active IEEE member and peer reviewer, I am committed to advancing technology by contributing to technical reports, research publications, and mentoring. I am passionate about driving BI transformation projects that enable data-driven strategies, regulatory compliance, and business innovation.

I am a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in Data Warehousing, Business Intelligence (BI), and Analytics across industries such as Banking, Healthcare, and Retail. Currently, I work as an Analytics Solutions Associate Sr. at JP Mo... Show more

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

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

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

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

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

I’m driven by curiosity and a passion for building better systems. With experience across DevOps, DevSecOps and FinOps, I integrate security, automation and efficiency from day one. I help organizations tame complexity and turn technology into a competitive advantage. I believe in knowledge sharing and lifting teams to their full potential. My focus: stable foundations, faster delivery, and smarter spend.

I’m driven by curiosity and a passion for building better systems. With experience across DevOps, DevSecOps and FinOps, I integrate security, automation and efficiency from day one. I help organizations tame complexity and turn technology into a comp... Show more