Stacey is a seasoned sales executive at SiriusXM Media, helping DTC brands use podcasts and audio to drive measurable growth. She brings more than a decade of media-sales experience focusing on measurement, creative strategy, and client partnerships.

Stacey is a seasoned sales executive at SiriusXM Media, helping DTC brands use podcasts and audio to drive measurable growth. She brings more than a decade of media-sales experience focusing on measurement, creative strategy, and client partnerships. Show more

Juan Antonio Eulate is a Software Engineer, Technical Product Owner, and Co-Founder of INSOFTLINE, with more than a decade of experience designing, building, and leading software solutions across multiple industries.

His expertise spans cloud-native application development, DevOps, Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD automation, software architecture, and technical leadership. He has successfully led projects involving AWS cloud services, GitHub Actions, Docker, REST APIs, serverless architectures, and modern deployment pipelines.

Passionate about continuous learning and knowledge sharing, Juan focuses on transforming real business challenges into scalable cloud solutions while promoting engineering best practices and DevOps culture. His sessions emphasize practical experience, real-world lessons learned, and actionable techniques that attendees can immediately apply in their own projects.

Juan Antonio Eulate is a Software Engineer, Technical Product Owner, and Co-Founder of INSOFTLINE, with more than a decade of experience designing, building, and leading software solutions across multiple industries. His expertise spans cloud-nati... Show more

I started as a developer. I automated thousands of tests — because I had no interest in testing manually.
At some point I realized: the biggest problems in software teams are not technical. They are habit problems.

Today I guide companies through software modernization at Gepardec — and I give keynotes on the habits behind code quality, stress, and long-term performance.

My book FutureHabits is out fall 2026.

🎤 https://futurehabits.at/keynotes

I started as a developer. I automated thousands of tests — because I had no interest in testing manually. At some point I realized: the biggest problems in software teams are not technical. They are habit problems. Today I guide companies through... Show more

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

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

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

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

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

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

Francisca B. Medina Concha (frani.be) is a Front-End Developer, Women Techmakers Ambassador, and Lecturer at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Her career thrives at the intersection where logic meets communication. As a programming professor in the faculties of Design and Communications, she has led the challenge of democratizing technology, turning Python into a language for mutual understanding. With experience on international stages such as JSConf Budapest and Nerdearla, Frani is dedicated to humanizing code to build more inclusive and connected communities.

Francisca B. Medina Concha (frani.be) is a Front-End Developer, Women Techmakers Ambassador, and Lecturer at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Her career thrives at the intersection where logic meets communication. As a programming profes... Show more

Mateo is an expert at bridging cutting-edge AI research with practical developer tools. With a background in computational biology and experience in both research and engineering, he now focuses on making LLMs more useful by connecting them to systems developers already use. At Arcade, Mateo creates tutorials, SDKs, and open-source examples that help developers move beyond chatbots and into fully agentic applications.

Mateo is an expert at bridging cutting-edge AI research with practical developer tools. With a background in computational biology and experience in both research and engineering, he now focuses on making LLMs more useful by connecting them to system... Show more

Speaker Biography: Balaji Venkatasubramaniyar
Balaji Venkatasubramaniyar is a Technical Lead with over 12 years of experience in software development, specializing in architecting scalable enterprise solutions. As his career has evolved alongside the AI revolution, Balaji has developed deep expertise in understanding how AI technologies integrate into modern software architectures and business workflows.
As a Technical Lead, Balaji excels at evaluating emerging technologies and translating complex technical concepts into practical implementation strategies. His extensive background in distributed systems, API design, and software architecture provides a unique lens for analyzing AI orchestration patterns. He has studied how leading AI applications are built, examining the architectural decisions behind successful products like GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, and Notion AI.
Balaji's technical foundation spans full-stack development, cloud infrastructure, microservices architecture, and system design—skills that are increasingly critical as organizations integrate AI capabilities into their existing platforms. He brings a pragmatic, engineer-focused perspective to AI adoption, emphasizing practical patterns, common pitfalls, and realistic implementation strategies rather than theoretical ideals.
Passionate about continuous learning and knowledge sharing, Balaji has invested significant time researching AI orchestration frameworks, studying production AI systems, and understanding the engineering challenges teams face when building with LLMs. He believes that successful AI integration requires solid software engineering fundamentals combined with an understanding of AI-specific patterns and constraints.
At the Optimized AI Conference 2026, Balaji will share comprehensive insights into AI orchestration patterns, drawing from extensive research and analysis of well-orchestrated applications in production today.

Speaker Biography: Balaji Venkatasubramaniyar Balaji Venkatasubramaniyar is a Technical Lead with over 12 years of experience in software development, specializing in architecting scalable enterprise solutions. As his career has evolved alongside th... Show more

Renad Turki is an AI in education strategist, consultant, and the founder of Edtech Academy. As a doctoral candidate pursuing an EdD in emerging technologies and AI integration in education at Edgewood College, her work bridges the critical gap between academic research and practical classroom application. She is a published researcher who recently co-authoring a study on higher-education faculty adoption of generative AI in lesson planning and assessment for the 2025 IEEE International Conference.
Renad brings extensive expertise in driving institutional change across both higher education and K-12 sectors. Her recent work includes leading comprehensive faculty and student AI training initiatives in collaboration with Google for Education, alongside AI syllabus audits with the Higher Colleges of Technology to build AI-integrated curricula. Additionally, she served as the implementation partner for the Arabic Write and Improve research project in collaboration with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.
An active voice in the region, she has presented at major platforms, including the Google for Education Leadership Summit, Dubai AI Week, Gitex, UAE Innovate, the UAE AI Summer Camp and the Sharjah International Summit on Improvement in Education.

Renad Turki is an AI in education strategist, consultant, and the founder of Edtech Academy. As a doctoral candidate pursuing an EdD in emerging technologies and AI integration in education at Edgewood College, her work bridges the critical gap betwe... Show more

J. Michael Coffey is a CEO, M&A Strategist and author of GALE Force: Navigating Strategy, Culture, and Value Creation in Modern M&A(Entrepreneur Books, 2026).

Over a thirty-year career leading industrial and manufacturing companies across seven countries, Coffey has been involved in 38 M&A transactions valued in excess of $1 billion — leading or serving as a C-suite principal in over 20 of them. As a member of the executive team that built H-E Parts International into a global multi-country platform, he helped drive the acquisition strategy that culminated in a $240 million exit to Hitachi Construction Machinery.

He subsequently served as CEO of Manitex International (NASDAQ: MNTX), where he led a full operational turnaround — delivering 30% revenue growth and a 400% EBITDA, prior to leading a sale to Tadano Ltd.

He is the founder of Resurgence Advisory, a boutique firm specializing in M&A strategy, post-merger integration, and performance metrics for lower-middle market industrials.

GALE Force, Global Aim, Local Execution - draws on his experience and methodologies such as DRiiVE and PRACTISE

Coffey holds an MBA from Emory University's Goizueta Business School and is based in Atlanta, Georgia. He resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife of 30 years and two daughters.

J. Michael Coffey is a CEO, M&A Strategist and author of GALE Force: Navigating Strategy, Culture, and Value Creation in Modern M&A(Entrepreneur Books, 2026). Over a thirty-year career leading industrial and manufacturing companies across seven co... Show more

I’m a Software Engineer specialized in Frontend, currently working as a Tech Lead at CaixaBank Tech.

I have over 11 years of experience building web applications, and over time my focus has progressively shifted toward a specific area: improving how users interact with interfaces, going beyond pixel-perfect design or pure performance.

I’m passionate about psychology and neuroscience, and today I try to apply these disciplines in my work to better understand what happens when an interface changes and how that impacts the real user experience.

Throughout my career, I’ve also had the opportunity to work abroad twice (Ireland and Germany), which has helped me broaden my perspective and refine the way I approach concepts.

I enjoy technology and continuously evolving, and I’m particularly interested in sharing ideas and bringing them into real-world scenarios, so that other teams and projects can apply them and create a more positive impact on how we build software.

I’m a Software Engineer specialized in Frontend, currently working as a Tech Lead at CaixaBank Tech. I have over 11 years of experience building web applications, and over time my focus has progressively shifted toward a specific area: improving h... Show more

Dr. Tori Reddy Dodla is a technology executive, author, Army veteran, and motivational speaker focused on leadership, digital transformation, and the future of AI. With more than 15 years of experience leading enterprise modernization initiatives across government and healthcare, she has helped organizations navigate complex technology challenges while keeping people at the center of innovation. She has served in senior federal leadership roles, including Chief of Digital Services at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and has presented on AI, cybersecurity, Microsoft technologies, and digital leadership to audiences across government and industry. Dr. Dodla is now the founder and CEO of Dodla Digital. Known for her honest and motivating speaking style, Dr. Dodla speaks to students, professionals, veterans, and career changers about confidence, resilience, leadership, and building meaningful careers in technology.

Dr. Tori Reddy Dodla is a technology executive, author, Army veteran, and motivational speaker focused on leadership, digital transformation, and the future of AI. With more than 15 years of experience leading enterprise modernization initiatives acr... Show more

Chris Barber is a chartered accountant (ACMA, CGMA), 4 times Microsoft MVP, author of Income Statement Semantic Models, runs StarSchema.co.uk, and has popular YouTube videos (over 100k views) and courses (over 1k participants) on the topic of Profit and Loss (P&L) using Power BI. He also works in the largest Microsoft consultancy globally and thus has experience working across various industries.

Chris Barber is a chartered accountant (ACMA, CGMA), 4 times Microsoft MVP, author of Income Statement Semantic Models, runs StarSchema.co.uk, and has popular YouTube videos (over 100k views) and courses (over 1k participants) on the topic of Profit ... Show more

Rodney is an experienced Senior Software Engineer, teacher, and JavaScript evangelist with nearly a decade of experience. He demonstrates a profound interest in solving complex problems focusing mainly on front-end and cloud technologies. In his spare times he spend most of his time with his kids, games, tinkering with the latest tech and observing modern user interfaces.

Rodney is an experienced Senior Software Engineer, teacher, and JavaScript evangelist with nearly a decade of experience. He demonstrates a profound interest in solving complex problems focusing mainly on front-end and cloud technologies. In his spar... Show more

Ramakrishna Yekulla "Ramky" is a Principal Architect within the Application Developer Business Unit at Red Hat. In this role, he focuses on creating distinctive platform features that enhance developer efficiency, streamline data and application connections, and empower customers with the knowledge and resources to prioritize software supply chain security, minimize technical obligations, and achieve compliance goals. His interests lies in System Design, Functional Programming and Observability

Ramakrishna Yekulla "Ramky" is a Principal Architect within the Application Developer Business Unit at Red Hat. In this role, he focuses on creating distinctive platform features that enhance developer efficiency, streamline data and application conn... Show more

Passionated Product Manager shaping products that have impacted millions of lives over the past decade-many of which you likely use daily.

Throughout his career at NOS, Sanoma and Disney, Sam has collaborated with R&D teams from leading tech companies, consumer electronic manufacturers and automotive industry.

Passionated Product Manager shaping products that have impacted millions of lives over the past decade-many of which you likely use daily. Throughout his career at NOS, Sanoma and Disney, Sam has collaborated with R&D teams from leading tech compa... Show more

Thomas Poppelgaard is awarded:
• NVIDIA Enterprise Platform Advisor
• Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) - Windows & Devices (AVD, W365), Azure (HPC, AI)
• Nerdio Valued Professional (NVP)
• Citrix Technology Professional (CTP)
• VMware vExpert
• Parallels VIPP

Thomas Poppelgaard is a Principal Technology Architect with 30 years of professional IT experience, specializing in enterprise architecture, GPU computing, and AI infrastructure. As CEO of Poppelgaard.com, he provides strategic advisory, architectural design, health checks, and implementation services across Microsoft, VMware, Citrix and NVIDIA ecosystems.

Thomas is recognized as a pioneer in GPU virtualization and remote visualization technologies. Since 2008, he has been at the forefront of enabling CAD/CAE/CAM, devops, media, and entertainment applications in virtualized environments, helping organizations unlock business value through workload acceleration and modern EUC solutions.

Thomas Poppelgaard is awarded: • NVIDIA Enterprise Platform Advisor • Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) - Windows & Devices (AVD, W365), Azure (HPC, AI) • Nerdio Valued Professional (NVP) • Citrix Technology Professional (CTP) • VMware ... Show more

I am a Senior DevOps Engineer dedicated to designing, building, and automating resilient IT environments. My technical foundation is rooted in traditional operations, featuring extensive hands-on experience with server infrastructure, virtualization, Windows Server, and Active Directory management. This understanding of core enterprise systems provided a natural and seamless transition into modern DevOps practices. Currently, I focus on utilizing a diverse stack of automation tools to streamline deployments, enhance system reliability, and eliminate manual toil.

I am a Senior DevOps Engineer dedicated to designing, building, and automating resilient IT environments. My technical foundation is rooted in traditional operations, featuring extensive hands-on experience with server infrastructure, virtualization,... Show more

Apasionado por el vasto mundo de la nube, la inteligencia artificial, la seguridad, DevOps y FinOps, soy un entusiasta defensor del poder de compartir conocimiento nos ayuda a mejorar y contribuir a la comunidad.

Apasionado por el vasto mundo de la nube, la inteligencia artificial, la seguridad, DevOps y FinOps, soy un entusiasta defensor del poder de compartir conocimiento nos ayuda a mejorar y contribuir a la comunidad. Show more

Victor Churchill is a Senior Product Designer with over 7 years of experience creating impactful, user-centered solutions across fintech, logistics, EdTech, and SaaS. He has led the design of platforms that secured multi-million dollar funding, integrated generative AI to boost user engagement, and scaled systems to serve tens of thousands of users. With a strong focus on measurable impact, inclusive design, and cross-functional collaboration, Victor brings a strategic yet practical approach to solving complex design challenges in emerging and global markets.

Victor Churchill is a Senior Product Designer with over 7 years of experience creating impactful, user-centered solutions across fintech, logistics, EdTech, and SaaS. He has led the design of platforms that secured multi-million dollar funding, integ... Show more

Dhruv Goel is a Staff Software Engineer at project44, specializing in cross-platform development, distributed systems, and modernizing legacy infrastructure . With a career defined by tackling complex scale, Dhruv previously served as a Senior Software Engineer at Atlassian . There, he played a pivotal role in breaking down the legacy JIRA monolith, decoupling core systems to engineer a standalone JQL Search platform service . By pioneering new search-based experiences and enforcing strict sub-second performance SLOs, his work directly accelerated workflows for millions of enterprise users . Dhruv is passionate about resilience engineering, cloud architecture, and helping engineering teams navigate the painful but necessary transition from monoliths to high-performance microservices .

Dhruv Goel is a Staff Software Engineer at project44, specializing in cross-platform development, distributed systems, and modernizing legacy infrastructure . With a career defined by tackling complex scale, Dhruv previously served as a Senior Softwa... Show more

Ricardo Magalhães is a DevOps Engineer at xgeeks. He is responsible for driving the infrastructure for one of the top automotive companies in today's world. Always striving for bigger and better, Ricardo has an unmatched will to take projects to the next level and of course, make a great story along the way. Because everything is better with a good story.

Ricardo Magalhães is a DevOps Engineer at xgeeks. He is responsible for driving the infrastructure for one of the top automotive companies in today's world. Always striving for bigger and better, Ricardo has an unmatched will to take projects to the ... Show more

Neeraj is the co-founder of Vivid Climate, a climate management and accounting platform. Neeraj is a polyglot. Over the years, he has worked on a variety of full-stack software and data-science applications, as well as computational arts, and likes the challenge of creating new tools and applications, and is an active speaker with talks and tutorials presented at multiple conferences.

Neeraj is the co-founder of Vivid Climate, a climate management and accounting platform. Neeraj is a polyglot. Over the years, he has worked on a variety of full-stack software and data-science applications, as well as computational arts, and likes t... Show more

Andrew is a Lecturer in Computer Engineering at San Jose State University, a Lecturer in Computer Science at Sonoma State University

Andrew is a Lecturer in Computer Engineering at San Jose State University, a Lecturer in Computer Science at Sonoma State University Show more

Dr. Majid Fekri is a dynamic and engaging speaker who is passionate about the transformative power of AI. With a PhD in Atmospheric Sciences from McGill University and a proven track record in both startups and large corporations, Dr. Fekri brings a unique blend of scientific expertise and real-world experience to the stage. He is the founder of Edge AI Innovations, a platform dedicated to education and consultation about Edge AI, empowering individuals and businesses to harness its potential. Through his engaging presentations and insightful newsletter, Dr. Fekri makes complex AI concepts accessible and inspires audiences to embrace the possibilities of this rapidly evolving technology.

Dr. Majid Fekri is a dynamic and engaging speaker who is passionate about the transformative power of AI. With a PhD in Atmospheric Sciences from McGill University and a proven track record in both startups and large corporations, Dr. Fekri brings a ... Show more

Software Engineer with 4+ years at Samsung, building production Android and Wear OS systems, including phone-to-watch sync architecture for an internal messaging platform. Outside of work, builds small end-to-end projects at the intersection of AI, IoT, and mobile, including a top-5 placement in Google's GenAI Hackathon 2024. Active in the GDG Noida/Delhi and Kotlin User Group communities.

Software Engineer with 4+ years at Samsung, building production Android and Wear OS systems, including phone-to-watch sync architecture for an internal messaging platform. Outside of work, builds small end-to-end projects at the intersection of AI, I... Show more

He focuses on scalable data architecture, cloud-native deployments, and AI/ML systems. He has designed and reviewed production MongoDB architectures for large enterprise accounts in retail, healthcare, supply chain, and financial services. He is an active contributor to the Austin tech community and has spoken on agentic AI systems, data architecture, and performance tuning for distributed workloads.

He focuses on scalable data architecture, cloud-native deployments, and AI/ML systems. He has designed and reviewed production MongoDB architectures for large enterprise accounts in retail, healthcare, supply chain, and financial services. He is an a... Show more

Jeni Yelton is a leadership speaker, executive coach, and organizational development consultant with more than 25 years of experience helping leaders and teams grow with clarity, confidence, and purpose. She is the author of Confidently Flawed, a leadership message that challenges people to stop chasing perfection and start building trust, influence, and meaningful impact.

Known for her engaging, story-driven style, Jeni blends humor, practical insight, and honest reflection to help audiences think differently and leave with tools they can actually use.

Her work helps leaders rethink how they develop people, measure performance, and build teams rooted in trust, collaboration, and real-world results.

Jeni Yelton is a leadership speaker, executive coach, and organizational development consultant with more than 25 years of experience helping leaders and teams grow with clarity, confidence, and purpose. She is the author of Confidently Flawed, a lea... Show more

Deep Patel is a senior data engineering and analytics leader with over a decade of experience designing and scaling large-scale data platforms across fintech and technology organizations. He has led enterprise-critical initiatives spanning executive metrics, real-time analytics, and AI-driven decision systems, helping leadership teams measure ROI, manage risk, and operate with data they can trust. Deep frequently speaks and writes on modern data infrastructure, AI governance, and translating complex systems into clear business outcomes.

Deep Patel is a senior data engineering and analytics leader with over a decade of experience designing and scaling large-scale data platforms across fintech and technology organizations. He has led enterprise-critical initiatives spanning executive ... Show more

I’m a Platform Engineer at Sopra Steria with over 12 years of experience in DevOps and Middleware.

My work focuses on building resilient, secure, and scalable platforms, with a strong emphasis on automation and industrialization.

I’m passionate about sharing real-world insights and lessons learned from deploying Kubernetes in critical environments.

Expertise:
* Design, audit, hardening, and build of Kubernetes and OpenShift platforms.
* Deployment in both cloud and on-premises environments, including secure infrastructures like OVH SecNumCloud.

CI/CD & Tooling:
* Implementation of CI/CD pipelines using GitLab-CI.
* Platform and application managment OpenShift GitOps (ArgoCD)
* Integration of tools such as Helm, Terraform, Dynatrace, and Kasten K10 for observability and backup.

Cloud & Virtualization:
* Management of complex OpenShift migrations (from 3.x to 4.x).
* Cluster deployments on vSphere, OpenStack, OpenShift Virtualisation, AWS or Azure Stack.
* Extensive work with virtualization technologies like OpenShift Virtualisation and vSphere.

I’m a Platform Engineer at Sopra Steria with over 12 years of experience in DevOps and Middleware. My work focuses on building resilient, secure, and scalable platforms, with a strong emphasis on automation and industrialization. I’m passionate... Show more

Treb is one of only four individuals worldwide to hold dual MVP titles in both the Data Platform and AI Platform categories from Microsoft. His contributions and demonstrated expertise in the industry have earned him this recognition from Microsoft.

With an illustrious 24-year career in Business Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence, he has consistently pushed the boundaries of what's possible. Before stepping into his role as CEO of Marquee Insights, Treb held influential leadership positions at renowned organizations such as Microsoft, Starbucks, and Wachovia (now Wells Fargo).

Treb resides in vibrant Seattle area with his wife and beloved corgi. He also boasts an MBA from Wake Forest University, underscoring his dedication to continuous learning and professional growth.

Treb is one of only four individuals worldwide to hold dual MVP titles in both the Data Platform and AI Platform categories from Microsoft. His contributions and demonstrated expertise in the industry have earned him this recognition from Microsoft. ... Show more