Region & Country

Valued speakers who focus on the geopolitical and cultural aspects of different regions and countries, exploring topics like regional development, international relations, and cultural identity

Mukesh Reddy Dhanagari

Mukesh Reddy Dhanagari

Mukesh Reddy Dhanagari is a technology leader known for driving innovation in large-scale, low-latency data systems. At Charles Schwab, he has led mission-critical initiatives transforming the firm’s trading and data infrastructure — including the MongoDB to Aerospike Migration Project, which scaled operations to handle 75 billion daily transactions with sub-millisecond reads and near-zero downtime.

He also played a pivotal role in the TD Ameritrade integration, where his leadership helped transition 1.8 million accounts and $350 billion in assets, achieving seamless client experience and system resilience at scale.

With deep expertise in distributed databases, real-time data pipelines, and high availability architectures, Mukesh is passionate about designing systems that combine speed, reliability, and business impact. He regularly shares insights on building next-generation data platforms that empower enterprises to innovate with confidence.

Mukesh Reddy Dhanagari is a technology leader known for driving innovation in large-scale, low-latency data systems. At Charles Schwab, he has led mission-critical initiatives transforming the firm’s trading and data infrastructure — including the Mo... Show more

Krishna Bandarupalli

Krishna Bandarupalli

Krishna Bandarupalli is a dynamic QA Team Lead at Encova Insurance, spearheading comprehensive Manual, Automation, and Performance testing services within the organization. With an extensive career spanning over 9 years in the Quality Assurance industry, Krishna has evolved from a proficient Manual Tester to an adept Automation specialist.

Krishna's expertise encompasses diverse sectors, including retail and insurance domains, where he has seamlessly navigated through both legacy and modern applications. His passion lies in the meticulous identification of defects and the strategic automation of applications to enhance efficiency and reliability.

Beyond the professional realm, Krishna finds joy in his role as a devoted parent to two children, actively engaging in quality family time. During his leisure, he immerses himself in the world of audio programs, DIY activities and nurtures a flourishing vegetable garden during the spring and summer seasons.

Krishna's commitment to excellence and his multifaceted interests make him a valuable asset both in and out of the testing arena.

Krishna Bandarupalli is a dynamic QA Team Lead at Encova Insurance, spearheading comprehensive Manual, Automation, and Performance testing services within the organization. With an extensive career spanning over 9 years in the Quality Assurance indus... Show more

Anna Segerström

Anna Segerström

Anna Segerström is an experienced and driven consultant with over 20 years of experience in the IT industry. Anna is a certified change manager and a specialist in Microsoft 365 and Copilot with a focus on productivity and aligning business requirements to the right technology.
She enjoys working close to the business and has a genuine interest and understanding of both technical and business-driven requirements.
Anna has worked with everything from non profit organizations to large international companies.
Anna lives in Stockholm, Sweden and is fluent in English and Swedish

Anna Segerström is an experienced and driven consultant with over 20 years of experience in the IT industry. Anna is a certified change manager and a specialist in Microsoft 365 and Copilot with a focus on productivity and aligning business requireme... Show more

Andrew Kolikoff

Andrew Kolikoff

For over 25 years, Andrew Kolikoff has been a leadership coach who elevates company cultures.

For over 25 years, Andrew Kolikoff has been a leadership coach who elevates company cultures. Show more

Anderson Queiroz

Anderson Queiroz

Anderson is a Senior Software Engineer at Elastic who has been crafting software for over 15 years, turning a hobby into a profession that has spanned academic research, fintech, and the travel industry. With a rich background in breaking down monoliths into reliable microservices, he now develops observability tools at Elastic to ingest all sorts of data. He is passionate about solving complex system-level puzzles and challenging assumptions through rigorous testing.

Anderson is a Senior Software Engineer at Elastic who has been crafting software for over 15 years, turning a hobby into a profession that has spanned academic research, fintech, and the travel industry. With a rich background in breaking down monoli... Show more

Nael Fridhi

Nael Fridhi

Nael Fridhi is a seasoned professional at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, currently serving as a Customer Engineer, Web3 and Application Modernization Specialist at Google Cloud. With a profound passion for leveraging innovative solutions to transform the digital landscape, Nael brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. Additionally, Nael harbors a keen interest in artificial intelligence (AI), exploring ways to integrate AI technologies into the modernization journey.

Nael Fridhi is a seasoned professional at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, currently serving as a Customer Engineer, Web3 and Application Modernization Specialist at Google Cloud. With a profound passion for leveraging innovative solutions t... Show more

Naresh Reddy Regalla

Naresh Reddy Regalla

Naresh Reddy Regalla is an accomplished IT leader and engineer with over 20 years of experience delivering enterprise technology solutions across banking, retail, and healthcare sectors. With deep expertise in business process automation and cloud-native solutions, he has established a strong reputation for driving innovation, operational efficiency, and compliance while enabling organizations to scale securely.
Naresh specializes in IBM Business Automation Workflow (BAW), IBM BPM, and Alfresco Activiti, with a proven track record in workflow design, process optimization, and legacy modernization. His cloud architecture expertise spans OpenShift, Kubernetes, AWS, and Pivotal Cloud Foundry, where he has delivered highly resilient, containerized enterprise applications. He is equally skilled as a full-stack engineer, proficient in Java, Spring Boot, REST APIs, and modern frontend frameworks such as React and Angular.
Currently serving as an Expert Application Engineer at Discover Financial Services, Naresh plays a pivotal role in payments fraud detection and risk prevention initiatives, safeguarding the global payments ecosystem. His leadership has contributed to critical solutions, including a secure One-Time Password API, transaction monitoring platforms, and advanced fraud prevention algorithms.
Naresh is a certified AWS Solutions Architect and IBM BPM expert, with a B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. Known for his collaborative leadership style, he has mentored high-performing teams and partnered with business stakeholders to deliver scalable and secure systems.
Passionate about digital transformation, Naresh continues to focus on bridging business and technology, ensuring enterprises remain future-ready in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Naresh Reddy Regalla is an accomplished IT leader and engineer with over 20 years of experience delivering enterprise technology solutions across banking, retail, and healthcare sectors. With deep expertise in business process automation and cloud-na... Show more

Anastasiia Zvenigorodskaia

Anastasiia Zvenigorodskaia

• Founder of Have a Plan - growth consulting for tech companies
• 13 years in tech - frontend developer & Chief Operating Officer • Strong development background, business analytics expertise, and an AI-driven approach
• Open Source advocate & Public speaker

• Founder of Have a Plan - growth consulting for tech companies • 13 years in tech - frontend developer & Chief Operating Officer • Strong development background, business analytics expertise, and an AI-driven approach • Open Source advocate & Publ... Show more

Martina Lilla

Martina Lilla

Cloud & Data Engineer at Datwave (a BIP company), second-level Master at Politecnico di Milano and Datwave Ambassador. Driven by passion for technology and innovation, her daily work focuses on Google Cloud, Software Development, DevOps, and Microservices.

In addition to her technical skills, she has a natural ability to easily interface with different disciplines. Curiosity is her driver, constantly pushing her to expand her knowledge and experience.

Cloud & Data Engineer at Datwave (a BIP company), second-level Master at Politecnico di Milano and Datwave Ambassador. Driven by passion for technology and innovation, her daily work focuses on Google Cloud, Software Development, DevOps, and Microser... Show more

Tyrone Grandison

Tyrone Grandison

Dr. Tyrone W. A. Grandison is a technologist, entrepreneur, and social advocate with many years of experience . As a Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft and Founder of The Data-Driven Institute, he drives innovation and empowers communities through data. A White House Presidential Innovation Fellow and co-creator of groundbreaking initiatives.

Dr. Tyrone W. A. Grandison is a technologist, entrepreneur, and social advocate with many years of experience . As a Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft and Founder of The Data-Driven Institute, he drives innovation and empowers communities through... Show more

Leslie Short

Leslie Short


Leslie Short is the owner of The Cavu Group and the author of "Expand Beyond Your Current Culture." With four decades of experience as a seasoned brand and culture strategist and leadership advisor, she founded The Cavu Group to address critical challenges in building and guiding organizations toward sustainable cultural growth.
Leslie is uniquely skilled at fostering environments that promote continuous evolution and innovation. Her approach emphasizes the importance of listening to and understanding people, whom she recognizes as an organization's greatest asset.
She is deeply committed to creating and maintaining diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive cultures. Leveraging her expertise, she develops inclusive workplace strategies and facilitates transformative discussions that challenge the status quo.
Her work delves into the vital intersections of leadership, culture, accessibility, and social impact, equipping businesses with actionable insights to thrive in today’s dynamic and complex business landscape.

Leslie Short has an accomplished background that includes business, entrepreneurship, marketing, and the arts. Her journey began as a classical ballet dancer, which took her to Europe, where she lived for over a decade. After her dance career, Leslie founded an entertainment business in Japan, which was recognized as the country's best business in 1994.
She held influential roles, including President of Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations at FUBU The Collection, as well as Corporate Operating Strategist at prominent companies both domestically and internationally. Additionally, Leslie launched K.I.M. Media LLC (Keep It Moving) and founded Ascend Bereavement Management, demonstrating her versatility and innovative mindset.

A highly sought-after speaker, Leslie has addressed audiences at prestigious events hosted by Fortune 500 companies, universities, the United Nations, and the European Union, sharing her expertise and insights with a global audience. Leslie is a Chaplain, Certified Mediator, and Conflict Coach.

Leslie Short is the owner of The Cavu Group and the author of "Expand Beyond Your Current Culture." With four decades of experience as a seasoned brand and culture strategist and leadership advisor, she founded The Cavu Group to address critical ch... Show more

Kanika Vatsyayan

Kanika Vatsyayan

Driven by a passion for quality, Kanika Vatsyayan is the Vice-President of delivery and Operations at BugRaptors, overseeing all quality assurance initiatives. With over 10 years in the IT industry, Kanika brings a wealth of experience in test leadership and management across diverse sectors. She is committed to result-oriented, business-centric approaches and actively explores emerging technologies to optimize business models. Kanika is an experienced blogger, sharing her automation and manual testing expertise with a wider audience.

Driven by a passion for quality, Kanika Vatsyayan is the Vice-President of delivery and Operations at BugRaptors, overseeing all quality assurance initiatives. With over 10 years in the IT industry, Kanika brings a wealth of experience in test leader... Show more

Rafael Peña

Rafael Peña

Rafael Peña is a travel journalist, consultant, and cultural strategist whose work explores how destinations can tell deeper and more inclusive stories. His reporting has appeared in publications such as Travel + Leisure, Cruise Critic, Travel Noire, the Miami Herald, and others. Through his fieldwork, Rafael has documented the people and places shaping travel today and developed a clear perspective on how culture, representation, and visitor experience intersect.

Drawing on his background as a Black and Latino traveler with roots in the Dominican Republic, Rafael helps destinations and hospitality brands understand the expectations of modern, multicultural audiences. His consulting work guides DMOs and tourism teams in developing messaging, content, and on-the-ground experiences that feel authentic, community grounded, and relevant to a diverse global traveler base.

Rafael is also a sought-after speaker on content strategy, inclusive storytelling, and the evolving needs of BIPOC travelers. He works with PR, marketing, and destination leaders to strengthen traveler trust, expand representation, and design experiences that reflect the full cultural fabric of a place. Through his journalism and his speaking engagements, Rafael pushes the travel industry toward richer stories, better hospitality, and more intentional destination marketing.

Rafael Peña is a travel journalist, consultant, and cultural strategist whose work explores how destinations can tell deeper and more inclusive stories. His reporting has appeared in publications such as Travel + Leisure, Cruise Critic, Travel Noire,... Show more

Evan Tahler

Evan Tahler

Evan Tahler is the Head of Engineering at Arcade.dev, building the runtime for secure and scalable agentic tools.

Prior to Arcade, Evan was the Director of Engineering at Airbyte, where he built and led the teams that focused on high-volume data movement and AI-pipelines. Before that, Evan was the CTO and co-founder of Grouparoo, the open-source reverse-ETL company, which was acquired by Airbyte.

Evan's expertise lies in building the technical side of digital products, as well as growing the teams required to do so. He’s helped companies like Disney, TaskRabbit, ModCloth, and Airbus launch new global digital initiatives, and has co-founded 3 successful startups. He is named on multiple patents focusing on authentication and digital entertainment. Evan is an open-source innovator, and frequent speaker at software development conferences focusing on AI, Product Management, Data Engineering, Node.JS, Typescript and DevOps.

Evan holds a Masters in Entertainment Technology and BS in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

You can learn more about Evan at www.evantahler.com

Evan Tahler is the Head of Engineering at Arcade.dev, building the runtime for secure and scalable agentic tools. Prior to Arcade, Evan was the Director of Engineering at Airbyte, where he built and led the teams that focused on high-volume data m... Show more

Bright Etornam Sunu

Bright Etornam Sunu

Etornam is a Software Engineer who currently specializes in developing resilient Mobile applications for Android and iOS. He has an understanding of modern software engineering and always looking for a better approach to designing software. Aside from his day-to-day activities as a software engineer, he actively contributes to open source projects and also the tech community ecosystem building in Ghana.

Etornam is a Software Engineer who currently specializes in developing resilient Mobile applications for Android and iOS. He has an understanding of modern software engineering and always looking for a better approach to designing software. Aside fro... Show more

Koushik Shanbhag

Koushik Shanbhag

koushik shanbhag is a 2nd year computer science student, game modder, and texture artist with a deep interest in 3D pipelines and open source tools. Passionate about game development and creative workflows, he enjoys exploring technologies like OpenUSD and sharing practical knowledge with the developer and student community

koushik shanbhag is a 2nd year computer science student, game modder, and texture artist with a deep interest in 3D pipelines and open source tools. Passionate about game development and creative workflows, he enjoys exploring technologies like OpenU... Show more

İren Saltalı

İren Saltalı

İren Saltalı is a Staff Software Engineer at Edge Delta, bringing over a decade of experience in software engineering and cloud architecture. With a Master's in Computer Engineering, İren has contributed to various tech companies, including roles as CTO and consultant. He has a passion for cloud technologies, microservices, and large-scale data systems.

An AWS Certified Solutions Architect and Community Builder, İren enjoys tackling complex technical challenges and sharing knowledge. He has co-founded tech startups and actively volunteers in the Cloud and Serverless Turkey community.

İren Saltalı is a Staff Software Engineer at Edge Delta, bringing over a decade of experience in software engineering and cloud architecture. With a Master's in Computer Engineering, İren has contributed to various tech companies, including roles as ... Show more

Morad Stern

Morad Stern

I’m the Head of Engineering Branding at Wix. In this role, I lead Wix Engineering’s global brand presence and developer community initiatives, amplifying our unique engineering voice. I am the author of Tiebreaker: The Power of Networking, Communities, and Personal Branding and the founder of the Tech & Innovation Forum, an Israeli Telegram broadcast channel with over 13,800 subscribers from the tech industry.

I’m the Head of Engineering Branding at Wix. In this role, I lead Wix Engineering’s global brand presence and developer community initiatives, amplifying our unique engineering voice. I am the author of Tiebreaker: The Power of Networking, Communitie... Show more

Steven Annegarn

Steven Annegarn

Steven started his career in finance and ventured into analytics around 2018. He is currently Co-owner and CTO of DATA KINGDOM, a scale-up in Data Analytics consultancy. Steven focuses mainly on building the Power BI architecture, Data Modeling and Governance. Trough this, he helps clients get more value out of their data.

Steven started his career in finance and ventured into analytics around 2018. He is currently Co-owner and CTO of DATA KINGDOM, a scale-up in Data Analytics consultancy. Steven focuses mainly on building the Power BI architecture, Data Modeling and G... Show more

Sai Nikhil Donthi

Sai Nikhil Donthi

I am a technical lead and cloud automation specialist with a strong focus on Microsoft Azure and DevOps-driven infrastructure. My work bridges research and practice in dynamic scaling, automation, and workload optimization, with particular expertise in Ansible-based orchestration for Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) environments. I have published research on scaling strategies for refinery turnaround workloads, highlighting cold-start latency, cost–performance tradeoffs, and multi-tier elasticity. Passionate about practical cloud solutions, Excited to share insights on how automation frameworks can improve reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in time-sensitive industrial operations.

I am a technical lead and cloud automation specialist with a strong focus on Microsoft Azure and DevOps-driven infrastructure. My work bridges research and practice in dynamic scaling, automation, and workload optimization, with particular expertise ... Show more

Sandra Pretzer

Sandra Pretzer

Sandra has her roots in online marketing and key account management and has worked in these areas as a teamlead in startups in an international environment. In 2016, she discovered OKR as her “gateway drug” to the world of agility and took on the role of OKR Master within the company. Excited by this new take on team dynamics and collaboration, she made herself redundant by digitizing and optimizing her job and went into freelancing in 2019. Since then, she has been supporting teams and organizations of all sizes with OKR introductions, developing and working with strategy and corporate goals, developing effective collaboration models and coaching team leads and OKR Masters in their role.

Sandra has her roots in online marketing and key account management and has worked in these areas as a teamlead in startups in an international environment. In 2016, she discovered OKR as her “gateway drug” to the world of agility and took on the rol... Show more

Diego Marques

Diego Marques

I am a Country Manager with several years of experience leading companies through the journey of implementing Cloud and modernizing applications to reach the market faster and more securely.

What drives me is working in complex environments with technological and business challenges, where I can present cloud-based solutions that transform companies’ delivery capabilities and positively influence the end customer experience. I’m also passionate about sharing knowledge with as many people as possible. I truly believe that technology can change people’s lives!

I am a Country Manager with several years of experience leading companies through the journey of implementing Cloud and modernizing applications to reach the market faster and more securely. What drives me is working in complex environments with t... Show more

Mark Smith

Mark Smith

Mark has been working with Microsoft Business Applications since 2003 and has run practices of various sizes in multiple countries. He is the creator of the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge. He is a Business Applications MVP, MCT, Mentor and Speaker.

Mark has been working with Microsoft Business Applications since 2003 and has run practices of various sizes in multiple countries. He is the creator of the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge. He is a Business Applications MVP, MCT, Mentor and Speaker. Show more

Jirachai Chansivanon

Jirachai Chansivanon

Consulting Engineering at MongoDB in Singapore and Ex-Microsoft employee with a background in web development who loves to integrate and build various projects, infusing creativity into everything projects.

Consulting Engineering at MongoDB in Singapore and Ex-Microsoft employee with a background in web development who loves to integrate and build various projects, infusing creativity into everything projects. Show more

Édgar Sánchez Gordón

Édgar Sánchez Gordón

30 years writing business apps. In love with functional programming since learning LISP in college. Co-founder of Logic Studio, a software house with over a hundred friends in Quito, Ecuador. Ecuador Technology Chamber Board of Directors. Microsoft Regional Director. Aspiring trail runner and triathlete.

30 years writing business apps. In love with functional programming since learning LISP in college. Co-founder of Logic Studio, a software house with over a hundred friends in Quito, Ecuador. Ecuador Technology Chamber Board of Directors. Microsoft R... Show more

Vijay Shekhawat

Vijay Shekhawat

Vijay is a seasoned data and software engineer currently serving as the Staff Software Engineer for TRM Labs Next-Generation Data Platform. In his career, he has previously worked at companies like LinkedIn and Expedia, and he brings deep expertise in Data Lakehouse architectures, real-time streaming, and building secure, high-throughput pipelines for petabyte-scale customer facing analytics.

Vijay is a seasoned data and software engineer currently serving as the Staff Software Engineer for TRM Labs Next-Generation Data Platform. In his career, he has previously worked at companies like LinkedIn and Expedia, and he brings deep expertise i... Show more

Christian Gläser

Christian Gläser

Christian Glaeser: Azure Cloud Architect @ Nordcloud, from Germany

Christian Glaeser: Azure Cloud Architect @ Nordcloud, from Germany Show more

Gareth Edwards

Gareth Edwards

techy, geek, dad, views are my own | vExpert 2016-2018, NTSP, CCA-V, Apple ACSA, Meraki CMNA | Co-Founder of @OpenHomelab & @OpenTechCast | EV ⚡️& Eco Fan

techy, geek, dad, views are my own | vExpert 2016-2018, NTSP, CCA-V, Apple ACSA, Meraki CMNA | Co-Founder of @OpenHomelab & @OpenTechCast | EV ⚡️& Eco Fan Show more

Isaac Agya Koomson

Isaac Agya Koomson

AI, Sustainability & Smart Cities Strategist | Startup Ecosystem Leader

Isaac Agya Koomson is a Ghanaian sustainability strategist, AI innovation advocate, and startup ecosystem builder focused on advancing Africa’s economic transformation through technology, entrepreneurship, and smart systems development.

He is the Founder & CEO of KIA-Start Up Consult, Civitas Estate & Maintenance, and Farmers Haven, and Team Lead of HopeFusion Africa — an initiative with a bold vision to reduce Africa’s unemployment by 10% by 2030. His work integrates AI-driven innovation, smart urbanization, renewable energy, and agribusiness transformation to build scalable, impact-driven enterprises.

Isaac has delivered keynote addresses on AI for smart urbanization, the Human + AI hybrid workforce, and reskilling for the generative AI age at platforms including Ghana Digital & Innovation Week, Africa Education Trust Fund, and DataGlobal Hub. He has represented Ghana and African youth as an official delegate at the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings, World Bank Youth Summit, UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), IPBES-12, Global Youth Environment Assembly, and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville, contributing to global discussions on climate finance, sustainable development, and digital transformation.

With over seven years of leadership across entrepreneurship, humanitarian operations, and green innovation, Isaac has supported more than 50 startups in achieving product-market fit, investment readiness, and scalable growth. His thought leadership publications have generated over 2 million views, shaping conversations around AI infrastructure, economic resilience, and Africa’s future of work.

Recognized as Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2023) by the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs, Isaac speaks at the intersection of technology, sustainability, policy, and inclusive economic growth — challenging audiences to rethink how Africa builds its future.

AI, Sustainability & Smart Cities Strategist | Startup Ecosystem Leader Isaac Agya Koomson is a Ghanaian sustainability strategist, AI innovation advocate, and startup ecosystem builder focused on advancing Africa’s economic transformation through... Show more

Bill Zhang

Bill Zhang

Bill is vice president of product management at Cloudera, responsible for Open Data Lakehouse product strategy and Apache Iceberg integration with all Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) form factors. Bill also leads Apache Hive product roadmap and adoption. Most recently, Bill was responsible for solution management for SAP HANA Data Platform and SAP HANA Cloud. Prior to that he led product management for Sybase Replication Server.

Bill is vice president of product management at Cloudera, responsible for Open Data Lakehouse product strategy and Apache Iceberg integration with all Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) form factors. Bill also leads Apache Hive product roadmap and adoption... Show more

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