GitKon is about to begin, and there’s just one question left to answer: Who exactly will be lighting up your screens with their insights? We’re here to introduce you to the remarkable individuals who will make this event unforgettable!

Keynote Speakers:

Dharmesh Shah – Co-Founder & CTO, HubSpot

Prepare to be inspired by the visionary Co-Founder and CTO of HubSpot. With his unwavering commitment to transforming the digital marketing landscape, Dharmesh has not only led the creation of a global marketing platform but also inspired countless entrepreneurs and developers worldwide. Join him at GitKon 2023 as he shares insights into the future of software development.

Justin Cormack – CTO, Docker

As the Chief Technology Officer of Docker, Justin Cormack has been instrumental in shaping the world of containerization. His journey from the heart of the open-source community to leading one of the most innovative companies in the tech industry is a testament to his expertise. Join Justin for a walk through the critical moments and philosophies that have shaped developer collaboration.

Special Guest Speaker: 

Sean Astin – Award-Winning Actor, Filmmaker, and Mental Health Advocate

Known for his iconic roles as Mikey in The Goonies, Daniel Ruettiger in Rudy, and, of course, the beloved Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Sean brings a unique perspective to GitKon 2023. In addition to his on camera work, behind the scenes, Sean is an outspoken advocate on mental health, driven by his personal family experience with mental illness. Join us as he opens up about his personal journey and shares his thoughts on navigating the delicate balance of workplace well-being.

Full Speaker Line Up:

Adam Wride – Chief Product Officer, GitKraken

Adam, Chief Product Officer at GitKraken and former CEO of BigBrassBand, has a knack for helping developers collaborate and thrive together. In their GitKon session, Adam will be teaming up with Superna’s Kyle Fransham to discuss common challenges faced by product and engineering teams when trying to meet deadlines. They’ll dive into the practicalities of adapting to unexpected issues and how on-demand access to the right data is key for effective development. 

Ambily Kavumkal Kamalasanan – Sr. Cloud Solutions Engineer, GitHub

Meet Ambily, a Senior Cloud Solutions Engineer at GitHub specializing in Cloud and DevOps with certifications as an Azure and DevOps Architect. She’s dedicated to driving DevOps adoption and crafting tailored DevSecOps solutions. Join her as she unlocks the secret to software success through Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs) exploration powered by Generative AI (GitHub Copilot). 

Andreas Herrmann – Scalable Builds Lead, Tweag

As a physicist turned software engineer, Andreas offers a unique perspective on version control. He leads the Scalable Builds Group at Tweag, contributing to projects like Bazel, Buck2, and Pants, and is Google’s first Bazel Community Expert. With a focus on hermetic and reproducible builds and a passion for functional programming, Andreas promises to bring insightful discussions and expertise to the forefront of the version control debate.

Audrey Long – Sr. Security Software Engineer, Microsoft

Audrey has a Master’s in Cybersecurity from Johns Hopkins University and she specializes in secure coding, threat modeling, and architectural security evaluation. In her session, she’ll guide you through understanding threats in cloud systems, ensuring your team’s protection from potential vulnerabilities, and a safe journey home to your digital universe.

Ben Schippers – Co-Founder and Co-CEO, HappyFunCorp

In addition to his leadership role at HappyFunCorp, Ben also heads Tezlab, a popular third-party Tesla application. With a rich speaking history, including presentations at TechCrunch events, Ben knows the importance of creating digital experiences that people love. In his session, he’ll share insights on putting people and culture at the heart of product development, accelerating careers and creating impactful digital experiences.

Chuck Dries – Software Engineer, Adobe

Chuck is passionate about photography and game development. In his session, Chuck dives into a real-life GitLens case study showing developers how to uncover valuable insights from your project’s history and track essential code changes.

Corey McCarty – Lead Developer, Summit Professional Education & GitKraken Ambassador

A former backend developer turned full stack lead experienced in Java, JavaScript, and Python, Corey is passionate about automating tedious processes. In his session, Corey will discuss the power of a dev community, highlighting that whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned developer, having a supportive community can elevate, inspire, and advance your career.

Dave Bor – Director of Content, GitKraken

Dave, Director of Content at GitKraken, has over 18 years of marketing experience and had the opportunity to discuss the challenge of burnout in the tech industry with renowned actor, Sean Astin. Together, they offer practical advice on stress management and fostering mental wellness, transcending tech roles to address the broader human experience in the modern workplace.

Dennis Pilarinos – Founder and CEO, Unblocked

Dennis is a seasoned technologist and entrepreneur with a track record at companies like Microsoft, Amazon, buddybuild, and Apple. He holds multiple patents for innovative solutions and is dedicated to leveraging technology to tackle real-world challenges. In his session, Dennis will share a game-changing method to prevent development teams from getting blocked and improve workflow in just 15 minutes. 

Domagoj Vidovic – Tech Content Creator and Influencer

Meet Dom, a seasoned senior developer turned tech content creator and the mastermind behind @tech_wizzdom. He recognizes the expanding role of software developers, who are increasingly tasked with content creation, showcasing new features, and explaining enhanced capabilities. In his session, he’ll offer tips for developers to embrace this evolution, highlighting the value of captivating technical audiences and connecting with users – a valuable skill that can be leveraged in both your day job and side hustle endeavors.

Eli Schleifer – Founder and CEO, Trunk.io

In addition to a deep background at Microsoft, Eli is a former leader of Uber’s Autonomy Systems team and is the entrepreneur behind the sale of Directr to Google. In his session, he’ll identify common misconceptions developers make about past mistakes and offer insight to understand the right kind of tech debt to embrace. 

Frank Boucher – Cloud Advocate, Microsoft & GitKraken Ambassador

A cloud computing enthusiast with deep experience in Microsoft Azure, Frank is known for his informative blog posts and videos in French and English. In his beginner-friendly session, Frank will simplify Git from the ground up, starting with the basics and demonstrating how to use GitKraken Client to efficiently send code to a central repository. 

Harsh Bardhan Mishra – Engineer, LocalStack

With a background at Red Hat, HackerRank, and Quansight, Harsh is dedicated to improving the developer experience for AWS cloud application developers. As an AWS Community Builder in the Serverless category, he’s passionate about cloud and serverless development, DevOps, and using technology for climate change mitigation. In his session, Harsh will focus on achieving robust IAM policies, both locally and in the cloud, and share the latest testing strategies and developer tools for efficient security audits and a reliable testing pipeline. 

Jason Gates – Senior Member of the Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories

Meet Jason, an experienced engineer who transitioned from engineering physics to software engineering with a strong passion for DevOps. For six years, he’s been helping scientific software teams embrace DevOps practices. As a Git expert, he excels in teaching developers how to streamline their coding routines and boost productivity. In his session, Jason will offer practical tips on handling issues, creating branches, and executing pull requests, all focusing on making your coding tasks faster and easier.

Jeff Schinella – Director of Product, GitKraken

Join Jeff Schinella, Director of Product at GitKraken, and Kevin Bost in an illuminating GitKon session all about the power of actionable insights, enabling you to identify workflow pain points and foster efficient developer collaboration. Say goodbye to working in the dark and settling for status quo project inputs as they guide you towards a brighter, more informed development journey.

Jonathan Silva – Product Marketing Manager, GitKraken

Jonathan Silva, Product Marketing Manager at GitKraken, chats with Jason Gates in an eye-opening GitKon session about smart and reliable techniques for simplifying coding routines. See how these two tech professionals efficiently handle issues, branch creation, and pull requests, plus discover insights guaranteed to enhance your development process.

Joyce Lin – Head of Developer Relations, Postman

Joyce is the Senior Director of Developer Relations at Postman, a leading API platform with over 25 million monthly users. Joyce is on a mission to improve API building and testing practices. In her session, she’ll challenge the outdated image of solitary developers and underscore the significance of collaboration in contemporary software scaling. Join her session to explore the most effective asynchronous and synchronous collaboration approaches.

Justin Roberts – Sr. Director of Product, GitKraken

GitKraken’s Senior Product Director Justin Roberts, who has led the design and development of GitKraken Client since its inception, presents two groundbreaking dev tools at GitKon: Focus View for heightened developer concentration and Cloud Patches, revolutionizing developer collaboration. Justin’s architectural background has been a constant influence during a decade of designing user-centered, technical tools, making this session an invaluable exploration of the future of development.

Keith Daulton – Principal Software Engineer, GitKraken

Keith Daulton, Principal Software Engineer at GitKraken, brings over 20 years of experience bridging design and development to GitKon. He’s passionate about fostering collaboration between design and engineering teams, resulting in innovative solutions. In his two sessions, Keith teams up with fellow tech experts to explore real-life GitLens use cases and engage in a lively discussion over version control, offering valuable insights and practical solutions for developers.

Kevin Bost – Sr. Software Architect, IntelliTect & GitKraken Ambassador

In addition to his role at IntelliTect, Kevin is a Microsoft MVP known for contributing to containerized cloud products. Kevin’s passion extends to promoting code quality through live coding sessions on Twitch and maintaining MaterialDesignInXAML, an open-source toolkit for crafting Windows apps with Google’s Material Design. In his session, Kevin will shed light on the power of actionable insights, enabling you to enhance your workflow, foster efficient dev-to-dev collaboration, and break free from working in the dark.

Kyle Fransham – VP, Research & Development, Superna

Kyle has over 15 years of experience developing mission-critical applications. As the VP of R&D at Superna, he leads teams responsible for product development, testing, and delivery. In his session, Kyle (along with GitKraken’s Chief Product Officer, Adam Wride) will discuss the challenges of meeting software development deadlines and the importance of data-driven processes. Join him to explore an innovative approach to retrospectives, driven by on-demand access to the right data and the determination to adapt promptly.

Lewis Menelaws – Tech Content Creator

Lewis is a content creator who has inspired developers through open-source software ideas, humorous content, and informative videos. In his session, you’ll learn the path from side project development to deploying apps at scale. Join Lewis, aka @LewisMenelaws and @CodingWithLewis, to follow The Fellowship of Git as they aim to deliver their code to Mount Cloud and liberate Middle(Ware) Earth from downtime. 

Matt Johnston – CEO, GitKraken

With over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, Matt Johnston, CEO of GitKraken, has a knack for building teams, cultures, and companies. In a GitKon fireside chat, he joins Dharmesh Shah, CTO of HubSpot, to discuss the future of software development and teamwork. Dharmesh, known for his extensive tech background, shares lessons obtained from his impressive career, offering practical insight into the future of dev-to-dev collaboration.

Melese Michaels – Product Marketer, GitKraken

Meet Melese Michaels, Product Marketer at GitKraken, focusing on GitLens’ development. With a knack for tackling complex issues, Melese brings his insight (along with Adobe’s Chuck Dries) into a real-life GitLens case study, offering practical guidance on how to extract insights from your product’s history and tackle code changes. 

Michelle “MishManners” Mannering – Developer Advocate, GitHub

Michelle is known for her 250+ engaging speaking engagements on topics like AI and teamwork. She has also founded AI and eScooter companies and played a pivotal role in over 100 hackathons. In her session, Michelle will dive into GitHub Copilot, demonstrating how it suggests code, provides translations, and helps overcome coding challenges, all while exploring the future of AI in development.

Mike Miles – Director of Web Development, MIT Sloan

Mike is a skilled web engineer with over 18 years of open-source development expertise. As the Director of Web Development at MIT Sloan, he leads a team driving digital innovation. In his session, Mike will explore AI’s transformative role in simplifying code creation and enhancing creativity, shedding light on its ethical dimensions and the vital role of human judgment and collaboration. 

Nitish Garg – Staff Software Engineer, Rippling

Nitish has over five years of expertise in Developer Productivity and Infrastructure Engineering, bolstered by previous experience at Bloomberg. He has educational foundations from the University of Florida (UF) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. In his session, Nitish will offer insights into version control, where his vast experience and knowledge come into play.

Rafna Bash – CEO & Technical Team Lead, Aktibeto

Rafna mentors and empowers women in tech transitions through her leadership role at Aktibeto and also as a Woman Techmaker Ambassador and Director of Women Who Code Boulder/Denver. In her session, Rafna will tackle web security essentials, including authentication, session management, and authorization. 

Rizel Scarlett – Staff Developer Advocate, TBD

Rizel has a diverse background spanning GitHub, startups, and non-profit organizations. Rizel is dedicated to utilizing emerging technologies for equity in the tech industry and serves as an Advisor at G{Code} House, an organization teaching coding to women of color and non-binary individuals. In her session, Rizel will demystify containers and their impact on modern software development, discussing their surge in popularity and role in promoting inclusivity within the tech industry. 

Ron Northcutt – Head of Developer Relations, Appsmith

Meet Ron, an experienced developer, open-source advocate, and problem-solving expert with a background spanning financial, governmental, and enterprise sectors. As the Head of DevRel at Appsmith, Ron is dedicated to nurturing developer growth, building exceptional teams, and fostering community expansion. In his session, Ron will dive into software development’s evolving landscape, emphasizing the pivotal role of collaboration in scaling modern software and highlighting best practices for successful teamwork in the tech industry.

Ruth Cheesley – Project Lead, Mautic

Ruth is an Open Source advocate with over 18 years of experience. She serves as the Project Lead for Mautic, the world’s first Open Source Marketing Automation platform, and has a background that includes the Community Leadership Team of the Joomla! project. In her session, Ruth delves into the challenges of governance transition, using Mautic as a case study. Join her to explore navigating these changes while preserving community trust and the essential role of transparency and leadership in open source growth.

Sarah Lean – Sr. Cloud Solution Architect, Microsoft & GitKraken Ambassador

Sarah is an IT professional with 18 years of experience working as a Microsoft Certified Trainer at Microsoft. Hailing from Scotland, she’s a STEM ambassador and the driving force behind the Glasgow Azure User Group. Join her session to explore GitLens, a popular VS Code extension that enhances focus and code comprehension during development.

Shawna O’Neal – Co-Founder and Developer, Dodgy Code

Shawna leads a global remote web agency specializing in fostering authentic web experiences with a strong emphasis on collaboration and long-term project maintainability. Her expertise spans backend web development, integrations, and technical documentation. In her session, Shawna explores the art of efficient communication, helping developers streamline their workflow and eliminate wasted efforts.

Théophane Hufschmitt – Software Engineer, Modus Create & Board Member, NixOS Foundation

Théophane excels in Nix and functional programming. He actively contributes and maintains Nix while striving to enhance the reliability of developer environments. In his session, Théophane will demonstrate how to achieve consistent, easily deployable environments, eliminating the notorious “works on my machine” bugs and enhancing workflow efficiency.

GitKon is the ultimate 3-day developer conference streaming online from October 24-26, 2023. Check out the Watch Live page for direct access to each day’s stream, or browse through the GitKraken YouTube channel after the event to watch each stream on-demand.

Our sincerest gratitude goes out to each and every one of this year’s GitKon speakers – we couldn’t have made this event a reality without them, and we’re so thankful for their insightful contributions!