JavaScript experts, mentors, speakers

Julia Wallin is a passionate Software Engineering Manager focused on building and scaling high-performing engineering teams that both build and use AI to build. With more than a decade of industry experience, she leads cross-functional teams to deliver reliable, production-grade platforms and large-scale products and services. A sought-after speaker, Julia presents on the intersection of AI and software engineering, sharing practical strategies for team structure, developer productivity, and engineering culture. Her clear, energetic delivery leaves audiences with actionable insights for improving technical processes, scaling teams, and accelerating delivery.

As a former agency developer, Hanna has experience building apps on various platforms. At Shopify, she is a front-end developer on a team dedicated to building out the capabilities that enable great embedded apps. Hanna has spent the last three years building and maintaining Shopify App Bridge, a JavaScript library that lets developers embed apps directly inside the Shopify Admin and Shopify POS.

Javier Alcaide is a mathematician and software developer focused on data science and machine learning. His professional career is based on the use of advanced analytics and big data techniques within the financial sector. His current role is the design and construction of AI models and the analysis of data using ETL processing with Big Data technologies.

Benjamin Swerdlow took a break from his studies at UChicago, to go work as a Senior Backend Engineer for Apple, who recently took a break from Apple to build Freestyle. He's been building in the Open Source community since high school, and was a technical lead for the World Health Organization's COVID-19 App team.

As CTO and Co-Founder, Connell oversees Zapworks (Zappar’s AR, VR & WebXR platform) as well as being responsible for all cloud infrastructure. Connell founded Zappar in 2011, alongside Dr. Simon Taylor, Caspar Thykier and Kirk Ewing and is one of the world's leading XR Platforms and creative studios. More recently, Connell and the team launched Zapvision, an app and SDK that's helping people who are blind or have low vision to access product information on packaging through a single Accessible QR code.

I’m Harsh Maheshwari, a Principal Engineer at Optum, UnitedHealth Group. I hold a Master’s in Computer Science and specialize in applied search technology, focusing on Full Stack AI/ML application. I’ve filed patents in this area and have previously created similar solutions for the fintech industry. My work revolves around advancing search methodologies and pioneering innovative frontend development.

Alex Astrum is a passionate builder working in Developer Relations at Google’s Firebase, where he helps teams ship production-grade AI features with Genkit, Vertex AI, and Firebase Studio. He authored Firebase codelabs on Genkit and Gemini Extensions. He enjoys presenting live workshops and volunteering at hackathons. His current focus is around the transformational potential of AI in the app building space.

Tim Makin is a Software Engineering Manager at CDL with over 20 years of experience in driving innovation and delivering high-impact digital products. They currently lead 14 teams, guiding projects from conception to completion while fostering a culture of excellence. Before their current role, Tim spent six of those years as the founder of a digital agency, developing solutions for world-renowned organisations including the BBC, Tesco, IKEA, and Sage.

Karly Lamm is a Senior Mobile and Full Stack Web Engineer, currently serving as the Director of Strategic Software Solutions at Aviron Software. She has helped startups scale their products from early MVPs to acquisition, including one later acquired by Walmart. Karly specializes in JavaScript technologies with deep experience in React, React Native, and Angular. She is a strong advocate for accessible and inclusive code, with a passion for building products that work for everyone. In her current role, she partners with startups to design scalable solutions, mentor engineering teams, and implement thoughtful UI and accessibility practices that align with real-world user needs.

Noam Zingboim is a seasoned software engineer specializing in Node.js, JavaScript, and system design for scalable backend services. With experience ranging from architecting new products to maintaining critical systems, he focuses on building maintainable, reliable, and high-performance solutions.

Karen Li is a concert pianist turned elementary school teacher turned software engineer. She is currently a software engineer at GitHub's npm team. Aside from engineering work, Karen blends education and technology by sharing her experience with the community. Her motto, "I invest in brains" captures her journey from teaching to tech empowerment.

Gokul is a software engineer and former startup cofounder with 10 years of experience building products across fintech, martech, consumer research, telecom, and logistics. He’s passionate about solving complex problems with simple, elegant solutions and mentoring aspiring engineers through programs at General Assembly and AcademyXI.

George is a TechLead @ BlackRock with 12+ years of experience in the FinTech industry. He has architected, designed and build various systems, from data warehouses to large MFEs. He lives and breathes in the full stack space between Data and UX. Proven ability to architect, design, and implement complex solutions while fostering high-performing engineering cultures.

Fullstack Software Design Engineer at Mattermost. He has helped with the re-architecturing of the new version of the mobile app, written in React Native. Confident with React, React Native and Go, and always happy to learn new things. Fun fact: studying psychology for fun.

Working on @reactjs for the web. I currently work at Meta on cross-platform React frameworks. Our goal is to improve engineering efficiency and product quality, to reduce product time-to-market, and to produce high-quality native user interfaces from existing web code. The software we work on is used by products like Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Oculus, and Workplace.

Oli started his career crafting virtual worlds as a video game developer, driven by a love for immersive experiences and creative problem-solving. That journey led him to Google, where he honed his engineering skills at scale. Eventually, his focus shifted toward the web—specifically front-end development—where he found a new passion: building fast, accessible, and user-friendly interfaces. Now, Oli channels that passion into refining enterprise-grade libraries at AG Grid. He cares deeply about accessibility (a11y) and user experience, always striving to make the web a more inclusive and intuitive place for everyone.

Max Strivens - Solutions Engineer at StackOne - We are a unified integration provider and integration layer for AI.

Backed by 15 years of architecting, developing, and managing software teams, I’m an experienced software EM, based in London. My passion is building a great team culture, and delivering through lean & agile frameworks.

Engineering Manager at Capital on Tap (UK fintech), leading Internal & Core Systems and the Engineering department’s AI adoption. Focused on moving AI from prototype to production with stage-gates, data-protection controls, and measurable impact. Integrating an AI function inside Engineering to ship customer-facing features.

Frontend Engineer at Evil Martians, a product development consultancy. My great inspiration is to shape thoughts into easy-to-use products and articles, and I love to speak publicly. I'm passionate about learning different front-end technologies, and always try to see both pros and cons of using them.

James Swinton-Bland is DevRel Lead at AG Grid. He started out his career as a software engineer, before moving into Developer Advocacy. With a background in Android and Java, James now works primarily with React, helping developers get the most out of AG Grid and AG Charts.

Developer at Nexapp for 9 years, Alexandre has supported more than a dozen clients in the development and design of their products. As a senior frontend developer, he ensures he stays up to date with the latest development practices. In recent years, he has taken a particular interest in the educational aspect of his work through training and mentoring. What motivates him on a daily basis is sharing his experiences and learnings with his colleagues and clients.

Tech Lead with over 15 years of experience in IT across various industries, including media, public sector or finance. Proven track record in leading development teams, designing scalable systems, and delivering impactful solutions. Recent work focuses on the practical implementation of AI in production environments, enhancing workflows, automating processes, and driving innovation.

Saki is a seasoned software developer with decades of experience, specializing in JavaScript and modern web technologies. He has led the development of numerous web applications across various industries, blending deep technical knowledge with hands-on problem-solving. As a consultant and trainer, he supports teams in building scalable, high-quality solutions. His passion is sharing knowledge and promoting clean, maintainable code.