What is the DevFest about?
The Windsor Google Developers Group (GDG) is proud to host our fourth annual Windsor-Essex DevFest on Saturday, October 28, 2023. DevFests are Google-sponsored software developer conferences that allow the local software development community to come together to network and learn about the coolest new technology out there. The Devfest is also an opportunity to present topics that are aligned with the latest industry trends or have the potential to be one and to share knowledge and experience with others. Topics/sessions around Generative AI, Cloud Security, Machine Learning Operations (MLOps), Google Cloud, and any other topics that can help and benefit the tech community are welcomed.
Windsor-Essex DevFest 2023 Attendee Guide
REGISTRATION - Registration starts at 8 am.
NETWORKING - One of the main goals for the event is to network and connect with like minded professionals. Be sure to MEET SOMEONE NEW and LEARN WHAT THEY DO.
THANK A SPEAKER - Speakers are key to making the DevFest a big success. Use the opportunity to connect with at least one speaker and thank them for their time and effort
LEARN SOMETHING NEW - Try to attend a session on a topic that is new to you or you know nothing about. Be amazed when you feel a tingling of excitement to learn more!
THANK A SPONSOR - Just like speakers, our sponsors are key to making the event a big success. Connect with them
BE GOOD TO EACH OTHER - This conference is volunteer driven. No one is being paid. Please treat everyone with respect and how you wish to be treated.
What is the High School Student Track?
Glad you asked! We are excited to host a small group of High School Students who will be learning the logical and physical skills to build and program electronic devices that interact with the physical world during the event.
Speaker Sessions
We are currently working on building the final agenda and will be available in the next couple weeks. In the meantime, below are the session topics that will be on the agenda. The full abstract for the sessions can be found here. More will be added soon
Josh Gordon (Google Head of ML & Generative AI DevRel)- Keynote Speaker
David Neufeld (Utilismart Corp) - Using Docker in the development / deployment process
Don Ward (Google) - Lead Your Local Tech Community, Gain the Edge in your Career
Joanne Soave (Connecting Windsor-Essex - CEO) -Effective Communication of Complex Concepts
Glen Yu (Google Developer Expert) - Lessons Learned in Building a Where's Waldo Object Detector
Godfrey Nolan (RIIS - President) - Mobile Security
Ali El-Sharif (St Clair College - Professor) - Optimizing for AI Fairness
Naresh Jasotani (Google) - Generative AI
Bryan Bedard (Amrock) - Building Bridges, Not Towers: Fostering Collaboration in Software Architecture
Nicholas Schmidt (SolasAI & BLDS, LLC) - Responsible and Ethical Use of Machine Learning and AI
Sam Branton (WEtech Alliance) - Get Plugged into the Windsor-Essex Tech Scene
Nav Singh (Google Developer Expert) - Accessibility in Android
Sydney Thompson (EPICenter University of Windsor) - EPICentre Programs & Services. How students can turn their ideas into a business
Noah Campbell (BlackBerry, the Prime Minister's Youth Council, St. Clair College)- Building a connected and converged future you can trust
Khizer Hayat (i-50) - Machine Learning Operations
Abdul Habra - Speech I/O
Medha Muppala (Women Techmakers Windsor)- Inclusive Design and How Google Paves the Way
Sodiq Shofoluwe (St. Clair College) - Introduction to the concept of Large Language Models LLM
Aislyn Laurent (University of Windsor) - Computational Tools for Scientific Research
Joseph Youssouf (Preteckt Intermediate Data Scientist) - Predictive Maintenance: Machine Learning to Prevent Vehicle Breakdowns
Diaa ElKott (Perceptron Inc. Software Development Engineer) - Demystifying Rust Ownership and Lifetimes
Speakers Session Abstract
The abstract for the speakers sessions can be found here
Agenda
8:00 AM: Registration Opens
9:00 AM: DevFest Kick Off and Welcoming Message
9:15 AM: Josh Gordon - Key Note Speaker
10:00 AM: Speaker Sessions
Further details to be announced
12:00 PM: Lunch and Networking
1:00 PM: Speaker Sessions
Further details to be announced
4:30 PM: Closing Remarks
Event Closing Remarks
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Speakers
Josh Gordon - Google (Head of ML & Generative AI DevRel)
Josh Gordon is the head of Machine Learning and Generative AI DevRel at Google, and is adjunct faculty in machine learning at Columbia University. His team creates and runs popular websites including https://developers.generativeai.google/; and https://tensorflow.org/ , and educational conten…
Glen Yu - Cloud Engineer (PwC)
Glen has a 16-year tech career spanning government, telecommunications, animation/VFX, retail, banking, and tech startups. Since 2016, he's honed his focus on cloud computing and DevOps, specializing in Google Cloud and HashiCorp tools. His expertise includes security, serverless tech, Kubernetes, and hybrid-cloud architecture. Glen is a dedicated lifelong learner who's delved into machine lea…
Sodiq Shofoluwe - St. Clair College
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sodiqshofoluwe1/;
Ali El-Sharif - St Clair College (Professor)
Ali El-Sharif works as a professor at St. Clair College in Windsor, where he teaches Data Analytics and Cybersecurity.
Ali is currently co-authoring a book with Serg Masís and Nick Schmidt. The book title is “Building Responsible AI with Python - Identify, explain, and mitigate bias with hands-on code examples.” Ali enjoys volunteering for GDG Windsor and encourag…
Diaa ElKott - Perceptron Inc. (Software Development Engineer)
Don Ward - Google
https://www.linkedin.com/in/donwardpeng/;
Nicholas Schmidt - SolasAI & BLDS, LLC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickpschmidt/;
Sam Branton - WEtech Alliance
Sam Branton is a young professional with passions for healthcare, business, and the region. As a graduate of Western University's Health Science program and St. Clair College's Business Marketing program, she possesses a well-rounded skill set that combines knowledge of healthcare with expertise in marketing strategies and event planning. Beyond her professional background, she has a deep appr…
Noah Campbell - BlackBerry, the Prime Minister's Youth Council, St. Clair College
Noah Campbell is a LEAD gold medallion scholar graduate of the University of Windsor and the first member of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council to be based in Windsor, Ontario – where he directly advises the Prime Minister, Cabinet, and senior government officials. He holds an honours bachelor’s degree of Computer Science (cooperative education) with distinction. Noah is also an honouree on th…
Naresh Jasotani - Google
https://www.linkedin.com/in/naresh-r-jasotani/;
Khizer Hayat - i-50
https://www.linkedin.com/in/syedkhizerhayat/;
Medha Muppala - Women Techmakers Windsor
Medha is a user interface designer, speaker, and Google Women Techmakers Ambassador with a background in computer science. On the professional front, she crafts delightful digital experiences and conducts usability audits & research. In her spare time, she helps early designers get started and thrive in their design careers.
Follow on LinkedIn at
Bryan Bedard - Amrock
Bryan is a professional software developer with more than 25 years in the industry. He is currently Director of Architecture at Amrock, the largest independent provider of title insurance, property valuations and settlement services in the United States. In his current role, Bryan focuses on modernizing legacy systems and drives continuous technological evolution to improve the Amrock process …
Nav Singh - Manulife (Mobile Software Engineer, Google Developer Experts)
Abdul Habra - Self
Godfrey Nolan - RIIS (President)
Godfrey Nolan is the president of RIIS LLC, a mobile development company based in Troy, MI. Specializing in developing mobile apps for drones, their client list includes some of the largest names in the drone industry. Godfrey is also the author of 6 books on mobile development and security, including ">
Dave Neufeld - Utilismart Corp
Software developer with 20+ years of experience with a variety of technologies and industries. Over the last few years have developed an interest in improving the software life cycle. From CI / CD, on boarding new developers and improving existing workflows.
You can connect with Dave on LinkedIn at https:…
Aislyn Laurent - University of Windsor
www.linkedin.com/in/aislynlaurent
Sydney Thompson
Joseph Youssouf - Preteckt (Intermediate Data Scientist)
UWindsor alumni Joe Youssouf is an intermediate data scientist at Hamilton and Memphis-based predictive maintenance (PdM) startup Preteckt. Preteckt leverages years of real-time vehicle data to supercharge fleet technicians with AI-generated and domain expert verified (human-in-the-loop) PdM recommendations. Joe is passionate about sharing his path towards data science and his startup experien…
Joanne Soave - Connecting Windsor-Essex (CEO)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannesoave/;
Hosted By
Don Ward, GDG Organizer
Sam Ghasan, Enterprise Architect - GDG Organizer
Ali El-Sharif, Professor
Shaun Dass, Professor
I've spent many years in IT fulfilling various roles such as analyst, developer, project manager before getting into academia about fifteen years ago. In addition to teaching I am also a tech company founder and Ph.D. candidate. Celebrating my fourth year of GDG involvement as a lead.
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Partners
WEtech Alliance (http://www.wetech-alliance.com)
WEtech Alliance is a non-profit organization helping accelerate the footprints of innovation & tech-based companies in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada.
Google Developer Student Club - University of Windsor (https://gdsc.community.dev/university-of-windsor/)
The University of Windsor DSC is all about helping students build their skills and their resume with fantastic community projects and interesting workshops! Join the club and meet new people on our discord server: https://discord.gg/XUjp4bX
St. Clair College - Google Developer Student Club
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Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-windsor-presents-windsor-essex-gdg-devfest-2023/.
