The Windsor Google Developers Group (GDG) is proud to host our annual Windsor-Essex DevFest on Saturday, November 21, 2026.
Session abstracts are available at this link
DevFests are Google-sponsored software developer conferences that allow the local software development community to network and learn about the latest and greatest technology. DevFests are also an opportunity to present topics aligned with the latest industry trends, or with the potential to become such, and to share knowledge and experience with others.
DevFest attendees agree to follow the Code of Conduct
Agenda
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Speakers
Serg Masís - Syngenta (Climate and Agronomic Data Scientist)
Serg Masís has been at the confluence of the internet, application development, and analytics for the last two decades. Currently, he's a Climate and Agronomic Data Scientist at Syngenta, a leading agribusiness company with a mission to improve global food security. Before that role, he co-founded a search engine startup, incubated by Harvard Innovation Labs, that combined the power of cloud comp…
Naresh Jasotani - Google (Technology Leader | Machine Learning, AI, Blockchain, Data & Analytics)
Naresh has over 17 years of experience in helping customers to get benefits of data, analytics and artificial intelligence advancements. With Machine Learning picking up in the last few years, he believes that it has brought endless possibilities for businesses to make data-based decisions, and be more predictive in their thought process. Naresh currently works at Google in the AI & ML dom…
Don Ward - Google (Customer Engineer Specialist)
Don Ward is a cloud enthusiast and Customer Engineer at Google Cloud, bringing deep practical experience to the table. In the last 5 years alone, he's earned an impressive 17 cloud certifications across Google and AWS, fueled by a passion for continuous learning and a drive to master the Google Cloud ecosystem. Don's commitment extends to the local tech scene, where he's spent 12 years fosteri…
Nilesh Patel - Google (Customer Engineer Specialist)
Nilesh Patel is a Generative AI Specialist at Google, building conversational AI experiences and helping customers transform their businesses with AI technologies. With 24+ years in tech, he empowers businesses to achieve their goals through innovative solutions. He's passionate about solving challenges with cutting-edge technology and sharing his knowledge with fellow developers.
Bryan Kelly - Google (Staff Software Engineer, Applied AI | Staff Forward Deployed Engineer)
Atif Khan - DataBraid (Chief Technology Officer)
Godfrey Nolan - RIIS (President)
Godfrey Nolan is the President of RIIS LLC, a mobile development company based in Troy, Michigan, and Windsor specializing in mobile apps for drones. With over 26 years of experience, he has built a team of experts capable of defining, developing, testing, and deploying mobile and web applications for our clients. Godfrey is also a prolific author, having written six books on mobile developmen…
Mina Girges - TransForm Shared Service Organization (Vice President & Chief Information Officer)
Mina Girges is a technology leader f
Mina Girges is an award-winning Information Systems leader and IT strategist, recognized for his expertise in secure, efficient, and scalable technology solutions. Currently Vice President & Chief Information Officer at TransForm Shared Service Organization, he is focused on Zero Trust, digital transformation, and building secure, scalable …
Frank Abbruzzese
Graduate from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) Degree • Married to the Lovely Carmela and two beautiful daughters Haley and Syd • Frank Abbruzzese is the President of AlphaKOR and has over 37 years of experience in the technology sector • He develops strategic, long-term relationships with companies and organizations of all sizes, and provides strategic planning …
Chukwuka (Eddie) Asamaka - Asamaka Industries (Founder)
Eddie Asamaka, M.Eng., P.Eng., PMP®, CMSE®, is the Founder and CEO of Asamaka Industries Ltd., an engineering and technology company specializing in industrial automation, robotics, machine vision, controls engineering, IIoT, and digital twin technologies. A Professional Engineer in Ontario, Eddie has extensive experience designing, programming, integrating, and commissioning advanced automati…
Elvis Akhalu - TD (Data Engineer)
Elvis Akhalu is a data professional working as a Data Engineer at TD Bank and holds a Master's degree in Business Data Analytics. He is proficient in data architecture, engineering, and modern tool stacks including Azure Databricks, Python, and cloud technologies. Beyond his work with financial data systems, Elvis serves as a Chapter Leader at Black Boys Code Windsor, where he mentors the next…
Keval Patel - Architecttura Inc., Architects (Lead Information Technology Infrastructure Manager)
Keval Patel is an educator, AI enthusiast, and founder of REALIQ, helping businesses and learners harness AI, automation, and cloud solutions through practical, hands-on training. He specializes in multi-agent AI workflows, low-code automation tools, and self-hosted systems, with a focus on turning complex technology into real-world results.
Joe Youssouf - Oden Technologies (Senior Data Scientist)
Joe Youssouf is the Lead Customer Data Scientist at Oden Technologies, where he develops AI-powered solutions that deliver real-time, domain-specific intelligence to manufacturing. His work on ProcessAI delivers real-time control recommendations that reduce waste, increase throughput, and enhance safety across global operations. Prior to Oden, he scaled predictive maintenance systems for over …
Arunesh Choudhary - Dialabot.ai (Conversational AI Engineer)
As a Conversational AI Engineer at Dialabot.ai, I design, develop, and deploy scalable conversational AI agents tailored to business needs. I architect conversation flows, configure agent behaviors, and integrate agents with CRMs, APIs, calendars, and enterprise systems to automate workflows and improve user interactions. I also build and maintain data pipelines to support agent training, perf…
Umair Durrani - Presage Group (Data Scientist)
Umair Durrani is a Data Scientist at Presage Group Inc., where he conducts scientific studies in the field of human factors and decision-making. Umair also develops web applications and data tools for optimizing data collection and reporting. With a PhD in Civil Engineering, he is passionate about modeling and mitigating human error in transportation systems. Umair also teaches data analysis w…
Steven Rice - DataRealm (Automation Specialist)
Steven Rice is an Automation Specialist at DataRealm and a PhD candidate in Computer Science at the University of Windsor. His work bridges physical AI, simulation, and applied robotics, focusing on cutting-edge humanoid robotics platforms, vision-language-action integration, and digital twins. Beyond robotics, Steven has extensive experience in game development, having taught university cours…
Florid Maclean - Catch The Event | Fanshawe College (CEO & Professor)
Florid Maclean is a professor at Fanshawe College, an entrepreneur, and a technology community builder based in London, Ontario. He specializes in the “Build-Scale-Sell” model, guiding founders to avoid over-engineering by launching lean MVPs that quickly generate real revenue—a methodology he validated with his own startup, Catch The Event, which crossed five figures in revenue within its fir…
Sandra Lopez-Zamora - Scotiabank (Senior Manager - Data Strategy and Analytics)
Sandra is a Senior Manager in Global Risk Management (GRM) at Scotiabank and is the City Lead for Women in AI London Chapter launching in the Fall. She is passionate about Data Science, supporting women in tech and newcomers in their transition to Canada. Sandra is one of three selected for the GRM Leadership Rotation Program allowing her to experience various aspects of banking. Her expertise…
Diaa ElKott - ISRA VISION - Part of Atlas Copco (Senior Software Engineer)
Diaa ElKott is a mechanical engineer and software developer with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University. Diaa's career has focused on building software for industrial measurement applications using geometric modeling, and computer vision methods.
Kylie Kiser - Kylie K Consulting (Owner)
Kylie Kiser is a Microsoft Business Applications MVP and Fast Track Recognized Solution Architect with deep experience in Dynamics 365, Dataverse, and the Power Platform. As the owner of Kylie K Consulting, she helps teams design secure, scalable solutions and teaches makers and developers how to get real value out of low code. Kylie is known for making complex topics approachable through prac…
Andrea Irina Yzeiri - Picsume (Chief Data & Analytics Officer and Lead AI Engineer)
Andrea Yzeiri is a dynamic leader at the intersection of technology, strategy, and innovative development, recently recognized as one of North America’s Top 25 Women Chief Data & Analytics Officers by Women We Admire. With over a decade of experience spanning AI, data analytics, and leadership, she brings a unique blend of technical expertise and practical business insights. Andrea is a pi…
Veronica Reingold - University of Windsor (Computer Science Student)
I'm super passionate about accessibility, especially in games and game development! My passions have led me to pursue my MSc in Computer Science, where I'm researching the topic of applying AI to video game accessibility. This novel idea has earned me the prestigious Vector Scholarship in AI. I love the creativity that goes into game-making, and I believe that more creative uses of AI in games…
Wen Teoh
Wen is the President and Principal Consultant at Good Point Consulting. With over 20 years of experience in strategic leadership, business startups, project management, and operations across various sectors, Wen began her career in the tech industry as a project lead and programmer analyst in the financial sector. Wen then moved into entrepreneurship, co-founding two businesses before transiti…
Sean Bridgeman - HALIGHT Inc (Director of Product Management)
Product Leader with a compulsion to build collaborative environments that radiate value-focused product cultures.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-bridgeman-b2a30a178/;
Camila Gaitan - Softgic (Systems Engineer | Business Data Analyst)
I am a Systems Engineer with over 8 years of experience in leading and managing digital and software projects. I am Scrum certified and have applied agile methodologies to successfully deliver high-quality technology solutions. My professional journey includes roles such as Project Lead, Scrum Master, and Project Manager, which have given me a 360° view of the product lifecycle and the ability…
Kevin Serrano Mojica - Mercado Libre (Software Enginner | Android Developer)
I am a Software Developer with more than 7 years of experience, with a strong focus on mobile application development and experience designing and developing complete software solutions.
My experience is mainly focused on Mobile Application Development, working with native Android applications and technologies such as Kotlin, Jetpack Compose, Java, Firebase, and Google Mobile Service…
Vimal K. - GDG Cloud Toronto (Co-Founder)
Vimal is a Toronto-based technology leader, educator and technology enthusiast who leads technology operations at Nirucraft Solutions. Over a career spanning India, South Africa, and Canada, he has worked with major global technology organizations and financial institutions, supporting clients and teams across Canada, the United States, Singapore, Afri…
Nav Singh - Manulife (Mobile Software Engineer, Google Developer Experts)
Google Developer Expert for Android, an organizer at GDG-Montreal, and an author of articles on Android and Kotlin. Outside of his day-to-day job, he spends his time learning new technologies/frameworks. In his free time, he loves to read books.
James Lannigan - Signal49 Research (Senior Research Associate (Innovation and Technology))
Dr. James Lannigan brings a unique mixed-methods approach that combines in-depth qualitative research, statistical rigour, and social network analysis to produce actionable insights for informed decision-making. At Signal49 Research, his work focuses on emerging technology adoption in Canada, including C-suite perspectives on artificial intelligence, recent AI developments, and projects examin…
Mahnoz Akhtari - Grayfel Technologies (Principal)
Mahnoz Akhtari is a fourth-year Computer Science and Software Engineering student at the University of Windsor. She runs Grayfel Technologies and is lead developer at Sterling Cybersecurity & Advisory Group. As Campus Director for the Hult Prize at UWindsor, she works with partners across Windsor-Essex to get student ideas to the point where the region's accelerators and funders can actual…
Panelists
Don Ward - Rocket Mortgage (Staff Software Engineer - Data Science Team)
Naresh Jasotani - Google (Technology Leader | Machine Learning, AI, Blockchain, Data & Analytics)
Naresh has over 17 years of experience in helping customers to get benefits of data, analytics and artificial intelligence advancements. With Machine Learning picking up in the last few years, he believes that it has brought endless possibilities for businesses to make data-based decisions, and be more predictive in their thought process. Naresh currently works at Google in the AI & ML dom…
James Lannigan - Signal49 Research (Senior Research Associate (Innovation and Technology))
Dr. James Lannigan brings a unique mixed-methods approach that combines in-depth qualitative research, statistical rigour, and social network analysis to produce actionable insights for informed decision-making. At Signal49 Research, his work focuses on emerging technology adoption in Canada, including C-suite perspectives on artificial intelligence, recent AI developments, and projects examin…
Mina Girges - TransForm Shared Service Organization (Vice President & Chief Information Officer)
Mina Girges is a technology leader f
Mina Girges is an award-winning Information Systems leader and IT strategist, recognized for his expertise in secure, efficient, and scalable technology solutions. Currently Vice President & Chief Information Officer at TransForm Shared Service Organization, he is focused on Zero Trust, digital transformation, and building secure, scalable …
Godfrey Nolan - RIIS (President)
Godfrey Nolan is the President of RIIS LLC, a mobile development company based in Troy, Michigan, and Windsor specializing in mobile apps for drones. With over 26 years of experience, he has built a team of experts capable of defining, developing, testing, and deploying mobile and web applications for our clients. Godfrey is also a prolific author, having written six books on mobile developmen…
Moderator
Yvonne Pilon
Yvonne Pilon is the President and CEO of WEtech Alliance, one of Ontario’s Regional Innovation Centres. With 15+ years of leadership at the intersection of technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development, she is widely recognized for championing Canadian Tech and cross-border collaboration and strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems that drive innovation and prosperity acro…
Hosted By
Ali El-Sharif, 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 encourages everyone to stay connected with this amazing community of developers.
Vivian Tang, Data Consultant
MBA with a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Windsor, with international experience studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea. Experienced with proven success in technical leadership, project management, community building, and delivering large-scale initiatives (WinHacks, Google DevFest). Passionate about inclusive innovation, mentorship, and leading cross-functional teams from concept to execution in business and technology.
Daria Deriagina, Developer
I design and build websites that are easy to use, look great, and actually work the way people need them to. My background in UX/UI design and web development lets me blend creativity with clean, functional code.
I love turning ideas into digital experiences that feel effortless to navigate, and I enjoy working with others to make something we can be proud of.
Esraa Abdelhalim, Assistant Professor
Esraa is an Assistant Professor at the Odette School of Business, University of Windsor, specializing in Human-AI Interaction, Privacy and Cybersecurity, Responsible Algorithms, and Data Analytics. Her research is published in top-tier journals and conferences, and she has received multiple awards, including Professor of the Year (2024, 2025), Ontario Trillium Award, and TechWomen award. Esraa has worked with 100+ women in leading Silicon Valley tech companies and co-founded initiatives like “Women Techmakers-Alexandria”, “GDG-Alexandria”, and “Heya is Back.” She also organizes the annual International Women’s Day event and AI workshops at Odette.
Joe Youssouf, Data Scientist
Ashlynn Ward, Computer Science Student
Ashlynn Ward recently started a Computer Science degree at the University of Windsor. She is a Women Techmaker Member and a big fan of Google Developer Groups.
Keval Patel, Data Scientist
Arunesh Choudhary, Conversational AI Engineer
As a Conversational AI Engineer at Dialabot.ai, I design, develop, and deploy scalable conversational AI agents tailored to business needs. I architect conversation flows, configure agent behaviors, and integrate agents with CRMs, APIs, calendars, and enterprise systems to automate workflows and improve user interactions. I also build and maintain data pipelines to support agent training, performance monitoring, and continuous optimization, ensuring reliable and production-ready AI solutions.
Sam Ghasan, Enterprise Architect
Kiran Puthan, Solution Consultant
Kiran blends a background in engineering with sales leadership, helping organizations evaluate and implement solutions that align with both technical needs and strategic objectives. He is also a leadership expert who delivers high-energy talks and presentations on Technology, Design, and Sales.
Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-windsor-presents-gdg-windsor-essex-devfest-2026/.
