IN PERSON! Apache Kafka® x Apache Flink® x Apache Iceberg® Meetup - Mar 2026

Hello everyone! Join us for an Apache Kafka® x Apache Flink® x Apache Iceberg® meetup on Mar 17th from 5:30pm, hosted by Mantel in Sydney!

The address, agenda, and speaker information can be found below. See you there!

Venue:
Mantel
Level 21, 580 George St, Sydney NSW 2000

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Agenda:

• 5:30pm: Doors open
• 5:30pm - 6:00pm: Pizza, Drinks, and Networking
• 6:00pm - 6:30pm: Olena Kutsenko, Staff Developer Advocate, Confluent
• 6:30pm - 7:00pm: TBC
• 7:00pm - 7:30pm: Additional Networking

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Speaker:
Olena Kutsenko, Staff Developer Advocate, Confluent

Talk:
Keeping data private in real-time pipelines

Abstract:
We all love real-time data — clicks, payments, rides, messages — but most of it comes with a catch: it contains personal information we're not supposed to leak, such as names, emails, locations, or even small clues that can identify someone. The challenge: how do we keep streaming data useful and safe at the same time? In this talk, we'll explore practical ways to protect privacy in streaming systems using Apache Kafka, Apache Flink, and Apache Iceberg. We'll cover: - simple tricks like masking and tokenizing PII; - why "anonymous" data often isn't anonymous (the re-identification problem); - techniques like bucketing, k-anonymity, and adding noise; - how to balance privacy with data utility (too much hiding makes data useless). Along the way, we'll look at real-world stories: from public data leaks to surprising deanonymization attacks, and show live demos of pipelines that anonymize data before it's written to storage. If you've ever wondered how to build privacy-aware pipelines, this talk will give you practical patterns you can use right away.

Bio:
Olena is a Staff Developer Advocate at Confluent and a recognized expert in data streaming and analytics. With two decades of experience in software engineering, she has built mission-critical applications, led high-performing teams, and driven large-scale technology adoption at industry leaders like Nokia, HERE Technologies, AWS, and Aiven.
A passionate advocate for real-time data processing and AI-driven applications, Olena empowers developers and organizations to use the power of streaming data. She is an AWS Community Builder, a dedicated mentor, and a volunteer instructor at a nonprofit tech school, helping to shape the next generation of engineers.
As an international speaker and thought leader, Olena regularly presents at top global conferences, sharing deep technical insights and hands-on expertise. Whether through her talks, workshops, or content, she is committed to making complex technologies accessible and inspiring innovation in the developer community.
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Speaker:
TBC

Talk:
TBC

Abstract:
TBC
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If you would like to speak or host our next event please let us know! community@confluent.io