Journey to an Open LakeHouse!

• Topic: Journey to Open Lakehouse
• Date: Thursday 23rd April 2026 at 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm
• Networking: 6 pm - 6.30 pm and 7.20 - 8 pm
• Presentation Time: 6.30 pm - 7.20 pm
  (includes welcome, presentation 30 mins & community marketplace)
• Location: Thoughtworks HQ Level 35/360 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
• Ticket: Free of cost, however, registrations and RSVP are required!
• Sponsor: Thoughtworks

Journey to Open LakeHouse
This session explores the practical realities of migrating to an Apache Iceberg lakehouse to reduce analytics costs and minimise vendor lock-in. We’ll cover architecture choices, migration pitfalls, operational lessons, and the measurable outcomes of adopting open table formats. Ideal for data engineers, platform teams, and architects evaluating the next evolution of their data stack.

About The Speaker
Karel Alfonso is a Software Engineer with experience working with reputable organisations, including Block and Thoughtworks. He studied in Havana before moving to Australia around twenty years ago, where he has built a strong track record in software delivery, distributed systems, data platform engineering, real-time streaming, and technical leadership.

Karel is known for his collaborative, friendly approach and is highly regarded within the data engineering community. He has presented at FlinkForward Seattle 2023, Programmable 2023, 2024 and other community meetups.

We’re excited to bring the Data Engineering Melbourne Meetup group together for an evening with Karel and his insights!