DevFest 2025 - GDG Greater Los Angeles Area

Join us at the Pasadena Convention Center for DevFest Los Angeles 2025 — the premier event for developers, students, tech enthusiasts, and industry professionals. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills, explore the latest innovations, or connect with the local tech community, DevFest has something for you.

Experience a full day of inspiring keynotes, hands-on workshops, and thought-provoking sessions led by industry leaders. Network with like-minded peers, discover new opportunities at our job fair, and take advantage of exclusive student discounts.

Enjoy free food and stick around for exciting raffles and giveaways, including Google products. This is more than just a conference — it’s a celebration of technology, creativity, and collaboration.

Mark your calendar and get ready to learn, connect, and grow at DevFest Los Angeles 2025.

Event Agenda (exact schedule subject to change)
10:00–10:30 Doors
10:30–11:30 Keynote by Sharad Aggarwal, Global Head - Strategy, Partnerships & AI Solutions at Google Cloud
Speaker Track (Ballrooms D-E)
11:40–12:20 Building and Monetizing Your Apps by Ellie Kuang
Ellie will be talking about the startups she formed and how she managed to monetize them using Google AdSense and social media. Anyone can turn their hobbies into an app. Whether it is through vibe-coding or not, we can definitely leverage AI to build something interesting.

12:20–1:40 Lunch
1:40–2:20 What Prompts and Birthdays Teach Us About the AI Experience by Bryce Howitson
The evolution of UI combined with the silliness of communication makes AI feel like a crazed genie. You'll learn to build AI interfaces for everyone; those who aren't prompt engineers as well as the rest of us. Attending may not make you more attractive, but it WILL help you help others talk to computers. This session is for anyone who might someday build AI products for human engagement regardless of role or experience level.

2:30–3:10 Scaling Cancer Research to Billions of Pixels: an AI and Cloud-Powered Approach by David Haley
Big data is the new frontier in the fight against cancer. Modern imaging captures terabytes of stunning detail from tissue samples, but this information deluge overwhelms traditional analysis, turning data processing into a bottleneck for new discoveries.

In this talk, you'll learn how our spatial bioinformatics team broke through this barrier. We'll show you how we leveraged Google Cloud Platform to supercharge our scientific applications with AI and cloud infrastructure, accelerating our workflows by over 100x. This goes beyond speed: the efficiencies mean we can access much larger data sets than before.

Join us to learn how we're turning data overload into a decisive advantage in the fight against cancer.

3:20–4:00 AI Around the World by Jeremy Wilken
Dozens of countries have made significant investments and plans in developing custom AI and strategies for their needs. AI is spreading around the world, but many countries are looking at how to invest and develop AI that is designed for regional and local needs and preferences. Learn about how innovations spread and how various countries and regions are trying to shape AI to fit their visions of the future.

4:10–4:30 Scaling Apps for the AI Era: Patterns, Architectures, and Tools for Any Stack by Martino Yovo
As AI reshapes how we build applications, developers across every stack, whether Flutter, Android, or iOS, face a common challenge: how to design apps that are scalable, secure, and ready for AI-driven experiences.

In this talk, we’ll explore universal architecture patterns and engineering practices that prepare apps for the AI era. You'll will leave with practical patterns and architecture blueprints you can apply immediately, regardless of technology stack.

Workshop Track (Ballrooms A-C)
If you wish to participate in a workshop, be sure to bring your laptop!

11:40–12:40 Mission AI Possible: From Zero to Gemini with Google Workspace™ by Alice Keeler
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to unlock the full potential of Google Workspace by building custom automations powered by the Gemini API. While you can start with simple scripts, this session is a developer-focused deep dive into building a complete, AI-driven Google Workspace Add-on. We will move quickly from authentication to execution, demonstrating how to build a robust, publishable Add-on that intelligently automates tasks across Google Workspace. You will see live-coded examples of integrating the Gemini API with services like Drive, Gmail, and Sheets to create a seamless user experience. Leave with production-ready code patterns, prompt engineering strategies, and a clear understanding of how to build and publish the next generation of AI-powered Workspace Add-ons.

12:40–1:40 Lunch
1:40–3:10 Vibecoding with Gemini CLI by Siena Aguayo
This workshop guides application developers to master the new paradigm of "vibe coding" by transforming them into "Shadow Blades," heroes who use the Gemini CLI as their weapon. This hands-on training, presented within a fun fantasy framework, is structured to ensure all participants successfully complete a real-world workflow. Key takeaways include setting up a controlled environment, implementing coding guardrails with gemini.md, building an AI agent, and deploying it through a CI/CD pipeline.

3:20–4:30 Building AI Agents with Vertex AI Agent Builder by Bryan Bergo
In this workshop, you'll learn how to build a fully functional AI Agent using Google Cloud's Vertex AI Agent Builder. You will design an agent persona, create the conversational flow, and enhance its knowledge by grounding it with an external datastore. The final steps show how to integrate the live agent into a website and deploy it to Cloud Run.

Event Closing (Ballrooms D-E)
4:30–5:00 Event close, prizes, networking

Brought to you by
Google Developer Groups: Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Culver City, Los Angeles Android, Newport Beach

Google Developer Groups on Campus: Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State LA

Women Techmakers of Greater Los Angeles

Agenda

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Speakers

Sharad Aggarwal - Google (Global Head - Strategy, Partnerships & AI Solutions at Google Cloud)

Sharad Aggarwal is the Global Head of Strategy, Partnerships & AI Solutions at Google Cloud, where he leads strategic partnerships globally, overseeing a portfolio worth over billion USD.
With ~25 years of experience in the big tech industry, including senior roles at IBM and Google, Sharad specializes in business strategy, consulting and strategic alliances. He has successfully neg…

Martino Yovo - Esri (Product Engineer)

Martino is a Product Engineer and a Google Developer Expert for Flutter. He builds tools and SDKs that make technology more accessible and has guided thousands of developers through training, mentorship, and open-source contributions. Martino is passionate about developer experience and helping engineers turn ideas into impactful products.

Bryce Howitson - Availity (Senior User Interface Engineer)

Bryce is obsessed with creating products that people want to use. He writes and speaks about hacking empathy to create better digital experiences. Ask him about using product thinking to save the Costa Rican rainforest or why "bad voice interfaces" are all Stanley Kubrick's fault.

Ellie Kuang - BellieTime (Software Engineer)

Ellie Kuang is a SWE who is passionate about using AI to build products. She has worked at Kaiser, Disney, Deloitte, JPL, and Lockheed. During her 9-5, she is an infrastructure engineer who works on building and scaling applications. After work, she is dedicated to her family and her daughter.

David Haley

David Haley is a Google Cloud Expert and software architect-engineer. He partners with clients to design, build, and scale robust software systems, from early-stage web apps to complex solutions. A lifelong coder, he wrote his first program at age six.

Alice Keeler - AliceKeeler, LLC (Google Developer Expert)

Alice Keeler is a Google Developer Expert and educator specializing in Google Apps Script, automation, and custom EdTech solutions. As the creator of 37 Google-approved Add-ons, she develops powerful tools that streamline workflows for educators and organizations. Alice was a featured speaker at the Google Cloud NEXT 2023 Developer Keynote, showcasing her contributions to the developer communi…

Siena Aguayo - Babylist (Senior Software Engineer)

Siena is a software engineer and team lead with experience in full-stack web and Android, currently working at Babylist. Her professional passions include unit testing and reasonably architected code. She is a co-organizer of GDG LA Android and a Women Techmakers Ambassador. A Los Angeles native, Pokémon master, and international public speaker, Siena enjoys playing video games, knitting, and…

Bryan Bergo

Jeremy Wilken - Nvidia (Engineer Leader)

Jeremy Wilken is an academically trained futurist and seasoned engineering leader focusing on how to shape positive futures with technology. He holds an MS Foresight from the accredited University of Houston program, and is currently a board member of the Association of Professional Futurists. He has authored two books, spoken globally at events, run podcasts, and is recognized by Google as a …

Hosted By

Matt Kaufman, GDG Organizer

Matt Kaufman founded MK Partners in 2006 to provide custom-tailored Salesforce solutions. He has over 25+ Salesforce certifications and two decades of experience as a Salesforce leader, author, and trainer.
Since 2012, he has volunteered as a community organizer for GDG Los Angeles and GDG Cloud San Fernando Valley. He's passionate about technology and using it to solve problems.

Marsha Swallow, GDG Organizer

Marsha isn't just a graduate of a coding bootcamp, she's a passionate tech leader who thrives on building communities.

By day, she manages technical projects for a startup. But her dedication extends far beyond her day job. Marsha spearheads the Los Angeles chapter of Google Developer Groups and serves as a Women Techmakers Ambassador, fostering connections and empowering others through technology. She also volunteers at Innovate Pasadena running the monthly Pasadena Tech Happy Hour and co-leading Friday Coffee Meetup.

Her driving force? A commitment to lifelong learning and the transformative power of tech.

Emily Anderson, Innovation Engineer

Women Techmakers Ambassador & Google Developer Groups Organizer | Los Angeles, CA, Columbia, SC, Twin Cities, MN

With a unique background in social work and technology, I bridge the gap between two distinct fields, fostering collaboration and translating complex technical concepts for diverse audiences.

As a Women Techmakers Ambassador and GDG Organizer, I bring developers together with thought leaders and innovation engineers, creating spaces for inspiration, knowledge sharing, and cutting-edge discussions. Together, we drive advancements that help our communities thrive.

Currently, as an Application Developer and Consultant in Enterprise Architecture and Health Innovation Technology at Stellarus, I evaluate emerging technologies, build prototypes, and deliver presentations to stakeholders and senior leadership. My work involves recommending transformative technologies, creating training materials for team implementation, and developing architecture artifacts to streamline organizational efficiency.

I am passionate about expanding my expertise in information technology, developer relations, application development, and operations management, striving to make a meaningful impact in both the tech and healthcare sectors.

Jason Jones, GDG LA Team Member

I am a lifelong student with a love for learning. My ethos is immersed in the thrill of learning, leading, and having a positive net contribution to the world.

Siena Aguayo, Senior Android Engineer

Siena is a software engineer and team lead with experience in full-stack web and Android, currently working at Babylist. Her professional passions include unit testing and reasonably architected code. She is a co-organizer of GDG LA Android and a Women Techmakers Ambassador. A Los Angeles native, Pokémon master, and international public speaker, Siena enjoys playing video games, knitting, and studying Japanese. You can follow her on Threads at @sienatime

Michael Sim, GDG LA Android

Gladwin Louise Cedeno, Co-Organizer

Gladwin is an MBA student specializing in Management Information Systems. Her journey began back in 2007 when she earned her Computer Engineering degree from the esteemed Mapua Institute of Technology in Manila, Philippines.

Venturing into the professional realm, She embarked on an enriching career as an embedded software engineer in Yokohama, Japan, starting in 2008. Since then, her professional odyssey has taken her through diverse roles and organizations, culminating in a pivotal tenure at American Express in Hong Kong, where she honed her skills as a dedicated Software Engineer, contributing significantly to both development and management endeavors.

Fueling her ongoing quest for knowledge and professional growth, she has embarked on this MBA journey, driven by a passion for blending technology prowess with strategic management acumen. Her focus lies in transitioning into the realm of Technical Program Management within the dynamic landscape of the Technology sector.

Beyond the realm of academia and professional pursuits, she is deeply committed to supporting women suffering from PCOS and empowering young kids who are survivors of Abuse. Additionally, she finds fulfillment and joy in exploring the realms of Technology, Design, Business, Investment, Travel, Photography, and the Culinary Arts.

May Wu, Co-Organizer

Bryan Bergo, Co-organizer

Francesca Sala, Volunteer

Flavia Ballabene, Volunteer

Christy Mahlow, Marketing Team

Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-los-angeles-presents-devfest-2025-gdg-greater-los-angeles-area/.