Windsor-Essex GDG DevFest 2025
Details
Get your tickets at this ticket purchase link
Full agenda is here https://wedevfest.com/
The Windsor Google Developers Group (GDG) is proud to host our annual Windsor-Essex DevFest on Saturday, November 8, 2025.
DevFests are Google-sponsored software developer conferences that allow the local software development community to network and learn about the latest and greatest technology. The Devfest is also an opportunity to present topics aligned with the latest industry trends or that have the potential to become such, and share knowledge and experience with others.
Read the session abstracts at this session abstract link
GDG Windsor attendees agree to the following code of conduct
Agenda
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Speakers
Luis Serrano - Serrano Academy (Founder and Chief Education Officer)
Luis Serrano is the author of the Amazon Bestseller Grokking Machine Learning and the creator of the popular educational YouTube channel Serrano Academy, with over 180K followers. Luis has worked as a leader and educator in artificial intelligence and language models at Google, Apple, and Cohere, and as a quantum AI research scientist at Zapata Comp…
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.
Naresh Jasotani - Google (Principal Technologist | Gen AI Ambassador)
Naresh R. Jasotani AI/ML Innovations Lead - Automotives, GenAI Ambassador, Google Cloud USA (LinkedIn) Naresh has over 18 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,…
Satish Venugopal - Google (Senior Cloud Architect)
Mark Johnson - Learn.Grow.Deploy, LLC (Solutions Architect and Google Cloud Trainer)
Mark Johnson is a Google Developer Expert in Cloud and a LinkedIn Top Voice, recognized for his thought leadership in AI and cloud architecture. With over 11 years of experience as a Cloud Solutions Architect, he has a proven track record of guiding enterprise and public sector organizations through large-scale digital transformations. He is also a prominent speaker at top industry events like…
Glen Yu - PwC (Google Developer Expert | Cloud and Data)
Glen, a cloud engineer with PwC Canada's Cloud & Data practice, has over 16 years of diverse technology experience across various industries. His focus since 2016 has been on cloud computing, DevOps, and Google Cloud. A dedicated lifelong learner, Glen has recently been exploring machine learning, especially computer vision. He is a Google Developer Expert in Google Cloud and a member of t…
Ben Morss - DeepL (Developer Evangelist)
As DeepL’s Developer Evangelist, Ben works to help anyone use DeepL’s API to access its world-class AI translations. Previously, at Google, he was a Product Manager on Chrome and a Developer Advocate for a better web. Before that he was a software engineer at the New York Times and AOL, and once he was a full-time musician. He earned a BA in Computer Science at Harvard and a PhD in Music at th…
Nicholas Schmidt - SolasAI & BLDS, LLC (Chief Technology and Innovation Officer)
Nicholas "Nick" Schmidt is the Founder and CTO of SolasAI and holds the title of AI Practice Leader at BLDS, LLC. Residing in Philadelphia, he has deep expertise in the domains of algorithmic fairness and explainable AI. Nick's approach intertwines statistics and economics to address critical questions related to law, regulatory compliance, and model governance best practices.
His pionee…
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…
Ahmed Abou Gharam - Molex (Design for Reliability Director)
Dr. Ahmed Abou Gharam is a global leader in Design for Reliability (DfR) and AI-driven analytics with over a decade of experience in the automotive and microelectronics industries. As Director of Reliability Engineering at Molex, he leads global teams and has driven initiatives that integrate AI and predictive analytics into reliability testing. His expertise spans accelerated life testing, ma…
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 …
Amrit Mehta - Deloitte (Senior Advisor)
During a global career spanning 30 years at General Motors, Bridgestone, and Smith & Nephew, Amrit Mehta held P&L and leadership roles in several functions - Digital, E-Commerce, Operations, Customer Experience, Product Planning/Product Development, Sales, Service & Marketing, Strategy, Corporate Development and Finance.
During the last 10 years, as a C-suite senior leader, A…
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…
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 …
Adam Castle - WEtech Alliance (Director of Venture Services & Partnerships)
As the Director of Venture Services and Partnerships at WEtech Alliance, Adam has dedicated the past seven years of his career to fostering growth in the Ontario startup sector. His role as coach, program designer, and connector has allowed him to develop and deliver several internationally recognised entrepreneurial development programs. In addition to being honoured as one of United Way's 40…
John Langlois - Scelta (Chief Technology Officer)
John Langlois is the Chief Technology Officer at Scelta, where he leads the design and development of software that powers smarter project management in the construction industry. A Western University Software Engineering graduate, he has also guided large student engineering teams, including Western Aero Design’s work in international aerospace competitions. With prior experience at Magna and…
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…
Joseph Youssouf - Oden Technologies (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 o…
Daria Deriagina - DashDev (UX/UI & Web Designer)
I’m a Computer Programming student at St. Clair College 👩💻. I have experience in UX/UI design 🎨 and web development 🌐, where I focus on creating easy-to-use websites. I also work as a professional photographer 📸, bringing creativity into my projects. I enjoy combining design and coding to make websites look good and work well. I’m excited to keep learning and work with others in the tech comm…
Raneem Ghalion - ADOPLI AI (Co-Founder and AI Business Strategist)
Raneem is an AI automation strategist and founder of Adopli AI, specializing in designing and implementing intelligent workflows that streamline operations and improve efficiency. She integrates AI agents, process automation, and data-driven systems to help organizations reduce manual work, improve accuracy, and scale sustainably.
Salma Aly - BlinkTech Solutions. (Founder)
Salma Aly is a computer science PhD student at UWindsor. She also has her AI consulting startup, BlinkTech Solutions, that aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry to create AI-based solutions.
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…
Steven Rice - University of Windsor (AI Researcher)
Pursuing my PhD in Computer Science, my research and experience cover innovative artificial intelligence studies and educational contributions, showcasing my commitment to artificial intelligence advancements. As a recipient of the Vector Scholarship in Artificial Intelligence, I bring a blend of academic rigor and practical expertise. My work spans from novel research topics to practical appl…
Kiran Puthan - Bell Canada (Solution Consultant)
Kiran is a self-taught Product Designer specializing in Product Strategy, Marketing, and Operations, with over four years of experience in Product Design. He is also a leadership expert who delivers high-energy talks and presentations on Technology, Design, AI, and Management. Passionate about translating visions and objectives into reality, Kiran focuses on offering tangible results aligned w…
Safiia Mohammed - University of Windsor (PhD Student)
Safiia is a PhD student and Responsible AI researcher at the University of Windsor, specializing in AI/ML privacy, security, and accountability models. With a strong focus on developing ethical and reliable AI systems, she is passionate about addressing real-world challenges in AI safety. Safiia is the president of the Women in Cyber Security student chapter at the university, where she advoca…
Keval Patel - REALIQ (Data Scientist)
Keval Patel is a college instructor and entrepreneur, currently the founder of REALIQ, a cutting-edge software company dedicated to providing innovative solutions for architects, engineers, and real estate agents through LiDAR scanning and photography. Keval teaches courses related to data analytics at St. Clair College. His passion for deep learning and large language models (LLMs) informs hi…
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…
Moshood Saka - MyPath2Tech (Software Engineer | Co-Founder)
Moshood “Saka” Saka is a Toronto-based Software Engineer and co-founder who builds where code meets impact, shipping media-tech features at Quickplay while helping young people get practical starts through MyPath2Tech.
Richard Nonso - MyPath2Tech (Co-Founder)
Richard Nonso is pursuing his Master of Management of Innovation at the University of Toronto. He is the Co-Founder of MyPath2Tech, a youth-focused initiative that helps students explore careers in technology through job simulations, hands-on programs, and partnerships. He has also organized entrepreneurship programming for hundreds of students. With experience in product management, entrepren…
Troy Hector - Mosaic North America (Client Data Analyst II | Supporting Google)
I am a full-stack developer with more than 10 years of experience. After studying at St. Clair College, I now work as a Data Analyst at Mosaic North America, supporting Google.
Faris Alami - International Strategic Management (CEO at ISM)
As Founder and CEO of ISM, Faris works with international leaders and entrepreneurs on strategies and implementations creating empowering environments for startups and existing businesses to prosper and grow. Faris also founded the nonprofit Connecting Dots Globally — a STEMprenuerer program where students learn to launch a global technology company. Throughout his career, Faris has been an ad…
Rashidi Kabamba
My name is Rashidi Kabamba, and I'm a London-based indie artist and entrepreneur in the hip-hop genre, performing under the name RKease. My work is a reflection of my core values: Rest, Kindness, and Ease. I use music not just as an artistic outlet, but as a vehicle for promoting mental wellness and calm in a world of constant hustle. Having built a music business venture that navigates both t…
Panelists
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.
Satish Venugopal - Google (Senior Cloud Architect)
Naresh Jasotani - Google (Principal Technologist | Gen AI Ambassador)
Naresh R. Jasotani AI/ML Innovations Lead - Automotives, GenAI Ambassador, Google Cloud USA (LinkedIn) Naresh has over 18 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,…
Moderator
Aasha Khan - Youth Tech Labs (Founder & Lead Organizer)
Aasha Khan is a Grade 12 student from Waterloo, Canada, and a passionate advocate for social justice and AI literacy. She serves as the Co-Chair for the United Nations Girl Up Teen Advisor program, championing gender equality on a global stage. Aasha developed AskEve, a conversational AI built in partnership with Gambit Co. to offer safe, anonymous support for discussions around menstruation. …
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.
Kiran Puthan, Solution Consultant
Arunesh Choudhary,
I am a highly motivated and detail-oriented Computer Science student with a strong academic foundation and a passion for machine learning and research. My journey in this field has been marked by hands-on experiences and recognition for my academic achievements. As a recipient of the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA), I have had the opportunity to delve into research, applying advanced techniques in deep learning and information retrieval.
Passionate about applying technical expertise and research experience to innovative projects in machine learning and AI, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the field’s continued evolution. Eager to take on new challenges, contribute to cutting-edge research, and grow within this dynamic field.
Vivian Tang, MBA Candidate
MBA candidate 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.
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.
Daria Deriagina,
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,
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.
Troy Hector, St. Clair College
Sam Ghasan, Enterprise Architect
Keval Patel, Data Scientist
Kayode Babalola,
Kayode Babalola is a community leader with Google Developers Group, passionate about tech, business, and photography. With a background in mathematics and data analytics, he helps people learn practical AI and cloud skills. Kayode enjoys mentoring beginners and building projects that uplift his community. He loves capturing stories through his lens. He believes learning and sharing are keys to growth.
Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-windsor-presents-windsor-essex-gdg-devfest-2025/.