Speakers

Tea Gobec, a communication strategist at Innovatif, combines her love for sailing with 16 years of experience steering brands through marketing challenges. Her expertise in aligning user, client, and brand perspectives makes her a compelling speaker for developers looking to create impactful, user-centered products.

Elliot is a Senior Silverstripe Developer at Catalyst IT in Wellington with 20 years in PHP, specializing in authentication, security, payment processing, and performance optimization. A US native with a computer science degree, he’s worked across diverse fields, including education, e-commerce, and crypto. Passionate about machine learning, he integrates AI to enhance user experiences.

Denis is on a mission to create a new generation of engineering leaders who bring out the best level of confidence in their teams and release quality products stress free. He helps with engineering processes, testing automation, TDD and Extreme Programming principles. His best clients and students mastered how to reduce stressful team dysfunctions, how to navigate risk management strategies in software and predictable release planning.

Matej is a researcher at Josef Stefan Institute and the International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence, focusing on big data, AI, and cybersecurity. He’s also a Senior Lecturer of Information Security at the University of Nova Gorica. With a background in analytics and information security, he has organized seminars, authored four monographs, and published the 2022 book "Crash Course on Cybersecurity: A Manual for Surviving in a Networked World." He also has extensive expertise in cryptography, IT law, and digital forensics.

From lower Bavaria, he began with string instruments, mastering precision and big-picture thinking—skills he now uses in programming. A PHP expert since 1998 and skilled in Silvestripe, he values clear, rigorous solutions and strong client relationships. With a knack for complex processes and exotic interfaces, he’s always seeking new challenges and aims to continuously improve as a programmer, entrepreneur, and tech expert.

Stephan, co-founder of relaxt, is an experienced full-stack developer, specialised in developing and implementing Silverstripe projects. With a background in education, having taught programming and web development at both school and university, he enjoys thinking about what makes an elegant implementation and looking at how things work behind the scenes.

Jackson is a creative. The Senior Technical Director at Silverstripe in New Zealand, Jackson brings together his technology, design, non-profit, and commercial backgrounds to lead Silverstripe's technology roadmap in their mission to create and shape epic digital visions. Jackson is the formal product owner of Silverstripe CMS, and works closely with the CMS Squad at Silverstripe who develop and maintain the software that we all know and love.

A Senior Software Engineer from New Zealand with over ten years on Silverstripe CMS, Maxime is a passionate open-source advocate. He’s behind key updates like the Search UI and refactoring the CMS asset system and led the team through new Major release policy, the delivery of Silverstripe CMS 5 and formalisation of the LinkField module. Excited for his fourth event, he’s ready to dive back into the community and share his latest work.

Terry started coding PHP as a teen and founded his company, LoungeRoom, in 2004. After creating his own CMS, he found his favorites in Silverstripe CMS and Laravel. Beyond tech, he studied Criminology, teaches CPR, and is diving into local politics. Since 2023, he's been on the S2 Hub board and loves roller coasters.

Starting as a hairdresser in England, he switched gears after 15 years when his music industry connections led him to design album covers, create music videos, and tour with bands across Japan and Europe. Transitioning from this creative world, he founded Biff Bang Pow™ which has grown from a design agency into a dynamic software development firm serving diverse industries. Today, he’s deeply engaged in leading Biff Bang Pow™ and shaping innovative solutions with his talented team.

With a background in architecture drafting, IT, and over 15 years of web development experience, Lukas enjoys working across frontend and backend. He consults clients to develop automated solutions that streamline processes and enhance business value. Lukas values collaborating with experts from various fields, maintaining efficient communication and decision paths while integrating multiple disciplines. In his free time, he enjoys family life, beekeeping, nature, and DIY tinkering.