AI DevSummit 2025 + DeveloperWeek Leadership 2025

Sankalp Kumar, Apple, Software Engineer

In an era where data breaches and cyber threats are on the rise, it’s no longer enough to simply code and test for functionality - security must be woven into every stage of software design. Our Secure Software Design Principles session equips developers, architects, and team leads with the critical know-how to identify risks early, minimize vulnerabilities, and build robust systems from the ground up. Attendees will learn how to integrate best practices - like least privilege, defense in depth, and threat modeling - into their daily workflows, setting a foundation for resilient and trusted applications. Ultimately, this workshop isn’t just about avoiding pitfalls, it’s about proactively shaping software that is both high-performing and secure by design. 

Manasa Hari, Adobe, SDE III

The leap from individual contributor (IC) to engineering manager is one of the most challenging transitions in a technical career. This session explores the skills, mindset shifts, and strategies needed to become an effective engineering leader.

Key Takeaways:

How to develop leadership skills while still being hands-on technically.

Common pitfalls when moving from IC to manager and how to avoid them.

Strategies for managing former peers and establishing credibility.

Balancing technical excellence with people management responsibilities.

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM Welcome + Networking (Breakfast) 

9:30 AM - 10:20 AM - Panel 1: Be Where the Developers Are
Developers often rely on one another to help evaluate new technologies, dev tooling, and programming ideas. How can marketing teams engage in these conversations without being perceived as invading their space? Our panelists will discuss their tactics for finding where developers share their knowledge and their tactics for supporting and informing these conversations.

1. Michael Ortega, Head of Marketing @ Predibase
2. Yolande Poirier, Senior Manager, Developer Community @ Neo4j
3. Bo English-Wiczling, Senior Director @ Oracle
Moderator: Ziwei Chen, Senior Developer Marketing Strategist @ Catchy


10:20 AM - 10:30 AM - Break

10:30 AM - 11:20 AM - Panel 2: Building a Developer Community
We often speak of the “Developer community” as if it’s a homogenous group of technical experts. In reality, it’s a collection of various communities consisting of unique individuals with differing experiences and skillsets - some of whom never cross paths with one another. Dev marketing teams dream of tapping into these communities by building a subset of developers devoted to their products and services, but often struggle to break through. Our panelists will explore how they have encouraged community among their developer audiences, the benefits it has brought for their organization, and the support these communities provide to the technical practitioners who belong to and engage deeply with them.
1. Ojus Save, Developer Advocate @ Zoom
2, Pat Patterson, Chief Technical Evangelist @ BackBlaze
3. Stephen Chin, VP of Developer Relations @ Neo4j
4. Anthony Lusardi, Developer Relations Engineer @ LibLab
Moderator: Ziwei Chen, Senior Developer Marketing Strategist @ Catchy

11:20 AM - 12:00 PM Expo Tour + Networking

More details coming soon!

Ken Weiner, GumGum, Chief Technology Officer

From 0 to 70: How to Scale Product & Engineering Teams: A product is only as strong as the team behind it—without the right leadership and guidance, even the best ideas can fall flat. To foster growth and innovation, it's essential to have a clear strategy for scaling operations and aligning resources. Ken, who's grown GumGum’s technology team from 0 to 70+ employees, will share tactics to scale your teams, operations, and product for the long term. He’ll discuss strategies such as establishing career ladders, minimizing dependencies between teams, and leading with an innovative mindset. Additionally, he’ll highlight the importance of fostering diversity within your team to drive growth and creativity.

Sankalp Kumar, Apple, Software Engineer

In an era where data breaches and cyber threats are on the rise, it’s no longer enough to simply code and test for functionality - security must be woven into every stage of software design. Our Secure Software Design Principles session equips developers, architects, and team leads with the critical know-how to identify risks early, minimize vulnerabilities, and build robust systems from the ground up. Attendees will learn how to integrate best practices - like least privilege, defense in depth, and threat modeling - into their daily workflows, setting a foundation for resilient and trusted applications. Ultimately, this workshop isn’t just about avoiding pitfalls, it’s about proactively shaping software that is both high-performing and secure by design. 

Manasa Hari, Adobe, SDE III

The leap from individual contributor (IC) to engineering manager is one of the most challenging transitions in a technical career. This session explores the skills, mindset shifts, and strategies needed to become an effective engineering leader.

Key Takeaways:

How to develop leadership skills while still being hands-on technically.

Common pitfalls when moving from IC to manager and how to avoid them.

Strategies for managing former peers and establishing credibility.

Balancing technical excellence with people management responsibilities.