Speaker

Aspiring Speakers

Members of the Aspiring Speakers initiative, taking their first steps onto the conference stage at this year's Devoxx UK

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Aspiring Speakers 2026
Conference (BEGINNER level)
Room B

At Devoxx UK we're committed to offering a hand to folks who want to break into speaking at conferences. We are overjoyed to welcome back the Aspiring Speakers Initiative, who have curated a line-up of brand new speakers who will be taking to the conference stage for the very first time. Come along and offer some support.

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Isaac Oldwood: Learning Python to buy shoes

How trying to automate buying a pair of sneakers taught me Python, from Selenium to APIs.

A beginner‑friendly story of learning to code by solving a fun real‑world problem.

Omodolapo Babatunde: Cloud, Code, and Curiosity

This session explores the often overlooked stage between writing code and thinking in systems, showing how curiosity, experimentation, and human skills quietly shape growth. Attendees leave with practical lessons to build confidence, navigate ambiguity, and take ownership of their next steps.

Sudi Mandyam: From Replacement to Rocket Fuel: Launching Your Tech Career in the Age of AI

As AI moves the industry's "cheese,” developers, particularly industry entrants, must shift from chasing syntax to mastering the prompt. This session explores how to trade fear for architectural leadership, proving that analytical depth and core programming skills are your only map in the new AI maze.

Franco Cassar Manghi: Balancing immediate value delivery with sustainable long term capabilities

How giffgaff balances rapid product delivery with long-term architecture by treating engineering decisions differently based on their reversibility or evolvability - enabling teams to move fast today without creating tomorrow’s constraints.

Irina Ponomarenko: Driving Change From the Bottom

Fresh eyes spot problems others have learned to ignore, giving junior team members a unique power to drive meaningful change. In this talk, I share how to turn inexperience into an advantage, recognise systemic issues, and influence better decisions without formal authority.

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