Our first edition of Navigate Local has come to an end, and we couldn’t be more grateful for everyone involved, from our sponsors, attendees, and most importantly, the Civo team. It was a packed day with 15 talks and workshops on a range of topics, such as artificial intelligence (AI), emerging technology, and sustainability in the cloud native space.
Uncovering the truth about the future of tech
After an opening speech from our hosts, Suzanne Ricci and Daniella Diaz, on the main stage, the event kicked off with a Keynote session from Mark Boost, CEO at Civo. Throughout this session, Mark touched upon the future of tech, where the frontiers of technology and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) converge to redefine business and society.
He shared his thoughts on how the world could be transformed by innovative technologies and a renewed corporate ethos, highlighting the endless possibilities that await. At this point, Mark welcomed his 9-year-old daughter Izzy onto the stage to share her views on climate change and the questions you need to be asking your cloud providers regarding what they are doing for the environment.
Afterwards, Mark went onto explain that Civo is powerful, yet designed to be simple... that even a 6-year-old could use it 👇
Hot Topics from Civo Navigate
Emerging Technologies
A core theme during Navigate Local was emerging technologies, as we saw several speakers presenting new ideas and frameworks. Jeroen van Bemmel and Dan Desjardins took to the main stage to discuss the reimagining of ubiquitous computing and digital economies. They explored an approach that aims to streamline the process between researchers and the utilization of computing resources, cutting out unnecessary intermediaries and redistributing value.
Ryan Clements shared his experiences on achieving success in open-source projects, providing a practical perspective on tech innovation. Denis Magda introduced the synergy between Kubernetes and distributed SQL databases, which allows for the integration of relational databases into Kubernetes architecture for cluster metadata storage. Furthermore, Viktor Gamov's workshop on Apache Pinot offered hands-on experience with real-time analytics.
AI and Machine Learning
After the buzz surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) during Navigate North America earlier this year, these technologies continued to feature prominently. The event showcased a range of speakers focused on AI and ML, underscoring their growing importance within the tech ecosystem.
A highlight was the mainstage panel discussion on navigating the future of AI and ML innovation, featuring Josh Mesout, James Gress, Brandon Dey, and Cate Gutowski. They delved into the frontier technologies steering the future of these domains, covering breakthroughs in deep learning and neural networks, as well as the ethical frameworks and governance surrounding AI.
Joey de Villa presented new tools for smarter AI app development, enriching the toolkit available to developers. Meanwhile, Natalie Lunbeck's talk on ephemeral environments showcased innovative uses of AI in pre-production. Additionally, a session led by Civo’s Chief Innovation Officer, Josh Mesout, explored the possibilities of replacing proprietary models with open-source alternatives on the Civo platform.
The Importance of Community
As the local of our very first Civo Navigate, it was important that we highlighted the importance of community through the launch of Navigate Local. On the main stage, we had the chance to hear from Samantha Ramos, Charlton Trezevant, Lissette Deza, Chris Ayers, Joey de Villa, Evan Brennar, and Suzanne Ricci for a panel session focused on the Tampa community. The panel was a great opportunity to explore the impact of networking groups within the technology sector on the development of the local tech ecosystem.
Given Tampa Bay's rapid ascent as one of the nation's fastest-growing tech hubs, the panelists were able to delve into the ways in which collaboration and innovation have played pivotal roles in this remarkable growth.
Community and Sponsor Highlights
Once again, we want to say a massive thank you to all of our sponsors who made this event possible. Over the upcoming weeks, we will update our website with more event information and upload all recordings. Follow us on LinkedIn and X to keep up with these announcements.
Upcoming Civo Navigate Events
We’re excited to announce that we will be coming to Berlin, Germany, for our second installment of Civo Navigate Europe! On September 10th and 11th, we will be at the Estrel Berlin, offering a place for professionals to connect, collaborate, and learn from a line up of 50 industry-leading speakers focused on navigating and succeeding within the cloud native landscape.
📅 September 10th and 11th
📌 Berlin, Germany, at ECC Berlin (Estrel Congress Center)
Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the Civo Navigate experience in Berlin, Germany. Keep an eye out on our website for more information here.
