Phoenix

Our Illustrious Speakers

Each of our events has between 8 and 12 sessions. We update our speaker information regularly. We usually save a few details to give you some surprises on the day of the event, including the order of the sessions.

HalfStack Events

Our 2024 sessions. Check back closer to the event for 2025 sessions.





William Blankenship
Alice in Wonderland
What if we could invert ownership and identity in a social network, where users retained full control of their online presence? What if joining a peer-to-peer social network was as easy as opening a browser tab? Let's explore an alternate timeline where end-user devices can directly power social networks.


Ben Ilegbodu
GPT-powered AI Shopping: From Search to Delight
Tired of generic chatbots fumbling through product recommendations? Imagine an AI assistant with an intimate understanding of your catalog and an uncanny knack for knowing what your customers crave. OpenAI's recently released Function Calls API unlocks this superpower, seamlessly fusing GPT's conversational elegance with your unique data. This session, for CEOs, engineers, PMs, and innovators, will delve into building custom AI assistants that respond dynamically to customer preferences. We'll explore how to leverage your data to personalize every interaction, leaving scaling limitations behind. Join us as we learn effective methods for building secure, searchable shopping chatbots using this cutting-edge API and discover best practices for designing conversational flows that delight customers and drive conversions. By the end, you'll be ready to embrace the future of AI-driven commerce, where every customer feels like a VIP and every purchase is a curated delight.


Luis Montes
GPU Programming - It Really Whips the Llama's Ass
Think you need frameworks and abstractions on top of things like WebGL because you'd rather avoid complicated and mathy low-level code? Maybe it's time to just go ahead and dive into the details, mix in other APIs and have fun with the relatively untapped capabilities of modern web browsers.


Otto Schiemann and Dylan Schiemann
Introducing Capystroids
Otto is 10 years old and has been learning to code for about two years. Last summer he entertained the audience at HalfStack Newquay with his session on SonicPi, creating live music with code. He is now working on a new project called Capystroids, a space shooter game combining his love of capybaras and his appreciation of early 8-bit video games. He will be joined by his dad, Dylan, in this Q&A style session.


Ian Ruebbelke and Lukas Ruebbelke
Programming and Covert Learning Modalities
Programming is a skill set with many obvious benefits for pursuing the discipline in earnest. For a 12-year-old, most of these reasons are not applicable or interesting, so a different incentive system is required. Because we do not have the luxury of a fully formed prefrontal cortex to paint a vivid picture of the future glory that awaits us when we finally pull into the Delayed Gratification Station™, we must focus on the experience itself. How do we make programming a fulfilling and exciting activity purely on the merits of it being a fulfilling and exciting activity? This can be a bit circular, but such are the machinations of preteens. Since we are now deviating from sound and sensible grow-up logic, what if we could use programming as a delivery mechanism to hide the unpleasant and bitter taste of other educational responsibilities? What if programming could be so fun that we could sneak in math, science, language arts, etc. lessons, and NO ONE WOULD EVEN NOTICE!? Lukas (grown-up) and Ian (hatchling) Ruebbelke will share a framework that they have worked out (under duress at times) to make programming more fun and education less visible in their academic journey.


Kate Pond
Choosing the Red Pill: From Park Ranger to Software Engineer
An exploration of Kate's journey from working at the Desert Botanical Garden to landing their first job in tech and beyond!


Todd Libby
Breaking the Loop: A Journey Beyond Tech and Exploring the Groundhog Day of Life
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, individuals often find themselves entangled in the demanding web of responsibilities and burnout, particularly in the realm of accessibility. This abstract explores the profound experience of leaving the fast-paced world of technology, focusing on the challenges and burnout associated with the pursuit of making digital spaces inclusive for all. As professionals navigate the intricate web of accessibility, they encounter not only technical challenges but also grapple with the toll it takes on their well-being. The discussion delves into personal narratives of burnout, shedding light on the importance of recognizing the signs, embracing change, and ultimately embarking on a journey of retirement from the tech world. Retirement, in this context, symbolizes not just the end of a career but a deliberate choice to reclaim one's life and well-being. The transition from the tech industry to retirement is examined through the lens of personal growth, self-discovery, and the pursuit of a more balanced and fulfilling life. By intertwining the narratives of leaving tech and navigating burnout in the realm of accessibility, this abstract aims to provoke thoughtful reflections on the intersections of professional identity, well-being, and the pursuit of a more meaningful and sustainable future beyond the confines of a demanding career.



Malak Janus

Accessibility: More than just screen readers

We love the browser because of how universal it is… but how universally usable are the experiences we build in it really? Learn how people who don’t use screen readers experience the web (and the other types of tech they might use), and come away with a fresh opinion about how to be a better and kinder creator of web experiences.


Anjali Nennelli
Crossroads of Cognition: The Emergence of Artificial General Intelligence and Its Implications
There has been a lot of hype around Artificial General Intelligence recently. This presentation will talk about what AGI is, its current state, and its implications for web developers.


Lightning
Lightning Talks
Want to share something you've been working on lately? Spend 2-3 minutes on stage sharing your project! First-come, first-served sign-ups on the day of the event.


HalfStack
Afterparty (Dinner, JS Pub Quiz, Battledecks, Raffle, Retro Tech movie, and karaoke)
We will kick off the afterparty with Battledecks, a tech improv game. You have 5 minutes to pitch a fake tech startup from a randomly generated slide deck. Then we'll proceed in teams with our unique JS Pub Quiz! There will be a big raffle, and then we'll then watch a retro tech movie, and if there's interest, we'll conclude with karaoke!