Speakers
Jessica Talisman
Founder, Ontology Pipeline
Jessica Talisman is an information architect, semantic strategist, and lifelong student of systems, meaning, and human understanding. For over 25 years, she’s worked at the intersection of knowledge frameworks and digital infrastructures—helping both large organizations and cultural institutions build information systems that support clarity, interoperability, and long-term value.
Jessica has designed semantic information and knowledge architectures across a wide range of industries and institutions, from enterprise tech to public service to the arts. She has held roles at Overstock.com, Pluralsight, GDIT, Amazon, System1, Battelle, the Oregon Health Authority, and the US Department of Justice, and most recently, Adobe.
Throughout the years, Jessica has worked with GLAM organizations (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums), including the Smithsonian Institution, The Shoah Foundation for Visual History, Twinka Thiebaud and the Art of the Pose, Nritya Mandala Mahavihara, the Shogren Museum, Shock the System, and the Oregon College of Art and Craft.
Jessica has her undergraduate degree in History, a Master's in Teaching (MAT), and a Master’s in Information and Library Science (MLS). She lives in Santa Cruz, California.
shane Gibson
Co-Founder, AgileData.io
Shane Gibson is the creator of the Information Product Canvas and the author of the Agile Data Guide series, beginning with An Agile Data Guide To Information Product Canvas.
With over 35 years of experience in data strategy, architecture, and consulting, and more than a decade of coaching data teams, Shane is a recognised Agile Data Coach who helps data teams and organisations change how they work.
Known for his practical, no-nonsense approach, Shane focuses on simplifying complex data challenges and bridging the gap between technical data teams and stakeholders. He empowers data professionals by providing actionable patterns and pattern templates, enabling them to deliver value faster, reduce waste, and have more fun.
Shane’s extensive background includes roles as an Agile Data Coach, Consultant, Enterprise Architect, Data Architect, Product Manager, and founder of multiple data companies. He is also the host of the AgileData Podcast and has authored courses focused on practical data practices, including the popular “Gather data requirements in 30 minutes using a shared language”. His work, drawing inspiration from the Agile Data Way of Working, provides a proven toolkit for navigating the complexities of modern data delivery.
Shane is passionate about helping others succeed in data and analytics and sharing patterns that allow teams to become “data and business translators” and build trust with stakeholders, ensuring data work actually gets used.
Mark Freeman
Head of DevRel, Gable
Mark Freeman is a data scientist-turned-data engineer with a deep obsession with data quality. He is the co-author of the O’Reilly book, Data Contracts: Developing Production-Grade Pipelines at Scale, in which he shares insights and best practices on ensuring reliable, high-quality data flows within organizations.
Mark has worked within numerous startups where he has put machine learning models into production, integrated data analytics into products, and led migrations to improve data infrastructure. His current focus is on applying the principles of data contracts to autonomous coding agents to ensure generative AI is trustworthy, reliable, and auditable.
Winfried Etzel
Senior Specialist Data Management, Equinor
Winfried Adalbert Etzel is a key figure in the Nordic data community, known for his strong contributions to professional forums and his commitment to promoting data governance, data strategy, and organizational design for data teams.
Winfried has dedicated his career to emphasizing the importance of information and data management, as well as to a strategic, holistic approach to treating information and data as a valuable asset for organizations.
Through his work with the #MetaDAMA podcast and his voluntary engagement in the Nordic data community, he has been a driving force for innovation and has helped build a strong data community while promoting professional development across the Nordic region.
Winfried is currently working on his book, under the working title Data Governance in the Wild, in which he explores how Data Governance needs to change to adapt to distributed landscapes and AI.