Software for Humanity is a thought-provoking and immersive event that brings together software engineers, developers, technologists, and industry leaders to explore the intersection of technology, humanity, and sustainability. This event aims to foster knowledge sharing, collaboration, and awareness of critical topics such as open-source APIs, performance engineering, sustainable IT practices, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the tech industry.

July 27, 2023  |  1:00 PM ET – 4:00 PM ET 🥪LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED 🍽️
MathWorks  1 Apple Hill Drive  Natick, MA 01760-2098

Networking and Interactive Activities: From 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM and throughout the event, participants will have opportunities to network with like-minded professionals, exchange ideas, and collaborate on potential projects. Interactive activities, such as panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and hands-on workshops, will encourage active engagement and knowledge sharing.\

Featured Sessions

• 1:20 PM: DEI, Open Source Software, APIs & Databases - Thomas A. Halinski, Principal, Client Services, Consultant/Associate PM, MSD, Broadcom, Inc.
  
  

  DEI, Open Source Software, APIs & Databases
  Thomas A. Halinski, Principal, Client Services Consultant/Associate PM, MSD, Broadcom, Inc.

  People of vastly different backgrounds, nationalities, orientations, and identities create open-source software, hardware, and standards. This is an excellent example of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Studies reveal that diversity in participation produces better outcomes and more robust technologies.

  The use of Open Source software and APIs helps users and administrators of databases gain significant value in analyzing the functionality and performance of their specific database products. This is also an excellent avenue to help modernize the Mainframe.

  The establishment of a connection to a database via a REST API (with optional Open Source ZOWE features) and combining it with an Open Source time-series database coupled with a dashboard visualization package, creates an “Embrace Open”. This Embrace Open enables users to view system and/or performance data, enables users to implement and automate warnings and recommendations to avoid system risks, and provides flexibility to leverage modern, user-friendly tooling to improve the user experience.

  In this presentation, we’ll take a look at implementation techniques to satisfy a performance monitoring use case, using open-source tools to visualize performance metrics produced by an API. Our example will be based on the Zowe API for an IDMS database, but these techniques are general and can be applied to any database product (e.g. Db2/IMS/Datacom) that reveals performance metrics through a REST API.

  Tom Halinski, Principal, Client Services Consultant at Broadcom
  Thomas Halinski has been a Mainframe Value Manager, a Technical Services Consultant and an Assistant Project Manager for Broadcom, Inc. for the past several years. He supports the Sales Team for the Mainframe Software Division’s primary solutions and plays a key role in promoting and deploying open source tools for the modernization of the mainframe arena. For the prior 40+ years, he has been a Business Application Consultant for various industries performing Enterprise Application Design, program design, development, andcoding. He specializes in MVS performance tuning, with an emphasis in Db2. He has written several papers, has presented them internationally and has published in the IDUG Solutions Journal. He has held the Subject Area Chair – z/Series position for the Computer Management Group’s (CMG) National Conference for 7 years and was also an Assistant Project Manager for SHARE – EWCP for 5 years.

• 1:55 PM  Performance Engineering for Humanity - Mohit Verma, Performance Engineering Evangelist
  
  

  Performance Engineering for Humanity
  Mohit Verma, Performance Engineering Evangelist

  “Performance Engineering for Humanity” is a captivating presentation that explores the intersection of technology and human-centric design. Delving into the realm of optimizing performance for a better user experience, this talk emphasizes the importance of balancing technical efficiency with empathy and inclusivity. Join us to discover how Performance Engineering can positively impact and elevate human lives in the digital age.

  

  Mohit Verma is a highly experienced Performance, APM, and Cloud Technology Leader with over 20 years of expertise. He is an Observability expert, SRE team builder, and a thought leader in Application Performance and DevOps. Mohit is an AZURE CERTIFIED Cloud Administrator and excels in performance engineering and cloud-based testing. He is a renowned public speaker, mentor, and organizer of local meetups. His exceptional skills in performance tuning and technical management have earned industry recognition.

• 2:30 PM The Power of Diverse Teams - Megan Rupert, Mainframe Software – Event Marketing
  The Power of Diverse Teams
  

  Megan Rupert, Mainframe Software – Event Marketing

  As technology grows and advances so does our population diversity. Constantly taking into account how our technology benefits customers, we must also take into account the shifting needs of customers as demographics are ever-changing. Learn why taking diversity in our companies into account prepares us for better outcomes in business endeavors.

  Megan Rupert, Mainframe Software – Event Marketing
  Megan Rupert is a skilled professional based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with expertise in marketing and project management. She currently works as a Mainframe Software – Event Marketing Coordinator at Broadcom Software. Megan’s background includes at Louis Vuitton, where she excelled in client relations and event coordination. Her capabilities also extend to project and account management from her previous role at Oak City Productions. With a strong problem-solving aptitude, Megan has proven herself to be a valuable asset in various domains.

• 2:55 PM Sustainable IT: Infrastructure for a Greener Future
  
  

  Sustainable IT: Infrastructure for a Greener Future” Panel
  Nayara Aguiar, Performance Engineer, MathWorks
  Tom Halinski, Principal, Client Services Consultant at Broadcom
  Megan Rupert, Mainframe Software – Event Marketing
  Neha Sardesai, Senior Education Application Engineer, MathWorks
  Mohit Verma, Performance Engineering Evangelist

  The technology industry has made sustainability and green initiatives a high priority. Especially with growing use of AI and its applications, there are concerns around the carbon footprint of running GPU devices and servers continually. Businesses are organizing in many ways around green energy: whether it is buying carbon offsets or making energy efficient products. In this panel, our experts will talk about the logistics, methods and challenges involved in creating and maintaining IT infrastructure. They will also go into details about the current state of affairs, strategic planning and measures they are taking at different levels of their organization to promote sustainable and environmentally responsible practices. Come and participate in this panel discussion by learning and posing questions to our panelists on various aspects of Sustainable IT!

  Neha Sardesai is a Senior Education Application Engineer at MathWorks. She partners with university customers to understand their technical and business challenges. Her primary objective is to drive the adoption of MATLAB and Simulink, MathWorks’ flagship products, in various domains, including curriculum development, research projects, and commercial applications. By showcasing the versatile applications of these powerful software tools, she helps universities leverage their capabilities to enhance learning outcomes and drive innovation.
  She got her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with a focus on biomedical instrumentation from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2016.
  With a career spanning six years at MathWorks, Neha has gained extensive experience in understanding customer needs and tailoring solutions to meet their unique requirements. Her dedication to fostering strong relationships with university customers has been instrumental in driving the successful integration of MathWorks’ products into their educational programs.
  Beyond her professional endeavors, Neha enjoys pursuing various hobbies in her spare time. She is an avid runner, finding solace and inspiration on the open road. Additionally, she finds joy in reading and knitting, activities that allow her to unwind and explore her creative side.

   

  Nayara Aguiar is a Performance Engineer at MathWorks, currently focusing on benchmarking and performance analysis for Deep Learning workflows. She has also worked on software development projects on mathematical optimization, data analysis, and applications related to the analysis of the electricity grid. Prior to joining MathWorks, Nayara received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, where her research interests were in the intersection of power systems, renewable energy, and economics.

• 3:30 PM Do You See What I See: Using Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence - Shruti Karulkarm Quality Engineering Manager for Hardware Connectivity and Development Applications at MathWorks
  
  

  Do You See What I See: Using Augmented Reality and ​Artificial Intelligence​
  Shruti Karulkar, Quality Engineering Manager, MathWorks.

  This workshop explains complex AR and AI topics such as pose recognition and augmented reality. Through hands-on exercises that apply deep learning and image processing techniques, you will interact with real world examples to interact with your augmented world. You will learn about the novel applications of AR+AI, their limitations and social impacts. You’ll leave armed with code, inspiration, and an ethical framework for your own projects!

  Shruti Karulkar, Quality Engineering Manager, MathWorks.
  Shruti Karulkar is the Quality Engineering Manager for Hardware Connectivity and Development Applications at MathWorks. Shruti’s team of highly creative engineers works to design and implement cutting-edge tools to qualify MATLAB and Simulink. Shruti has a long history of serving as a STEM mentor and is a STEM Ambassador for MathWorks. Shruti was a speaker at GHC (2018-2022) delivering successful and popular hands-on AI workshops. She has also delivered hands-on workshops at WECode (2019-20), Open Data Science (ODSC East 2021) and Women in Data Science (WiDS 2021-22) and MathWorks conferences MATLAB EXPO and MathWorks Advisory Board.