Michigan DevFest 2025

The Detroit, Ann Arbor, Toledo, UofM Dearborn and Windsor GDGs are teaming up with Compass Detroit to bring you the 11th Michigan DevFest on November 21-22, 2025.

Join us on Friday, November 21st for an AI Hackathon at Wayne State University’s Saint Andrew’s Memorial Episcopal Church in Detroit, followed by the main DevFest event on Saturday, November 22nd at MotorCity Casino Hotel. With this year’s DevFest, we aim to put together a great weekend of networking, innovation, and knowledge sharing for all involved.

Workshops:

• Introduction to Gemini 2.5 Pro on Google Cloud: Google Developer Experts
• Building AI Agents with Vertex AI Agent Builder: JC Escalante, Ipsos, Google Developer Expert
• Multimodal Use Cases: Adonai Vera, Voxel51, Google Developer Expert

Build With AI:

• The Agentic Shift: From Prompt to Action: Nilesh Patel, Google
• Gemini Nano on Android: Building with On-Device GenAI: Madona S. Wambua, Capital One, Google Developer Expert
• From Data Gaps to Data Gold: Adonai Vera, Voxel51, Google Developer Expert
• Practical AI: Within SRE, Delivery and Cloud Engineering: Joel Vasallo, TAG – The Aspen Group, Google Developer Expert
• The Universal Adapter: Building and Scaling MCP Servers: Stephen Wylie, OpenBrite, LLC, Google Developer Expert
• Building the Chain of Trust: A Google ADK Blueprint for Grounded Legal AI Agents: Boris-Wilfried Nyasse, Google Developer Expert

Tech+Design:

• Beyond the Black Box – Designing for Trust and Transparency with Google Cloud: JC Escalante, Ipsos, Google Developer Expert
• Blood, Sweat & Code Reviews: David Giard, Microsoft
• Building Your First AI Tool Server with Firebase Auth & Cloud Functions: Alex Patterson, CodingCatDev, Google Developer Expert
• Know Your JS: SBOMs for Frontend Devs: Chris DeMars, TuxCare
• Iterating on Applications from a Browser with Firebase Studio: Jay Whitsitt, Commerce Bank
• Car Hacking for Android Enthusiasts: Shams Ahson, Google Developers

Innovation:

• Designing for the Mind: Bridging Human Experience and Emerging Technologies: Hoda Solati and Shima Solati, BraunAbility
• Visualizing Neural Network Training with PyTorch: Ankita Guha, Freudenberg e-Power System
• Build Securely: How Developers Can Protect the AI Ecosystem: Kavitha Bangalore, Cleveland Clinic
• Blending Product Thinking with Software Modernization: Brian McKeiver, BizStream, Microsoft MVP
• Robotics in the Age of Generative AI: Hafeez Jimoh, Lawrence Technological University
• Getting Started with Microcontrollers and Sensors: W. Scott Richardson, Altair Engineering

Level Up:

• Mission Resilience™: Thriving Through Change in Tech: Lorrena Black, She Served LLC
• Strategies & Tips for Growing Your Career: Dave Koziol, Little Caesars
• Leading Through Change: Hispanic & Black Engineers Shaping the Future of STEAM: Panelists –
• • Martez Coleman
  • Trivia Barnes, ZF Group
  • Angel Porras, Ford Motor Company
  • Erik Blancas, United Wholesale Mortgage
  • Raquel Estradas, Comerica Bank
  • Moderator – Maridy Mazaira, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
• Component Catalyst: Building a Dynamic React Portfolio. Build a Professional Project Showcase!: Shugmi Shumunov, Shumunov Solutions
• From Meetups to Mastery: Balancing Growth and Community: Umelo Onyejiaka, DevOps Detroit
• AI Hackathon Winners: Presentations, Demos and Award Ceremony

Leadership:

• FORGET YOUR GRAND DAD: ADOPT THE NEXT-GEN EXECUTIVE PLAYBOOK: Ida Byrd-Hill, Automation Workz
• Solving a Problem to Create Innovative Change: Turning Pain into Purpose, Profit, Impact, and Power: Kamille Tynes, Connected with Care
• Microsoft Azure AI Foundry & Agent Framework: Pooya Alavian, Microsoft
• Beneath the Armor: The Cost of Emotional Suppression in Tech Leadership: Bernadette Atanga, MD, AltangaMD Consulting LLC
• The Ethics of Voice & Storytelling: Who Gets Heard in the Age of AI: Michael Bower
• Women Shaping the Future Panel: Panelists
• • Cynthia Respert, BuildHer Academy and Rebrand City
  • Stephaine Frantz, Cengage Education
  • Jeseekia Vaughn, Detroit Black Tech and TechTown Detroit
  • Alexis Seiler, Stratascale
  • Moderator – Bandhan Kaur, Google Women Tech Makers Ambassador & EA

Additional information is available on our dedicated website.

AI Hackathon participation is limited to Michigan DevFest registered attendees.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for Michigan DevFest, email us at sponsors@midevfest.com