In this talk, Leonid Kholkine, Head of Research & Development at Their Data and Co-founder of Data Makers Fest, shares his unique journey from leading international student organizations to building one of Europe’s premier data conferences. We explore the behind-the-scenes reality of community building, the evolution of the Portuguese data scene, and the technical challenges of managing AI observability at an enterprise scale.You’ll learn about:- Understanding the hybrid role between product engineering and high-touch consultancy.ow organizing meetups and leagues creates a professional reputation and high-trust networks.- The hidden complexities of moving from local meetups to large-scale international conferences (venues, AV, and timing).- How Leonid used custom code and embeddings to automate speaker scheduling and timetable optimization.- Why community is the essential antidote for data practitioners working as the "only one" in their company.- A look into R&D at Their Data and the future of monitoring and self-improving generative AI workflows.Links: - www.datamakersfest.com- Data Lead Club - http://dataleadclub.ripply.net/- DareData - https://www.daredata.ai/- GenOS by DareData - https://www.daredata.ai/gen-osTIMECODES:00:00 Community Building in Data and AI03:02 Computer Engineering and International Leadership Roots06:13 Machine Learning Research in Sports Physiology10:18 Data Lead Club and Executive Networking Retreats14:03 AI Observability and R&D at Their Data18:50 Professional Growth through Community Organizing22:11 The Origins of Data Science Portugal27:57 Logistical Challenges of In-Person Conferences31:24 Strategic Event Scheduling and Venue Selection36:52 Automated Timetable Optimization with Custom Code41:22 Curating Quality Speaker Proposals in the AI Era45:08 Sponsorship Value and Student Ticket Accessibility50:23 Partnership Outreach and Network Development54:44 The Forward Deployed Engineer Role and Methodology58:35 Professional Development for Junior Data ScientistsThis video is a must-watch for data practitioners, aspiring community leaders, and event organizers. It provides deep value for anyone looking to understand the intersection of technical R&D and the "human stack" of networking and professional development.Connect with Leonid- Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kholkine/Connect with DataTalks.Club:- Join the community - https://datatalks.club/slack.html- Subscribe to our Google calendar to have all our events in your calendar - https://calendar.google.com/calendar/r?cid=ZjhxaWRqbnEwamhzY3A4ODA5azFlZ2hzNjBAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ- Check other upcoming events - https://lu.ma/dtc-events- GitHub: https://github.com/DataTalksClub- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/datatalks-club/ - Twitter - https://twitter.com/DataTalksClub - Website - https://datatalks.club/