Starting a Data Conference: The Data Makers Fest Story - Leonid Kholkine
From DataTalks.Club by DataTalks.Club
April 17, 2026 · 1h 4m · Season 23 · Episode 8
About this episode
Leonid Kholkine discusses his journey in building a prominent data conference and the intricacies of community building in the data field.
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…
People in this episode
Guest: Leonid Kholkine
Topics covered
- data conferences
- community building
- AI observability
- product engineering
- networking
- event management
Keywords
- data conference
- community building
- AI observability
- event management
- networking
- speaker scheduling
- timetable optimization
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Their Data, Data Makers Fest, Data Lead Club, DareData
Products: GenOS by DareData
Places: Portugal
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