SQLSaturday #396 - Dallas - BI Edition 2015
Event Date: 05/02/2015 00:00:00
Event Location:
- Microsoft Campus - Las Colinas
- 7000 State Hwy 161
- Irving, Texas
This event has completed. All data shown below is from the historical XML public data available.
If there are any data quality issues or corrections needed, please contact the webmaster for this site or submit a pull request for the appropriate file(s).
Sessions
This is a list of sessions from the event, based on the schedule in the XML files.
Title: Somebody Got BIDS Helper in My Data Tools
Abstract: Do you develop SSIS packages, SSRS reports or SSAS models (multidimensional or tabular)? Then this session is for you! We’ll cover the capabilities this free tool provides as well as address some of the grating little quirks of BIDS/SSDT. Learn how to get a roles report or printer-friendly dimension usage from Analysis Services Multidimensional. Regain missing functionality in SSAS Tabular such as drillthrough actions, display folders, and HideMemberIf. Delete dataset cache files in SSRS to work around an annoying “feature”. Extend your SSIS capabilities: deploy packages from BIDS/SSDT, identify items with configuration/expressions, create packages based on templates, and find differences between packages. Learn about this perfect combination from Meagan Longoria and Bill Fellows and you’ll never want to have your BIDS without the Helper again.
Speaker(s):
- Bill Fellows
Track and Room: Information Delivery - 4025
Title: One is the Loneliest Number: Scaling out your Data Warehouse
Abstract: If your current data warehouse is overworked and underpaid, maybe it needs a friend to share the load. Do you want to be able to scan your 1TB fact table in 20 seconds? Do you want to maintain performance even if data volumes triple without rewriting any code? Do you want a data warehouse which extends to the cloud?
This demo heavy session will be a deep dive into scaling out your data warehouse onto the Analytics Platform System appliance from Microsoft and querying it with familiar T-SQL. You will learn performance tuning best practices for taking advantage of a distributed data warehouse. See demos of hybrid connectivity to Azure Blob Storage through a technology called Polybase and learn how a modern data warehouse can handle structured data, semi-structured data, and streaming data.
Speaker(s):
- Greg Galloway
Track and Room: Big Data Azure - MPR 1200
Title: Rise of the Machine (Learning) – Azure ML in BI, in Apps, and as a product in Azure Marketplace
Abstract: Machine Learning no longer requires expensive infrastructures and knowledge of specialized statistical coding languages. Azure ML lowers the barriers of entry for predictive analytics using Machine Learning. In this session, review the similarities and differences of Machine Learning compared to traditional Predictive Analytics, Data Mining, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence. I will demonstrate how a BI solution using only Excel with Power Pivot can connect to an Azure ML Model in the cloud for predictions and new types of analysis. Learn how Azure ML can be used to add value to Apps. Also, review ways to turn your Azure ML Model into a source of revenue using Azure Marketplace. Machine Learning is now quietly rising all around us as it integrates with technology, improves processes and workflows, and transforms how data drives business. Empower your organization with new competitive advantages using Azure ML.
Speaker(s):
- Greg Beaumont
Track and Room: Big Data Azure - MPR 1200
Title: SQL Geography DataTypes and Applications in BI
Abstract: At some point in your SQL life you will be asked to calculate or visualize geospatial data. Microsoft SQL server has unique optimizations and frameworks for handling just this circumstance. Not to be confused with Geometric data (square and linear), Geographic data offers even more complexity as you deal with the curvature of the earth and its radial impact on queries. Jared Nielsen is the Principal of the FUZION Agency and the CTO of Online and Digital for Universal Weather and Aviation and contends with geographic data on a daily basis. FIR Boundary intersection, optimized flight planning, weather map overlay and multi-level airspace computations all involve some very interesting SQL Server geographic manipulations that may be interesting for you to experience if you haven’t already. Please join me for an in-depth review with helpful resources to guide you on your way as you incorporate Geospatial data into your own applications.
Speaker(s):
- Jared Nielsen
Track and Room: Data Visualization Business Analytics - EBC
Title: Overcoming Chartaphobia: Moving Your Organization Toward Interesting and Enlightening Data Viz
Abstract: Do your organization’s reports consist mostly of giant tables of data? Perhaps you have gotten as far as adding KPI indicators or conditional highlighting to the tables. Although tables of data presented as reports are commonly found in many organizations, they may be doing you and your users a disservice. You should optimize your data viz just as you optimize your databases. Reports are a user interface that must be purposefully designed to help users achieve their goal of making informed decisions. In this session, we’ll review some data viz best practices and apply those concepts to the use of Microsoft reporting tools such as Excel, Power View, and Reporting Services. You’ll leave with guidance on how to take boring, unreadable tables of data and turn them into useful and visually appealing reports.
Speaker(s):
- Meagan Longoria
Track and Room: Data Visualization Business Analytics - EBC
Title: Building Bullet-Resistant SSIS Packages
Abstract: It’s 2:30 a.m., and you’ve just gotten that call no ETL developer wants to get: an SSIS package has failed unexpectedly. Immediately, you start asking yourself: “What could have caused this?”, “What do I do to fix the data from this failed execution?”, and, most importantly, “Could I design the package in such a way that this doesn’t happen again?”
In this demo-packed session, we will examine the design patterns and logistics of building error-resistant SSIS packages. Starting with the control flow, we’ll work through various tools and patterns that can be used to prevent, or at least handle appropriately, task-level errors. We’ll then move to the data flow, and discuss and demonstrate how to proactively address problem data to prevent unexpected package failures.
Speaker(s):
- Tim Mitchell
Track and Room: Information Delivery - 4025
Title: Agile Analytics: How to do it using the Microsoft BI toolset
Abstract: You can build a high-quality, high-velocity, and high-efficiency BI team using Microsoft development tools, including Visual Studio Online (or Team Foundation Server), SQL Server Data Tools, SQL Server Data Tools - Business Intelligence, and Power BI. This presentation is an overview of the toolset, as well as some recommended additional tools (mostly open source), and some of the high-level disciplines and practices that can turn a chaotic, bug-ridden mess into a finely-tuned, value-producing team. We’ll talk about work item management, source code control, testing techniques, and automated builds and deployment mechanisms.
Speaker(s):
- Mike Diehl
Track and Room: Information Delivery - EBC
Title: Visualizing Geospatial Data with Power Map (Bryan Smith, Microsoft)
Abstract: Power Map is a new Excel feature for exploring map and time-based data. Come see how Power Map for Excel 2013 can take your geo-spatial analysis to the next level.
Bryan is a Business Intelligence Technology Specialist with Microsoft and Adjunct Professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. Prior to his current role, Bryan served as a consultant and trainer with Hitachi Consulting, assisting a variety of customers in designing, implementing, and supporting Business Intelligence solutions. He is co-author of several books on Microsoft technologies including Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services Step by Step, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 MDX Step by Step, and Professional SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services.
Speaker(s):
- MSBIC Admin
Track and Room: Power BI - EBC
Title: Sponsor (Artis): Changing the Game – The Restaurant Experience With Data
Abstract: Imagine the ultimate restaurant experience – great food and service, timely food delivery, entertainment and on-demand check payment. Ziosk delivers this idyllic experience through thoughtful technology and improved data and analytics capabilities. Tablet technology allows diners to relay orders directly to the kitchen, play interactive games, and pay at the table, and also substantially increases the likelihood of survey responses and loyalty enrollment. With real-time data collection, analytic and content management capabilities, wait staff, management and corporate can optimize the customer experience. Kevin Mowry (Ziosk), Al Pappa (Ziosk) and Jeff Johnston (Artis Consulting) share how Ziosk is changing the restaurant game with technologies such as the Analytic Platform System, HDInsight, Azure Machine Learning, Azure Data Factory and Power BI.
Speaker(s):
- MSBIC Admin
Track and Room: Sponsor Sessions - MPR 1200
Title: Big Data Analytics with Excel
Abstract: This introductory session describes and demonstrates how to create a big data analytics solution with structured data by using Azure HDInsight and Excel 2013. This session will be of interest to those new to the concept of big data, new to self-service data modeling with Power Pivot, and for those interested to understand how big data can play a role in a self-service BI solution. Demonstrations will reinforce the introductory theory by showing how to store data files, and how to use Pig to transform data, and Hive to query data. The “big data” will then be retrieved and queried by using Power BI add-ins in Excel 2013, including Power Query, Power Pivot and Power View.
Speaker(s):
- Peter Myers
Track and Room: Big Data Azure - MPR 1200
Title: Sponsor (Profisee): Build A Golden Record for Any Subject Over Lunch!
Abstract: Attend the lunch demo and see how you can use Master Data Services and Maestro to: • Create a golden record for any subject area in a matter of minutes Leverage your Microsoft licenses, skills and infrastructure to lower license costs and FTE costs, and reduce the complexity of an MDM environment? • Understand how to implement workflow and business process solutions around the management of MDM, without having to write complex custom coding for everything? • Tackle data quality, consistency and control by empowering business and subject matter experts, without needing heavy IT resources and writing complex code or scripting • Improve data quality, data stewardship, workflow, and data sharing with any of your enterprise
Speaker(s):
- MSBIC Admin
Track and Room: Sponsor Sessions - EBC
Title: Sentiment Analysis with Big Data
Abstract: People’s sentiments and opinions are written in social networks. There are tweets, Facebook posts, book reviews, forum discussions, and more. These attitudes and feelings are communicated using text, with format depending on the social network. Twitter messages are limited to 140 characters and use hash-tags,; Facebook messages can be longer. This session reviews the different Natural Language Processing, text mining, and data mining techniques you can use for sentiment and tone analysis. Organizations can use the extracted knowledge for brand reputation, market predictions, and automatic learning. We’ll look at, Hadoop, data mining, Microsoft Big Data Hadoop distribution HDInsight and Azure Machine Learning
Speaker(s):
- Paco Gonzalez
Track and Room: Big Data Azure - MPR 1200
Title: Row-Based Security in SSRS and SSAS
Abstract: It is relatively straight-forward to grant a user access to a particular SSRS report, multi-dimensional cube, or tabular model table, but what happens when the user needs access to the object but should be denied access to view certain rows of data? In this session we’ll investigate a real-world solution to this common BI problem.
Speaker(s):
- Chris Hyde
Track and Room: Data Visualization Business Analytics - EBC
Title: 10 SSAS Performance Improvements You Should Make Today
Abstract: Looking for some low hanging performance issues you can solve today? What to learn what almost every SSAS environment should include?
Join this session for 10 basic SSAS performance improvements you should include in your SSAS environment. Learn how to utilize these basic performance improvements to help improve your ETL, Cube processing, or reporting speeds.
Speaker(s):
- Randy Dyess
Track and Room: Information Delivery - 4025
Title: BI Basics - Finding Return on Data
Abstract: This session will you chart the waters through the sea of Business Intelligence (BI) options. IT departments need tools to turn data into useful information for users. Instead of ROI, this session talks about Return on Data’ for IT Managers.
In this session we look at the roles of data warehousing, big data and business intelligence systems. The Microsoft BI stack has evolved from traditional OLAP cubes to include tabular models, PowerBI, integration with HADOOP, reporting tools and full integration with SharePoint. This session is non-technical.
Speaker(s):
- Allen Smith
Track and Room: Information Delivery - EBC
Title: Building your ETL Framework with BIML
Abstract: BIML makes SSIS development faster and creates reusable modules that help you apply a consistent ETL framework across solutions. In this session, we will write BIML and use it to build an SSIS package. You’ll see how BIML allows you to avoid corrupted metadata and the tedious repetition of implementing simple SSIS patterns, freeing you up to take on new and interesting ETL challenges. Then we will review how to use it to create an extensible ETL framework.
Speaker(s):
- Meagan Longoria
Track and Room: Information Delivery - 4025
Title: A Look at Power BI Preview
Abstract: This session will take a look at Microsoft Power BI, specifically the latest Power BI Designer preview and the Power BI app. Utilizing the Power BI service, analysts and BI professionals can quickly create rich visual analytics and leverage data query functionality. The session will also take a look at how BI professionals can utilize the Microsoft Power BI Analysis Services connector.
Speaker(s):
- Rodrigo Gomez
Track and Room: Power BI - 4005
Title: Power Query: Pulling It All Together
Abstract: Information is everywhere, but accessing that data quickly and easily may seem like a daunting task. Power Query gives you access to all kinds of data sources quickly with minimal expertise all from within Microsoft Excel. This session will discuss and demonstrate Power Query uses such as analyzing Facebook Likes in an Excel chart, compiling research from publically available data, and accessing data from Microsoft Azure Marketplace.
Speaker(s):
- Chris Johnson
Track and Room: Power BI - 4005
Title: Sponsor (GNet): Agile BI Using Power BI
Abstract: This session provides an overview of Agile BI strategy and approach and demonstrates how Power BI can be used to jump start BI initiatives within an organization. Please join Gordon D’Souza and Greg Baldini for this discussion.
Speaker(s):
- MSBIC Admin
Track and Room: Sponsor Sessions - 4005
Title: 15 Quick Tips for SSIS Performance
Abstract: When reviewing your ETL processes, the No. 1 question is always, “Does it work as expected?” Closely following that question is the ubiquitous, “How fast does it run?” This session’s tips are targeted at improve the latter.
In this session, we’ll focus on SSIS package performance, quickly reviewing 15 common hotspots for performance issues as well as recommended methods for maximizing throughput. You’ll walk away with some key design patterns and recommendations that you can use today to improve SSIS package performance.
Speaker(s):
- Tim Mitchell
Track and Room: Information Delivery - 4025
Title: Kimball’s not Dead: Modeling Basics
Abstract: If you are new to Dimensional modeling and Data Warehouse design, this session will get you started. Starting with business questions from typical users, you will identify dimensions, facts, hierarchies and attributes. We will also review the role different types of dimensions including conforming dimensions, Slow Changing Dimensions.
Speaker(s):
- Allen Smith
Track and Room: Information Delivery - N/A
Title: A guide to loving ETL
Abstract: Slow running packages? SSIS consuming all your resources? No idea what it’s doing? After attending this session, you will come out with an understanding of how Configuration, Logging, Package settings and deployment work in SQL Server Integration Services. You will also be armed with a list of transformations and perfmon counters to watch out for.
Speaker(s):
- Bill Fellows
Track and Room: Information Delivery - 4025
Title: Easy, Scalable Data Solutions in SQL Azure
Abstract: For companies looking to achieve data scalability without large capital expenses, SQL Azure provides a flexible, economical alternative to hosting your data on-prem. In this session we will demonstrate how to create a SQL Azure database and how to manage scalability and geo-replication. We will also explore how SQL Server Management Studio allows you to interact with your data on-prem, as well as key differences between SQL Server and SQL Azure. There will also be a demonstration of creating a SQL Azure API using Azure Mobile Services.
Speaker(s):
- Brian Gogle
Track and Room: Big Data Azure - MPR 1200
Title: Practical Power BI – Patterns for the Real World
Abstract: Power BI has created many exciting new opportunities for business users to harness professional grade analytic tools. How do BI professionals help users get the most out of this exciting new product? This session will take a look at everyday patterns across various industries, and demonstrate tips and tricks to improve the end-user experience, and apply Power BI effectively in real-world scenarios.
Speaker(s):
- Derek McKee
Track and Room: Power BI - 4005
Title: Big Data Analytics with SQL Server 2014
Abstract: During this session we will review the powerful features used to build a Big Data analytical solution on SQL 2014. You will hear many optimization techniques used to load, process, and present over 9 Billion records of data. We will discuss practical tips and real-world examples around core SQL Server, Integration Services, and Analysis Services including Clustered Columnstore Indexes, Table Partitioning, Balance Data Distributor, and Analysis Services partitioning.
Speaker(s):
- Scott Rylie
Track and Room: Big Data Azure - MPR 1200
Title: Cash in on the data dividend: how Power BI can realize the untapped value of your data
Abstract: IDC estimates that the economic value gap between companies that are innovative about data analytics and those that maintain a status quo is $1.6 trillion worldwide over the next four years. This presentation will look at the ways that the data dividend can be realized, and provides an overview of Microsoft Power BI (the tools in Excel and the cloud-based services) so you can understand how it can be applied to your organization.
Speaker(s):
- Mike Diehl
Track and Room: Power BI - 4005
Title: Connected Car Analytics with Raspberry Pi, Windows Azure, and Pow
Abstract: This session is suited for the computer hobbyist and will cover gathering metrics from an automobile On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) port with a small Raspberry Pi computer. Data elements such as VIN, rpm, and speed will be loaded from the Raspberry Pi to Windows Azure for analysis with Power BI.
Speaker(s):
- Chris Baudo
Track and Room: Power BI - 4005
Title: In Memory Tables; Not Just For OLTP
Abstract: In Memory OLTP is one of the most popular features of SQL Server 2014. Many BI professionals are finding memory optimized objects make excellent tools in the quiver of the ETL developer as well. Attend this session to see how “hekaton”, memory optimized objects, native stored procedures, and schema only designs can be applied to staging and transformations to achieve incredible performance gains over traditional models.
Speaker(s):
- Russ Thomas
Track and Room: Information Delivery - 4025
Title: Sponsor (Slalom): The Age of the Customer: Data is dead, long live data!
Abstract: Customer Engagement is alive, growing and changing faster than ever. It has completely reinvented itself in a handful of years and is creating challenging problems for companies, marketers and data professionals.
Social media and digital advertising is not only making and breaking companies in record time, but is also changing the data landscape and roles of data professionals with the same speed.
Join Rani Monson and John Ellis for a discussion about winning in the Age of the Customer and how you, as a data professional, can be at the center of this exciting new frontier.
Speaker(s):
- MSBIC Admin
Track and Room: Sponsor Sessions - 4025
Title: A Date With DAX: Time Intelligence in Tabular and PowerPivot
Abstract: This session will focus on the time intelligence functions built in to DAX along with writing custom date logic to deal with a range of common reporting requirements. We will cover the use of the built in functions as well as how to recreate their logic with non-standard calendars.
Some key topics include:
- DAX time intelligence functions
- Date tables
- Filter expressions
Speaker(s):
- Greg Baldini
Track and Room: Power BI - 4005
Title: Introduction to BIML and BIMLScript
Abstract: Microsoft has provided some great tools for creating and editing SSIS packages. First Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) then SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT). However, when creating an SSIS package you frequently repeat the same steps over and over. BIML is an XML markup language designed for representing the structure of an SSIS package. BIML Script takes that structure and generates an SSIS package.In this session we will use BIDS Helper to create a simple SSIS package using BIML. We will handle a couple SSIS scenarios with BIML and BIML Script.
Speaker(s):
- Russel Loski
Track and Room: Information Delivery - 4025
Speakers
This is a list of speakers from the XML Guidebook records. The details and URLs were valid at the time of the event.
Allen Smith
Contact: http://www.cognitiveinfo.com
Allen Smith is a business intelligence and data warehouse builder, speaker and trainer. Allen has an MBA in Computer Sciences and has worked in database services and data warehousing since 1998. Allen has a MCTS certification in Business Intelligence. Allen is a Sr. Business Intelligence Lead at Devon Energy. He enjoys sushi, traveling to obscure places, fixing Rubik’s cubes and prefers Marvel over DC.
Scott Rylie
Scott is a Business Intelligence consultant with 10+ years of experience in the information technology field. He has spent much of his professional career working with organizations to design, develop and implement technology solutions to meet their business requirements including Fortune 500 companies.
MSBIC Admin
Twitter: - @msbicdfw
Contact: http://msbic.sqlpass.org
MSBIC is a community focused on promoting the discipline of Business Intelligence as a whole, for individuals that share a common goal of leveraging analytics to make better business decisions. Our mission is to foster a community that bridges the gap between technologists and business information consumers. We feel both groups should share an interest in leveraging their technology investments to optimize business performance.
Derek McKee
Derek is a BI and Data Warehousing architect, with background in several industries and lines of business, and experience with a broad range of information challenges. A consultant with Slalom, in Dallas, TX, Derek is passionate about solving complex business problems through innovative solutions. Derek has worked closely with business users in various levels and departmental alignments, to analyze, design, build, test and deploy effective and powerful, business-driven solutions.
Peter Myers
LinkedIn: Peter Myers
Peter Myers is a consultant, trainer and presenter, and has worked with Microsoft database and development products since 1997. Today he specializes in all Microsoft Business Intelligence products and also authors training course content for Microsoft products and services.
He has a broad business background supported by a bachelor’s degree in applied economics and accounting, and he extends this with extensive experience backed by current MCSE certifications. He has been a Data Platform MVP since 2007.
Greg Galloway
LinkedIn: Greg Galloway
Contact: http://www.artisconsulting.com/blogs/GregGalloway
Greg Galloway is a BI architect with Artis Consulting in Dallas, Texas and a Microsoft Data Platform MVP. He is a coordinator on open-source projects including BI Developer Extensions (formerly BIDS Helper), the Analysis Services Stored Procedure project, and OLAP PivotTable Extensions. He was a co-author of the Analysis Services Tabular Performance Guide.
Brian Gogle
Twitter: - @briangogle
LinkedIn: Brian Gogle
Contact: http://briangogle.com
I have had a very diverse career that has always been very focused on insights and how they improve performance. I am currently the Data and Analytics Lead for the Central Region for Neudesic.
Prior to consulting I was Vice President of Information Services with Mosaic, a retail services company. leading a forty person team in the U.S. and Canada and architecting a Microsoft BI solution that was accessed by over 1,000 clients from over 140 retailers and retail manufacturers. Before joining Neudesic I served as the Data Management Practice Area Lead for Slalom Consulting in Dallas.
Meagan Longoria
Twitter: - mmarie
LinkedIn: Meagan Longoria
Contact: http://datasavvy.me
Meagan Longoria is a business intelligence consultant with Denny Cherry Associates, and lives in Denver, Colorado. She is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP. Meagan spends a lot of time thinking about how to use data integration, DAX, and data visualization techniques to make data useful for people. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences at conferences and user group meetings, as well as through her blog (DataSavvy.me).
Chris Hyde
Twitter: - ChrisHyde325
LinkedIn: Chris Hyde
Chris Hyde is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and Microsoft Certified Trainer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He works as an independent SQL Server BI and DBA consultant, and is the leader of the Albuquerque PASS local user group. He is also part of the Friends of Redgate program and was a member of the Idera ACE class of 2018. He loves loud music and cricket, but usually not at the same time.
Randy Dyess
LinkedIn: Randy Dyess
Contact: http://sqlservertutor.com/
Over the past 20 years, Randy has helped architect, tune, and manage many very large databases (VLDBs) for optimum performance and availability. As a SQL Server relational data management specialist, Randy has worked in environments containing over 200 terabytes of SQL Server data to those that had more than 10,000 databases, with only a few megabytes of data in each. During this time, he has also worked with BI environments with very large data warehouses and billions of rows of data,
Meagan Longoria
Twitter: - mmarie
LinkedIn: Meagan Longoria
Contact: http://datasavvy.me
Meagan Longoria is a business intelligence consultant with Denny Cherry Associates, and lives in Denver, Colorado. She is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP. Meagan spends a lot of time thinking about how to use data integration, DAX, and data visualization techniques to make data useful for people. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences at conferences and user group meetings, as well as through her blog (DataSavvy.me).
Chris Johnson
LinkedIn: Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson has been developing, designing, and implementing technology solutions for over 14 years. Over the years, he has worked in consulting and industry areas including telecom, manufacturing, utilities, education, non-profit, oil amp; gas, and banking. He enjoys building and designing technical solutions to address business issues.
From a technical standpoint, Chris has worked with database, reporting, and analytic tools including Oracle, Cognos, and Microsoft SQL Server. He has ext
Paco Gonzalez
Twitter: - @pacosql
LinkedIn: Paco Gonzalez
Paco Gonzalez is the CEO of SolidQ North America, and a Microsoft Data Platform MVP. Focused on Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, he specializes in helping organizations become data driven from a strategic and technical perspective. Paco is a speaker at small and large conferences such as PASS Summit, Ignite, and Business Applications Summit, and he has published several books and whitepapers. He is based in Atlanta, GA.
Bill Fellows
Twitter: - @billinkc
LinkedIn: Bill Fellows
Contact: http://blog.billfellows.net
Bill Fellows is a SQL Server MVP and has been a database developer for most of his career, with the past 15 years focused on ETL. He is the organizer of Kansas City’s eight SQLSaturdays and a speaker at many other SQLSaturdays, User Groups and the PASS Summit. Bill is the owner of Sterling Data Consulting where he gets to solve interesting data problems.
Russ Thomas
Twitter: - @SQLJudo
LinkedIn: Russ Thomas
Contact: http://www.sqljudo.com
Prior to focusing full time on IT Management and Database Administration in the Denver Colorado financial sector, Russ spent several years in law enforcement including four as a training Sergeant and Washington CJTC Instructor specializing in Emergency Vehicle Driving at Portland Intl Raceway. An experienced public speaker and trainer, Russ also has two decades of hands on IT work and leadership experience. Russ is a SQL Server Data Platform MCSE and is active in the SQLSaturday community.
Allen Smith
Contact: http://www.cognitiveinfo.com
Allen Smith is a business intelligence and data warehouse builder, speaker and trainer. Allen has an MBA in Computer Sciences and has worked in database services and data warehousing since 1998. Allen has a MCTS certification in Business Intelligence. Allen is a Sr. Business Intelligence Lead at Devon Energy. He enjoys sushi, traveling to obscure places, fixing Rubik’s cubes and prefers Marvel over DC.
Mike Diehl
Twitter: - @MikeDiehl_Wpg
LinkedIn: Mike Diehl
Contact: http://weblogs.asp.net/miked
Mike Diehl is the practice lead for databases and Business Intelligence at Imaginet Resources, a Microsoft partner with offices in Dallas, Calgary, and Winnipeg. Mike has over 20 years of experience using Microsoft database technologies and is an expert in Agile Analytics, Scrum, Kanban, and Microsoft Team Foundation Server.
MSBIC Admin
Twitter: - @msbicdfw
Contact: http://msbic.sqlpass.org
MSBIC is a community focused on promoting the discipline of Business Intelligence as a whole, for individuals that share a common goal of leveraging analytics to make better business decisions. Our mission is to foster a community that bridges the gap between technologists and business information consumers. We feel both groups should share an interest in leveraging their technology investments to optimize business performance.
Tim Mitchell
Twitter: - @Tim_Mitchell
LinkedIn: Tim Mitchell
Contact: http://www.TimMitchell.net
Tim Mitchell is a business intelligence architect, author, and trainer. He has worked with SQL Server for over a decade, specializing in data warehousing, ETL/SSIS, and reporting. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Texas AM at Commerce, and is recognized as a Microsoft Data Platform MVP. Tim is a business intelligence consultant and principal at Tyleris Data Solutions.
Tim is an active community speaker and volunteer, having spoken at over 100 events including the PASS Summit, SQLBits, Dev Connections, SQL Intersection, and scores of SQLSaturdays. He blogs at TimMitchell.net, and tweets at @Tim_Mitchell.
Rodrigo Gomez
Twitter: - rodrigogmz27
LinkedIn: Rodrigo Gomez
Contact: http://www.slalom.com
Rodrigo is a Consultant at Slalom Consulting under the Information Management and Analytics practice. He has over eight years of experience in Business Intelligence and Database Administration in various industries including Financial Services, Retail, Logistics, Manufacturing and Healthcare. Rodrigo enjoys challenges and learning new technologies.
Greg Beaumont
Twitter: - https://www.twitter.com/grbeaumont
LinkedIn: Greg Beaumont
As a Technology Solutions Professional at Microsoft I am constantly working to both inspire and create Digital Transformation using Analytics. Architecting solutions, training technologists, and never passing up an opportunity to design something new using Microsoft tools such as Power BI, Azure, SQL Server, Streaming Data and Azure Machine Learning.
MSBIC Admin
Twitter: - @msbicdfw
Contact: http://msbic.sqlpass.org
MSBIC is a community focused on promoting the discipline of Business Intelligence as a whole, for individuals that share a common goal of leveraging analytics to make better business decisions. Our mission is to foster a community that bridges the gap between technologists and business information consumers. We feel both groups should share an interest in leveraging their technology investments to optimize business performance.
Tim Mitchell
Twitter: - @Tim_Mitchell
LinkedIn: Tim Mitchell
Contact: http://www.TimMitchell.net
Tim Mitchell is a business intelligence architect, author, and trainer. He has worked with SQL Server for over a decade, specializing in data warehousing, ETL/SSIS, and reporting. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Texas AM at Commerce, and is recognized as a Microsoft Data Platform MVP. Tim is a business intelligence consultant and principal at Tyleris Data Solutions.
Tim is an active community speaker and volunteer, having spoken at over 100 events including the PASS Summit, SQLBits, Dev Connections, SQL Intersection, and scores of SQLSaturdays. He blogs at TimMitchell.net, and tweets at @Tim_Mitchell.
Greg Baldini
Contact: http://www.nihilentinc.com
Greg Baldini is a Solutions Architect with Nihilent Technologies, Inc. He leads the data practice for the east coast and business analyst practice nationally. His primary experience lies in delivering effective and scalable analytical solutions for customers starting from the ideation phases and following through to rollout, training, and adoption. His goal is to always deliver on the promise of analytics, to make better decisions through data. An expert in data modeling engineering, systems architecture, and the Microsoft Data Platform, he has delivered solutions in many spaces including manufacturing, healthcare, fraud analysis, marketing pipelines, and sales performance.
Bill Fellows
Twitter: - @billinkc
LinkedIn: Bill Fellows
Contact: http://blog.billfellows.net
Bill Fellows is a SQL Server MVP and has been a database developer for most of his career, with the past 15 years focused on ETL. He is the organizer of Kansas City’s eight SQLSaturdays and a speaker at many other SQLSaturdays, User Groups and the PASS Summit. Bill is the owner of Sterling Data Consulting where he gets to solve interesting data problems.
Chris Baudo
Chris Baudo is a business intelligence architect with 15 years of experience in consulting and industry. He specializes in business intelligence, data warehousing and data modeling, data analysis, ETL, OLAP, and business analysis. Chris’ project experiences include full project life cycle implementations and proof-of-concepts for several mid-market and Fortune 500 companies.
Russel Loski
Twitter: - sqlmovers
LinkedIn: Russel Loski
Contact: http://www.sqlmovers.com
Russ Loski is a SQL Server BI Developer based in Dallas-Fort Worth. He current works as a Data Analytics Engineer for Navisite, a remote managed IT services company. Twenty years ago, he began working with SQL Server 6.5. He has since continued to develop applications connected to all of the versions of SQL Server. He has worked with clients in industries from insurance to healthcare, from movie theaters to American football. Russ is a regular speaker at SQLSaturday events, as well as the SQL Server Users Groups in the North Texas region. Russ likes working with data in various shapes.
MSBIC Admin
Twitter: - @msbicdfw
Contact: http://msbic.sqlpass.org
MSBIC is a community focused on promoting the discipline of Business Intelligence as a whole, for individuals that share a common goal of leveraging analytics to make better business decisions. Our mission is to foster a community that bridges the gap between technologists and business information consumers. We feel both groups should share an interest in leveraging their technology investments to optimize business performance.
Jared Nielsen
Twitter: - https://twitter.com/FUZIONAgency
LinkedIn: Jared Nielsen
Contact: http://www.FUZIONAgency.com
Rather than accepting the status quo, I believe in learning everything, and nothing, and mixing it all together until you have a strange, unique and ethereal blend of technology, marketing, knowledge, wisdom, creativity, passion, charity, caring, and humility. I think that being uncategorizable is the goal since life is the voyage, not the destination, so too should work be that extension of the undefinable so you
Mike Diehl
Twitter: - @MikeDiehl_Wpg
LinkedIn: Mike Diehl
Contact: http://weblogs.asp.net/miked
Mike Diehl is the practice lead for databases and Business Intelligence at Imaginet Resources, a Microsoft partner with offices in Dallas, Calgary, and Winnipeg. Mike has over 20 years of experience using Microsoft database technologies and is an expert in Agile Analytics, Scrum, Kanban, and Microsoft Team Foundation Server.
MSBIC Admin
Twitter: - @msbicdfw
Contact: http://msbic.sqlpass.org
MSBIC is a community focused on promoting the discipline of Business Intelligence as a whole, for individuals that share a common goal of leveraging analytics to make better business decisions. Our mission is to foster a community that bridges the gap between technologists and business information consumers. We feel both groups should share an interest in leveraging their technology investments to optimize business performance.
Sponsors
The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event: