Speaker Biographies
CLOUD ARCHITECTURE – SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES – April 23, 2026
Ben Biley, Solution Engineer, Kentik
Ben Biley is a Solution Engineer at Kentik with more than 25 years of experience in IT and networking across the financial, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors, as well as tech startups and the partner ecosystem. With deep expertise in on‑prem, hybrid, and cloud connectivity and security, Ben brings a practitioner‑focused perspective to modern network observability. He is a frequent contributor to industry discussions and events, known for his passion for networking, visibility, and automation. Ben has delivered impactful network solutions for organizations including Aurora Advocate Healthcare, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Johnson Controls, Clarios, AHEAD, and Aviatrix.
Eric Dominguez, Director of Channel, Summit
Eric Dominguez is the Channel Director at Summit. He has spent over 25 years in the data center, cloud and managed services industry. He’s held technical and commercial roles and offers a unique perspective on IT Infrastructure. He presently heads up Summit’s TSD channel program where he works closely with partner organizations to educate and advocate. In his spare time, Dominguez is an avid tennis player, travels the globe, experiments in the kitchen, and spends time with his dog.
Rajitha Gangishetty, Senior Manager, Solutions Architect, Hilton
Rajitha brings over two decades of experience spanning various industries in the IT sector. She leverages Enterprise architecture principles to help companies design and implement scalable solutions that align with their strategic objectives and operational requirements. Her passion lies in providing data-driven insights and solutions that facilitate better decision-making and enhance user experience.
Viraj Jani, Head of Cloud, Cummins
Bio to Come!
Patrick Kinard, Head of Cloud & Infrastructure, Chicago Public Schools
Patrick Kinard is a Senior Server Enterprise Operations Manager at the Chicago Public Schools. He has more than 30 years of information technology management experience in the private and public sectors. Today, Patrick has a senior role in managing the data service centers for one of the world’s third-largest school districts. He is responsible for all central data center, cloud, and on-premise school-based server operations.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University and has earned multiple information technology management certifications.
Raj Mehta, Technical Delivery Director at Snowflake
As a Technical Director at Snowflake, my team and I lead the technical strategy and architecture for our customers’ cloud data platforms, ensuring scalability, performance, security, and innovation.
I work closely with delivery, data science, and engineering teams to provide technical direction, setting standards, and guiding the design and execution of complex, high-impact solutions. I also partner with sales and customer success teams to align cutting-edge technical solutions with customer needs, industry trends, and evolving market demands.Beyond architecture and execution, I play a key role in thought leadership and advisory, helping organizations modernize their data ecosystems, unlock AI/ML potential, and maximize the value of their Snowflake investments.
Sandeep Nema, Director, Head of Enterprise Architecture, Cook County – Bureau of Technology
Bio to Come!
Dana Racine, Solutions Architect, Ctera
Bio to Come!
Trent Ridgway, Head of IT, Infrastructure and Cloud, CISO, Anson Industries
Trenton Ridgway is a seasoned Manager of Security and Infrastructure with over 20 years of experience spanning high finance, private equity, and the last decade in the construction industry. A CISSP-certified leader, always working towards aligning security and infrastructure strategies with business goals to drive innovation, resilience, and operational excellence.
He has led transformative initiatives such as migrating enterprise infrastructure to Azure IaaS and DaaS, implementing a comprehensive incident response program, and delivering measurable cost savings through strategic vendor partnerships. Strategies in reporting to teams, management, and executive leadership, providing cybersecurity KPIs, strategic insights, and actionable solutions that support business acceleration without compromising security.
With a philosophy rooted in incremental, enterprise-wide improvements, it helps achieve enterprise security that is executed seamlessly, empowering you, your coworkers, and your organization. I am passionate about sharing my vision and welcome opportunities to speak at conferences and collaborate with peers to help elevate themselves and, in the process, elevate their organizations.
Aman Sardana, Expert Application Architect, CapitalOne
Aman Sardana is a senior technology leader and architect with extensive experience designing and modernizing mission-critical platforms across financial services and fintech. He frequently speaks at technology and leadership conferences, sharing practical insights on cloud architectures, system resiliency, and modernizing critical platforms. His work focuses on helping organizations balance innovation with reliability, security, and regulatory expectations. Aman holds a Master of Science in Information Technology from Northwestern University.
