SSW Chapel Sydney
About the Event
AI Hack Days are community-run events for Developers or people who want to learn AI for free.
There will be something for everyone. Experienced AI developers can share ideas with other experienced developers. If you’re a beginner, then there’s plenty to learn on the day.
If you then want to build something yourself, you’ll need some of the Microsoft AI and/or Machine Learning (ML) tools already setup and installed. If you’ve never played with AI or ML before it would be good to do a little bit of learning before the day but it’s not a requirement as all experience levels are welcome.
đź’¬ Agenda
9:00 am - Welcome – check in + muffins
9:15 am - Presentations:
- Adam Cogan - Welcome + An intro to AI tools
- Ben Neoh – Passing the vibe check
- Calum Simpson - AI: It's a Skill Issue
11:00 am - Give AI a go! Start Hacking
1:00 pm - Presentations – show us something you’ve built
2:00 pm - Wrap up and head home
About the Speakers
Adam Cogan
Chief Architect + Microsoft Regional Director
Adam Cogan is the Chief Architect and a Microsoft Regional Director at SSW, where he leverages more than three decades of experience building custom enterprise solutions across .NET, Azure, AI, Office 365, SharePoint, Dynamics 365, and the Power Platform. A respected thought leader in the tech community, Adam is a Microsoft Regional Director, Microsoft MVP (ALM), Certified Scrum Trainer, and frequent presenter at major international conferences including TechEd, DDD, and NDC. He mentors teams around the world on software architecture, DevOps, and modern development practices, and has trained thousands of developers while helping guide careers that have grown into industry leadership roles.
Ben Neoh
Software Engineer I
Ben is a Sydney-based consultant at SSW who specialises in Azure cloud architecture, DevOps automation, and Dynamics 365. He has experience helping enterprises modernise legacy systems, migrate workloads to the cloud, and deliver secure, automated platforms that scale with business growth. Known for his pragmatic and outcome-driven approach, Ben bridges the gap between architecture, development, and operations to help organisations achieve faster, safer, and more reliable cloud solutions. A dedicated open-source maintainer, Ben contributes to TinaCMS, a world-leading headless CMS with over 10,000 GitHub stars. His work focuses on improving extensibility, performance, and developer experience for thousands of users worldwide.
Calum Simpson
VP of AI
Calum is a distinguished enterprise software and AI consultant specialising in Microsoft technologies, including Azure, SharePoint, Dynamics 365/Power Platform, and C# .NET. He combines deep platform expertise with a strong focus on applied AI, bringing modern intelligence into scalable enterprise solutions, alongside proven capability in both Angular and React. Boasting over a decade of experience, Calum has successfully led web initiatives across a wide range of environments, from agile two-person startups to some of Australia’s most prominent organisations. He is a recognised leader across modern web, AI, and Power Platform, driving the design and delivery of intelligent, scalable solutions that connect custom web experiences with Dynamics 365 and enterprise systems. His ability to operate at both a strategic and hands-on level highlights his adaptability and technical leadership.