Ambassadors

As a Platform and DevOps Engineer, I’m passionate about cloud-native technologies and the craft of building reliable, scalable platforms. I specialise in Kubernetes, GitOps, and AWS, with strong expertise in Istio, ArgoCD, and Terraform. I enjoy creating automation and internal developer platforms that improve developer experience and operational excellence. Beyond engineering, I thrive by mentoring communities such as Cloud Native Querétaro and contributing as an AWS Community Builder. My top favourite technologies are Kubernetes, Istio, ArgoCD, Argo Rollouts, and I love blending technical depth with community impact.

Angel Ramirez is an accomplished technology leader and entrepreneur with a strong background in software product development, cloud-native technologies, and Kubernetes Kubestronaut. Angel is a CNCF and TODO OSPO Ambassador, known for his exceptional public speaking skills, effectively communicating intricate technical ideas engagingly and understandably. His dynamic approach seamlessly integrates technology with business strategy, helping organizations achieve robust, scalable solutions while promoting a culture of ongoing learning and community engagement.

I’m a Principal Solutions Engineer at Solo.io. However, I came from the development side of the fence, then DevOps, and then Software Architect. Full cycle

I was lucky to start early with Docker and Kubernetes given that I was always related to Cloud Native (Heroku 12-Factor apps) as Developer and DevOps practices when DevOps Engineer.

That helped me to experience all of the benefits, but also the pain, myself. I really like to share what I’ve seen, but also to learn from what others have seen.

My biggest concern is efficiency in the development lifecycle.

One of my favourite quotes is: ‘Once a new technology rolls over you, if you’re not part of the steamroller, you’re part of the road.’ — Stewart Brand —

Brad is originally from New Zealand now working in Australia as the Head of Platform Engineering, he has been involved in the DevOps space for a long time now and serves as a board member of the Continuous Delivery Foundation. Brad is a maintainer of the Keptn project and works on the Kubernetes Release team. And is involved in mentoring in GSoC projects. His favorite projects to work on from the CNCF are GitOps, Security and Observability projects. He is helping to organize the KCD Australia and also runs a meetup in Australia.

Why I am excited to be an ambassador: I’m excited to be an ambassador to further help and mentor other folks coming into the cloud native space and guide them in the right direction. I’m also excited because I can continue working on the outreach of the CNCF and show organizations how they can contribute and help grow the projects and unlock innovation.

Carlos Santana is a Senior Specialist Solutions Architect at AWS leading Container solutions in the Worldwide Application Modernization GTM team. He is experienced in distributed application architecture, emerging technologies, open source, serverless, gitops, devops. He is a contributor to CNCF projects such as Kubernetes and Knative. Find him on Twitter @csantanapr or his Kubernetes Bookclub https://santana.dev

Why I am excited to be an ambassador: I’m excited to work with the CNCF, and be able to help the CNCF to improve on how it works and get perceive by the community of contributors and consumer of cloud native tech. I’m excited to meet new folks and be able to collaborate on projects on enablement of projects such as Kubernetes.

Chad is a Principal SRE at Akamai, and author of the book “Acing the Certified Kubernetes Administrator Exam”. Chad has been an instructor for over six years on platforms such as A Cloud Guru (now Pluralsight) and INE. Through KubeSkills, he helps people find fun and interactive ways to learn Kubernetes, Linux, and containers.

Why I am excited to be an ambassador: I really enjoy helping people get involved in open source software. I have realized the power of community, in lifting others up and succeeding together, and I love to share it with others. I believe it is my duty in life to share what I’ve learned in order to make intellectual progress as a human race.

Cristher Castro, co-founder and COO of Cuemby, is a visionary leader and operational dynamo who drives community building in the Latam tech scene. Over the last 3 years, she advocated for the adoption of open-source technologies within the Spanish-speaking community, creating and supporting tech meetups and events in the region. She co-created, along with her team, the first Kubernetes Community Days in Colombia. This event paved the way for the expansion of Cloud Native Groups throughout the region. Cristher’s foresight and operational expertise have been fundamental to the success of both Cuemby and the Cloud Native Latam Group. Recognizing the region’s need for in-depth knowledge of cloud-native applications, Cristher championed the LFS250 (Linux Foundation Course) and administered the KCNA certifications donated by CNCF to the region. These two initiatives heightened awareness of cloud-native technologies and certifications, fortifying local proficiency in open-source solutions. She continues to promote and advocate for the recognition of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) in the region, addressing both business and community aspects. Cristher’s leadership and operational prowess exemplify her unwavering commitment to fostering a thriving Latam tech community. https://community.cncf.io/cloud-native-latin-america/ https://community.cncf.io/cloud-native-medellin/ https://www.cncf.io/reports/kcd-colombia-2023/ https://www.cuemby.com/about-us https://www.linkedin.com/company/fundaci%C3%B3n-hispana-de-cloud-native/?viewAsMember=true https://community.cncf.io/cloud-native-colombia/ https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/kcd-colombia/?viewAsMember=truehttps://www.linkedin.com/showcase/kcd-colombia

Why I am excited to be an ambassador: Becoming a CNCF ambassador empowers me to further my dedication to community growth in the LATAM region. I deeply believe that the region’s success hinges on the symbiotic collaboration of professionals, students, and companies. It’s this harmony that forms the core of my mission: to cultivate a thriving community ecosystem centered around open-source and cloud-native technologies. Through this role, I am positioned to amplify awareness about these technologies and the transformative opportunities they introduce. My operational and logistics expertise is set to facilitate more meetups and events, thus kindling the formation of new communities. Collaborating with fellow leaders and ambassadors provides a unique platform to unite our efforts, ensuring we collectively advance our shared vision.

Committed to innovation and new technologies, strong believer in cloud native and container orchestration. Participating in main events, both as speaker and attendant, actively spreading the CNCF principles and project. My job is my favorite game.

I’m a Cloud Native specialist and open source advocate with a background in Physics and Computer Science. My work sits at the intersection of technology and human impact, connecting people, nice tools, and communities to drive real outcomes. With a strong background in open source technologies, open communities, and modern cloud infrastructure. My expertise spans Kubernetes, Containers, DevOps, observability, SaaS/PaaS platforms, and application modernization. You’ll often find me at KubeCon, Open Source Summit, and CNCF meetups. Originally from Brazil and now based in Europe, I bring a global mindset and a passion for fostering collaboration and building strong technical communities.

I have been working around software development for more than 6 years. Involving development, infrastructure architecture, monitoring, etc. Currently, I work as SRE at SCRM Lidl International Hub. Also, I have been awarded with Microsoft MVP for 4 years in a row and nowadays, I invest the majority of my free time contributing to KEDA. I’m proud about my puppies and my wife, and I use the rest of the time with them.

Why I am excited to be an ambassador: The program provides a platform for ambassadors to connect and collaborate with other cloud-native enthusiasts and promote the adoption of cloud-native practices. By becoming a CNCF ambassador, one can contribute to the open-source community and help shape the future of cloud-native computing.

Julia is passionate about helping teams build reliable, observable, and scalable systems. At Dash0, she focuses on bridging the gap between technology and people, enabling organizations to understand their systems better and make data-driven decisions with confidence. Beyond her work, Julia is a CNCF Ambassador, AWS Container Hero, Docker Captain, Google Women Techmakers Ambassador, and Girl Code Ambassador. She’s an active community leader who helps organize Kubernetes Community Days New York, AWS Community Day New York, and the CNCF Midtown Meetup NYC, creating spaces where technologists can connect, learn, and grow together.

Professional Nerd, SRE and Content Creator. Love advocating for Open-Source and container technologies. Runs a YouTube channel where he shares and teaches the technologies and good practices he uses every day as an SRE at Bitso.

Why I am excited to be an ambassador: I love teaching and helping people to become better engineers. I love everything open source and what it stands for, knowledge must be shared and everyone should have the opportunity to become better at their jobs.

Thiago is a Principal Platform Engineer at Itau Unibanco, focused on observability, performance, and resilience in large-scale distributed systems. He collaborated on the CNCF Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineering Associate (CNPA) certification and supports Cloud Native events in Florianopolis, Sao Paulo, and online. Acting as a connector among multiple Community Groups across Brazil, he strengthens collaboration and knowledge sharing around Kubernetes, Chaos Engineering, and Open Observability.