Michigan DevFest + AI Hackathon 2026

About this event

Michigan DevFest + AI Hackathon 2026 Tickets

The Detroit, Ann Arbor, Toledo, UofM Dearborn and Windsor GDGs are teaming up with Compass Detroit to bring you the 12th Michigan DevFest on November 13-14, 2026. Join us on Friday, November 13th for an AI Hackathon followed by Michigan DevFest sessions on Saturday, November 14th at Little Caesars HQ . With this year's DevFest, we aim to put together a great weekend of networking, innovation, and knowledge sharing for all involved. This years sponsors include Google, IBM, DTE Energy, Little Caesars, and Compass Detroit.

You can view the Michigan DevFest + AI Hackathon 2025 Schedule (below) on midevfest.com .

Workshops:

• Introduction to Gemini 2.5 Pro on Google Cloud : Google Developer Experts

• Building AI Agents with Vertex AI Agent Builder : JC Escalante, Ipsos , Google Developer Expert

• Multimodal Use Cases : Adonai Vera , Voxel51, Google Developer Expert

Build With AI:

• The Agentic Shift: From Prompt to Action : Nilesh Patel , Google

• Gemini Nano on Android: Building with On-Device GenAI : Madona S. Wambua , Capital One, Google Developer Expert

• From Data Gaps to Data Gold : Adonai Vera , Voxel51, Google Developer Expert

• Practical AI: Within SRE, Delivery and Cloud Engineering : Joel Vasallo , TAG - The Aspen Group, Google Developer Expert

• The Universal Adapter: Building and Scaling MCP Servers : Stephen Wylie , OpenBrite, LLC, Google Developer Expert

• Building the Chain of Trust: A Google ADK Blueprint for Grounded Legal AI Agents : Boris-Wilfried Nyasse , Google Developer Expert

Tech+Design:

• Beyond the Black Box - Designing for Trust and Transparency with Google Cloud : JC Escalante , Ipsos, Google Developer Expert

• Blood, Sweat & Code Reviews: David Giard , Microsoft

• Building Your First AI Tool Server with Firebase Auth & Cloud Functions : Alex Patterson , CodingCatDev, Google Developer Expert

• Know Your JS: SBOMs for Frontend Devs : Chris DeMars , TuxCare

• Iterating on Applications from a Browser with Firebase Studio : Jay Whitsitt , Commerce Bank

• Car Hacking for Android Enthusiasts : Shams Ahson , Google Developers

Innovation:

• Designing for the Mind: Bridging Human Experience and Emerging Technologies : Hoda Solati and Shima Solati , BraunAbility

• Visualizing Neural Network Training with PyTorch : Ankita Guha , Freudenberg e-Power System

• Build Securely: How Developers Can Protect the AI Ecosystem : Kavitha Bangalore , Cleveland Clinic

• Blending Product Thinking with Software Modernization : Brian McKeiver , BizStream, Microsoft MVP

• Robotics in the Age of Generative AI : Hafeez Jimoh , Lawrence Technological University

• Getting Started with Microcontrollers and Sensors : W. Scott Richardson , Altair Engineering

Level Up:

• Mission Resilience™: Thriving Through Change in Tech : Lorrena Black , She Served LLC

• Strategies & Tips for Growing Your Career : Dave Koziol , Little Caesars

• Leading Through Change: Hispanic & Black Engineers Shaping the Future of STEAM : Panelists -

• Martez Coleman

• Trivia Barnes , ZF Group

• Angel Porras , Ford Motor Company

• Erik Blancas , United Wholesale Mortgage

• Raquel Estradas , Comerica Bank

• Moderator - Maridy Mazaira , Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

• Component Catalyst: Building a Dynamic React Portfolio. Build a Professional Project Showcase! : Shugmi Shumunov , Shumunov Solutions

• From Meetups to Mastery: Balancing Growth and Community : Umelo Onyejiaka , DevOps Detroit

• AI Hackathon Winners: Presentations, Demos and Award Ceremony

Leadership:

• FORGET YOUR GRAND DAD: ADOPT THE NEXT-GEN EXECUTIVE PLAYBOOK : Ida Byrd-Hill , Automation Workz

• Solving a Problem to Create Innovative Change: Turning Pain into Purpose, Profit, Impact, and Power : Kamille Tynes , Connected with Care

• Microsoft Azure AI Foundry & Agent Framework : Pooya Alavian , Microsoft

• Beneath the Armor: The Cost of Emotional Suppression in Tech Leadership : Bernadette Atanga, MD , AltangaMD Consulting LLC

• The Ethics of Voice & Storytelling: Who Gets Heard in the Age of AI : Michael Bower

• Women Shaping the Future Panel : Panelists

• Cynthia Respert , BuildHer Academy and Rebrand City

• Stephaine Frantz , Cengage Education

• Jeseekia Vaughn , Detroit Black Tech and TechTown Detroit

• Alexis Seiler , Stratascale

• Moderator - Bandhan Kaur , Google Women Tech Makers Ambassador & EA

Additional information is available on our dedicated website. Michigan DevFest attendees agree to follow the Code of Conduct.

From IBM Developer Detroit