Schedule

In over three decades as a FileMaker developer, David Head has been a trusted advisor to small and medium businesses, improving their processes one step at a time. As a trained and experienced teacher, David excels in simplifying complex concepts and fostering understanding. He loves seeing the "aha" moments when students grasp skills and concepts, giving them new confidence in their abilities as developers.

Based in Toronto, Canada, Alexis Allen is a certified FileMaker developer with over 20 years of experience. Known for her expertise in creating visually stunning and functional FileMaker apps, Alexis is the founder of FM Design University and the president of Hyperspace Data Solutions, Inc. She's passionate about sharing her insights into interface design to empower others in enhancing user experiences.

Ryan McCann is Vice President of Sales for Claris. This is Ryan's first visit to Australia and to meet with the Asia Pacific FileMaker community.

Ryan will provide a business update from Claris, and spend time talking with Claris Partners and attendees. He can provide insights into the direction of Claris and perspectives on what is happening in the FileMaker space worldwide.

Clay joined the original Claris in 1987 as employee number 15. He is the one remaining father of Draco, the FileMaker database engine. Clay is renowned for his deep technical expertise and contributions to the development of the FileMaker platform, particularly in areas like database architecture. Work includes significant enhancements to the Draco database engine, which is central to FileMaker's performance improvements. He is active in the FileMaker developer community, known for his openness to discussing new ideas and offering guidance to developers of all levels at conferences.

Vince Menanno, with 30 years as a master consultant and developer of FileMaker products, has spoken at numerous industry events including Claris Engage and FileMaker DevCon. A community leader and Chief Innovation Officer at Beezwax, he's known for his commitment to innovation and knowledge-sharing, earning a Claris Excellence Award for Lifetime Achievement and aiding Beezwax in receiving an Advocacy award. Vince, is the author of InspectorPro, a leading FileMaker development tool that provides in-depth solution analysis.

He was born to an Italian family in Montreal and now lives in Florida with his family (wife and 2 kids). His interests include architecture, data visualization, and space technology.

Steve fell into FileMaker development when he was a primary school teacher on some remote off-shore islands of New Zealand and the Claris platform has been part of his working life ever since. Steve's spoken at numerous previous FileMaker conferences around the world and online.

The majority of the work that he does these days is helping other FileMaker developers integrate their, and their client’s, solutions with external services, be that building a web application, exposing an API, interacting with externals systems, or often all of the above!

When not working Steve spends time walking, travelling and has been on a number of long distance cycling trips around the world.

Kent's first exposure to FileMaker was in 1996 in his first year of teaching Computer Studies on Mac Classics, initially just as a internal and teaching tool. In 1999, armed with FileMaker 4.0, he started work on KAMAR which is now used by over 400 schools in New Zealand with over 22,000 FileMaker seats. Kent is a Certified Developer in multiple versions of FileMaker, developer of FileMaker plugins and part of early testing groups for Claris. He cycles most days and enjoys getting out on the tennis court a few times a week.

Katherine is a FileMaker Certified Developer specialising in initial project design, complete production, and adaptation of existing systems to new business goals. She also has expertise in hardware, networking and FileMaker integration issues, and is happily exploring the emergence of AI. She is currently a Senior FileMaker Developer at Beezwax Datatools and previously worked with NightWing Enterprises in Melbourne, as well as in her own FileMaker consultancy in the US. One of her missions is to save the world from bad robots by supporting ethical AI research and development.

Katherine has been working with FileMaker since 1993, wrote the FileMaker Sync Guide and the DIY Guide “Taking Control of Your Inventory” and has presented multiple years at the worldwide FileMaker Developer Conference and at Australian FileMaker events.

Like many others, Glen Naysmith's path to FileMaker developer was far from straightforward. It started with a BSc in Information Science, but along the way, he worked as a bartender, vineyard worker, builder, and an MS Excel expert. This diverse background eventually led him into the world of IT, where he has accumulated 20 years of experience across various industries and software types. For the past three years, Glen has been a FileMaker developer with Digital Fusion in Christchurch.

Outside of work, Glen puts his building skills to use by refurbishing houses. He also enjoys spending time with his partner and their two daughters.

Mick grew up in a home with Mac computers, with a copy of FileMaker on the desktop. His curiosity led to a fascination with databases, data analysis, and a love of solving problems through programming.

After spending 15 years managing technical teams for live performances and developing in-house software for several production companies, Mick joined Goya in 2019. At Goya, he excels in creating solutions that enhance productivity for both small and corporate clients.

When he's not behind a computer or spending time with his family, you can find Mick sparring at the local gym or kitesurfing at the beach.

Andrew is the founder of Databuzz, a Claris Partner based out of Sydney, Australia. Andrew is a FileMaker integration expert and has been connecting FileMaker to other platforms for over 20 years. He specialises in connecting the Claris FileMaker Platform with platforms like Xero, DocuSign, QuickBooks Online, Shopify, Twilio and WooCommerce. His solutions are used by customers all around the world to automate their workflows and eliminate repetitive manual tasks, saving them time and money. Andrew is a Claris FileMaker Certified Developer and has been a presenter at Claris Engage events in the USA, Europe and APAC regions.

Nick started Goya nearly 30 years ago to build FileMaker solutions for small businesses, and over the years he's built one of the most well known brands in the FileMaker developer toolset field with the BaseElements app and plugin.

Goya still does FileMaker consulting, as well as hosting, FileMaker licences and custom apps.

Nick still does FileMaker consulting, as well as salami and cheese making.

After working in a range of unskilled roles in hospitality, factory work, taxi driving, and agricultural labour, Morgan wised up and went back to school. Armed with degrees in veterinary science and education, he stumbled upon FileMaker while tackling clinical data problems in his mobile veterinary practice. This led him to create a facility booking and management solution at a university research station, which in turn opened the door to a consulting role in development, automation, and integration within an emerging on-demand printing business. In 2016, Digital Fusion came into the picture, and after persistent efforts, Morgan joined TeamDF. Today, he leverages his diverse background as a solution consultant, applying business analysis and FileMaker expertise to support sales and client work.

Outside of work, Morgan is a father of five, a grandfather of two. Though he wishes his daughter wasn’t so keen on horses. He is an avid gardener, keeps bees, and has interests in woodworking hand tools and regenerative agroforestry.