What Does It Mean to Be a Developer in the Age of AI Agents?
AI coding agents and IDE-integrated assistants are poised to reshape how we build software. As these tools become more sophisticated and widely adopted, developers and technical leaders face critical questions about the future of the profession. Will AI replace certain types of engineering work, will it elevate our craft to new levels of creativity and strategic thinking, or will we drown in a sea of technical debt?
This panel brings together experienced practitioners to explore how the developer role is evolving in real-time. We’ll examine the shift that is occurring, the changing skill sets that matter most, and what this means for career development and engineering culture. Our speakers will share their real world experiences and perspectives on the changes happening today, and tips on where to begin.
Whether you’re a CTO planning your team’s AI adoption strategy or an individual contributor wondering how to stay relevant, this discussion will surface questions being asked as AI becomes more integrated into the development process. Can AI be a reliable coding partner?
- October 15, 2025 from 9:00 to 11:00am
- Location: Certara , 4 Radnor Corporate Center suite 350, Radnor, PA 19087
- Cost: Free, but registration required
Joel Confino
As Chief Omnichannel Architect at Vanguard, Joel Confino is at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technologies to enhance client experiences across multiple platforms. He played a pivotal role in pioneering hyper personalization at Vanguard. Previously, as CEO of startup Haydle, Joel spearheaded the development of a new enterprise knowledge management system. His technical expertise is rooted in a diverse background, including distributed systems, large-scale web applications, mobile development, and event-driven architecture. Joel is also well-versed in site reliability engineering and DevOps. Passionate about improving customer experience, he constantly explores emerging trends, recently in AI-based personalization.
Sujan Kapadia
Sujan Kapadia is the Chief AI Officer at Chariot Solutions, where he leads the company’s strategy and execution around artificial intelligence. A seasoned software architect, engineering leader, and trusted advisor, Sujan brings over two decades of experience delivering complex, high-impact solutions for clients across industries. Sujan views AI as a transformative force that, when used responsibly and transparently, can elevate human potential and reshape how we build, think, and work. Since 2022, he has led Chariot’s AI efforts—exploring emerging technologies like LLMs, RAG, and agents, building an internal R&D team, and launching new service offerings focused on real-world applications of generative AI.
Brian O’Neill
Brian O’Neill is a seasoned technology executive and uber-geek with over 25 years of experience. He’s spent his career improving the experience of customers and patients at massive scale. At one of his companies, he influenced one-third of the dollars spent on Black Friday and at another his company provided insights into the nation’s largest medical claims database. He cares deeply about his craft and the people with whom he works. Brian has multiple patents and books to his name and is alumni of Brown University.
Moderated by Grace Francisco
Grace is a seasoned tech executive with over 20 years of experience in software across enterprise, small business, fintech, consumer, and gaming. She has co-authored three patents and led worldwide developer initiatives at Microsoft, Intuit, Yodlee, Atlassian, Roblox, MongoDB and Cisco. Grace is currently a co-founder and partner of EMG Worldwide, Inc, board member of The Code Registry, founding board member for AI Data Coop, Founder of advisory firm m2i, and was previously a board member of the Drupal Association. Grace is a strategic angel investor in numerous startups and an LP at Emmeline Ventures. Grace is often speaking or writing about AI, developer trends, leadership and the Philadelphia tech ecosystem.