The IT Arena 2026 program continues to grow with new names. This year’s lineup is expanding with investors, entrepreneurs, product and business leaders, and experts in AI, cybersecurity, and technological innovation. 

They will share practical experience in scaling products and companies, raising investment, building teams, and implementing technology across industries.

Capital, Growth, and Global Opportunities 

Among the new speakers joining IT Arena 2026 is Katherine Hill Ritchie, Senior Director, TEDCO. She has more than 20 years of experience in finance and investment. In 2009, she founded Private Capital Investments, LLC in Geneva, Switzerland. 

She serves as a Director and Board Member for Nottingham Spirk Family Office.

Earlier in her career, Katherine worked in Switzerland, where she served as Managing Director at Palladio Alternative Research and Senior Analyst and Investment Committee Member for a family office’s $3.5 billion investment portfolio. 

Katherine is also an angel investor, a member of Citrine Angels, and part of the investment committee at University Impact, a social impact Venture Capital fund. She advises startups, with a particular focus on companies founded by women and underrepresented groups, as well as projects in technology, MedTech, consumer products, and social impact.

Drawing on her extensive experience in finance, venture capital, and working with startups, Katherine will share practical insights at IT Arena on how investors evaluate companies, what they look for when making investment decisions, and what helps startups become more attractive to capital.

Joining the Innovation Stage at IT Arena 2026 is Axel Tillmann, CEO of Pitch Global Group, Founder of Alpha Consult, and known in professional circles as The Dot Connector™. A serial entrepreneur, corporate venture capital leader, and strategic advisor with nearly 30 years of experience, he helps connect innovative ideas, capital, and global markets.

As CEO of Pitch Global Group, he leads initiatives that connect corporate venture funds with high-potential startups in Life Sciences, energy, Deep Tech, SaaS, and cybersecurity.

Over the course of his career, Axel has helped numerous startups successfully reach exits and acquisitions by companies such as HP and GN. He has also led large-scale renewable energy projects, including an initiative to develop a 300 MW wind power facility.

Axel will share practical experience in raising investment to scale a business and explain how founders can prepare to work with international investors. He will also discuss the mistakes startups should avoid to maintain investor appeal and expand more confidently into global markets.

AI and the Future of Product Development

Sharing his expertise on the Dev Stage will be Nazariy Popov, Senior Director, Delivery Head of AI Engineering at EPAM. He has more than 15 years of experience managing tech projects and complex programs. He’s responsible for EPAM’s project portfolio in Ukraine as well as the AI Native Engineering delivery practice at EPAM Global. 

His key areas of expertise include AI Native PDLC and enterprise-grade AI solutions. On the Dev Stage, expect practical insights into how AI-native approaches are reshaping product development, how AI can be integrated into engineering processes, and how enterprise AI solutions can be scaled across large teams and complex technology programs.

On the Product Stage, Viacheslav Mekh, Head of AI at Mriia, will share how he and his team are building AI for personalized education at a national scale and bringing the first AI-powered services into production for Ukrainian schools and kindergartens. The team is developing tools that reduce teachers’ routine workload and advancing the concept of personalized learning based on an educational graph.

Before joining Mriia, Viacheslav spent 10 years building products. As Head of Product at the social network obimy, he and his team grew the product from zero to 15 million downloads and a #1 spot on the App Store in 45 countries.

On the Product Stage, he will share his experience in building and scaling digital products — from launching from scratch to reaching millions of users — and explain how to integrate AI in ways that create practical value for products and work at scale.

What Investors and Media Want to Hear from Tech Founders

Among the new speakers on the Innovation Stage is Mike Butcher, founder and editor of Pathfounders.com, ex-TechCrunch. His new technology media platform and podcast explore how AI is transforming the startup ecosystem. He previously served as Editor-at-Large at TechCrunch and has been recognized as one of the most influential figures in the European technology industry.

Mike has advised UK Prime Ministers and the Mayor of London on technology startups and is also a co-founder of the nonprofit organizations Techfugees, TechVets, and Startup Coalition.

At IT Arena, Mike will share his experience working with startups and technology companies, along with practical advice on pitching, positioning, and communicating ideas. His insights will be valuable for founders and anyone building technology products who wants to communicate their value more effectively to investors and partners.

Leadership, Business, and Technological Resilience

Joining the Business Stage is Michael S. Rogers, Advisory Board Member at Trusted Future. During his 37 years of service in the U.S. Navy, Rogers rose to the rank of four-star admiral and became one of the leading American experts and practitioners in cybersecurity.

He simultaneously served as Commander of U.S. Cyber Command and Director of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), where he helped build the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) then-newest large war-fighting organization and led the U.S. government’s largest intelligence organization.

Rogers also contributed to shaping national and international policy in cybersecurity, intelligence, and technology, while working closely with executives across the financial, IT, telecommunications, and technology sectors. At IT Arena, he will share his perspective on how coordinated approaches between government and business can strengthen cybersecurity and technological resilience.

Also joining the Business Stage is Tetyana Lukyniuk, Director of Google Ukraine, where she oversees product development, sales, and business planning. She brings over 25 years of experience working in international companies. 

Earlier in her career, Tetyana served as B2C Director at Kyivstar, where she managed sales, marketing, and customer service operations. She also held senior sales and marketing positions at Coca-Cola and Mars and led Red Bull’s operations in Ukraine as General Manager.

On the Business Stage, Tetyana will share her experience in leadership and business development within international companies, as well as insights into building strong teams, scaling business directions, and making strategic decisions in a technology-driven environment.

IT Arena 2026 will bring together Ukrainian and international speakers with experience across technology, business, investment, AI, and cybersecurity. Join us to hear practical insights, ask your questions, and discover new ideas for growing your product or business.

Get your ticket and join the leading tech event on September 25–27.