Michigan Data & AI Community
Speaking. Learning. Community. Conferences.
The Michigan Data & AI Community is a volunteer-led, community-first, not-for-profit initiative created to help data and AI professionals, students, speakers, technologists, employers, educators, user groups, and community partners connect across Michigan.
Our goal is to create more opportunities for people to learn, present, mentor, volunteer, network, and organize high-quality technical events in Detroit, Southeast Michigan, and the broader Michigan technology community.
Our Mission
We want to strengthen Michigan’s technical community by making it easier for people to share practical knowledge, develop as public speakers, discover local experts, participate in community conferences, connect students with working professionals, and create welcoming opportunities for continuous learning.
The community is technology-inclusive and focuses on practical data, analytics, database, cloud, AI, engineering, governance, architecture, and professional-development topics.
Community Speaking
Help new and experienced speakers find opportunities to present technical sessions, demos, career talks, workshops, and community discussions.
Conference & Event Organization
Bring together speakers, venues, sponsors, volunteers, universities, employers, and user groups to organize community technical events in Michigan.
Students & Early-Career Professionals
Create accessible opportunities for students and early-career technologists to learn from practitioners, build networks, volunteer, and begin speaking publicly.
Cross-Community Collaboration
Work with SQL Server, Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, Azure, Databricks, AI, analytics, software, university, and other technology communities across Michigan and nearby states.
Topics We Support
- SQL Server, Azure SQL, database administration, development, performance, modernization, high availability, and security
- Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, Real-Time Intelligence, semantic models, analytics, and data engineering
- Azure Data & AI, cloud architecture, integration, streaming, and platform engineering
- Databricks, lakehouse architecture, Unity Catalog, data engineering, machine learning, and AI
- Generative AI, AI agents, copilots, retrieval-augmented generation, responsible AI, and enterprise AI
- Data architecture, governance, quality, observability, security, DevOps, CI/CD, and automation
- Career development, certification, public speaking, technical leadership, mentoring, and community building
Current Flagship Community Event
Day of Data Detroit 2026
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Event time: 8:30 AM-5:00 PM EDT
Check-in: Begins at 8:00 AM
Venue: 1240 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48226
Format: In-person, community-driven technical conference
Planned attendance: Approximately 100 attendees
Registration: Open on Eventbrite
Lunch: $15, required with public registration
Parking: Paid parking is available nearby; rates and availability vary
Register for Day of Data Detroit 2026 on Eventbrite
View the official Day of Data Detroit 2026 event page
View the venue on Google Maps
Find and compare downtown parking with ParkDetroit
Conference admission is free. Public attendee registration includes a required $15 lunch package to help cover attendee lunch and event costs. Registration is required because capacity is limited.
A nearby public parking option listed by Visit Detroit is the Premier Underground Garage at 1206-8 Woodward Avenue. Parking rates and availability can change, so attendees should follow posted signage and use ParkDetroit to compare garage, lot, and metered options before arriving.
The final session schedule and speaker lineup will be published after speaker selection is complete. We are not publishing placeholder speakers or session times.
Day of Data Detroit is being built for data professionals, developers, DBAs, architects, data engineers, BI professionals, AI/ML practitioners, analysts, students, consultants, managers, technology leaders, and anyone interested in modern data and AI platforms.
Interested in Speaking?
The Day of Data Detroit 2026 Call for Speakers is open through August 31, 2026. We welcome experienced presenters as well as community members who want to grow as speakers, with a strong interest in speakers from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and the broader Midwest.
Typical sessions will be approximately 45-60 minutes. Topics can include SQL Server, Azure SQL, Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, Real-Time Intelligence, Databricks, Azure Data & AI, data engineering, analytics, architecture, governance, GenAI, AI agents, machine learning, certification, career development, and related areas.
To submit a session, email mouraksh@umich.edu with your proposed session title, short abstract, short bio, and confirmation that you are available to present in person in Detroit on September 12, 2026.
Volunteer With Us
Community events depend on volunteers. Opportunities may include:
- attendee registration and check-in
- room and session support
- speaker coordination
- sponsor and partner support
- venue setup and cleanup
- signage and attendee materials
- photography and community promotion
- university and student outreach
- attendee assistance and event-day logistics
To volunteer, email mouraksh@umich.edu.
Community Partnerships
We welcome partnerships with universities, colleges, libraries, nonprofit organizations, community centers, technology companies, employers, professional associations, and other organizations that can support community technical learning.
For Day of Data Detroit, community partners can help with attendee food and beverages, A/V, Wi-Fi, parking support, printing, speaker support, giveaways, and other event logistics.
If your organization would like to help, email mouraksh@umich.edu.
Sponsor Day of Data Detroit 2026
Organizations working with data, databases, analytics, cloud, AI, security, developer tools, recruiting, education, and related technologies are invited to support the event.
| Benefit | Community $250 |
Supporting $500 |
Premier $1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company logo on event page | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recognition during the event | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Provide giveaways, raffle items, or recruiting materials | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recognition in selected event communications/social media | - | Yes | Yes |
| More prominent sponsor recognition | - | Yes | Yes |
| Premier placement and opening/closing recognition | - | - | Yes |
| Potential exhibitor table, subject to venue availability | - | - | Yes |
We also welcome in-kind sponsorship for attendee lunch, coffee/water/snacks, speaker dinner or gifts, raffle prizes, printing, signage, badges, and event materials.
For Day of Data Detroit, nonprofit sponsorship processing can be coordinated through SQL Saturday Corporation, a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, when a sponsor requires a nonprofit invoice or sponsorship receipt.
Email mouraksh@umich.edu for sponsorship opportunities.
Who Can Participate?
Everyone interested in strengthening Michigan’s data and AI community is welcome: working professionals, independent consultants, students, educators, recruiters, employers, vendors, Microsoft MVPs, Microsoft Certified Trainers, community organizers, first-time speakers, experienced speakers, and volunteers.
You do not need to be a speaker or an expert to participate. Community members can attend, volunteer, mentor, help with outreach, suggest speakers, connect us with partners, or introduce potential sponsors.
Community Principles
We aim to keep community activities practical, professional, inclusive, educational, and vendor-neutral. Events should provide real learning value and create opportunities for respectful networking and knowledge sharing.
Participants in Day of Data and SQL Saturday events are expected to follow the SQL Saturday Code of Conduct.
Contact
Mou Rakshit
Community Organizer
Email: mouraksh@umich.edu
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mourakshit