As many of you know, I was honored to be named a Docker Captain earlier this year (2025). This week, I had the incredible opportunity to attend my very first Docker Captain Summit, and what an experience it was.
The event reminded me a bit of the Microsoft MVP Summit, but with even closer access to the Docker product teams across multiple areas. Every year, the Captain Summit takes place in a different location, bringing together Docker staff from product groups, community management, marketing, and DevRel, along with fellow Docker Captains from around the world.
At the summit, we got an inside look at Docker’s roadmap and were among the first to learn about upcoming products and initiatives. We also had the opportunity to provide direct feedback to the product teams, helping shape the future of Docker from the community’s perspective.
This year’s summit was held in Istanbul, and it was a fantastic few days of connecting with so many brilliant people. I finally met in person several Docker staff members and Captains I’ve been collaborating with online. It was also a chance to reunite with friends from Microsoft and the MVP community.
Of course, not everything we discussed can be shared publicly because of NDAs, but I can tell you that we all walked away with some exciting insights and some awesome Docker swag.
I’m excited to announce that in a couple of weeks I’ll be speaking at the upcoming Applied AI Conference, an event bringing together innovators, researchers, and industry leaders who are shaping the future of Artificial Intelligence.
The Applied AI Conference is all about actionable insights where ideas meet execution. I’m looking forward to sharing lessons learned from my AI journey, hearing from other brilliant minds in the community, and connecting with attendees who are just as passionate about AI innovation.
Why This Conference Matters
The AI landscape is evolving fast, and events like the Applied AI Conference create space for meaningful conversations about what’s next. It’s not just about tools and models it’s about empowering people, teams, and organizations to make smarter, faster decisions with AI.
This year, I’ll be giving two sessions, one being a session and the other being a fireside chat with Mike Jackson. Here is more information about my sessions:
My Sessions at Applied AI Conference
The Easiest Way to Run LLMs Locally: Meet Docker Model Runner
Curious about running large language models (LLMs) on your own machine without wrestling with complicated setups? In this session, I’ll introduce Docker Model Runner, a new feature in Docker Desktop that makes it incredibly easy to run LLMs locally.
Whether you’re a developer experimenting with AI, building offline applications, or simply looking for more control over your models, this session will show you how to get started in minutes. We’ll explore real examples and walk through what makes Docker Model Runner such a powerful addition for anyone working with AI tools.
This is perfect for anyone who wants to move fast with local AI experimentation, without needing to manage complex infrastructure or cloud dependencies.
Fireside Chat: Beyond the Hype – Practical AI Integration in Business
In this fireside chat titled “Beyond the Hype: Practical AI Integration in Business,” I’ll join Mike Jackson for a moderated discussion focused on how organizations can effectively adopt AI in the real world.
We’ll move past buzzwords to talk about real challenges, lessons learned, and success stories from our jouerneys working with AI so far. I’ll be drawing from my experience as an enterprise cloud leader, Microsoft MVP, author, and startup advisor, I’ll share how companies can strategically approach AI adoption from proof of concept to production use.
If you’re interested in how AI can truly add business value (not just headlines), this conversation will offer insights you can take back to your organization.
I’m honored to be presenting here and can’t wait to connect with the broader AI and developer community during the event.
What a ride this year has been. Back in May, my entire team was eliminated and I was laid off from Microsoft. Not long after, I was honored to be named a Docker Captain, and soon after that I landed a new role leading Azure and AKS at Jamf, helping run their SaaS products in the cloud.
And yesterday, I found out that I’ve been re-awarded as a Microsoft MVP! This marks my 11th year as an MVP, all in the span of just a few months of major ups and downs. After a short detour (just under four years) working at the mothership, I’m excited to be back in the MVP community.
I never take this recognition for granted. It’s an honor to return to the MVP ranks and continue contributing as a community champion in the worlds of Microsoft, Azure, Azure Kubernetes Service, AI, and Open Source.
To all the other MVPs who were renewed—and to the new awardees announced on October 1—congratulations!
I’m excited to share that I recently sat down again with former colleuage at Microsoft Kevin Evans on the “Code to Cloud” podcast for a conversation titled “AI, Cloud, and Career Resilience.” It has been a couple of years since I was on as a guest on his podcast. This discussion was super fun and goes all over the place from personal finance (Dave Ramsey we are coming for the top spot!), leaving tech to farm, to the recent layoffs at Microsoft, what AI means for all of us, and more.
You can listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full episode on YouTube.
In this post, I wanted to share some of the highlights, key takeaways, and a few behind-the-scenes thoughts from recording.
On the podcast, Kevin and I dug into several topics, especially in today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape. Some of the themes we touched on are:
Leadership & owning your narrative I shared lessons I’ve learned in leadership like how to set vision, how to manage through change, and how leaders can help their teams navigate ambiguity. We also talked about taking control of your narrative rather than letting circumstances or others define it for you.
My journey in tech We walked through my career path over the years. The ups, the challenges, the moments of uncertainty. And I shared about recently being laid off from Microsoft, pivoting roles, and how those moments shaped and continue to shape my approach to owning my career.
Career resilience and mindset One of the things I emphasized is that resilience is not just bouncing back, it’s proactively preparing, adapting, and taking charge of your trajectory. We talked about strategies to stay relevant: continuous learning, building a network, personal branding, and leaning into uncertainty instead of resisting it.
AI + Cloud: Opportunities and disruption We explored how AI is weaving into cloud-native infrastructure and application stacks, and what that means for technologists. We also addressed how to stay grounded amidst hype and understanding what’s real, what’s emerging, and how to plug into it in a practical, impactful way.
Key Takeaways and Advice for You
If you are reading this, here are a few of the ideas I hope will stick with you:
Do not wait for perfect context. The ideal job or environment might not exist yet. Instead, start shaping it yourself. Build the skills, forge relationships, and create momentum where you are.
Be purposeful in how you show up. Your personal brand is not about vanity. It is a vector for opportunities, trust, and alignment. Share your journey, your thinking, your work, even when it feels vulnerable.
Stay curious with humility. In fields like AI and cloud, change is constant. Curiosity keeps you relevant and humility keeps you open to learning when you do not know the answer.
Focus on bridges, not walls. Whether you are navigating careers, organization changes, or technical disruption, build bridges between peers, between domains, and across teams. Avoid insulating yourself.
Your resilience is in your habits. It is not just how you react in a crisis. It is how you cultivate consistency, reflection, incremental growth, and adaptability.
Behind the Mic; A Few Reflections
Recording with Kevin is always fun. His questions push guests to think more deeply than just the “what happened” stories. It was gratifying to revisit earlier chapters in my career after recently being laid off and exploring themes like uncertainty, adaptation, and ownership recurred over time. I always find it special when conversations like these inspire me as much as I hope they inspire listeners and the host as well! Preparing, sharing, and telling stories helps us all get a little more confident in this unknown tech market.
If you have 45 to 60 minutes to spare, I encourage you to give the episode a listen! You will find not just stories from me but hopefully a few ideas or sparks you can take into your own path!
🎤 I’m excited to share that I’ll be returning to BITCON in a week! I will be speaking at BITCON 2025, a gathering focused on Black voices in technology, innovation, and community. You can check out the full speaker lineup here: BITCON 2025 Speakers. The conference this year is virtual and its free. You can check out the site here: https://bitcon.blacksintechnology.net
The conference has a ton of great speakers lined up from some of the largest tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, and more. And to top it off the keynote this year is Kelsey Hightower! You dont want to miss this one.
My Session: “The Easiest Way to Run LLMs Locally: Meet Docker Model Runner”
Docker Captain: Steve Buchanan DMR session
At BITCON, I’ll be presenting “The Easiest Way to Run LLMs Locally: Meet Docker Model Runner”. In this session, I’ll look at:
Why run LLMs locally? The benefits in terms of cost, privacy, latency, and control
How Docker Model Runner simplifies things — containerizing large models, managing dependencies, and lowering friction
Demo and walkthrough — showing you step by step how to get a model up and running on your own machine or server
Best practices, pitfalls, and tips — what I’ve learned building and deploying these systems
Q&A / hands-on help — to get you started with your own setup
My goal is that attendees leave with a concrete, reproducible process they can apply right away.
Why It Matters
Large language models (LLMs) are powerful, but running them locally has often felt out of reach for smaller teams, indie devs, or people in resource-constrained environments. With the right tooling (like Docker Model Runner), we can lower that barrier—unlocking more experimentation, more privacy, and more control over where and how inference happens.
I believe this aligns well with the mission of BITCON: elevating voices, demystifying advanced tech, and making it accessible. I hope this talk helps bridge a gap for folks who want to explore AI locally without getting lost in infrastructure.
I am excited to be speaking at BITCON again. To learn more about my session check it out here:
This is a shorter post, but I wanted to take a moment to share what I’ve been working on lately. Over the past few months I’ve been publishing a steady stream of blog posts on Pluralsight, covering topics across cloud, AI, JavaScript, and beyond. There’s a lot happening in tech right now, and I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with the Pluralsight team to dive into some of these exciting areas:
Check out an overview the blog posts and use the the following links to read more:
Behind the Buzzword: What is MCP (MCP Server)? A breakdown of MCP servers and why they matter in the evolving landscape of AI. 👉 Read the post
How to Run an LLM Locally on Your Desktop Exploring why and how you might want to run a large language model on your own machine, with a closer look at Docker Model Runner. 👉 Read the post
What to Emphasize on Your Resume as a Cloud Engineer Tips on showcasing the skills that make cloud engineers stand out in today’s job market. 👉 Read the post
Multicloud Mastery: How to Train Teams in AWS, Azure, and GCP Practical advice on enabling engineering teams to work across multiple clouds with confidence. 👉 Read the post
6 Cloud Cost Optimization Strategies and Tools for AWS, Azure, and GCP A set of proven strategies and tools to help control and reduce cloud spend. 👉 Read the post
How to Add User Authentication to Your JavaScript App A straightforward guide to securing your JavaScript applications with simple authentication techniques. 👉 Read the post
I’ll be continuing to publish more content in the months ahead, so stay tuned for future posts on cloud-native engineering, AI, and practical developer skills. If you found these articles useful, I’d love for you to check them out and share them with your network.
I’ve been spending a lot of time blogging on Pluralsight lately, and one of my recent posts covered a topic I’m genuinely excited about: running large language models (LLMs) locally. Specifically, I explored a tool called Docker Model Runner that makes this process more accessible for developers.
In the post, I broke down a few key ideas.
Why Run an LLM Locally
There’s a lot of momentum around cloud-hosted AI services, but running models locally still has its place. For many developers it means more control, quicker experimentation, and the ability to work outside of a cloud provider’s ecosystem.
Tools in This Space
Before zeroing in on Docker Model Runner, I broke down other ways developers are running models locally. The landscape is quickly evolving, and each tool has trade-offs in terms of usability, performance, and compatibility with different models.
Why Docker Model Runner
What really stood out to me with Docker Model Runner is how it lowers the barrier to entry. Instead of wrestling with environment setup, dependencies, and GPU drivers, you can pull down a container and get straight to experimenting. It leans into Docker’s strengths of portability and consistency, so whether you’re on a desktop, laptop, or even testing in a lab environment, the experience is smooth and repeatable.
For developers who are curious about LLMs but don’t want to get bogged down in infrastructure, this tool is a great starting point.
I recently had the honor of being a guest on the SuperHuman Mindset Podcast, hosted by my good friend and respected CISO and Cybersecurity expert Felix Asare. I have always loved the name of this show because it perfectly captures its mission.
About the Podcast
The podcast dives deep into the minds of extraordinary people who break barriers, push limits, and achieve what many might think is impossible. Each episode uncovers the mindset, habits, and stories behind their success, with the goal of inspiring you to unlock your full potential and elevate every aspect of your life.
Felix is intentional about the guests he brings on. Past guests have included:
Former Ghanaian President John Kufuor
CISO Amy Bogac
Physician Dr. Kambiz Farbakhsh
Team USA Gold Medalist Chrissy Holm
Many more inspiring individuals
To be invited among such an incredible lineup is something I really consider an honor.
What We Talked About
In this episode, Felix and I went beyond tech and had a wide ranging conversation that touched on:
Where AI is heading and how to stay plugged in
Authoring books and creating courses including how I overcame imposter syndrome to publish my first one
The Modern Developer Experience and Cloud Native trends
What it takes to reach the next level in tech
What drives me personally and professionally
Advice for those working their way to the top
It was one of those conversations that flowed naturally, blending personal stories with big picture insights.
I’m excited to announce the release of my 28th Pluralsight course, and it’s a timely one as its about a topic that’s becoming more important by the day: Agentic AI Safety and Alignment.
As AI agent adoption accelerates, developers and product teams are under increasing pressure to ensure these systems behave responsibly. It’s no longer enough to build capable AI agents, they must also operate safely, ethically, and in alignment with your organization’s values.
That’s exactly what this course is about.
🧠 Why This Course Matters
The rise of autonomous AI agents brings incredible potential. but also significant risk. From runaway costs to prompt injection attacks, the stakes are high. In this course, I cover:
Prevent unintended behaviors
Embed ethics and safety checks into agents
Guard against issues like prompt injection
Keep human oversight (human in the loop)
Avoid unexpected bills or policy violations
To balance the theory and practice, I run through some demos using Microsoft Co-Pilot Studio and Flowise. You’ll see how to put in safety checks, define agent constraints, implement value alignment, and put in controls that keep your agentic AI safe.
📘 Official Course Description
“As companies rapidly adopt autonomous AI agents, developers and product leads face growing pressure to ensure these systems operate safely and align with organizational values. In this course, Agentic AI Safety and Alignment, you’ll gain the ability to design and deploy agentic AI systems that are both effective and ethically sound. First, you’ll explore how to identify potential risks and prevent unintended behaviors in autonomous agents. Next, you’ll discover how to embed your organization’s values by integrating rules and safety checks into your agent design. Finally, you’ll learn how to apply guardrails that keep agents aligned and under control. When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge needed to build AI agents that operate responsibly and stay true to your company’s principles.”
If you’re building, leading, or managing AI agent systems, this course will help you. Check out the course here:
I hope this course serves as a valuable resource in your AI journey. Thank you for your continued support, and Be sure to follow my profile on Pluralsight so you will be notified as I release new courses!
Here is the link to my Pluralsight profile to follow me:
I’m excited to share that my first official blog post as a Docker Captain has been published on the Docker blog! It’s an honor to contribute to a platform that’s been so foundational in shaping how we build, ship, and run applications today. This first piece dives into Ask Gordon, Docker’s new AI assistant that helps developers go from source code to a running container with less friction and guesswork.
In the post, I walk through how Ask Gordon makes it easier to containerize your applications, even if you’ve never written a Dockerfile before. By analyzing your source code and asking a few smart questions, Ask Gordon generates everything you need to build and run your app in a containerized environment. It’s good for beginners getting started with containers and equally valuable for experienced devs looking to speed up repetitive setup tasks.
One of the things I appreciated most about Ask Gordon is how it bridges the gap between the developer’s intent and the actual container configuration. Rather than copy-pasting snippets from docs or Stack Overflow, the AI gives you context-aware Dockerfiles, Compose files, and clear next steps for your app. It’s a great example of how AI can elevate the developer experience without overcomplicating things.
This is just the beginning of my journey as a Docker Captain, and I’m looking forward to sharing more tutorials, insights, and real-world use cases that can help developers simplify their container workflows. If you haven’t checked it out yet, give my new post a read here: 👉 Containerize Your Apps with Ask Gordon
A big thanks to the Docker team for the warm welcome and opportunity!
