On April 22, 2025, we had the pleasure of gathering some of Tampa’s vibrant tech community for another edition of CTO Insights — and what a fantastic evening it was! Sponsored by Aztia and hosted at the NextPath Career Partners office, the event brought together local CTOs, engineering leaders, and innovators for an evening of learning, conversation, and connection.
Our featured speaker was Azad Ratzki, a technologist with over 25 years of experience, three SaaS companies under his belt, and deep expertise in scaling ventures that have raised more than $65 million in capital. His talk, “The Modern Technologist: AI & Trends Shaping the Industry At Large,” couldn’t have been more timely.
An Engaging, Two-Way Conversation
What made Azad’s session stand out was how engaging and interactive it was from start to finish. Instead of just delivering a one-way presentation, Azad invited the room into the conversation, encouraging attendees to share their own experiences with emerging AI trends and tools.
We explored how AI and large language models are reshaping what it means to build software — making it easier than ever for non-engineers to become creators. But Azad also grounded the conversation by emphasizing the importance of sticking to core engineering principles, even as technology evolves at breakneck speed.
Attendees chimed in with their insights, challenges, and ideas, sparking lively discussions about:
-
Real-world use cases of AI in their organizations
-
Balancing innovation with sustainable execution
-
Navigating leadership in a fast-changing tech landscape
It truly felt more like a community roundtable than a typical lecture — and that’s exactly the spirit we aim for with CTO Insights.
Why We Gather
CTO Insights is about more than just talks — it’s about bringing people together. Whether you’re a CTO, VP of Engineering, or just passionate about tech leadership, these events are designed to help us:
-
Share ideas and experiences
-
Learn from peers and experts
-
Build meaningful connections in our growing Tampa tech scene
Thank You!
A huge thank-you to Aztia for sponsoring the event and to everyone who showed up, asked questions, and shared their insights.
We’re already looking forward to the next one — stay tuned!
