--- title: "ELC 2025: A Tech Leadership Revolution in Central Europe | Speaker & moderator" description: "ELC 2025 brought 300+ tech leaders to Prague to reshape engineering leadership in Central Europe. Here's what made it a turning point and what's next." url: "https://www.marian.coach/blog/engineering-leaders-conference-elc-2025-recap/" lang: "en" image: "https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/engineering-leaders-conference-elc-2025-recap.jpg" --- ![ELC 2025: A Tech Leadership Revolution in Central Europe](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/engineering-leaders-conference-elc-2025-recap.jpg) ### We’re on a mission to build Silicon Valley in Central Europe. After [ELC](https://www.engineeringleaders.io/) 2025, I believe we can actually pull it off. ELC 2025 broke me. - Four days to recover. - Three kilos gone. - Shaky hands at the opening talk. - Mixing up speaker names mid-conference. - Nearly crying at the closing. And I’d do it all again, because for us this was the turning point in Prague. > We founded ELC ( [Engineering Leaders Community](https://www.engineeringleaders.io/)) to close the leadership gap in Central Europe’s tech scene. Long before the [2025 conference](https://www.elc-conference.io/), something was already building: a shared frustration, and a missing space for engineering leaders to share war stories, connect, grow, and push the region forward. We moved fast, learned from every meetup, and focused on real problems. Now, with organic growth and strong momentum, ELC feels like a startup reshaping engineering leadership across the region. It all led to a sold-out room with 300+ leaders in it. --- ## Designed for action > Every session focused on real problems and gave leaders tools they could use from day 1. Here’s what attendees walked away with: ### 🚀 Personal growth & leadership - How to scale your influence far beyond your team: across departments, functions, and the org. - Thinking like a strategist once your job stops being about code. - A simple, repeatable framework to start mentoring and build your leadership legacy. - Ways to [boost your market value](https://www.marian.coach/blog/10x-your-market-value-tech-leader-8-steps/) through negotiation, growth, and leverage. - Staying healthy while scaling: how to spot burnout early and build systems that protect energy. ![Speaker on the ELC stage under a slide titled From growth to impact: how I scaled my personal value tenfold](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*Ftt57BJB29IM2gZ1xaVAQA.jpeg)![A speaker in a black hoodie with a headset mic in front of a Technical Strategy slide at the ELC conference](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*kMiWx4MljlgxejadjGZnnA.jpeg) ![Marian Kamenistak in a navy blazer and headset mic, hands mid-gesture while speaking to the ELC audience](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*M9LsYLJgwfPCuLeKVdgjOw.jpeg)![A speaker presenting a software architecture and site reliability curriculum slide to a seated conference audience](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*gJYT0Ju_jj87VFgyZRGogg.jpeg)![Two speakers with conference lanyards answering questions in a bright breakout room by a window](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*e7l19BxYIs5VplOJdXRf3Q.jpeg)![A speaker on stage in front of a slide listing burnout effects: migraines, hypertension, sleep disorders, depression](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*nAQNh71YoVmYsB7WTuDV3A.jpeg) ### 👥 Team building & culture - How to [hire smarter](https://www.marian.coach/blog/6-strategies-for-high-candidate-conversion/), avoid costly mistakes, and build real team resilience. - Aligning product and engineering so decisions come faster and momentum doesn’t stall. - Getting product teams out of the motion and into the outcome. - Innovating through [trust and transparency](https://www.marian.coach/blog/how-to-build-trust-with-engineering-teams/) instead of micromanagement. ![Speaker on stage in front of a slide crossing out Hiring is and replacing it with Hiring should be culture in action](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*5JvY-PlyUf1YJmVzt0Kp3g.jpeg)![A speaker in a Pure Storage fleece presenting a replication and scale-out architecture slide at the conference](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*WHd2n45nQkMagwZuHbbBEA.jpeg) ![Conference speaker holding up a printed feature roadmap poster next to a slide asking who's the best product owner](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*179lXG2DxvcCnUyTIRwo2Q.jpeg)![A speaker with a headset mic in front of a yellow slide about leaders speaking their audience's language](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*Nsd9a87BQKa9y0DD55fpDw.jpeg) ### ⚠️ Crisis, risk & resilience - Learning from real incidents and bouncing back faster. - Million-dollar mistakes: what _actually_ went wrong at scale, and how to prevent it. - Staying focused in hyper-growth environments without burning out. ![Speaker addressing a seated audience under a slide reading Incidents broaden your horizons](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*iElLXJUkjUbW0S2Fu1bU7w.jpeg)j![A speaker in a purple sweatshirt in front of a slide reading shield against ransomware](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*lJ61eAsv8-ymQqgXS3J9Bg.jpeg)![A fireside chat on navigating engineering leadership in startups, three people on stage before a dark audience](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*3_S4xjnyWSR6sT-veVAPCw.jpeg) ### 🤖 Tech strategy & innovation - What the next generation of tech leadership requires, both in mindset and skills. - Aligning engineering work with business goals so your wins actually move the company forward. - Going beyond the AI hype and embedding tools that drive _real_ value. - Using IDPs to simplify software delivery and track team impact. - Infrastructure that doesn’t crack under pressure and grows with your business. **Every speaker shared an actionable takeaway, without exception.** All of it came from people who’ve built rockets, scaled platforms, launched startups, and rebuilt teams from the ground up. We also ran hands-on workshops, 1-on-1 mentoring, and an experience zone built for reflection and conversation. Speakers and mentors joined us from SpaceX, [Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/), [Pure Storage](https://www.purestorage.com/), [Ataccama](https://www.ataccama.com/), Applifting, Dynatrace, Rossum, [Jablotron](https://www.jablotron.com/) Cloud, Better Stack, incident.io, Make, [Rohlik](https://www.rohlik.cz/) Group, and more. --- ## Why ELC hit home > Hundreds of hours spent [mentoring engineering leaders](https://www.marian.coach/engineering-leadership-statistics/) taught me exactly what they need. I know their challenges and ambitions inside out. This insight shaped every session, workshop, and talk, and it came through in the feedback. ![Marian Kamenistak on the main stage of the Engineering Leaders Conference, arm raised, co-host in the background.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/talk-17.EHsoOj9U_1tWLHU.webp) On the main ELC stage with my co-host, the room I’m describing above. - 300+ engineering leaders showed up and stayed late. - We sold out without handing out free tickets. - Our speakers scored a solid **4.76 out of 5**. Leaders joined from London, Western Europe, Australia, and the Middle East, far beyond our home region. We’re proud to see ELC becoming a global hub. --- ## What people said What did it feel like in the room? A few attendee quotes: > “Best leadership conference I’ve been to in years.” > > “Finally, something serious and relevant for engineering leaders in Central Europe.” > > “Great talks, workshops, and most importantly, meaningful conversations.” > > “Practical. Honest. Impactful. Exactly what tech leadership needs more of.” > > “I didn’t just get inspired. I got real tools and frameworks I can use tomorrow.” We’re taking all of this into ELC 2026. --- ## We’re building Silicon Valley in Central Europe You don’t need to move to San Francisco to build something world-class. **We’ve got the people. The standards. The values. And now we’ve got the ecosystem to match.** Here’s what’s next for 2026: - Attendees: **300 → 400**. - Workshops: **4 → 8**. - Mentors: **5 → 10**. - Partners: **Growing to 8+ committed companies**. The momentum is real. Here’s what we’re seeing across tech, startups, and leadership in Central Europe: [2025 Solopreneur Strategy →](https://www.marian.coach/blog/2025-entrepreneur-strategy/) --- ## 🎙 Behind the scenes: what we learned A few notes from our own retro as organizers, checked against the feedback that rolled in: - We built the whole event to deliver value, not noise: every talk, every panel, every touchpoint. - The stage went to voices that matter rather than egos that sell. - We cut the typical “sponsor clutter” and replaced it with experiences people remembered. All of it points in one direction: a conference built by leaders, for leaders. --- ## Want in? If you’re a tech leader who wants to shape the future of Central European leadership: 👉 Mentor with us. 👉 Partner with us. 👉 Grab a ticket (coming soon). We’ve started it. [Now let’s scale it](https://www.elc-conference.io/). Want more? Explore practical leadership frameworks and tech strategy deep dives over at my [blog](https://www.marian.coach/blog/). --- ## Kudos to the team Huge thanks to the team who made it happen: - [Anna Kožuch](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anykozuch/) leading the charge. - [Mirka Hofmanová](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirkahofmanova/) keeping strategy and logistics tight. - [Tomas Kos](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomkos/) powering websites, editing, graphics, and videos. Big shoutout to our ambassadors [Jan Vrtiška](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-vrtiska/), [Ivo Klimša](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivoklimsa/), and [Soheyla Mirshahi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/soheyla-mirshahi-336961251/), who led their own workshops to help others grow. And one final thank-you to our partners: [Eurowag](https://www.eurowag.com/), [Bohemia Interactive](https://www.bohemia.net/), [Apify](https://www.apify.com/), [Trinity Bank](https://www.trinitybank.cz/), [Sázíme Česko](https://sazimecesko.cz/), [Sparring Partners](https://www.sparring.io/), and [CANS](https://www.cans.cz/). Your support made the whole thing possible. --- Speaker & moderator ## Book me for your event. 4 conferences, 6 panels, 6 podcasts a year. Netflix/PlatoHQ 2022, Elevate SF 2023, Prague Castle 2024, Barclays 240 devs. [See talks & book →](https://www.marian.coach/speaker/) ## Read next - [ ### Should I Become a Team Lead? A 6-Dimension Answer Six dimensions predict whether the team lead role will fit you, drawn from 3,400+ mentoring sessions. Take the 3-minute test, get a straight verdict. 22 July 2026 · By Marian Read → ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/should-i-become-a-team-lead/) - [ ### AI Agents Don't Shrink Engineering Teams. They Expose Weak Managers. What AI coding agents change about the first-line engineering manager job: not headcount first, but feedback loops, spans, and what the role is for. 21 July 2026 · By Marian Read → ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/ai-agents-first-line-engineering-manager/) - [ ### How to Become a VP of Engineering: The Three Gaps A VP of Engineering wrote me about his stuck senior EM. The email defines the EM-to-VPE gap better than any career guide. Three gaps, with fixes. 21 July 2026 · By Marian Read → ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/engineering-manager-to-vp-of-engineering/) ### New posts, straight to your inbox. Your emailSubscribe You're on it. Nothing hits your inbox today. First send goes out once the list is live, and you're already on it. 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