Ben has worn various product-related hats for 18 years and first encountered ProductCamp in Austin, TX. Since then, he's been passionate about product management and process optimization. Upon returning to Chicago, he revived the then-dormant ProductCamp chapter. Six years and several events later (with a pandemic hiatus), ProductCamp Chicago has grown into a vibrant community for product professionals!

Nigel has over a decade of experience in product management in both consulting and startup roles. Originally from South Africa via the UK, he currently lives in Chicago with his wife and dog, Sully. Nigel has been a co-organizer of Product Camp Chicago since 2011.

Dave holds a Computer Science degree from Indiana University and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. With over 15 years in product management, he has led product teams in both large organizations and startups. His latest project was developing and launching a Pickup and Delivery Laundry system for CD One Price Cleaners.

Dave lives in Oak Park, Illinois, and enjoys spending time with his wife and two boys.

Product leader in B2B SaaS, software for hardtech, and managed services such as cloud-based IaaS and PaaS. She champions women in technology and science careers. With experience in enterprise businesses in pharma, auto, and manufacturing industries, she has interests in medtech, fintech and foodtech.  Irene is currently working with start-ups on product discovery, business cases, roadmaps and usability.for cross-collaborations.

Melissa is an aspiring Product Manager who loves working with people to solve tricky problems. With a background in product implementation, she’s all about connecting with customers and turning feedback into meaningful change. Originally from the Bay Area, she now calls Chicago home and loves everything about the city — especially the product community. She attended her first ProductCamp in 2024 and joined the planning team that same year. Now, she’s excited to be back helping shape another great event in 2025.

Julie is a product leader for B2B(2C) software and platform products.  She focuses on opportunities where increasing data transparency and simplified workflows are the key to accelerating growth.  In addition to Product Camp, she’s a member of the Chicago Women In Product and Product Tank groups, and organizes meet ups in the Western Suburbs to complement downtown events.

Alyse has been in the education space her entire career. She is a CSPO and has training in Pragmatic Marketing.  She has worked over two decades in the ed tech/ ed pub product space and is highly experienced in full product life cycle development of digital educational programs, products, and services both nationally and internationally. Her mission in life is to empower others to live their dreams through education. In her free time she is an avid swimmer and bicyclist (yes triathlons in her past) and enjoys wine with her friends. You can find her at Wrigley Field as often as she can get there on a weekend.

Mashal Malik has been a clarity-driven product management consultant with experience leading cross-functional teams across real estate, e-commerce, SaaS, and health tech. She was part of the organizing committee for ProductCamp Berlin in 2024 and now contributes to ProductCamp Chicago while pursuing her master’s in Business Information Technology at DePaul University. Mashal thrives in environments that prioritize human-centered design and believes that product managers don’t just ship features, they shape futures.

Torri is an Associate Product Manager at Chamberlain Group and a passionate advocate for community-driven learning. With a background in business analysis and a sharp eye for customer-centric innovation, she plays a key role in shaping digital experiences within the smart access and home automation space. Outside of work, Torri channels her creativity and leadership into organizing ProductCamp Chicago—where she leads social communications, raffle planning, and community engagement initiatives. She also actively pursues her passion for health and wellness through personal projects focused on holistic self-care, herbalism, and natural healing. Torri thrives on bringing people together, elevating underrepresented voices, and helping others grow their product careers through collaborative events like ProductCamp.

Jared Toporek is a developer/consultant by day, while building his own product (https://keenforms.com) on nights and weekends. He's also published articles on Stack Overflow blog; https://stackoverflow.blog/2023/12/29/the-hardest-part-of-building-software-is-not-coding-its-requirements/

He lives in Chicago with his wife, two kids, and border collie. When he isn’t trying to be a better father, husband, and coder, he’s probably playing soccer, baking sourdough, or struggling to play the intro of AC/DC’s "Thunderstruck" on guitar.

VP of Product with a track record of delivering impactful, user-centric experiences across various industries, from manufacturing to restaurants to human resources. He first joined ProductCamp in Dallas, TX, and instantly fell in love with the participant-led unconference format. After relocating back to Chicago in 2019, he enthusiastically became part of the Chicago ProductCamp community.