Leonid Kholkine is Head of R&D at DareData and co-founder of Data Makers Fest, a conference for data practitioners focused on practical knowledge and real-world experience. His work combines applied AI, product development, and community building across the data ecosystem.

Leonid has a background in machine learning research and applied AI. He completed a PhD in Computer Science at the University of Antwerp, where his work focused on machine learning applications in sports performance and physiology. Throughout his career he has worked across research, engineering, and innovation projects in multiple domains, including sports analytics, healthcare, and data platforms.

A serial community builder, Leonid has co-founded several initiatives: the World Data League, a global data science competition focused on urban challenges, and Data Lead Club, a community for data team leaders, alongside Data Makers Fest. He talked about what it takes to start and run a data conference, and why practical experience matters more than hype, on the DataTalksClub podcast.