Dec

02

2026

2026 December Meetup

Wed 02 Dec 2026 (06:00 PM - 08:30 PM)
Line up
2026 December Meetup
8 Speakers - To Be Revealed
Agile Yorkshire Christmas Lightning Talks
https://agileyorkshire.org/uploads/Pete_Horner_1793641344065_04924e4d52.jpeg
Pete Horner
The Product You Never Intended To Build
https://agileyorkshire.org/uploads/Mr_Daniel_Woolfson_1793968112388_19bde62546.jpeg
Mr Daniel Woolfson
Representing England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 in Badminton. the Breakfast Mentality.
https://agileyorkshire.org/uploads/Alina_Eden_Cornea_1793968137354_c3f3f954f6.jpeg
Alina Eden Cornea
The Bratislava Incident: From Garlic Prawns To Global Partnerships

Summary

There’s a chill in the air, the Leeds Christmas Market is twinkling, and the festive season is officially around the corner! That can only mean one thing—the legendary Agile Yorkshire Christmas Lightning Talks are back.
Join us for a fast-paced, high-energy evening packed with holiday cheer, laughter, and community spirit. Eight intrepid speakers will each have just 10 minutes to share their stories, insights, and lessons learned. The topics don't have to be tech or Agile-focused—expect everything from hilarious personal anecdotes and quirky hobbies to curious experiments and career reflections.

As the icing on the cake, the audience will be voting to crown the official Agile Yorkshire Christmas Champion of the Year! Will your talk take the crown? Who knows what mysterious, life-changing (or delightfully ridiculous) gift awaits the winner? You'll just have to step up—or show up—to find out.

🎤 Speaker slots are still available If you want to take part in this cheery, happy, funny evening, apply at speakers@agileyorkshire.org. We're really looking forward to seeing you and having you be part of this great event!Bring your festive jumper, your holiday energy, and

Programme Our fast-paced lineup features 8 speakers delivering 10-minute talks, followed by audience voting to crown the winner:

Lineup details and speaker intros will be updated as our speakers are confirmed!

🎟️ Tickets are open now—reserve your spot below to celebrate with us!

Programme

Agile Yorkshire Christmas Lightning Talks
It’s one of our favourite Agile Yorkshire traditions: a festive evening of short talks, surprising subjects and plenty of laughs.
2026 December Meetup
8 Speakers - To Be Revealed
The Product You Never Intended To Build
Imagine spending years developing a product, only to discover that the thing you've actually created isn't what you thought it was at all. This short session explores how customer needs, unexpected opportunities and changing circumstances can challenge our assumptions about what a product should and could be.
https://agileyorkshire.org/uploads/Pete_Horner_1793641344065_04924e4d52.jpeg
Pete Horner
Pete is a Business Agility Lead at Lloyds Banking Group driving agile ways of working and continuous improvement. With over 10 years' experience across financial services, telecommunications and digital products, he is passionate about helping teams and leaders improve performance, deliver value and create environments where people can thrive. Outside of work Pete is a husband and father who enjoys spending time with his family, attending live music events, reading and following sports.
Representing England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 in Badminton. the Breakfast Mentality.
What does it take to go from playing competitive club badminton to representing England at a European Championship? In this lightning talk, Daniel Woolfson shares the 18-month journey that led to a single breakfast before the European Senior Badminton Championships in Sardinia. He speaks on decoding a qualification pathway, selecting the right tournaments, balancing everyday life, and managing the logistics of international travel down to the contingency planning needed to arrive match-ready. But the most powerful revelation came once he stepped onto the international court. While seasoned opponents often held clear advantages in physicality and prior international experience, Daniel discovered something unexpected: his competitive mindset matched theirs. Beyond the sport, this talk explores how to break down an audacious goal, sustain momentum, invest your energy intelligently, and build the quiet confidence to compete alongside people who initially seem out of reach. Ultimately, this is a story about preparing for a challenge before you feel entirely ready, discovering your true limits, and realising that you belong in the room—or on the court. And you definitely need that breakfast before you play, what ever the hour.
https://agileyorkshire.org/uploads/Mr_Daniel_Woolfson_1793968112388_19bde62546.jpeg
Mr Daniel Woolfson
Daniel Woolfson is an Engineering leader, consultant and badminton coach based in York, with more than 25 years of experience leading technology teams. He is passionate about continuous improvement, structured preparation and helping people perform at their best. Alongside his professional career, Daniel has pursued competitive badminton, culminating in representing England at the European Senior Badminton Championships in Sardinia. Getting there required an 18-month qualification pathway, balancing competition commitments with everyday life and planning carefully to arrive ready to compete. His experience connects the worlds of professional leadership and competitive sport, exploring how mindset, preparation and a willingness to challenge yourself can help you achieve ambitions that once seemed out of reach.
The Bratislava Incident: From Garlic Prawns To Global Partnerships
This is a funny, unconventional and surprisingly insightful story about the extraordinary things that can happen when you embrace spontaneity, talk to strangers and stay open to possibility. What started as a late-night craving for garlic prawns turned into an impulsive trip to Bratislava. Somewhere along the way, I found myself performing stand-up comedy in a pub, making connections with complete strangers and having conversations that unexpectedly opened doors to potential partnerships for a fintech event in Malaysia. No carefully planned networking strategy. No meticulously organised meetings. Just curiosity, a little audacity and a willingness to see where the next conversation might lead. Through this entertaining personal story, I explore the art of human connection, the power of stepping outside your comfort zone and why some of the most valuable business opportunities begin in the most unlikely places. Because networking doesn't always happen in conference rooms, and sometimes the best opportunities start with something as ridiculous as garlic prawns. The takeaway? Never underestimate a conversation with a stranger. You never know where it might take you.
https://agileyorkshire.org/uploads/Alina_Eden_Cornea_1793968137354_c3f3f954f6.jpeg
Alina Eden Cornea
Alina Eden Cornea is an entrepreneur, public speaker and partnerships specialist with an unconventional career spanning software development, sales, international business development and luxury chocolate manufacturing. Her entrepreneurial journey began at just 11 years old, when she started building an online gaming world that would eventually attract thousands of daily players. Since then, she has worked across multiple industries, developing partnerships, connecting people and creating opportunities in unexpected places. A firm believer in curiosity, resourcefulness and challenging conventional thinking, Alina has a particular talent for turning unusual ideas into real-world opportunities..... sometimes with very little planning and occasionally involving garlic prawns at 3 AM.

Interested?

You can book tickets for this event now on Eventbrite

When & Where

Wed 02 December 2026 (06:00 PM - 08:30 PM)
Platform, New Station Street Leeds LS1 4JB
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Check with the street level reception but Agile Yorkshire events are normally on Floor 1, Rooms A&B
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