Join us at the February Chicago Cloud Computing Meetup on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, where Santosh Durgam will present “From Ingestion to Insights: Building Robust Data Pipelines in AWS”. This session dives into real-world architecture patterns for building scalable, resilient data pipelines on AWS, from raw ingestion through to business-ready insights.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM CST
• Location: Microsoft Chicago Office (Aon Center), 200 E Randolph St, Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60601

Presentation

From Ingestion to Insights: Building Robust Data Pipelines in AWS

In today’s data-driven world, organizations need to handle vast and varied data sources while delivering timely insights.

In this talk, Santosh will walk through how to design and implement scalable, resilient data pipelines on AWS using services like Kinesis, Glue, EMR, Athena, and Redshift, with a focus on modular design, data governance, cost optimization, and performance.

You’ll learn practical strategies for:

• Handling both batch and streaming ingestion
• Orchestrating complex workflows and managing data across lifecycle stages (raw, refined, curated)
• Building scalable storage and lakehouse-style architectures with Amazon S3
• Transforming data with PySpark and SQL, including approaches to schema evolution and metadata management
• Improving observability, access control, and operational reliability for production pipelines

Whether you’re building your first pipeline or optimizing an existing platform, this session will leave you with architecture blueprints and lessons learned to help your teams move faster from data to decisions in the AWS ecosystem.

Speaker: Santosh Durgam

Santosh Durgam is a Data Engineering & Analytics Leader and Manager of Software Engineering at Morningstar Investments Inc. With over 20 years of experience in data architecture, analytics, and engineering, he has led large-scale transformation initiatives across finance, healthcare, and retirement services. Santosh is passionate about building high-performing teams, modernizing data platforms with strong governance and compliance, and leveraging automation—including AI-driven workflows—to improve delivery speed and reliability.

Event Highlights

• See end-to-end AWS patterns for ingestion, transformation, and analytics
• Learn how to combine streaming and batch pipelines in a single platform
• Explore raw/refined/curated lifecycle design and data governance practices
• Get practical tips for cost optimization and performance tuning
• Learn approaches to observability, access control, and schema evolution
• Network with fellow cloud and data professionals in the Chicago area

Registration and Building Security

Registration required: Please include your full first and last name when you register. Building security at the Aon Center requires this information to grant you access.

Register here: RSVP on Meetup

About the Meetup

The Chicago Cloud Computing Meetup brings together developers, architects, and IT professionals interested in cloud technologies. Our meetings feature presentations on cloud platforms, best practices, and emerging trends in cloud and AI, along with time for networking and community building.