Forem: Yolande Poirier

Five Free Virtual Workshops about Graph and AI

Yolande Poirier — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:30:10 +0000

We’re excited to announce the Road to NODES AI — a free, online workshop series designed to help you build and apply graph-powered AI through hands-on, practical learning.

If you’re curious about Context Graphs, GraphRAG, or AI agents, these two-hour workshops are your chance to go beyond theory and get real experience before NODES AI goes live on April 15.

What to Expect
Each session is led by experts from the graph community. The focus is on real use cases — the kinds of patterns you can take into your own projects.

Across the series, you’ll learn how to:

Design and build GraphRAG systems
Use context graphs to improve grounding and reasoning
Create agentic workflows with long-term memory
Work with MCP (Model Context Protocol) in practice
Apply graph-powered AI patterns to real domains like healthcare

Workshop Line-Up
📅 March 5 — 17:00 GMT / 18:00 CET / 9:00am PST / 12:00pm EST
GenAI and Graph Foundations: Building GraphRAG with Neo4j
Martin O’Hanlon

📅 March 11 — 17:00 GMT / 18:00 CET / 10:00am PDT / 1:00pm EDT
Hands-On Lab: Building Self-Grounding Agents with Microsoft Agent Context Provider
George Bittencourt (Microsoft) & Ryan Knight (Neo4j)

📅 March 17 — 17:00 GMT / 18:00 CET / 10:00am PDT / 1:00pm EDT
Designing Agent-Driven GraphRAG Systems with GNNs for Healthcare
Giuseppe Futia, CSI Piemonte

📅 March 26 — 17:00 GMT / 18:00 CET / 10:00am PDT / 1:00pm EDT
Graph-Based Long-Term Memory: How Agentic Workflows Adapt Through Experience
Alessandro Negro, GraphAware

📅 March 31 — 17:00 BST / 18:00 CEST / 9:00am PDT / 12:00pm EDT
End-to-End Neo4j Developer Workspace with MCP
Alex Gilmore & Jean-Marc Guérin, Neo4j

Why Join?
By the time NODES AI kicks off on April 15, you won’t just be watching talks — you’ll be able to:

Recognize agentic and GraphRAG patterns instantly
Ask sharper technical questions
Connect conference sessions to real implementations

Apply what you’ve learned across dozens of real-world scenarios shared by the community

Whether you attend one workshop or the entire series, you’ll come away with practical skills you can start using right away.

👉 Registration is now open. Join us for one (or several) Road to NODES AI workshops and start building today.

7 Tips for Submitting Your NODES 2025 Talk

Yolande Poirier — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 15:17:14 +0000

Got your eye on NODES 2025? The deadline to submit your talk is fast approaching. Developers and data scientists from all over the world are getting ready to share their latest graph-powered projects at this year’s free online conference. If you’d like to join them, here are a few tips to help you craft your presentation, even if you’re new to the game!

But first, some background. You can choose from three session formats: a 30-minute talk with Q&A, a 10-minute lightning talk, or a two-hour hands-on workshop. Your talk should fall into one of this year’s five themes: Applications, AI Engineering, Data Intelligence, Graphs, and Architecture. Submit your talks by June 15.

Now, with the call for papers deadline creeping ever closer, let’s run through seven tips to help refine your idea and write your abstract.

1. Know Your Audience
Got a concept in mind? Cool. Now, think about your audience. This is key because it shapes your whole session. Are they devs skilled in multiple languages? What industries are they from?

2. Outline Your Talk
Sketch out the main points you’ll cover. What problem are you solving? How does graph tech come into play? And what demos or insights will you share?

3. Start Strong
Kick off with a line that sets up the problem your audience faces. For example: “Every developer should know how to ____.”

4. Sell Your Session
In a couple of sentences, explain what people will gain from your talk. This is the heart of your abstract – it tells them your session is for them. Be clear: “You’ll learn ____ and ____.” And highlight what makes your session unique. If you’re live-coding or sharing lessons learned, mention it.

5. Show You’re Human
Add a personal touch to your abstract. Mention your name! For instance: “In this session, Jamie will show you … “

6. Nail Your Title
Toss around a few title ideas. Try straightforward ones, then mix in some fun options. Pick one that grabs attention.

7. Get Feedback
Ask peers to review your title and abstract. Adjust based on their feedback, then hit “Submit”!

New to Speaking? Try a Lightning Talk.
If it’s your first time speaking or talking about graph technology, consider a lightning talk. They’re short — just 10 minutes. Got a neat trick or solution using graphs? Talk about it!

Need inspiration? Check out the NODES sessions from last year.”

The deadline is June 15 — don’t miss it. Good luck!

*Submit your talks *

The original blog post is published on Neo4j developer blog

Announcing NODES 2025: Submit Your Talk

Yolande Poirier — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 19:28:37 +0000

NODES, the community gathering on graph-powered applications, knowledge graphs, and AI, returns for its seventh year on Nov. 6, 2025.

Join thousands of developers and data pros at NODES 2025, a free 24-hour conference diving deep into the latest advances in intelligent systems. Learn directly from your fellow developers in technical sessions on real-world implementations, advanced tooling, and innovative models.

NODES 2024 welcomed more than 12,000 graph enthusiasts who watched over 140 live sessions by 170 speakers from 30 countries—and NODES 2025 promises to be even better:

Sessions will cover hot topics like agentic workflows, Model Context Protocol, retrieval-augmented generation, and more.
The conference will conveniently span every time zone and feature local and international speakers.
Our two-hour Road to NODES Workshops will give you a head start on trendy topics prior to NODES 2025.
Speakers will present live and interact with attendees during Q&A sessions.

The Call for Papers is open now through June 15, 2025.
Submit an abstract of your educational presentation demonstrating Neo4j-related technologies, with a focus on building solutions through code, data modeling, Cypher, best practices, or integrations.

You can choose from three session formats:

30-minute talks with Q&A
10-minute lightning talks
Two-hour hands-on workshops

We’re especially interested in talks on the following themes:

Applications – Discover tools and best practices to create graph-powered applications and APIs with any software stack and programming language.
AI engineering – Build software with AI. Delve into the latest AI-driven software development trends, from knowledge graphs to multi-agent systems.
Data intelligence – Explore how data scientists and ML practitioners drive AI innovation through better data, smarter algorithms, and graph-powered insights.
Graphs – Uncover new ways to visualize, integrate, and analyze knowledge graphs with powerful tools and scalable techniques.
Architecture – Identify the integration of Neo4j with modern data ecosystems, leveraging connectors, APIs, and cloud services for scalable, high-performance graph solutions.

We’ll highlight some talks and speakers on the NODES 25 website before the Call for Papers deadline. Submit your abstract by May 15, 2025 to be considered.

Get Inspiration From NODES 2024
If you missed NODES 2024 or want to revisit some of the best sessions, check out the NODES 2024 playlist. These technical presentations cover many topics, including graph entity resolution, LLM query benchmarks, building knowledge graphs with LLMs, and fine-tuning agents with graphs—to name just a few.

Submit your talk by June 15 and save the date for NODES 2025!

The original post is on the Neo4j developer blog here

The 10 Top-Rated Talks about Knowledge Graphs

Yolande Poirier — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 21:38:17 +0000

We did it! A huge thank you to everyone who turned NODES 2024 into such a great conference, especially our passionate speakers, supportive community partners, and the dedicated team behind the scenes.

Thousands of you joined us for 24 hours of graph-packed learning and coding, with over 140 unique technical talks spanning topics, time zones, and skill levels. Before we get to the top 10, here are four talks you’ll want to check out.

Our keynote speaker, Ben Lorica, host of the popular podcast The Data Exchange, shared valuable insights from a year of conversations with AI leaders.

The Trends in Generative AI panel took a pragmatic approach, cutting through the hype to focus on the real-world problems GenAI is solving—and where the biggest opportunities lie.

Neo4j Chief Product Officer Sudhir Hasbe unveiled what’s next for the platform, from simplifying how developers get started with graphs to enabling easier scaling for AI workflows. If you have feedback to share, fill out our developer survey by December 31.

And let’s not forget that Neo4j CEO and Co-founder Emil Eifrem stayed up late to answer attendees’ questions across three time zones!

Here are the sessions that stood out most to attendees—the 10 top-rated talks at NODES 2024:

Use Nodestream to Build and Progressively Evolve Your Database

Computing Midcurve of a Thin Polygon for Mechanical Engineering

Climate and Compliance: The NGFS Climate Scenarios

The Personal Knowledge Vault

Beyond Vectors: Evolving GenAI Through Transformative Tools and Methods

Just Add an LLM: Creating a New Food Recommendation Engine From an Old Cypher-Query Based One

A New Era for Graph Queries: ISO/IEC 39075 GQL

Graph-Based Authorization: How to Secure Your API With Your Own Graph

From Lost to Local in the Heart of Calgary: Mastering the Plus 15 Maze

If you missed a session or just want to dive deeper, check out our comprehensive NODES 2024 Playlist on YouTube—a seamless experience featuring slides and plenty of code repos.

Shaping the Future of AI with Knowledge Graphs at NODES 2024!

Yolande Poirier — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 22:10:06 +0000

NODES 2024 is almost here, and we can’t wait for you to join us on November 7! This free, virtual conference, hosted by Neo4j, is perfect for developers, data scientists, and anyone who wants to dive deeper into graph databases and see how they’re solving today’s complex challenges.

This year, we’ve got an incredible lineup of 140+ live sessions that will cover graph-powered applications, knowledge graphs, data science, and AI. Whether you’re new to graphs or a seasoned expert, there’s something for everyone.

What’s the best thing about it? You’ll learn directly from community and Neo4j experts, getting hands-on insights into real-world use cases. It’s not just about watching—there will be opportunities to interact with experienced speakers and directly ask questions to Emil Eifrem, Neo4j’s CEO.

With sessions spreading across three different regions, you’ll have live content that works with your schedule, no matter where you are. So, whether you’re tuning in from your morning coffee or settling in for an evening session, you won’t miss a thing. The agenda is packed with 24 hours of technical sessions built around this year’s four tracks:

Applications - Tools and best practices to create graph-powered applications and APIs with any software stack and programming language.
AI - The convergence of AI research and practical applications through graph technologies like GraphRAG, orchestration frameworks, evaluation, and generative AI.
Data Science - Advanced techniques in data curation and maintenance specifically designed to fuel AI models.
Graphs - Data solutions enriched by graph capabilities and the latest advancements in visualization techniques to bring data to life.

Pre-Conference Workshops
In the lead-up to NODES 2024, you will get the chance to join Road to NODES—a series of hands-on workshops to kickstart or level up your graph skills. These workshops are perfect for gaining practical experience with specific graph database topics.
This year’s sessions include creating GraphRAG applications and exploring graph visualization with Neo4j Bloom. They are fast approaching, so be sure to register early to secure your spot!

Session highlights

To kick us off, Ben Lorica, the well-known podcast host, AI conference co-chair, and startup advisor, will present the keynote about tracking the pulse of generative AI. Next, Neo4j’s own Chief Product Officer, Sudhir Hasbe, will share everything being built at Neo4j and provide insight on what’s coming next. Wrapping up the opening ceremonies, a panel will discuss trends they’re seeing in the generative AI space.

These first three sessions will kick off an exciting day packed with more talks and lightning sessions, with plenty of breaks to grab your favorite drink, chat with fellow attendees, or ask questions about what you’ve learned.

Of course, there’s so much more to explore, so I encourage you to check out the full NODES 2024 agenda and find the sessions that spark your interest. Each regional segment wraps up with a live Q&A with Neo4j’s CEO, Emil Eifrem—a perfect chance to gain deeper insights into the company’s journey, products, and vision for the future.

Now that you’ve got the scoop on NODES 2024—the tracks, workshops, keynotes, and all the exciting sessions—why wait? It’s shaping up to be a great day of learning and connecting with fellow tech enthusiasts. Go ahead and register today.

And, you can bring friends to #NODES2024 for a chance to win $100 worth of COOL Neo4j prizes! Click this link for instructions to create your social media post!

Can’t wait to see you there (virtually, of course)!

Resources
NODES 2024 event webpage
Road to NODES: pre-conference workshops
NODES 2024 full agenda

Thanks to our community partner, Data Science Dojo, for sharing news about NODES.