Leslie Welch

Leslie Welch is the Principal Architect, Data & AI at SHI with over 18 years of experience in automation, data analysis and visualization, and strengthening organizations’ knowledge of data. Leslie is a Microsoft MVP and has worked end-to-end in the data arena from capture and ETL to database design/engineering to analysis and dashboard design to ML use cases with a focus on improving productivity, performance, and data quality. She has extensive experience in enterprise deployment of Power BI, both as an admin and Power BI architect, and as a trainer and technical community organizer. She is passionate about data governance, truth-telling in data, and creating collaborative environments across data practitioners and the numerous data stakeholders. Leslie co-organizes Power BI DC and frequently attends and speaks at data community meetups in the DC metro area, including but not limited to Data Viz DC, Data Science DC, Women Who Code DC, Washington DC Power Platform User Group, and Generative AI DC. Leslie was recognized as a 2023 New Power Woman in Tech by DCA Live, and on the RealLIST Engineers 2024 as one of 15 technologists helping the DMV ecosystem grow.

Sessions for 2026

Building Community In Tech - Lessons from the Power BI DC User Group

Building tech community is powerful & rewarding, but where do you start? After 2+ years organizing Power BI DC and Power BI Days DC, we share answers on speakers, formats, time investment & setting your community up for success.

Challenging the Norm: An Agile Approach to Data Visualization

Traditional waterfall BI development hides data modeling from stakeholders, causing rework. Learn an agile approach with iterative cycles & continuous feedback—align visuals with goals, save time, and build better reports through early, low-friction feedback loops.

It's Only a Model - Demystifying Row Level Security in Power BI

A Monty Python-inspired quest through Row-Level Security! Learn to implement RLS start to finish in Desktop & Service, tackle common challenges, understand model impacts, and navigate governance with a special focus for gov cloud environments.

Semantic Model Ideation for Power BI

Building performant semantic models can be challenging with disparate sources. Learn my ideation process to create secure, best-practice models. We will work backwards from user questions to visuals to medallion architecture requirements for Synapse or Databricks.

The Architecture of Trust: Building AI Projects That Deliver ROI

AI projects often fall short of ROI or damage reputations. We'll unpack real risks—data quality gaps, unclear success criteria, governance blind spots—and share practical strategies for scoping, communication & stakeholder alignment for sustainable outcomes.