AWS Heroes Celebrated: Meet Maurizio, Ray & Sheyla | AWS Blog

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced its first cohort of AWS Heroes for 2026, recognizing three individuals for their significant contributions to the AWS community. These individuals—Maurizio Argoneto, Ray Goh, and Sheyla Leacock—are being celebrated not just for their technical expertise, but for their dedication to fostering connections, sharing knowledge, and building pathways for growth within the cloud ecosystem. The program, designed to highlight mentors and expert users, underscores AWS’s commitment to a thriving developer community.

The AWS Heroes program, as detailed on the AWS Heroes webpage, aims to recognize individuals who actively contribute valuable content to the global AWS Community. This includes creating blog posts, articles, books, and other technical resources.

Building Tech Ecosystems from the Ground Up: Maurizio Argoneto

Maurizio Argoneto, based in Pignola, Italy, is recognized as a Community Hero for his work in establishing tech ecosystems in areas where they were previously absent. As CTO and organizer of the AWS User Group Basilicata, Argoneto has spent over a decade championing cloud culture through a focus on human connection and knowledge transfer. His approach is notably inclusive, extending from introducing children to coding to assisting professionals in transitioning to cloud architecture.

Argoneto’s impact extends beyond local initiatives. He founded an international tech conference held in a small mountain village, intentionally designed to bridge the gap between global experts and local talent. This conference uniquely blends technical sessions covering cloud architectures, DevOps, and web scaling with networking opportunities. The conference’s success demonstrates a model for bringing advanced technology education and collaboration to underserved regions. You can find more about Maurizio’s work on his AWS Builder Community profile.

Advancing AI and Machine Learning Education: Ray Goh

Ray Goh, an Artificial Intelligence Hero from Singapore, has been a consistent contributor to the AWS community since 2018. His involvement spans multiple programs, including AWS ASEAN Cloud Warrior, AWS Dev/Cloud Alliance, and the initial cohort of AWS Community Builders in 2020. Goh’s recent work includes founding The Gen-C, a Generative AI Learning Community, which hosts regular workshops at Singapore libraries on topics like Large Language Model (LLM) fine-tuning and AI agents on AWS.

Goh’s influence isn’t limited to local workshops. He has presented at major AWS events, including re:Invent and AWS Summit ASEAN, and contributed to the AWS Machine Learning Blog. He also led a large-scale upskilling initiative at DBS Bank in 2020, training over 3,100 employees in AWS DeepRacer, and educated over 1,300 students in ASEAN countries on LLM techniques in 2025. His commitment to skills-based Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, teaching AI and machine learning to diverse groups, has garnered attention from outlets like CNBC and Euromoney. Further details on Ray Goh’s contributions can be found on his AWS Builder Community profile.

Strengthening Cybersecurity and Cloud Expertise: Sheyla Leacock

Sheyla Leacock, recognized as a Security Hero from Panama City, Panama, is an IT security professional, mentor, and technical author dedicated to strengthening the global cloud and cybersecurity community. She actively shares her expertise through speaking engagements at events like AWS Summit Mexico and AWS Summit LATAM, as well as through PeerTalk sessions at AWS re:Invent.

Leacock also leads the AWS User Group in Panama and regularly participates in AWS Community Days and regional meetups. Beyond AWS-specific events, she has presented at over 20 international conferences and publishes technical articles on AWS cloud computing and cybersecurity. Her commitment to education extends to guest lecturing at universities, fostering the development of emerging technology and cybersecurity talent. You can connect with Sheyla Leacock through her AWS Builder Community profile.

The selection of these three individuals highlights the diverse ways in which community members can contribute to the AWS ecosystem. Their work demonstrates that leadership in the cloud space extends beyond technical proficiency to encompass mentorship, education, and inclusive community building.

The AWS Heroes program isn’t simply about recognizing existing contributions; it’s about cultivating a network of individuals who can inspire and empower others. As the AWS community continues to grow, the role of these Heroes will become increasingly vital in ensuring that the benefits of cloud technology are accessible to everyone. To learn more about the AWS Heroes program and connect with a Hero in your region, visit the AWS Heroes webpage.