Charting the Cloud-Native Future: A Recap of the 2025 Cloud-Native Geospatial Conference
Adam Clark
Adam Clark has spent the past 13 years exploring the world from above by using drones, satellites, and mapping tools to better understand our landscapes. After a decade of working with the U.S. Forest Service, he launched Crossbill Geospatial to help others harness aerial data for smarter environmental and engineering decisions.
From April 30 to May 2, 2025, over 200 geospatial professionals, technologists, and data scientists gathered in the snowy Rocky Mountains at the Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah for the first-ever Cloud-Native Geospatial (CNG) Conference.
The conference website described it like this: “CNG Conference is where geospatial data users gather to create the future of our industry together. Learn how experts… are using geospatial data and AI to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Whether you’re just starting your career, looking to advance your skills, or want to work with the brightest minds in our field, join us to learn about the latest advancements in geospatial data and AI.”
In his opening remarks, conference organizer Jed Sundwall explained the vision behind the event: a vendor-neutral forum where collaboration and networking could happen freely. It set the tone for what turned out to be a refreshingly open and idea-driven conference.
Chris Holmes kicked off the keynote with a compelling idea: in place of imposing an infrastructure, we should be building a spatial data ecosystem. Instead of a top-down structure, he proposed a bottom-up model where data formats and tools grow from real-world needs and community input. That idea showed up again and again throughout the conference, especially in conversations around collaboration, standards, and the importance of open tools.
One of the most talked about moments came during the opening plenary session, when Brianna Pagán presented questions about the future of geospatial work without government support. She asked the room of over 200 professionals how many were federal employees. Only a few hands went up, all contractors. It was a striking moment which highlighted the need for coordination and planning that was led from the community.
Brianna’s talk landed hard. It pushed us to think not just about technology, but about leadership and what happens when the systems we’ve relied on are no longer enough. It also highlighted the need to focus on the end goal of our work and how it can help the average user. If the geospatial community wants to stay relevant, we will need to find our own path forward.
After the main plenary talks the conference followed three main tracks, each focused on a key part of the cloud-native landscape.
Track 1, “On-Ramp to Cloud-Native Geo,” was hosted by Julia Wagemann and provided an accessible starting point for those new to cloud-native tools and formats. Sessions introduced attendees to the basics of SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC), including how to quickly find and access geospatial data in the cloud. Presenters gave overviews of new data formats like STAC and GeoParquet, showed how to build cloud-optimized datacubes, and demonstrated ways to scale up satellite imagery analysis. This track made it clear that cloud-native workflows are not just for experts and that anyone can get started with the right guidance.
Track 2, “Cloud-Native Geo in Practice,” shifted the focus from introduction to implementation. Hosted by Aimee Barciauskas, this track featured real-world examples of how cloud-native tools are being used across organizations. Presenters showed how these tools make it possible to build scalable systems for global monitoring and decision-making, emphasizing the power of open standards and cloud infrastructure to support massive, collaborative efforts.
Track 3, “Building Resilient Data Infrastructure,” was hosted by Brianna Pagán. Many were drawn to this track after hearing Brianna’s introduction during the plenary talks.
This track asked questions about the long-term stability of our data systems. Speakers discussed how much global science and data infrastructure depends on U.S. federal support and what happens if that support falters. Jed Sundwell posted about this theme before the conference stating that, “We cannot afford to allow science to be vulnerable to political shocks from just one country.” The sessions made a strong case for building ethical, resilient systems that can stand the test of time and shifting politics. The track also showcased a STAC-based architecture for organizing post-disaster imagery and demonstrated how cloud platforms can support faster, smarter disaster response.
Lightning Talks
Hosted by Tyler Erickson, the lightning talks added a burst of energy to the schedule and was a fun way to quickly get to know a speaker and their work. Each speaker had just five minutes and twenty slides that automatically advanced every 15 seconds. I especially enjoyed this format and thought of it as a type of professional speed dating. The fast pace kept things lively and gave the floor to a wide variety of voices.
Workshops
In addition to talks and panels, the conference offered several hands-on workshops. One popular session explored how to access and integrate data from the Overture Maps Foundation using cloud-native tools. Others focused on practical workflows using STAC and COGs. Understanding and utilizing the Zarr format was another very popular workshop. With so much happening at once, it was impossible to attend everything, but Tracks 1 and 2 were recorded so attendees can catch up later.
Conclusion
This gathering seemed to be unique among conferences and I appreciate that the term forum was used as it felt more appropriate. It was clear that CNG was an opportunity to engage with mission-oriented people who are reshaping the future of geospatial data. Many times there were hallway conversations that continued throughout the presentations as people networked and discussed solutions to problems. The event encouraged cross-pollination between software developers, nonprofits, and private companies. It called for a rethinking of how we build, share, and preserve the geospatial systems that increasingly shape decision-making across the globe. Judging by the energy, the collaborations sparked, and the sense of shared direction, the cloud-native geospatial movement may have just found its flagship gathering.
