Kinsey Durham Grace

Kinsey Durham Grace headshot.
Github company logo.
Software Engineer
Github

Presentation Title:

Beyond the Prompt:
Building Real-World Systems with LLMs

Presentation Summary:

Prompting an LLM is easy. Building a product that relies on one is something else entirely. In this talk, we’ll go beyond prompt hacking and look at what it takes to integrate LLMs into production systems with real users, real latency constraints, and real consequences. We’ll explore patterns like model orchestration, prompt versioning, skill/tool design, and how to connect your LLM to internal APIs, code search, and business logic.

You’ll also see practical strategies for observability, testing, and debugging — all battle-tested in real-world infrastructure. Whether you’re building a platform agent or just trying to make your product smarter, this talk will give you the mental model and technical tools to do it right.

Picture of About | Kinsey Durham Grace ←

About | Kinsey Durham Grace ←

Kinsey Durham Grace is an engineer working on Copilot at GitHub. She serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for Ruby Central, fostering the growth of the Ruby community, and leads GitHub’s Adacats, the Women and Non-binary Community of Belonging, championing inclusivity and connection.

Based in beautiful Colorado, Kinsey enjoys spending time in the mountains with her two young children and her adventurous pup, embracing all the outdoor adventures the Rockies have to offer.