Session: Reshaping the landscape of belonging to transform community
The years leading up to being a Fellow on President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign honed my advocacy skills, teaching me to speak up for myself and my community. Within the WordPress community, I found both refuge and purpose, learning the power of collaboration and global connection. These experiences, like threads woven together, prepared me for an audacious achievement: sending underrepresented speakers from five continents to WordCamps through strategic partnerships. This initiative isn’t just about sending speakers; it is about sharing diverse voices, expanding perspectives on leadership, and weaving a more vibrant, interconnected thread throughout the WordPress ecosystem and tech. Join me as I share tools for change that transformed my fear of outsider status into an innovative solution for global connection and inclusivity.
This talk is for anyone who has ever felt like they didn’t quite belong, whether in an open source conference, slack channel, or within their own skin. By the end of this talk you will have insight on how to reshape belonging in your community to help any member find their true voice even while hiding from it.
