DjangoCon US 2023

I am Abigail Afi Gbadago (mostly called Afi); a software engineer with a passion for community building and sharing my experiences through speaking engagements and articles.

I am an open-source contributor, coach, and speaker in communities and organizations such as OSM, Rails Girls Ghana, Everything Open Source, Django Girls Ghana, Python Ghana and PyLadies Ghana events, where I speak on open-source contributions, opportunities and tools.

Zags is the co-founder and CTO of Zagaran, Inc., a software consulting company. He has led dozens of full-stack software development projects between both the private and public sectors. Zags graduated from Harvard in 2012 with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Computer Science. He previously worked at Google, mentors for TechStars, and is a published game theorist.

Calvin Hendryx-Parker is the co-founder and CTO of Six Feet Up, a Python and cloud expert consulting company that makes the world a better place by using technology to accelerate the initiatives of companies that do good.

Calvin’s Massive Transformative Purpose (MTP) is to inspire and enable tech leaders to open minds and bring the world together for a sustainable future. At Six Feet Up, Calvin establishes the company's technical vision and leads all aspects of the company's technology development. He provides the strategic vision for enhancing the offerings of the company and infrastructure, and he works with the team to set company priorities and implement processes that will help improve product and service development.

Calvin is passionate about the open source community and specializes in app development, AI, big data and cloud technology. He is regularly sought after to share his expertise — both at international conferences and in the media.

In 2019, Calvin was named an AWS Hero — one of only 48 Heroes in North America. He is the founder and host of the Python Web Conference; the co-founder of IndyPy, the largest Python meetup in Indiana with 2,100+ members; and the founder of IndyAWS, the fastest growing cloud meetup in the state with 800+ members. Additionally, Calvin is the driving force behind LoudSwarm by Six Feet Up, a high impact virtual event platform that debuted in June 2020.

Outside of work, Calvin spends time tinkering with new devices like the AWS DeepRacer, CircuitPython and Raspberry Pi. He is an avid distance runner and ran the 2014 NYC Marathon to support the Innocence Project. Before the pandemic, Calvin and his family enjoyed annual extended trips to France where his wife Gabrielle, the CEO of Six Feet Up, is from. Calvin lives in Fishers, IN and holds a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University.

Charlotte has worked with Django for several different companies, and loves the ecosystem and community that goes with it. When not writing code, she can often be found making things out of yarn or flying small airplanes.

Before working in Developer Relations, Cheuk has been a Data Scientist in various companies which demands high numerical and programmatical skills, especially in Python. To follow her passion for the tech community, Cheuk is now the Developer Advocate at Anaconda. Cheuk also contributes to multiple Open Source libraries like Hypothesis and Pandas.

Besides her work, Cheuk enjoys talking about Python on personal streaming platforms and podcasts. Cheuk has also been a speaker at Universities and various conferences. Besides speaking at conferences, Cheuk also organises events for developers. Conferences that Cheuk has organized include EuroPython (which she is a board member), PyData Global and Pyjamas Conf. Believing in Tech Diversity and Inclusion, Cheuk constantly organizes workshops and mentored sprints for minority groups. In 2021, Cheuk has become a Python Software Foundation fellow.

Meet Chris, an experienced developer, technical coach, and advocate for creating exceptional user and team experiences. With over 25 years of industry experience, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the table and fosters effective team dynamics.

As a technical coach, Chris collaborates with teams to craft elegant and robust solutions, reduce bugs, and improve time to market. He simplifies intricate technical concepts, diagnoses and troubleshoots code issues, and provides actionable feedback, earning him a reputation as a trusted mentor and guide.

Chris's dedication to building a thriving Python community led him to co-found PyRVA, the Python user group in Richmond, Virginia. Through this initiative, he actively fosters knowledge sharing, networking, and professional growth among Python developers.

In addition to coaching and community involvement, Chris shares his expertise through his blog and Python resources on his Everyday Superpowers website. These platforms serve as valuable references for developers seeking insights and practical advice.

I am a Director of Engineering at Canonical, where I lead documentation practice. I enjoy helping organise community conferences for Python and Django, and helping people and open-source projects improve their documentation.

I am the author of the Diátaxis documentation framework, and unless I commit a noteworthy crime I expect that is what I will be best known for.

Dara is a computer Engineer with 2+ years of experience as Full Stack Developer, working with technologies such as Python, Django, ReactJS, React Native, Docker, etc.

Dawn (she/her) is the Treasurer for the PSF, Wagtail Core Team Member, Python Community Advocate at Microsoft and Django software engineer. She lives in Philadelphia, USA with her partner and three dogs watching Star Trek and noodling about inclusive tech.

Deb Nicholson is a free software policy expert and a passionate community advocate. She is the Executive Director at the Python Software Foundation which serves as the non-profit steward of the Python programming language. She has previously served the open source ecosystem through her work at the Open Source Initiative, Software Freedom Conservancy, and the Open Invention Network. She lives with her husband and her lucky black cat in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Developer for many years, I enjoy contributing to open source projects and I love long and exhausting sports, like triathlon, mountain running and software development :)

Drishti is a Computer Engineer and a technology enthusiast. She believes in democratizing opportunities and brings knowledge of the latest developments in the fast-moving field of technology to early professionals, students, and keep them up to date and well-equipped for their professional careers. Her initiative "SkillUp with Drishti" enables students and professionals to grow in their career.
She has spoken at conferences across the globe and is also a social entrepreneur. Her non-profit organisation - Samyak Drishti Foundation works in environment, education and healthcare sectors and operates in a number of cities across India.
In her spare time, she likes to paint nature, explore new places and anchor live shows

Fullstack developer with 3+ years of experience working on end-to-end product development projects. Passionate about good quality code and unit tests. Previous teacher assistant for a Data Structures and Algorithms course at UTU (Uruguay). Currently works as a fullstack developer at Octobot, using technologies like Django and ReactJs.

Elizabeth is a Customer Success Manager at Crunchy Data and volunteers for the US PostgreSQL Association. Elizabeth enjoys writing about Postgres for Newbies and teaching people about databases whenever she gets the chance. She has a background in open source project management and enjoys working with development teams to build products and applications using all the fun things in the open source toy box. Elizabeth hails from Lawrence, Kansas and spends most of her free time pretending like she lives on a farm in the 1860s.

Polyglot Software Developer. Python and Go. Linux and Docker.

Meet Felipe de Morais, also known as FeliPython, a skilled software engineer with years of experience under his belt. As a co-founder of AfroPython and open-source contributor, Felipe has made significant contributions to the Python Community, earning recognition from both the Python Software Foundation and the Brazilian Python Association. In addition to his professional career, Felipe enjoys practicing Jiu Jitsu, and his furry companion, Paçoca, named after his favorite Brazilian candy. Passionate about helping others, Felipe is always willing to lend a hand and share his expertise. Get ready to be inspired by his journey and insights at Django Con US!

I'm a software engineer from Brazil and Chief Scientist at Vinta Software (www.vinta.com.br). I’ve been building web products with Python and Django for the last 13 years. I love drinking medium and light roast coffee and visiting museums around the world. Recently I got into retrogaming and I've been (trying) to fix and play SNES and Genesis consoles.

Two years ago, James and his manager started learning Python and Django to rebuild an internal web app used in their company's call center. An old soul at heart, he started exploring the web before Angular or React ever came along, so the Web 1.0 feel of Django immediately clicked. Today that web app, built with Bootstrap and htmx, is in production use. Going through the process of deploying this app helped him crystallize how to think about getting a project from the code editor to the web browser, and he's here to share those insights and distill deployment down to something more approachable.

Josh Thomas is the web developer at The Westervelt Company, a lumber and land company founded in 1884 and headquartered in Tuscaloosa, AL.

As someone passionate about technology, I have had the privilege of speaking at several international tech conferences, including APIDays India 2022, APISecure 2022, and DjangoCon US 2022. I was honored to have my proposal selected for DjangoCon US 2022, where I could share my insights with a global audience.

While I am grateful for my recognition, I know there is always more to learn and new perspectives to consider. Therefore, I approach each speaking opportunity as a chance to continue my learning and growth, as well as a chance to share my insights with others.

As a speaker, I aim to provide attendees with new ideas, fresh perspectives, and actionable insights. I strive to make my presentations engaging, educational, and thought-provoking, and I am always eager to hear feedback and incorporate new ideas.

I understand that I don't know everything, and I am humbled by the opportunity to learn from others. Being involved in the tech community is an ongoing journey, and I am eager to continue learning and growing however I can.

Marc is a full stack developer and consultant based in the Greater Toronto Area. He has been working with Django since version 1.4 was released over a decade ago. He specializes in API development and is passionate about developer quality of life.

Marc is a recovered musician who played the oboe professionally with symphony orchestras across Ontario and Québec. He authored Django REST Swagger, a once popular but now deprecated library used to generate documentation for APIs written with Django REST Framework.

In his spare time, Marc enjoys gravel biking, a hobby he picked up following his first successful battle with cancer in 2020. He founded Port Perry Pedals, an annual cycling event which has raised over CA$ 60,000 for charity since 2021.

I code Python by night, which is what happens when there's not enough time during the day. In the past couple of years, I've presented several talks/tutorials at PyCon US, DjangoCon US, Python Web Conference, and others. Sometimes I neglect/blog on my website Python By Night, and start (and abandon) too many side projects.

I'm a software engineer at Standard Metrics where I focus on fullstack development for our Venture product.

Meagen Voss began her journey into content management nerdery with a WordPress website in the early 2000s and is now a Wagtail Community Manager and Editor of Wagtail.org at Torchbox. When she’s not coding or writing, you can find her hiking in the mountains of North Carolina.

Michael has been designing and building content-managed websites for nearly 20 years. He enjoys creating delightfully effective user experiences to solve big problems.

Mike is a software developer living in Tallinn, Estonia. Although his list of former hobbies is expansive and every-growing, his love of of software is constant keeps him curious and enthusiastic after 20 years of professional software development across numerous languages and frameworks. Currently, Mike is following his bliss with Django, Flutter, bike-touring, camping, and tabletop gaming.

• Founder of Postgres.ai: automation of database testing in CI/CD, modern database monitoring for Postgres, databases in clouds. Among clients: Chewy.com, GitLab.com, Mercury.com, Miro.com.
• Postgres.TV (YouTube) and Postgres.FM (podcast) co-host
• 18+ years of experience in the field of open-source databases

Noah Kantrowitz is a web developer turned infrastructure automation enthusiast, and all around engineering rabble-rouser. By day he runs infrastructure at Geomagical/IKEA and by night he makes candy and stickers. He is an active member of the DevOps community, and enjoys merge commits, cat pictures, and beards.

I’m Paolo Melchiorre, a longtime Python backend developer who contributes to the Django project and gives talks at tech conferences.

I’ve been a GNU/Linux user for over 20 years and use and promote Free Software.

I graduated in Software Engineering and I’m an alumnus of the University of Bologna, Italy.

I’ve been working in the web for 15 years and now I’m the CTO of 20tab, a Pythonic software company, for which I work remotely.

Pat Viafore has been in the industry for over 15 years, working on various systems such as lightning detection systems, operating systems, and virtualization. He focuses on testing, software engineering, and developer experience.

He is the author of Robust Python and co-organizer of HSV.py. He works his day job at Cloud Software Group as a Principal Software Engineer. He also moonlights as a contractor/consultant at Kudzera, LLC, which he co-owns with his wife.

Outside of programming, Pat likes rock climbing, going on hikes, cooking, and good quality family time.

Developer Relations Engineer at Platform.sh. Former Programmer/Analyst-Principal at the University of Missouri. Web application security and accessibility evangelist. Software instructor. Conference lecturer and presenter. Runs on passion and coffee. Outside of work, you'll find Gilzow mountain biking, snowboarding, enjoying live music with his kids, and dancing wherever the mood strikes.

Pavel Sviridov, the Head of Backend Development at Practicum.com since 2019, brings over eight years of Python development experience, with a specialization in Django. His hands-on approach to Domain-Driven Design (DDD) in Django projects is bolstered by real-world experience and collaborative feedback. Known for his ability to make complex topics accessible, Pavel's sessions blend theoretical knowledge with practical, real-world examples.

Philip James (aka phildini) has been using Python since a friend used a projector at a summer camp to teach him code basics, changing the entire course of his life from "moody theater kid" to "moody (but smiling) Pythonista". Philip has used Python to help build the Internet at Eventbrite and Patreon, and now uses Python and Django every day as CTO at Burb.

Philip lives in Alameda, in the East Bay Area of California, with his partner Nic, their daughter Alex, and Nic's cat River.

Ramón Huidobro is a developer advocate and deved enthusiast. He thrives on lifting others up in their tech careers and loves a good CSS challenge. Always excited to talk about teaching tech, especialmente en Español, oder auf Deutsch.

Richard has been using PostgreSQL since v. 7.4 in 2003. He is a Principal Support Engineer at EnterpriseDB, providing technical support to DBAs and developers around the world, and works with many clients ranging from private corporations to government organizations and financial institutions.

Co-founder ZimboPy | DSF member | PSF contributing member | DevOps Engineer

Ryan Cheley is a Health IT Leader with nearly 15 years of experience implementing Enterprise EHRs, Web, and Data solutions. He works to build solutions that scale with technology and people.

I'm Sage and I'm from Jakarta, Indonesia.

In 2019, I participated in Google Summer of Code with Django, during which I implemented the cross-database JSONField that became available in Django 3.1.

Now, I'm based in the UK and I work at Torchbox, building new features and improvements to the Django-powered Wagtail CMS and its ecosystem.

Outside of the Django world, I maintain my project giscus, a comment system powered by GitHub Discussions.

You can find me @laymonage on GitHub, Twitter, and other sites. I'd love to make friends from around the world, so hit me up!

I'm a full-stack web developer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where we use Django to power our main public website, our intranet, and a large number of other internal websites. I'm also a member of the core team for Wagtail, the CMS which powers all of the above JPL sites, and a part of its accessibility subteam, as well.

I'm currently the CTO of Umuzi, our mission is to reduce social inequality in Africa through digital education. My role involves: figuring out what to teach and how to teach it, writing software (we use Django a LOT), building management systems, creating new products, and mentorship.

Outside of work I like to juggle as many hobbies as I can - BJJ, climbing, hiking and music are high on my list.

Stephen has been working with Django since the beta in 2006. Working out of the Philadelphia area, Stephen has varied experience in programming from sales companies, to healthcare tech, and is currently working at the media streaming site Volume.com. He is the creator and maintainer of django-mail-panel, Red: UI for Redis, and a contributor to many other Django-related open-source projects.

Outside work, he enjoys biking, jazz, and will wow you with a card trick if you give him the chance.

I'm a 35-year-old software developer based in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil with a passion for Python programming. Since embarking on my software development journey in 2007, I've honed my skills and specialized in Python development since 2011. Over the years, I've collaborated on numerous Python-based applications, always striving to contribute to the open-source community in meaningful ways.

One of my proudest achievements was developing the strawberry-django-plus project in 2021. Additionally, I was appointed as the official maintainer of the Strawberry-Django integration in 2022. My dedication to the open-source community reflects my commitment to improving software development for everyone.

Beyond my professional pursuits, I'm known for my positive attitude and willingness to assist others in the community. I enjoy engaging with others and fostering meaningful connections to help propel the industry forward.

Thibaud is a developer interested in all things accessibility and sustainability. I’m a core contributor to the Wagtail open source CMS, and part of Django’s accessibility team.

Tobias co-founded Caktus in 2007 and, as Chief Executive Officer, guides the strategic vision of the company. He has been an active member of the Django development community, is a core developer of the RapidSMS framework, and makes regular contributions to both the projects. He is the co-author of and chief advocate for the messages framework that was introduced in Django 1.2 and has helped his co-founder Colin Copeland organize several successful Django development sprints in the North Carolina Research Triangle area.

I am a seasoned web developer with a passion for creating high-quality software solutions. With over 2 years of experience in writing Django and React, I have honed my skills in developing custom web applications that are scalable, efficient, and user-friendly. My expertise in frontend and backend web development allows them to build end-to-end solutions that meet clients' needs.

In addition to software development skills, I am also a seasoned technical writer with over 3 years of experience. I have created engaging technical content for a range of clients, including how-to guides and coding best practices. My strong writing skills enable me to communicate complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner, making it easier for non-technical stakeholders to understand.

Recently, I have expanded my knowledge to include DevOps, with a particular focus on Kubernetes. My understanding of DevOps principles and tools allows me to implement CI/CD pipelines and automation workflows that accelerate the software development life cycle. With my technical skills and knowledge, I am confident in my ability to make a valuable contribution to any software development project.

Overall, I am passionate about staying up-to-date with the latest technologies and using my skills to help businesses achieve their goals. Let's connect and explore how I can contribute to your team!

Victor Ogunjobi is a Data Scientist and Inclusivity Advocate. He currently serves as a Student Ambassador at Code Warriors, a renowned organization that provides comprehensive training and mentorship to aspiring coders.

In addition to his work, Victor actively contributes to the open-source community on GitHub and participates in initiatives that aim to improve the sustainability of open-source software, contributions, and communities. He is passionate about promoting diversity and equity in the tech industry and believes that open-source technology can play a critical role in driving innovation and progress.

Wes Kendall is the primary author and maintainer of several Django/Postgres libraries in the github.com/Opus10 organization. He's been working with Django for the better part of a decade now and currently uses Django at Standard Metrics