I'm Aayush Gauba, a developer and security enthusiast who loves building systems that think. I work extensively with Django and machine learning to create practical tools that go beyond automation, they learn, adapt, and evolve. Whether it's developing face recognition systems, experimenting with quantum-inspired AI, or building defense systems that block threats after a single attempt, I enjoy turning bold ideas into working code. I'm always exploring how to make the web smarter and safer. When I'm not coding, I'm usually testing unconventional ideas or refining something I built at 2 a.m.

Andrew Mshar is a software developer at Energy Solutions with experience ranging from game development to building tools to fight climate change.

I’m a free-spirited techie who loves Social Impact Projects, Hackathons, and the Circus. I am fascinated by the infinite ways that data can get from point A to B to Z.

Drishti is a Software Engineer and a technology book author. She is based in the USA and 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

Elizabeth is a Postgres contributor and technical writer at Crunchy Data. She is on the board of the US PostgreSQL Association and hosts an online Postgres Meetup for All and a local KC Postgres group. She also helps host the annual PostGIS Day. Elizabeth is passionate about open source technology and diversity in tech though education. Elizabeth is from Lawrence, Kansas and spends her free time pretending like she lives on a farm in the 1860s.

Eric is the author of Python Crash Course from No Starch Press. He also writes a weekly newsletter called Mostly Python. He is the maintainer of django-simple-deploy, which automates deployment of Django projects to a variety of platforms.

Eric was a math and science teacher for many years. He is now a full time writer and programmer.

Henrietta (Hettie) Dombrovskaya is a database researcher and practitioner with over 40 years of academic and industrial experience. At present she is

– Database Architect at DRW Holdings in Chicago, IL
– Local Organizer of the Chicago PostgreSQL User Group
– Active community member, a frequent speaker at the PostgreSQL Conferences
- Prairie Postgres NFP President
-- A researcher focused on developing efficient interactions between applications and databases and implementation of temporal data
–– An author of the PostgreSQL Query Optimization book

With over seven years of experience in front-end development and UX design, I now focus on developer advocacy, championing best practices and fostering engagement—especially within the Django ecosystem. I’ve collaborated with teams at Caktus Group and Ansible by Red Hat, building scalable, user-friendly applications using Python, JavaScript, and modern frameworks like Django and React. Passionate about making technology more accessible, I create resources, lead discussions, and support developers in creating impactful software.

Outside of coding, I’m highly committed to mentorship and community building. As the Director of Women Who Code Raleigh-Durham, I organize workshops and networking events designed to empower women in tech. In my spare time, you’ll find me gaming or exploring digital illustration—creative outlets that energize my problem-solving mindset and keep me inspired. Whether through code, art, or community initiatives, I enjoy connecting with others who share a passion for technology and innovation.

Senior Software Engineer @ MongoDB

Karen has been using Django since before 1.0 days and has been supporting production client deployments since 2010.

Kattni (she/her) is a creator, programmer, maker, writer, photographer, classically trained vocalist, air plant cultivator, and fledgling synth nerd. She is passionate about building and maintaining safe and inclusive communities, learning new things, creating approachable information, and sharing her knowledge. She is tolerated by a cat and three kittens who continue to let her live with them.

I am a working professional from Zimbabwe with diverse interests in entrepreneurship, software development, and community building. I enjoy delving into impactful work that requires problem-solving and creative thinking. My long-term goal is to use tech to help drive innovation and create opportunities for learning and wealth creation for people across the African continent.

Hi, I'm a Python and Rust engineer with a deep interest in search engines, AI, and open source. I started programming at 13 and have been working full-time as a software engineer for the past 3 years. I currently work for Qdrant, the most loved OSS vector database.

Django has been a core part of my development journey and I've used it extensively across projects and organizations. I'm passionate about building open-source developer tools and sharing knowledge through talks on topics that matter to me.

Based in Bangalore (India), I enjoy discovering global cultures and cuisines.

I’m a software engineer and Djangonaut who found my way into open source with the help of the Django community.

Lisa Dusseault is the CTO of the non-profit Data Transfer Initiative, supporting consumer data portability across tech platforms. With a dual career in standards and startups, she brings both idealism and pragmatism. On the startup side, Lisa was CTO of Compaas and ShareTheVisit and VPEng of Klutch. On the standards side, she co-authored CalDAV, updated WebDAV, was chair of the XMPP and IMAPExt working groups, and spent four years as Area Director shepherding new Applications area work at the IETF.

Mariatta is a Python Core Developer. She co-hosts the podcast series PyPodcats: Hidden Figures of Python, highlighting the voices of underrepresented group members in the Python community. For her contributions to the Python community, she received The PSF Community Service Award and is a PSF Fellow member. You might also know her from the internet hashtags #IceCreamSelfie and #TypoOfTheDay

In my past lives, I've enjoyed playing guitar and bass, kicking a soccer ball, or playing an occasional video game. In my career, I've been an editor at a non-profit, taught as a pre-school teacher, managed payroll for a professional baseball team, and worked as an analyst/project manager for HR systems. More recently, I've been working as a software engineer for a little over a year at a company called BCM One.

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

I'm a software architect and engineer, and co-run a design and software agency and consultancy called Elyon Technologies. Before that, I spent several years as a solo freelancer, working on a number of different projects and systems. Almost everything I did I built in Django (from scratch or on top of something existing), and I strongly focused on a niche specifically working on Django apps both through UpWork and also word of mouth referrals. I've gotten to build and architect software systems with Django across a number of different verticals which has provided both narrow/focused perspectives in the Django space but also helped me grow opinions on how codebases should be structured in the long run.

Meet Michael, an experienced System Administrator who has been working in the IT industry for 7 years. Presently, Michael works at Platform.sh as an Elite Cloud Support Engineer, working with Platform's Elite tier customers, typically consisting of big brands. Michael has used Python to approach or create solutions to big problems throughout his career. Whether it's moving an outdated email contact system to Microsoft 365 and filtering for duplicates, or using it to create his own solutions to his customers problems.

Outside of Michael's work at Platform, he has worked on various Python personal projects since 2018, primarily Discord bots. Out of all the programming languages he works, Python is his favorite.

Michael is also currently studying for his Computer Science degree at Western Governors University.

Michael has been designing and building content-managed websites for nearly 20 years. He enjoys creating delightfully compelling user experiences to solve big problems. He is the Director of Strategy at Lincoln Loop, where he helps clients turn ideas into fully functional web-based products.

Mike is a software developer living in Tallinn, Estonia. Although his list of former hobbies is expansive and every-growing, his love of software is constant and keeps him curious and enthusiastic after 25 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.

I am an open-source software advocate, community leader in Africa, software engineer, PSF Fellow, and DSF member. I co-founded the Python community and founded the Django community in Namibia, where I’ve helped introduce open-source technologies to new developers and supported underrepresented groups in tech across Africa. For more than a decade, I’ve worked to grow these communities and have been involved in the global Python and Ubuntu communities, speaking at international events about open source and building strong tech communities.

I help organize major events like PyCon Africa and DjangoCon Africa, bringing together developers and industry leaders from across Africa and beyond. I’m passionate about sharing knowledge, encouraging collaboration, and promoting open-source software.

I’m part of The Crazy Labs; Laloka Labs LLC, where I continue to support innovation and open-source work in Africa and around the world.

I'm Paolo Melchiorre (aka paulox) — Python backend developer, Django contributor, and Python Software Foundation Fellow.

Django Software Foundation Director, Django Girls+ coach and organizer, and proud Djangonaut Space navigator.

Organize PyCon Italia, founded Python Pescara, and I'm a Python Italia member.

Also, a conference speaker, GNU/Linux user, Free Software advocate, University of Bologna alumnus, Computer Engineer and technical blogger.

Peter is the founder of Lincoln Loop, having built it up from a small freelance operation in 2007 into a leading agency known for solving complex technical challenges with Django and Python. He is constantly learning and is well-versed in many technical disciplines including devops, scaling, back-end, and front-end development. Peter is a frequent speaker at DjangoCon and has given talks at PyCon and SaltConf as well. In 2013 he co-authored the book High Performance Django, detailing the techniques used at Lincoln Loop to build high-traffic, scalable sites with Django. He has been interviewed about Lincoln Loop's remote work style by Wired and 37signals and been published on Forbes, FastCompany and TechRepublic among others.

Currently residing in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Peter enjoys a well balanced life with his wife and two children. Beyond technology, his passions include skiing and biking in the mountains near his home as well as the occasional surf trip south of the border.

I'm an Associate Vice President of Engineering for a Medical Services Organization in Southern California.

Ryan Sullivan is a full stack web application developer primarily working with Django. Ryan joined Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) in 2012 and has has worked in Philadelphia tech since 2003. Prior to joining WRDS, he was a back-end Java Developer at Urban Outfitters. Originally from Oakland California (USA), when he’s not working, Ryan enjoys serving his community through board memberships and volunteering, cycling, and traveling out west frequently to visit family and friends.

Tim is the Principal Engineer of Wharton Research Data Services. He started work at Wharton in 2008, after working for local companies and starting a few of his own. Having started programming at age six, he is currently an organizer of the Philadelphia Python Users Group, Code for Recovery, and a member of the Python Software Foundation and Django Software Foundation. Tim enjoys playing very loud guitar with lots of pedals, is an avid cyclist, was the first person to sell real world items for virtual microcurrency long before Bitcoin, and enjoys beating his head against brick walls (as demonstrated by his passion for coding, cycling in Philadelphia, and never-ending quest to get his cat to behave). A life-long Philadelphia resident, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996 with an individualized major, “Computer Aided Information Acquisition”.

I'm a Django/Python developer who has become very involved in the Django community over the past few years. I started by helping maintain the django-debug-toolbar library and have started helping in other areas, including Djangonaut Space, Django Commons, and the Django Steering Council. I also was a DEFNA director and a DjangoCon US organizer. Beyond community organizing I like to bake bread, brew beer, ferment hot sauce and as of 2025, roast coffee. If you see me around, come say hi!

I'm a Developer Advocate at JetBrains, a former Board Member of the Django Software Foundation, and the author of three books on Django. Current projects include the Django Chat podcast, Django News newsletter, and LearnDjango.com.