While I try to attend as many WordPress meetups, WordCamps, and related open web events there is a subset of those that I’ve spoken at; this page makes note of those speaking engagements. If you’re looking for someone to speak, especially on the topic of open source, then please reach out!
Events
WordCamp US 2019: Contributing to Core, No Coding Necessary
November 1, 2019. If you, like me, have ever thought “I’m not a developer, how could I realistically contribute to WordPress?”, then think again. Anyone can contribute to WordPress. And yes, that includes you! In this lightning talk I’ll walk you through a couple examples like coordinating component teams, gardening bugs in Trac, and getting videos submitted to WordPress.tv.
WordCamp US 2023: Using a GitHub Action to ensure your plugins are GPL compatible
November 25, 2023. The WordPress.org plugin directory requires that all plugins must be compatible with the GNU General Public License (“GPL”) and recommends GPLv2 or later as the same license as WordPress itself. This includes third-party libraries, code, and images. With today’s modern development practices and easier contributions on git-based systems like GitHub, you may not even notice a dependency being added to your project. I will show you how to utilize a GitHub Action to scan your current codebase and ensure that all future pull requests and commits similarly ensure that all third-party libraries (aka dependencies) are GPL-compatible so that you can rest safe that your plugin can properly maintain its GPL-compatible claim.
WordCamp US 2025: Scalable, Ethical AI: How to Own Your Content and Your AI with WordPress
August 27, 2025. I ran a workshop on Scalable, Ethical AI: How to Own Your Content and Your AI with WordPress, where we explored tools like ClassifAI and local LLMs to build AI workflows focused on privacy and data ownership. Attendees left with practical next steps for bringing AI-powered content workflows into their own WordPress sites.
WordCamp US 2025: Core AI: What We’re Building
August 28, 2025. I joined James LePage (Automattic) and Felix Arntz (Google) for the Core AI: What We’re Building panel, where we shared progress from the WordPress Core AI team, looked ahead at what’s coming next, and discussed real-world implementation examples. The session included an open Q&A that let the audience guide much of the conversation.
Podcasts
OpenChannels.fm (formerly Do_the Woo) podcast: Five for the Future and Contributing with Angela Jin and Jeff Paul
October 19, 2021. Contributing to WordPress is contributing to WooCommerce. In this show Robbie and Robert chat with Angela Jim from Automattic and Jeff Paul from 10up to get to very clear, yet similar experiences and insights. They go from Matt Mullenweg’s Five for the Future to the bigger picture of contributing. They not only tell us how you can do it, but how they do it themselves and what that has meant to their personal growth.
WordPress 6.1 Product Walk-Through
September 13, 2022. WordPress 6.1 release squad members will join contributors from #core and the broader WordPress community to conduct an informal preview of the major features in the upcoming release.
Press This podcast: Are Your WordPress Plugins GPL-compatible?
October 3, 2023. In this episode of Press This, we explore the critical topic of GPL compatibility for WordPress plugins with Jeffrey Paul, Director of Open Source at 10up. Discover how a GitHub Action can ensure your plugins remain open-source compliant while streamlining your development process. If you’re a WordPress developer or contributor, this episode is a must-listen for staying in the GPL’s good graces and maintaining the spirit of open source.
Hallway Hangout: Let’s chat about (and with) the new WordPress AI team
June 2, 2025. I joined fellow members of the newly formed WordPress AI Team for our first public hallway hangout, where we introduced the team, shared our early priorities, and answered community questions. We discussed building the scaffolding for AI in WordPress through canonical plugins instead of core, ensuring faster iteration and avoiding vendor lock-in. We also explored future directions like on-device AI, vector database capabilities, and creating tools that make WordPress AI-capable and not AI-automated.
Cosmos by WPLift podcast: WordPress AI Team on Future of WP, and Human Side of AI
August 1, 2025. I joined James LePage and Pascal Birchler on Julia Golomb’s Cosmos by WPLift podcast to discuss the launch of the new WordPress AI Team and our vision for integrating AI into the platform responsibly. We explored the team’s formation, what it means “to do AI the WordPress way”, and the core building blocks we’re developing to power multilingual, collaborative, and UX-driven AI features. We also talked about open-source principles, privacy, and how developers, agencies, and creators can leverage AI while maintaining control of their data plus ways the community can get involved in shaping what comes next. AND I got to sneak in some references to lacrosse! 😉
Open Channels Dispatch podcast: Discovering the Future of AI and Customer Success at CloudFest USA
September 24, 2025. In this episode of Open Channels FM, I joined Adam Weeks to preview my panel at CloudFest USA 2025. I discussed how I’m approaching AI integrations, the evolution of open source, and enterprise tooling in the WordPress ecosystem.