The Year of The Snake and a review of 2024

I've mentored more Black women in tech in the past two years than I have in my entire career. There's a pending blog post about some of the ways that I navigate these relationships:

• I don't prioritize free labor when the objective is paid labor to marginalized people because you deserve to earn a livable wage while learning; however, I will mention open source and non-profit projects > portfolio projects.
• Offer to be a "rubber duck" as often as my schedule will allow. I've been nervously praised for always unblocking issues when I just provided a safe place to stop spinning on an issue and talk through what they know.
• "A la carte" menu for what we could discuss and reminding them of A through D of potential options with mentorship sessions, remembering to include E "another idea, not previously discussed". I provide options from reviewing job posts together, reviewing resumes, chipping away and strategizing one of their goals, etc.
• Mentorship through job instability requires a level of calm, confidence and cheerleading that is not easy. I spend most of my time listening, validating and asking if "[their] daily activities in the job hunt are matching up with desired outcomes". If the answer is "yes" that's great; then prioritize rest where you can. If the answer is "no" then still prioritize rest. It is not unusual for me to ask if their basic needs are being met. I want to mention, that the intersection of disability and supporting Black women has left me the most devastated. I won't pull away; I won't stop listening to stories and creating space to vent. Strategizing systems for mutual aid and stepping up for equal opportunities is also part of mentorship.
• Low-to-no hierarchy in the relationship unless requested otherwise. I will mention out the gate that I view "mentorship" as having really smart friends and learning through osmosis. She won't know that her insight was just as valuable to me unless I tell her ways they've been helpful by citing a deliverable where they're adding context; allowing them to peer review my PRs and conference abstracts. My demeanor and communication flows between "(ageless) big sis" to coffee chat friend. Inherently, I'm pretty vanilla in my "girl talk" unless we have a decade of friendship under our belt; but it's important to me where relevant I talk about my wife, my dogs, my family, my goals and my stumbles. Mentoring is a mutually beneficial activity no matter the skill level of the person you're working with, and if it doesn't seem fruitful, you're mentoring wrong.

This is my last year of my term on the Python Software Foundation Board. I am proud to announce that I have accepted the honor to contribute to an organization I've been working with on and off since 2020.

I will have a separate blog post coming soon about my two years as Chair of the PSF, voicing calls to action for the community and the way I hope to see the foundation supporting the Python language continue to grow. I am immensely proud of the impact that I've had on the PSF in my time on the board. My capacity and impact in Python community and language will continue and evolve for a long career to come. Check out this great video some of my peers on the board created last elections season about being on The Python Software Foundation Board and the impact the responsibility makes in the community: 📺 FAQs About the PSF Board.

I've been mentoring about the PSF Board with Black Python Devs casually for the last few years. If you're interested in setting up a meeting to discuss what it is like on The PSF Board, open to anyone in the world of any background, 📧 send me an email. I'm happy to tell you about my experience and give recommendations for upcoming election cycle happening July 2025.

When signing up for the challenge of learning and contributing to CPython WebAssembly support, I knew that I wanted to take my time to create a sustainable path for me to contribute consistently in the future. I've been more "stop" than "go" these last few months, with a hanging branch for a feature with failing tests unfixed.

I have some exciting things coming that align my career even more with prioritizing open-source code contribution. As I leave the PSF Board and reduce my commitments to software event organizing, I'm hoping to pick up steam again with WagtailCMS and our Starter Templates initiative, some smaller issues on Brett Cannon's CPython WebAssembly work list, and learning more about where my friend, Sarah Boyce the fantastic Django Fellow (check out her talking about 📺 Django Core Demystified).

Since 2018, I've talked about the ways that community development evolves when you create pathways for people to engage. At the time, given my background in e-commerce, consumer electronics and merchandising, I discussed persona marketing in embracing different personalities, backgrounds and motivations in the community. I gave that same talk again, introducing Complex Systems very loosely applied open-source systems. (Think Porter's 5 Forces, but about a dozen forces and more a jumping point for exploration).

You can see more of my 2023 DjangoCon Europe Keynote 📺 video on youtube or 🎁 presentation slides.

I like by Awareness approach in addition to identifying activities for "super users" or highly engaged audience. They represent just one ring on the target, where feedback loops for employees and partners create opportunities for "accidental advocacy." The concentric circles are unique to each organization / product and when done as a group, can spur great conversation about products, activities and initiatives.

Confounding variables in customer demographics outside of by Role could prioritize or exclude parts of your community that would like to be represented. Authentic stories, when told right, can both be highly specific speaking to those demographics, but infinitely relatable beyond what our bias assumptions. Voice of the customer by Role or by value, serves better than the age, region, gender demographic buckets of the consumer electronics and ecommerce world where I cut my teeth in marketing engagements.

Have I been good at this? No. Will I be good at this? sure...

I'm always working on improving my skills. This past year I attended a 12-week management training curriculum, created mentor relationships for CPython and consulting strategy.

This year, I'm interested in:

• Public speaking training (I'd love to emulate Massachusetts Rep Ayanna Presley's cadence and poise) work on my storytelling on stage and presence.
• Obtaining paid Board positions for companies supporting products in and Open Source Python developer tools.

🔥 I'll be getting back into my "This Week" posts; which was supposed to prove as an easy way to update the community on what I'm doing. Because I'll be working on open source more vocally in 2025 🤞🏽.

🔥 Pushing forward on a podcast passion project; where I dive into terms that transcend technology and create space for unique, highly edited segments a la NPR's This American Life, but for the intersection of social impact and technology.

The cover art and Trello board have been made, but no promises on it's release. If you're interested in hearing what I have so far, check out 2021 Dawn recording 90 second intros on a solo road trip to New Orleans.