Speakers

These are the speakers confirmed so far. Check back for new updates! These are all 36 speakers!

Ben Meredith

Ben is the developer of the most popular WordPress plugin for Click To Tweet boxes, the Senior Support Technician at GiveWP, a husband, a dad, and a blues music connoisseur and mild practitioner.

When not coding or solving code puzzles to support users, you’ll find him with a guitar in hand or perhaps playing a round of disc golf. He’d lobby for it being called just “golf” and making that other game “ball golf” or perhaps “expensive ball golf.”

Micah Wood

Micah is an Atlanta-based, full-stack developer committed to improving his craft continuously and sharing his insights with the development community. He is currently the dev team lead at Narwhal Digital and specializes in building websites and applications on the WordPress platform for enterprise clients.

Doug Foster

I build short stories, proof points, & engaging experiences that convince people to take action.
My best story? One Sunday morning in Dallas I tipped the sale for 180,000 Cisco IP phones to Bank of America in 10 minutes. http://bit.ly/2dlNPMB
Thirty+ years in sales, marketing, IT, engineering, and manufacturing with companies ranging from startups to global high tech. What’s fun? Biking, kayaking, travel, stories, and geeky stuff … like WordPress, building a geodesic dome home, & working with NASA.
About my work – http://convinsys.com

Chris Lema

Chris Lema has been building web applications since you could build them (1995). Over the last 12 years he’s used WordPress to build everything from blogs to websites to web applications for folks like his brother, his friends and companies like ABC. A regular blogger and public speaker, he is also the Vice President of Products for Liquid Web.

Andrea Ferguson

Andrea (Andi) Ferguson is Founder & President of AndiSites Inc., an award-winning web design and development firm based in Chapel Hill, NC. AndiSites specializes in WordPress, including design, development, support, and maintenance. With 20+ years’ experience in project management, 12 years’ experience in corporate communications, and 10 years’ experience in web design and development, Andi knows what it takes to give clients an effective website–while they enjoy the process. Andi is a WordPress expert who loves sharing knowledge; bringing technology down to earth; and making the web a friendlier, more open, more welcoming place. Andi is also a film/TV actress (as Andrea Powell) and avid world traveler with husband/writer Paul, sweet dog Teddy, and rebellious bunny Dusty.

Allen Moore

Allen Moore is a Senior Front-End Engineer at 10up, which is a fully distributed agency that makes a better web with finely crafted websites and tools for content creators. At 10up, Allen specializes in front-end performance, crafting amazing user experiences, and writing JavaScript that is lean and future-proof.

Prior to 10up, Allen worked as a web developer for the North Carolina State University College of Engineering, and spent over 10 years as a freelance and contract developer. When Allen is not obsessing about JavaScript purity, he loves to spend time with his wife and dog, and make loud booming sounds on bass guitar.

He lives in Raleigh, NC, tweets at @creativeallen, and occasionally blogs at allenmoore.me.

Sam England

I have been running my successful eCommerce business for 14+ years now, I have also launched many information products and software’s teaching and helping other people how to start and run an effective and profitable eCommerce business.

I enjoy sharing the knowledge that I have learned thought out the years with others so they can also be successful with eCommerce.

Shelly Peacock

Shelly Peacock is the founder of the Spinbird Group, a WordPress Consulting and Design Group. She has a “full-stack” professional background of over 15 years which includes sales, marketing, and social media training. An active member of the WordPress community, she has traveled and spoken at WordCamps both nationally and internationally. Her favorite things? Hole-in-the-wall eateries that rock and creating artwork … with blowtorches and with code.

Mike Demo

Mike “Demo” Demopoulos is a longtime lover of Open Source Software.
He currently works at BoldGrid (a WordPress Page Builder) as an Evangelist. He has spoken at numerous open source events around the world. He has been interviewed by multiple publications and podcasts and as contributed to many as well. Mike also volunteers with the Joomla Project as the treasurer of Open Source Matters (the not for profit organization for Joomla!) as well as serving on the Joomla World Conference and Capital teams. He also co-organizes JoomlaDay Minnesota. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife Kayla and dog B’Elanna.

Cameron Campbell

I’m a Designer and Senior Front End Developer at WebDevStudios living in beautiful Asheville, NC. I’m passionate about working in the web and creating amazing experiences with WordPress.

Matt Cromwell

Matt is Head of Support and Community Outreach at GiveWP.com and WordImpress.com. He is the author of several popular free plugins, the Lead Organizer of the Advanced WordPress San Diego Meetup and AWP Facebook group (which boasts over 25K members) and a WordPress Community Consultant for Media Temple. He’s a popular blogger at his personal site (mattcromwell.com), wordimpress.com, givewp.com, and mediatemple.net.

Steve Mortiboy

Steve Mortiboy is the COO and Service Delivery Manager for Semper Fi Web Design. He leads the team that develops plugins such as All in One SEO Pack. He has been working with WordPress for over 7 years and devotes much of his time to helping people get the most from WordPress. He is also one of the organizers of WordCamp Raleigh and the Raleigh WordPress Meetup Group. When not hard at work he’s working on DIY projects at home or off traveling.

Brady Nord

Brady Nord is the co-founder of MOJO Marketplace and is currently the Vice President of Bluehost.

Cory Miller

Cory Miller is a former newspaper journalist turned full-time entrepreneur. In 2008, he started iThemes, one of the first commercial product companies in WordPress, that now offers key products like BackupBuddy, iThemes Security and iThemes Sync. Named the 7th fastest growing company in Oklahoma City in 2011 by the Metro 50, iThemes employs over 20 people around the globe with headquarters in Oklahoma City. In 2011, he co-founded The Div, Inc, a nonprofit tech foundation aimed at inspiring and training the next generation of web developers through its kid’s program, Div Jr. He is the co-author of WordPress All-in-One for Dummies (Wiley, 2011) and is a member of the Oklahoma chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a network of over 8,000 entrepreneurs in 40 countries with companies that have revenue over $1 million dollars annually. He blogs regularly about entrepreneurship and career advice here at CoryMiller.com. He is married to Lindsey Miller, who is the Partner Manager at Liquid Web. They have an adorable son named Caloway and a little sweetheart daughter named Lillian.

Mickey Trivett

I own and operate WebCoUSA Enterprises which is an Award Winning Marketing and Web Design Agency located in Johnson City, TN. I started my company 12 years ago in the oldest town in Tennessee which is Jonesborough. It is a very small town and known for the world famous Story Telling Festival. People come all over the world to listen to stories, some true and some just plain ole’ entertaining. Anyhow, the very first website I sold was at a local Flea Market of all places. We have now grown from that one website to managing and maintaining clients in 41 States. I love waking up in the morning knowing that I have a career that I chose and at the same time I get to help people with their businesses.

George Spake

George Spake is the lead organizer of the WordPress Memphis User Group and an avid WordPress fan, developer, and evangelist. As a member of the web services team at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, George has tested the limits of WordPress’s awesomeness and hasn’t been let down yet.

Doug Cone

I’ve been build stuff for the web since 1997. I’ve written dozens of WordPress themes and plugins for various clients and contributed code to WordPress core. I’ve been using Docker in production for nearly three years.

Jeff Jacobson

In his television career Jeff has held just about every role that can be done behind the camera, including audio, graphics, editor, photographer, director, and engineer. Jeff made his first website in 1998, first used WordPress in 2005, and started working in television in 2007. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from NC State in 2008, graduating cum laude with a concentration in Media.

Sharon A. Dawson

Sharon Dawson is a Marketing Manager at TheeDesign. She plans and executes marketing campaigns to help small, local, and national companies get more customers and strengthen their branding. That strategy includes social media management, SEO, and writing strong copy for their websites. She keeps her client’s WordPress sites up to date with the latest version and plugins and not breaking that website when doing said updates. She also has her support team and GoDaddy on speed dial just in case.

Prior to TheeDesign, Sharon was the Webmaster at Burt’s Bees where she managed the b2b and b2c websites for the US, Canada, UK, and Australia.

Nathan Ingram

Nathan is the creator of >ADVANCE Coaching. He works with WordPress web developers individually and in groups to help them become more successful in their freelance businesses.

He is also the Host at iThemes Training where he teaches WordPress and freelance business development topics via live webinar.

Nathan has been a freelance web developer since 1995, and is based in Birmingham, Alabama where he is the co-lead organizer of the Birmingham WordPress Meetup and WordCamp Birmingham.

You can learn more about Nathan at https://nathaningram.com.

Dwayne McDaniel

I have been working in tech and open source sales since 2005.
I knew as soon as I started working with Java middleware developers I never wanted to work outside of open source ever again. I first started building in Drupal and WordPress when I needed to build projects for the San Francisco Improv scene. I fell in the love the community of developers and then found my position at Pantheon at the end of 2013.
As a Community and Agency Success Manager I have had the privilege of presenting at MidCamp (Drupal), Twin Cities DrupalCamp, DrupalCamp Colorado, WordCamp Milwaukee, WordCamp Baltimore and Drupal Northern Lights (Iceland) as well as leading BOFs at several other events.
Outside of tech I love producing and performing improv theater. I also love comic books and karaoke!!!

Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

Mika Ariela Epstein is better known as Ipstenu, the Half-Elf Rogue. Working for DreamHost, specializing in WordPress, Mika helps make WordPress and hosting better for everyone. When she isn’t reviewing plugins she’s speaking at WordCamps worldwide about code and open source technology. A self-taught guru on Multisite and .htaccess, she has a passion for writing and technology and blogs about them whenever possible.

Peter La Fond

A graduate of California State University, Sacramento, Peter’s high technology career has spanned across two decades in Silicon Valley. His services have been employed by various Silicon Valley-based firms, ranging from start-up to Fortune 500. Although his Silicon Valley roots run deep, in 2015, Peter moved to the Cape Fear, North Carolina metro-area.

Lisa Linn Allen

Lisa Linn Allen is Team Lead for the the Intranet at SAS, the largest independent software vendor in the Business Intelligence market.

She has worked on the SAS Wide Web since she marked up the first graphical version of its home page 19 years ago, and she is currently leading the team through the process of moving all employee-facing Intranet content into WordPress.

Vasyl Martyniuk

I’m senior software developer/system architect with over 15 years experience. I’ve been introduced to WordPress CMS in 2011 and since then constantly pushing its limit with creative ideas and complex projects.

Patrick Stox

I’m a technical SEO for IBM, contributing author for industry blogs such as Search Engine Land, Marketing Land, and Search Engine Journal, an organizer of the Raleigh SEO Meetup (the most successful in the country), founder of the Technical SEO Slack group, and I speak at several major conference series including SMX and Pubcon. I’ve been responsible for developing and implementing digital marketing strategies for everything from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies.

Marjorie Sample and Lauren Hirsh

Marjorie: Marjorie is a UX design freelancer and member of Ladies that UX Durham. She is also a chapter leader and instructor for Girl Develop It-RDU.

Lauren: Lauren is an Information Architect/UX Designer with Duke Web Services, Duke University’s in-house web agency, where she helps (re)design WordPress and Drupal websites for the University community. She also co-organizes the Durham, NC chapter of Ladies That UX.

Frank Corso

Frank has been working with WordPress since 2009 and is the founder of Markasio, a digital marketing software company which develops products such as Quiz And Survey Master, the highest rated quiz and survey plugin in the WordPress.org repository. He is an organizer of the Gainesville WordPress Meetup and the lead organizer of this year’s WordCamp Jacksonville.

He loves to blog about marketing, business, and user research. Above all else, he enjoys spending time with daughter.

Tony Zeoli

Tony Zeoli is founder of Digital Strategy Works, a WordPress design, development, and digital strategy consulting firm based in Asheville, NC.

Tony has worked with WordPress since its inception and consults to a wide range of corporate, nonprofit, startup, and education organizations seeking to leverage WordPress as their preferred CMS .

An expert in WordPress multisite networks, Tony also works with his clients on SEO, social media optimization, inbound marketing, marketing automation, Ecommerce, podcasting, and security and hosting.

Originally from Boston, Tony moved to New York City in 1996 to launch his first startup, Netmix.com. After selling the company in 2000, he developed a career in scrum/agile product development and project management for a wide range of companies, including Cablevision, Lehman Brothers, JP Morgan Chase, and the Associated Press.

He moved to the North Carolina in 2010 to lead development of digital products and train students on WordPress at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication. In 2012, he moved on to lead product development of an artist network and brand marketing platform for a major network marketing company. In 2013, Tony moved to Asheville, NC, where he continues to operate his WordPress consulting company.

Tony remains in Asheville with his wife, Missy and their son, Hudson. He’s also an accomplished house music DJ, broadcasting mix shows for streaming and podcasting over his long running blog, Netmix.com. He is 2009 Honors graduate of New York University, where he earned a degree in Digital Communications and Media, minoring in Digital Media Management, with Honors.

Ethan Butler

Ethan Butler is a freelance developer, adjunct faculty member at the UNC School of Media and Journalism, and JavaScript hipster based out of Durham, NC. He’s passionate about using technology to solve the problems that technology creates. When he’s not hacking, Ethan loves cooking, biking, and nerding out about hip-hop.

John Ragozzine

With an academic background in writing, philosophy, and education, John truly understands the importance of clear communication. Marry this with an artistic streak and you have someone who can readily spot when a web project is out of balance (or when a little asymmetry can truly help things along).

Having learned WordPress as a front-end web developer, John brings a strong background in the behind-the-scenes craft necessary to make great websites. Now with 10up, John has acted as a client-facing strategist for small businesses, nonprofits, and multinational corporations.

Alisa R. Herr

Alisa is a thinker, maker, and doer who is passionate about using technology to bring people together and make the world a better place. A true multidisciplinarian, Alisa loves flexing her skills in strategy, data analysis, writing, empathy, design, and development. She found her calling to lift up those who use their power as a force for good and established Unity Digital Agency in 2016 to connect mission-driven technologists, designers, and strategists to the organizations who need them the most. A North Carolinian to the bone, Alisa was born and raised in the Triangle, has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Appalachian State University, a master’s degree in library and information science from UNC Chapel Hill, and ardently defends her preference for Lexington style bbq. She is a mom, wife, public speaker, open source evangelist, and judge for the SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards.

Adam Sewell

Adam Sewell is a father, husband, and entrepreneur. Most of his time is spent with his IT support company, MyGeek Technologies. Though he is also known to develop WordPress sites and plugins as well as providing high performance hosting specific to WordPress. The most recent WordPress plugin is Simple Desk, a ticketing system aimed at service based businesses. You can find it on GitHub.

Lauren Jeffcoat

Lauren has been building WordPress websites for almost a decade and is currently part of the OnTheGoSystems WPML Customer Support team. She enjoys creating WordPress websites and has worn many hats in the world of web development including Project Manager, Customer Service Representative, Account Strategist, and Web Designer.

Originally from New England, she now lives in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. Lauren enjoys sharing her knowledge along with tips and tricks that she has learned either through furthering her education or personal experience.

Lauren is the organizer of WordPress Meetup Myrtle Beach, a co-organizer of WordCamp Wilmington, a WordCamp Speaker and a lover of all things WordPress.

Brian DeConinck

Brian DeConinck is a front-end designer and developer with North Carolina State University’s Office of Information Technology. He and his colleagues provide WordPress development, hosting, and support services to academic and administrative units on campus.

Brian’s design philosophy is centered around universal design and user empowerment. He believes all websites should be accessible and usable, for both end users and content creators.

Evan Mullins

Evan Mullins uses WordPress daily at the office as well as for his own projects. He is currently Lead Web Developer at Brown Bag Marketing, an integrated marketing agency in Atlanta. He blogs at circlecube.com and has even been known to dream in WordPress. With a background in digital media art, he now embraces the dark side and has found a strong creative outlet programming websites. Evan loves the problem solving aspect of web development and shines at harnessing WordPress as a true CMS & making interactive designs interactive. He strives to make the web a prettier, more pleasant and all-around better place for you & your grandma. Outside of work, Evan is a dedicated husband, father of four and soccer coach who loves rock music, audiobooks, chocolate and good pizza.

I’ve been a speaker at numerous WordCamps in the Southeast Region as well as various other Meetup events and presented within agencies regarding Web Development topics as well as WordPress specifically.

David A. Kennedy

David A. Kennedy works as a Theminator at Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and many other fine web products. He wrangles themes for WordPress.com, making them the best they can be and ensuring everyone can find a theme they love. He’s also an accessibility evangelist who loves the open web and open source code. He contributes to WordPress Core and the WordPress Accessibility Team.

WordCamp Raleigh 2017 is over. Check out the next edition!